Posts

One family’s dream holiday turned into a nightmare after they were forced to take a ride in the back of a police car.

Police had to step in and help one family who were left stranded when they turned up at the holiday apartment to find the gates locked. This was just the start of the problems the party of seven faced during their dream trip to Spain.

The family jetted off to Alcoceber in Spain and booked two apartments through Love Holidays. They arrived at their accommodation in the evening and not able to locate keys, or find anyone … Read more

Five people have been arrested and questioned by the Serious Fraud Office in relation to alleged fraud at Patisserie Valerie. 

The arrests were made last week in a joint operation and follow the arrest and subsequent bailing of the bakery’s former finance director, Chris Marsh, last October. In a statement the Serious Fraud Office said: “On Tuesday 18 June, as part of a joint operation with Hertfordshire, Leicestershire and the Metropolitan Police Services, five individuals were arrested and interviewed in connection with the Serious Fraud Office investigation into individuals associated with Patisserie Holdings PLC.”

“Significant, and potentially fraudulent, accounting irregularities”, … Read more

Wyndham Destinations opens its first resort in Portland Oregon

Wyndham Destinations has opened its doors to its newest resort based in Oregon U.S. The Urban WorldMark by Wyndham Resorts is the company’s eighth Oregon based property and the first ever timeshare resort in the city.

CEO of Wyndham Destinations, Michael Brown attended the opening, which was attended by owners and guests. Portland marks another Urban location for the Wyndham portfolio, which also includes San Francisco, New Orleans and New York.

Michael Brown said: “With a vibrant dining scene, eclectic shopping and proximity to outdoor activities, it’s no surprise our owners … Read more

The Information Commissioners Office has fined EE £100,000 for sending millions of marketing texts without permission to do so.

Mobile giant EE has been fined £100,000 for sending millions of text messages to customers. The ICO said EE sent more than 2.5 million messages in 2018. The messages asked customers to download an app and upgrade their phones. EE also sent follow up texts to the customers who did not open the first message.

EE told the ICO that the texts were sent as service messages and because of this were no subject to the electronic marketing rules. However, the … Read more

One families dream 4* holiday ruined after family are booked at unsuitable resort.

A family who forked out £11,600 for a dream holiday to the Dominican Republic, claim their holiday was ruined after they found cockroaches in the room, a filthy pool and drunk people vomiting in the hotel reception.

To make matters even worse, the family claim they came down with a sickness bug during their stay. Mr Hill told the Mail Online that their dream Christmas getaway was totally ruined. He said: “I’m a pretty well grounded, level headed person but even I was close to tears during … Read more

Interval International Vacation Services has announced it is adding Marriott Vacation Club Pulse in San Francisco to it’s growing exchange network. It is the newest addition to the groups portfolio and adds a new resort for those seeking urban breaks.

Marcos Agostini, Interval International Executive Vice President said: “It’s no surprise that Marriott Vacation Club has expanded into one of the most highly sought-after destinations in the world. This growth strategy clearly aligns with Interval’s research that shows members are eager to experience timeshare vacations in major metropolitan areas.”

Ed Kinney, Global Vice President said: “Marriott Vacation Club Pulse … Read more

A mother-of-two who acted as a mule for an organised crime gang has been spared jail after she admitted multiple frauds.

The 35 year old woman from Belfast, was described in court as a vulnerable woman with a heart condition picked on by fraudsters. Joanne Rice pleaded guilty to 14 counts of fraud by false representation over a six day period in 2016.

The M&S bank accounts that were owned by a separate customer had £85,500 transferred from it into what was described as a mule account, one of which belonged to Joanne Rice. In fact, over a six … Read more

A mother and daughter have shared their experiences of falling victim to ticket scammers in the hope that others think twice before buying tickets from unauthorised platforms. 

Sophie, 17, and Juliette, 49, gave their story as part of a new awareness campaign launched with Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) that urges people to avoid fraud by taking more care when buying tickets for live events. Fraudsters will pose as a website or agent for a music concert or festival, a sporting contest, or a live comedian or performer, meaning victims will purchase tickets that either don’t arrive or … Read more

Former customer services officer fined after unlawfully accessing personal data.

A former customer services officer for Stockport Homes Limited has been found guilty at Stockport Magistrates court and ordered to pay a £300 fine, for unlawfully accessing personal data.

The court heard how Wendy Masterson spent time looking at anti-social behaviour cases without a legitimate reason to do so. In fact, she accessed Stockport Homes Limited case management system a total of 67 times between January and December 2017 when she was not authorised to do so. Her actions only came to light after concerns raised about her performance at … Read more

The consumer Advocacy group the Better Business Bureau has issued a warning over the actions of a timeshare exit company.

An elderly couple from the U.S. had enjoyed their vacation timeshare in New Jersey for 14 years. But when the annual maintenance fees more than doubled to over $1,500 a year, they found themselves out of pocket and struggling to keep up with the payments.

They received a targeted flyer in the post to timeshare owners explaining how, if they attended a short presentation for a free lunch, they would be able to successfully get out of their timeshare and … Read more