08443573311

Do we know yet that a branch of Trading standards is definitely going to prosecute? I was expecting a call today from my local branch but didn't get one.  At least I also didn't get another one from Irvine/Medhurst etc.

Hi Katejo - this was the post in question

I joined TAPA 11 days ago and I've noticed the difference already. The Calls have dropped right down and they are now writing to the firms that are threatening me. So far so good.

Ignore my last question. Have just found it. It was further back than I had expected.

and there was another one just underneath.

" I am also with TAPA and they are brill!! I believe these comments are these blaggers if not the actual conmen themselves!!"


Reply !

Tapa posting comments

'only a tenner per month'

Why would anyone in their right mind pay this company.

as someone said in the past post tps can stop calls for free

Tut tut tut tapa time to give it up looks like your scam is up Looking at your website I think you need to add another company to your list You!!!!!!!!

Mr sinister hold your head in shame

We all need to report this scumbag and send him to jail were he belongs

The man - sorry, creature - doesn't understand the meaning of shame unfortunately.....and I've got the sneaky feeling that, even of we win on this one, he will find a way to start up again and try to con other poor unsuspecting folks out of their hard-earned money. I really wish that the Fraud squad would call some of us as prosecution witnesses!!

Are TAPA reps tracking this discussion and taking action to defend/protect themselves or just laughing at us?

Probably both!

I reckon if he (Simister) tries to cover his tracks so well, he knows he's on the wrong side pf the law. I don't think they could come up with anything to defend themselves if what people are saying is true and Trading Standards are about to shut them down. Wish I knew which office was involved in this. I imagine Mr Irvine laughs when he tries to threaten people into giving up their money, but I really hope we can make him laugh on the other side of his face before long. He is SO smarmy and patronising. Ugh!!

Yes I wish I knew which TS branch was taking action against them. I wonder just how many people have been scared into paying up. My first call from was a horrible experience which had me stressed for the next few days. I managed to disturb several other poor people in a branch of Costa Coffee that lunch time! It affected my performance at work for the rest of the afternoon!
I will have to try and contact my local TS tomorrow if they don't ring me.

Likewise Katejo - it just makes your stomach turn doesn't it? Mr Irvine wasn't actually rude and nasty, he was nice and threatening, which is much more sinister. If it hadn't been for Katy who I now can talk to on the phone and email, I think I would have gone mad. (We got in touch through the other forum). We definitely need to know for definite which TS branch is taking action - and they must see that we need to know this for the sake of our sanity.

Right Chaps - for the 2 addresses we have for Mr Marsden who owns the domain, we have the postcodes M26 and M4, I've found the relevant Trading Standards Offices for both areas, email addresses are:

M26:  tradingstandards@bury.gov.uk

M4:   trading_standards_@manchester.gov.uk

I'd email both with your histories and see if they can help and need your evidence - it worked with Kent and Capital Credit Management!

Lizzie - right back at you!

Hi All!
Do you have the feeling we're being hi-jacked? All I can say is, there are approximately 100+ posts saying TAPA's a scam and approximately 15 saying they are not - the rest are just being muppets. Can anyone tell me why Percival, McGowan and Horan haven't popped up before. I've read the links but can't find any association with TAPA.  

Yoyo? Go and join Carlos and Juanita please.

Im not too sure whats what to be honest. Applying common sense, if TAPA was a scam they would be shut down right? Its all well and good saying their a scam and a con etc, but the government are allowing them to trade so i think we need to be adult about this and stop the juvenile playground antics. I have checked it out and they have been going for years. They clearly would have been stopped by now if they were a fraud.

LizzieM, you refer to all people that say anything positive about them as 'ALL' being 'Muppets'. I dont think that sort of talk puts you in a good light. You are slagging off participants of this discussion which is down right rude. You are not very impartial and obviously being a little immature, like many others on here. If you want other browsers to support you, maybe you should introduce evidence and fair opinion. Are you on this forum to try and achieve something positive in the request for justice or are you simply participating in a defamation, slanderous hate campaign? Saying they are a scam just cannot be simply true or they would have been shut down by now.

Maybe they are rubbish at what they do. Maybe their service is crap. Maybe the owner, whoever he is is an idiot and does not know how to run a business. He might even be a peado for all i care? However, it obviously is not a scam and if everyone thinks they are a load of bull, why are they still trading after all these years?

They must be making money legitimately or they would be shut down. If they are, they must have customers that are happy. Im sure also, customers that are not happy. However, they cant be a scam, or they would be shut down. You know that, i know that. Carry on slagging them off forever, but they cant be a fraud for obvious reasons.

Ive not used their services so i dont simply know. I came on here because they have contacted me to offer their services and i thought i would check them out before i considered. Im not saying i will use them but coming on here is like being in a playground.

Very precise post, but I am curious as to why you are on this site.  People come on here to check telephone numbers and to give information about scams and dodgy companies.  Usually the only "positive" posts come after a discussion has been going on for a while and are an attempt at damage limitation. They are also to sow doubt in the minds of people who are not sure whether to respond to a particular.  The "muppets" referred to by Lizzie M are the ones who have posted rubbish, ie asked for tapas recipes or written gibberish. What would you call them?

Ksam if you wan the evidence see here

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=3473907

and here
Information required prior to the conclusion of the contract
see below from the regs

Information required prior to the conclusion of the contract
7.—(1) Subject to paragraph (4), in good time prior to the conclusion of the contract the supplier shall—

(a)provide to the consumer the following information—

(i)the identity of the supplier and, where the contract requires payment in advance, the supplier’s address;

(ii)a description of the main characteristics of the goods or services;

(iii)the price of the goods or services including all taxes;

(iv)delivery costs where appropriate;

(v)the arrangements for payment, delivery or performance;

(vi)the existence of a right of cancellation except in the cases referred to in regulation 13;

(vii)the cost of using the means of distance communication where it is calculated other than at the basic rate;

(viii)the period for which the offer or the price remains valid; and

(ix)where appropriate, the minimum duration of the contract, in the case of contracts for the supply of goods or services to be performed permanently or recurrently;

(b)inform the consumer if he proposes, in the event of the goods or services ordered by the consumer being unavailable, to provide substitute goods or services (as the case may be) of equivalent quality and price; and

(c)inform the consumer that the cost of returning any such substitute goods to the supplier in the event of cancellation by the consumer would be met by the supplier.

(2) The supplier shall ensure that the information required by paragraph (1) is provided in a clear and comprehensible manner appropriate to the means of distance communication used, with due regard in particular to the principles of good faith in commercial transactions and the principles governing the protection of those who are unable to give their consent such as minors.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), the supplier shall ensure that his commercial purpose is made clear when providing the information required by paragraph (1).

and the next page says that this must be by a durable medium ie email,fax or mail
Information provided on the website is not regarded as a durable medium as it can be changed at any time

Written and additional information
8.—(1) Subject to regulation 9, the supplier shall provide to the consumer in writing, or in another durable medium which is available and accessible to the consumer, the information referred to in paragraph (2), either—

(a)prior to the conclusion of the contract, or

(b)thereafter, in good time and in any event—

(i)during the performance of the contract, in the case of services; and

(ii)at the latest at the time of delivery where goods not for delivery to third parties are concerned.

(2) The information required to be provided by paragraph (1) is—

(a)the information set out in paragraphs (i) to (vi) of Regulation 7(1)(a);

(b)information about the conditions and procedures for exercising the right to cancel under regulation 10, including—

(i)where a term of the contract requires (or the supplier intends that it will require) that the consumer shall return the goods to the supplier in the event of cancellation, notification of that requirement; and

(ii)information as to whether the consumer or the supplier would be responsible under these Regulations for the cost of returning any goods to the supplier, or the cost of his recovering them, if the consumer cancels the contract under regulation 10;

(c)the geographical address of the place of business of the supplier to which the consumer may address any complaints;

(d)information about any after-sales services and guarantees; and

(e)the conditions for exercising any contractual right to cancel the contract, where the contract is of an unspecified duration or a duration exceeding one year.

(3) Subject to regulation 9, prior to the conclusion of a contract for the supply of services, the supplier shall inform the consumer in writing or in another durable medium which is available and accessible to the consumer that, unless the parties agree otherwise, he will not be able to cancel the contract under regulation 10 once the performance of the services has begun with his agreement.

the only stumbling block could be section 3 here BUT at no point has TAPA informed you or anyone I know of by durable medium that you won't be able to cancel because service has started immediately. In the email I received on the day I went on their site they said the application was being 'processed' no mention of it having started.

and this which says that if the contract begins immediately they have to convey this as per section 8 and by a durable medium which they don't

13.—(1) Unless the parties have agreed otherwise, the consumer will not have the right to cancel the contract by giving notice of cancellation pursuant to regulation 10 in respect of contracts—

(a)for the supply of services if the supplier has complied with regulation 8(3) and performance of the contract has begun with the consumer’s agreement before the end of the cancellation period applicable under regulation 12;

alos note that
section V of part 7 says
(v)the arrangements for payment, delivery or performance;
So they have to inform you of terms of payment by a durable medium before the conclusion of the contract not by small print on a website


I conclusion the only time that you get the info that they need to give and by durable medium is when you receive the pack and even then it is not 'concluded'
I think it is pretty clear that this is a scam/protection racket that is skirting on the edge of legality. Anyway there are so many other reasons why you should be able to cancel

Finally Gilbridge if you have the time and inclination I would try to contact the 2nd person you spoke and to get them to research the DSR's a bit more. I have to say I also find it very confusing and have found this whole experience very stressful

and here
Interesting reading from the ' short guide for business on distance selling'
http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/bus...ral/oft913.pdf
Page 9
Different rules apply to services where the consumer agrees that the service starts before the usual cancellation period expires. These are:
•    where you have supplied the required durable information before the service starts and the consumer agrees to the service starting before the end of the usual cancellation period, their cancellation rights will end when performance of the service starts
•    if the consumer agrees that the service can start before the usual cancellation period ends, but you do not provide the required written information until after the service has started but in time for it still to be useful, cancellation rights will last for seven working days after the day the consumer receives the information. But if you finish providing the service within seven working days after the day the consumer receives the required durable information, cancellation rights will end on the day of completion, or
•    if you do not provide the required durable information at all, your consumer’s right to cancel ends after three months and seven working days counting from the day after the day on which the contract was concluded. This applies whether or not the consumer agrees that you can start the service before the cancellation period ends.

from here it is clear that as they don't provide the info required at the time of going through the sign up procedure online and only when you receive the pack you definitely have 7 working days after you receive that pack to cancel

Explanation of a durable medium here
http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/bus...ral/oft698.pdf
paragraph 1.6

Durable medium is not defined in the DSRs. Our view is that it means a form in which information can be retained and reproduced but cannot be edited, such as an email that can be printed or a letter, fax or brochure that can be kept for future reference. We do not consider that information on a website is durable as it can be changed at any time after the consumer has accessed it. Technological advances may change what we regard as durable in the future.

Thanks Nan - I was about to post the same reply myself. Wonder why I have rattled Mr Ir...sorry "Kasm" so much that he makes such a personal attack on me. Hmmmm!

Kasm, your simplistic views and obvious lack of retention when reading undermine your 'case'.
I'm afraid you are the one being rude, Lizzie has only ever been informative and supportive to those deserving of her input - have you not understood the previous posts? I think perhaps it's you who could be accused of introducing the playground element.

Lizzie - apologies, I was so incensed by this post that it's only now I've calmed down enough to give a reasonable response!

No need for apologies - just love your reply to Kasm!! Seriously, as someone has suggested, I find it very odd that the sort of posts we've been getting on the last couple of pages seem to occur all at once, especially when we seem to be getting somewhere, as if its being orchestrated by one person. Probably all posted by that one person too.
By the way, did I tell you that Mr Irvine said 'that's wrong' when I quoted from the DSR?!!

Columbo that is brilliant research, I must admit I hit brick walls constantly, you've done incredibly well!! I hope you'll submit this to the relevant authorities - and how about Penman and Sommerladd at the Daily Mirror? As  you obviously know they've already featured them a couple of years ago and I'm sure would like to know that they're back in business!
They've taken up a case we're involved with on another thread on this site (SatLite/Sampora)

https://whocallsme.com/Phone-Number.aspx/08442490999/18  ..... (Link to our other battle!)

The two companies appeared to get remakably active at the same time, there has to be a link somewhere with data leakage which could be at the heart of the problem with all of these scams - but I do tend to get paranoid at times!