Your Own Store Complaint

NeverEnough

Thanks for that link goater, I've had a read through the whole thread and its only a single poster who has come up with this positive spin - interestingly, he is not posting on the YourOwnStore owners forum or the FaceBook forum, which is odd given the supposedly positive response. It may well be one of their stooges - they do NOT offer to take a store back as this poster states, after a few months giving a full refund - that is a dodgy claim, which makes me think its a fake account to provie some positive spin on the business.

Also very unlikely for a brand new affiliate site to be making £££££ in the first few months - poster claims £1000 in April, only bought the bare bones site in January, no SEO done on it, no optimising - and he admits to no experience - so its highly unlikely especially given the technical glitches which took all the sites offline for days on end, that a brand new site would be earning like that and others who had been working hard were making nothing or pennies.

Interesting.......but still doesn't solve the problem as to how to address the whole dodgy business and recoup the purchase price - would s75 claims be possible if over £100 was paid on a credit card for any of the sites?

transient

goater78 wrote: »

I like the reviews of people who have set up "successful" websites. This is my favourite

"With more than a sense of hesitation and concern at spending over £5k on my store, DevonCottageRental.co.uk, I decided to plunge in feet first.

What I received was a store that had already been set up and all I had to do was to add the meat to the bones. Yes its daunting but to anyone with some pc training its totally doable.
Let’s face it with investments today online you never know who you are dealing with as there are so many crooked schemes about. But what I found with YourOwnStore, is a dedicated team of staff who are there to help and guide you through all the steps.
The training modules are excellent and given time if you go through them all methodically your efforts will start to pay off. I realise my particular store is seasonal being a holiday niche at home which is dictated by the British weather, but having taken a month to get where I am now I have just had my first commission albeit £60.30, Im highly confident that by the 2013 season I will be making not only my investment back but to start to make a profit and an income.

Spot on goater. The devon website is owned by Bright Light Media Ltd and the Yourownstore is owned by er.......

transient

Further all the previous websites listed as sold are owned by Jason West, who is
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/ukjasonwest
If you bought the website it only takes 24 hours for the details to be updated, something not quite right, purporting that these sites are owned by others

wealdroam

NeverEnough wrote: »

...would s75 claims be possible if over £100 was paid on a credit card for any of the sites?

No.

As you probably know, 's75' refers to Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

As mentioned by Bris in post #2, you are not a consumer.

NeverEnough

I think loads of purchasers bought them as individuals, not businesses - although the aim was to develop them as a business. Seems a shame that rogues like this company can be endorsed by Franchise Direct and the like and appear perfectly legitimate by using these endorsements and just scam people of money they cannot affod to lose......I wonder what can be done other than playing them at their own game and posting loads of negative reviews out there for people to read?

Bris' take on things wasn't accurate by the way, OP wasn't just expecting to sit back and have money float in, 10-15 hours of work a week was expected. Also it wasn't "just a website" , it was a custom management system with a custom backend and all the necessary supposed "training" and software to get the required 250 visitors a day, and claims of the expected ridiculously impossible, it now transpires, earnings.

superman1979

thanks for your posts but no one has suggested any causes of action.
I am going to citizens advice tmrw and we are joining forces in the group with a solicitor. We can do anything else to get refunds for everyone? or close this corrupt business down?

antrobus

Misrepresentation would be the obvious cause for action.

Specifically that the OP had been induced into signing a contract on the basis of income projections that were nothing more than a figment of the imagination.

hcb42

I dont claim to be an expert, but I work for a branch for a major global brand, and our SEO program is only £4K a year, including PR articles, link building, etc

wimblewomble_2

I've seen a few affiliate portal type businesses around.

Doesn't a franchise operation have to run a pilot project beforehand, to show what are realistic incomes?
I always thought that franchises had to meet some legal requirements before being offered as franchises.

Unfortunately, I think the OP may have to prove they were missold or mislead.
If it was a business transaction, which I believe franchises are, the buyer has to conduct due diligence as to the effectiveness of the business, and satisfy themselves its viable. Business plans and all that stuff.

If they can prove the majority of YOS are non-runners, or that any positive comments are false, then they may have a case.
If the OP can get a group together, as he has via FB, then all well and good.

Good luck to the OP.

SHM100

Hi
I just wanted to add to this forum that my husband and i also purchased a website from YOS last year and we were also mislead by the quotes in terms of projected income. Needless to say we haven't made a penny! They quote that without paying for SEO services you can achieve 250 clicks a day by spending 10-15 hours a day but this is not the case. The information is very misleading. I cannot find the owners forum on FB could you please send me the link as we would like to join any group action. We will not be eligible for a refund because we didn't achieve 200 clicks that is what the money back offer says as I have reviewed it today but I'm sure that it was 250 clicks previously.

Finally, I don't appear to have received a contract from YOS - did anyone else receive one or was it just the standard terms and conditions?

Many thanks