Refund Action Group

[areatwo]

Anyone know of this group of (supposedly) solicitors who are compiling a "Class Action" to be taken against the timeshare industry? They say the case in the US has been successful and they are now proposing a similar action in the UK to get compensation for owners for increased maintenance charges, miss-selling, unavailable exchanges etc..

[Morpheus]

Sadly this has all the hallmarks of a scam.

I have never heard of this "class action", and am sure that someone commented before that such a "class action" could never work here anyway.

The pitch sounds far too similar to the approach of many scam companies, and there are several outfits trying this out now.

Unless someone has real evidence to the contrary, I would say do not touch this with any length of bargepole!

[Norm de Plume]

Cold called?
Class actions as such do not exist in English Law (as I have previously indicated).  The nearest thing is a Group Litigation Order which requires a Court Order.  In any event, you can't take action against "an industry", only individual companies.
A television advertisement by people with a similar name has been banned by the Advertising Standards Agency.
All the signs of a scam.

[eneri]

Agree with Morpheus. Do you have any more information ie. address, phone No. etc. They don't seem to have a website although a company with a similar name which we are banned from using seem to be offering much the same.
Norme de plume has beat me to it  but I'll post anyway.

[areatwo]

Well now I can answer my own question to some extent, having just been sent some information about the company and guess what, the company is {banned word/phrase}!! Same mnemonic, same logo only now {banned word/phrase} replaces International Timeshare Resale Association, the parent company of old friend {banned word/phrase}. I don't think I need to say anymore, having been one of {banned word/phrase}'s many scam victims.

[areatwo]

The letter had phone number 0208 952 1000 and website www.{banned word/phrase}.net. The accompanying blurb had phone numbers UK: 08000 128 028 and Spain: 952 939 939

[stommenuil]

Hi

I have been contacted by what sounds like the same company on a few occasions. They are very persistent. After the initial contact my nose was twitching somewhat and I am sure that you are right and it is a scam. However at the moment I am unable to see how they would make money out of you. Asked if it would cost me anything the answer was no because they work on a "no win no fee basis." Asked why I would have to visit one or their UK offices the reply was that by discussing things in person they may well be able to place more actions on our behalf and then procure us compensation for each claim. Asked if they would need to take any bank account or credit card details there was an emphatic NO. So how do they make their money? The website is better than many, translated into 3 other languages and many links to reputable organizations on it. Can anyone enlighten me?

[Norm de Plume]

Which part of the word "SCAM" do you not understand?  Just Google them.  In particular see why the ASA banned their TV ad.

[meercat]

We were also contacted a few times by these people. This was a year or so ago. We weren't at that time in conflict with CPO, so did not wish to persue this. They however insisted that we should get the ball rolling as there were many other clients already with them.
We did consider it, as they insisted that no fee was required, but we would have had to visit an office at least a two hour drive away from home. We chose not to. They did keep contacting us, but we stood firm and refused. I'm afraid after years of listening to scam offers, my radar goes up at anything like this.

[PeterMatthews15]

Have been contacted (cold called) by this company tel number 0208 9521000 (very nice lady - Christina Mills gave me the number). Do not think I will take it any further thanks to info from this site. Thank You. We have been conned many times before and will not be conned again!!!!

[Carolinian]

The class action they are referring to was in the US against RCI over their rentals of exchange deposits to the general public.  Calling it successful is laughable.  If may have been for the lawyers, but not for the RCI members.  Before even conducting discovery, the highly unethical plaintiff's lawyers agreed to a ''settlement'' which gave them a million dollar plus fee but left their clients without any meaningful relief.
While many many timesharers wrote the judge objecting to that sellout ''settlement'' and many appeared in person for the settlement hearing, so many that the judge remarked he had never seen such an outpouring on a class action settlement, the court ultimately rubberstamped what plaintiff's attorneys had done.  The rediculous trinkets that were supposed to constitute relief for the plaintiff class were a joke and no real restraint was put on RCI's underhanded practice of renting out exchange deposits to the general public.

[Ran]

Just had a call from a company about this called Class Actions UK. Seem to be based in Exeter..any information??

[Morpheus]

Just had a call from a company about this called Class Actions UK. Seem to be based in Exeter..any information??

Information is simple to provide.

There is NO CLASS ACTION

Not against RCI, not against the "timeshare industry".

If you can get us a website or some phone or address contact details we can dig more.

[eneri]

Try

www.classactionuk.co.uk [nofollow]

and read on.

Website first registered 13-Oct-2011.

[Morpheus]

Try

www.classactionuk.co.uk [nofollow]

and read on.

Website first registered 13-Oct-2011.

Interesting - the misuse of English and amazing, innovative spelling on the front and "About" pages is repeated in the "Client Statements" pages! You would think they had written the statements themselves ..

Even more interesting, I am sure we have seen the same idiosyncratic spelling and abuse of English in some spam posters on this website.

Now i am not saying they are the same people, no. Just noting a surprising similarity ...

I also wonder quite who this "class action" is against, something they carefully ignore on their website.

[Norm de Plume]

As I said above, "Class Actions" do not exist in English Law.  End of story.  Scam.

[Ran]

Thanks for this. I had my suspicions. The website I was given is the classactionsuk.co uk one that is noted. I have seen the address used before..
Point about there being no Class Action in UK law is useful!

[lawnmower60]

Just had a call from a company about this called Class Actions UK. Seem to be based in Exeter.

Exeter reminded me of St Francis Marketing  using same area Marsh Brendon  is it a reincarnation

[eneri]

Try

www.classactionuk.co.uk [nofollow]

and read on.

Website first registered 13-Oct-2011.

Interesting - the misuse of English and amazing, innovative spelling on the front and "About" pages is repeated in the "Client Statements" pages! You would think they had written the statements themselves ..

Even more interesting, I am sure we have seen the same idiosyncratic spelling and abuse of English in some spam posters on this website.

Now i am not saying they are the same people, no. Just noting a surprising similarity ...

I also wonder quite who this "class action" is against, something they carefully ignore on their website.

Following on from the information above, another company, Devon Based Associates Limited;
   
          www.devonbasedassociateslimited.co.uk [nofollow]

which seems to be joined at the hip to Class Action UK; same address, same telephone number, same spelling mistakes etc. I particularly like the fact they "...are currently in the process of assessing the viability of a class action..." Perhaps a quick word with Norm de Plume would convince them of the "unviability" of such a course.

[Ran]

Exactly where I had got myself..same address as the old St F..and 2 companies using the same address in Exeter....Class Actions and Devon Based etc..