freecig/trendycig.com beware...

michellen34

Hi everyone, been told to move this thread to here...

Hope i'm posting on the right forum.
I'm looking for some advice about the company freecig.com. My Mum signed up for a trial in a local shopping centre and after having loads of problems with the electronic cigarette decided to cancel it. she told both the company and the bank to stop payments being sent. Now it turns out they have amended the standing order themselves and have took out well over £200 from my Mums account.
Police have been involved and she was told by the police the bank would give her her money back. My mum rang the bank yesterday and after an hour and a half on the phone the bank has basically washed their hands of it. They said things like the writing looks similar (it does not in the slightest), the amount had been changed from £6 to £65 no signature, and that the small print on the back said if she wanted to cancel it must be within the 7 day trial or they can basically take out what they want. They have also said they can't guarantee that they won't go in to her account again and take more money. My Mum and Dad are retired now and can ill afford this.
Does anyone have any ideas on how they can get their money back please?

Even if they can't please be aware about this company, they are a bunch of thieves :mad:

Sparhawke

If someone is taking money out of your account without your consent then the first thing i would do is go to your bank and block it and if they have a problem with that simply close your account and take your business elsewhere.

People can't take what isn't there.

I don't know if going to the OFT is the right course of action for this kind of thing, I am sure someone will make sure I know I am wrong if I am but it wouldn't harm you to get their advice would it?

This seems to be a fairly new scam which has only come to light in the last couple of weeks, and I hadn't heard of it before so chances are the relevant agencies haven't either.

tez1104

I didn't think a standing order could be amended without your consent? Anyway a similar thing happened to me witha mobile phone company, I called my bank who put a stop to the payments and persued the company for it and after 3 months I got it back

Darksun

Do you have a crime reference number from the police, and are they treating it as a case of fraud?

If you do, then I can't see how the bank can refuse to refund the money unless it can be proved that your mum has been negligent or reckless.

If they refuse then close the account for starters. I'd be closing the account anyway, since the bank say they can't guarantee money won't be taken out without consent :eek:

NeverInDebt

The thread is a few months old now, tez1104 just bumped it up today

Darksun

NeverInDebt wrote: »

The thread is a few months old now, tez1104 just bumped it up today

Oh good point, never noticed that

gordikin

Darksun wrote: »

Oh good point, never noticed that

tez1104 joined us on MSE today and seems to be promoting an electronic ciggy by resurrecting old threads....strange? Seems to like CCCS too...whatever that is!

KeithP

gordikin wrote: »

tez1104 joined us on MSE today and seems to be promoting an electronic ciggy by resurrecting old threads....strange? Seems to like CCCS too...whatever that is!

Yep... just getting his/her post count up so they can post links to their website.