Can Press Marketing SL Operating in Tenerife

[mikesbox60]

Can Press Marketing and the pitfalls of Holiday Clubs

During a recent short holiday to Tenerife, my wife and were stopped on a number of occasions by (mainly attractive and British) young women offering us a �free� scratch card. We managed to resist these until one morning we were approached right opposite our hotel. My wife was given a card first and whilst she rubbed the coating off to reveal that she had won a free t-shirt that she could pick up at the airport on departure, the women had gleaned some vital information! She had established that we were both in full-time employment and what we did, that we used and had a credit card with us and that we were house owners. On reflection I suspect that this information determined the type of scratch card which was then given to me which revealed a �star prize� which had to be collected from the office there and then. A taxi was summonsed to take us there. I wonder if I had been a financial advisor or reporter or if we had both been unemployed if I would have won a t-shirt!!
We were met and subjected to a presentation which we were told would last at least an hour and eventually lasted over two and a half hours before being presented with the prize. This would either be 100 euros, a camcorder, an exotic holiday or 1000 euros. However this was not until seeing if we had won another prize! If the numbers on our credit card matched those on a card we were shown we would have won a cash prize. How better way could they check what credit cards we had and ensure that we had the means with us to pay the deposit that we would be asked for later
After the presentation we were invited/persuaded to sign up for a holiday club with Club Class Holidays and advised of a cash back scheme whereby after 49 months we would receive back virtually all our initial investment. One of those stories that sound too good to be true, I hear you say, and yes on reflection we decided that it probably was. But I was persuaded to part with a deposit (via my credit card) of �1,950 and sign up. More fool me I hear you say! The total cost would be �6,400.
I then scratched of the panel on my scratch card to reveal that I had won the exotic holiday. But all is not what it seems, the locations are nice but hardly exotic and guess what it is subject to attending a presentation whilst there with the hope that you will sign up for something else I guess
On return from my holiday I decided to try to find out more about Can Press Marketing S.L. We had been dealt with by at least 5 different people none of whom had revealed their full name and there were no names of directors or any individual on any of the correspondence or documents received at the time or since. A search of the internet revealed nothing. After a while I discovered the web site www.timeshare.org.uk where I found a helpful section on Holiday clubs, which also listed Club Class Holidays (part of Leisure Alliance) and Reclaim Ltd who operate the cashback scheme. Needless to say this reinforced my fears and I immediately commenced steps to cancel the contract, following the advice on the website.
Can Press responded by saying that I was outside the 7 day period for cancellation as stated in the contract. However I was thankfully within the 10 day �claw back� period under the code operated by credit card companies and they have been extremely helpful in this matter.
I would add that I have nothing against Club Class Holidays; I am unable to comment on way or another. But if the information on the www.timeshare.org.uk site is right then only a very small amount of what you pay actually pays for the produce, probably as little as 10% which is the very thing Can Press said about conventional tour operators of in the first place!
I would be interested to know of others who have had similar experiences especially with Can Press Marketing S.L. who operate out of Playa De Las Americas, Tenerife.
If you have got yourself into such a situation act now and consult your solicitor.

[miniman40]

I was also sucked in by can press in tenerife, and i am in the process of trying to get my deposit back, they have said they would refund me my money but i will have to see in the next few days, i will let you no how i get on.
miniman40

[Lisap]

:pale:

My experience has been the same as the first guy's. My husband and I were accosted in the street by the beach in Playa de las Americas, Tenerife and subjected to a long sales pitch which sounded very convincing. I was dubious and had trouble understanding their logic and really thought it was too good to be true, but my husband felt more comfortable with it.

We are members of Club Class holidays now and although we've only used them once, We have no complaints. However, despite being promised huge discounts compared to the travel agents which is probably true, you can get the same discounts by purchasing holidays from the internet without having to fork out �5000 to join a club.

We've been told we have to cash in a voucher to retrieve our initial investment back which we won't be able to do until 2006/7.

If anyone has any good news to tell me, I'd love to hear it.

Many thanks.

Lisa

[shothru]

Much the same story as miniman but never had internet nous.Took three months just to get CLUBCLASS membership thro,still awaiting RECLAIM CERT SIX MONTHS LATER.Ijust hope we can get some use from CLUBCLASS membership.SO YOUVE BEEN WARNED!If any one has any advise would love to hear.

[billy123]

i to was conned into this club class holiday deals in los americanos in 2000. but i am now writing to inform you all that 7 years later they are still trying to scam money out of me. today i was rung by a club class agent who informed me i could sell my contract to a couple waiting to pay me �3,500. sounds good, but i had to send �750 (although when i disagreed the amount went down to �400) into a secure account until they recieved all my documents. then i would reembursed with the �400 and recieve the �3,500. suprisingly i declined this very nice offer and rang club class who knew nothing of these deals. so please, dont think you are free from these disgusting people but be aware they can spring up at any time!!!!!!!!

[bolton]

We where approached in street like everbody else and we parted with �2000. We did not pay the balance and we did nothing about it, put it down to our stupidity. Out of the blue 4yrs later we got a phone call from a company in spain offering to get our money back,it will cost us �138 for accomadation plus the cost of the flight.The spanish government are subsidising the accomadation how do we know this is not another SCAM

[holhopefull]

Yes I too fell for holiday ownership deal! Club la costa in 2003. They spent all day waiting for happy holidaymakers to leave their hotels before pouncing. scratch cards, presentations and some lovely holidays but mostly a rip off. �3600 trial membership 5 weeks hol plus fee of �150 for 2 room app each week of your choice to take world wide in 2 years, plus prelude week in gold crown apartment in tenerife and free holiday! We had prelude week, very nice accomodation, free hard sell breakfast on first morning. week of our choice costa del sol october gold crown appt. unable to get hols we wanted for several months after that. booked up years in advance apparantly! pity they did not tell us that before we paid for trial membership!! Next time we were off to Bali, Jimbaran Hills, paid �300 and then flights and transfers as well as the 2 weeks allocation from the original cost. web site looked heaven. Reality was basic room in run down resort in middle of no where. luckily we had been to Bali year before and knew lovely hotel Melia in nusa dua. We got taxi straight there and had beautiful holiday. Club la costa did not refund our money nor our weeks. in fact they took the word of the hotel manager over us. She was a blattant liar, not worth going into detail. tried getting any holidays to gold crown appts to use our remaining weeks. none available. Gave one of weeks to friends to stay in Duchally in scotland, lovely place. let last week slip by. free hol was �30 each person for flight admin. paid for 6 gave my choice of 5 dates and chose tenerife. was allocated mainland spain in november. did not want and did not get refund. costly lesson. prelude week free, one other good holiday and one given away, rest non existant.

Wonder what holiday I would have gotten for �3600 plus the charge of �150 in del sol (we also paid flights ect) flights to prelude week, Bali �300, �150 in scotland and �180 for flight admin for free hol that did not happen? very expensive holiday in costa del sol! and free week for friend in scotland. Am off to tenerife again next week ticket touts beware!!! am not staying at club la costa

[Caught by Club Class]

Similar story here. Paid approx �2000 deposit to Can Press back in 2004, plus another �6500 on return to UK for Club Class sapphire membership on basis that �10,000 would be refunded in 51 months. No certificate was ever issued, and I understand Can Press have gone bust.

3 weeks ago was contacted by a company who said they could get my money back in similar circumstances aas others. Info was to be sent out ASAP but never arrived.

Went to Club Class in Mijas last week to try to resolve the issue.
They said Can Press was gone, contacted Reclaim on my behalf, and were told that Can Press never paid them, no certificate ever issued - money lost.
They did offer to trade in my existing membership, and upgrade to platinum concierge membership for an additional fee of �4500, on the promise that I would receive the toal �130000 investment back in 36 months, invested with another independant cashback company called "Cashback Euorpe". I agreed and paid.
I have since found out that Cashback Europe is not an independant and is another one of their companies, and will have little chance of getting any money back at all. I am currently negotiating with the credit card company to try get the recent �4500 back.
I will keep you posted.

[Caught by Club Class]

By the way, I should have added that Club Class say the company offering to get you money back through Reclaim if you go to Tenerife and pay a small fee, are a timeshare selling company, and a scam, not to get involved. If you were never issued with a Reclaim certificate, the chances are Can Press never paid them, so Reclaim will not pay out.

[holhopefull]

just arrived back from Tenerife, touts still catching people unawares. I saw several people being taken in by promises of free hols. Also 'winning ticket' and free stay in 5* new hotel was offered. Each tout swore blind that it was not time share. We were approached several times, refusal politely did not work, 'on way to airport' worked well. Sometimes had to be rude!!!!!