The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) is alerting all industry members to a mailing solicitation that your company may receive from Construct Data Verlag, an Austrian-based company which publishes an online directory called the Fair Guide, among other European-based directories. Click here to view a sample of this mailing

You are cautioned not to respond to Construct Data's solicitation before considering the following:

1. There have been complaints in the past about Construct Data's actions, not only to CHA, but also other trade associations, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) being asked to investigate. For more information, please click here to see the Austrian Trade Commission letter regarding the business practices of Construct Data.
   
   
2. Another website that may provide additional information is http://www.stopecg.org/construct_data_fairguide.htm
   
   
3. CHA does not provide any information to Construct Data Verlag used by it to contact CHA's members, exhibitors or show attendees for this online directory. CHA is investigating how Construct Data obtains this information to see if it violates CHA's legal rights.
   
   
4. CHA does not endorse or support, whether implied or not, any solicitation to our membership and show attendees by Construct Data. Indeed, as far as we have been able to determine there is a question if the Fair Guide is indeed published. We suggest before you agree to pay for your company being included in the Fair Guide that you investigate to insure that the Fair Guide will provide you the marketing advantages you expect to receive. CHA members who have signed up in prior years have expressed dissatisfaction with the Fair Guide.
   
   
5. The mailing sent by Construct Data is a contract form. Although the first paragraph urges your company to complete and return it to keep your information current, if you do so you will have entered into a contract. The text at the bottom of the document commits your company to pay an annual fee of $981.00 (USD) for 3 years to appear in the online listing or a total of $2,943.00. Furthermore, the contract will automatically renew for a 4th year if you do not send a registered letter terminating your commitment via registered mail prior to the final 3 month period of the last year.
   
   
6. If you have completed and returned the document, you may cancel it by sending a registered letter within 10 days of the order date.  This is the only cancellation opportunity provided under the contract terms.
   
   
7. The Construct Data contract provides that it may be enforced by legal action in Vienna, Austria.  Construct Data apparently does not have an office in the US and seeks to avoid being subject to jurisdiction in the US courts, etc.
   
   
8. Construct Data uses a collection agency in Switzerland, Premium Recovery AG, to collect the monies due under the contract.  According to the Austrian Trade Commission letter, although legal action is threatened it does not appear that Construct Data or Premium Recovery have commenced any collection lawsuits in the US in the past.
   

If you have any questions about any of the above information or if you are receiving collection letters or phone calls from Construct Data's debt collection agency, Premium Recovery AG, please contact us at memberservices@craftandhobby.org