"Free Tours" operator is outed in German TV news broadcast

writes:

"SANDEMANs NEW Europe employs over 50 full-time staff members, who all
receive a wage, holiday, health insurance, and social insurance. As is
standard with tour operators and city tour companies across Germany
and Europe, SANDEMANs NEW Europe maintains a freelance relationship
with some tour guides." The biggest lie i have ever heard. But we're
fired every 3 months, so no chance for social security. 12 secretarys
in one year. Guides for just a season. Bad quality and just money-
making. He lives on a different planet

Practices like that are par for the course in the tourism industry, in many
markets.

On 18/03/2010 8:47 PM, Mxsmanic wrote:
Tom P writes:

I guess you could extend this practice to other employment areas, like
having restaurants where the waitresses pay for the privilege of working
and rely on tips?

It has already been done.

Where?
--
JohnT

Dear Threadreaders,

FairtradeinTourism is almost certainly a fake group, and was recently
set up on Facebook (as well as recently having registered on multiple
blogs) and currently is highly suspected of being a direct competitor
of SANDEMANs NEW Europe determined to push a smear campaign out to the
public.

1) Notice, that FairtradeinTourism has no website, no contact person,
not a single person in their 'group' willing to say who they are.
Highly suspect.

2) Even though the practices of SANDEMANs NEW Europe are the norm
across Europe, FairtradeinToursim only attacks SANDEMANs and has never
mentioned a single other provider or issue anywhere else. Also
suspicious.

3) FairtadeinTourism has never once contacted SANDEMANs NEW Europe to
open discussion about the situation and/or how to improve things in
tourism, at SANDEMANs, or with the story from 2DF which has been
clearly shown to be a lot of hot air.

A German warrant has been issued already for FairtradeinTourism as a
'warrant against unknown', so any help in identifying who is behind
FairtradeinTourism would be appreciated. He/She has been caught
sending out emails making false claims to Travel Guide books to
attempt to sully SANDEMANs NEW Europe, and signing with a fake name.

I'd suggest anyone take FairtradeinTourism seriously: as the words of
a direct competitor and how emotional and mean-spirited some elements
of the tourism industry can be. Hopefully, it will stop soon, but
really FairtradeinTourism is a symptom, not the problem. Maybe
ProffessionalCompetitionInTourism would be a good next group to open.

FairtradeinTourism, if you're reading this: why don't you tell the
community who you are? It would go a long way to supporting your
arguments.

SANDEMANs NEW Europe

On 19 Mrz., 14:13, Per Hodgkinson
wrote:
Dear Threadreaders,

FairtradeinTourism is almost certainly a fake group, and was recently
set up on Facebook (as well as recently having registered on multiple
blogs) and currently is highly suspected of being a direct competitor
of SANDEMANs NEW Europe determined to push a smear campaign out to the
public.

1) Notice, that FairtradeinTourism has no website, no contact person,
not a single person in their 'group' willing to say who they are.
Highly suspect.

2) Even though the practices of SANDEMANs NEW Europe are the norm
across Europe, FairtradeinToursim only attacks SANDEMANs and has never
mentioned a single other provider or issue anywhere else. *Also
suspicious.

3) FairtadeinTourism has never once contacted SANDEMANs NEW Europe to
open discussion about the situation and/or how to improve things in
tourism, at SANDEMANs, or with the story from 2DF which has been
clearly shown to be a lot of hot air.

A German warrant has been issued already for FairtradeinTourism as a
'warrant against unknown', so any help in identifying who is behind
FairtradeinTourism would be appreciated. *He/She has been caught
sending out emails making false claims to Travel Guide books to
attempt to sully SANDEMANs NEW Europe, and signing with a fake name.

I'd suggest anyone take FairtradeinTourism seriously: as the words of
a direct competitor and how emotional and mean-spirited some elements
of the tourism industry can be. *Hopefully, it will stop soon, but
really FairtradeinTourism is a symptom, not the problem. *Maybe
ProffessionalCompetitionInTourism would be a good next group to open.

FairtradeinTourism, if you're reading this: why don't you tell the
community who you are? *It would go a long way to supporting your
arguments.

SANDEMANs NEW Europe

Hi Sandemans,

Reading this all right. You've had our email address from the start,
so you could have written to us at any time, but if you want to
discuss here then fine.

Who are we? A handful of guides who cannot compete with the free tours
and are being driven out of business by them. So you could call us
'competitors' but we're not some company. We have no assets and no
legal defence, hence our anonymity. None of those who have joined the
group on facebook have anything to do with us. Same as the anonymity
we suspect you have chosen for yourself in your postings on internet
forums til now.

FairTradeInTourism is no more fake than the various alias' we suspect
senior Sandemans people have been posting under since the ZDF story
broke. However, we welcome the fact that you are now coming out into
the open.

This group did not exist until the ZDF allegations made against
Sandemans. Before the programme, we had just thought we were being
crushed by fair competition. After the ZDF programme we mobilised,
since the ZDF program accused Sandemans of exploitation and
illegality. With respect to the 'smear campaign', Fair Trade In
Tourism has been careful to do nothing more than repeat the
allegations made by ZDF TV. You cannot have a smear campaign that
consists of reporting the news. Fair Trade In Tourism denies ever
having made allegations against Sandemans that were not previously
made by ZDF, and sought only to get Sandemans to answer to ZDF's
charges, which until yesterday, they had not - a long period of
silence which is Sandeman's responsibilty, not ours. FTIT's only
public and private postings have been in search of making people aware
of the ZDF allegations and seeking answers and responses to the ZDF
allegations, and never a smear campaign, since Sandemans was making no
response.

However, you suggest that you are now intending to seek legal redress
against ZDF TV's allegations, and challenge their allegations in
court. Fair Trade In Tourism has said since this story broke that only
the courts will decide whether there is any merit to ZDF's
allegations. Very well! Then ZDF can prove its allegations in court,
or see them disproved there. FTIT seeks nothing more than this.

Now that it is apparent that Sandemans officially denies the
allegations made against it, and intends to seek legal redress against
those who made those allegations -ZDF TV- Fair Trade will leave that
process to run its course.

Yes it will 'stop'. Fair Trade in Tourism will now indeed disband for
good, and cease repeating ZDF's allegations on other sites, and let
justice take its course.

May the truth come out and the best side win.

FTIT signing out

Per Hodgkinson writes:

A German warrant has been issued already for FairtradeinTourism as a
'warrant against unknown' ...

Fortunately, Germany does not rule the world, irrespective of any illusions it
may have to the contrary.

He/She has been caught
sending out emails making false claims to Travel Guide books to
attempt to sully SANDEMANs NEW Europe, and signing with a fake name.

What sorts of false claims?

Are Sandeman's guides required to pay the company whether they receive tips or
not? Are they forbidden to tell customers this?

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Per Hodgkinson writes:

A German warrant has been issued already for FairtradeinTourism as a
'warrant against unknown' ...

Fortunately, Germany does not rule the world, irrespective of any
illusions it
may have to the contrary.

He/She has been caught
sending out emails making false claims to Travel Guide books to
attempt to sully SANDEMANs NEW Europe, and signing with a fake name.

What sorts of false claims?

Are Sandeman's guides required to pay the company whether they receive
tips or
not?

The previous article said yes

tim

Martin writes:

It is Per Hodgkinson and his associates who have issued a warrant in Germany and
not the German government.

So people in Germany can issue warrants without the state's participation? The
situation is worse than I thought.

Martin writes:

If you read their defence to the accusations made by ZDF on their website, I
think the answer is yes too.

So what were the false claims?