Refund to a cancelled debit card/ Sapphire Studios

palistara

hi
the same story.they called I gave the card details. After a call i found this forum here and was so angry when found out the truth.
I reported them as advised from defiant06 on
wwwDOToft.gov.uk/OFTwork/ConsumerProtection/consumer_initiatives/report-a-scam/
I will not attend any appointment and will never see money again. Just want to ask others to report those criminals :mad::mad::mad: so the scams stop.

fizzred

Hi everyone,

I too had a phone call today stating that i had won this fabulous makeover worth £300, the lady (Gemma Moses) was very chatty and friendly indeed. I dont know what it is about them but they sell it so well and you genuinely feel excited to have won something.
She was so generous that when i mentioned i had 3 sisters she said she would give me another two tickets so that we could all share this wonderful experience.

She talked constantly and i have to say i was on my guard as i was caught out by a previous scam when claiming back bank charges. Don't feel bad if you have been caught because they can be very convincing, just learn from it.
At the end of the conversation she said she needed to take a booking fee of £49.99 twice for the 4 people, but i said i would like to check out the website, as it could be a scam, to which she was not very happy. So she said she could only give me half an hour to check it out then she would call me back.
Guess what, no phone call, obviously scared her off!
I was caught once and wont be caught again.
So i urge you all trust your gut instinct and dont hand over your details until you can check things out.
Thanks for all your posts, you saved me at least £100.

Fiz

nhismyhoney

Someone pls help to me to get my deposit back from the sapphire studios. they called me up and said that I have won a free makeover and photo shoot. but they wanted a deposit to secure my place and I gave them the full amount for two people (me and my friend) GBP 99.98. after paying I got to know about them and I wanted to cancel my appointment. I called them like million times and it always goes to an answer machine. As they mentioned in the letter (In order to cancel appointments, we have to post letter in registered post within 7 days). they still didn't respond me and my 7th day expire from tomorrow. How can I get my deposit back. is it possible for me to take legal actions against them since I completed all the requirements they asked for. please help. is it possible for me to take legal action against these people? pls advice. I am ready to take any action against these people since this matter is causing me too much stress.

pendulum

OlliesDad wrote: »

Voiceofreason, You are trading on dangerous ground when you are on the internet asking a teenager for naked pictures??

I know he has succumbed and deleted his post now, and the comments were made some time ago, but I'd like to point out he didn't ask to see naked pictures (as you quite libellously suggest)! Even if he had, there is such a thing as an eighteen or nineteen year old...!

nhismyhoney

I am writing this to Debbie Bennett ( the customer service manager @ Sapphire Studios) .My name is Apsara Kothalawala. After I posted on this site about this matter, you sent me a the following message,

Hi,

My name is Debbie Bennett and I am the customer service manager @ Sapphire Studios. Provided you sent the cancellation letter and it was received within 7 days of making your booking you will receive a full refund.

Regards

and after that, I sent you two replies asking when you are gonna refund my money back and you never get back to me. Yesterday, I posted this matter in a similar site like this and today you have sent me this reply:

I would need to know your name in order to look into the booking for you and check if we have received your letter. Please email me on the work email address and I will follow it up for you.

Kind Regards

Debbie Bennett

I would like to ask you , what you meant in the first message by you will give me my refund back if you didn't know my name and why did you wait till I post on these sites to reply me and ask me for my name. Anyway I have sent you a letter by registered post as required by your company and there is no chance that you haven't got it and I still have the receipt given to me by the post office. Since this is the way your customer service work, I am afraid to let you know that, since I have completed all the requirement, I am gonna take legal actions against your company for wasting my time money and causing me a lot of stress. I am gonna claim for the mental and financial damage caused by your company.I have sent you e mails to all the address provided in your website and hope you will get back to me as soon as possible.

BrionyW

Hi, yesterday I received a phone call saying I had won a photoshoot, stupidly decided to pay the £99.98 deposit as I did remember the competition and thought it was legit. After paying this and hanging up I went online to find thousands of complains about customer service, lack of communication and bullying tactics once in London. I decided, like many others, this did not sound like a fun day out at all I tried every number on the website, including the ones given to me over the phone and couldn't get through and suggest that people do as I do and email their appointment address, (so they think you are still interested), and ask them to contact you back asap. I had a phone call from an 0603 number (Philippines I believe?) from a woman who proceeded to forward request to a different department. Long story short, 'Debbie' (who was very helpful) called me back to say send your refund request, name and signature to the address given at the bottom of your email and send it recorded delivery WITHIN 7 DAYS! I will send the letter out this afternoon, unfortunately I'm rather pessimistic after reading all these reviews, but will let you know if I eventually get my full refund as promised. I managed to talk to the elusive staff at least! I suggest if you have been dragged in, don't even go to the shoot as you will be bullied as others have unfortunately experienced, and get your refund request out within the week! Fingers crossed they are professional, and pay up

Chestercat

I had a very similar experience to all those mentioned above - my number had been given out by a friend to get some free makeup for her daughter. After about 20 mins (why I was too polite to hang up I don't know) I found myself agreeingto give out my credit card details at which point the saleswoman hung up which set alarm bells ringing.
To cut a long story short I googled the company and ended up here. Thanks to advice on some of these threads I used one of the standard template letters from Consumer Direct website and immediately sent it Guaranteed Delivery to Sapphire Studios (at the address in the small print at the bottom of their email). Trading Standards also provided me with their registered company address which is RF Marketing, Bank House, Bank Crescent, Ledbury, HR8 1AA and I sent a copy of the letter Guaranteed Delivery to the Company Secretary there. Also I have since found out that if you are sold something over the phone - if the company don't advise you that you have the right to cancel in 7 days and give you a postal address you can contact them at BEFORE they take payment (I only had this in a confirmation email after they had taken payment) - then the cancellation period is extended - but you may need to double check this.
The following day I heard back from "Debbie" at Customer Services saying that I was entitled to a refund onto my card - like other posters I had cancelled my card but the bank assured me that they would accept refunds to the cancelled card and Sapphire sent me confirmation that the refund has been accepted by my credit card. The confirmation email has come from their accounts department in Ledbury. That is a relief as I couldn't believe I had been so stupid.
Anyway my advice to anyone who ends up at this post - if you act straight away you can get your money back. I don't think the company is a scam as such, they just know how to stay just the right side of the law and rely on people not exercising their right to cancel within 7 days. They obviously don't rely on word of mouth recommendation or repeat customers! Hopefully this post will help anyone else worried that they had been caught out.
4th Aug update - I have received a refund from Sapphire so something I did obviously worked. An amusing thought - I had contacted my credit card and my payment to them is in dispute ie the money hasn't been released to Sapphire. They have credited my money back to the credit card though - I may forget to take the payment out of dispute for a while - give them a taste of their own medicine!

Unfortunate_cookie

I was trapped yesterday as well - I havent received the confirmation email where it states that you can cancel within 7 days and the address that the cancellation letter should be sent to. I have however received an email that states that they have taken £99.98 from my account.

Can someone please be so kind and post that address or paste the small print details from the confirmation email to cancel.

I have tried calling, but am only met with voicemails

Thank you!

Chestercat

Unfortunate Cookie - this may be too late but you need to send the cancellation to:
Sapphire Studios, 21 John Street, London, WC1N 2BF. The letter must reach us no later than 7 days after you have made your booking.

Trading Standards also advised me to send a copy of the same letter addressed to The Company Secretary at the registered head office which is:
RF Marketing, Bank House, Bank Crescent, Ledbury, HR8 1AA. I sent the letters guaranteed delivery.

The email may be in your junk email - it is worth checking

Good luck

coolkitty90

WOW, looks like a was lucky to only have a missed call from that number... Thanks guys for the heads up, and my sincere regrets go out to those who partook in this scam...