New Mailing of Deceptive contracts

June 2005

CONTENTS

New Mailings
Spring, the company behind the UK mailings

Update On Spring (4th October 2005)

The new Mailing
Oh dear, here we go again, the ECG are sending out a new batch of contracts, they are only marginally different to those mailed in 2003/4 which are currently being disputed by hundreds, possibly thousands of small businesses; so the ECG can hardly claim it has tried to rectify the glaring failings in its business practices!

New mailings were reported on 7th June, both direct to StopECG and by Richard Corbett MEP who did some swift background research on this new mailing and the UK return address.

9 Trident Way, Southall UB18 7AT

This very address was on the letters used in the the infamous Nodots Scam; Read a brief report Here

Spring and Junk Mail
The company responsible 'Spring' appear to be no newcomers to the mailing of deceptive junk, Check on Google for yourself

Spring appear to have been very unlucky in their choice of customers... The huge preponderance of scam complaints relating to their mailings is quite remarkable. We did find 2 companies using the return address that do appear to be legitimate.

There is an excellent article on Spring here. Their UK website www.atspring.co.uk is gone, and a Whois search reveals the registration has been suspended, no reason is given.

However a bit of digging brings full contact details to hand

Spring
Unit 9, Trident Way,
International Trading Estate,
Southall, Middlesex,
UB2 5LF

T 020 8574 1414
F 020 8893 5380

We phoned Spring to ask about the ECG mailout, and they explained that they are a part of, or are at least part owned by Royal Mail. Royal Mail for their part cannot intercept mail to check its contents; they are just the courier and have no responsibility.

The Return address is a collection depot, all non deliverables are collated here and then returned to the Spanish postal service

However they did admit that the ECG post would probably arrive as a consignment possibly from Spring's Valencia office, so the truth is Spring could do more to identify these outfits and refuse their trade. It would not stop the ECG but would deny them the credibility given by having a UK based return address.

The Lady At spring Promised that a certain Gaynor Biss would call back with more information, we are waiting..........

If you recieve any scam junk mail with the Triident Way return address, we urge you to contact Spring and demand they clean up their act, please CC letters and Replies from spring to your MP/MEP and press for tighter legislation, if companies like Spring were liable for the trash they mail they might be a little more careful..

Update on Spring

stopECG is not alone in carrying Criticism of Spring; most of the mail with the 9 Trident Way address is aimed at consumers rather than businesses. On 4th October 2005 we were contacted by George Edwards who has run a campaign on his blog about Spring.

He has received a letter Erik van Noten, Springs Vice President, Europe. Mr. Van Noten offers a detailed response and then asks for the letter to be published the on stopECG.org! We will gladly publish any letter that Spring wishes to send to us directly, in the meantime please visit George Edwards' Blog