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DirectLoans UK Ltd purport to offer franchises to consultants to sign up prospective customers for loans. They claim to have their own underwriters and financial providers.
They charge an initial £2500.00 for a Regional franchise with a second £2500.00 becoming due after 6 months. The contract states they will provide training and full advertising throughout the Francise region for the first 3 months. They state they will rpovide all leads, pre-qualified through Equifax and the Franschisee's role is to make appointments and complete the application for loans in the customers' home.
I met the Directors, Mr Steve Halsey and Mr Russell Ross. I undertook due diligence, having called 3 "franchisees" provided by Mr Halsey.
I paid the initial £2500.00 in September 2009. I have received no advertising and no training. I have not received one call for an appointment and now Mr Halsey and Mr Russell will not return my phone calls or emails.
This is a complete scam and I would warn people not to get involved and to call the police.
Mr Halsey's mobile number is [protected].
I too was scammed by these rogues.
DO NOT GET INVOLVED WITH DIRECTLOANS UK. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE ANYTHING FOR YOUR MONEY.
The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.
I was contacted by a Steven Mckay to supposedly be a mystery shopper. I had to make a formal presentation to be considered for this job and salary was negotiable. The site never asked for money but sent ame a check to cover the expenses for list of establishments I was to visit. Stupid me I deposited the check into my bank account and, you guessed it, it was counterfeit and now my bank account is in disaray. And there are possible fraud charges to be instituted. I have sent the bank all of the e-mails but is there something else I can do?
"Hi, my name is David Walker.
I am a senior manager within the customer service department at Loans Direct UK. I am sorry that some of you appear to have had some issues contacting us to discuss the membership fees.
We have a full refund policy for any customers who wish to cancel their membership if they feel the membership they signed up is not for them.
Myself and my team are available to speak to via phone between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday in [protected] or alternatively drop us an email with your details to Customer-help@loansdirectuk.net
We have a team of highly trained advisors waiting to take your call or email and discuss any aspect of your membership."
The Sheffield Police are coming to see me see me in Bournemouth, 12 October. I understand that the " Directors " are professing to have been unlucky in Business ?
they did not think we would have the balls to chase them for our money
May they continue to be unlucky !
Peter Bournemouth
Could Susan advise the new address of Direct Loans UK Ltd, their landline telephone number and the mobile numbers for the Directors ? Could you explain why the Company Secretary resigned a few days after cashing our cheques and nobody answers the telephones.
Could you please explain why those persons who were used for references immediately ceased answering their telephones ?
Why do the Directors not answer their Mobile Phones and our Recorded Delivery Letters to the Office are being returned ?
Why has it been necessary for a recent letter from Director R Ross written on Headed Note Paper with an address that they left in October ?
Please stop insulting our intelligence !
Susan,
I joined some weeks after you with 2 franchises. The important questions to ask are:-
1)Where was your franchise?
2)What Newspaper Group was it?
3)Did you ever have any cases actually written, by Direct Loans or any other finance company?
4)Or as I suspect you will have received a token amount of £50 payments? (For ones that were referred?)
I knew within 6 weeks that I was being taken for a ride, they did not know that the newspaper group my local Paper was in, was incredibly expensive and they had to reduce the advert because they could not afford 12 weeks worth.
They paid me £400 for 8 leads, twice for the same one! They had 32 cases from me, 24 self generated, as the advertising was a complete waste of time----although I suspect they were helping themselves to some of the leads as, strangely, I got 2 on the first day and 3 all in one day some 6 weeks later, after I started to make waves.
For me it is the fact they have not paid any rent which shows it was a scam, elaborate at the beginning to suck people in but then hitting all the new franchisees from about October onwards.
Halsey has previous for this type of thing, about 10 years ago, using "clients monies" to fund a loan company, the full report is on the FSA website.Or just put Steve Halsey Sheffield into Google.
MICK FARR Stoke on Trent and Cheshire Areas.
I was a franchisee and joined in april 2009, i must say i disagree. The company did exactly what they said they would do, they paid for 12 weeks advertising, gave me training, and all my stationary etc.
They never promised what level of enquiries i would receive, and although these were disapointing, they did give me ideas to increase my business levels.
It seems to me that everybody is jumping on the" band waggon" and slagging the company off, at the end of the day we all signed the franchise agreement and agreed their terms.
susan [protected]
I was also conned, i paid £2500 for the Nottingham area and like all received very little, (3 leads in 3 months) Like all no return of phone calls etc but I have found Russell Ross lives at
11 WEBBS AVENUE
STANNINGTON
SHEFFIELD S6 6AV
would like to know what the police responce has been
mick poucher
mick.poucher@btopenworld.com
I must agree with the general consensus regarding Russell Ross and Stephen Halsey. I also paid franchise fees in November and unfortunately introduced a colleague at the same time who also paid fees, and have ended up in the same situation as everyone else except Dennis Hornsby, ( who following same phone calls to the alleged operation was given the same response. ie never heard of him, fed up of receiving calls of the same content).
We too have tried numerous ways to contact the elusive duo with no response.
I would suggest that if anyone is interested collective legal action is taken against them as individuals.
Anyone interested in this course of action can contact me at citysocial@hotmail.co.uk
go for the throats of these guys...they are lucky as if it happened to me i would hunt you down and wait and wait until the time was right with no one esle around...good luck all
Direct Loans (UK) Ltd set up business trading from Unit 16 Neepsend Triangle on Burton Road in Sheffield. I know because I leased the unit to them. They agreed a 5 year lease and set up what appeared to be a professional operation. Between 16 February 2009 and 30 November 2009 they incurred debts to the landlord of £9, 111.50. Despite this they paid £524.22. They ceased trading from the premises in October 2009 without informing the landlord. Steps are now being taken to recover the arrears from two of the directors who gave personal guarantees to the lease.
I now understand that the landlord of their current premises is experiencing similar problems regarding unpaid bills.
Given the above I will leave people to make their own mind up about the intentions of the company.
Further to the my previous comments.
Dennis, I have just phoned 'your number'. They, are a totally seperate Company and have never heard of you. They are fed up receiving calls. They are investigating the matter. They have warned me to beware as it seems like its a scam.
Ohhhhhh I just wonder who 'Dennis' really is...over to the 'dynamic duo?'
Dennis,
I find your comments very interesting. Would you like to give the contact telephone numbers where applications are being processed? Would you like to give us contact numbers for the aforementioned scammers? You must have a different route to 'them' . None of us can get any form of contact at all via phone, letter or email. Would you also be so kind to give us the number of applications that you had accepted by Directloans themselves? In 'our defense' we get no contact at all so how on earth can you expect us to consider these to be a professional reputable company? Also how can a company that has nil access to be contacted and sent out a mickey mouse letter stating that they are experiencing difficulties and I am aware that they are still trying to attract further 'mugs' to part with money...in fact I am aware that they have apparentely sold 2 new areas as recently as nov/dec 2009.
By the way...just who are Alison, Geoff and four others? Trainers? Can you give us their contact numbers? Oh, they cannot be trainers as I dont think that training was undertaking as far as I am aware. Did it mention training in the contracts? Ermmm...yes apparently so. Oh well.
This IS one massive scam!...but I await your reply with baited breath.
Could woodshole and marstonp please contact me via email peter.gerald.tubbs@googlemail.com.
Thanks,
Peter
TO... DENNIS HORNSBY
GET YOUR HEAD FROM OUT-OF-YOUR-###...THIS IS A DEFFO SCAM!
All,
To add some balance to this complaint. We've been successfully running our North East Franchise for the past 6 months. I received training with both Alison, Geoff and 4 others. My colleagues and I have no complaints with the service from Direct Loans UK and we have completed on approximately 45 loans since we started.
The comments directed towards this company are not a reflection of all of us who work for the company. My colleagues and I are very concerned that these accusations are allowed to be published without any factual basis and are only opinions of a few like minded individuals.
This could affect our business if such negativity is allowed to be published without a full investigation taking place.
Best Regards,
Dennis Hornsby
North East Franchise
Direct Online Loans UK
[protected]
[protected]
I think that it is fair to say that these two rogues posing as businessmen will and are going to get their cumuppence. I am now going to the Police, contacting the FSA, contacting the Office of Fair Trading and going to take them both on as INDIVIDUALS. THEY HAVE OBTAINED OUR FUNDS BY DECEPTION AND THUS ARE LIABLE AS INDIVIDUALS. DO NOT BE PUT OFF BY THE 'LTD COMPANY'. THEY WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS. ROGUES LIKE THESE TWO THINK THEY ARE CLEVER. MAYBE THEY HAD A GREAT CHRISTMAS LUNCH. I HOPE THEY ENJOYED IT.
In response to comments from Steve and Russell. How can you say you have been running a successful company for over a year. Your date of incorporation in companies house was the 16th December 2008 and I have been a franchisee since July 09 and the level of income generated since that time has certainly not been successful and falls way short of the level indicated in your franchise brochure. You have not delivered what was promised i.e. training, local advertising. National advertising has only recently transpired briefly from November. Communication from you both has been poor and perhaps if you had your time dedicated to building your business as opposed to running around the country together meeting with new prospective franchisees then you wouldn't find yourselves in the position you are in. It is a pity that you have had to respond to a complaints forum rather than just being honest with us.
THIS IS TO STEVE AND RUSSELL
I have been alerted to this page as the only one you seem to be responding to .
I only mmet you about six weeks ago, and paid you 2500 four weeks ago . The money was all i had got from my divorce and i could well do with it now . I had just buried my father on 16 nov and if i had not been so vunrable would have thought a lot harder about all this, Y ou seem nice enough guys and i trusted you, you gave me two franchaises to get ref alison nottingham and geoff in manchester, who since they gave me the ref i have not been able to contact since ! I took this on as afresh start for me now on my own and a way to earn some money . i have also rented a house on strength of it . You have made me feel a complete fool and put me in a very difficult situation .
I can not understand why you lied to me and said for the last two weeks you were going to advertise and have not done so ?
Why did you take my money four weeks ago when you knew you should not, ? Why have you not responed to me with the truth ?
I ask you to please e mail me promptly to tell me if my franchaise is ever going to get going, which of course i would still like to do or are you going to refund my money ?
Please can i some honesty and upfront reply,
thank you regards janet norfolk...
This is Steve and Russell from Direct Loans
The Franchise is not a "scam" we have operated the company successfully for over a year with considerable input of personal finance from both of us.All franchisees that signed an agreement have received what we promised, business cards, stationary and advertising both locally and nationally.
Unfortunately in a number of cases the advertising campaigns have not worked and this has resulted in the company currently experiencing financial difficulties, and this has forced us to leave the office temporarily unmanned.
We are in the process of writting to all franchisees to update them of the current situation, and ask them to bear with us through these difficult times.
Does anyone want to get in touch? Please email peter.gerald.tubbs@gmail.com or post comment with contact details.
Followed the same pattern myself in November and to date more or less the same complaints as everyone else, i.e. no telephone communication but my cheque was cashed. Just obviously a con! Recommend getting in touch with the police as I have.
I took out my franchise in July 2009 and have also been disappointed by the lack of advertising from this company and the lack of leads generated. They also did not deliver on the training which was promised in the contract. Since taking out the franchise I have had only a handful of leads and trying to get some feedback on these has been near impossible - I was told that there would be an online tracking system to get updates on the leads submitted but this has never transpired. More recently they moved premises and changed telephone numbers without any prior communication to their franchisees which I find hard to believe. Now I simply cannot get a response on e-mail or by telephone to the Office/Directors.