European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 17, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A hex of abuses by Bill Walker projects editor he Book business i Europe la not a pleasant scene. Start and Stripe readers an interviews and observations by reporters reveal a rough scram ble for sales to members of the american military  $5.5 million a year business has a sizable share of scoundrels and liars. Inmost cases the products being sold cannot be faulted admit the most ardent  the methods used Are highly questions  months of research by the stars and stripes turned up unassailable proof that Many military buyers Are being deceived by Book salespersons anxious to peddle their wares no matter the financial pains they May leave in the Wake of a Sale. Honest and reputable salespersons were also id evidence during this look at the Book business and its More than 200 sales representatives. In fact the honest salespersons were among the first to admit that something must be done to clean up bases. Descriptions of the shoddy sales practices have a familiar ring. They should As they Are the same sorts of things the fed eral Trade commission has moved against in the United  include suse of the free  salespersons masquerading Asad ver Tising representatives or Survey takers to gain entry into Homes. Marketing cheap products at grossly inflated prices. Use of special offers which supposedly expire almost immediately after the pitch. Unfair sales tactics extend from pm cleared salespersons to the worst of the off Post renegades who turn up their nose sat would be regulators. The repetition of abuses paralleling the worst stateside cases reveals the Low level of Protection provided the military consumer in Europe. Despite military regulations and guide lines provided by the army and air Force Exchange service the encyclopedia Busi Ness in Europe is basically unregulated. Companies operate in a vacuum following whatever rules they care to abide by and Are usually responsive Only when a com plaint comes to the attention of the Exchange service or the stars and  is no substantial demand for encyclopedias in Europe interviews with read ers and with company representatives indicate. In Europe As in the unite states encyclopedias Are sold by creating a need. Except in a few cases where individuals actively seek out the representatives military buyers Are talked int buying Book products. The ethics of Many individual sales persons Are questionable readers indicate. Anyone with a desire to sell and a fair command of the English language is a candidate for a sales Job. One Legal assistance officer claimed i the salespersons were not at the entrances to the exchanges and snack bars the demand for looks would be minimal or would perhaps disappear altogether. Amen say if Safe slip sates it would leave Exchange dropped ency the Market wide open to Oil Post Compa Nies. Research indicates the Point has Merit that the off Post companies would attempt to capitalize on the vacuum left by an Exchange pullout however one Veteran observer of the business pointed out that if cafes left the business and military commercial affair regulations were strictly enforced and con Sumers advised to buy Only from salespersons cleared by Usa eur sales would drop by several thousand sets yearly. The irony of the encyclopedia sales business is perhaps most obvious to military librarians. At Rhein Mala a Germany for example a Book Salesman was posting products to Young families in the Entrance to the by. A five minute walk away at the Center of the base within easy reach of the same families a librarian pointed out that she desperately wanted to find a Way to get More people to use the thousands of dollars Worth of new encyclopedias provided free of charge by the . Govern ment. This situation h daily repeated at hundreds of . Installations in Europe. Some Library encyclopedias Are barely use while Book Sellers vigorously push toe same  off Post business also has its ironies. Most striking May be the fact that despite military solicitation regulations and a registration system for salesmen More than four times As Many salesmen operate out Side the rules As do within them. Only eighteen of an estimated 100 salesperson marketing off Post products hold the Usa eur commercial solicitation permit and at least one of the four Book firms registered with Usa eur admitted that some of its salespeople do not hold valid solicitation permits. The solicitation registration system attempts to regulate a business that for the most part operates inc restful a outside the controls of Usa eur. The firms operating without clearance Market thousands of sets of books yearly to military members who probably would no buy from these companies if action were taken to discourage the sales by pointing out which firms Are cleared to solicit to military  such As trans Atlantic marketing have shown that even the strongest action by the military an off limits ruling by the armed forces disciplinary control Board can easily be Side stepped. Trans Atlantic marketing is operating successfully under the new name of books inc. Despite the control boar action. One Book Salesman pointed out that nonmilitary commander or newspaper has a right to Tell servicemen and women How to spend their Money. Anyone who wants to buy encyclopedias is free to buy them he said. He did acknowledge that the right to sell does not include the right to cheat and deceive individuals who have Little need for expensive encyclopedia sets. And that is precisely what happen Many times each week in Europe. Where to complain purchasers having prob lems with any of the companies Selling reference books in european Contact representatives at the following addresses or phone numbers. In addition we have listed agencies and individual who May be of assistance in Case you do not get satisfaction i dealing with the companies. Advance distributor new Standard Bob win  Hay a in ot02l-4230t Amter Kana Pix sales Peier Lawrence vitltt.ntrstr.4r i Munich ii Tom Law americana off Post fredweyh7 Stuttgart t  071i4qu14 american Book distributor John Mason kartmanstr.24 471 Kaiserslautern 00 1 -47 7u books inc. Edward rom i Munich s Ehrhard str. 11 Columbia corporation Lee Murphy 1-a Kong str. Bad Odin olm-�44t Merit educators inc. Merit educators inc. Of main St. . Box v Lancaster. H.h.01sm Richards co. Est. Wolfgang Durst i7s2 Mart Atchan i Mai Park sir. 1014 04021-74224 Tosca distributing company Var Galla no Colonl if rosanstratse4101 Nau Rodts m12t-41iu world Book John Ruth 4m Kaisen Mautern Klotzle Suaste 27 ou1-m6m for any  Dale Woodward he. Cafes Europe i Munich w Teger seer Landstra to Britannic George Turpin  Frankfurt Mam for any Usa eur accredited Altton  or. Personal services Olicer a Aag he Usa eur t 7th army Apo maj for any torn plaint armed forces disciplinary control Board Ait capt. Peter Duffy Hou aae or 4 Ith a my apooh03 l11v7l2or7140 Page a3 the stars and stripes Friday june 17, 1977