Permission is granted to reprint/use these on the web so long as there is a link to my website.
Euro Business Gude is a Scam(2006)
Now back as the World Business Guide/Directory(2009)
Jan 31st 2007 - They're at it again. If you have signed up with these people, take a look here for help. (Thanks Jules!)
Today (Dec 5th) I received an (unsolicited) email offering me a free update in the Euro Business Guide with an attached PDF. Having checked it for viruses, I downloaded it and it's just a form to fill in with your business details, list of languages spoken etc.
At the top it says...
We are compiling information for The Euro Business Guide. We wish to be able to inform other companies about our activities and what languages are spoken in your company. In order to list your company in the internet for European businesses, just fill in and return the form. Any additional material of your company that can make your profile up to date is very welcome. We thank you for your cooperation.
To update your company profile, please print, complete and return this form (Updating is free of charge). Only sign if you want to place an insertion.
So they wish to inform via a Guide and updating is free yet you have to sign if you wish to place an insertion. This is deliberately vague. Not good. How do they update their database if you fill the form in (unsigned) without inserting into it? Hmmm...
On the other hand, the form is easy to read, well designed and looks good. Oh there's a bit of small print by the word Order. In fact, not just small print but tiny print. 6 or 8 point in some not easy to read font in uppercase! Still this is in Acrobat and they've been kind enough NOT to enable security or prevent me copying the text.
What the Smallprint says!
I've sliced it to reduce width and highlighted two interesting bits. To save you the effort, I've put all the text below.
ORDER
THE SIGNING OF THIS DOCUMENT REPRESENTS THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS AND THE CONDITIONS STATED IN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INSERTION ON WEBPAGE: WWW.EUROBUSINESSGUIDE.NET THE SIGNING IS LEGALLY BINDING AND GIVES YOU THE RIGHT OF AN INSERTION ON THE ONLINE DATA BASE OF THE EURO BUSINESS GUIDE, WHICH CAN BE ACCESSED VIA THE INTERNET. AND A CD ROM WITH EUROPEAN BUSINESSES IS GRANTED, ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONTRACT CONDITIONS STATED IN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INSERTION ON WEBPAGE: WWW.EUROBUSINESSGUIDE.NET. THE VALIDATION TIME OF THE CONTRACT IS THREE YEARS AND STARTS ON THE EIGHTH DAY AFTER SIGNING THE CONTRACT. THE INSERTION IS GRANTED AFTER SIGNING AND RECEIVING THIS DOCUMENT BY THE SERVICE PROVIDER. I HEREBY ORDER A SUBSCRIPTION WITH SERVICE PROVIDER EU BUSINESS SERVICES LTD EURO BUSINESS GUIDE. I WILL HAVE AN INSERTION TO ITS DATA BASE FOR THREE YEARS. THE PRICE PER YEAR IS EURO 965. THE SUBSCRIPTION WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDED EVERY YEAR FOR ANOTHER YEAR, UNLESS SPECIFIC WRITTEN NOTICE IS RECEIVED BY THE SERVICE PROVIDER OR THE SUBSCRIBER TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF THE SUBSCRIPTION. YOUR DATA WILL BE RECORDED. THE PLACE OF JURISDICTION IN ANY DISPUTE ARISING IS THE SERVICE PROVIDERS ADDRESS. THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SERVICE PROVIDER AND THE SUBSCRIBER IS GOVERNED BY THE CONDITIONS STATED IN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INSERTION ON WEBPAGE: WWW.EUROBUSINESSGUIDE.NET
World Business Directory (Their 2009 attempt).
The scammers website is WWW.WORLD-BUSINESSDIRECTORY.COM. If you search for World Business Directory you'll find lots of other websites such as at http://www.worldbusinessdiary.com. These are NOT scammers but legitimate websites.
As before the scammers say that your entry is free to update but their contract conditions are such that you automatically sign up for nearly three thousand pounds for a dodgy subscription. You could alter the contract text and send it back without their scam subscription text. Make sure you keep your "amended contract" so if they come after you for money you can point to your version of the small text. Be an interesting experiment!
Their Scam Text
THE SIGNING OF THIS DOCUMENT REPRESENTS THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS AND THE CONDITIONS STATED IN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INSERTION ON WEBPAGE: WWW.WORLD-BUSINESSDIRECTORY.COM. THE SIGNING IS LEGALLY BINDING AND GIVES YOU THE RIGHT OF AN INSERTION IN THE ONLINE DATA BASE OF THE WORLD BUSINESS DIRECTORY, WHICH CAN BE ACCESSED VIA THE INTERNET. AND A CD ROM WITH WORLDWIDE BUSINESSES IS GRANTED, ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONTRACT CONDITIONS STATED IN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INSERTION ON WEBPAGE: WWW.WORLD-BUSINESSDIRECTORY.COM. THE VALIDATION TIME OF THE CONTRACT IS THREE YEARS AND STARTS ON THE EIGHTH DAY AFTER SIGNING THE CONTRACT. THE INSERTION IS GRANTED AFTER SIGNING AND RECEIVING THIS DOCUMENT BY THE SERVICE PROVIDER. I HEREBY ORDER A SUBSCRIPTION WITH SERVICE PROVIDER EU BUSINESS SERVICES LTD WORLD BUSINESS DIRECTORY. I WILL HAVE AN INSERTION INTO ITS DATA BASE FOR THREE YEARS. THE PRICE PER YEAR IS GBP 980. THE SUBSCRIPTION WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDED EVERY YEAR FOR ANOTHER YEAR, UNLESS SPECIFIC WRITTEN NOTICE IS RECEIVED BY THE SERVICE PROVIDER OR THE SUBSCRIBER TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF THE SUBSCRIPTION. YOUR DATA WILL BE RECORDED. THE PLACE OF JURISDICTION IN ANY DISPUTE ARISING IS THE SERVICE PROVIDERS ADDRESS. THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SERVICE PROVIDER AND THE SUBSCRIBER IS GOVERNED BY THE CONDITIONS STATED IN THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR INSERTION ON WEBPAGE: WWW.WORLD-BUSINESSDIRECTORY.COMSo if you return this and sign it, you are actually ordering three years of insertion in the "Euro Business Gude" and owing them 965 Euros a year (*3) = 2895 Euros or about £1,950! What a scam! (or £980 a year for the WBD = £2940!).
Others Agree
Here is RedCardinal on about the same thing! One of his commenters suggests you may inadvertantly download a nasty if you visit their site (unconfirmed) so beware!
The Forms
