Ten companies based in cities such as Berlin, Munich and Düsseldorf will now construct elaborate excuses for their mostly male customers. One alibi provider, Stefan Eiben, told of a client who planned a surprise wedding and needed two months of excuses to stave off his wife-to-be. His company, Alibi-Strohmann.de, had to evade the questions of an increasingly inquisitive fiancée and think up some real whoppers to keep their man in the clear.

“That was a stressful time for us,” he said, “but we kept her at bay. We didn’t ask his reasons for doing what he did: that is the client’s business. We are merely providers of camouflage.”

His is one of several German-language companies offering covers for people wanting to dodge a meeting, a relative, a lover, a creditor or a spouse. For prices ranging from €20 (£14) to €1,200, Herr Eiben offers a range of services that ensure that his clients will not be tracked down.

His company sends out fake invitations to people using the service. Then, if someone wants to reach an individual, one of Herr Eiben’s employees answers the phone number left by the client and promises to pass the message on.

Alibi-Strohmann.de and other companies also offer to go shopping or book holidays for their clients to ensure anonymity. The most expensive excuse, the “permanent alibi”, attempts to stave off inquiries for a full year. Clients become employees of an imaginary company. When the unwanted person wants to reach them, a “secretary” tells him or her that the client is unavailable. Herr Eiben’s operation also works with real companies, which can make an alibi even tighter.

For those interested in cheating on their partners, alibi services companies ensure that hotel bills do not arrive in the post and provide iron-clad alibis.

Is there no moral dimension to what may be serious deception? Jens Schlingensief, who runs PerfektesAlibi.de, is unconcerned. “Lies, necessary lies, you can discuss that for a long time,” he said. “That is a moral aspect. But I don’t have any such thoughts. We are providing a service in modern- day Germany.”

Erich Hoffmann, who runs a Berlin company called Stolen Hearts Alibis, said: “One man recently wanted his wife to believe he was in Vienna on business when he was in a Berlin hotel for two nights with his mistress.

“(I set) up a contact in Vienna posing as an hotel who told the wife he was out every time she called and my secretary later called her back posing as a hotel receptionist about to ‘put her through’.”

DEBATE

Is it immoral to help someone cheat?

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