Farepak in administration: What to do? (Merged Thread)

netally

This thread made me so sad. It's not til you hear the individual stories that you understand how awful this has been for people. I remember when I was a kid, watching my mum scrimp and save to give us a good christmas. I can't imagine how awful it must be for these families.

I can't donate any cash, being a poor student. But I will be closing my account with the Halifax and writing to explain my actions. I will also be encouraging other students at my uni to do the same and to start a letter writing campaign. Banks fight for student accounts, so hopefully this will make them stand up and listen!

K9cuddles

I saw on the tele this morning that someone has recieved £150 of vouchers for there £1k savings wtih Farepak.. as anyone else recieved anything yet?

karren

how have they had them? the company stated that they are to come out on the 18th?

michjoe

K9cuddles wrote:

I saw on the tele this morning that someone has recieved £150 of vouchers for there £1k savings wtih Farepak.. as anyone else recieved anything yet?

The fund manager Shaun has just made a statement on the unfairpak site that Park are to start despatching the vouchers on Monday.

gt94sss2

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* HSBC will help Farepak savers with several million pounds in refunds
* HSBC reminds savers to contact their card issuers to exercise their 'chargeback' rights

Farepak Food and Gifts, a 'Christmas Hamper / Savings Club' organisation was placed in administration on 13 October 2006.

HSBC's relationship with Farepak
While HSBC was not banker to the company and had no involvement in the company's collapse, we have been concerned by the plight of genuine savers who have lost their Christmas funds.

What can HSBC do to help?
As merchant acquirer to the company (the processor of credit and debit card transactions), we are keen to ensure that savers take advantage of 'chargeback' rules that will help a large number of savers recover some of their lost money for goods and services not received.

We will contact all our own customers who can claim a refund and we urge other card issuers to do the same.

Indeed, we will refund anyone who gave money to Farepak using a Mastercard or Visa credit card or a Visa debit card.

How much will Farepak customers get back?
We have already returned £700,000 to thousands of Farepak customers. From our own investigations, we estimate we could incur a bill for savers amounting to several million pounds if, as we hope, the thousands of outstanding payments are claimed back.

We are making every effort to ensure that, where possible, the refund process is accelerated so that money can be returned in time for Christmas.

What should Farepak savers do?
Anyone who used a Mastercard or Visa credit card or a Visa debit card to make a payment to Farepak should contact their card issuing bank and ask for details of their 'chargeback' rights. Their banks will then contact HSBC to obtain refunds on their behalf – in many cases their bank may be able to refund them directly in lieu of seeking repayment from HSBC at a later date.

Those savers who made their payments via a local Farepak representative should contact them to check how the money was paid and whether the agent can claim a refund on their behalf.

How can we ensure Farepak customers get money they are due?
The majority of card payments to Farepak will have been made by local agents collecting funds from savers. It is crucial that these agents efficiently and carefully re-distribute any refunds they receive to savers.

What is HSBC doing to publicise this?
We are contacting all our own customers who can claim a refund. We will also contact every national newspaper to remind them of the 'chargeback' opportunities available to some savers, as well as contacting card issuing banks to discuss how refunds can be made as speedily as possible.

Source: HSBC Website

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It basically looks like HSBC will be picking up the tab for all of you who paid by Mastercard or Visa credit card or a Visa debit card (but not Maestro/Switch) - whoever you bank with.

However, you do have to go via your own bank and follow their own charge back process and they will then reclaim the money from HSBC who will then suffer the loss themselves and be the ones out of pocket.

Regards
Sunil

zoe_b_2

Just to let you all know Argos were advertising in THE MIRROR newspaper yesterday(Sat) that Farepak customers can have vouchers if they take their payment card in to the store and show them.
They aren't much £3 off if you spend £30 etc but it's better than nothing, they also cover homebase as well.
Hope that helps someone.

msbayliss

Derby County are offering free tickets to FAREPACK customers for the PLYMOUTH game, both sets of fans. Not sure when they end contact the ticket office at pride park

whamfanuk

had my vouchers today, came by special delivery i got £40 in high street vocuhers, i had lost £600

the_greed

My niece had a bit of good news today. Her husband works for Stagecoach and Ann Gloag has taken it upon herself to donate half of the hamper money paid in by her workers. So instead of my niece loosing £1700 she has only lost about £500 by the time she takes into consideration the donation by Ann Gloag and the donation from the Farepak fund. Well done to Stagecoach, its a pity there weren't more companies like them.

zoe_b_2

Just to let you know, after phoning BARCLAYS yesterday about the claim I put in on the 22 nov and being told they had lost the documents I sent, they have sorted it all out and I should be getting a full refund today ,£945.
I was also told that they recieved a memo today stating that as long as customers who paid on a Visa debit card can provide proof that they paid this way, they are not disputing any claims!
This is good news for all who paid this way, spread the word.
Only thing is what do I do about the vouchers on the way from the rescue fund, any ideas?