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I received a call from someone with a distinct Indian accent, and the background noise was quite overwhelming-sounded like they were in a large, echo-laden space. They seemed to think we were partaking in a trade fair in London, which we absolutely aren't. As soon as I clarified our non-participation, the line went dead. Quite abrupt, really!

If you happen to be a vendor attending trade fairs, you might stumble upon some reduced hotel rates - but it's not tied to the actual organisers of the events. The number popped up as a London one, yet it was apparent they were far from local, as they seemed baffled that I didn't require accommodation. I had to explain that I'd be taking the tube to the venue, so a hotel was unnecessary for me. I've since added them to my blocked contacts list. Caller: Hotel discount offers.

It seems this phone number is linked to a firm based in Delaware, yet they misleadingly suggest they're situated in London. During my inquiry, I had quite a cheeky interaction with the sales rep who, funnily enough, couldn’t even pinpoint her location in London. When I was eventually transferred to the manager-who apparently knew better-there was still no clarity on her whereabouts, and it ultimately came out that they were actually calling from their head office in Delaware, USA. The company in question, Exhibition Hotel Management, appears to operate in a rather dodgy manner reminiscent of another entity, Exhibition Housing Management, also known as Convention Rooms or the Expo Lodging Division. After some probing, I was told both firms are legitimate travel agencies, but digging deeper into Exhibition Housing Management led me to discover that they’re linked to a site called travel-allied.com, which redirects to Convention Rooms’ page. Moreover, it’s rather suspect that both organisations refer to themselves as EHM in conversations. And if you attempt to call them back, you’re met with an immediate voicemail. To their credit, the EHM associated with Convention Rooms has manoeuvred it so that your call is held in an interminable loop, leaving you no alternative but to hang up in frustration. To top it all off, when I had the gall to question Amy Garcia from Exhibition Hotel Management about the resemblances and their operating methods, she simply hung up on me, which certainly doesn’t help to soothe my suspicions. Now, let me summarise the ordeal regarding the exhibitors who are lured in by promises of reduced hotel rates: What's really happening is: • They sift through lists of exhibitors tied to events, reaching out to say, "As exhibitors, you're entitled to discounted hotel rates." But here's the catch. • In truth, they book your room through a budget online hotel reservation service (this varies from case to case, and they mightn’t even be aware of the details). • Once you agree to the reservation and provide your credit card info, they convert the quoted price into dollars, charging you at inflated exchange rates. • This jacked-up dollar amount is then zapped to your card, along with a monthly service fee intended to keep you updated with their so-called offerings, all whilst billing you in dollars. • Because it's quoted in dollars, you're hit again with a forex conversion charge. • At the time of reserving, they conveniently omit any mention of these service charges or their billing methods, although they do claim you can cancel for free up to 72 hours before check-in. • What they conveniently forget to mention is that even though you won't be charged for cancellation, you won't see your money back, either. • The hotel receiving your booking is only aware that it's a reservation from a third party, completely unaware that it’s actually a company making choices on your behalf-let's call that a hidden fourth-party booking. • They fail to inform you that they use their email address to make the online booking but use your credit card, meaning the hotel reservation provider assumes it's just a standard third-party booking, not realising it’s actually a concealed fourth-party arrangement (acting like a private individual). • Should you need to make changes or cancel with the hotel, you find yourself stymied as you lack access to the booking information and confirmation emails. • And good luck reaching someone at the company to discuss your concerns-you'll be left unable to connect with anyone further. In summary, what’s purportedly a special exhibitor hotel deal could end up costing you an arm and a leg. Caution is advised-ask every question under the sun. A genuine company will gladly provide answers. - Caller: Amy Garcia

I couldn’t make out what they were saying.