Hotel Wedding Brochures
May 16th, 2009 | 
Author: There are companies that specialise in the publication of hotel wedding brochures. The hotels typically provide details of local wedding suppliers to sales reps, who then phone suppliers using the hotel phone and introduce themselves as calling from the hotel. It is reported that the salesmen often introduce themselves as the hotel manager or an area manager of the hotel group. The inference is that you are dealing direct with the hotel and most local businesses generally value an opportunity to be featured in the brochure of a respected hotel.
CMYK / SOS Industries have gone into Administration.
You can read about it here www.cmyk-conned.us
Potential advertisers are then invited to the hotel to discuss the details and pricing. While you must make your own decisions we feel it only right to point out that one company that offers this service is CMYK Communications. Dozens of UK businesses believe they were deceived by sales reps. There are numerous reports of advertisers being offered exclusive adverts, in effect being the hotel’s preferred supplier. Or it may be suggested that if you advertise you’ll get a hotel contract or should you not advertise, you’ll be excluded from wedding fairs run by the hotel. You need to be aware of the following:
1) These salesmen work for CMYK and not the hotel group and they have no authority from their company or the Oxford Hotel group to make any offers whatsoever. The terms and conditions of CMYK specifically exclude any offers or representations made by salesmen and the company will not uphold any offers of exclusivity or any other offer presented as an inducement to sign. It is difficult not to draw the conclusion that some sales reps blatantly make offers just to get your signature – and their commission. Read the contract before you sign.
2) Pricing is widely reported to be deliberately misleading. Typically a fee is quoted without being qualified eg, £800. This is actually the fee for just the first of a two-year initial contract, so you will be charged £1600.00 in total.
3) Payments are reported to be presented as requiring an initial deposit followed by equal monthly instalments over two years. A deposit is payable but this is followed by a charge equal to the deposit on proof of the advert – and then followed by equal monthly instalments. Should you default on any payments, the full two-year balance may be taken from your credit card without further consultation. We advise that you never use your credit card for deposits as banks cannot stop requests for payment. You may be surprised to know that neither can they stop certain Direct Debit requests for payment. I know of one advertiser who had paid £1500.00 as a deposit and had £4500.00 taken from his credit card within a matter of weeks simply because funds were not available to cover the unexpected payment on receipt of proof.
4) Although you may or may not be told that the brochure has a two-year cycle, be aware that the CMYK contract is actually an initial two year contract and can “rollover” into further years. In other words, the contract does not automatically expire after two years. There are provisions for the termination of the contract within the first 12 months of your agreement. If you fail to spot this you could be sent an invoice for year three. Terms also state that the agreement includes the current publication and any subsequent editions and that the contract is automatically renewable. There are no clauses about when the contract will cease to be binding, so if your advert is printed after the end of the initial period you will be charged for it. Read the contract and if you don’t require further advertising take advantage of the provision for termination.
Watchdog advice. If you wish to advertise in a hotel brochure just be aware of the above issues. It may be worth doing but make sure you are happy with every detail of the contract. Make sure you know what you are being offered and what the total cost will be. Do not assume the sales rep has told you everything. Once you have signed the contract your chances of getting any satisfaction are extremely limited. However, do let us know if you find yourself in this situation as I have discovered that CMYK are not totally heartless and have made attempts to resolve issues we have brought to their attention.
SOS Debt Collection
Some advertisers who have failed to pay invoices have received demands from this company. While you must make your own decisions about how you respond, be aware that this is purely a sub-division of the group that owns CMYK. They are not a registered debt-collection company and have no legal status as such. In my view, while they may make your life a misery, they have no powers to compel payment and can be reported for harassment if they persist.
Posted in Hotel Wedding Brochures
I was contacted the other day by yet another company that was scammed!
We now have over 90 companies on the list. Xxx was in court the other day for the seconed hearing with CMYK.
CMYK lost the hearing and had to pay back all the money + costs + expenses!!
I am in court with them on the 17th June, just to hammer the nails in a bit harder!
Myself and a few other companies have been conned by the cmyk group regarding the Lauriston hotel and taking monies out of our accounts without our permision and have made a right mess of the advertising. We have been fighting this for a year now.
I have just found out today I have been conned,
The contract was supposed to be 1 year, its 2 years rolling,
we were supposed to have exclusive rights, we dont,
I have now have a monthly dd for year 2 brochure being taken out of my account, even though the first brochure has not been published yet.
The list goes on, I have been well and truly conned.
Currently working with another photographer on the same brochure to see what action we can take.
Sadly, you are not alone. It happened to many of us. They didn’t just con us. They blatantly lied. Check what others have done and look at http://www.cmyk-conned.us. Call your group of advertisers together and plan your campaign. Cancel your DD if you can, unless they have access to a credit card. Tell them what you are doing. You’ll end up with a letter from a pretend debt collection agency threatening all sorts of action. They are very unlikely to take you to court. They are already in court trying to defend their actions – and not doing too well. Have you been to Trading Standards? They already know but every reported case helps.
I’d be very interested to know which hotel group that was with. Campaign against them. Tell they have allowed their reputation to be tarnished by letting these people use their premises.
Hi all,
Just a quick up-date on the CMYK antics. Well we have the back in court in February 2010. The list of companies that I have is now over 130+ (please read our website)The site does need updating, but we are having to be a bit quiet at the moment because of the court case! But please, anyone wishing to have their name added to our list of bad comments, please come through the website under the (bad comments) link!
If you have any good comments
please use the (good comments) link!
CMYK are still preying on small businesses including the wedding trade and restaurants. Not only do they produce Hotel brochures they also create a advertising map! this is produced for a hotel (sometimes without the hotel knowing anything about it) it has a map in the middle and adverts around the outside, and hotel details on the reverse side.
Also I believe they sell adverts in Scotland because of the scotish law, it make getting any money back very hard!
They advertise oriental, indian, italian resaurants (Reason) there is a lot of words that get lost in translation! again making things very hard.
That’s it for now!
I was also scammed by CMYK.
Not only did I not get the exclusivity promised, but the hotel changed hands and was rebranded before any potential customers got to see the brochure. The publication was buried, no repayment was made, nor was there any offer to reprint the ad in a different hotel’s wedding guide.
In my opinion, the company is scum. Don’t touch them with a twenty=foot dipstick.
Oh… and another important point. When they came to me, they were going under the name of ‘Information Bureau’. CMYK is only featured in the ikkle print on their contracts and suchlike.
So be aware – CMYK are going by other names in an attempt to con the clued-up.
Ask for a copy of their standard contracts before you even enter into negotiations.
Pete
We buy inkjet cartridges and paper from a perfectly reputable company called CMYUK. As far as I know, there is no connection between the two companies.
I am one of the lastest to be scammed but in a slightly different way. I never gave my bank details as I never do and offered to pay 2nd half of 750 when the publication was complete. Paid £375 cash upfront. was told that publication was due on the 28th Feb 2010. Called them to find out were the publication was up to be told that it has been done and the hotel has now got it. Called Hotel… guess what… I not in there… But another salon is…
Called CMYK to speak to the man “Paul” and guess what… he not available to speak.. Spoke to Trading Standards who advise me to write to them about breach of contract and send it recorded delivery.
Sending it tomorrow.. wish me luck.. but I want to see this company shut down.. it is appalling what they are doing. I am a very small fish and can not afford to loose £350….
Hi All,
Another quick update about the “CMYK Group” based in Blackpool!
They were taken to court again over their businesses practices and the judge ruled against them again!
Read all about it in the “Latest News” at http://www.cmyk-conned.us
Anyone with any comments (Good) or (Bad) about CMYK can send them through our website.
Kind Regards
A. Shakesby
The rep conned me. He told me that i was paying for the full two years upfront. Guess what? that amount was only for the first year, now there scamming me into paying double. I’m demanding my money back!!
As much as it pains me to see small businesses suffering at the hands of a larger company trying to make money, I have to admit my surprise at the number of business owners who seem to believe they are being conned.
I have taken out advertising in several of the brochures produced by CMYK and while, yes, the contracts are water-tight, they are very clear and concise and if you take the time to read them – which, as a business-man, I always do – you will be very aware of the 2-year rolling clause.
I believe I received a very good deal from CMYK, but am very aware of the number of businesses who would disagree. To these I say this: If you are going to sign a contract, ALWAYS READ IT FIRST.
The contracts aside, businesses in the modern age need to be vigilant against sales reps. I fully agree that as a decent, trusting man I would be inclined to believe most of what these reps say. But as a business-man I don’t trust a word that comes out of their mouths and neither should anyone else. Trust the words that are written in black and white, and those words only. If its not in the contract its not part of the deal.
Hi All,
I would like to reply to the above comments by Chris.
Firstly you are correct! that contracts should be read through. But in the case of CMYK you are dealing with a company that has no morals!
If you read through the “news page” on the CMYK-Conned.us website. You will read that…although CMYK were BANNED! from any kind of printing including selling advertising space, within the (Hilton Hotel Group) for the past 10 years they still went ahead and sold advertising in the (Hilton Hotels) to small businesses around the country. No matter what was printed in the terms and conditions of the contract the (Hilton Hotels )were never going to hand out the publication because as said CMYK WERE BANNED FROM THE HILTON HOTELS but would CMYK let the business owner know this information at the time of signing the contract? No!
So back to the small print!…. If you are dealing with a honest company “no problem” but if you are dealing with CMYK “big problem” as their small print is just a cover-up for their misleading, lying sales pitch!
CMYK Group has gone into administration today.
As Scott says: CMYK / SOS Industries have gone into Administration.
You can read about it here http://www.cmyk-conned.us
CMYK have gone into administration NOT SOS Industries,
Hi, I would like to comment to the above post from Ged.
It is in FACT! SOS Industries that have gone into administration! I have a copy of the court order to back this up!
As this is SOS Industries, there are many officials keeping an eye on this, with great interest!
Thanks Andy
As I understand it, the printing business side of this group, which has nothing to do with SOS, has gone into administration. If I am wrong then I stand corrected, but check out http://www.printweek.com and look for CMYK in administration bulletin
Ged
Hi, Andy i have a request, please upload a copy of the court order showing that it is SOS Industries not just the CMYK group which has gone into administration.
I would really appreciate proof that SOS will be gone as they are pressuring me to pay for further editions of my advertisement which i did not agree to.
Hi Phil,
I can confirm 100% that (SOS Industries Limited) appointed a administrator on 17/05/2010 at 11am
I can also confirm that your contract is with (SOS Industries Limited) read terms and conditions clause: (1)
As it is (SOS industries limited) that has entered administration it takes down everything trading under it ……CMYK Communications, Information Bureau and anything else!
Also I would be interested to get your full story about them pressuring you for payments? please contact me through the http://www.cmyk-conned.us
Andy
the company in administration is CMYK ltd formally know as Blackpool Printers, this is the company who printed the maps and guides that SOS sold advertising in, it was owned by the same directors but was a completely separate company. it employed 20 or so people who produced high quality product for the local area. As I understand it SOS is still trading.
Wandering Walter?
The company in administration is (SOS Industries Limited) company number 02720671
Andy
00482897 is cmyk ltd and is listed at companies house as in administration
02720671 is sos industries and is listed at companies house as active
walter
rumour has it that SOS industries went into admin last week.
To the above comments….. CMYK-Conned.us will be updated in the next day or two with some very interesting news. It’s written, just needs to be legally checked before release.
Check out http://www.cmyk-conned.us for the latest news about CMYK / SOS
LARBAR Ltd only has one director, C Wilkinson, it looks like the Shelmerdine brothers might be hiding behind a previous employee of SOS Industries
Hi I think this company is still operational; I got a call & email from one Ryan Brown, who claims to work for Guest Services, St David Hotel and Spa Cardiff; he only gives his mobile 07764270014, email salesteam@cmykgroup.co.uk. I called up the Hotel to double check if he was indeed employed by them; they are not aware of him, neither are they aware of the marketing brochure that he claims the Hotel is publishing.
Anyone heard of him.
Watch out
that telephone number is in a series of numbers starting with 07764 270000 that was owned by CMYK
To be quite honest I am stunned at the content of this thread. If one is to be succesful in bringing “rogue” companies to book then you have to have evidence. The way that some respondents to this thread are carrying on it sounds like whinging; this is not the way forward when trying to take disreputable or dishonest companies to task. I have had run-ins with big “reputable” companies and have only been successful when following a protocol. For example, a leading telecoms company are currently taking approximately 8,000 “issues” per week and they are still classed as reputable because they have a complaints procedure that must be adhered to before a matter can be taken further. So my questions are (and it gives the thread a balance): 1. Does this company have a complaints procedure? 2. Has the complaints procedure been followed? 3. Has the complaints procedure been exhausted? 4. Is there a method of arbitration?
So readers, instead of letting the thread develop into a witchhunt website spawning sites like conned-us – which to be honest is just plain childish; go through a protocol with a decent right to reply or you end up sounding like a lynch mob. If a company needs lynching – and maybe these guys do – use their own rope it works really well if you eventually end up in Court, I know because that’s how I beat a large firm of accountants and British Gas!