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

ormsk

chrisandrob wrote:

Me Too,my bank ,Bank of Scotland filled chargeck form out for me last week and a few days later got a call saying they would not go ahead as farepak may still give us somthing back ,so until farepak administrators decide how much we will recieve am at a standstill with this.bank was unhelpful to begin with but like you I insisted and read out advise from this site,I would also like some advise as of what to do next thanks

Hi,

To you all, I am new to this site and i find it really helpful. I too and my customers have lost money through Farepak, £1532.00 in total. I think it is a disgrace that they can get away with this. With regards to the Chargeback with Visa Debit Card, I too rang my bank - Halifax and was advised that the claim would not go through to the bank until i recieve confirmation back from the administrators stating how much i would receive back from farepak. The bank then told me i could put a claim through to them for the difference owed to me and my customers.

zsazsa_3

Hey guys,

If you click this link it will take you to Farepak Accounts where you can log in with your membership details and get all your payments and commission details. I would hurry up and do it in case it disappears. Oh if my account comes up just log out and log in under your own account number. Take a print off if you have a printer.

All the best Suzy P.S. we are gaining momentum over at https://www.unfairpak.co.uk if anybody wants to pop over and help with the ongoing campaign.

https://www.farepak.co.uk/accounts.asp

zsazsa_3

hesweb wrote:

Have just been on the Farepak website - just in case there might have been any more info - not likely.

Anyway there is now an agents claim form & a customer claim form - does that mean we have to resubmit our details again, or will our original claims do.

Surely it wont make things any easier for them if we submit the same things again and again, but then I dont want to miss out should we have to do it?
Anyone already phoned and asked?

Click this link and it will take you to tada - Farepak's Accounts section where you can log in with your account number and take a print off of all monies paid by you

https://www.farepak.co.uk/accounts.asp

sandfacer

i hope you all get your money back with this chargeback unfortunatly my £1200 was paid in by my agent by dd

freebie_fairy

the daily working lunch programme on BBC2 are following the farepak situation and are putting updates on their bbc2 website. Also 2 of the customers are fronting a media campaign through Max Clifford to urge the company directors to do more to resolve these issues.
It is a disgraceful affair.

BenefitMaster

http://www.farepak.co.uk/info.asp?page=aboutus

Originally developed as a traditional Christmas Hamper company, Farepak has grown to be one of the largest, and the most safe and reliable, Christmas savings schemes in the country. Tens of thousands of customers enjoy Farepak's excellent range of hampers, gifts and shopping vouchers.

emilyj

I am copying this from https://www.unfairpak.co.uk because it echoes what I have been saying.

If you are in contact with anyone in the media this might be worth showing them, and asking them to contact HBOS themselves.
********
Posted at https://www.unfairpak.co.uk

It would appear as though H.I.T.A also seem to be pushing a portion of blame to HBOS here - Original e-mail and response from HITA below - Notice a copy has also been sent to my local press office to see if the media will get a response from the bank as I am still waiting ....
C'mon HBOS directors you will need to speak soon!!!!

Dougie, I understand your frustration. Because of the massive number of
emails it has been impossible to reply personally to them all and a standard
statement has had to suffice. However you do deserve a good reply and so let
me start.

Farepak was part of a group, European Home Retail PLC ( EHR) which included
Farepak, Kleeneze and 3 other companies.

EHR 's last filed accounts were up to April 2005 and showed an operating
profit of over £4,000,000. SATISFACTORY.
On 30th June 2006 they posted an announcement on their website saying that
their existing funding would run out in the Autumn and they were seeking
extra funding. We contacted the directors and they assured us that this
funding would be forthcoming and they would honour their liabilities.

On 23rd August trading in their shares on the stock exchange was suspended.
We immediately contacted them and asked if from that moment the pre-payments
were being ring-fenced. They said that they had taken legal advice and IT
WAS NOT NECESSARY !. WE do not know if this advice was from their bankers or
from their own advisors. Remember we have no authority to dictate to a PLC
how it manages it's finances but the stock market has strict rules and EHR's
directors actions will be scrutinised.

On the 13th October the company called in the administrators. This would
have been after discussing the matter with their bankers who are HBOS ( The
Halifax )

Our first concern is, Why did it take so long between the suspension of
their shares and the appointment of administrators when all that would have
been happening is millions of pounds being banked by Farepak agents and
hence lessening the banks exposure.
To this end our solicitors immediately wrote to HBOS who are yet to reply.

During the past 10 days much has happened. Ian McCartney MP the Secretary of
State for Trade and Investment has taken the fight on board and today
Alastair Darling announced that there would be a governmental enquiry to
start immediately to investigate the reason for EHR's collapse. Also BBC2's
Working Lunch programme has featured the Farepak disaster every day.

We are also aware that during the year at least 2 offers were made for
Farepak. The first as far back as April and the last about 7 weeks ago. If
any of these offers had been accepted then this terrible situation would not
exist. Remember, if an offer is made for a company it has to give the
details of the offer to it's bankers and if the bankers say it is
unacceptable then their say is final.

So at present we are questioning the actions of their bank and we await
further news either from them, the report of the administrators and the
governmental enquiry.

We are on your side but I can fully understand how you have felt. I would
certainly have felt the same.

Neil Henderson-Begg
Secretary

---

Original Message

---

From: Dougie Ovenstone
To: neil@hendersonbegg.karoo.co.uk
Cc: fife free press
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2006 1:39 PM
Subject: Farepak Question


Hi There

With regards to the Farepak fiasco.... well you seem to have fallen short on your pledges!!!

I am frustated and heartbroken, and to think I was gullible enough to believe 2I was protected with regards to this type of fraud.

I do not apportion the blame to yourselves indeed far from it, however do feel that being part of their major advertising they were protected by yourselves I would like to hear your comments...

Oh by the way.... Happy Christmas !!!

Looking forward to your response.

Dougie

karren

michjoe wrote:

Just been on ebay and the listings are still there!

I just found them too, there must have been a glitch, but how will you prove that people are genuine fairpak customers?

xxdougiexx

Yip that was my post - I got the response from HITA this morning - Why oh why are you refusing to comment on this HBOS ?????

This has beeen forwarded to Watchdog, my local MSP, and also the PM, along with the national and local papers... I think HBOS owe us an answer to this question...

You may be a major bank and sit there in your ivory towers but HBOS i suggest you reflect on the old David and Goliath story.... The big man doesn't always win by hiding inside you offices....

C'mon give the people what they deserve

xxdougiexx

Copies sent to Working Lunch, GMTV, Sunday Mail, Scottish Sun etc etc etc ... Somebody will get a response from the Big Bankers ;o)