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Post by EDWARD TANNER on Sept 23, 2004 16:00:09 GMT
I live in Aldershot and today received a notification from the aboove saying I had won £10,000 and would receive it once I had sent an order for £25 or more.
Luckilly I decided to look them up on the web and found the Daily Mail warning - so beware they are at it again.
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Post by Kevin Harrington on Nov 6, 2004 20:46:10 GMT
Verdict on TV Direct Distribution court case expected soon.
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Post by Kevin Harrington on Dec 17, 2004 15:37:14 GMT
OFT wins landmark mail-order case
The UK's trading watchdog has won a landmark court case against a Belgian mail-order firm.
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) was able to pursue the case in a foreign court, thanks to new cross-border powers.
The Belgian firm now faces a fine of 25,000 euros (£17,264) if it continues to send mailings, the court has ruled.
Hundreds of Britons had parted with money in the mistaken belief that they had won a £10,000 prize.
Recipients of letters from TV Direct Distribution and Just 4 You, the UK trading names of Belgian firm D Duchesne SA, were told they could claim their cash prize if they bought a small appliance from the catalogue.
This is a ground-breaking court action
John Vickers, OFT chairman
But the small print made clear that they would not win any money but would instead be entered into a prize draw.
The OFT claimed that D Duchesne SA's prize notifications were misleading and induced consumers to purchase its products.
About one million mailings a month were sent to UK consumers, with D Duchesne SA receiving 4,000 orders a day from its TV Direct Distribution and Just 4 You catalogues.
Welcoming the judgment, John Vickers, OFT Chairman, said: "This is a ground-breaking court action. Consumers in the UK are increasingly being targeted from abroad and this case demonstrates the OFT's commitment to using its cross-border powers to protect the interests of consumers."
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Post by Kevin Harrington on Dec 17, 2004 22:16:13 GMT
Although the Guilty verdict is most welcome, the fine of €25,000 is a mere pittance compared with the money that the company has made over the years. More so, as they don't have to pay it as long as they don't repeat the mailings!
Imagine being stopped for speeding, getting the ticket, but the police officer saying that you don't have to pay it if you don't speed again!
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Post by Kevin Harrington on Sept 28, 2005 14:27:51 GMT
The same company, now trading as Biotonic is still operating, using the same methods as TV Direct Distribution. It was feature on the BBC programme Watchdog last night.
A man was sent a worthless "cheque", and was asked for his photograph, which he sent. It was later used in another brochure, where he was described as a winner!
The company was tracked down to a Paris address, but the reporter was stopped from entering by determined security personel.
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