MUSCATINE, Iowa – Premier Map Company has been a thorn in the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s side.

The company has attempted to solicit advertising for a Muscatine map in the past and is doing the same thing again this year.

Jane Daufeldt, executive director of the Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the company claims in telemarketing calls to be working in conjunction with the Chamber.

She’s quick to point out that the company is not working  with or for the Chamber.

“It’s all done by telephone and fax,” Daufeldt said. “The way they present it, they don’t show up in person at the business site.”

Daufeldt sent an e-mail out to chamber members on Oct. 22, alerting them of possible “bogus” phone calls from a Premier Map representative.

The headquarters for Premier Map have been previously listed as Arlington, Texas. According to the company’s Web site, an office is located at 2728 W. Central Park in Davenport.

“Since we sent the information to Chamber members, we have not had any other feedback from them about targeting our local businesses,” Daufeldt said.

However, two Chamber supporters called to say they, had received phone calls from Premier Map Co. after Daufeldt’s e-mails were received.

“They do it all over the United States,” Daufeldt said.

In Barre, Vt., Premier Map successfully made deals with local businesses there, and all turned out to be scams, according to the Barre-Montpilier Times-Argus.

Marcus McQueen, a supervisor at Premiere Map in Davenport, said companies, like his, can “pull chamber directories” to get listings of the businesses that advertised.

“With Muscatine being so close to us, the rep probably thought the customers would be even more comfortable [with our company],” McQueen said.

McQueen said that those company representatives claiming to be part of the Chamber can be reported to the office and monitored later. He said Premier Map Co. does not have any affiliation with Muscatine’s Chamber.

“If you put it to our ear, we can make sure it’s not happening,” he said.

“If businesses are approached, we want them to know [about this company],” Daufeldt said. “This isn’t the first time they’ve come to Muscatine.”

For more information or to report a phone call from Premier Map Co., call the Chamber at 563-263-8895.

The new, and official, Muscatine Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Muscatine Visitor Guides were just published, Daufeldt said, and the map will not be started until sometime late 2010 or early 2011.