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

whitewing

Another ticketholder vowing to continue the fight for a refund:

http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/tidnews/4084728.Mum_vows_to_fight_for_Lapland_refund/

whitewing

http://www.romseyadvertiser.co.uk/news/southampton/4087644.Boss_of_failed_Lapland_attraction_to_attend_meeting/

Yesterday accountants Grant Thornton said the law stated Mr Mears – as the sole director of Lapland Limited – was obliged to act as the chairman of the meeting.
Trevor O’Sullivan, from Grant Thornton, said: “The Insolvency Act requires that a director of the company chairs the meeting.
“A director of the company – and Mr Mears is the only director – will chair the meeting.”

May be safer to see here for the latest Lapland New Forest Refund Guide:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...html?t=1412867

whitewing

Anyone who wishes to attend the meeting should inform Grant Thornton as soon as possible in advance. This can be done by post, although the following email address has also been set up for this purpose: [EMAIL="lapland.liquidation@gtuk.com"]lapland.liquidation@gtuk.com[/EMAIL]

This is quoted from Trading Standards http://www.dorsetforyou.com/index.jsp?articleid=390730

Anyone thinking of going?

Gorginoo

Good news from me!

I paid for 3 x tickets to go on 21st December with my Sainsbury's Bank Credit Card at a total cost of £90.

I phoned Sainsbury's Bank back in December when the place closed down before we could go and they said to firstly claim from Lapland New Forest. This I did and of course my recorded delivery letter was rejected!

I then wrote to Sainsbury's Bank on 22nd January with that evidence and asked for my money back under "charge-back".

Today (only a week later) I have received a letter stating:

"I have contacted the merchant's processing bank and have temporarily credited £90.00 to your account. The credit will appear on your next statement. The merchant's bank may disagree with our action and contact us with more information. However, if this happens I will contact you again."

So, I hope that's an end to it! I am very happy with Sainsbury's Bank customer service as they dealt with this most promptly and with curtesy throughout. It's nice to praise a bank once in a while when it's due!!

Good luck to everyone else.

whitewing

Gorginoo,

Thank you for a clear and heartening update.

This is a comment posted on:

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4087644.Boss_of_failed_Lapland_attraction_to_attend_meeting/

"Robert Wright, says...
5:51pm Fri 30 Jan 09
And any ticket holder who paid by credit or debit card who is daft enough to voluntarily become a creditor of Lapland needs their head examining.

In this liquidation, whatever monies are still available to be shared out will go to the liquidator, then the event's suppliers and contractors, and then Mr Mears' own "advisers".

If a ticketholder agrees to become a creditor, he / she will be lucky to see 10p in the £1.

Yet if they request their credit or debit card provider to institute a chargeback, then they will -- like hundreds of others -- receive a full refund on the grounds that they never received what they paid for because the supplier materially altered the specifications of the product / service without their knowledge or their written consent.

The entire Lapland New Forest episode is an utter disgrace -- but in failing to alert any consumer to their chargeback rights, Dorset Trading Standards emerges as an even bigger waste of space than that which occupied Matcham's in December."

I agree with this, but I still can't see why Grant Thornton themselves can't alert customers. Maybe they will? Anyone had their letters yet?

Perhaps I will give them a call on Monday and ask.

EdnaCloud

whitewing wrote: »

Oops I missed this yesterday. Very well done to the Bournemouth Echo for still reporting on this.

Well done whitewing for finding this and keeping on the case. Regardless of what the banks say my advice would be to continue demanding a refund and even in the case of banks refusing to refund keep on their case, put everything in writing, quote as many successful claims (similar to your own - e.g., if attended look for successes from other contributors here who attended, not those who didn't attend because of closure.). Do not of course, use unsubstantiated claims in any way other than quantitatively, and do not quote any individual case. Look at Gomers guide.

Barclays aren't appearing too helpful from the article if you actually attended. However, you can still argue your case with the Ombudsman if you feel strongly enough that you didn't get what you paid for.

See Gomer's post for the latest Lapland New Forest Refund Guide:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1412867

Well said. There has been a breach of contract and comparing the situation with buying clothes that one subsequently didn't like not being an issue with the card company (as I believe the article indicated was Barclay's line) is fair enough, ***however this is NOT about like or dislike, it is about the product delivered being FAR below that that was advertised*** and if that lame excuse referred to above is factual then the company spouting it are talking absolute rubbish and just trying to weasel word their way out. DO NOT accept that explanation if it is given to you - state that the comparison is completely unrealistic and that there has been a breach of contract and IT DOES involve the card company. AGAIN I say it is not a question of dislike, to carry that simile further, it is not dislike of the clothes, it is a case of when you first wore them they fell apart and left you naked, even though the shop assistant had fitted them and said they would be wonderful.

Thoughts of The Emperor's New Clothes comes to mind. More later.

EdnaCloud

whitewing wrote: »

For those of you who are not regular readers of accountancyage (the majority I should think!), here's another update:

http://www.accountancyage.com/accountancyage/news/2235226/grant-thornton-assists

I won't pick too many salient points out at this moment. Perhaps Edna or anyone else more 'in the know' than me could review it. The wording is interesting. They are asking for ticket holders to contact Grant Thornton via post prior to the creditor's meeting. What are the implications of that, and how are ticketholders going to know to do that unless they read the article? Edna?

I may be wrong and a cynic but I feel this may be GTs way of 'damage limitation' for the bank, by sneakily encouraging people to become creditors which may, as I have previously said, may have implications on any future claim or even chargeback.(Gomer, if you are still with us please advise here!) By contacting them by phone I cannot see any way that they can make you a creditor as long as you don't give details of any transaction or any personal details, but if anyone does contact them be ***very careful*** what you say, and possibly the best thing at this stage is to conatct Dorset TS and demand they help you and not fob you off with consumenr direct the CAB or any ather ridiculous body. Try and get them to accept some responsibility for advising you and ask for it in writing. Remember *you* pay them, and thus far they have been pretty useless, so make them bloddy work for for *your* money.
Edna Angry

EdnaCloud

whitewing wrote: »

From today's Sun:

This article is typical of red top rubbish. They state the site is up for sale - wrong.
42,000 generating 1M, wrong. Tickets were a minimum of 25GBP each so simple arithmetic is obviously beyond the reporter's abilities.

Ignore such tabloid trash, please!


Keep claiming chargeback.

EdnaCloud

whitewing wrote: »

This is from Portsmouth Today:

http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/newshome/Lapland-New-Forest-made-a.4926713.jp

More rubbish reporting. They state the company is going into administration. Who on earth in the company did they get this from? Can't be GT because the company is very very likely to be liquidated, administration only occurs when there is a reasonable chance of salvaging some or all of the business as I have pointed out before. Maybe these amateur reporters should read this thread or make themselves aware of the issues they are reporting before they spread falsehoods.

And from the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/7857969.stm

A more sensible report but I'm sad to see this:
QUOTE
Dorset Trading standards has said it is continuing to fully investigate the matter and will take any appropriate legal action.
UNQUOTE
How much longer will they be investigating? If they don't get their act together it'll be next Christmas and another scam will appear.

From the Salisbury Journal:

http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/4085758.Liquidators_to_hold_Lapland_New_Forest_meeting/

A better article, but do not take the advice to register as a creditor. Call the GT office and book to go to the meeting if you can without registering as a creditor, but PLEASE take expert advice (NOT DTS or any quango) You could also try phoning one of the staff at GT direct and asking what your rights are. Do not give any more details than you have to.

As far as Im aware the liquidator has a legal obligation to write to all known creditors, and there will be a period after this when other creditors may come forward, so this provides a window to pursue chargebacks etc.

IMPORTANT
I am not formally qualified in insolvency or any other part of company law and offer the above, and all previous posts, as informative only. Please take expert advice from qualified practitioners before acting on any suggestions made on this thread.

(You still need to contact your bank to do a chargeback if you paid by card.)

EdnaCloud

whitewing wrote: »

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4087644.Boss_of_failed_Lapland_attraction_to_attend_meeting/

"Robert Wright, says...
5:51pm Fri 30 Jan 09
And any ticket holder who paid by credit or debit card who is daft enough to voluntarily become a creditor of Lapland needs their head examining.

In this liquidation, whatever monies are still available to be shared out will go to the liquidator, then the event's suppliers and contractors, and then Mr Mears' own "advisers".

If a ticketholder agrees to become a creditor, he / she will be lucky to see 10p in the £1.

Yet if they request their credit or debit card provider to institute a chargeback, then they will -- like hundreds of others -- receive a full refund on the grounds that they never received what they paid for because the supplier materially altered the specifications of the product / service without their knowledge or their written consent.

The entire Lapland New Forest episode is an utter disgrace -- but in failing to alert any consumer to their chargeback rights, Dorset Trading Standards emerges as an even bigger waste of space than that which occupied Matcham's in December."

I agree with this, but I still can't see why Grant Thornton themselves can't alert customers. Maybe they will? Anyone had their letters yet?

They cannot alert customers to chargeback, they can only advise them to register as creditors.

The person quoted abovehas pretty well re-iterated what I have been saying for a while, I would dispute his assessment of how the liquidation process works, and the hierarchy of creditors, but importantly he states in no uncertain terms that registering as a creditor is not appropriate at the moment.

The excerpt above is not complete, or has been recently edited on the newspaper page, and I suggest anyone wanting further background reads the original post as kindly linked by Whitewing.