Force Travel Club

[Big Sis..]

Hi This company was also known as Force Travel and Leisure or Ft and L ........
If you have been contacted by them,

I would check on the link below before deciding what to do[and then RUN!!!!]


viewtopic.php?t=2498&highlight=

[Big Sis..]

Well

The new named Force Travel club phoned me today on my mobile.

Asking if I rented all year[urm yes, as you can tell looking at my website].

How wonderful !!as they specifically needed somewhere in the Winter in Torrevieja for Policemen to stay. [Yeh right]

Apparently theyre only picking a small amount of suitable villas to be included on their site [:roll: Yeh right again]

Anyhows I asked her to email all the details.[just so I can see what sort of squit they actually put in writing]

''we cant as we havent your email''......

''well how come youve got my phone number then??''

We got it off your OD website[how nice ]

They are going to ring again later, so I will keep you posted.

And if you advertise with OD be aware they are 'doing the rounds'

[Chianti]

Big Sis

You are good, if you didn't post and members don't keep this thread going, others may get caught out too.

I'm not sure if others are aware, but one member lost thousands of euro, not a sum which can easily be dismissed.

Chianti

[Big Sis..]

This is the name theyre using now apparently but pleased be warned and check the Link!!!!!!!!

viewtopic.php?t=2498&highlight=

[Stevan Alcock]

Hi,

I'm new to this site, so hope this goes OK.

Unfortunately I was persuaded to register with Force Travel.
They promised me a welcome pack (never received) and moreover that if I didn't receive any enquries in two years I could have a full refund.

I got this in writing (an email from one Claire Davies). She also wrote that a guarantee to this effect would accompany the welcome pack.

I guess time will tell whether her email is worth the paper it's been printed out on.

Funny that not one single person in the thread mentions being offered a full refund like this.

Anyway, one a half years in and not a single enquiry.

Stevan

[Big Sis..]

Hi Stevan I do hope you get sorted....there is mention of someone else trying to get a refund on this link

viewtopic.php?p=83015#83015

[Chianti]

Just received a response from the Home Office Direct Communications Office to my email of 9 January. They clearly never opened the link to the thread. One of their suggestions was to contact NARPO or our local Chief Constables. I politely explained that most of us don't have one.

I've thrown the ball back into their court.

[tansy]

I HAVE rung NARPO - all I got was the rudest treatment ever.

I actually think NARPO are actually in on this wheeze - there must be back handers going on as NARPO is insistent that they are content to have their name associated with this shower... I too got caught by them years ago.

Until NARPO show proof that there is no connection then I will stick to my beliefs - that it's a crooked operation with blessing from a police association - quite scandalous.

[Chianti]

Tansy

If I post a copy of the letter from the Home Office or email it to you would you be willing to report FT Club and NARPO to your Chief Constable? For that matter would anyone else be willing to do so? Once that's been done I think there's little else we can constructively do apart from mention it to one of the newspapers.

[tansy]

Chianti... Mr Sarksoy sacked our chief constable & prefect last week... he visited St Lo on one of his tours... our Normandy lot were allowed to wave a few placards around about milk & other farming issues... Sarki travelled up from Paris with the riot police & started to shove the Normandy Farmers about with the result a load got pushed through 3 plate glass windows... so CoP & Prefect fired for allowing demonstrations Mr S announces Normandy not such a good place...

It'll have to be the ones based in Britain... we tried a few journos... no one that interested as it just appears to be a few owners pissed off about couple of hundred quid

If we could get a good story then we know who to pass it onto...

[Chianti]

Tansy

Silly me, I don't know why I thought you lived in the UK, dohhhh Can you contact one in the UK then? I don't think we are talking about a few hundred pounds. One owner emailed me last year and I'm sure they said that they lost thousands. I'm sure if all f the losses were added up it would come to a fair sum, but there also seems to be a matter of possible corruption.

[LaVilleauTady]

Chianti,

There would be little point in reporting the company to any chief Constable, because the police Service do not endorse this or any other, commercial company.

Cheshire Police, for example, make this very clear on their web site:

Cold calling - does Cheshire Constabulary do it?
Cheshire Constabulary would like to advice businesses and organisations in the area that the Constabulary do not employ, or endorse the use of agencies or cold calling by agencies to secure advertising on its behalf.

Any organisation that receives a call concerning advertising purporting to be on behalf of Cheshire Police can be assured that it is not the case. If you receive a call and it concerns securing advertising space in the publication wall calendar, diary or other literature this will not be for, or on behalf on Cheshire Constabulary.

There are agencies employed by associations connected to the Police that do employ cold calling as a fund-raising activity. In addition these are profit making publications not connected to the Police who also use cold calling to secure advertising. However, in neither of these cases is the advertising connected, in any way, to Cheshire Constabulary.

The second point is that NARPO are not police officers. They are all retired staff i.e. a private club for retired folk, who can do what they like as they are only accountable to themselves. They may be bothered about their reputation, or they may be more bothered about sponsorship/funding.

It seems to me that if any person feels they have been mis-sold a service they should make a complaint to their local Trading Standards service, who will then investigate the company.

[Chianti]

LaVT

Thanks for the info but I'm only repeating what was suggested in the Home Office response and we were aware of what NARPO are, but never the less they should care about any possible fraudulent claims being made to sell a service which is used by their members. As for Trading Standards, several of us contacted early last year and they failed to take any action.

This may still be the best avenue to explore because my guess is; that FTClub are located in a different area to the original FT&L which means their Trading Standards officers will be different and might be more willing to investigate.

[LaVilleauTady]

Chianti,

Their web site indicates that they are still based in Leyland, Lancashire.

As for misleading claims made on the phone to potential renters, it looks like their terms and conditions cover that eventuality in the following way:

Eric Ormerod trading as Ormerod & Associates - Force Travel Club (hereinafter “the firm”)

I/we request The Firm to display the advertisement upon their website (www.forcetravelclub.co.uk) for the initial period of 12/24 months from the advert going live and I/we agree to make payments set out in this agreement. I/we agree that only the representations that I/we rely on in entering this agreement are contained herein. I/we confirm that I/we are duly authorized to enter this agreement that I/we understand that it is binding upon signature and incorporates the following terms and conditions. I/we agree to upload our own information on to the Force Travel Club web site on receipt of our user name and password. The Firm can provide the advertiser with a proof.

My signature on the booking form or my confirmation E-Mail also evidences my agreement on the terms herein.

I'm afraid it really is a case of caveat emptor.

[Chianti]

LaVT

It's caveat emptor for most things we purchase, but maybe you've forgotten that they are making false claims in order to gain clients, such as the number of weeks holiday the police are given and a host of others. This is not part of any contract and clearly needs investigating.

I am not one of those who has advertised with them but I did receive their heavy handed sales pitch so I've 1st hand experience of it, hence my concern.

I've just thought that Which Magazine might be interested.