On Tuesday, 19 MAR, an incident at LEDucation raised concerns over drayage charges. I was approached by an employee from AEX Convention Services holding an empty Credit Card Authorization form, claiming I owed around $1,600 for drayage. Explaining that I had a costly experience with drayage previously, I was certain I hadn’t incurred such costs. Despite my explanation, the AEX representative, speaking in a confrontational tone, insisted I owed these expenses, gesturing to some boxes near my booth as evidence. Several times, she stated, “I don’t make this stuff up.” After a tense exchange, I visited the AEX service desk only to find out that the actual charge was not for drayage but for the rental of two very comfortable chairs at my booth, which I thought would be about $1300 to $1400, but with tax, $1600 was not out of the question. I gave her my credit card and end of story—or so I thought.
Subsequently, the same AEX employee targeted a neighboring non-profit booth with a drayage fee of $1,943.42. Upon overhearing the dispute, where the non-profit’s Executive Director refuted the charge by explaining that those boxes were shipped through the hotel, and they paid the hotel receiving fees as well as a tip, I went back to the AEX desk, this time explaining that I am a reporter and asked to see the documentation such as number of boxes, weight, etc. They were too busy to look up the paperwork and told me to come back later.
I did, four more times.
The second time was at 3 pm on Wednesday when the show ended, I again asked the representative for the documentation, she again stated, “I don’t make this up.” However, she was quite pleasant and explained that she understood why there was confusion because they charge $595 for each 100-pound box, with a two-box minimum, so with tax the total comes to $1943.42, even if it were just one box. At this time, she actually began looking for the documentation, and after about 10 minutes was unable to find it.
At 9:30 pm I was working with a few exhibitors who were looking for their empty crates and I asked again if she had the documentation, she held up her hand and walked away. I focused my efforts on the lost crates and came back one last time at 11:00 pm and she explained that she was not going to talk to me anymore and I could quote her on that.
I am confident that the non-profit had no legitimate drayage costs. The only documentation was the $1943.42 scribbled on a credit care authorization form.
Hopefully this phantom charge was just an honest mistake on the part of AEX.