Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

[TUTTSI]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

Perhaps it is time for a reminder ZED ...

Yes TUTTSI, the ASA adjudication is here: http://asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudicati...DJ_202609.aspx

This was last November, and as a result DS Marketing 'tweeked' their advert very slightly ... they removed the Union Jack flag!!! But unfortunately they simply ignored the other instructions from the ASA.

[ZED]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

Perhaps it is time for a reminder ZED ...

That's been done too!

[scubakay]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

These guys are really excelling themselves.

Check out their latest. We now have Marcy as opposed to Kristen (see earlier spot the difference between Mary/Kristen post)

Kristen's story:
http://weeklynewslive.com/uk/skin-182/?t202kw=uk-1-1

Marcy's story:
http://dailyskinadvice.com/consumer-...f-her-look.php

Interestingly, the facial pictures are very different, but the side profile pictures are identical to Kristen.

At the bottom of Marcy's story, there is the following:


It is important to note that this site and the comments/answers depicted above is to be used as an illustrative example of what some individuals have achieved with this/these products. This website, and any page on the website, is based loosely off a true story, but has been modified in multiple ways including, but not limited to: the story, the photos, and the comments. Thus, this page, and any page on this website, are not to be taken literally or as a non-fiction story.

In other words, 'this page is a work of pure fabrication.'

And of course this disclaimer makes it all alright then!!!

As an update, I have been back to my bank. They were adamant that terms and conditions prevailed, so I asked the guy what legal training he had, and how he could opine on a contract without full details of all of the inducements to enter into the contract, which were also part of the terms and conditions. His very bad English escaped him except for the phrase 'you will need to send in evidence.'

I am currently collating all the info I have found, and am seriously considering sending in to Rip-off Britain. Apparantly they are wanting items for their next series.

I have though received various emails, from Tessy, Petoya and Stephen all claiming to be 'Customer Satisfaction Specialists', but not one of them giving this 'customer' any satisfaction.

[ZED]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

I've had a look at the "customer's comments" on the bottom of those two "stories" scubakay ... curiously, the "customers" have identical names and they leave identical comments - but on different dates! For example, Chelsey spouts nonsense following "Marcy's Story" on the 3rd March ... and then she spouts exactly the same nonsense following "Kristen's story" on the 23rd March. Likewise, Tiffany prattles like an idiot after "Marcy's Story" on the 5th May ... and then repeats herself word-for-word after "Kirsten's Story" on the 24th March. There are dozens of these ridiculous duplicated 'comments' (aka 'lies')!

[ZED]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

From the C.A.B's website:
(My underlining)

"Trading Standards doesn’t have to prosecute a trader even when it's clear that a criminal offence has been committed and the trader is likely to be convicted. They can choose to take no action or to give the trader a warning."

How disappointing is that?

From http://www.createtsandcs.com/crackdo...ms-conditions/
This was published in Februsry 2011:
"Currently around 70 per cent of enforcement cases handled by the OFT relate to terms and conditions with at least a fifth of consumers claiming to have had a problem with the small print in contracts over the last 12 months.
Research carried out by the OFT found many contracts contained small print terms that altered the deal consumers believed it to be, or had made it difficult to understand by hiding unfair terms in plain view. At least 80 per cent of cases investigated found people who had experienced a problem said that they had been caught out by a surprise."

[bertie30]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

I'm afraid I'm another one. I fell for it tonight. I contacted them by email very quickly cancelling the order and contacted my bank with the details of the company and asked that no further payments were made. I also cancelled the card and will speak to the disputes team to cancel the continuous payment authority tomorrow. I was under the impression that a cooling-off period was allowed in this sort of transaction and surely emailing them at least three times, in increasingly strong terms, within 20 mins to an hour of the transaction was quick enough. I don't think these people play by those sort of laws but surely they must have to if they operate within the UK. .

I have also checked the no automatic resends box but seems they ignore that too.

Is there anything else I should do? I think I'll also contact my MP who is very crusading about this sort of thing.

[bertie30]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

From the C.A.B's website:
(My underlining)

"Trading Standards doesn’t have to prosecute a trader even when it's clear that a criminal offence has been committed and the trader is likely to be convicted. They can choose to take no action or to give the trader a warning."

How disappointing is that?

From http://www.createtsandcs.com/crackdo...ms-conditions/
This was published in Februsry 2011:
"Currently around 70 per cent of enforcement cases handled by the OFT relate to terms and conditions with at least a fifth of consumers claiming to have had a problem with the small print in contracts over the last 12 months.
Research carried out by the OFT found many contracts contained small print terms that altered the deal consumers believed it to be, or had made it difficult to understand by hiding unfair terms in plain view. At least 80 per cent of cases investigated found people who had experienced a problem said that they had been caught out by a surprise."

We need to get together an pressurise Warwickshire Trading Standards then.

[fairy dust 49]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

Just read through your thread and like to say my friend has got the same problem with E-cigs ,my friend has decided to give up smoking and so we went on web site to find where he could get an electronic cigarette which are normally very costly i.e £30 or more.
On searching for a better deal we found a company that was doing free trials and all you pay is post and packing £6.99 so he sent away for the cigarette which arrived with in 4 working days ,great he thought until he opened the package to read the instructions and came across a leaflet stating that now he has got the product he will be billed with in 15 days for £70 and there after £59.99 each calender month.

Straight away he went to his bank explained the situation and asked them to cancel his debit card ,he was informed that he willingly gave his bank details with out checking the there small print on the web site ,but to his amazement the bank did advise my friend to report his card as lost or stolen and that way it would be legally cancelled .He is returning the product , which we have now also found out are not safe as they can explode in your face .

His bank card is now cancelled he has got his replacement card and we have learnt a good lesson as not to buy when it is a free trial as it is only a free trial for these companies to scam people by dipping into there bank accounts .

[CleverClogs]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

The advice given by the bank was - predictably - quite utterly wrong.

All he needed to do was to revoke the Continuous Payment Authority - link

[CleverClogs]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

We need to get together an pressurise Warwickshire Trading Standards then.

We should organise to send the Dead Sea Slap scamsters a ton or two of English mud.

Preferably postage due... msl:

[scubakay]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

Zed and others - what you will notice about the customer comments as well is that the date automatically changes every day - I have screen prints of Mia's identical comments with four different dates.

[ZED]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

The advice given by the bank was - predictably - quite utterly wrong.

All he needed to do was to revoke the Continuous Payment Authority - link

Excellent link CleverClogs ... many thanks for posting. In his article, Rupert Jones (The Guardian reporter) even describes our very own scammers (but without mentioning their name, unfortunately) quote: "Money last week told how thousands of women appear to have been taken in by a "free" face cream trial that has locked them into £60-£70 monthly recurring payments applied to their credit or debit card ... "

[ZED]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

More media reports ...

This Guardian article is from as far back as Friday 25 November 2011

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011...rs?INTCMP=SRCH

And another one from 17 Feb 2012 (these are USA-based scammers ... but the details of the scam are identical to the one being operated from Rugby).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012...ms?INTCMP=SRCH

[bertie30]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

I've made it clear to my bank that I don't authorise any more payments and the terms of the transaction were not clear. Also that I have written to deadseaset on a number of occasions to state I cancel the deal and specifically forbid any further payments being taken. The bank even admitted that the company were known to them, so it's all clear and on record in case they start taking money and I have to fight this.

I told the bank immediately I realised this was a scam, about 30 mins after the transaction and I've had several discussions by email and phone with them since. I've also told them I expect them to work positively with me over this and that it's not necessary to close my business with them. This sort of scam is so widespread that there must be protections against it.

No money apart from £3.95 has gone out yet....but I'm on tenterhooks waiting....

[bertie30]

Re: Duped by Deadseakit.com*LONDON

Also, if my bank refuses to work positively with me on this (and it's santander, so they might not), I'll obviously close all accounts with them and move banks.

So which are the most helpful banks when it comes to stuff like this? On this thread I've seen Halifax and the Nat West mentioned positively. Any other reports of banks being helpful?