02086190070

I received a call from sanda wellness. who claimed they were visiting chester le street wellness centre and could they speak to me as they knew I sufferred from arthritis.  A girl went through my meds and said she could get my tablets down as they can cause ulcers and to try rosex.  She then put me through to her manager.  The girl called herself Rachel Miller and then the manager came to the phone calling himself Ken Hill.  They were obviously from an indian call centre and had changed names.  Mr Hill told me that I should not trust my GP who had kept me on these tablets for years but trust him who could rid me of pain and stop me from mobility scooters and wheelchairs.  I told him I would look the tablets  up and check with GP to make sure I could take them.
He then got irate and asked me to look them on the web there and then.  He could give me a pensioner special( even though I am only 40) for £14.95 instead 0f £35.  I hung up.  He then called back 3 times and I did not answer the call.  I am ex directory and thought these people were part of NHS, and that is how they got my number,
The address they gave was 32 Balmore Avenue, Nottinghamshire, MK18 1RQ.
The phone number given was 02086190075 & 85.  The 1471 return was to 0442086190746

Dear Lena,

I must apologise for your misunderstanding.  we most certainly are not part of the NHS and we do not hold any medical data.

I would be happy to work with you to get your details supressed in the system to avoid future calls.  Please drop me a mail to complaints@sandawellbeing.com and I will action it immediately.

Kind regards

Bali

Sounds typical: survey -> dangerous health advice -> hard sell -> repeated cold calls

Cold callers instructing you to stop using your prescribed medication is dangerous. You were fortunate but other more vulnerable arthritis sufferers called by Sanda Wellness may not be. If you are in Chester Le Street or the Durham area you may wish to report this to your local PCT who can then alert the NHS practices in their area who in turn can warm their most vulnerable patients. A number of surgeries already warn against Sanda Wellness scam as do Thames Valley Police:
www.npmc.nhs.uk
www.queencamelmedicalcentre.co.uk
www.erypct.nhs.uk/templates/Page.aspx?id=2156
www.mysurgerywebsite.co.uk/new-patients.aspx?p=l83102
www.vinesurgery.co.uk/pdfs/newsletter.pdf
www.stjamesmedicalcentre.co.uk
www.bicesterhc.co.uk/latest_news.htm
www.lpc-online.org.uk/nottinghamshire_lpc/?news_id=2592
www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Pharmacy/Pages/Miraclecures.aspx

The price for Rosex looks to be elastic. If you go back through the pages on this thread you will see that it ranges from hundreds of pounds to £3 per box at a car boot sale in Bicester. They appear to charge whatever they can get away with.

Sanda Wellness and their distributor Meerkat Distribution cold call via a variety of numbers:

Telecoms carrier: Gamma Telecom Holdings Ltd 04287779:
01280730030 https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/01280730030

Carrier: Global Crossing (UK) Tellecommunications Limited 02495998:
02085889524 https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02085889524
02085889525 https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02085889525

Telecoms carrier: DRD Communications Ltd 03545257:
02086190070 https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02086190070
02086190071 https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02086190071
Displayed https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/0442086190071
02086190072 https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02086190072
02086190073 https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02086190073
02086190074 https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02086190074
02086190075 https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02086190075
Displayed https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/04420861907
02086190745 https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02086190745
02086190746 https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02086190746
Displayed https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/0442086190746
02086191234 https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02086191234

Looking through the 24 pages of complaints on here, the Sanda Wellness call centre appear to be tweaking the addresses they give. Perhaps in an attempt to make it more difficult to google them. These are their known and verified addresses in the UK. There is talk of another in the Redhill area, but nothing that can be verified as yet.

REGISTERED NAME & ADDRESS (Virtual Office):
Sanda Wellbeing Ltd
c/o: Kishens Accountants
3, Montpelier Avenue,
Bexley,
Kent,
DA5 3AP

VAT Reg No. 925 6675 90
Companies House Number: 06377623
http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/sanda-wellbeing

SANDA GROUP HQ OFFICE:
(from http://whois.domaintools.com/yourwellness.net)
Ajit Patel
Sanda Wellness
Burleigh House Farm
Burleigh Lane
Crawley Down
Crawley
West Sussex
RH10 4LF

SANDA WELLNESS DISTRIBUTOR:
Meerkat Distribution
30 - 34 Ball Moor (also given as 32 Ballmoor)
Celtic Court
Buckingham Industrial Estate
Buckingham
Buckinghamshire
MK18 1RQ
http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/meerkat-distribution

--
UK Companies Investigation Branch Reporting Form:
http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/complaintformcib.htm

It would appear that two previous victims have already discovered that Avongate Ltd is the company that sells data to Sanda Wellbeing, trading as Sanda Wellness:

Mand:     https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02086190071/2
Chris61: https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/02086190071/6
Chris61: https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/01689890600

Their details are:
AVONGATE LIMITED
SHEEPCOTE FARMHOUSE
SHEEPCOTE LANE
ORPINGTON
KENT
BR5 4ET
01689 890 600
01689 828 034 (fax)
www.avongate.co.uk

http://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/ltd/avongate

If Bali lets you have any other company names, please do post.

I suggest to anyone called by Sanda Wellness that they ring Avongate Ltd to find out what data is sold and if it contains medical history or details derived from contacting other health or insurance companies. From the previous victims postings, they seem to be open and approachable.

These 'people' rang me yesterday morning on the pretext of conducting a health and wellness survey. However, within half an hour the conversation rapidly degenerated into a sales pitch for their products, demands for a trial, a payment and I simply had to slam the phone down on them to shut them up. Having read the comments and the links on here I am appalled that the authorities tolerate this type of activity. I see that they bank with Barclays and will draw their attention to it as I am sure they would not wish to be associated with such disreputable activities as telling people to stop taking their medication and ignoring the advice of their GP.

There is a connection between Sanad Wellbeing Ltd / Sanda Wellness as Mr Ajit Patel used to run Goldshield. They two companies also have a call centre sharing agreement:

Sanda Wellbeing & Goldshield Indian Call Centre Sharing Agreement:

From Press Release: www.goldshield.hemscott.com/news-item?item=45709189584067

Disposal of certain Indian business and assets

To enable the business to focus both management time and the full resources of
Goldshield on its Pharmaceutical and Healthcare businesses, it has been decided
that the Company will dispose of certain of the non-core Indian businesses and
also to outsource the development of the Wellbeing Healthcare villages and
resort in Goa. The sites identified by the Company will be retained pending
receipt of the planning approvals at which time they will be co-developed.

Ajit Patel has expressed an interest in acquiring these non-core assets and has
entered into a heads of agreement with Goldshield, summary details of which are
set out below.

Ajit Patel, or a company controlled by him, will purchase the entire issued
share capital of Goldshield Business Solutions Private Limited (GBSPL), an
Indian incorporated wholly owned subsidiary of Goldshield for a consideration of

INR 110 million (approximately £1.4 million). The consideration will be payable
in cash on completion and will be applied to general corporate purposes. GBSPL
will be required by 28th February, 2008 to change its name to Sanda Business
Solutions and the Goldshield name will revert to the Company.

The gross assets of GBSPL are £1.1 million and the profits attributable to the
division of GBSPL after the apportionment of Group overheads for the year to
31st March 2007 were £0.2 million.

In addition to the sale of GBSPL, Goldshield and GBSPL have entered into an
agreement whereby GBSPL will agree to occupy at least 110 seats at Goldshield's
call centre at Akruti, Mumbai and Goldshield will occupy an equivalent number of
seats at GBSPL's call centre at Verna, Goa. Each company will pay the same cost
per seat to the other and the agreement will stay in force for a minimum of 18
months and is subject to a minimum of a six months' notice of termination. The
purpose of this arrangement is primarily to avoid the need for substantial
relocations of staff.

Goldshield believes that whilst the Indian Wellbeing Villages and resort no
longer form part of the core strategy of the Company, they still have some long
term potential. The Company has decided that it does not wish to allocate
further significant funds to develop these assets. However, it does wish to
retain its existing interests which will be realised when the Directors believe
that shareholder value has been maximised. As part of this strategy, the Company
has also agreed in principle to use its reasonable endeavours to enter into a
joint venture with Ajit Patel to develop care villages on the Guirdolim and
Camurlin sites in Goa, or, if the Board decides to sell these sites, a right of
first refusal for Ajit Patel to acquire them at market value.

Finally, as part of the above arrangements, Ajit Patel, who owns 3.3 million
ordinary shares in the Company, has agreed for a period of one year not to sell
80 per cent. of his current holding and to only sell the remaining 20 per cent.
through the Company's brokers under an orderly market arrangement.

From Press Release: www.goldshield.hemscott.com/news-item?item=45709189584067

I agree that there are different strengths of tablets, but even if you took 4 of the tablets from health span a day giving you 1000mg they would cost you less, the box contains 120 tablets, which would last you a month.

I would like to ask Sanda Wellness how they have managed to employ so many people with Indian accents but English names, it's statistically incredible! Also the positive reviews on this site might be a touch more convincing if they used an occasional definite or indefinite article.

Had a call from a lady from Sanda Wellness this morning trying to sell me pomegranate skin extract. She said her name was Jocelyn but sounds very similar to the Maria/Tiffany mentioned a few posts above as she kept calling me "love" and "darling". I assume she learnt this from the Sanda Wellness "How to talk like a convincing English person, isn't it" training manual. Of course I told her I was giving her no details over the phone but she was welcome to send me a brochure. Eventually she gave up trying to convince me to buy and said she will send me a brochure and ring me back in a few days.

Having spent some time on this website, I am very much looking forward to this phone call which will no doubt end with me telling her in no uncertain terms, to go **** herself.

Sarah,

Your details could have been obtained from callcentre sharing, Avongate or as told here, and as in the good old Croydon Goldshield days, by Susan McDonald, now the co-director of Sanda Wellbeing:

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2002 ... out-arthri.html

The painful truth about arthritis 'miracle' cure

BY INVESTIGATIONS ON MAY 24, 2002 12:00 AM IN INVESTIGATIONS ARCHIVE

BEHIND a rusty door on a trading estate in Peterborough there is meant to be a "miracle" cure for arthritis sufferers.

Sadly for those in pain, what's behind the peeling paintwork is little more than an expensive food supplement.

But that doesn't stop those flogging it giving false hope with a sales pitch that one expert describes as verging on the criminal.

It starts with ads for a book called Arthritis Beaten Today, reading: "The cure for arthritis... Medical science has made virtually no progress... that is until now."

Written by one Dr Sands, the 170-page book is about pills made from beef fat called CMO.
With its phrases such as "many improve overnight" and "clinically proven", you can see how Bill Wilkinson of Runcorn, Cheshire, thought CMO would be a saviour for him and his wife, who both suffer from arthritis.

He was delighted when, soon after buying the book, he was sent an order form out of the blue from a company called Natural Essentials Ltd, which just happen to sell CMO.

Bill has spent £329 on two 30-day supplies of the supplement - but feels conned.
"Each day we have been desperately hoping to feel some improvement - all to no avail," he says. "If there had been the slightest change I'd have been overjoyed."

He has written to Natural Essentials twice asking for a refund, but has had no reply.
So we went to its HQ in Peterborough, Cambs, where managing director Hitesh Kanabar apologised for the "administrative" error and poor customer service but refused Mr Wilkinson a refund.
Kanabar, 40, says he has arthritis himself and has had two hip replacement ops. He insists CMO has saved him from more surgery.

He showed us a file of glowing testimonials from customers who say they have benefited from it.
Jane Tadman of the Arthritis Research Council says: "People are being asked to spend a huge amount on a product for which there is no scientific evidence.

"Those with arthritis are vulnerable to so-called miracle cures. But there is no entirely successful existing treatment, and they will try anything to help them reduce the pain."
The ARC's chief medical adviser, Dr Madelaine Devey, goes further: "It is just so misleading it verges on the criminal. CMO is not clinically proven."

In 1999 and 2000, Kanabar was warned by the Medicines Control Agency that he should be more careful how he marketed CMO.
Now Kanabar says that he is no longer responsible for selling the Dr Sands book. So how come people who buy it then get a sales pitch from Natural Essentials?

The answer, Kanabar admits, is that he buys mailing lists from the company that has taken over distribution of the book, Vectrophy Publishing Ltd.
And that's not the only connection.Kanabar's Natural Essentials Ltd is entirely owned by health supplement giant Goldshield plc.
Checking Vectrophy reveals that until recently the boss of the book distributors was George Myrants, a lawyer previously a director of Goldshield.
Since March, the director of Vectrophy has been Susan McDonald, formerly retail operations manager at Goldshield. And to top it all, Vectropy's phone is registered at - you guessed it - a Goldshield address in Croydon.
The Surrey firm says it is happy with the way CMO is being sold but we think it's time the Medicines Control Agency took another look at how this "miracle" is peddled - and by whom.

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2002 ... out-arthri.html

What comes around goes around, as they say...

Scam Savvy is Heath & Wealth Savvy!

Not Susan McDonald is it? How are you keeping? Doing well I see!

As today is World Health Day http://www.who.int/world-health-day/en/ and as Sanda Wellness / Wellbeing have a fondness for exploiting the World Health Organisation name, here is a timely reminder to stay Scam Scavvy.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/life/consumer/co ... 86908-22573083/

OAP furious after unknown firm charge her £294 for arthritis tablets

Sep 19 2010 Sunday Mail

MARYLINN HUNTER was surprised to get a call from an advisor claiming to be from the World Health Organisation and promising relief for her arthritis.

All she had to do was hand over £14.95 for a free sample of the RoseX remedy, which she was told contained a high concentration of rosehip and would ease her suffering.
But she was horrified when 20 boxes of the tablets arrived days later along with an invoice - from a company she had never heard of - for £294.95.
Furious Marilynn contacted the firm, Sanda Wellbeing Ltd, but they refused to let her return the pills. That's when she called me in.
The 60-year-old said: "This is a con. I thought I was dealing with the WHO. This firm are preying on people who would try anything to relieve their symptoms.
They're taking advantage."
Marilynn was at home in Ayr on September 9 when she received the call. She said: "It came totally out of the blue. The deal sounded good and the sales person was very convincing.
"I gave my debit card details and signed up for two samples at a total cost of £29.90."
Five days later, the huge consignment of 600 tablets arrived at her home.
Betting shop assistant Marilynn said: "I couldn't believe it. The price is outrageous. I discovered the same pills are available elsewhere online costing £19.99 for 360."
She called Sanda Wellbeing, based in Buckinghamshire, and they refused to refund a penny but then said she could return half the order to get a partial refund.
Marilynn said: "Please help me to get my money back. I don't want these pills and can't afford them."
Despite my repeated attempts to contact Sanda by telephone and email, the firm have not been back in contact.
Watch this space...
Users' Comments (3)

    
LindaK wrote:
First and most important: NEVER use a debit card for online/phone purchases. Use a credit card. A credit card is a one time only purchase, whereas once you've given someone permission to use your debit card once, they can continue using the same 'permission code'
You may have to close that particular bank account if your bank can't or won't help. Close it and open another with a different account number. Tell the bank in writing why you are doing this.
These scams are usually found online, and the one thing they all have in common is the '30 day free trial just for postage and packing'
I hope the Judge can help you out, but if not, close your account immediately and open another. If there is no account, they can't get your money.
3/10/2010 7:55 AM BST on dailyrecord.co.uk
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keyholekate wrote:
My mum who is 87 and also comes from Ayr was telephoned by the same company with a similar approach by Sanda Wellness.She received a box of Rosex tablets.They charged her £395.20 she thought it was some ringing via her health centre.I returned the tablets almost 3 weeks ago and still no refund.They are really predatory in the way they cold call the elderly.Hopefully the judge can help my mum as well .
4/10/2010 12:54 PM BST on dailyrecord.co.uk
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RalphTheNavigator wrote:
I too was approached by this organisation a few days ago, re the same product.
As soon as I gave them my card details, I regretted it.
I should have known better as I am a retired accountant.
Anyhow, I looked on the web & they seemed to be bonafide, & the next day an amount appeared on my statement for the agreed amount of approx £35.
However, the following day, Friday, the amount had dissapeared fom my account & has not shown up this morning, Saturday, either.
Then I saw these letters.
I have just spoken to my bank, they have canceled that particular debit card, luckily I have others, & they will reissue a new card which will require authorising by myself in the usual way when I receive it.
The maximum amount that they can take from my account will be the £35, which they did appear to have taken already, but they will not be able to take any other amount, now that the card has been cancelled.
Yep, they were very convincing, in fact the 2 of them were on the phone for approx 30minutes & they were very persuasive.
Why I went ahead, I don't have a clue, as I am already taking prescription medication for my pain.
Once this is sorted, I will be approaching Watchdog in order that the public may become aware of thse people.
Ralph The Navigator.
26/2/2011 9:21 AM GMT on dailyrecord.co.uk

So Susan McDonald as a directorof a Goldshield related company and now Sanda Wellbeing has quite a bit of history in being connected to promoting questionable "health supplements" then. Almost a decade.

I'll add the link to my Sanda Scam file. Thanks, Previn!

Treat with caution,  Tried to get my Visa number but I declined saying I needed to investigate further.
Suspicions were aroused by the long conversation.  Will not be making a purchase.

I got a call from The Wellbeing Clinic and was engaged in conversation for 15 minutes the guy who had an Indian accent called himself 'Kevin'. He was very knowledgable about others supplements I take for GOUT and ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS and I was fairly convinced that their magic product - Rose X with 800mg of Gopo taken with luke warm water daily - might give me somerelief. However the cost quoted was high but like others on this site I was offered 50% discount due to my age. I suggested that I would check out the product online and was promptly told that only they supplied it. I suggested that they put the offer in wring to me but they were not keen on that. I was then asked 3 times for my credit card details which I of course refused. I then hung up but was called back a futher 2 times - both were sent to my answerphone. All the remarks about Doctors checking up every month and no credit cards details kept on file were mentioned. The trouble is that when you are in constant pain you are easy pickings for these peoples sharp practice.

I buy the genuine Gopo Litozin tablets (not the expensive non-Gopo Rosex imitation) from Superdrug. According to the Litozin website you can also buy it from Boots, Tesco and Asda. I generally pay about £15 for 120 tablets, enough for 3 months, but I do shop around. As I am doing now when I spotted the posting about quackery on the previous page and wonder if it's actually a waste of money?!

11/04/2011 - I was called by Nancy, from Sanda Wellness, who gave me a lot of health advice and said I had been specially selected to receive a 6 month course of Pomy. This, she said, was made from concentrated pomegranites and was incredibly beneficial to my health. I would get it for a "special offer" price of £14.99. When I did not want to give a card number over the phone, she said that she was not going to rob me for £14.99. Obviously, once they get the number, they can take any amount. Incidentally, she gave their number as 02086190075. Her extension was 2017. When I had refused my number several times, despite her continual assurances, the call was cut off.

I was called this morning by 'Jean' who had a thick foreign accent but was very pleasant and concerned about my general health and wellbeing.  She gave me the gen on Pomy and how cheaply they could send it to me for.  As I was sitting at the computer when she called I googled Sanda Wellness and up came this site so I thanked her for her call but said I wasn't interested.  She was still trying to persuade me as I put the phone down.  Thanks to all comments.

Congratulations to all of you who saw through them - you have been lucky! Do remember however that some people do not have access to the internet, not least some of the OAPs who Sanda Wellness appear to target. To this end,  tell your local health surgery, and they may put a poster up, as mine have done, which those not on-line will see. Drawing the surgery's attention to the existing NHS warning links will confirm that your experience is not unique.

Bing,

please be quiet.  We get your point but your constant repeat posts are ruining this thread.