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

meerustar

I feels so sorry for everyone who has lost out and I hope that christmas can be salvaged for you.

I was very very lucky this year. I have been with Farepak for years and always got the Choice vouchers, however, early on in the year I got a letter saying that they wouldn't be offering the Choice vouchers but they were looking into an alternative.

As the agent, I phoned everyone who payed for vouchers through me and said that the vouchers that were ordering were no longer available and I was prepared to save the money for them each week if they wanted and would pay them out at the beginning of November. Everyone agreed. I have £3300 here ready to give back and am just lucky that I contacted everyone first and offered them an alternative saving route.

I can't even comprehend how I would feel had I had to ring them all now and say they have lost all their money. I feel so much for those of you who have to go through this.

I wish you luck!

K9cuddles

jhp wrote:

Dont forget folks you can complain to your local Trading Standards about this Cowboy Outfit via this site

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/complaints.shtml

If enough complaints are logged it will be probaly get referred to OFT.

Done this too! Thanks! All online very easy nowdays!

hurrah

Llanelli MP Nia Griffith said she would raise the matter with Consumer Minister Ian McCartney.

Suddenly just before Christmas they are faced with this horrible reality that while they've been careful and put money by to try not to get into debt they are losing their money

Nia Griffith MP

Up to 170,000 people across the UK could be affected by the company's problems,

Many from throughout Wales have told the BBC they have lost hundreds of pounds, a number of them Ms Griffith's Llanelli constituents.

She said she was "angry" at the likelihood customers would lose out.

She said: "It seems to me that we are trying to encourage a responsible approach... and suddenly just before Christmas they are faced with this horrible reality that while they've been careful and put money by to try not to get into debt they are losing their money.

"The chances of them getting a full amount back are very slight indeed."

Ms Griffith added: "I'll be raising it with the Minister for Consumer Affairs Ian McCartney, and I've already spoken to a number of other colleagues and we are all extremely cross about it.

"It's certainly something we need to look into and it's certainly something we need to try to get redress for people for."




http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6058148.stm

Make sure you contact your MP and get them involved the more pressure brought to bear the better.

You can do this via http://www.writetothem.com/


Plus you can write to a Labour Lord at the Dept of Trade and Industry,

http://www.writetothem.com/write?fyr_extref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theyworkforyou.com%2Fsearch%2F%3Fs%3Dconsumer%2Baffairs%26pid%3D13026%26wtt%3D2&who=31554

earthmother

sazzlewhit wrote:

Can I check Farepak and Homefarm Hampers where part of the same company and Findel who owned shares in both (sure I read somewhere it was 60%) has now bought the remaining 40 % shares in Homefarm but not in Farepak. Surely it is a case that what they have done is merged the two companies into Homefarm but without the debit of Farepak.

The way I read it was that Findel already owned 60% of Home Farm, and so bought the remaining 40%, but had no prior interest in Farepak so chose not to take them on also.

I recall a couple of years ago - I was already a Home Farm customer, and had a voucher order with them for the year, then was shown the Farepak catalogue. There were a couple of large toys that weren't in the Home Farm catalogue, that we could never afford outright, and I ordered them from Farepak - they turned up on my Home Farm statement, and all the paperwork relating to them was from Home Farm.

My point being that Home Farm and Farepak have, in the past, been almost interchangeable - it wouldn't be in Findels business interest to take them both on, so they've taken the cheaper option.

magoogy wrote:

luckily my hamper isnt involved (park) have just phoned and they confirmed but, i still have £60 to pay and am thinking of paying it and asking for the vouchers/stuff early.....next year i wont be saving with them..........

I'm with Park - they'll send vouchers out as soon as you've paid anyway, but they don't despatch goods early. I made my last voucher payment earlier this month, and had the vouchers in my hand less than a week later.


I've not used Farepak since the order a few years ago, so luckily haven't been affected, but I'm not using hamper companies again - we only save a couple of hundred a year, but there's no way we could afford to loose it.

jerrymartin_2

My wife is a agent with orders over £2000, some of the family have very little income, and found it very hard to keep up the payments. They were looking forward to a good christmas knowing the they would have the hampers and vouchers to rely on. Now they will have no presents for the kids and very little christmas food. My wife felt sick when she broke the news to them. She feels its her fault. We feel we have robbed the family of what little money they had.

aurora_borealis_2

This is awful for you all. I just wanted to say how sorry I am that this has happened.

maffew_2

jerrymartin wrote:

My wife is a agent with orders over £2000, some of the family have very little income, and found it very hard to keep up the payments. They were looking forward to a good christmas knowing the they would have the hampers and vouchers to rely on. Now they will have no presents for the kids and very little christmas food. My wife felt sick when she broke the news to them. She feels its her fault. We feel we have robbed the family of what little money they had.

thats really harsh mate, no one can blame you/your wife though. good luck in salvaging your christmas

meerustar

jerrymartin wrote:

My wife is a agent with orders over £2000, some of the family have very little income, and found it very hard to keep up the payments. They were looking forward to a good christmas knowing the they would have the hampers and vouchers to rely on. Now they will have no presents for the kids and very little christmas food. My wife felt sick when she broke the news to them. She feels its her fault. We feel we have robbed the family of what little money they had.

You have robbed no one and it is not your wifes fault. I'm sure that your friends who you have been collecting for will understand this and not blame her. They will understandably be upset but not blaming you I'm sure.

I wish you both well.

karren

curlytop wrote:

I am an agent and our account was paid in full last week. Today, I had to explain to an 80 year old pensioner what had happened, she sobbed her heart out and shouted that she wanted her money back. She paid for a £90 hamper. I am going to give her £90 out of my own money. I don't give two hoots for commission, but just want my customers and my own money back that we have all paid into this rip off. Farpak must have known months ago what was happening, yet they kept on taking thousands of people's money. Doesn't this amount to theft? How about fraud? Anger isn't a strong enough description about how we all feel - the guys at the top in Farepak knew exactly what they were doing. Where has all the money gone? Someone must have the answers. Not putting any claim in yet, Farepak will only say it has been lost in the post or they haven't received anything from you. I will wait a couple of weeks for dust to settle then see what is happening.

I wish I could give people money as I feel awful, but I cant afford too, do you really think we will get anything back?

Red19_2

I really dont think that the agents should feel guilty at all. I have been paying an agent for the last three years and when i heard about it i didnt feel any anger to her at all, its the company at fault, how can they lose all them millions? I hope they all chock on the turkey this year.