Leander Chamber Officials Warn Members Of Competing City Guide

LEANDER, TX -- Sometimes, imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery. Just ask the Leander Chamber of Commerce, which is warning residents of a look-a-like city guide mimicking the official chamber version.

"This email is going out to our members," chamber officials wrote in an email. "This is NOT the guide to Leander. We have contact the company and asked them to cease contact with our members."

The email is suffused with the appropriate dose of chamber chirpiness, the guide's authors excitedly conveying the news of the just-launched guide.

But perhaps they overdid it with their liberal use of exclamation points. In missives Patch has received from the Leander Chamber, the appropriate single exclamation point is used -- and sparingly, as it should be -- when it has to be employed in a communication to media.

Conversely, the purveyors of the other guide use three of them together, intermittently used throughout their emailed message to chamber members. This redundant use of the punctuation mark should have served as the first red flag this was an impostor, as no chamber worth its salt would ever luxuriate in such over-use.

"Please don't be misled," Leander Chamber officials write, ending that sentence, appropriately, with a period.

To help chamber members discern between the two guides, they forwarded to members a copy of the emal from the other one they infer is an impostor.

It's all fun and games until money is involved, and the email that is circulating aims to secure paid up space on its pages. Rates run from from $349.50 for a business card sized ad to $799.99 for front cover space.

This should've been the second red flag as "WE ARE NOT SELLING OUR ADS FOR THE GUIDE," Leander Chamber officials wrote in an email warning members (the all caps in this case can be forgiven given the urgency of their missive).

To ensure chamber members knew, they forwarded the other guide's message to their members. This is what the message looks like, the official Leander guide people say about that other Leander guide:

Subject: FW: Dear business members and affiliates!!!
2016 Leander Information Guide!!!

There will be 5,000 exclusive full colors Leander Information Guides to be distributed June, 2016. The distribution will be direct mail as well as local high traffic areas for our local families and businesses to pick up. The City of Information Guides are meant to keep the households safe by having all the emergency contacts and other important numbers like the local school districts, utilities, Police and fire Department. The Information Guide is a perfect fit all businesses looking to grow long term in the community on a product base right in the business and family homes. We are only looking for three to five ads from businesses that understand and support the fight to keep our families safe.

Spaces are very limited so you must call us to reserve the exclusive ad today. Ad space can only be reserved by call the toll free number below.

Rates:

2x4 ads: $349.50 (Business Card)
4x4 ads: $399.50 (Platinum)
2x11 ads: $699.50 (The bottom Banner)
4X11 ads: $799.99 (The Entire front of guide)

Sara Carson
New Start Media LLC
Proud members of the US Chamber of Commerce

Patch was unable to reach Carson of New Start Media, but will attempt to reach her in the coming days.