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

mum_of_4

Looks like the money is being held so people can get their money back then.

I too do wonder if they were ever going to stay past today.

If it's true that the money has being withheld then that's really good news

GomerPyle

Stremline Ltd would be the people enabling Lapland New Forest Ltd to accept credit card and visa payments. Clearly if they are facing a deluge of claims they will hold on to any incoming funds to meet them. They've been locked out of their piggy bank.

"crowd manipulation"

I don't think that was something they offered on their website. :rotfl:

The world is against us just about sums up their message.

THAT is the best news possible as they are clearly holding the funds to meet claims that they foresee are going to come flooding in.

There's no guarantee that everyone will get their money back - for instance those who paid by cheque, but it's a start.

mum_of_4

The sun reports that the police were called when a contractor was demanding their money having not been paid.

Sounds like they were intending to rip everyone off.

PhilCfromSurrey

I must apologise for suggesting that you didn't exist, and wondering whether you were Gomer in his wife's Angora sweater (we've all been there ! or is that only me ?)

GomerPyle deserves your thanks because he is knowledgable, generous with his time, and has worked hard writing his letters albeit in his rather pompous style. Don't forget, though, that the strength of websites such as MoneySavingExpert is that the victims of the odious wretch Mears can seek and find redress for themselves, and that it is primarily due to the actions of the victims themselves that success comes about.

Dare I suggest that you reserve a little bit of your cynicism for self-appointed leaders of "groundswells of public outrage", even those who garner fulsome praise accompanied by a plethora of smileys.

Phil

moneysavinmonkey

It was reported previously on this thread and on other online threads
that the BBC were invited to film at Lapland new forest today so that they could show the 'improvements' that had been made since the disastrous opening weekend.

from the LNF website

"The Meridian TV crew so enjoyed their visit that they requested to schedule a LIVE weather broadcast from Lapland New Forest - as was already planned with the BBC for the 4th December - and also asked for complimentary tickets for their own families to visit ... which were granted with pleasure."

Coincidence then that the owners decided to close the park today??

NAG_2

GomerPyle wrote: »

Stremline Ltd would be the people enabling Lapland New Forest Ltd to accept credit card and visa payments. Clearly if they are facing a deluge of claims they will hold on to any incoming funds to meet them. They've been locked out of their piggy bank.

"crowd manipulation"

I don't think that was something they offered on their website. :rotfl:

The world is against us just about sums up their message.

THAT is the best news possible as they are clearly holding the funds to meet claims that they foresee are going to come flooding in.

There's no guarantee that everyone will get their money back - for instance those who paid by cheque, but it's a start.

so do people go direct to streamline for compensation?

kirasia

lisa_cz wrote: »

As I have already said I have owned and bred Siberian Huskies for 20 years, one of the top kennels here in the uk is the Azgard Kennel, they have produced such outstanding dogs that the kennel club have used one of their dogs to promote the British breed standard. Yes you are right in saying that !!!!!es are lighter built than males. But the general public picture huskies to look like the heavy built american show dogs, if you were to go to a championship dog show with breed specialists judging or a husky rallie here in the uk you will see that the dogs are a hell of a lot lighter than most people imagine them to be, also at this time of year they are being worked and are now at their leanest. Some of the dogs at that event were purchased from the Azgard kennel, other dogs at the event were imported from the top WORKING american lines (Alaskan Anadyre affix). These dogs are only there for the benefit of your children this is not an example of their homes or how they live. If in any doubt contact the Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain or the Kennel Club but please stop contacting the RSPCA as they have already declared the dogs fit and well and there are animals out there being mistreated that need the RSPCAs full attention. Somebody in another post stated that the owners of the huskies are running this event, I can assure you all that again this is untrue. I have not been to the event (thankfully) but in the photos that I have seen the dogs have seen the dogs look well.

I still don't understand, so how do you know these 'healthy 'huskies'' are from this top british kennel, and why are they sending their dogs to such a shambles?

GomerPyle

Update from the Daily Echo

I quote
Lapland New Forest owner is convicted fraudster

Unquote

http://m6live.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/3951196.Lapland_New_Forest_owner_is_convicted_fraudster/

Perhaps the company website would be considered to present a less partial view if it contained this story too.

The story makes pretty awful reading and gives a good all round account of what's happened.

A quote from that same article

'They kept saying, "We'll just stick a few things in the field, make it look nice from the outside and then make a load of money".'

Unquote

In reply to NAG - no, if you have paid by debit card or credit card you'll have to make a claim to your credit card company or visa if you used them. The card companies will then approach Streamline Ltd.

The point being that if you make a valid claim the card company have to pay up, and they will get the mony from Streamline Ltd who clearly foresee a major wave of claims coming in. Even if the money runs out, Streamline have to pay up. That's why claiming against your card is the preferred option.

The likelihood is that some card companies will try to fob you off. Don't let them do it. While this matter has a high profile you must ride the wave of consumer disgust which is a powerful force.

No bank or financial company will want to be associated adversley with any sort of financial indiscretion in the current climate. Make them play honest and complain like hell if they don't. If they did their homework before they allowed these people such a facility then they might not be facing this problem. This is what the current financial crisis is about for heavens sake. Don't they read the papers ?

Beki999

I paid with a pre-pay mastercard.

There is no way I can get a refund

Looks like he will be keeping my money. :mad:

duffman12

Been lurking for a while, read this thread from quite early on and have followed it all the way through! It really is an interesting read, I love the vigilante justice that people brought together on the Internet can muster! GomerPyle, brilliant work! I think it is great how much information can be dredged up on people!

At the moment I am in two minds as to if this is a scam or not. I think deep down I know it is, but a few things are bugging me. The statements released on the website, and the new pictures which actually show the place are a bit out of character do you not think? If it was a complete scam, surely Mears and Co. would have set up the site, got shed loads of advance bookings as they did, cobble together a fairground as they have done, but then surely they would drain the funds from their bank and run? Why are they trying to clear their name if not? Its not like anyone is going to read it and after all the bad press still go and buy tickets? They have milked the money out of people, why keep up with the charade?

I think what has happened is that it was a scam, but they did not intend SO many people to indulge and it has spiralled well out of control for everyone. They did not expect so many people to turn up, and for the complains to be on such a high level and for the media to react as they have (quite rightly) done.

I really hope their funds have been frozen and they can't get any profit from this (hopefully they will loose money!). The picture on the Daily Mail article (which is brilliant by the way), of Mears just sums up the kind of crook he is. Not being prejudice, but if I saw that picture out of context I would think he was dodgy as hell!

Someone a few pages ago raised a good point, that the staff would have to be CRB checked before working with children. Maybe contact the agency who supplied some of the staff and check this? Although if they did work through an agency then maybe the did have one carried out.

I think as people have said before, just get as much dirt on the people / companies / event in general and throw it to the authorities, the more that is brought up, the quicker hopefully things will get done.