Regus review: Fraud, employee theft of identity 37

Hello

I am still struggling to get this simple issue to resolve but No reply from Regus

I do not understand why it so complicated to fix this

We agreed on terms 2 months ago and I am still waiting

Payment Not Received

Waiting for refund

I was promissed refund of 4 months and still waiting

for deposit

It is related to an mistake done by the Regus Team and they confirmed

that this was an mstake

I do not understand my they are not refunding me knowing that they already ackowledge their mistake

Thanks

Any Update ?

We rent an office with regus but it is very cold and wifi is poor. The dont listen to our verbal complaints. It has been going on for weeks

My renewal went into Auto renewal along with Price hike. When I got the invoice, I raised it with the center. Instead of negotiating with me or denying it, they kept telling me that I will get back to you soon, but never returned.

I have finally agreed to the price hike, but do not agree to the late payment fee as the delay was not from my end.

There's no way to contact anyone, they're basically set up to take advantage of their customers and pass the buck to the employees who have no power to fix anything. Sad.

Regus is the worst! They have tried to charge our CC 10 times a day at least once a month since we cancelled our membership. We have reached out to the innumerous times to have them stop trying to charge us. We had to cancel the CC because of the continued attempt to bill us for a service that has ended.

I want to cancel my membership but regus is making it difficult to cancel my membership. I spoke to a person and they are telling me , I am lock in a conctract with them until 2025.

We are Incredible Constructions Co -

ICC

GM : Ibrahim Hosni

We had a month to month co working space with Regus in Lusail Office and we made an online Termination for our Contract at 23rd Nov 2022, but we still receiving invoices from Regus, what is that !

Hi Regus,

theres a new charge has been made on my account for month of june 2023 when i only wanted to use regus for may 2023 and i have cancelled my subscription on may 22nd which is before june month has started but i was denied for a request for a refund of 139 $

my account id: WISSEN IT ([protected])

Regus office is not providing me with a way to pay my bill. The online portal does not work. I cannot pay a Serbian account from my UK account.

By clicking Submit you confirm that you have read and agreed to the FAQ, Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy, and that your information is accurate, true,

Fraudulent charges of mail forwarding for a cancelled account and services. Upon requesting refund, I was told 5 months are due but was only refunded 1 month.

in addition, a NEW SERVICE was just added to my account I DID NOT authorize.

I have been going back and forth with them since JULY 2022. It is now DECEMBER 2022.

REFUND ME

As it was the case with our other clients, another client of mine has been invoiced for kitchen facilities that neither we nor the client demanded.

Could you please remove that fee from the invoice and upload and send the corrected version so that they can pay?

Kind regards

Scam. Regus is a scam. They break data protection laws and confidentiality. They sign up customers to fake offices they never signed up for. Absolute scam organization. Horrible. Deserves bankruptcy and trial in court with a class action.

I rented an office space for six months. However, I never moved in the office because of the online service I could conduct at home. However, I got restoration fee charge. Even if the office was never used and the restoration service was never conducted.

I ended my contract with Regus 18 months ago and they’re still charging me fees. When I spoke to customer service 18 months ago they walked me through on ending the service but yet I’m still billed. I’m consulting with an attorney about the fees they keep charging me.

I will never rent office from Regus again because of poor service and over charge

I had no idea that there was a 3 month advance notice for renewal for the office.

My contract ends at end of August 2022.

Now I am tied into 2023? Also at an inflated price?

Why am I tied in? I need to be out and do not wish to continue with Regus.

This is extremely unfair

8/6/22 6:36 pm chime card was charged $49 for business address and the total was $100 more for activation fee and I never received email confirmation nothing.

We were told breaking lease was simple and easy to do. We were lid to

I have been trying to relocate the office since March and now we are in June all of my business is on hold because the team who is handling my relocation service is unprofessional with zero experience. I urge the people at Regus to follow up on my requests or otherwise I'll take my case to court

If you're up for a hostile work environment intimidation and harassment sign up with Regis

Horrible company! I am so unhappy with their customer service, administration and managers. They can easily downgrade office conditions without consulting with clients and without any price adjustments!
A lot of hidden costs and no idea about customer care.

Do not rent working space/office from REGUS.

I am trying to get my rent amount corrected, so far I am not successful. What can I do?

Regus building in Fleet is the most horrible place to work . Offices are cold, toilets are discusting, never cleaned . No cameras around the building .

I fully agree with the prior comments, I used the HQ Office Services in Buffalo, not Regus for some years. Before Regus took over HQ, the service was fantastic, but form the time Regus took over..it was one total mess. I received astronomical charges on the invoices for forwarding 5 letters of close to $200, hardly received any invoice, but immediate very unfriendly phone calls from their Dallas Head Quarter, threatening to take it to a collection agency.
Just now I terminated the agreement in a friendly manner, and the return letter stating that they will forget one 1 month notice, plus keeping the retainer of close to $200.

Can anybody tell me what to do about that...?
I only hope people will read this and not use the Regus service. I for sure make sure very person I know will know about the business practice of the Regus Group.

I am an attorney in Reston, VA, and I completely agree with all these complaints about Regus. Would love to sue them too. They are a bunch of crooks/bullies/you name it. The new manager has been the worst as she does not even blink when she lies and bullies. Run.

MORE REGUS VICTIMS:

11 hours 54 minutes ago by Sophia2000
0 Votes

I have problem with Regus UK, at first they talk about benefits with Regus, and after end of my contract when I decided to leave them they show their real face and they didn’t return my deposit, please beware them and considering before agreement with them.

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Mark Dixon has given a typically bullish interview with the Telegraph newspaper this week.

In it he states that he wants Regus to become the next “Google or Microsoft” and that he wants to Regus to be seen as a useful tool that people use to operate successfully in Business. Clearly Regus have got someway to go to reach the status of Google or Microsoft in terms of monetary value, however it is more the sentiment expressed by Dixon that should be of interest. If anyone thinks that he would be satisfied with Regus’s current domination of the global serviced office market, then they would be under a misapprehension over the psyche of Mr Dixon...

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE BEFORE THE AUTHORITHIES BRING THIS GLOBAL SCAM ARTIST DOWN...?

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Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou issues defamation proceedings against the Regus Group Plc and Mark Dixon its CEO

Sir Stelios, the founder of easyGroup, which includes easyOffice.co.uk, has today issued defamation proceedings through Schillings (the leading law firm in reputation management) against Mark Dixon, CEO of international serviced office company Regus Group Plc, and the company itself, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Sir Stelios is suing following claims made to the Financial Times

Sir Stelios said today:

“I was called a liar to a publication I respect hugely and one that is very important in my business career. This is unacceptable to me and I have decided to take this legal step to clear my name and my reputation in the City.”

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4 hours 55 minutes ago by don not use regus they are bad
0 Votes

Trust me they are just as bad in the UK, we took a office from them in Leeds, Wellington Place, the staff are very rude the sales reps totally lie about everything then you never see them for a blue moon, they very very dodgy to look at them you would think they would be a good company to deal with they are the utter pitts, DO NOT USE THEM, THEY WILL ONLY GET IN THE WAY OF YOU RUN RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS!.

STAY WELL CLEAR FROM THEM, THEY ARE BAD NEWS.
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Regus chiefs waive their pay as losses spiral
By Susie Mesure
Mark Dixon, Regus's chief executive, and Stephen Stamp, the finance director, have waived their salaries in a desperate attempt to stop the troubled serviced-offices provider haemorrhaging cash.
Mark Dixon, Regus's chief executive, and Stephen Stamp, the finance director, have waived their salaries in a desperate attempt to stop the troubled serviced-offices provider haemorrhaging cash.
Both men have worked for free since August and will continue to do so until the end of the year. Mr Dixon was being paid £400, 000 a year while Mr Stamp earned £160, 000.
The move accompanied redundancies for a quarter of Regus's staff and an across-the-board pay cut of 40 per cent, helping to slash £60m from the company's cost base.
Shares in Regus soared 87 per cent to 36p, buoyed by signs that the group's strategy shift to longer-term contracts was working. Mr Dixon, who owns 60 per cent of Regus's share capital, bought a further one million shares at 30p each. His share holding is worth £121m, down from more than £1.3bn earlier this year.
Mr Dixon said the cost-cutting action, prompted by a catastrophic profits warning in July following a downturn in Regus's business, should mean the company is cash-flow positive by next year. "We are guardedly optimistic about the future, " he said.
Regus cut 800 jobs in the last three months, including 287 in Britain, and halted its new centres opening programme. It has reduced monthly cash expenditure from about £12m a month through to September to a forecast of £1.2m by December.
Analysts remained cautious about the group's ability to increase its cashflow next year after it discounted fees to win back tenants. Businesses can rent a Regus workspace for as little as £8 a day in the provinces and £19 a day in London.
While Regus said that its order book had reached a record level in September, fears remain about how well the business will fare in increasingly difficult economic conditions. Demand for Regus's US workstations has plummeted.
Regus reported a pre-tax loss of £11m for the three months to 30 September, compared with a profit of £4.9m a year earlier. The company took an exceptional charge of £87m, mostly in relation to its efforts to cut overheads.
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Regus Shares Drop and Investors Reject Pay Package
By Ceri Jones ⋅ May 21, 2009 ⋅

Shares in the UK’s largest serviced office operator Regus Plc have fallen by over 10 per cent.

The drop of 9p per share has come despite the company seeing a year-on-year increase in turn over during the past four months. CEO Mark Dixon has reportedly blamed the drop in value of the pound for the slow up in revenue.

After being offered an executive pay package, a third of the company’s independent shareholders voted against the package for the second time in two years at the group’s annual meeting.

Ahead of the vote the Association of British Insurers expressed concerns regarding the company’s corporate governance after Regus chose to ignore the company’s share underperformance and allot 1.6m shares to Mark Dixon, who owns over 37% of the company, in line with the group’s performance bonus plan.
MARK DIXON AND THE REGUS GROUP - A SINKING SHIP...? MAKE SURE THEY DONT GO DOWN WITH YOUR MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS...!

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More Scam Victims from Mark Dixon, CEO of the Regus Group
Posted: 2009-03-31 by
Disappointed Client

Dishonest Practices

Our company was opening a new office in Nashville, TN, and we had been searching for a small office space to accommodate our two employees. While doing research, we came across the Regus Group, offering us an all-inclusive package in one convenient monthly bill. This was an ideal plan for us. We began our relationship with Regus in October 2008, and after just one month, we were highly disappointed. We began seeing charges for services that were priced much higher than the area average. Getting in touch with the General Manager at that location was nearly impossible. Emails were sent and phone calls placed, and were not returned for days when there was an urgent need for a response. After being disappointed in so many ways, we decided to terminate our relationship with Regus, and move to the private sector where terms were a bit better, and the bills would be more manageable. We received our final bill from Regus, and saw charges that we never agreed to pay. Regus wanted to charge us a “Business Continuation” fee, which, when looking over the T&C, there was nothing specified that we would be charged for something like that. We had no qualms about paying an exit fee, as this is standard, but we were charged an exorbitant amount. While we could have paid a cleaning service somewhere in the amount of $75.00 to clean the office, Regus charged us more than double that price. We felt really let down by Regus, and will never do business with them again, nor refer anyone to their offices.
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71 days ago by anonymous
0 Votes

Highly agree. All around they are too expensive and the fee's are ridiculous. I would never recommend there service to anyone in any location.

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mail and wrong addresses
Company information:
regus group
California
United States

Regus published wrong address on several buildings. during a USPS software and hardware upgrade, we noticed mail being returned with what we knew to be the proper address. Later we learned that the post office had advised the regus group in irvinemant times about using the proper address. they have since changed the address BUT wont pay a dime to anyone! most are unaware and absorbed the cost to cure BECAUSE regus told the clients the post office was in error. i found it and was terminated!

regus loses mail
regus is awful to deal with
regus doesnt care about client service
regus told OUR clients we werent there, didnt have a real office etc
regus told OUR clients they had th wrong number!

watch out for regus group!
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HQ.com/ Regus Group Business Center
2911 Turtle Creek Blvd. Suite 300
Dallas, TX 75219 map
district: Turtle Creek
About HQ.com/ Regus Group Business Center
CONSUMER WARNING: This service is a complete rip-off.

Dallas.com has used this service and determined that it cannot be recommended.

The company provides customers with an agreement that autorenews annually, and they don't acknowledge requests for cancellation, nor do they notify customers of renew dates. In our opinion, this is an outrageous business practice.

So unless you want to spend $100 forever just to have a mail address, we recommend against using HQ.com Dallas Turtle Creek, which is part of The Regus Group.

There are other less expensive services available, and until they develop a customer-centric focus, we advise Dallas business owners to go elsewhere.
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Regus chiefs waive their pay as losses spiral
By Susie Mesure
Mark Dixon, Regus's chief executive, and Stephen Stamp, the finance director, have waived their salaries in a desperate attempt to stop the troubled serviced-offices provider haemorrhaging cash.
Mark Dixon, Regus's chief executive, and Stephen Stamp, the finance director, have waived their salaries in a desperate attempt to stop the troubled serviced-offices provider haemorrhaging cash.
Both men have worked for free since August and will continue to do so until the end of the year. Mr Dixon was being paid £400, 000 a year while Mr Stamp earned £160, 000.
The move accompanied redundancies for a quarter of Regus's staff and an across-the-board pay cut of 40 per cent, helping to slash £60m from the company's cost base.
Shares in Regus soared 87 per cent to 36p, buoyed by signs that the group's strategy shift to longer-term contracts was working. Mr Dixon, who owns 60 per cent of Regus's share capital, bought a further one million shares at 30p each. His share holding is worth £121m, down from more than £1.3bn earlier this year.
Mr Dixon said the cost-cutting action, prompted by a catastrophic profits warning in July following a downturn in Regus's business, should mean the company is cash-flow positive by next year. "We are guardedly optimistic about the future, " he said.
Regus cut 800 jobs in the last three months, including 287 in Britain, and halted its new centres opening programme. It has reduced monthly cash expenditure from about £12m a month through to September to a forecast of £1.2m by December.
Analysts remained cautious about the group's ability to increase its cashflow next year after it discounted fees to win back tenants. Businesses can rent a Regus workspace for as little as £8 a day in the provinces and £19 a day in London.
While Regus said that its order book had reached a record level in September, fears remain about how well the business will fare in increasingly difficult economic conditions. Demand for Regus's US workstations has plummeted.
Regus reported a pre-tax loss of £11m for the three months to 30 September, compared with a profit of £4.9m a year earlier. The company took an exceptional charge of £87m, mostly in relation to its efforts to cut overheads.
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Regus Shares Drop and Investors Reject Pay Package
By Ceri Jones ⋅ May 21, 2009 ⋅

Shares in the UK’s largest serviced office operator Regus Plc have fallen by over 10 per cent.

The drop of 9p per share has come despite the company seeing a year-on-year increase in turn over during the past four months. CEO Mark Dixon has reportedly blamed the drop in value of the pound for the slow up in revenue.

After being offered an executive pay package, a third of the company’s independent shareholders voted against the package for the second time in two years at the group’s annual meeting.

Ahead of the vote the Association of British Insurers expressed concerns regarding the company’s corporate governance after Regus chose to ignore the company’s share underperformance and allot 1.6m shares to Mark Dixon, who owns over 37% of the company, in line with the group’s performance bonus plan.
MARK DIXON AND THE REGUS GROUP - A SINKING SHIP...? MAKE SURE THEY DONT GO DOWN WITH YOUR MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS...!

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Regus staves off bankruptcy with £57m UK disposal
By Liz Vaughan-Adams
The cash-strapped provider of serviced offices Regus sold a controlling stake in its UK business yesterday in a last-ditch effort to raise money to ensure it stays afloat.
The company is selling 58 per cent of its UK business for a maximum of £57m to Rex 2002, a new company set up by the venture capital firm Alchemy.
Regus said it believed the deal was the only option left on the table and warned that unless it was completed by the end of the year, as expected, "parts of the Regus Group will be unable to trade, which is likely to result in the appointment of the administrators".
"This was a deal we had to do, " said Mark Dixon, the chief executive. "We are selling the crown jewels here, we can't deny that. The UK business is our most established business, it's our most profitable business, it's the best cash-flow producer."
The company's UK operation, which has a workforce of 556, made an operating profit of £13.6m in the first nine months of the year, on sales of £129.4m.
Regus warned yesterday that it would have faced a £6m shortfall later this year were it not for the disposal of the 58 per cent stake in that business to Alchemy. Shares in the company closed down 6 per cent at 14.5p.
The company does not have any overdraft or debt facilities to bridge that shortfall and admitted yesterday that none of the banks or potential lenders it approached were prepared to help.
It said that providing it made revenues of more than £270m in 2003 and provided the disposal to Alchemy went through, it thought it had sufficient working capital for the next 12 months.
It is now also working on plans to sell non-core assets as well as to restructure its loss-making businesses, particularly in the United States, to improve its finances.
But the company warned that it expected pricing to remain under pressure "at least for the foreseeable future" and said it expected turnover to be "down fractionally" in the first quarter of next year.
Regus' advisor, NM Rothschild, said Regus was in "severe" financial difficulty and warned that it would not be able to meet its obligations unless the sale went through in time.

'Hotdog hero' hits hard times
Regus chief executive Mark Dixon faces an uncertain future as the US arm of his company files for bankcruptcy, writes Mark Tran

Mark Dixon, chief executive of Regus, put his finger on the problem that has bedevilled his office rental company since boom turned to bust in the US.

"The reason we are trading poorly, " he said, "is largely a result of us having too much space and at too high a rent on the west coast of America, where the market has been affected very badly by the technology slump."

Only three years ago, Mr Dixon - who left school at 16 and once sold hotdogs - was singing the praises of the US, saying it was a wonderful place to do business. But that was before the hi-tech bubble burst, pushing the world's largest economy into recession.

The downturn left the US market with a glut of office space and threatens to force to Mr Dixon to hang up a for-sale sign. But Mr Dixon insists that he is not bailing out of the US. The operations are to be restructured, not scrapped, and no wholesale closures are planned.

The odds are against him.

Filing for bankruptcy in the US is the latest twist of the knife for Regus. Last month it sold a majority stake in its only profitable business to a venture capitalist. Alchemy Partners agreed to pay £51-57m for 58% of Regus's UK division, depending on performance.

At the time, Mr Dixon, who holds a 64% stake in the company, admitted that he was selling off the "crown jewels". Now other venture capitalist firms are circling.

The US venture capital firm, Indigo Capital, has said it was considering a bid, although it is under scrutiny from the financial services authority (FSA) for possibly issuing misleading statements over its shareholding.

Should Regus be swallowed up by someone else, it will mean a huge setback for Mr Dixon, who hit upon the idea of providing office space with all the trimmings - from photocopiers to toilets - for businesses.

Mr Dixon hit upon the idea during a trip to Brussels when he noticed the large number of international business people working from their hotel rooms.

He decided to introduce the American business centre concept to Europe to take advantage of a shift in working patterns, with companies requiring flexible office space and services. His first office rental overlooked Brussels' Stephanie Square, in 1989.

Regus was actually founded in the UK by John Wheeler, who had the same idea as Mr Dixon. Mr Dixon approached Mr Wheeler and suggested joining forces. Then Regus's Swedish backers, Reinhold, collapsed. Mr Dixon bought Regus from the receivers, with the help of £800, 000 from the sale of his Dial-A-Snack business.

Regus became one of the world's fastest growing companies, expanding into the US and Asia, and employing almost 3, 000 people. It provided fully equipped offices equipped with high speed internet access and high-quality furniture.

The world's biggest company of its kind, Regus boasted a global network of over 420 full-service business centres with 92, 000 workspaces in 51 countries, located in modern and prestigious buildings.

The accolades followed. In 1999, Mr Dixon was named Ernst & Young entrepreneur of the year, while the Sun complimented him on being a "top geezer" and a "hotdog hero".

The expansion into the US proved to be Regus's undoing. At first business took off. It then fell off a cliff when the US economy went into reverse. Regus made the classic mistake of jumping into a hot market just as it was about to go cold.

Floated on the London stock exchange and Nasdaq in the US in 2000 at a value of £1.5bn, Regus shares peaked at 392p during the hi-tech boom. Now Regus shares fetch about 21p, giving the company a market value of just £126m - and shares have actually gone up this year because of takeover speculation.

Should Regus be bought up or go bust, Mr Dixon, who is only 43, can be expected to be looking around for other business opportunities. Three years ago, Mr Dixon claimed he would start over again if he went bankrupt.

"Definitely, I wouldn't hesitate - I wouldn't miss a day, " he said in an interview. That day might come round sooner than he had anticipated.

© Guardian News & Media

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Mark Dixon: the Briton who wants to build a new Google
Mark Dixon, chief executive of Regus, made his fortune supplying serviced offices and he has his sights set on creating a world-leading company.

By Andrew Cave
Published: 9:00PM BST 25 Apr 2009
What does a man do when he has lost half a billion pounds, been trashed by the City and gone through an expensive, high-profile divorce?
For Essex burger-flipper turned Monaco-based tycoon and tax exile Mark Dixon, simply rehabilitating Regus – the outsourced offices provider whose US business crashed into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection during the dotcom bust – wouldn't be enough. Neither would taking the group into the FTSE 100 index – a task that would need it to roughly double its £700m market capitalisation.
What Mr Dixon, the son of an engineer and owner of 40pc of the company, really wants is to "build the next Google or Microsoft".
Is he serious? You bet. "Whatever I achieve, I get a second of light when I achieve it, but then I want to get on and do the next thing, " he said. "Regus at some point in the future will be an important global business. I want the business to be accepted and for people to talk about it like they talk about Google and Microsoft: companies that provide tools that they can use. That's what we want: for our customers to say: 'Yes. I really get value from that.' "
This inveterate need to prove himself is what led Mr Dixon, 49, to leave school at 16, starting Dial-a-Snack to make sandwiches which he delivered on a butcher's bike. The business was not a success – "Customers loved it but no one told me you had to make a margin" – and he ended up travelling the world, paying his way by working in restaurants and selling encyclopaedias.
On his return, he invested £600 in a burger van and began selling hot dogs, buying seven other vans in Essex before ploughing his £10, 000 savings into setting up The Bread Roll Company, which he sold in 1988 for £800, 000.
He moved to Brussels and had a flat-rental firm before he spotted businessmen holding meetings around coffee tables in hotels, saw the potential for providing desks for executives on the move and set up Regus in 1989. When he floated the business in October 2000, it was valued at £1.5bn. Six months later, it was worth £2bn and Mr Dixon's 60pc stake at the time made him a billionaire.
Now he's tending to his ninth business, the Chateau de Berne vineyard in Provence, which he bought a couple of years ago.
"I enjoy what I do and my businesses are also my hobby, " he said. "Wine is my weekend job. I'm one of the leading producers of Cote de Provence rose. We produce about 600, 000 bottles of wine, mostly rosé – the stuff you drink when you're sitting on the beach. I also do about 35 tonnes of olive oil a year."
Does he really still need to prove himself, seven years after the Chapter 11 filing and the sale of a majority stake in Regus's British operations to venture capital firm Alchemy Partners? "Of course I do. Not to the City, though. I am driven more personally. I am not worried by what people think."
Regus suffered in the last economic downturn because its easy terms for flexible short-term office or desk rental were highly attractive to dotcom entrepreneurs, who fled en masse when the boom turned to bust. Mr Dixon said the company had also over-expanded in the US and calls the Chapter 11 episode a "near-death experience."
In the UK, the shares, floated at 260p, hit a low of 3½p, valuing Mr Dixon's stake at less than £80m.However, within a year Regus was able to buy HQ Global, its American rival, for £164m. Regus now has full control of its UK business and increased group pre-tax profits by 25pc to £149m last year.
It now has cash of more than £200m and no debt, 171, 277 desks at 1, 000 office centres and gets 40pc of its revenues from the US. Last year it redomiciled for tax reasons and is now incorporated in Jersey and resident in Luxembourg.
Now more storm clouds are gathering, with dire conditions in the commercial property market and spiralling levels of business failures, but Mr Dixon claims to have reinvented Regus's business model to make the company more recession-resilient.
He says 65pc of Regus's offices are leased through partnership profit-sharing deals with property owners, which give less exposure to long leases and empty properties.
BusinessWorld, a members' club launched last summer that Mr Dixon describes as offering "Oyster cards for offices", has signed up 200, 000 members who pay monthly subscriptions in return for desk-days at Regus's sites. Average occupancy of Regus's office space increased slightly to 82.9pc last year.
"We're not in the risk-taking business. We're an operator, " Mr Dixon said. "We've got a brave new world of products that are really touching a nerve with the business world now, based on the ability to cut a business's costs.
"You could be someone made redundant in the City. You don't want to sit at home in Essex. You buy one of these cards, pop up to London and you've got a place to sit. Or you could be a very large corporate that's looking to take out costs." Regus also offers a deal that gives unlimited access to business lounges providing free wi-fi internet connections and tea and coffee for £17 a month. "They're like airport lounges, said Mr Dixon. "You're not allowed to sit there and camp out. It's there for occasional use. These are great recession products.
"This time, we're prepared. We're not going to be so badly affected. Last time, we were an immature business. The business had doubled in size every year for the previous 10 years so the average age of the centres was under two years.
"Now the average age of our centres is nine years. We're starting from a very strong base and trying to hold it. The next two or three years is going to be all about value. It's the Ryanair and easyJet world. You've got to be focused on the cost for your customers."
Mr Dixon doesn't underestimate the severity of the challenge ahead.
"I've been in business for 34 years and never seen anything like this, " he said. "But our relationship with landlords is symbiotic. If there were to be a problem I believe people would work together. It's not a time for conflict.
"We have 400, 000 customers. It's taken us 20 years to get that but we've got the best distribution that landlords can possibly touch, and we're in 75 countries and will add 10 more this year. We're just opening up in Honduras, Paraguay, Senegal and Mauritius."
The tough times, including his £28.7m divorce settlement in 2005 with ex-wife Trudy, the mother of two of his five children, clearly still hurt deeply.
"Going through the reconstruction, the humiliation and the damage to value and everything else, I class that as a rite of passage, " he said. "It's difficult at the time but you get on with it. I didn't spend time sitting crying into my soup. You just work a lot more hours in the day. You don't have time to worry about what everyone is saying.
"My rite of passage has made me into a better business person. I'm more rounded and I've aged a bit. I'm a lot more mature.
"I'm a completely different person from last time around. I take a lot less risk. But we've not only got to fight the recession, we've got to get rehabilitated. We've vowed to leave the emergency ward and not go back.
"If you disappoint the market badly, as we did, it takes years and years to recover. We're doing it. We'll be in the doghouse for as long as it takes."
MARK DIXON CV
Family: Divorced with four daughters and one son
Houses: Connecticut, Provence, Monaco
Interests: Sailing, wine-making, tennis and collecting old trucks
On burgers: "I still occasionally meet people who bought hot dogs from me. It's a great business but you work all night and smell of onions all day."
On tax: "I pay some tax here. I'm only in the UK 45 to 60 days a year. I spend my life on a plane."
On films: "My favourite is The Godfather - it's all about honour and business, although it's not the sort of business we do."
On Cars: "I drive a Range Rover but I don't really do cars. I do old trucks. I have a 1971 Toyota and an old Citroen."
On reading matter: "You'll laugh but I'm reading The Great Crash by JK Galbraith and a book about Julius Caesar. I also love Private Eye and no, I don't think I've ever been in it."
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More Clients Comments about Fraud Techniques of Regus & the CEO Mark Dixon

141 days ago by Sara S
+1 Votes

Regus is the BIGGEST rip off in the world. They charged us than here in Cupertino for one YEAR of membership and the place closed down right after. Now, they have scamed us of our money and no refunds are issued.

I am FURIOUS...DO NOT PAY A DIME TO REGUS BUSINESS CENTERS...PLS KEEP YOUR MONEY AWAY FROM THESE FRAUDS...

ANYONE WANTS TO SUE THEM? LET ME KNOW...i AM ALL FOR IT!

119 days ago by twinkle1000
+1 Votes

Yes I totally agree I am having murder with one in the UK at the moment who have provided an absolute sham of a service and wont do a thing about it having a huge detriment on my business! Steer clear of Regus
69 days ago by IhateRegus
+1 Votes

I concur about everything that has been stated! We were hit by the same charges unknown to us! They are scams and something has got to be illegal about what they're doing.

I agree, stay clear of Regus.
9 days ago by Hardworker
+1 Votes

Me too. I've been in business for 10 years and signing up for a year with Regus has proved to be the biggest mistake I've made. I'd like to agree that they are the BIGGEST rip off in the world - please please read and then read again anything you sign with them and they are also a sham of a service.

I'd strongly advise others not to make the mistake I made by signing up with them.

And yes, I'd love to sue them. I also have a good case. Does anyone have Mark Dixons email address? He is the CEO of this absymal Company.
9 days ago by Hardworker
+1 Votes

Me too. I've been in business for 10 years and signing up for a year with Regus has proved to be the biggest mistake I've made. I'd like to agree that they are the BIGGEST rip off in the world - please please read and then read again anything you sign with them and they are also a sham of a service.

I'd strongly advise others not to make the mistake I made by signing up with them.

And yes, I'd love to sue them. I also have a good case. Does anyone have Mark Dixons email address? He is the CEO of this absymal Company.

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Regus Business Centers are Fraud Centers

Posted: 2009-03-10 by
Attorney

Poor Service

I am an attorney on a tight budget with little time to deal with office-type issues, which is why I opted for the Regus Business Centers in Chicago. The ads are nice and show happy, content clients. What a lie! From slow/freezing internet/server issues to poorly trained staff and nasty management, I would not wish this work environment on anyone. The situation only got worse when construction began in the building (b/c the Merc left) and I requested Regus' assistance in enforcing the building agreement that no drilling or loud pounding take place between 8am - 5pm. Such noise made it difficult to conduct phone conferences and for clients to visit. Regus' solution: move to a new office in the Regus family ... nevermind that March is the BUSIEST and most maddening month for my type of law practice. I don't have time to move!

Today, while I informed Tara (30 S. Wacker manager) and Lynn (assistant manager) that I am extremely busy and do not have time to deal with the issue of moving offices due to the construction noise at the location, both nonetheless – and despite my request that they simply do their jobs and end the excessive noise - opted to ‘drop by’ to further discuss. As I reiterated my need to leave the office to get work done (and was in the process of packing up to go work at home), the conversation grew heated and I asked Lynn to leave (as she was the one who misrepresented that the construction noise would end on Friday of last week). Lynn then informed me (in Tara’s presence) that the office was “her office, too” and refused to leave. If this is the case, then what have I been paying for? If I am not allowed a private (or even semi-private) space, then I do not think we are seeing eye-to-eye on the meaning of an office. I also did not appreciate Tara’s snarky comments that she “didn’t hear anything” while in the office and that “no other clients have complained.” Note ... that last one is a whopper (not at all true).

When the building inspector and police stopped by last week, the noises were audible – as they were when I sent each e-mail to Tara and Lynn documenting the noise. I experienced all of 15 minutes of quiet in the office since 9:15 am today, and then later when the noise subsided after 11:00 am when Tara and Lynn, uninvited, interrupted my work.

I am voicing dissatisfaction with the way construction noise complaints have been handled at this location and the general attitude and confrontational nature of the manager. I have made little progress speaking with persons from Regus on the phone lines and doubt I will make much progress until my lease is up in October.

I would not recommend Regus to another attorney – not after today.

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I confirm this as well. I was a fool and signed two agreements with them. The first was for an office for $600 a month. *I never paid less than $1200* for that lease. At the end, I was hit with an $800 virtual continuation feel. I then really needed an office for reasons that don’t matter, so I signed a 3 month contract for $205 a month for basically a broom closet. It turned into a 4 month contract because they don’t count partial months as part of the terms and of course I never paid less than $525 a month for that lease. I had to extend it once and of course went for an extra 4 months instead of three. Well, After the 5th month I moved to a more traditional office and figured I'd just cancel the extra phone and internet charges and just eat the $205 fee for the rest of the lease. They told me that I couldn’t cancel the phone or internet and it was in my contact! I was so disgusted I haven't even looked at the contract again to see what rabbit they're pulling out of their hat (like the virtual continuation). I figured the hell with them and I’ll never ever do business with them again.

OH! My lease is paid via credit card. Well, last month (my LAST month w/ them ever, thank god), my credit card was declined. They charged me a credit card declined fee! hahaha have you ever heard of such things! These people have some nerve to say the least.

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HQ Global Workplaces/Regus Group Complaints –
Fraud, Employee Theft of Identity

HQ Global Workplaces/Regus Group

Fraud, Employee Theft of Identity

I recently returned from my military mission in Iraq as one of the thousands USA soldiers and thankful to be joined again with my family, but worried about how I would support them. I borrowed $1350 from a loved one and then went to add the funds to my bank account. Within minutes, I discovered that a company named HQ Global Workplaces had charged my account $326.00. When I called my card company to inquire and dispute the charges, they suggested I first call the merchant. When I called the merchant (HQ Global Workplaces) they informed me that they had charged my card because someone using a different name other than mine, had ordered some type of virtual office service. They refused to refund the money to my card even though I told them that I was not the one who made the transactions. I offered them proof of my identity and even offered to send them a photocopy of my id and my credit card to show that the name on my card is not the name that was used to make the transaction. I also offered to provide them with I had just returned from the military and could not have possibly made the transaction. I will unfortunately have to spend more time and money in taking them to court 'but in the meantime, I still am out of $1350 and my rent is due.

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Exclusion and limitation clauses - Commercial contracts AND THE FRAUDULENT REGUS STRATEGIES
In our June 2007 commercial update, we reported the decision in Regus (UK) Ltd -v- Epcot Solutions Ltd [2007] EWHC 938 (Comm) in which an exclusion clause in the supplier's standard terms was held to be unreasonable under section 3 of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 (UCTA). The court reached this view on the grounds that the clause left the customer, Epcot, with no real remedy for breach of contract. In a recent judgment ([2008] EWCA Civ 361), the Court of Appeal upheld the clause and it is important to understand why.
Epcot, a small IT training provider, rented high quality serviced office accommodation from Regus for a number of years but the relationship was marred by a number of problems, including the inadequacy of the air-conditioning system in the premises which ultimately led to Epcot claiming substantial damages. Regus attempted to rely on the exclusion clause in its standard terms, the relevant parts of which were as follows:
"We will not in any circumstances have any liability for loss of business, loss of profits, loss of anticipated savings, loss of or damage to data, third party claims or any consequential loss. [The customer was advised to insure accordingly.] We will be liable ... up to a maximum equal to 125 per cent of the total fees paid under your agreement ... or £50, 000 (whichever is the higher), in respect of all other losses, damages, expenses or claims."
In the Court of Appeal, Rix LJ held that the trial judge had erred as to the scope of the clause and Epcot's available remedies. Rix LJ pointed out that the obvious and primary measure of loss for the defective air-conditioning is the diminution in value of the services provided - i.e. the difference between the value of air-conditioned offices and non-air-conditioned offices. Although the first limb of the clause excluded some heads of loss, notably loss of profits and consequential loss, it left this primary measure of loss untouched.
It was argued that the first limb was unreasonable because it operated "in any circumstances", i.e. even in the case of Regus's fraud or deliberate acts. This was a misconstruction. Liability for fraud or malice would always be accepted because parties contract with each other in the expectation of honest dealing. Extreme or remote possibilities like these should not be the primary focus when assessing clauses for reasonableness.
Looking at the UCTA reasonableness factors, Rix LJ pointed out that Epcot's CEO was an intelligent and experienced businessman who was well aware of Regus's standard terms and used a similar exclusion himself. There was no inequality of bargaining power, as shown by negotiating patterns and Epcot's obvious awareness of alternative providers. As for insurance, it would have been far easier for Epcot to insure against the losses mentioned in the first limb. Overall, the first limb met the requirement of reasonableness and the figures of the higher of 125 per cent or £50, 000 specified in the second limb were, in fact, described as "generous".
The trial judge had originally stated that the first part of the clause could not be severed and therefore the whole thing failed. By the time of the appeal, it had been conceded that severability was possible, allowing the second limb to remain intact. Rix LJ approved this approach, despite the fact that the clause was not divided into separate sub-clauses, because the two limbs were clearly independent of each other and served different purposes (i.e. one excluding liability, and the other limiting it).
Anyone whose standard terms include a cap of this type will be reassured by the Court of Appeal's stance. Lawyers, too, can distil some drafting guidance from the judgment. In particular, clauses should be split into separate sub-clauses, wherever possible, with clear numbering to differentiate them, and drafted so that they are capable of standing alone if one part is struck out. This should be supported by a severability clause in the boiler plate.
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WARNING TO STAY AWAY FROM REGUS AND/OR HQ MANAGEMENT GROUP. THESE GUYS AR CROOKS!

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THE REGUS GROUP IS THE BIGGEST SCAM OPERATION GLOBALLY! - HERE ARE MORE FACTS FROM REGUS CLIENTS AND EX-EMPLOYEES OF THE REGUS GROUP! WARNING! STAY AWAY FROM THESE SCAM ARTISTS!

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Regus / Office Rental Complaints - Bait and switch

Regus / Office Rental

Bait and switch

Prior to signing of my contract with Regus, Mark Sinclair (General Manager) assured me there would not be any additional fees/hidden fees. I was informed by a competitor that Regus had hidden fees and not to go with them during my research of finding a temp office space. My contract was for 3 months. During the last week of my contract I emailed and personally asked the Operations manager, Marybeth Catinella if I had to sign, review, final walk through, and anything else prior to my last date so that I do not get any other charges then what I have already paid. Marybeth Catinella said "dont worry about it, everything is fine" and that I should receive my deposit in 30 days. On the 30th day I receive an invoice for $1032.50. After further research I found out the contract had a clause with NO FEE SCHEDULE about "continuing business" setup. I asked Mark Sinclair about the fee and he just email replying "I just received word back from my boss that Regus cannot waive the business continuity charges that are outlined in section 23 of the terms and conditions of the service agreement."
I'm a small business owner. Every dollar matters! I received a PROMISE from the General Manager assuring me there will be no other fee then the $600 per month and assured me his competitor was lying. When I asked the Operations Manager if I needed to do anything to assure my full deposit with no other charges, she stated "dont worry about it, everything is fine".
I should have ended my contract when I received my 1st invoice with a higher agreed fee of $600 BUT again I was sold by the General Manager, Mark Sinclair.
I am very upset that I was deceived and not told all the information by the General Manager and the Operations Manager (Mark Sinclair and Marybeth Catinell).
I want to warn others of Regus's hidden fees and bait and switch sales tactic.

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More Clients Comments about Fraud Techniques of Regus & the CEO Mark Dixon

141 days ago by Sara S
+1 Votes

Regus is the BIGGEST rip off in the world. They charged us than here in Cupertino for one YEAR of membership and the place closed down right after. Now, they have scamed us of our money and no refunds are issued.

I am FURIOUS...DO NOT PAY A DIME TO REGUS BUSINESS CENTERS...PLS KEEP YOUR MONEY AWAY FROM THESE FRAUDS...

ANYONE WANTS TO SUE THEM? LET ME KNOW...i AM ALL FOR IT!

119 days ago by twinkle1000
+1 Votes

Yes I totally agree I am having murder with one in the UK at the moment who have provided an absolute sham of a service and wont do a thing about it having a huge detriment on my business! Steer clear of Regus
69 days ago by IhateRegus
+1 Votes

I concur about everything that has been stated! We were hit by the same charges unknown to us! They are scams and something has got to be illegal about what they're doing.

I agree, stay clear of Regus.
9 days ago by Hardworker
+1 Votes

Me too. I've been in business for 10 years and signing up for a year with Regus has proved to be the biggest mistake I've made. I'd like to agree that they are the BIGGEST rip off in the world - please please read and then read again anything you sign with them and they are also a sham of a service.

I'd strongly advise others not to make the mistake I made by signing up with them.

And yes, I'd love to sue them. I also have a good case. Does anyone have Mark Dixons email address? He is the CEO of this absymal Company.
9 days ago by Hardworker
+1 Votes

Me too. I've been in business for 10 years and signing up for a year with Regus has proved to be the biggest mistake I've made. I'd like to agree that they are the BIGGEST rip off in the world - please please read and then read again anything you sign with them and they are also a sham of a service.

I'd strongly advise others not to make the mistake I made by signing up with them.

And yes, I'd love to sue them. I also have a good case. Does anyone have Mark Dixons email address? He is the CEO of this absymal Company.

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Regus Business Centers are Fraud Centers

Posted: 2009-03-10 by
Attorney

Poor Service

I am an attorney on a tight budget with little time to deal with office-type issues, which is why I opted for the Regus Business Centers in Chicago. The ads are nice and show happy, content clients. What a lie! From slow/freezing internet/server issues to poorly trained staff and nasty management, I would not wish this work environment on anyone. The situation only got worse when construction began in the building (b/c the Merc left) and I requested Regus' assistance in enforcing the building agreement that no drilling or loud pounding take place between 8am - 5pm. Such noise made it difficult to conduct phone conferences and for clients to visit. Regus' solution: move to a new office in the Regus family ... nevermind that March is the BUSIEST and most maddening month for my type of law practice. I don't have time to move!

Today, while I informed Tara (30 S. Wacker manager) and Lynn (assistant manager) that I am extremely busy and do not have time to deal with the issue of moving offices due to the construction noise at the location, both nonetheless – and despite my request that they simply do their jobs and end the excessive noise - opted to ‘drop by’ to further discuss. As I reiterated my need to leave the office to get work done (and was in the process of packing up to go work at home), the conversation grew heated and I asked Lynn to leave (as she was the one who misrepresented that the construction noise would end on Friday of last week). Lynn then informed me (in Tara’s presence) that the office was “her office, too” and refused to leave. If this is the case, then what have I been paying for? If I am not allowed a private (or even semi-private) space, then I do not think we are seeing eye-to-eye on the meaning of an office. I also did not appreciate Tara’s snarky comments that she “didn’t hear anything” while in the office and that “no other clients have complained.” Note ... that last one is a whopper (not at all true).

When the building inspector and police stopped by last week, the noises were audible – as they were when I sent each e-mail to Tara and Lynn documenting the noise. I experienced all of 15 minutes of quiet in the office since 9:15 am today, and then later when the noise subsided after 11:00 am when Tara and Lynn, uninvited, interrupted my work.

I am voicing dissatisfaction with the way construction noise complaints have been handled at this location and the general attitude and confrontational nature of the manager. I have made little progress speaking with persons from Regus on the phone lines and doubt I will make much progress until my lease is up in October.

I would not recommend Regus to another attorney – not after today.

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50 days ago by Lewis
0 Votes

It has Regus written all over it. We have experienced real issues with this office provider; the level of service for one is exceptionally poor.

We'd recommend that you dispute the invoices because you too have expectations.
10 hours 21 minutes ago by Houston_Engineer12
0 Votes

In addtion and to others considering using Regus beware, they are deceptive in that they do not completely disclose terms.
In my case I had requested a flat 3 month term as I needed a temporary office/meeting room for 1 meeting.
Their Agent, agreed that they could do this and that at my discretion, services could be expanded and/or renewed. After 45 days passed, I contacted them to make sure they understood that my term was for 3 months and no longer. Their response was that accordding to the terms of the contract, I owed them a 60 day notice prior to termination or the contract automaticaly renewed. After re-reading the fine print of the contract I noticed that this was indeed, stated. I offered to pay an additional 30 days lease to satisfy the notice however they refused.
Also stated in the contract was that upon renewel rates may change without notice...

There are a number of consumer complaints and Regus is not an accredited (or very credible) company.
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REGUS COMPLAINTS
• Location: Phoenix : AZ : United States
About Me
A former (recently) 2+year tenant of the PV Center in Phoenix. Months of issues with poor maintenance, no internet for days, poor staff response and amenities that did not work. Negotiated out of the contract early, however then to be charged $750/Mo for phone transfers and answering I did not have while a tenant and mail forwarding that had already been transferred. To date - no mail has been forwarded and we have been out of the facvility for over two weeks. Instead of a $100/station charge (we had two stations) - we were assessed $375 for moving out. Anyone have issues like this?
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Post a Comment On: REGUS COMPLAINTS
"Others Who Have Been Bound By Contract"
6 Comments - Show Original PostCollapse comments
Anonymous said...
We had the exact same problem. Regus referred us to paragraph 23 of the agreement in mice type. $100 per workstation for wear and tear and an additional 825 for a business continuation that we didn’t even use. Also, the deposit takes months to get back. We will never lease from Regus again.
December 14, 2007 8:38 AM
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> kaistudios.com said...
This is complaint about Los Angeles (Regus/HQ) charged me extra services without consulting with me first to my card on file they wouldn't refund my money on my request and even says that I need to keep the services for 3 months!. They will try and sign you up for a long term contract which will bind you to their costly and ineffective service for what initially appears to be a discounted fee that will cost you greatly later. I never able to get in touch with a decent manager and its impossible to close the account once established. that was a big mistake to sign up with this guys and I lost lots of business because of them. Their system seem to be built on commissions to unsuccessful real estate agents so their is no interest in giving good service or long term relationship marketing but selling as high as possible. save yourself and go somewhere else.
March 18, 2009 6:57 PM
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Our company was opening a new office in Nashville, TN, and we had been searching for a small office space to accommodate our two employees. While doing research, we came across the Regus Group, offering us an all-inclusive package in one convenient monthly bill. This was an ideal plan for us. We began our relationship with Regus in October 2008, and after just one month, we were highly disappointed. We began seeing charges for services that were priced much higher than the area average. Getting in touch with the General Manager at that location was nearly impossible. Emails were sent and phone calls placed, and were not returned for days when there was an urgent need for a response. After being disappointed in so many ways, we decided to terminate our relationship with Regus, and move to the private sector where terms were a bit better, and the bills would be more manageable. We received our final bill from Regus, and saw charges that we never agreed to pay. Regus wanted to charge us a “Business Continuation” fee, which, when looking over the T&C, there was nothing specified that we would be charged for something like that. We had no qualms about paying an exit fee, as this is standard, but we were charged an exorbitant amount. While we could have paid a cleaning service somewhere in the amount of $75.00 to clean the office, Regus charged us more than double that price. We felt really let down by Regus, and will never do business with them again, nor refer anyone to their offices.
March 31, 2009 8:02 AM
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Regus is crooked and dishonest and you should never sign with them. They sell you on the flexibility and in all in one package that will save you money. They use a terms and conditions she in microscopic print that contains things like an "automatic renewal". Regus is dispicable and I suspect very soon they will face a class action lawsuit for their shady ways. The use low cost uneducated people to answer the phone that are far from professional. They will never follow up with you near renewal hoping you will miss the automatic renewal and be forced into a whole new term. NEVER, EVER use Regus!
June 2, 2009 8:53 PM
Anonymous said...
I work for regus in Australia and it is ###
June 9, 2009 3:04 AM

It has been reported through various reliable sources and ex-Regus clients as well as ex-employees that the REGUS GROUP/HQ MANAGEMENT GROUP is under criminal investigation for fraud, stealing of clients funds, non-delivery of services and falsification of documents. The list of client and ex-employee complains is getting longer everyday.

Should you consider using their office services THINK TWICE before you part with your money. These international scam artists will do EVERYTHING not to deliver their services after they collected your payments.

It further appears that the Regus Group will be filing for bankruptcy very soon, due to the fact that thousands of customer payments have been collected but clients have not seen any professional services in return.

Their global network looks at the first glance impressive, however the “small prints” in their contracts are so clever written that even if they do NOT deliver the office services as contractually agreed on, the client is left ‘hanging in the air’ without any possibility to receive his money refunded.

The Regus managers “in charge” are suddenly “un-available” to solve any problems and the client is “dragged over the floor” for months with “excuse letters” but no improvement of service takes place. Cancellation of contracts are simply “ignored” and requests refunds due to breach of contract by the Regus Group are ignored too.

Instead the client receives invoices for services he never ever ordered or signed for. Or invoices are sent from the Regus Group, which are dated months before the service contract was even signed. This is outright fraud and the therefore this scam operation must be stopped immediately.

DO NOT PAY THEM ANY MONEY IF YOU DON’T WISH TO BE THE NEXT VICTIM. THERE ARE FAR MORE PROFESSIONAL COMPANIES OUT THERE WHO WILL GLADLY OFFER YOU THEIR SERVICES AND THEY DO DELIVER!

IF YOU HAVE EVER DEALT WITH REGUS AND YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE A VICTIM TOO, please contact our Investigative Journalist Team.

Exclusion and limitation clauses - Commercial contracts AND THE FRAUDULENT REGUS STRATEGIES

In our June 2007 commercial update, we reported the decision in Regus (UK) Ltd -v- Epcot Solutions Ltd [2007] EWHC 938 (Comm) in which an exclusion clause in the supplier's standard terms was held to be unreasonable under section 3 of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 (UCTA). The court reached this view on the grounds that the clause left the customer, Epcot, with no real remedy for breach of contract. In a recent judgment ([2008] EWCA Civ 361), the Court of Appeal upheld the clause and it is important to understand why.

Epcot, a small IT training provider, rented high quality serviced office accommodation from Regus for a number of years but the relationship was marred by a number of problems, including the inadequacy of the air-conditioning system in the premises which ultimately led to Epcot claiming substantial damages. Regus attempted to rely on the exclusion clause in its standard terms, the relevant parts of which were as follows:

"We will not in any circumstances have any liability for loss of business, loss of profits, loss of anticipated savings, loss of or damage to data, third party claims or any consequential loss. [The customer was advised to insure accordingly.] We will be liable ... up to a maximum equal to 125 per cent of the total fees paid under your agreement ... or £50, 000 (whichever is the higher), in respect of all other losses, damages, expenses or claims."

In the Court of Appeal, Rix LJ held that the trial judge had erred as to the scope of the clause and Epcot's available remedies. Rix LJ pointed out that the obvious and primary measure of loss for the defective air-conditioning is the diminution in value of the services provided - i.e. the difference between the value of air-conditioned offices and non-air-conditioned offices. Although the first limb of the clause excluded some heads of loss, notably loss of profits and consequential loss, it left this primary measure of loss untouched.

It was argued that the first limb was unreasonable because it operated "in any circumstances", i.e. even in the case of Regus's fraud or deliberate acts. This was a misconstruction. Liability for fraud or malice would always be accepted because parties contract with each other in the expectation of honest dealing. Extreme or remote possibilities like these should not be the primary focus when assessing clauses for reasonableness.

Looking at the UCTA reasonableness factors, Rix LJ pointed out that Epcot's CEO was an intelligent and experienced businessman who was well aware of Regus's standard terms and used a similar exclusion himself. There was no inequality of bargaining power, as shown by negotiating patterns and Epcot's obvious awareness of alternative providers. As for insurance, it would have been far easier for Epcot to insure against the losses mentioned in the first limb. Overall, the first limb met the requirement of reasonableness and the figures of the higher of 125 per cent or £50, 000 specified in the second limb were, in fact, described as "generous".

The trial judge had originally stated that the first part of the clause could not be severed and therefore the whole thing failed. By the time of the appeal, it had been conceded that severability was possible, allowing the second limb to remain intact. Rix LJ approved this approach, despite the fact that the clause was not divided into separate sub-clauses, because the two limbs were clearly independent of each other and served different purposes (i.e. one excluding liability, and the other limiting it).

Anyone whose standard terms include a cap of this type will be reassured by the Court of Appeal's stance. Lawyers, too, can distil some drafting guidance from the judgment. In particular, clauses should be split into separate sub-clauses, wherever possible, with clear numbering to differentiate them, and drafted so that they are capable of standing alone if one part is struck out. This should be supported by a severability clause in the boiler plate.

THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WARNING TO STAY AWAY FROM REGUS AND/OR HQ MANAGEMENT GROUP. THESE GUYS AR CROOKS!

THE REGUS GROUP IS A 100% SCAM OPERATION! - HERE IS WHAT OTHER CLIENTS AND EX-EMPLOYEES ARE SAYING ABOUT THE REGUS GROUP! STAY AWAY FROM THESE SCAM ARTISTS!

I can confirmed the validity to the previous post, every single word is true. My lease ended 10/31/2008 and in the last week I recieved and invoice from Regus (Indianapolis, In.) for $850.00 of whch there was no listing or breakdown of why I was receiving this invoice...Just a single unidentified dollar amount. When I called the office, Ispoke with the billing person who did a very poor job of helping me identify the full breakdown of the invoice. After concerted effort I was able to identify phone, mail, covered the fees over a 3 month tranistionary fee...Upon further complaint, the general manager called me today and of course reminded me that this transitionary fee is well represented in my contract that I signed 12 months ago. And of course I contend that at no time in dealling with the office manager at the initial signage of the contract or my exit conversations did this transitionary fee be expressed of discussed to me which I find non-discloser a fraudulant act and places Regus in my opinion as a SCAMMER...I plan to pursue this to and end and want all to know that Regus in my cased misrepresented their contract and service.

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I think the Regus people are all talk and all sleeze. I had an office at Regus on Rt 128 near Boston. My company paid a lot for it, but i needed a place to work away from two small kids in between sales travel.
Thru word of mouht I found another executive suites, Highland-March, in Westborough. I really liked th e space and the peaople there a lot and it was much closer to home, so i put in my 3 month notice at Regus. I began working out of Highland-March right away on a day-to-day basis. The staff there was fabulous and the price was almost half of what Regus charged. Really top-notch people.
So here's the catch: I hadn't shown up at Regus for about 5 weeks, but I still had 6 weeks to go on my contract and my comapny was still paying the (outrageous) monthly fees. Well, I go to my office, unlock the door--and there is someone else working there! They had taken all my stuff and put it in boxes in storage there, and sold my office right out from underneath me--and I was still paying for it!
I will never-ever use Regus again.

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Our company was opening a new office in Nashville, TN, and we had been searching for a small office space to accommodate our two employees. While doing research, we came across the Regus Group, offering us an all-inclusive package in one convenient monthly bill. This was an ideal plan for us. We began our relationship with Regus in October 2008, and after just one month, we were highly disappointed. We began seeing charges for services that were priced much higher than the area average. Getting in touch with the General Manager at that location was nearly impossible. Emails were sent and phone calls placed, and were not returned for days when there was an urgent need for a response. After being disappointed in so many ways, we decided to terminate our relationship with Regus, and move to the private sector where terms were a bit better, and the bills would be more manageable. We received our final bill from Regus, and saw charges that we never agreed to pay. Regus wanted to charge us a “Business Continuation” fee, which, when looking over the T&C, there was nothing specified that we would be charged for something like that. We had no qualms about paying an exit fee, as this is standard, but we were charged an exorbitant amount. While we could have paid a cleaning service somewhere in the amount of $75.00 to clean the office, Regus charged us more than double that price. We felt really let down by Regus, and will never do business with them again, nor refer anyone to their offices.

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Does anyone know if you sign an agreement with Regus and your company goes bankrupt, can they come after you personally? I realize that any responses should be validated by an attorney, etc.

I re-newed my Regus deal 8 months ago after a 6 month contract, then the economy drove my business into the duldrums. I gave notice in February that I was going to vacate and vacated in March. I paid March rent but sent in 2 secret shoppers in late March. They were NOT shown my space. I am a sole proprietor and the agreement was signed in the company's name and written in the company's name. There is NO personal gurarantee on the agreement. I offered them a 75% buyout and they said no. Anybody else experience anything like this?

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We moved into Regus HQ in Tulsa, OK in Nov. 2006. The whole time we rented our office space there they seemed to come up with misc. charges for all kinds of things. When we moved out they charged us $2000 and they couldn't tell us what all the charges were even for! And then put a late charge on our bill while they were taking forever to research what our charges were. Here we are, 5 months after we moved out, and we just received ANOTHER invoice for postage and supplies from our "Business Continuation" fee that we were unaware of when we signed the contract. This is a charge for them to forward your mail (You don't have a choice, all the mail that comes is listed as one suite, so you can't intercept @ the post office) not only do they charge to forward your mail, they charge YOU for the postage and supplies that they use. Now we are paying $200 on a $35 postage charge because they slapped two late fees after not billing us on time. Oh, did I mention, it's 5 months later and we haven't received our deposit back from when we moved in? I would NEVER recommend Regus/HQ to anyone.

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THIS POST IF FROM AN EX-EMPLOYEE OF THE REGUS GROUP/HQ MANAGEMENT GROUP. IF THIS IS NOT ENOUGH WARNING FOR ANY CLIENT TO STAY AWAY FROM THESE SCAM OPERATORS, THEN WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS…?
I used to work for Regus and I have to concur that unfortunately, what is written above is true. Please know that with the economy turning, the pressure on managers to gloss over key areas of the contract and then hide behind the fine print will increase. Previously, managers were allowed to discuss those fees. Most did, some did not. The explosion of complaints, I believe, is a direct result of the pressure they are now feeling to sell at any cost - customers be danged. Once you're in you're in and that is the stance that the company will take. I left after years with this company when I finally got tired of fighting against such practices, as have many other managers in the last 8-12 months. Sadly, many of the people who put customers first are no longer there. go to careerbuilder - they can't hire people fast enough to stop the bleeding. I count myself as one of the lucky ones having left early enough to escape the new initiatives that severely reduce incentives, encourage infighting and poor customer management. This company had the potential to be great but is being driven into the ground by fear and greed. If you need to sign a contract with a Regus/HQ building, please read the contract thoroughly and ASK ABOUT EVERY SINGLE FEE LISTED AND EVERY DEADLINE FOR RENEWAL. It appears more likely than not from the comments above that they will not review it and you will certainly end up paying for it. HQ was a great company once. It's sad to see what it's become.
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Regus asked for nearly $3600 in security deposit for a 3 month contract. Mark Green, the incompetent manager at 5 Penn Plaza assured me that every single penny would be returned. In mid-March, I upgraded my office from a $1200/month room to $2100/month room. During my upgrade, Mark Green told me that he would waive any fees associated with the upgrade.

To my surprise, I received a $2400 bill for the month of March (I expected to receive a $1650 bill since I moved mid-march). I asked Mark Green what had happened. He told me that he wasn't sure, but that he had spent two hours last night adjusting my bill – the nightmare had begun.

When Mark Green was unable to resolve my bill on April (after coming back with many excuses that he didn't have time to look over my bill), I told him that since my 3 month contract would come to an end on May 1st, I was prepared to leave if he cannot deal with my bill.

Mark Green, frustrated at his lack of understanding of his own company's billing system, delegated his duty to Cathy DeFrenza, another manager who didn't understand her own company's billing system. Cathy assured me that she was prepared to resolve my bill that same day. I was very happy to hear that.

Of course, Cathy disappeared. She was on jury duty for over two weeks. After contacting Mark Green to ask what had happened, I was repeatedly told that Cathy would give me a call. Cathy never did. On June 1st, Mark Green told me that he was no longer in charge of my bill and that the responsibility had been elevated to Regus corporate headquarter.

I called Regus corporate headquarter and another employee who had no idea why Mark Green had forwarded this information answered my call. She informed me that I was being charged a $1000 business continuation fee and that my security deposit will not be returned until I've resolved my account. There was no hope left. I had no one to speak to about my overcharged bill on the month of March. Regus also charged me $300 wear and tear fee for an office I had used for three months. The office was practically brand new when I left

So here's my advice: don't go to Regus if you want an honest billing system. I found that there are much better offices with windows (mine had none). If you put in $3600 security deposit, know that you will probably get $1000 back or NOTHING AT ALL.

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I confirm this as well. I was a fool and signed two agreements with them. The first was for an office for $600 a month. *I never paid less than $1200* for that lease. At the end, I was hit with an $800 virtual continuation feel. I then really needed an office for reasons that don’t matter, so I signed a 3 month contract for $205 a month for basically a broom closet. It turned into a 4 month contract because they don’t count partial months as part of the terms and of course I never paid less than $525 a month for that lease. I had to extend it once and of course went for an extra 4 months instead of three. Well, After the 5th month I moved to a more traditional office and figured I'd just cancel the extra phone and internet charges and just eat the $205 fee for the rest of the lease. They told me that I couldn’t cancel the phone or internet and it was in my contact! I was so disgusted I haven't even looked at the contract again to see what rabbit they're pulling out of their hat (like the virtual continuation). I figured the hell with them and I’ll never ever do business with them again.

OH! My lease is paid via credit card. Well, last month (my LAST month w/ them ever, thank god), my credit card was declined. They charged me a credit card declined fee! hahaha have you ever heard of such things! These people have some nerve to say the least.
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I confirm this as well. I was a fool and signed two agreements with them. The first was for an office for $600 a month. *I never paid less than $1200* for that lease. At the end, I was hit with an $800 virtual continuation feel. I then really needed an office for reasons that don’t matter, so I signed a 3 month contract for $205 a month for basically a broom closet. It turned into a 4 month contract because they don’t count partial months as part of the terms and of course I never paid less than $525 a month for that lease. I had to extend it once and of course went for an extra 4 months instead of three. Well, After the 5th month I moved to a more traditional office and figured I'd just cancel the extra phone and internet charges and just eat the $205 fee for the rest of the lease. They told me that I couldn’t cancel the phone or internet and it was in my contact! I was so disgusted I haven't even looked at the contract again to see what rabbit they're pulling out of their hat (like the virtual continuation). I figured the hell with them and I’ll never ever do business with them again.

OH! My lease is paid via credit card. Well, last month (my LAST month w/ them ever, thank god), my credit card was declined. They charged me a credit card declined fee! hahaha have you ever heard of such things! These people have some nerve to say the least.

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HQ Global Workplaces/Regus Group Complaints –
Fraud, Employee Theft of Identity

HQ Global Workplaces/Regus Group

Fraud, Employee Theft of Identity

I recently returned from my military mission in Iraq as one of the thousands USA soldiers and thankful to be joined again with my family, but worried about how I would support them. I borrowed $1350 from a loved one and then went to add the funds to my bank account. Within minutes, I discovered that a company named HQ Global Workplaces had charged my account $326.00. When I called my card company to inquire and dispute the charges, they suggested I first call the merchant. When I called the merchant (HQ Global Workplaces) they informed me that they had charged my card because someone using a different name other than mine, had ordered some type of virtual office service. They refused to refund the money to my card even though I told them that I was not the one who made the transactions. I offered them proof of my identity and even offered to send them a photocopy of my id and my credit card to show that the name on my card is not the name that was used to make the transaction. I also offered to provide them with I had just returned from the military and could not have possibly made the transaction. I will unfortunately have to spend more time and money in taking them to court 'but in the meantime, I still am out of $1350 and my rent is due.

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It has been reported through various reliable sources and ex-Regus clients as well as ex-employees that the REGUS GROUP/HQ MANAGEMENT GROUP is under criminal investigation for fraud, stealing of clients funds, non-delivery of services and falsification of documents. The list of client and ex-employee complains is getting longer everyday.

Should you consider using their office services THINK TWICE before you part with your money. These international scam artists will do EVERYTHING not to deliver their services after they collected your payments.

It further appears that the Regus Group will be filing for bankruptcy very soon, due to the fact that thousands of customer payments have been collected but clients have not seen any professional services in return.

Their global network looks at the first glance impressive, however the “small prints” in their contracts are so clever written that even if they do NOT deliver the office services as contractually agreed on, the client is left ‘hanging in the air’ without any possibility to receive his money refunded.

The Regus managers “in charge” are suddenly “un-available” to solve any problems and the client is “dragged over the floor” for months with “excuse letters” but no improvement of service takes place. Cancellation of contracts are simply “ignored” and requests refunds due to breach of contract by the Regus Group are ignored too.

Instead the client receives invoices for services he never ever ordered or signed for. Or invoices are sent from the Regus Group, which are dated months before the service contract was even signed. This is outright fraud and the therefore this scam operation must be stopped immediately.

DO NOT PAY THEM ANY MONEY IF YOU DON’T WISH TO BE THE NEXT VICTIM. THERE ARE FAR MORE PROFESSIONAL COMPANIES OUT THERE WHO WILL GLADLY OFFER YOU THEIR SERVICES AND THEY DO DELIVER!

IF YOU HAVE EVER DEALT WITH REGUS AND YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE A VICTIM TOO, please contact our Investigative Journalist Team.