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.
yE I GOT ONE 2 JUST THOUGHT I USE THE NET TO FIND OUT WETHER IT WAS RIGHT AND MY SUSPISIONS WERE CORRECT JUST SOME OTHER SENSELESS SCAM REALLY BAD MAN
Yep I just got one too, Glad i checked the net for the scam,
cheeky f**kers…
If ya live in the Falkirk area then watch out as they are posting by hand, no address, not even in a envelope.
correction. it did come in an envelope, wife opened it before i got a chance
They are turning up in Peterborough now as well folks. Thank God for the internet!!!
They’re in Bath now too.
They’re in Peterborough and surrounding villages too. Again, no named person on the envelope, just our address and hand delivered.
They’re in Wednesbury now too! Glad I checked it out first. Cheeky muppets!
Pingback: deKay’s Blog » Blog Archive » The Loyalty Awards Club
Just received mine!(peterborough) wonder if they accept reverse charge??? hoohaahaa. (that was suppoased to be my evil laugh!)
Ohhh I just got one of these in the post and thought mmmmm I will check on the net. Thank you for posting this as it means I have not been disappointed.
thanksx
Got this ” prize ” slip earlier this week ( Llanelli ). Was 90% sure it was a load of crap. Thought I’d check on net to confirm suspicions. Not shocked to find other people have had them.Thanks all for your comments.Keep up the good work!
Yep i got one today still only have 49 gifts funny that hey! mind you they wont ever be claimed – mine expires on 5 nov 2008
HI, I JUST GOT ONE, THE THIRD ONE THIS YEAR!!!! FROM PETERBOROUGH, AND YEAH YOU’RE RIGHT, NO NAME, JUST MR/MRS AND THEN OUR ADDRESS, WHAT A CHEEK!!!! CAN’T BELIEVE THEY ARE ALLOWED TO DO THIS!
THANKS FOR YOUR BLOG, WELL AND TRULY NEEDED, KEEP IT UP!
LEE
XXXXXXXX
Yeah Wisbech (PE postcode area) too. Likewise, Google tel.no. shows people who did fall, Gym membership payments totalling £750 for what the gym itself only charges £300 for, plus a non-cancellation agreement hidden on the *copy* of the credit agreement Рunderhand tactics.
They are now showing up in Carlisle so just shred the letter
Just had one delivered this morning in Carlisle – same format as above.
Got one this morning, sent it back with very rude (unprintable) comment scrawled across compliment slip – suggest everyone does the same.
Got one in Dorchester today, I was 99% sure it was a scam, glad I checked the net. Cheeky buggers!
I’ve just got one this morning, must admit was a tad excited but decided to do an internet serach and found this site.
I will be posting it back to them with rude comment on!
Thanks for the info
yep me too yesterday… live in nottingham, thought it was a spoof but annoying that some people would be gullible to go through with this…. I have posted it back to sender so they have to pay postage costs!!
These guys are in Hounslow, London west now. Good that I checked it on internet
me to yesterday there doing the rounds in stockport cheshire now glad went on the net thanks
I just got one this morning (Milton Keynes) thought I would check the net first, just want to say thanks for putting this out there.
Got one today thought I’d check it out on the net, it is strange so its going in the recycle bin as we speak! We are in Scarborough by the way.
People,this is not the scam you are all panicing about. Before ranting & raving get the info on the named gym and go and see the owners for yourself, you are not bound to the survey UK people until you hand over your bank details.In my experience these people are purely used to increase the awareness of the gym in your area so if you want gym membership go and see the gym direct and bypass matters consulting, easy.
I got one yesterday morning and did wonder if it was real or not as I have given my opinions for surveys etc. I live up in Northumberland. Thank god for the internet
I got mine this morning as scams go this ones pretty clever giving local rate numbers to call but its still devious I’d much prefer if they just asked me to join a gym instead of making it into something its not. The poor people that get duped into this are going to be those vunerable people who dont have access to the internet to find out what a scam it is!!!
i got one today in stoke on trent,Anybody who omits to tell you what the ‘prize’ really is must want to deceive you some how .avoid
Seem’s like they are making the rounds across the country. I recieved one a day ago… Hinckley, Leicestershire. We should all R.T.S them, each with a comment on their compliments slip! Maybe they will get the message that we are onto them and will stop trying to con people.
Yup got one today in Harlow (essex) exactly the same but with 48 gifts left and a Harlow local number to ring on it.
Dodgy little bleeders! thanks for all the previous input to be able to confirm it is a scam. Just wish there was something more I could do to stop them doing this to people because there are alot of gullable people out there that will fall into these rotten tricks!
I got one today, I also live in Hinckley, I will R.T.S it, they can kiss my a$$
Mine arrived today and I live in Hinckley. Glad I googled first. Thanks for info.
Thanks a lot for the heads up! Same area as Nee above, local number which gives just a bit more credibility to the scam.
Now arriving Harlow / Bishop’s Stortford areas.
Phone number will be an internet (VOIP) number – you can buy a local number for any area – even Tesco sell them.
I rang them and the offer was Harlow gym membership for £3.81/week and was asked to go directly to the gym, which as far as I know is legit. What will the scam be? Asked to pay loads more when I get there, long term contract? Anyone know?
To Clive: How is it a gift when you have to pay?
Got mine yesterday in Hinckley. Sending it back without a stamp and a suitable comment. Don’t suppose they’ll pay the postage to receive it though.
To deKay: You are correct, not a gift.
In fact a thinly disguised marketing ploy. The ‘offer’ being pretty much the same as their lowest level of membership at around ¬£16.51/month.
It’s another clever way of scam. I received the same one by post and when I rang them they asked for my name which I was not happy to give and i asked if they could tell me what is all about?
They said that they can’t before me giving them the name which I refused.
THIS IS A SCAM, SO ANY ONE GOT THE SAME SLIP, JUST PIN IN.
The manager at Survey UK is Mr Urel Bosely who has a criminal record! His telephone number 01242 693865. It is a direct line!
There in stoke on trent now i got one beware folks and thanks for this post I came straight to good old google b4 ringing them they should be stopped.
got survey uk wiv compliments 2day, i live in hinckley, i shredded mine straight away, reduce,reuse,recycle, lol
Leigh near Wigan today, Too late to ring them tonight so will ring on Monday. Im going to call them ask if i can put them on hold for a minute and then go and make my dinner. My local calls are FOC. The record at the moment is 6mins and 29 seconds after i got a cold call by a company selling mobiles. Is this childish?
Got one today in Stoke on Trent. Immediately Googled to find that it’s a scam. I could sniff a scam anyway because the envelope (delivered 2nd class by royal mail) had the address but no name, it simply said ‘Mr/Mrs’. Thanks for the direct phone number. I shall have fun later with that.
I got mine today. Thought it funny when adressed to Mr/Mrs. So I googled the Company and came across this site. It is now being shreded as I type. Thank God 4 the internet. Im in Salisbury Wilts.
We received one in Acton (West London) yestarday. They are spreading themselves far and wide. Probably getting some poor saps to do the legwork (you know, make money from home…).
Got mine few days ago her in SE London, was suspicious so I rang them up. It turns out I had won a free gym membership after my price was picked-hooray! I was really suspicious despite the fact the local Gym here in welling was legit, was on my way to pay them a visit then decided to check the net….Very funny as I now realise it’s not only me that got the only lucky price. So how could there be only one price for different people in different areas…? Me thinks: if it is too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true!! By the way, they should have my name if I won a draw, so I gave them a pseudonym & withheld my number when I called, that will teach them to come clean with their motives next time (if ever)….lol
Got mine Fri Jul 24th, 2009. Thought it was too good to be true. I was looking forward to may be a free meal out in Salisbury. Glad I checked the Internet. I may have to send an appropriate reply back to them. I’m in Winterslow, Salisbury.
Tues July 28th, 2009. Just got ours through (we are in West London) and used it as a lesson for older kids to illustrate how convincing hoaxers can be. Good old Google!
Mine was addressed to Mr/Mrs too. Not a good start! Like everyone else, we smelt a rat. Presumably it’s worth their while as they are active all over the country. We’re in Acton, West London.