WARNING Utopia Office Ltd consortium - cheap Dyson DC31 Animal - or not!

starkraving

Wrong person to mess with. Believe me, I'm calm. I know what i'm doing.

Sunny_1

Seriously! i thought that this website was to be about helping people and advising them not threatening them!

I'm not here for an argument I am just one of the genuine people that have been stung and I am just seeking advice on how we can get our money back and if we cant if there is some other route to go down.

Sunny_1

I have just got through to a nice lady at their accountants and she has advised that she will pass my details on to him and get him to call me. She said that she has had 7 calls this morning all with the same problem. She also said that she is certain that we will receive our products... fingers crossed.

stopthecon

i was one...if we don't get the call keep ringing them back,,,,,daily !

Jibaro

Hi,
First time poster here - please be gentle!
I ordered one of these DC31 Animal vacs on 25th November, then next day I got the email requesting payment by cheque or bank transfer but this set my alarm bells ringing & I replied I could only pay credit card so please cancel my order. Didn't get any email confirmation. It was only then that I started trying to search more info about the company, had a look on companies house, saw it was a new company but had already had changes of directors, saw the accountants details etc, then found this thread! Thought oh dear!!
I have continued to keep an eye on this thread just to try and see if anyone actually posted that they've had money taken from their credit card. I'm a bit uneasy about the fact that I gave my mastercard details on their payment page, including the 3-digit signature strip number. Mastercard should protect me if utopia try to syphon my credit card shouldn't they?
I am a bit miffed I was taken in by this, but the only reason I saw this dodgy company is because it was at the top of the sponsored links on a google shopping search for DC31 Animal, that gave it an air of authenticity that it otherwise wouldn't have had. Something looks too good to be true it probably is, but google's one of my bargainhunting tools !!!!!!!

Karlos911

I note that there is a great amount of 'older' posters who seem to spend their time just seeking to point their fingers at the newer posters (like me). I personally have better things to do then read and critisise others who are seeking answers, or give opinions if I do not know the answer.

I am also awaiting the mystical Dyson, I received a few confirmation emails originally but nothing since last Thursday.

I conclude it is entirely possible that the company is a small trader who builds up a large order and obtains bulk discount. The credit card issue could just be that they do not want to pay the fees associated with the processing.

Likewise it could be that the whole thing is a con. I am hoping - probably niavely that it is the former!

But I suppose my questions are simply, 1) how many people are actually awaiting a Dyson at this time, 2) Have any of the original posters ever received a machine or are out of pocket?

Cheers

K

Sunny_1

I have just received a call back from their accountants informing me that she had got through to the guy and that he should be contacting me soon and that if i don't hear from him by tomorrow to give her a call back...

fingers crossed.

vikingaero

Karlos911 wrote: »

I note that there is a great amount of 'older' posters who seem to spend their time just seeking to point their fingers at the newer posters (like me). I personally have better things to do then read and critisise others who are seeking answers, or give opinions if I do not know the answer.

I am also awaiting the mystical Dyson, I received a few confirmation emails originally but nothing since last Thursday.

I conclude it is entirely possible that the company is a small trader who builds up a large order and obtains bulk discount. The credit card issue could just be that they do not want to pay the fees associated with the processing.

Likewise it could be that the whole thing is a con. I am hoping - probably niavely that it is the former!

But I suppose my questions are simply, 1) how many people are actually awaiting a Dyson at this time, 2) Have any of the original posters ever received a machine or are out of pocket?

Cheers

K

When you have been on MSE as an old hand you get an instinct for companies who get staff or friends to join up and post fake reviews. There have been some spectacular busts of companies over the years including Gary Cooper and the lady who ran the party business. Sometimes us old hands get it wrong but rarely. I'd be the first to apologise if this was the case.

People who write reviews as stooges do so in a language and style that is instantly recognisable. They are often in such a rush to post their point of view that they rarely punctuate and use proper paragraphs. The rest of the post is always in marketing speak.

Let's review this thread of new people:

stormjohn - Join Date 07-09-2010 - Last Activity: 18-09-2010 10:25 AM

MarkYorks - Join Date: 29-09-2010 - Last Activity: 29-09-2010 7:55 PM

grandpa edward - Join Date: 06-10-2010 - Last Activity: 06-10-2010 11:23 PM

tina10 - Join Date: 14-10-2010 - Last Activity: 14-10-2010 10:00 PM

andyyoung36 - Join Date: 26-10-2010 - Last Activity: 26-10-2010 8:54 AM

soar - Join Date: 28-10-2010 - Last Activity: 12-11-2010 10:03 AM

ScreamingFZ6 - Join Date: 04-11-2010 - Last Activity: 12-11-2010 6:51 AM (with photo evidence!)

mischran - Join Date: 11-11-2010 - Last Activity: 11-11-2010 12:49 PM

gtvone - Join Date: 19-11-2010 - Last Activity: 20-11-2010 11:07 PM

Fordnmt - Join Date: 20-11-2010 - Last Activity: 23-11-2010 4:41 PM

Sarah Franklin - Join Date: 01-12-2010 - Last Activity: 02-12-2010 7:06 PM

andypandyspot - Join Date: 02-12-2010 - Last Activity: 02-12-2010 9:56 PM

21Treena - Join Date: 06-12-2010 - Last Activity: 06-12-2010 6:14 PM

Camphill High - Join Date: 07-12-2010 - Last Activity: 08-12-2010 7:47 PM

Cagedlion - Join Date: 03-12-2010 - Last Activity: 11-12-2010 8:18 AM

seymour beaver - Join Date: 11-12-2010 - Last Activity: Yesterday 8:36 PM (with a website & phone number!)

SBG - Join Date: 12-12-2010 - Last Activity: 12-12-2010 7:07 PM (about the only poster to punctuate and paragraph!)

Timbertree - Join Date: 13-12-2010 - Last Activity: Yesterday 4:49 PM

Sunny_1 - Join Date: 14-12-2010 - Last Activity: Today 4:44 PM

stopthecon - Join Date: 14-12-2010 - Last Activity: Today 3:20 PM

Jibaro - Join Date: 14-12-2010 - Last Activity: Today 4:43 PM

Karlos911 - Join Date: 14-12-2010 - Last Activity: Today 5:04 PM

As you'll see most of the new posters have registered, posted and disappeared. Sure there are some I've listed that are genuine.

MSE could do worse than to trace the IP addresses of all the new posters who have disappeared to see if they all originate from cabbage county.

But what seems to give it away is the monosyllabic, unpunctuated and unparagraphed posts:

"hi i am a new member and i do not take kindly to being criticised. i ordered from utopia. i emailed them and John/Anthony replied and offered me £10 off if I paid by bank transfer. i paid and am awaiting my dyson which arrive today. i am genuine."

What interests me is how some people refer to Mr Ensinger as John and others as Anthony?

Karlos911

vikingaero wrote: »

People who write reviews as stooges do so in a language and style that is instantly recognisable. They are often in such a rush to post their point of view that they rarely punctuate and use proper paragraphs. The rest of the post is always in marketing speak.

Fairly insulted that just because I newly posted today, I must be a stooge!

I was not aware my grammer and punctuation was poor, let alone that I use 'marketing speech'!

I have simple questions, which ideally faciliate simple answers, I am not concerned with the so called 'experts' who think they know everything. I want to hear from people who have actually dealt with the company either successfully or not. I suspect the nots will be the more honest.

A simple google search on the 'accountants' list a number of other companies who use it as a company address as well. I suspect it may be a small admin company itself.

I have paid and not received, I am waiting for contact, I fully expect I have been 'had' I am not attempting to make a positive marketing point!

With regards the use of his first name, this is the name he uses on emails and if you are lucky enough to speak on the phone!

Now who has actually ordered and not received their Dyson?

Karlos911

starkraving wrote: »

Blah blah blah

If you put as much effort into shipping out items that people have paid for as you do spouting drivel then everyone would be happy. NOBODY is falling for it !

And it's spelt "grammar" ! And what does "faciliate" mean?

Oh !!!!!!, I must be a stooge as I spelt grammar wrong and was in such a rush to con everybody, did not put a T in facilitate.

Starkraving, I suspect your name says it all, get a life, do you have anything valuable to add or are your just a bitter little man (or woman).

How the hell could I be considered as a stooge when nothing I have typed or asked, is offering great praise for this company?

I am out of pocket £94.99, I believe I have been conned, even if I get a Dyson, I would not recommend them to anybody. Or is that reverse psychology?

Having looked at the earlier references to stooges who appear to use some reference to a car or bike, I see the reference to 911 in my user name, must make me one of them!!!

NOW, who else has been conned? NOT JUST GOT AN OPINION!

K