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

baldy1952

Saw payment of £99.99 on my bank statement, checking with bank it seems to be this lot of crooks I ordered space bags in November - but it looks like they passed my details on (surely that's not legal?) My bank are disputing the payment, but if the company maintain I agreed it might mean I have to take them to court myself Called trading standards, but all they can do is log it. It seems I have to prove I didn't agree to pay. Would like to know what I'm supposed to be getting for my money

zagfles

baldy1952 wrote: »

Saw payment of £99.99 on my bank statement, checking with bank it seems to be this lot of crooks I ordered space bags in November - but it looks like they passed my details on (surely that's not legal?) My bank are disputing the payment, but if the company maintain I agreed it might mean I have to take them to court myself Called trading standards, but all they can do is log it. It seems I have to prove I didn't agree to pay. Would like to know what I'm supposed to be getting for my money

It's the retailer that needs to provide proof, not you. Just tell your bank you didn't authorise and demand a refund. I'm sure they're used to it by now with this lot.

hugerugbyfan

I wonder if you actually need to buy anything through SpaceBags or anywhere else to fall foul of this FreeTime scam? My mum & dad had the £99.99 transaction taken from their Barclaycard last month. They are both nearly 90 but have all their marbles and keep good records, they have no record or recollection of a transaction with SpaceBags. They buy very little over the Internet. So far I have not been able to trace any transaction that might have led to this. Barclaycard to their credit have agreed to put this payment in dispute and permanently stopped any future payment. They are investigating the current transaction but I suspect they will find that Free Time have a "genuine" authorisation from somewhere. They need taking to court to stop them using this default authorisation method.

hugerugbyfan

Good news as far as my mum & dad are concerned. Barclaycard telephoned today to tell them the original transaction has been rescinded and they got their £99.99 credited back to their account. So if it happens to you press on with your bank/credit card company and get your money back that way. It still annoys me that these people (and the names of the actual directors are posted elsewhere if you Google FreeTime scam) are still in business and operating quite openly. Can't be doing SpaceBags business any good if we spread this far and wide.

ktcampb

I don't understand why Barclays are letting these transactions through? Myself and my husband reported this to them over a year ago with a fraud crime number and they refunded us. I have just recieved a telephone call from the company wanting to talk to my husband I asked who it was and he wouldn't tell me, told me he would call back later, I told him he could but he would still get me as it's my number he has phoned he then went on to say 'oh I'm just phoning as your husband purchased some space saving bags from us a year ago' I was furious I told him 'your company stole nearly £100 from our bank and we reported you for fraud!! Don't you ever phone me again! Remove me from your mailing list!' he hung up. I'm anxious we are about to receive yet another brochure in the post and an attempt on our bank account. Be warned everyone you will be contacted by them again a year down the line

Shannadele

I have received a brochure today too and tried calling the premium rate number supplied but it says they have a high volume of calls. I don't want the hefty phone bill tbh. In the small print it says you can cancel by email, however no email address is supplied in the brochure. I'm so angry about this. I also bought the spacebags and can't believe they are allowed to advertise their business on tv when, from reading this forum, people have been getting ripped off by them for years. :mad:
If anyone has any tips on how to cancel this without having the huge cost of the phone bill please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

C_Mababejive

SteD wrote: »

I have also worked for this company, Freetime as with all the other names it has been called over the years may be registered in Spain but it is all run from the UK,
Pressplay Call Centre Ltd,
Benning Court,
Pottington Business Park,
Barnstaple, Devon,
EX31 1QN. The directors are British, Phillip Mason and Joanne Moores were resident in Manchester but often visit the Barnstaple call centre.
The Spanish address given out to callers is just a mailing house used by several companies.

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2009/05/clubbed-for-99-by-travel-steps.html

This is clear fraud.

Dealing with a company and making a purchase does not entitle that person to disclose your credit card details to a third party so that they can also take a charge for some spurious item.

It is for the card holder to authorise each and every purchase from each and every company.

Also as stated many times by zagflies..do not ring the company or anyone else. Simply tell your bank you did not authorise it and you believe it to be a fraudulent transaction.

Unfortunately, though many people dont realise it, credit cards can seeminlgy be charged willy nilly by anyone and everyone and no one seems to care save for the account holder who gets shafted.

If that fraudster has access to an account which allows CNP credit card inputs and they have your card info, they can charge what they like to it.

Layer upon layer of different companies and company directors...fertile ground for err..dodgy practices.

Mrs Moores has had 17 directorships..quite a career..

MOORES, JOANNE MRS
Appointed: 01/02/2011 Date of Birth: 20/12/1969
Nationality: BRITISH
No. of Appointments: 17
Address: c/o TOPPING PARTNERSHIP
INCOM HOUSE WATERSIDE
TRAFFORD PARK
MANCHESTER
ENGLAND
M17 1WD
Country/State of Residence: ENGLAND
3

non_expert

i received the offer from free time this morning and having no knowledge of signing up i decided to google the number 0844 441 2898 and found this forum with all the info i needed, the first thing i have done is to call my credit card company and inform them i know nothing about this company and have not joined any membership but it is possible they have my card details from spacebags with whom i made a purchase, if this is so i shall be looking at legal action as it will have broken the data protection act, i asked the agent to block any payment to 'Free Time' but told me he could not if i had not made a payment to them in the past but he has put a note on my account regarding my concern, he also told me to check my future statements and if there are any payments made to get back in touch with them straight away and they will sort it out.

i also believe it is now illegal to use any 084 numbers for customer services and complaints

PGB99

I cannot believe this is still happening.

I got a £99.99 debit on my credit card just last week.

We bought Space Bags in December for a house move. I immediately phoned my bank (Lloyds) who immediately stopped my CC, will send out a new card, promised an immediate refund, and started an investigation.

So, how did this 99.99 charge get on my card.

It was easy to Google "FREE TIME 0844 4412898" and find out that this was a long running scam (back to 2012, at least).

I have been in the IT industry for over 40 years, and am extreemly careful about online shopping. Space Bags is a (maybe?) reputable company, selling through a mainline UK TV channel, yet some totally independent (or so it seemed) company is able to get CC details, and take unsolicited money from accounts. BTW, to the best of my knowledge, there was no post to back up the suggestion that we had sign up to a "service" by default. Why is it possible for a lack of confirmation assumed to be acquiescence?

I emailed "Original Space Bags" the company who sell them, and "Buy Space Bags" the company who advertised on the TV, and sold us the Space Bags (BTW, the Bags are great). asking for their comment, as I suspected they might be unaware of the scam.

You can imaging my surprise when, within 24 hours, I got the following reply from Original Space Bags....
=====================
Dear xxxx


We, as a company, are hired by Free Time to retain all details of those contacted.

We would suggest that you speak with Free Time regarding the lack of contact you have received.

They can be contacted on 0871 224 2255 or you can write to them using this address:

Customer Services Department
Buzon 150, Calle Diamante 19
P.I La Ermita, 29603
Marbella
Malaga
Spain

We can confirm however that we have spoken to Free Time on your behalf and they have started the refund process and re-assured us that your details will be completely wiped from their systems.

We would also like to take this opportunity to apologise for the confusion here and also thank you for bringing this error to our attention.


Kind Regards xxxxx

Customer Care Team


=======================================

I don't understand, Original Space Bags are hired by Free Time? for what, to collect Credit Card information? They now sound complicit, or what!

I am awaiting to hear from Get Space Bag, the TV advertiser/re-seller.

Also, I am not holding my breath about the re-fund from Free Time.

So, what can be done? Seems like the law needs amending, If a mail was sent out, amongst all the other junk mail we all receive, how can a separate company "assume" that we have given consent to sign up to some service of other.

:money:Mr Money Saver, is this one for you, or Mr Littlewood, or Watchdog or someone!! I think I am savvey enough to catch this sort of thing, and I know how to protect myself and claim refunds. But there are more vunerable folks out there who probably don't even notice this is happening.

V Annoyed from Berkshire

PGB99

Well..... 4 days later and the 99 is back in my account! From Free Time, with an apology. So, no problem.