not-so- greatcurtains

It_is_I,_LeClerc

Concerned_citizen wrote: »

My experience was the same as many others on here. Curtains ordered in Oct/Nov through Great Curtains but credit card charged by Econermine. When non delivery queried by my wife in January told Econermine had gone into liquidation a couple of days before. Advised to contact credit card company for reimbursement. Great Curtains willing to take fresh order honouring Econermine price. When I phoned "sales" number to ask for more details I was asked "Who are you then? The police? F....off!"

My credit card company have now re-credited my account with the full amount I paid so, subject to a waiting period of 60 days, I should lose no money.

I forwarded the link to this forum to the BBC's Rogue Traders but received no acknowledgement. I feel strongly that these directors should not get away with simply palming off their debts to the credit card companies. Has anyone made a formal complaint to Trading Standards, the police or the media? If so what was the outcome? What further action might we take.

I'm with you. I have given my details to Trading Standards in both Lincolnshire and E Sussex. I asked BBC Radio 4 You & Yours to look into it and got no acknowledgement.

I too have now had the money repaid into my credit card account, so I'm not out of pocket for more than it cost me to send demands to Coningsby and Uckfield for goods or refunds, plus sundry other postage as above.

But this is beyond a mere inconvenience and bears as much resemblance to a joke as a fishpond does to a pair of fluffy dice.

Will anyone make a complaint to the police? Will we, the ripped-off, take the rip-off artists where they need to be? (And, perhaps more importantly, will anyone official take any notice of us?)

veebeedeals

I think the best bet is Watchdog. Several years ago I called them about a dashboard fault with my car which they clearly had had a lot of emails/calls about and I got a call back from them wanting all the details. They then made a programme about it and the car company, which had previuosly denied there was a problem with the car model in question, agreed to refund repair bills so I got my money back.

It_is_I,_LeClerc

kirkby_iron wrote: »

Chard Wallis is not a legal practice and the Law Society have confirmed that neither Gordon Adrian Cook or Patrick Bruce Foster are solicitors.

My feeling is that they were 'struck-off' some time ago but the Law Society doesn't seem to want to tell me whether they were or not.

How very interesting. Their website (search "Chard Wallis") strongly suggests, without actually saying so, that they are a legal firm.

It's also cleverly set up so that you can't copy the text electronically nor even print it out in a legible way. What they didn't count on is someone like me being stroppy enough to transcribe it for themselves ...

(from chardwallis[dot]com)

Chard Wallis ("Fluent in legalese")

p. 1

BESPOKE LEGAL SERVICES
We provide legal and insolvency services to Companies and Individuals in the UK, Europe and the US. Our firm also receives instructions from UK Solicitors and Insolvency Practitioners on matters such as Debt Recovery and Asset Tracing.

You could easily infer from this that they are a law firm, if you didn't know the difference between a legal practice and a firm that only "does things" in relation to the legal system. Now you have me wondering ...

It_is_I,_LeClerc

Oh wow! I just discovered that you can "affiliate" to their website, and there's even (wait for it) a page where you can give them all your personal/company details and your PayPal account name so they can pay you when people click through from your site to theirs and they sell services to the ones that do ...

Now let me see, do I trust these people with info like that .......?????

I_like_rainbows

I've just been to the factory in Coningsby to order some curtains and I discover its empty. Now I've found this thread and I'm totally in shock. I've purchased in the past and found the staff to be brilliant.What a shame and good luck to the former staff. Hope everyone gets their money back, but has anyone had any luck with trading standard?

Super5py

Patrick Foster and Gordon Cook have done this to lots of people under different company guises. I was had by Lifestyle Covers Limited. They have taken a treasured family ercol chair and over £500 of my money.

My solicitor is writing to them, but I also spoke to Action Fraud. They felt it was a clear case of fraud and have referred to the police. They also suggest that the more people who report them to action fraud, the more likely they are to appear on cross-referencing, which gives the police a bigger case. So the more reports they get, the more chance there'll be of police action. Please don't keep it to yourselves people. It's time to get these crooks put away.

Their registered company is Chard Wallis.

Lady_with_info

This is a message for anyone who has placed an order with Lifestyle Covers Ltd, Great Curtains. Both companies are no longer trading, how every Companies House shows both companies as still been active.

I would advise any one who has paid either of these companies by credit card to contact their bank for a charge bank. This also applies to customers who have been waiting months for their refunds, as I can personnel say they will not refund you your money.

dazzer21

(This includes Lifestyle Covers as well). Basically speaking - you're screwed. Speaking from the supplier side, it has been heartbreaking to watch this company go from a beautifully run family concern (with an MD who was salt of the earth, a genuinely nice man who, until bad health stepped in, right to the very last cared passionately about his products, his staff and his customers - all equally) to a worn out, run down, skeletal shell of a concern taken over by a bunch of crooks. I know people who have lost out to the tune of tens of thousands against these guys! If you want your money back, you're pretty much wasting your time. These people know every single loophole in the book, and are well known in the fraternity as artists in the field of physical and mental menacing of those that cross them. I'm waiting for the news one day that these people get their come-uppance - I'm out of pocket in respect to services I supplied but didn't get paid for - but I suggest with a heavy heart that that day may never come!!!

kirkby_iron

Hi Dazzer,

Sorry to hear you been ripped off by Gordon Crook and Co.

You are not the only one, including all employees, who, as you say, respected Andrew as professional, and totally honest in his business dealings.

It is a while since we have worked together (on FFD brochure, 2011) but thanks for your input and all the best for the future.

dazzer21

It's official now - they've been liquidated.