Lifestyle Money Scam

Johnny9

For you information I just thought I'd post a letter I have just sent to the complaints department of Lifestyle Money...

[FONT=&quot]I am writing to request a total refund to the sum of [/FONT][FONT=&quot]£[/FONT][FONT=&quot]719.96 that was removed in two transactions of [/FONT][FONT=&quot]£[/FONT][FONT=&quot]395.98 from a joint credit card account on the 3rd of March 2012. The evidence for these transactions in the form of a credit card statement was emailed to helpdesk@lifestylemoney.net on the 9th May 2012. I have also included the statement in this letter.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]These transactions occurred following a 'cold[/FONT]call' telephone conversation between my wife and three employees of Lifestyle Money during which my wife gave said credit card details to 'confirm an account'. In fact my wife recalls the exact terminology used. The Lifestyle Money sales rep asked her for an 'agreement number'. Not knowing what this was she asked where she might find this number and the representative told her it was the long number across the card. My wife also tells me that at no point during any of her conversations was she told that money would be immediately removed. The reference given at the end of these conversations was *********.
[FONT=&quot]My wife did not realise this transaction had taken place for nearly three weeks after the initial call, until she looked at her monthly on-line credit card statement. At this point she had not even opened the claims pack you had sent through as based on the telephone conversations she did not think an urgent response was required.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Upon her discovery she made a telephone call to yourselves and followed that up with an email dated 26th March 2012 and a second email on the 27th March 2012.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]It was at this point that my wife disclosed what had happened to myself. Given the details, I immediately cancelled the credit card in question and called the Ministry of Justice for advice. Given that the email to yourselves from my wife, dated 27th March, clearly requests a refund and given that under your complaints procedure it clearly states an email is an acceptable form of notice of cancelation, I decided to wait the 28 days (suggested in your terms and conditions under 'our complaints procedure') for a response.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]When no response was forthcoming I made a phone call to Lifestyle Money and talked with ***********, a customer services manager. During our discussion she mentioned that your records showed that around [/FONT][FONT=&quot]£[/FONT][FONT=&quot]280 had been taken from the credit card and when I explained it was [/FONT][FONT=&quot]£[/FONT][FONT=&quot]719.96 she asked me to send evidence. I did this as noted in the first paragraph on the 9th May 2012.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]My wife then received a phone call from ********** the 'Invalidation' manager and she said that I would ring him, which I did on 11th May 2012. After a lengthy discussion I directed *********** to the emailed credit card statement. After pointing out the two transactions he apologised explaining that he did not know how it might have happened, that he needed to talk to someone and that he would get back to me. I have yet to receive a response.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I again have sought advice from the the Ministry of Justice.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This matter has caused great distress to my wife who feels that she has been taken advantage of. At no point during that initial telephone conversation did my wife agree that money would be immediately taken from a credit card. I know she would not have given the number had she understood this would occur.[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]She gave the card number in the belief that it was to confirm that the account was hers. Further more I absolutely believe that the recordings of her conversations with your representatives will prove this matter.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]I have other grievances but I believe this one fact is justification enough for you to immediately provide a cheque, payable to *************, to the amount of a full refund of [/FONT][FONT=&quot]£[/FONT][FONT=&quot]719.96.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In line with your complaints procedure I expect an acknowledgement of this letter within five working days from the date of this letter and a refund to be supplied within twenty eight days of the date of this letter or I will take the matter further and without any further notification.[/FONT]

[Deleted User]

Is this a Claims Management Company?
Good luck getting your money back!

knoxvillain

If it was paid by credit card can you not get your cc company to do a chargeback?

magpiecottage

Johnny9 wrote: »

[FONT=&quot]My wife then received a phone call from ********** the 'Invalidation' manager

Please name this scumbag - they do not deserve anonymithy

After pointing out the two transactions he apologised explaining that he did not know how it might have happened, that he needed to talk to someone and that he would get back to me.

I will tell you exactly why. It is because the person whose name you have disguised is complicit in fraud against your wife, as is Ryan George Stanton and George Stanton, the two directors.


Under the MOJ rules, a business cannot charge you before you have had an opportunity to read a hard copy of its rules.

Therefore the transaction was not authorised and I suggest you go to your bank and tell them it was an unauthorised transaction which you want reversed in accordance with FSA Rule BCOBS 5.1.11.


Then make a formal complaint against Client Connection Limited (Trading as Lifestyle Claims), Ryan George Stanton and George Stanton that they have fraudulently debited your account and refused to refund you and that you do not consider any of the fit and proper to carry out claims management activities.

The e-mail address is consumer@claims.gov.uk.

CC your MP on the e-mail.

[/FONT]

Johnny9

lifestylemoney.net

Yes, claims management is supposedly one of the things they do.
It was paid on a credit card. I did ring them up. Basically my wife paniced and apid off the amount to avoid intrest. The credit card company now say its our problem. Is this right?
They have absolutely obtained money by deception. I talked to the MOJ a number of times. Their phones are running hot all day with stories like this and this thing about 'confirming an account' is very common. Companies are supposed to say that it can be done without the need of a claims management business too.
Magpie, what will the formal complaint achieve? I fully intend to get my money back. Should I be prepared to take them to small claims? Or can I go for something more... as I wish to do if there is a case?

magpiecottage

Johnny9 wrote: »

Basically my wife paniced and apid off the amount to avoid intrest. The credit card company now say its our problem. Is this right?

No - tell the credit card company it is an unauthorised debit and you want the matter corrected or referred to their complaints procedure

Magpie, what will the formal complaint achieve? I fully intend to get my money back. Should I be prepared to take them to small claims?

That would almost certainly mean going to Court in Swansea.

Things to do.

Firstly, pursue the credit card company because the debit is fraudulent.

The go here and report it as fraud.

Then send the following e-mail to Client Connection Limited with a copy to consumer@claimsregulation.gov.uk , to trading.standards@swansea.gov.uk and to your MP:


FORMAL COMPLAINT OF MISCONDUCT AND FRAUD AGAINST CLIENT CONNECTION LIMITED
FORMAL COMPLAINT OF FRAUD AGAINST RYAN GEORGE STANTON, DIRECTOR, CLIENT CONNECTION LIMITED
FORMAL COMPLAINT OF FRAUD AGAINST GEORGE STANTON, DIRECTOR OF CLIENT CONNECTION LIMITED
FORMAL COMPLAINT OF FRAUD AGAINST THE PERSON CALLING THEMSELF [NAME]

On or about [date] I received a call from [name] who persuaded me that I was entitled to redress in respect of Payment Protection Insurance and asked for the number of my Credit Card.

Shortly afterwards, I found that, without my permission, Client Connection Limited had taken the sum of £[amount] from my credit card without first providing me with written details of the proposed contract, as required by your regulator, the Ministry of Justice.

I accuse Client Connection Limited of deliberately and fraudulently of obtaining my credit card details in order to make an unauthorised debit on my account. I therefore do not consider that it is a fit and proper person to conduct claims management activities or any other form of Business.

I accuse GEORGE STANTON of knowingly allowing this fraud to occur and that therefore consider that he is not a fit and proper person to act as a director of a claims management or any other form of business.

I accuse RYAN GEORGE STANTON of knowingly allowing this fraud to occur and that therefore consider that he is not a fit and proper person to act as a director of a claims management or any other form of business.

I accuse ********* of deliberate fraud by claiming not to know why my money had been taken without my permission.

I DEMAND that my money is returned to me WITH INTEREST AND WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.

A copy of this e-mail is being sent to your regulator, the Ministry of Justice and to Swansea Trading Standards.

Johnny9

I'm on the case magpie... you are now my new favorite person
:beer:
What action (if any) can I expect from the MOJ? Are they just there to advise or have they got power to stop a business from operating?

Johnny9

Just to update.
I have spoken to action fraud and they have said to get the credit card company on the case. If they do not (which I am told they should) then I will be able to register the complaint with action fraud (it's the police) as a crime.
On to give the credit card company another pop.

Johnny9

I'm now a little confused magpie.
Lifestyle Claims is the trading name for Client Connection Ltd.
Directors (from companycheck.co.uk): Mr Ryan George Stanton and Mr George Stanton.
Lifestyle Money is the trading name for All Debt Solutions Ltd.
Directors (from companycheck.co.uk): Mr Gareth John Meloni and Mr. David Lyndon Morgan.
Both websites look the same, just with the obvious name change. What's going on? The lifestyle money website has been developed more. Maybe they've had a lot of bad press and are moving? BTW for those wanting to look, they are both .net web addresses.

magpiecottage

Sorry - my mistake - go for Meloni and Lyndon, then.

Trades from the same address, though - this is clearly an organised racket.

None of my clients has been on the receiving end so I cannot report it because it would only be hearsay from me.

Johnny9

I have looked at the credit card statement again.

The two transactions on the statement were actioned by Lifestyle Claims.

I just want to confirm what happened during the cold call conversation my wife had. She first talked to a girl who asked her standard questions about various accounts. Once she had established that there may be a claim my wife was then passed on to a fellow called Craig Howells. It was Craig who claimed he was from Lifestyle Money and gave my wife the reference number CRM16588. This number seems associated with Lifestyle Claims - a trading name for Client Connection Ltd.

All the paperwork we then received was from Lifestyle Money (a trading name of All Debt Solutions Ltd) with the MOJ reference CRM20239.

I have checked the companies out and don't appear to be associated with each other having different company directors. Surprising, considering their web-sites look exactly the same.

I have my credit card company on the case now. My local MP's have been notified and I am going to submit statements to Swansea trading standards who are very interested in this story. I suggest that anybody else who has had a negative experience with Lifestyle Claims should do the same. My research suggests they're are many stories about this company. I am also going to circulate a letter to the media and any other organisation that might be interested. I couldn't be more furious that this British company is allowed to carry on conning people out of their hard earned cash.