Cost Reduction Services - Get Rich Quick Scheme

An investigation by the Daily Record has exposed a rogue trader who was running a get rich quick scheme which saw nearly £100,000 taken from unsuspecting investors who were promised £4600 per month.

The "solution" involves remortgaging clients' homes or properties to free up cash for clearing other debts such as loans and credit card balances.

The "ponzi" scheme promised it's investors a £15,000 share in franchises in the business before they went bust with the owners, Stewart Kennedy and 3 dodgy lawyers pocketing the profits.

The owner of the rogue company, Stewart Kennedy who is a Former mortgage advisor Kennedy , from Quarriers Village, Renfrewshire,  has been made bankrupt twice and was charged with fraud previously however the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Many staff of cost reductions services have complained that they were unpaid before being sacked.The business has no link to Surrey firm Cost Reduction Services Ltd.

The full investigation can be found on the Daily Record website

Campbell and Kennedy - Don't Be Conned

Campbell and Kennedy is a satellite company based in Clydebank, Glasgow and they have received a number of complaints over the years for a range of issues with the company.

C&K as they are also known are sub-contracted by Sky to install their dishes on flats which are higher that 3 stories. This company will charge for going onto the roof to install the dish but will not tell you this when you pay them the call out charge over the phone. Campbell and Kennedy is the worst Company i have ever had the unfortunate experience of having to deal with. They fail to advise people what they will be charged for, they then increase charges and have even out right lied about what will and will not be charged for. Campbell and Kennedy also hold data on people without have a data protection licence but this seems to have passed the authorities by but i have made them aware of it. When they do lie and steal it would seem like it would make sense to ask for a copy of the recorded call but they will take more money than the Information Commissioner says is legally correct.

If you are based in Glasgow and live in a tenement flat then you are likely to be forced into using this company if you want Sky installed. These are some of the step you can use to protected yourself from these rogues if you must use them.

• Make sure you know what you are paying for, calls are recorded and so if lied to then you can demand calls are sent to you although they will charge £10 for even piece of data which is illegal.
• Inspect the work when it is completed and never have anyone else touch it as they will claim it wasn't their fault if someone damages something.
• Only pay when you have an agreement in place

BBC Watchdog Rogue Trader

This weeks rogue trader is a man called Jason Butcher who has a company by the name of Oakland Tree Care who are based in Banbury and shouldn't be confused with any other similar sounding company.

Jason Butcher has been ripping off the elderly for a long time now and has been taking money for work which wasn't necessary. In the show we see how Jason lies to his customers about what work is needed on their trees and scares them into thinking they must pay over the odds for the job to be completed. Also in the show, Matt speaks to a woman who paid over £2000 for work which wasn't finished only for her to be asked for £700 to replace a chainsaw which broke when doing another job

Northumbria Police To Continue Crack Down On Rogue Traders

Northumbria Police have been cracking down on bogus callers and rogue traders over the past 4 week and it now seems that it will continue in a day to day capacity. 

The campaign named “If in doubt - keep them out” saw a total of 6,000 leaflets distributed in the streets by a number of volunteers who have aimed to make life easier for the vulnerable who have been targeted by these rogues. 

Chief Inspector Bob Ryan said: “Throughout the campaign we set out to get our messages across to as many people as possible, working with organisations who deal with the elderly and vulnerable to help us spread the word.

“The initiative may have ended, but our message remains the same - never hand money over to someone who cold-calls at your home and never let them inside.

“Anyone calling from an official organisation will happily wait or come back while you check their identification.”

Chief Insp Ryan added: “Look out for your relatives and neighbours and if you do see any suspicious vehicles or people in your neighbourhood you should report this to police as soon as possible.

“Every incident involving a bogus caller, illegal trader or fraudulent work that is reported to police is investigated immediately. These types of reports are treated as a priority, especially those involving an elderly or vulnerable victim.”

Anyone concerned they’ve been the victim of a bogus caller or are faced with a dubious tradesman, is asked to call police on 03456 043043 or in an emergency dial 999

Beware Of Text Marketing Campaigns

Many people have received text messages advising them that they are entitled to a range of different way to make money through either lawsuits or legal loopholes. These text campaigns range from being entitled to money for an accident, write of debt and ppi insurance claims. These texts are marketing campaigns aim to either get someone to answer yes, in which case they pass on your details to a company who deal with it or no in which case they pass your details on to a company who will sell it as an active phone number.

There is a lot of different companies who will carry out these text messaging campaigns but one way to spot them is to look for a lead generating company. Unless you have requested a company to contact you then it is advised that you never answer these message as it will only ever mean you will be contacted by a company who see you as a quick cash cow.

Rogue Traders Blog

I am someone who is sick and tired of receiving poor customers service from companies who only care about making money and ripping people off. I have decided to start this blog to give people who have been ripped off a voice and a chance at helping others to not make the same mistake.

If everyone who received bad customer service, got poor quality work or just simply got ripped off decided to tell everyone else about it then maybe we can help shut down or improve the worst business out there.

If you feel you have been treated unfairly then let us know or just join in the chat with a comment. we either work together to stop rogue traders or it will continue.