Warning - a hypnobirthing class scam

[Rosehyd2]

Please do not book onto any courses with The Hypnobirthing Hive.

I paid £85 for a one day intensive course, turned up to the venue (a reputable national hotel chain) but they had no record of the class being held there.
I've since been unable to contact the lady, Holly, I was communicating with before. The phone goes to voicemail and texts/emails are unanswered.

Stupidly, on reflection, I should have realised before today.

I paid via the website and got an email confirmation from Wix (the website builder they clearly used), but it was generic and didnt specify the location. So I emailed and asked where in the town the class was and they replied with the hotel name, and said more info would be sent the week of the class. A combination of a crazy work schedule, my husband's birthday, renovating a house and baby brain I forgot to expect the email. I knew the location, and time, and to bring two pillows so there wasn't really anything else I was expecting to hear so I wasn't too bothered. Except now it makes sense, there were no extra details.. Or even a class...

The website is:
www.hypnobirthinghive.co.uk

(it was only registered as a Web domain in September so it's a relatively new scam).

Please don't fall for this, and let others know who you think may be interested. It was doing the rounds being advertised on Facebook and a lot of people were tagging other people in it, but no evidence of anyone who had been.

I'm so sorry this happened to you. Thanks very much for warning us. You should definitely report this with the police. Hope there's some way you can get your money back.

Really sorry it happened to you. Can your bank help to retrieve the money?

How awful. I hope you can get your money back.

The website links to Twitter, FB etc are all for Wix. I've just called the number. Someone answered but hung up.

So sorry this happened to you. What cruel heartless feckers.

Thanks everyone, I really don't want anyone else to fall for it. The bank are seeing what they can do, but no promises.

@sausagepastapot very interesting to hear someone answered! They certainly didn't respond to my calls and texts and voice mails. It's definitely a scam.

Action Fraud didn't want to know, said there was nothing they could do when I tried to report it online. Such a shame it leaves it open to others to be scammed.

Just noticed that address is incomplete. Try this one whois.domaintools.com/classybee.co.uk

Thank you so much!

She has 2 Facebook profiles too.........

If it’s a scam it’s a very bad one.

Maybe try trading standards?

What should I say in a letter or if I message her in Facebook? One of the FB profiles does mention KG hypnobirthing in a post, the other says "soon to be Hypnobirther" . So I assume it's her but I bet she blocks me the minute I message her.

Get a friend who is a solicitor to draft a letter for you, and request immediate refund to your account... or go to the police and let them deal with her....

It may be someone using her name to make the scam more believable. Maybe get someone else to message her on FB to see, so if it does turn out to be her then you're not blocked?

I suggest that you contact KG hypnobirthing directly to check whether this person has a KG hypnobirthing qualification. If she hasn't she cannot advertise herself as such. She would also need public liability insurance. If she hasn't got a recognised qualification then she hasn't got insurance either. According to the KG website (www.kghypnobirthing.com/hypnobirthing-teachers.html) there is only one teacher called Holly and she is in Tiptree.
I am also suspicious that there are no testimonials. Having some knowledge of hypnobirthing I am really suspicious of all these courses she is filling and her prices.

I would not assume that address in Walton on Thames is right as it is a very very long way from where those courses are.

@EvilEdna1 You've made some really good points. I was suspicious of the address too. I'll definitely see if I can contact KG hypnobirthing direct. Thank you.

OP did anything ever come of this?

I haven't heard back from my bank about getting any money back, I'll chase them today.
I did contact KG hypnobirthing and they said they would look into it and very kindly offered that I could attend one of their courses for free. No word back on whether she was trained or not yet though.