Lapland New Forest Scam. How to get money back...

Apparently they're losing money and someone might lose a house...!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/7762855.stm

....and quote "We don't believe we ripped anyone off. What is not here that we haven't advertised?" unquote


Is it just me or is that a double negative....you advertise a lot and there was nothing there that you had advertised....what is not there...everything trouble is you adverised there would be lots...that comment sums it up really!

Shepherdess76 wrote: »

They seem to be packing up... anyone know if that's true? We've got a reporter going up there now http://m6live.bournemouthecho.co.uk/

Lapland West Midlands is due to open soon...maybe worth checking to see if they are going there?..

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ATTENTION PLEASE! Added mid-Jan 2009: Just as a reminder, the latest Lapland New Forest Refund Guide is here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=17633351#post17633351

are they closing then?????????????? anyone confirm?????

E-mails sent to two Brighton MP's

lepperd@parliament.uk
turnerd@parliament.uk

Feel free to let them know how you feel about this matter - politely of course.

Quote


You are possibly aware of the national furore that has broken out recently over the activities of the Mears family in Brighton. If you are not, then there is a link below to a national newspaper story that will outline the details.

I have been in touch with the Bankruptcy Enforcement Office and H M Customs and Revenue and I repeat the contents of my message below.

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I am writing to you concerning this company

LAPLAND NEW FOREST LIMITED
UNIT 1, WILD PARK HOUSE,
HOME FARM ROAD
BRIGHTON
EAST SUSSEX
UNITED KINGDOM
BN1 9HT
Company No. 06671308

They are currently in the news concerning a shambolic Christmas event they are holding in the Brighton area.

The Director is recorded as being

Victor Robert Mears,
222 Selsfield Road,
Brighton BN2 4HH

His son of the same name is already known to you

Victor Robert Mears,
14 Onslow Road
Hove
BN3 6TA

From today's Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1091708/Fraudster-boss-Winter-Blunderland-rake-2million.html


and I quote
The boss of the ‘Winter Blunderland’ Christmas theme park that has attracted thousands of complaints is a convicted tax fraudster, it has emerged.

Victor Mears, who runs Lapland New Forest with his younger brother, was sentenced to three years in jail in 1986 after admitting failing to pay £500,000 in VAT.
At the time he was serving a four-year sentence for tax evasion.

Mears, 65, who is expected to make £2million from his latest venture, is a former scrap metal dealer.
He started trading in precious metals in 1980 and kept hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of gold and silver bars in his council flat. He would sell it on across the UK.

---

It continues
Yesterday it was claimed that Mears began organising the theme park earlier this year with his brother Henry, who runs a fruit and veg stall.
A source close to the brothers, based in Brighton, said that with ticket prices of £30 and up to 50,000 advance bookings online, they expected to make £2million over the festive period.

---

I have contacted the Bankruptcy Enforcement Office, as payments intended for the company (of which his father is Director) have been routed to his son (of the same name) who is an undischarged bankrupt.

Surname MEARS Forename(s) VICTOR ROBERT Title MR Occupation Sales & customer services Date of Birth 20 November 1966 Last Known Address 14 Onslow Road
Hove
BN3 6TA
Insolvency Case Details

Case Name VICTOR ROBERT MEARS Court Brighton County Court Type Bankruptcy Number 0000264 Case Year 2008 Order Date 08 February 2008 Status Currently Bankrupt : Automatic Discharge will be 08 February 2009 See FootNote Case Description VICTOR ROBERT MEARS, Part Time Garden Centre Worker of 14 Onslow Road, Hove BN3 6TA, lately a company director Insolvency Service Contact Details Insolvency Service Office Brighton Contact Enquiry Desk Address 69 Middle Street
Brighton
East Sussex
Post Code BN1 1BE

I have tried contacting Mr Peter Bott who is the Chief Examiner handling this case, but so far he has failed to respond to my requests to speak to him. He can be contacted on 020 7596 6114.

The original website and subsequent incarnations have all failed to disclose information required by UK law including the current VAT registration number,

In view of the previous history of VAT and tax evasion it would seem appropriate to take some immediate action to forestall the very real likelihood of another attempt.

I am passing this information to you as this whole operation appears to be little more than a scam and their is a massive groundswell of public revulsion over this whole fiasco.


In the mean time I will be making representations to various MP's to ensure that this matter is dealt with on an urgent basis.

---

This matter has adversely affected, not only your constituents, but also many people across the country. Indeed it has even made the newspapers in California and Australia and it shameful that people have been duped and conned in this manner by people who have performed these tricks before.

One person even mentioned how they had taken their mother out of a hospice to spend their last Christmas together on a family outing. There is a very large groundswell of public outrage over this matter and we would all be grateful if you would chase up the bodies who appear helpless to protect the public and the public purse.

If you need the contact information of any of the offices I have dealt with or spoken to please let me know. If you have any comments to make I will gladly pass them on to the people on whose behalf I am writing to you and I am sure that they will be grateful for any action you can take.

Best Regards

Unquote

Let's give them a short time to do something now.