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

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  • drahct
    drahct Posts: 2 Newbie
    codger wrote: »
    FOR SALE

    LAPLAND FRANCHISE

    A unique business opportunity from which YOU can make a FORTUNE!

    All you need is access to a field in the middle of nowhere and a computer with access to Google Images.

    We have two packages on offer: Bronze and Gold.

    BRONZE: two portaloos, five garden sheds from B&Q

    GOLD: two portaloos, 10 garden marquees from B&Q and a burger van.

    Priced from just £150,000 including VAT at 15%, these franchise opportunities are being snapped up fast -- so buy yours now!
    Further details:

    Jarvis Bognopper
    Bognopper Inc
    [EMAIL="jarvis@bognopping.co.uk"]jarvis@bognopping.co.uk[/EMAIL]

    I've already downloaded my images. Do you take PayPal? Or is it just cash?

    [dammit, beaten to it :)]
  • codger
    codger Posts: 2,079 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    C'mon whitewing, do keep up!


    ;)
  • neiljaxx
    neiljaxx Posts: 9 Forumite
    codger wrote: »
    Well said, Gomer.

    Re your concluding sentence: it's surely also to be hoped that those behind the New Forest and West Midlands scams are prosecuted.

    This particular kind of cynical exploitation of children's dreams by people contemptuous of anyone and anything isn't going to be stopped by a polite slap on the wrist.

    Nor is closing something down before it opens any kind of defence: the organisers were caught red-handed and would have taken the scam to its conclusion had they not had to shut down.

    Having a few of these scammers placed in the dock and pelted with mouldy mince pies comes to mind as appropriate fun for all the family at this enchanted winter wonderland season.

    Throwing mouldy mince pies at scammers, bognoppers and con men, I like the sound of that. I'd donate £25 to charity for a ticket for that event.
  • whitewing
    whitewing Posts: 11,852 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    codger wrote: »
    C'mon whitewing, do keep up!


    ;)

    Yes sorry, I missed that page of the thread completely somehow. :o

    ______________________________________________________________

    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
    :heartsmil When you find people who not only tolerate your quirks but celebrate them with glad cries of "Me too!" be sure to cherish them. Because these weirdos are your true family.
  • GomerPyle
    GomerPyle Posts: 451 Forumite
    No wonder I have high blood pressure, I should take up knitting.

    I just read this from The Sun

    http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2011670.ece

    QUOTE
    The new theme park's website, parts of which are identical to the Lapland New Forest rip-off, makes the same promise of “Christmas magic for everyone.”
    But a council source branded the organisers liars last night, declaring: “It will be a Christmas miracle if they get it looking like what has been promised by noon.”
    Cops will be out in force when Lapland West Midlands opens its gates today — amid fears of trouble.

    Promises ... the website says authorities have given the go head


    Trading standards officers will be on hand to advise families who paid in advance for £25 tickets how to get their money back. They may have trouble — since all the cash has been sent to an account in LUXEMBOURG.
    UNQUOTE

    The action by Staffordshire County Council has been admirable, prompt and they have acted in the interests of their community and the wider public.:T

    For me to compliment anyone is so rare I must state that I don't live there and know no one on the Council.

    If the remark about transferring funds abroad I correct, I hope that anyone who assisted in that transaction is able to recall it or is otherwise willing to reimburse punters out of their own pocket. Don't tell us they didn't see this coming.
  • codger
    codger Posts: 2,079 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    bilpit wrote: »
    Are you accepting Paypal on these transactions...

    I'm looking at opening Lapland Norfolk, ready for next weekend.

    Tickets will be priced at £50 (owing to the shortage of these events currently running)

    We are replacing the reindeer with tractors, and though we can't source any huskies, the neighbour has promised full access to her 2 Yorkshire Terriers.

    We have a disused car-park, 2 gazebos, 2 cats with antlers, and courtesy of Bernard Matthews, plenty of turkeys (some of which may still be alive)

    Dear Mr Bilpit:

    Thank you for your enquiry. It seems you have inadvertently purchased our PLATINUM product as neither a car park nor cats with antlers plus Yorkshire Terriers are available in our cheaper packages.

    Then again: as we haven't actually brought this particular product to market yet (our own version replaces your Yorkshire terriers with two pure-white rats) it may be you are trying to set up in competition.

    Please be advised that only we offer the REAL Father Christmas who will be selling burgers at six quid apiece.

    As for pre-payment, we have decided to accept cash or uncrossed £50 Postal Orders as this is the best form of consumer protection around.

    Jarvis Bognopper
    Bognopper Inc
    [EMAIL="jarvis@bognopping.co.uk"]jarvis@bognopping.co.uk[/EMAIL]


    Dear Mr Drahct:

    Thank you for your interest! I think you will find cash is best, otherwise we would have to charge you PayPal's commission. We have a special offer on at the moment: for just £200,000 all-in, you get to keep the burger van.

    Jarvis Bognopper
    Bognopper Inc
    [EMAIL="jarvis@bognopping.co.uk"]jarvis@bognopping.co.uk[/EMAIL]
  • codger
    codger Posts: 2,079 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    GomerPyle wrote: »
    If the remark about transferring funds abroad I correct, I hope that anyone who assisted in that transaction is able to recall it or is otherwise willing to reimburse punters out of their own pocket. Don't tell us they didn't see this coming.

    Er. . . PayPal is in Luxembourg. It quit the UK almost two years ago.

    Unfortunately The Sun is to journalism what Bognop Lane is to Lapland.
  • codger
    codger Posts: 2,079 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    whitewing wrote: »
    Yes sorry, I missed that page of the thread completely somehow. :o

    No prob.

    Just for a minute there I thought you'd come dangerously close to bognopping yourself but that's obviously not the case.

    :beer:
  • neiljaxx
    neiljaxx Posts: 9 Forumite
    Seriously, do we know for fact if anyone actually bought tickets for Kackland West Midlands? I'm curious to know if the scum bags actually got any cash from this particular 'event'.
  • codger
    codger Posts: 2,079 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    The Sun seems to have found a family that fell for the scam and turned up at the site this morning.

    As an aside, it's now launched a competition offering trips to "the genuine" Lapland.

    So that's another scam, then.
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