FreemanX - Terrible Service and Unfair Terms. Don't use them.

[drelly]

I just received a reply from Justin Croy at FreemanX and got the same tired response that I should have used my voucher earlier and they are happy to extend the expiration...

As mentioned previously, this experience was sailing each day right through until the end of April. Whilst it is unfortunate that you had not tried to redeem your voucher until May when the season had ended for the winter, I am happy to extend your voucher at no charge so you have the opportunity to complete this trip as any stage during the new season ahead.

[drelly]

Oh, I just came across this little gem too... http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/indu...oucher-holders
Looks like it's not the first time Eddie Freeman has upset his customers.

No refund for Total Experience voucher holders
The remaining assets of liquidated voucher company Total Experience have been bought, but hopes that angry voucher holders will get their money back from the company have been extinguished.

Freeman X managing director Eddie Freeman did not respond to requests for comment.

Total Experience, which offered gift vouchers for adventure and leisure activities such as ballooning and skydiving, collapsed last month leaving many customers unable to get the activity they paid for.

A report prepared by Total Experience's liquidator identifies $1,179,278 owing to unsecured creditors but liquidator Paul Sargison said the 1165 unredeemed vouchers represent only $244,679 of that sum.

Sargison suggested voucher holders approach their credit card companies to reverse any payments made to Total Experience.

[Maccachic]

Wow I can't believe someone like that is allowed to just start right back up again without having to pay out previous creditors.

[Perry]

Word-Smithing?

I just received a reply from Justin Croy at FreemanX and got the same tired response that I should have used my voucher earlier and they are happy to extend the expiration...

As mentioned previously, this experience was sailing each day right through until the end of April. Whilst it is unfortunate that you had not tried to redeem your voucher until May when the season had ended for the winter, I am happy to extend your voucher at no charge so you have the opportunity to complete this trip as any stage during the new season ahead.

Isn't there something amiss with that, Drelly? The implication is
that you sought to use the voucher after the voucher validity
period had ended - even though the item you've quoted does
say that it's to do with the 'season.'

That seems to put them in the position of offering a voucher
validity period that exceeds the season during which the service
provider operates.

Or have I missed something important?

[drelly]

Isn't there something amiss with that, Drelly? The implication is
that you sought to use the voucher after the voucher validity
period had ended - even though the item you've quoted does
say that it's to do with the 'season.'

That seems to put them in the position of offering a voucher
validity period that exceeds the season during which the service
provider operates.

Or have I missed something important?

No you didn't miss anything. We tried to use the voucher within the period it covered but the boat is unavailable to the public for several months a year, so we couldn't use it when we tried to redeem the voucher. FreemanX continue to offer the vouchers year-round regardless. Justic Croy from FreemanX said that we should have used the voucher earlier than we did but that's not the point. We were unable to use it during the whole period it was valid for.

I have some other plan in the works and will update you if it pans out

[revdev]

Companies like this live and die by recommendations and reviews. It's not like they have designed a piece of new technology - they are just a reseller of an exisiting product. After that it is just marketing, marketing and more marketing.

And that is where Drelly can seriously undermine them if he wishes.

[drelly]

VICTORY IS MINE!

FreemanX were not going to play ball, no matter how many bad reviews I posted on them. Pretty stupid, as I'm sure all those reviews will cost them far more money than they would have lost by refunding me.

I read about another disgruntled FreemanX customer who was able to get a refund from complaining to his credit card company. I did the same and spoke to the BNZ disputes team. They're only concerned with whether or not I got what I paid for. The emails FreemanX sent me showed I didn't and so I was refunded.

I think I got up to about 30 bad reviews before I got my money back. That's not counting the ones they removed from their facebook page Nice to see that this thread and another page I created rank on the first page of results for a "FreemanX" search. Also my "1 star" review on Finda.

[Perry]

So, how long between the CC payment and the refund?
(To show how long the claw-back reach can be)

[Xav]

Good job Drelly. I am also interested in the answer to Perry's question. I have heard of people doing that before and wondered what the maximum timeframe is. One reason to use a credit card to pay I guess.

[drelly]

Normally it's 60 days but our payments were in December and January. There wasn't an issue until we tried to use the vouchers in May, so that's probably why they would still consider it.

[spaceman]

You didn't say you paid by CC in the first post .....if you did I would of said just got to the CC company and get a refund....... admittedly I should of thought of it by myself earlier...my bad.

As for time limits....I'm really not sure there is one. They might say that 60 days is normal, but obviously if you pay for something well in advance 60 days could well and truly come and gone before you know there is a problem.

I have had a bogus charge reversed from a rental car company more than 6 months after the charge. In the end you are the customer of the CC company and if you tell them that you haven't be given what you've paid for they're pretty much obligated to give you your money back and let the vendor sort it out if he feels hard done by.

Cheers
Spaceman

[drelly]

You didn't say you paid by CC in the first post .....if you did I would of said just got to the CC company and get a refund....... admittedly I should of thought of it by myself earlier...my bad.

Yeah I smacked my forehead when I read it as I've done it before too and should have just done that in the first place.