SCAM! Free Time program through the post any one had this through?

T.J.C.

This scam is still active today by Spacebags.com or ahhbra both registered at:

Unit 7A Zone A,
Chelsmsford Road,
Great Dunmow,
Essex CM6 1HD

Along with Pressplay Ltd, [EMAIL="info@pressplay.co.uk"]info@pressplay.co.uk[/EMAIL]

using a spain address:

BUZON 150, Calle Diamante 19
P.l La Ermita, 29603
Marbella
Malaga
Spain
08712242255
08444412898

They removed £99.99p from my bank with out my knowledge or consent, my bank Nationwide have told me to go to Citizens Advice Bureau after recieving a letter from Free Time saying I gave them permission for a annual membership of what I still don't know, I called the number they gave which is Spain and a lady said the refund will be put in my bank within 7-10 days and as you can all probably guess No Refund. The company will not answer my E.mails or my letters which i have sent 4 of, so I E.mailed [EMAIL="supportuk@spacebag.com"]supportuk@spacebag.com[/EMAIL] and they have said they have contacted Free Time on my behalf and set my refund in motion, but I won't hold my breath.

What gets to me is that I've traced back complaints as far as 2010, type into google the phone number 0844 848 4448 or 0844 441 2898 and you can read all the complaints and this company are still getting away with this discusting despicable act. Surely they can freeze their Barclays business account and pay back what they have stolen from good hardworking law abiding citizens.

zagfles

T.J.C. wrote: »

They removed £99.99p from my bank with out my knowledge or consent, my bank Nationwide have told me to go to Citizens Advice Bureau after recieving a letter from Free Time saying I gave them permission for a annual membership of what I still don't know,

You need to go back to Nationwide and ask them what proof they have that you authorised the transaction. A letter from the retailer merely stating that you authorised is not proof. You should not be chasing the retailer.

Tell Nationwide you did not authorise the transaction and you want a refund, and if you don't get it you'll be going to financial ombudsman. Then they'll have to show what proof they have, preumably none if you didn't authorise.

Banks often attempt the fob-off in this sort of situation, as a lot of the time customers do forget what they've authorised, or some have just changed their minds. So let them know you're serious, you did not authorise and you demand your money back.

ANON46

hollydays wrote: »

IF this is true.. You are not allowed to monitor staff without sticking to very strict regulations-report him
And IF this is true, you could provide a lot more info about him..

EVERYTHING I have written is true but have to be careful as these sites are monitored by my bosses and we have all been warned not to be on here and talk about the business

ANON46

hollydays wrote: »

IF this is true.. You are not allowed to monitor staff without sticking to very strict regulations-report him
And IF this is true, you could provide a lot more info about him..

Privately message me if you want information

claire16c

kazire wrote: »

MIL has been caught out by these people bought the space bags and only realised about being stung for £99 when she checked back account - no brochure received - she does recollect a telephone call about being happy with bags but never said she was happy for details to be passed on. Complained to the bank and they refunded her the money as she stated she had not authorised this payment but then 7 days later bank sent letter stating they believed she had authorised the transaction and enclosing a letter that showed her card details but with some info missing ie her name card expiry date free time had sent to the bank - they will be collecting the money in a couple of days as they beleive that it isnt fraud.

So my MIL and FIL have apparently agreed to pay 99 for a brochure about timeshares when they are disabled and unable to go on holiday theyve never even had a passport
These people are complete rip off merchants and hope they get some cumupance soon

Print off this thread and take it into the bank.

Hendrefoelan

Yes, I've just had £99.99 taken from my credit card. I had bought storage bags and received a phone call. They offered me a catalogue which I said I did not want but in the end to get rid of them I agreed to the catalogue. I do not recall it ever arriving. I certainly never agreed to anything to do with a 'club'.

I phoned my credit card company and they have suspended the payment. They seemed to know about this activity. They advised me to contact Free Time.

I did so, they answered quickly and have said if I did not want to be a member of the 'club' they will cancel the charge. They mentioned 7 to 10 working days. I will monitor my account.

I told the operative that I saw the activity as unethical and not how one expected companies to behave in 2013.

I can not believe nothing has been to prevent this. When I have received the refund I will take the matter further.

scorpiolady

I ordered some space bags 2 weeks ago , i hav'nt received them yet and the money is about to leave my bank account, so after reading this i rang the bank and explained what has been happening and the woman said until it happens they can't do anything , so i'll sit and wait.:(

Btw
How long does the bags usually take to arrive ?

Moto2

It's the follow up phone call you need to be wary of
Simply don't speak to them when they call

sarah6573

I to have been scammed by freetime.

I purchase spacebags from the original space bag company and they seemingly have sold on all of my details, including my confidential bank details. £99.99 went out of my bank in 24th October so i rang the bank and they have told me it is Freetime, a holiday company and I said I have never heard of them and advised that I am on benefits due to having a seriously sick child so would have never signed up to such a scheme, especially knowing that i cannot go abroad because of my sick child. They gave me a the phone number of 0844 4412898 for Freetime and I spoke to them, they advised that the refund would take 10 days - I rang the company back again today and they said no such refund has been authorised let alone been requested so they said I would have to wait yet another 10 days for the refund to go through, when I advised my financial situation they said the best I could so to speed up the refund is to write to customer services!!!
I have advised that I will be ringing on a daily basis until the money is refunded!!!

I have also spoken to the fraud department at my bank and advised that I have never spoken to freetime and it is only since reading all the posts on this website that I have made the connection and realised the fraud and they have refunded the money and raised a dispute with Freetime, however if freetime insist that I have spoken to them and authorised the transaction the money will be taken back off me - so be warned you need to argue your case every time.

I have also spoken with the original space bag company and they say they are not aware of the scam that Freetime are doing and say they did not realised that confidential data had been "SOLD" I have sent an email to info@originalspacebag.co.uk outlining all of the information regarding freetime and how much upset it has caused my family, I strongly urge everyone who has had an issue with Freetime and the original space bag company to email space bags urgently and maybe then they will do something about selling confidential data on in future to prevent anyone else being scammed. I will post an update when I hear back from space bags and get my refund....

zagfles

sarah6573 wrote: »

I have also spoken to the fraud department at my bank and advised that I have never spoken to freetime and it is only since reading all the posts on this website that I have made the connection and realised the fraud and they have refunded the money and raised a dispute with Freetime, however if freetime insist that I have spoken to them and authorised the transaction the money will be taken back off me - so be warned you need to argue your case every time.

No - freetime would need to supply evidence that you authorised the transaction. They can't just "insist".

Don't let your bank give you the runaround. Simply insist that you didn't authorise the transaction, they must then refund you and it's up to them (ie the bank/retailer) to prove you authorised the transaction before they can re-charge you.