World Business Guide – another fax spam directory scam
Another great directory spam came through on the fax today, this time from World Business Guide.
Always read the fine print
This one is even more blatant than similar fax spam (more), in that although they note at the top nice and clearly
To update your company profile please print, complete and return this form (UPDATING IS FREE OF CHARGE).
you need to read between the lines a little. Updating may be free of charge, but placing the listing is going to cost you €2985 – around $AUD4300! Buried at the bottom in the fine print, in all capital letters to make it hard to read, is
THE VALIDATION TIME OF THE CONTRACT IS THREE YEARS AND STARTS ON THE EIGHTH DAY AFTER SIGNING THE CONTRACT. THE INSERTION IS GRANTED AFTER SIGNING AND RECEIVING THIS DOCUMENT BY THE SERVICE PROVIDER. I HEREBY ORDER A SUBSCRIPTION WITH SERVICE PROVIDER INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORIES LTD “WORLD BUSINESS GUIDE”. I WILL HAVE AN INSERTION INTO ITS DATA BASE FOR THREE YEARS. THE PRICE PER YEAR IS EURO 995
I’ve bolded and underline what I’d have to describe as the ‘key points’.
(Fine print, click to zoom in)
Oh, but hang on – they’re not totally mercenary. After being hit with your first bill you do get the chance to cancel
THE SUBSCRIPTION WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY EXTENDED EVERY YEAR FOR ANOTHER YEAR, UNLESS SPECIFIC WRITTEN NOTICE IS RECEIVED BY THE SERVICE PROVIDER OR THE SUBSCRIBER TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF THE SUBSCRIPTION.
So if you fill in the form based on what you’ve read at the top and miss the fine print it’s really only going to cost you around €995/$AUD1500. Nice.
Here’s the full World Business Guide fax (pdf, 78 kb).
Who is behind the World Business Guide?
The fax lists their address as P.O. Box 3079, 3502 GB, Utrecht, The Netherlands but their website suggests otherwise.
The World Business Guide online is product of International Directories, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of BVI.
BVI is tax haven the British Virgin Islands. Like Jack and Meg said, I think I smell a rat.
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