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

whitewing

edna,

If suppliers have done credit checks prior to accepting cash payments, would there be electronic footprints that the investigators could have a look at? Would only be from August until the account were frozen, so not a long time period to check, surely? Could rule some suppliers in or out?

Or perhaps yorks would know (we like others commenting to provide variety)

EdnaCloud

yorksrabbit wrote: »

Thank you Edna.

Thanks to you too, and don't worry about the double post - I do similar things all the time. ;-)

One point to note is that Snow Business is a well known company **snip**

Oh indeed, I feel sorry for them that they have, seemingly inadvertantly, been dragged into this grubby and sad affair, but as far as I can see they are a professional outfit, in fact it is a surprise that Mears has used a quality company for once!

If Mears or anyone else tries to pull a fast one with Snow Business's involvement (for example, over-stating the sum paid for services, or pretending the payments were in cash) then they will be in serious trouble because Snow Business really does have the background which Mears claimed for it and it does value its name and reputation.

Oh certainly, and anyway the liquidator will establish that very quickly.

As for Grant Thornton, as I said I believe the appointment of an inhouse forensic accountant, who is not a person Grant Thornton would normally wheel out, is significant and very bad news indeed for Mears and his associates

This is something that is very good news, even if, unsurprsingle, it is 'under the radar' of us out here - it sounds like you could add some valuable background information here, please stay with us. We know there are many many othre issues that need dealing with but concentrating on a small number is usuall more productive that just throwing in the odd comment to many fora.

and, if it is correct that cheques were being sent to his son, for the wider Mears family, too.

We cannot really comment on that yet as we only circumstantial evidence, although I do hope that at this critical time anyone who has any information comes forward and present that to GT.

I am not involved in any of this **snip**

Nor am I directly, and laughable yes, but sad for those who lost significant amounts of money, at the time of year when we can least afford it.

but do feel that as laughably bad as the Lapland event was, Mears idea that he could ever get away with vanishing over £700k into thin air (which is the "missing balance") is even more hilarious,

Get ready to laugh, the chances of anyone seeing that missing GBP700K is minimal.
The authoriti=es have missed the boat - it will now cost more than that to trace it.

I hope sincerely everyone will get their money back and that Mears next event will be in a prison yard before a captive audience.

I don't think that wll happen. This loathsome piece of excrement will be back on fruit and veg stall next week, planning his next scam with his cost del stolen villa all paid for, so he can die in peice. He has a terminal illness you know,

Which does beg the question, what the f*&^k use is 700K, 900K or whatever to him if he's dying soon?

How soon? He's a lying deceitful, disgusting example of all that humanity should not be. And quote me that if you want - it is not libelous because I can evidence that all those things are true.

Any Mears family out there? Maybe the odd council leader being a distant relative? (Neice) More lies, more deceipt.

Citizens of Brighton - be aware who your council leader is . She is closely related to a known fraudster (and LIED about her relationship - claiming through a council spokesperson that she is a DISTANT relation) to a person who has been in prison (for defrauding YOU), and who has just commited anothe scam on a huge scale depriving 42,000 people of a total of some 1.2 million pounds, of which just under 350 thousand has been recovered. Think hard next time you go to the ballot box

Anyone upset about this post is invited to send me a PM and I will gladle provide my lawyer's contact information.

It is time to speak out.

EdnaCloud

whitewing wrote: »

edna,

I am sure the company secretary did the necessary.

Errrr.....there isn't one. That requirement was ditched (buy a stupid deregulative government) some time ago, when they should have been regulating companies (and banks, in particular) more closely, in the totally misguided principle that commercial organisations will regulate themselves. What a load of buzzcocks.

I also think TS are doing slightly more than we realise (although I have no evidence to support this). As mentioned before, there seems to be some commitment now to supporting folks through sec 75 claims at least.

Yes. it is marginally more useful, however they fail to mention the sub GBP100 per item issue.
(Someone has 'pmd' me to ask what 'GBP' is - it is the international standard abbreviation for Great Britain Pound, and is the only intenationally recognised way of accurately representing the cirrency. The pound symbol may be reproduced as a euro sign or dollar sign or possibly something mor bizarre on asian keyboard layouts)

Chargebacks - I agree with Edna. Do you chargebacks and persist.

CLAIM CLAIM CLAIM

Gomer's Guide'll help:

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

EdnaCloud

whitewing wrote: »

edna,

If suppliers have done credit checks prior to accepting cash payments, would there be electronic footprints that the investigators could have a look at?

Well, if suppliers accepted cash payments (like real oncers or cheques that had cleared) there would be no need to credit check. But if they supplied goods on a 'normal' 30 day trade account they would have taken one of several courses of action, 1) small amount, too expensive to credit check, take the risk. 2) moderate amount, ask for company registration docs, bank statement etc 3) larger amounts, credit check the company and director(s) via one of the credit check agencies, look at various other sources and calculate a credit score based upon the suppliers own criteria.

Having said all that none of this is fact, it is merely common procedure. Any Search with credit agensies will, of course, be traceable. Who can get access to that information I do not know, but I suspect HMRC, and the police can, and possibly the liquidator, but that is a question I am not qualified to answer.

But all of this is probably irrelevant in the case of LNF - the statement made on Monday would seem to indicate that all services were paid for cash and not on credit terms -which is to be expected given the comapnies short history and I suspect the credit rating of one Mr V Mears is not great unless further fraudulent activity has taken place to cover up previous misdemeanours.

Would only be from August until the account were frozen, so not a long time period to check, surely? Could rule some suppliers in or out?

There will have been several million checks carried out during that period (for all the population) so the simple solution would be to contact the limited number of suppliers, as you rightly say, it will only be a handfull, and I suspect GT are doing this as we speak.

Or perhaps yorks would know (we like others commenting to provide variety)

Yorksrabbit, and anyone else out there, please do chuck your thoughts, comments, criticism, brickbats etc in. It is all vey well for a small number of us to 'vent our spleens' but this is a public forum and ALL input is welcomed and required.

EdnaCloud

whitewing wrote: »

This is what I didn't read earlier properly when I skimmed Trading Standards' communication:

Quote: At the creditors' meeting, it was confirmed that £343,011 of ticket income had been withheld by the company's 'merchant services provider' (bank providing card payment facility) prior to the company being placed into liquidation. This is held as security to cover claims of any 'charge-backs' by customers. Customers' ability to make such a claim depends on their type of card and the specific rules applying to it. End Quote.

I'm sorry to dismay but I think this will be the figure already claimed and refunded by the merchant provider, not an amount held by them for *future* refunds. The tantalisingly exact figure would suggest that this is the amount the merchant has already had to pay or is expecting to pay for ongoing claims. By 'security' I think this means the latter, they know of a certain amount of third party bank claims and are trying to cover these. This would, by implication, suggest that the trader merchant continued to provide funds to the tune of some GBP 900, 000 to the company.

We as taxpayers, own some 70% of this despicable bank. So for every GBP25.00 ticket price lost the customer is also subsidising the bank's loss of that 900K, so what it is actually costing is nearer GBP40.00 per ticket that is refunded for amounts not reclaimable from the pickey scum. Thanks Mr scumbag mears. Thanks Mr incompetent Brown. thanks mr mr bodger darling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1lf3defW4w

Anyone may quote this post as they see fit, in any fora, in any place, and it is encouraged that this message be spread as far as possible

Edna - wanting retribution for hurt souls.

yorksrabbit

Sorry for that double post, unfortunately I have nothing else to add at this point. I have a friend who used to work for Grant Thornton so knew all about its investigative arm and the quality of the specialists there. I have asked her for more details but she's no longer with Grant Thornton.

I can appreciate the way everyone is so upset about this but I don't think those responsible for Lapland New Forest are going to get away scot free.

whitewing

yorksrabbit,

Obviously we all want to help the situation along, raise anything we can, but not be a hindrance or cloud the issues too much.

Is there anything you know of that we should/shouldn't be doing?

In the meantime folks, chargeback and register as creditors - until you're refunded. BTW, has anyone who didn't get refunded under sec 75 -ie credit card/over £100 - been in contact with Trading Standards yet? I would like to know what help they are actually giving you, if you wouldn't mind sharing...

Also, if you are lurking, let us know what you're up to...have you claimed? Have you registered as creditors? If not, why not?

whitewing

Lapland UK's comments (yes, I don't mind giving them some free publicity):

http://www.creditman.biz/uk/members/news-view.asp?newsviewID=9590

An extract:

Having read several press articles from the interview with Victor Mears answering questions re his failed Lapland Christmas experience (see quote below), we, Lapland UK, would like to reject and correct Mr Mears’ claim of masterminding the “brilliant idea” to bring a Lapland experience to the UK.

The originator and architect of the idea is Mike Battle, who created and has successfully run the award winning Lapland UK in Kent since 2007, a year before Mr Mears’ eureka moment!

Lapland UK is a registered trade mark.

In the summer of 2008, fearing its copyright was being infringed, Lapland UK’s lawyers asked Mr Mears to change his company name to avoid any public confusion between Lapland UK and his Lapland New Forest venture.

Unfortunately, Mr Mears did not respond to this request and appeared to have actively courted confusion between the two companies for his own benefit by cynically copycatting wording from the Lapland UK website. End quote

I hope Lapland UK have been in touch with the liquidators, as this surely is something that may be considered as part of the report into the Director's conduct? (yorksrabbit, do you have any knowledge of such things?)

Here's the email address for the liquidators:

lapland.liquidation@gtuk.com

and for Lapland UK:

mailto: enquiries@laplanduk.co.uk

or Lapland UK's press office contact details:

http://www.laplanduk.co.uk/press-pr.html

yorksrabbit

Hello whitewing: very interesting!

I would guess the Lapland UK solicitors have told their client that there is no point in suing for copyright breach but have decided to add more weight to Mr Mear's burden, the more the charges of wrongdoing and "cynicism" add up, the harder it is for Mears to shrug them off.

whitewing

Santa's Kingdom 2002-ish

Does anyone know how to work out if there is any kind of a link between either of the Lapland New Forest and West Midlands ventures, and the Santa's Kingdom from way-back-when? There seems to be an AWFUL LOT of similarities from the limited number of reports I can find briefly:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1141031.ece

and

http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/features/fesitvals/christmas-2002/santa-s-kingdom-at-the-nec.shtml

and

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/725721/Santas-grotty-little-show.html

and from the ASA:

http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/non_broadcast/Adjudication+Details.htm?Adjudication_id=36108