Is this too good to be true?

silverlady3 · 29 September 2009 at 9:50PM

We paid for the initial survey which they didn't even send anyone out to look. They just gave us a good valuation over the phone. Then they took £915 out of my account using my bank debit card that I had paid the valuation fees with, but I did not discover this for a couple of days and have had to cancel my bank card. This was unauthorised theft! What incenses me as much is that Natwest will not refund me that money as they say I willingly gave my card details to FDI for the valuation, and there is no way they can prevent someone continually drawing money from my account if they have my card number. I have taken this up with the fraud department, but I apparently will have to fill in lots of paperwork, and they will then decide whether to reimburse me after about 2 weeks. Just think, you could order a pizza and pay with your debit card and next day find that your account has been cleared out. What is this country coming to with our crap banking systems.

AnonIdiot · 29 September 2009 at 10:24PM

tek-monkey wrote: »

So thats davcar who's been paid back, and nobody else then? So davcar, care to comment? You seem to be the only one fighting their corner after all, care to tell us who the companies you phoned in that building were so people here could confirm? People you talked to would be useful too.

Sorry if I sound offensive, but you have to admit you look like a blatant plant to make anyone finding this thread by accident less sure the company is a con. I'll happily apologise if I'm wrong, but I've never met you and trust is based on a lot of things.

I Too would like to know if this has happened, at least I know I will have only lost £99 :mad: But it's £99 I could have well done without losing, I have contacted the police, I am contacting trading standards, and I will be contacting the serious fraud squad as I believe this is just the tip of the iceberg!

*Edit* Btw I have got a copy of their website (full) saved, so anyone who needs it please pm me

tek-monkey · 29 September 2009 at 10:28PM

Do MSE keep IP logs? Once police are involved could be useful if certain posters are seen to be plants.

AnonIdiot · 29 September 2009 at 11:02PM

I would have thought so, but from my experience of running websites and forums in the past, any IP address is logged, so the answer to that would be yes, as I have said, I have been in contact with the police, and I will contribute any and all information I can find, I hope the mods of this forum are reading this and are fully willing to help out in any enquiry.

davcar · 30 September 2009 at 5:41AM

Look guys I'm not a plant. I'm as keen as you lot to get to the bottom of all of this. Whether or not they are scamming us they have still messed us about and left us high and dry. All I'm saying is that it doesn't make any sense. The £100 that people paid wouldn't cover the man hours of a surveyor to value each house so they are already out of pocket, they have refunded a lot if not all of the fees paid by Credit Card. I am not defending this lot one bit I am as angry as anyone about it. I am going to find out today from the surveyors they used at our house whether or not they got paid. If I can find out from Regus whether they settled up there too that would be useful.

AnonIdiot · 30 September 2009 at 8:18AM

They won't be refunding solictors fee's though will they:mad:

Zweitaktmotor · 30 September 2009 at 8:51AM

Hi davcar: I am trying to believe you, but your experience is so totally different.

1. They invited you to come and meet them in person. With everyone else, they tried to avoid that.

2. You are the only person to claim to have been paid back. (as well as your parents, who incidentally tried to sell their house at the same time)

3. You never heard of Crawley. - If you were paid back, you definitely should have.

4. They used a surveyor's company to give you a quote? Are you sure about that? Please post their contact details, they might be key witnesses in the ongoing investigation.

silverlady3 · 30 September 2009 at 4:58PM

As I paid the initial survey fee by bank debit card, which they then unlawfully took out £915 from my account 2 days later, Natwest said if I want to try and get my money back I have to fill in forms they are going to send me from their fraud department. They will then consider my case. Perhaps others could do the same if they want to get money back. Surprisingly, although they took money from me illegally, my bank could/would not get that money refunded from their account to mine. Whose side are the banks on now? Obviously fraudsters who get away with far too much.

Zweitaktmotor · 30 September 2009 at 5:19PM

It is important to note that they did not use an illegal computer hack but a real card terminal, issued by the "Bank of Scotland Merchant Services".

I am not a trader by profession, but this raises a few questions: Who is allowed to have such a terminal? How are they issued? Is there any vetting process? And if the vetting process failed or was insufficient, who is responsible for the subsequent loss?

Having such a terminal is a much more powerful tool than having a single personal credit card. Yet it seems to be easier to apply for the terminal than to apply for a card.

screwed · 30 September 2009 at 5:32PM

OMG please help

I foolishly used firstdirectinvestments.com. Great hype and i pais the £99 in May had the survey great price for the house, solicitors and all sorts involved so it seemed all above board, for 4 months solid every day I called them even wrote a letter of complaint, spoke to Lee Smith, Ruth, David Webb, Trevor chandler the last day I called was last friday, all I kept being told was the buyer was out of the country Mr Barnicoat absolute B*A*S*T*A*R*D was my buyer and we were going to complete 9th October.

Well guess what I went on the site last night 29/09/09 as my emails kept getting bounced back and on there site it reads

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Further to recent litigation brought by a certain banking group, we can no longer trade as First Direct Investments. This information was leaked to our investors which as a result, affects all of our customers.

We regrettably have to inform you that with prime investors no longer wishing to complete transactions for fear of legal implications with a certain banking group, we have been forced to cease trading with immediate effect.

To all our customers, who have paid for services via debit or credit card, please check your bank and or credit card statements as the company has taken steps to refund your money wherever possible.

If you have not received a refund as of yet, this may be due to you having paid by alternative methods, so please be patient as you will be contacted in due course to make the necessary arrangements.

First Direct Investments understand that this is the worst outcome for the company and you as the transactions have now come to a close.

We recommend that you now take steps to re-market your properties through other means of sale.

Our deepest apologies and regrets as this turn of events was not anticipated. We wish you all the success for the future.

First Direct Investments (INT) Limited

Please please is anyone else in the same boat as me and is there anything that can be done.

Is this too good to be true?

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