There was a time when you went a football match and paid a fiver as you went through the turnstile and maybe splashed out on a pie and a Bovril once in the ground.
Tickets for a Liverpool, Manchester City or Arsenal game are between £50 and £80 but if you choose a hospitality package you could spend up to £500 or more meaning it’s cheaper to go to the Royal Opera House in London and watch Tosca performed – knowing what the ending will be.
Buying your ticket from the football club is the safest way to buy – although you may find your chosen deal is sold out months in advance – and nobody seriously expects the likes of Spurs or Manchester United to go bust. However there are umpteen ticket sites run by unofficial companies who offer often cheaper deals from the official club prices. And that’s where problems arise.
Take for instance JM who lives in Germany and paid £890 to Seatsbay.com for three tickets to watch Liverpool play Arsenal in the Premier League this season. The match got postponed and the match was rearranged – but for a date JM couldn’t make. So, JM asked for a refund but was only offered 60% of the price leaving JM £356 out of pocket.
Writing in reply to the consumer in The Guardian, Anna Timms advised: “The law is unambiguous when an event is cancelled. The customer should get a refund. Rescheduling is one of those notorious grey areas. The now defunct Office of Fair Trading ordered football clubs to refund fans in full if they could not attend a rescheduled match. However, those who buy from unofficial resellers have fewer protections.
“Seatsbay says its refund policy is in its terms and conditions. “Refunds will not be issued if the date changes, as we spent time and money getting the tickets,” it says. “This is not something we try to hide, or that is written in small print.” In fact, the relevant clause is a line of small print half-way down the voluminous terms and conditions.
“According to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), refund rights depend on the seller’s terms and conditions, but those which exclude a refund in any circumstances are likely to be unfair and unenforceable, while any deductions should be reasonable.”
Many unofficial ticket sellers have extremely unhealthy finances and may well have a chequered history with the authorities. A Checkaco check will spot if they have CCJs against their name or have other tell tale signs they may not be reliable.
Checkaco was created for consumers so that they can quickly access very detailed information about a company. Using our secure search, you can view any company anonymously in seconds
Full peace of mind for £6.50 per company checked when you buy three reports for £19.50.
Quickly view a company’s CCJ’s, legal ownership, credit history, credit score and more.
Or buy in bulk: 10 reports for £37.50 (£3.75 each); 25 reports for £88.75 (£3.55 each); or 100 reports for £335 (£3.35 each)
Get the low down on any firm at https://checkaco.com/
For details about Checkaco email info@checkaco.com or visit the website https://checkaco.com/
Checkaco, The Exchange, Express Park, Bristol Road, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RR UK
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Roofers sent to prison after ripping off elderly and vulnerable victims in and around Bristol
Brothers Michael Coffey, 29, and Richard Coffey, 25, both of Northwood Park, Old Gloucester Road, Winterbourne, in South Gloucestershire, have been jailed for ripping off elderly and vulnerable residents in Bristol for shoddy roof repairs.
They quoted low prices but once work began hiked the costs and demanded more cash netting £44,600 from their victims.
The duo received prison sentences of two years and two months and 18 months respectively, they are banned from being company directors and in July a hearing will decide whether to claim the cash off them under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Checkaco was created for consumers so that they can quickly access very detailed information about a company. Using our secure search, you can view any company anonymously in seconds
Full peace of mind for £6.50 per company checked when you buy three reports for £19.50.
Quickly view a company’s CCJ’s, legal ownership, credit history, credit score and more.
Or buy in bulk: 10 reports for £37.50 (£3.75 each); 25 reports for £88.75 (£3.55 each); or 100 reports for £335 (£3.35 each)
Get the low down on any firm at https://checkaco.com/
For details about Checkaco email info@checkaco.com or visit the website https://checkaco.com/
Checkaco, The Exchange, Express Park, Bristol Road, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RR UK
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BBC 1 documentary shut down before it could be screened
Hanad Hasan claims he made £5.9 million pounds after investing £37 a year ago in cryptocurrencies last year. There’s an old saying: ‘if it sounds too good to be true then it’s probably not true.’
The BBC’s Cryptocurrencies are big business documentary scheduled for the BBC 1 We Are England slot on Wednesday, 9th February, focused on the story of a 20-year-old Birmingham man said to have turned $50 into $8m in 12 months. It was of course total nonsense, but the film makers fell for the the story just like so many members of the public who all want to be rich – ideally quickly.
The Guardian newspaper questioned the film makers when they pointed out that Hassan’s cryptocurrency outfit Orfano, was abruptly shut down last October leaving investors high and dry.
The newspaper reported: “The BBC swiftly said it had withdrawn the show but did not make any further comment on its editorial checks. An accompanying online article, which had featured prominently on the BBC News homepage, was also deleted without explanation shortly after the Guardian raised questions. Hassan has also been approached for comment.”
This failure is excruciatingly embarrassing for the national broadcaster since their journalists usually work to the highest standards. What it shows is the power of the conman selling dreams of riches via cryptocurrencies to the public – dreams that are just that.
Checkaco exists to burst the bubble of firms who pretend they can offer incredible value, low cost and guarantee returns above anything offered in reality.
Checkaco was created for consumers so that they can quickly access very detailed information about a company. Using our secure search, you can view any company anonymously in seconds
Full peace of mind for £6.50 per company checked when you buy three reports for £19.50.
Quickly view a company’s CCJ’s, legal ownership, credit history, credit score and more.
Or buy in bulk: 10 reports for £37.50 (£3.75 each); 25 reports for £88.75 (£3.55 each); or 100 reports for £335 (£3.35 each)
Get the low down on any firm at https://checkaco.com/
For details about Checkaco email info@checkaco.com or visit the website https://checkaco.com/
Checkaco, The Exchange, Express Park, Bristol Road, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RR UK
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Buying a flat through an affordable housing scheme should be a fairly straightforward transaction as you expect the administrators will have done all the necessary surveys and scrutiny of safety and paperwork. Not so as Haley Tillotson found out when she bought a flat in Leeds as reported by Sam Barket in the Mirror.
They reported: “Hayley Tillotson, 29, bought her ‘dream flat’ in Leeds through the Help to Buy Scheme aged 27. But six months after moving into the property she found it was clad with flammable material. Ms Tillotson could not afford the fire safety costs, and in 2020 she gave up the property. Hayley said: ‘Michael Gove’s new announcement only applies to cladding – not the interim measures which bankrupted me.’ She added residents have faced huge bills for other fire safety measures.”
The Government has introduced some financial help for leaseholders of flats in high rise flats who are left with hefty bills to remove unsafe cladding – identified following the horrific fire at Grenfell Tower in London in 2017 when 72 people died. However the plans have been criticised for have a number of loopholes including the height of a property is in a block.
The Daily Mirror said: “The Housing Secretary axed £50-a-month loans for people in “medium-rise” blocks to pay for fixing cladding. Instead, people in buildings 11-18 metres high will not pay a penny for addressing cladding issues after Grenfell. But that’s not strictly true. People are still having to pay for waking watches; non-cladding issues aren’t covered by the scheme; and people who’ve already doled out cash won’t get it back.”
Buying a property can be an expensive exercise which is why it is well worth doing a credit check on company if you are buying from a builder or a building firm or through any scheme run by a company. Last year hundreds of house builders went bust – owing customers (house buyers) and their suppliers millions of pounds – and in many cases builders went bust when they discovered the could be liable for compensation over flooding, lethal cladding or other major issues with the property.
Checkaco was created for consumers so that they can quickly access very detailed information about a company. Using our secure search, you can view any company anonymously in seconds
Full peace of mind for £6.50 per company checked when you buy three reports for £19.50.
Quickly view a company’s CCJ’s, legal ownership, credit history, credit score and more.
Or buy in bulk: 10 reports for £37.50 (£3.75 each); 25 reports for £88.75 (£3.55 each); or 100 reports for £335 (£3.35 each)
Get the low down on any firm at https://checkaco.com/
For details about Checkaco email info@checkaco.com or visit the website https://checkaco.com/
Checkaco, The Exchange, Express Park, Bristol Road, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RR UK
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Dirty rotten fraudster: outrage as Netflix exposes The Tinder Swindler leaving his victims millions out of pocket – and the Israeli con man is still free and flaunting his stolen wealth
Viewers of the current Netflix series The Tinder Swindler have been shocked by the way con man Shimon Heyada Hayut has relieved a string of women of their savings. Worse still the victims have taken out loans to gift the Israeli citizen so he can continue living a life of luxury – at their expense.
Known by various names including Simon Leviev the handsome criminal has created elaborate ruses to fool women into falling in love with him and to then help him out when his credit lines are stopped. Claiming his credit card has been rejected – despite being the son of a billionaire and heir to a diamond business – having gained the trust of the gullible women – he persuades them to temporarily loan him cash.
As Netflix screened the shocking details and tragic females duped by Shimon there was a backlash on social media as women viewers vented their anger on behalf of the victims. The normally flamboyant show-off reacted by suddenly taking a low profile and deleting his Instagram site. Normally he poses by private jets, in expensive restaurants or by flashy cars – but fearing for his safety Shimon has shown he is fearful of the army of angry viewers.
He has already shown his true self when one of his victims turned the tables on him by tricking him into giving her a temporary loan. Shimon pretended it had ruined him and he was living on the streets as he cried down the line to his female tormentor.
Incredibly the law has not taken a hard line on him despite fraudulently extracting more than £7 million from a number of women. He has been was arrested and charged with fraud, theft, and forgery and was sentenced to five months in prison in 2020 in Finland. Back in Israel Shimon’s notoriety may be his weakness as he is now internationally recognisable.
How did he do it? Shimon would shower the women he met on the Tinder dating app with expensive trips and fabulous gifts, using the money he had taken from his other victims. After a coffee and a chat he would take his victim off on a private jet to a five star hotel abroad – giving the impression he really was incredibly rich. Hooked – the women refused to believe anything else other than he was rich playboy who would give them a life of luxury. That is until he had fooled them into letting him use their credit cards.
If you think you have been a victim of a romance scam, do not feel ashamed or embarrassed – you are not alone. Contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk. If you are in Scotland, please report to Police Scotland directly by calling 101.
For details about Checkaco email info@checkaco.com or visit the website https://checkaco.com/
Checkaco, The Exchange, Express Park, Bristol Road, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RR UK
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Australian mining billionaire takes Facebook to court over criminal use of his image to endorse scam investments
For years Facebook has been accused by high profile celebrities and financial influencers for failing to take down fake adverts using their name and images to endorse scam investments.
Now the Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest has decided to launch a criminal case against Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook for failing to delete fake adverts using his name and image. The BBC said Andrew Forrest argues Facebook breached Australian anti-money laundering laws over the spread of cryptocurrency cons.
Anyone from Harry and Meghan to Money Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis have been portrayed by scammers as testimonials advocating the public invest in schemes which turn out to be non-existent. The adverts are often designed to look like they are a news story on the BBC website, the Daily Mail and other well known media sites and as a result appear to be genuine to the untrained eye.
Few people in the world have the financial clout to take on Facebook but Mr Forrest feels he has a good case which could set a precedent if successful. Australia was the first country in the world to force Facebook to pay newspapers and news sites for using their news stories on Facebook.
So far Meta who own Facebook have not commented on the case although they say they take down scammers when they are notified of their existence. Mr Forrest said he is taking legal action not just for the rich and famous but for all Australians who fall foul of the scammers.
Checkaco was created for consumers so that they can quickly access very detailed information about a company. Using our secure search, you can view any company anonymously in seconds
Full peace of mind for £6.50 per company checked when you buy three reports for £19.50.
Quickly view a company’s CCJ’s, legal ownership, credit history, credit score and more.
Or buy in bulk: 10 reports for £37.50 (£3.75 each); 25 reports for £88.75 (£3.55 each); or 100 reports for £335 (£3.35 each)
Get the low down on any firm at https://checkaco.com/
For details about Checkaco email info@checkaco.com or visit the website https://checkaco.com/
Checkaco, The Exchange, Express Park, Bristol Road, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RR UK
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Beware being contacted by your bank as they could be scammers as happened in the case of the Kleinwort Hambros
Paul Lewis of the BBC Radio 4’s Money Box programme has revealed that members of the general public have been duped out of an astonishing £3.9m. The banking scam used the name of the Kleinwort Hambros to dupe customers into moving money from their real account into fake ones where the criminals could help themselves.
Chris Flynn of the Money Box programme said: “Criminals pretended to be from the legitimate private bank Kleinwort Hambros, convincing victims to transfer money to them using branded documents and names of real employees at the bank.”
Shockingly they reported 69 victims had lost £3.9m between them with one victim called Janet being conned out of £25,000 which incredibly the police won’t even investigate.
The programme on BBC Radio 4 reported that Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, Matt Parr as saying: “These people shouldn’t be discounted. These are high-harm crimes. And it’s impossible to imagine, from my perspective, how those people are feeling with that kind of service.”
Checkaco understands that the police make a decision on whether to investigate based on what evidence there is and the likelihood of being able to charge someone. Victims should always report fraud to the police unit run by the City of London force at Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, run by the City of London Police who make the final decision about whether to investigate.
Mat Parr was clearly not impressed by the decision not to investigate any of the 69 case known to police – with the largest one being £465,000.
Checkaco was created for consumers so that they can quickly access very detailed information about a company. Using our secure search, you can view any company anonymously in seconds
Full peace of mind for £6.50 per company checked when you buy three reports for £19.50.
Quickly view a company’s CCJ’s, legal ownership, credit history, credit score and more.
Or buy in bulk: 10 reports for £37.50 (£3.75 each); 25 reports for £88.75 (£3.55 each); or 100 reports for £335 (£3.35 each)
Get the low down on any firm at https://checkaco.com/
For details about Checkaco email info@checkaco.com or visit the website https://checkaco.com/
Checkaco, The Exchange, Express Park, Bristol Road, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RR UK
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Checkaco News: beware of pubs and restaurants going bust this winter taking your deposits with them; get rich quick schemes – a warning from Albania; cryptocurrency fraud takes millions from the general public
If you’re considering booking a restaurant or gastro pub for a belated festive meal for your work colleagues, then beware. Due to the Government’s warnings about the Omicron variant of Covid-19 the hospitality industry has had a poor Christmas with thousands of bookings cancelled putting many on the brink of insolvency.
Before parting with a hefty deposit for a meal check out the business with Checkaco to check the company isn’t about to go bust – taking with it your deposit.
Patrick Dardis should know as he’s the head of Young’s – the pub and restaurant chain. He said there would be a surge in collapses due to the sector’s lack of earnings during the Christmas period. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he said: “Unfortunately, with the latest fear campaign that’s being run, it’s damaging so many businesses that could have possibly survived, and as a consequence, thousands and thousands of businesses will now collapse in January.
“There are a lot of individual owner-operators who’ve been running their businesses for years and have thrown the kitchen sink – people have lost their marriages, they’re losing their livelihoods, and this is the last straw. This is the bit that they were desperately clinging on to and it’s been taken away from them without any support from government.”
Before you pay a pub or restaurant this year remember they may be about to go bust – meaning you’ll not only lose your and your colleagues’ cash – but you won’t get that meal either. So if in doubt always do a Checkaco.
Checkaco was created for consumers so that they can quickly access very detailed information about a company. Using our secure search, you can view any company anonymously in seconds
Full peace of mind for £6.50 per company checked when you buy three reports for £19.50.
Quickly view a company’s CCJ’s, legal ownership, credit history, credit score and more.
Or buy in bulk: 10 reports for £37.50 (£3.75 each); 25 reports for £88.75 (£3.55 each); or 100 reports for £335 (£3.35 each)
Get the low down on any firm at https://checkaco.com/
Have you been affected by this? Leave a comment at https://checkaco.com/blog/
A warning from recent European history: the day Albania ran out of cash due to pyramid schemes
You may have read this month about Elizabeth Holmes in America who has just been sentenced to serve time in prison for fraud. Essentially, she created an elaborate and contemporary Ponzi Scheme – a phoney investment that promised huge returns – for a machine that can detect all forms of disease from a few drops of blood. She demonstrated what appeared to be a legitimate device and soon had investors pouring in their savings making her a billionaire – except the machine didn’t work. It was a con.
Back in the 1990s the former Iron Curtain Communist state of Albania was experimenting with the free market following the end of anti-revisionist Marxism–Leninism policies. Several get rich quick schemes were set up fronting themselves as legitimate investors buying land, buildings and businesses by con men – but they were fraudulent, and their controllers took the money and invested it in themselves.
The amount of cash lost when 25 of the most prominent investment schemes collapsed ran into the billions with banks running out of cash and inflation reaching three figures. The upshot of the scandal in 1997 saw the country descend into anarchy and civil war. Banks and shops were looted and the nation’s gold reserves were stolen as fighting broke out across the country – and it took an international UN backed armed intervention led by Italy to bring stability back to the country. And it had all started over Ponzi Schemes – if only they had Checkaco in Albania at the time!
Crypto currency fraud is on the rise and it’s mainly the young who lose out to the tune of £20,000 a time
Action Fraud – the UK’s police unit dedicated to catching fraudsters – said that last year around £150 million was stolen by criminals from the general public. The crime fighting organisation said: “Since the start of 2021, Action Fraud has received 7,118 reports of cryptocurrency fraud, with an average loss per victim of just over £20,500. 18 to 25 year olds accounted for the highest percentage of reports (11 per cent) and over half (52 per cent) of victims were aged 18 to 45 years old.”
They said a common tactic was to put fake of celebrity endorsements online. A link to the article takes the potential victims to an investment site where they are encouraged to invest in crypto currencies with promises of huge returns. Most firms selling investments in cryptoassets are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authorotiy (FCA) which means you have no protection when things go wrong. So always check the FCA Register to make sure you’re dealing with an authorised firm and check the FCA Warning List of firms to avoid.
If you think you’ve been a victim of an investment fraud, report it to Action Fraud online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. For more information about investment fraud, visit www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart.
Have you been affected by this? Leave a comment at https://checkaco.com/blog/
Checkaco was created for consumers so that they can quickly access very detailed information about a company. Using our secure search, you can view any company anonymously in seconds.
Full peace of mind for £6.50 per company checked when you buy three reports for £19.50.
Quickly view a company’s CCJ’s, legal ownership, credit history, credit score and more.
Or buy in bulk: 10 reports for £37.50 (£3.75 each); 25 reports for £88.75 (£3.55 each); or 100 reports for £335 (£3.35 each)
Get the low down on any firm at https://checkaco.com/
The ratings are poor, fair, good or excellent – find out all their details now at https://checkaco.com/
For details about Checkaco email info@checkaco.com or visit the website https://checkaco.com/
Checkaco, The Exchange, Express Park, Bristol Road, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 4RR UK
