Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not have given my debit card details?

56 replies

LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 20:38

I got sent some Disney books and there was a letter in the parcel;

"blah blah blah, Disney books, 3 for £5.00 if you don't want them you have to pay for the return postage blah blah blah, if you do want them call this number and pay blah blah blah".

So, my dh and I decided it would be nice to collect them. I tried on 4 occasions over 2 weeks to pay for them but was kept on hold for 40 minutes each time before answering.
I got a letter today saying they were adding "admin costs of £5.00" to my order. No problem, I tried to ring and after 50 minutes I got through. To West Africa.

I refused to give my debit card details as fraud in the West of Africa is rife. I asked for a British call centre number or a head office number in London and he hung up on me.
I called back and got a lady, I asked the same questions and she replied;

"What's wrong with African people?"

I assured her, nothing, and that I wasn't comfortable in giving my card details over the phone. She went on to say;

"nah wrong wit us Africaans just give dem here".

I hung up and now face the "debt" of all £10.00 being sent to a debt collection agency. The plus is, if it does go it means I can ring up a UK number and get hold of a UK call centre.

AIBU to have not given them this information?

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 21:05

Please bear in mind I didn't get a phone call I just got books randomly posted...and I only got 3.

OP posts:
activate · 19/01/2011 21:16

you could post the company details you know

from what you've said it sounds like a made-up rip-off and I'm not sure why you're hiding the name or justifying their big business credentials when they don't even have working phone lines

Hatchworks??

it's easy to cobble togethewr a name

bruceb · 19/01/2011 21:18

Not a solicitor, but I think that Trading Standards might well be a good shout anyway. If they're sending you stuff unsolicited, they're trading here (I think) so a TS reference might be a good thing to chuck back at them if they were ever to call.

Which is highly unlikely, I agree

Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 21:27

I thought it was Hatch something I've just located the letter;

Hatchette Partworks is the name of the company.

But yes none of the actual UK landlines (not beginning with 08) work, they're all dead...

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 21:29

Oh I wasn't hiding the name, just the letter was on the desk in the other room and it's effort to move really. I'm not protecting them from anything! I'll happily post the numbers too if you want them?!

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 21:30

*Hachette even

OP posts:
activate · 19/01/2011 21:32

based in newcastle

www.hachettepartworks.com/contact_us.php

on-screen presence slightly ropey - registered through a french domain name registration service

but you typed haTchette who don't exist as far as I can see

Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 21:35

Yeah, I corrected that sorry.

The Newcastle address is the POBOX...ne32 3yh

OP posts:
activate · 19/01/2011 21:36

sorry HO in london not jarrow

I'd check the numbers you have against the website ones - that might reassure

Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 21:36

However they have a LOndon address...Brunswick Place...Jordan House?

OP posts:
AnotherMumOnHere · 19/01/2011 21:40

Please dont panic but not all 0207 and 0208 numbers are London numbers. Some are chargeable like 0870 and similar numbers at something like 10p per minute. Dont quote me on these charges but I know they arent all 'normal land line numbers'.

mamatomany · 19/01/2011 21:41

Ah yes had my details sold on to a debt collection agency and ended up paying the tenner just to get rid of them, honestly it must have cost them £50 to phone and write to me as many times as they did.

hogsback · 19/01/2011 21:42

As everyone has pointed out it's a scam. You don't owe them for return postage or anything else. They've already scammed you on the premium rate phone line, why are you desperate to give them more money?

Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 21:42

Mama, was due to the same company? OR something different?

OP posts:
Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 19/01/2011 21:44

In what way am I giving them more money?

OP posts:
hogsback · 19/01/2011 21:53

Sorry posted before reading all replies. If the official number for this company are all dead, it is likely that it has ceased trading and the scammers are taking advantage of this to defraud people like you.

For the record, you can't enter into a contract by inaction as they say in their covering letter, nor are you required to pay for the return of unsolicited goods out of your own pocket.

Go · 19/01/2011 22:00

You could try this website to see if you can track down a landline number that works.

Good luck.

I was once sent a cookery book like this. I didn't return it and never heard anything more from them.

KangarooCaught · 19/01/2011 22:04

Check your phone bill or call your phone company and find out how much that call cost you.

penguin73 · 19/01/2011 22:05

Hatchworks something or other. I Googled them, they are a massive publishing house, based in London and I've tried all the landlines (not the 08 numbers) associated with that address and not one of them works..I even tracked them down to Companies House but the number listed no longer works...there's about 5 in total. -

that'll be the give away that it's a scam then, anyone can buy a domain and throw together a website.....

hogsback · 19/01/2011 22:38

OK - done some DNS/NIC poking.

hachettepartworks.com has nothing whatsoever to do with Hachette UK, the perfectly legitimate UK subsidiary of the massive French publishing house, who own Hodder & Stoughton amongst others. The domain is parked with a French web hosting provider, whereas all the legit Hachette sites (e.g. hachette.co.uk) are directly registered with Lagardere, the French holding company that owns Hachette.

The email addresses on the site are for 'jacklinservice.com', which is a direct marketing company registered in Cape Town.

I suspect hachettepartworks.com is simply a front for the scam. You may want to call Hachette UK on 020 7873 6000 and tell their legal department about this - they will be able to issue a takedown for hachettepartworks.com.

TickettyBoo · 19/01/2011 22:54

I remember getting the books too, was after a call and my details had been provided by Bounty. Appreciate you didn't get a call and didn't return the form with your Bounty pack/magazine offer, so not sure why you got the books but am sure the company was the one you mention, seems to ring a bell for some reason (I sent the books back).

x

TickettyBoo · 19/01/2011 22:54

Did you get the book holder thing too?, what tat! lol

Original poster
LadyOfTheManor · 20/01/2011 06:31

Ah yes, the plastic bookholder...impressive Hmm

Hogs, thanks for doing some digging, I'll be onto them at the start of play today and I'll give you some feedback!

OP posts:
cattj · 27/11/2012 11:44

Make sure you report this 0871 phone number scam to PhonepayPlus. They have the power to close it down.

Phone numbers beginning 090x, 091x, 098x, 0871, 0872, 0873 and 070 are Premium Rate Services and are highly regulated.

Zippylovesgeorge · 27/11/2012 11:50

Can't believe this scam is still going - got sent books based on my Bounty Club details 15 years ago when I had my youngest.

Got the threatening letters etc and ignored them - goods were unsolicited.

Guess they got bored eventually and gave up with me.

Swipe left for the next trending thread