In the week, i got a letter in the post from “Survey UK”, telling me I’d been allocated a gift – one of just 49. It then said to ring 01242 695001 to claim. Naturally, I immediately thought it was a scam, and used Mr Internet to find out more.
I was right to be suspicious. It turns out the company (Matters Consulting Ltd, Victoria House, 1 Gloucester Road, Cheltenham) has been in legal trouble before, when they were called “Opinions” and told people they’d won gifts. Gifts the “winners” then had to pay for. Now they’ve reworded the letters to remove “won”, but the scam remains the same – you ring them up and are offered reduced price gym membership. Some “gift”!
It seems I wasn’t the only one to get this either.
UPDATE 01/10/09: Some of the comments have been deleted due to their nature at the request of Richard Seaman.
Sometimes there are things that just need to escape my head.
Who regulates this sort of thing? as they are not doing a very good job or do not have the tools to stop these underhanded rip off rouges.
I got caught out by these last year. Im in the Kent area and didn’t think it was a scam (how stupid am I) I used the gym it was for for around a year and had no problems until I became too ill to use the gym and wanted to cancel my membership. Obviously they refused even with medical proof so I cancelled my s/o anyway and now they’re just harrassing me with letters. Now I know they haven’t got a leg to stand on as their terms and conditons and whole contract breaches so many laws its ridiculous and illegal. I just reported them but it makes me so mad as lots of people will continue to pay and think it was real like I did because I did complete a medical survey and thought it was to do with that. My own stupid fault though I know!
Directors of Universal Consulting are:
David Black
23 Overton Road
Cheltenham
GL50 3BL
and
John Black
5 Cypress Road
Southport
PR8 6HE
can we send them rts to the home address? Other related companies of which David Black is a director are Owens Health and Fitness Limited, Millenium Promotions UK Limited and The Millenium Experience (Direct Mailing)Limited. Onl;y email is rebeccakidman@gmail.com which is Owens Health & Fitness
This is a massive scam nearly ten years old now. OFT in most areas are aware of it and it good info on the money saving expert site. save yourself time and energy, avoid at all costs!!!
JUST RECIEVED ONE 2DAY FOR MRS/MS SILLY ME DIDNT THINK IT WAS A SCAM AS IVE BEEN DOING ALOT OF SURVEYS LATLEY AND I RANG THE NUMBER. THE MAN ON THE OTHER END DIDNT SOUND TOO HAPPY CONSIDERING IT WAS A “PRIZE GIVE AWAY” AND TOLD ME TO GOT TO MY LOCAL GYM IN EASINGTON, CO. DURHAM TO RECIEVE MY FREE GIFT. I SAID “WHATS THE CATCH” AND HE SED NO CATCCH AND JUST TO TAKE THE LETTER WITH MY ID AND ID BE ASKED TO PICK AN ENVELOPE FOR MY PRIZE. SOUNDED TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE SO I GOOGLED IT AND FOUND THIS!! THANKS GUYS!! I JUST THINK ITS SAD ALOT OF PPL WITHOUT INTERNET WILL FALL FOR THIS SCAM AND BE SWINDLED OUT CASH!!!
Got mine lunch time tdy.Ripped up put in bin.Best place for it.
Trading standards should have more power to stop these people continuing tricking some vulnerable people into thinking its true.
I received this in the email today, is this the same company ?
Dear ALAN,
About 12 months ago you really helped us by completing an online lifestyle survey and we would like your help again!
We have some great new prizes available to win and some fantastic new reward vouchers that you can redeem online. Simply select your desired prize from those listed below, complete the survey as before and claim your rewards!
£750 in John Lewis vouchers – Click here to enter
£500 to spend in Carphone Warehouse – Click here to enter
£1,000 to spend at Selfridges – Click here to enter
£1,000 in clothes vouchers – Click here to enter
£500 to spend in IKEA – Click here to enter
£1,000 to spend in Primark – Click here to enter
Again, we would like to thank you for your time and your opinions which have helped shaped some of the products and services available throughout the UK.
Surveys.co.uk