Brett Caravans scam website warning

Already looked on Google Earth

Small shop front office for a financial services type operation.

Very cleverly done, to me it looks like Andrew L Brett is a real person that actually started up business in 2002 in that locale and perhaps stopped trading without winding up the company or declaring it dormant. Now that companies house filing is on-line, possibly the company name and history has been hijacked, only a guess.

It looks like the domain was first registered in June this year. 

I suspect it's a hijacked company 

Even a regular caravanner was fooled by this. I'm a newbie and sent the information to a friend of mine who has been on the circuit for years. His reply was "I've only ever heard good reports".

So despite a little voice in my head saying be wary I proceeded, as this friend continued to urge me to do so. I don't blame him in any way, he was acting in good faith.

Life is full of lessons and this is financially the most expensive one I've made.

Hi everyone,

I've forwarded this discussion to my colleagues at the Club and can confirm:

·         They are not an Approved Workshop, and the Approved Workshop Scheme has been alerted to take action to stop them claiming that they are.

·         They have no affiliation with ourselves, and thus should not be using our logo on their website. We will be taking action to stop them doing so.

·         They have had no involvement with any of the competitions and awards of ours which are listed on their website, and should not be using those references. We will be taking action to stop them doing so.

We have had concerns raised about the accuracy of the stock listings on their website, and about their business practices. These matters are issues for their local Trading Standards office to take up, but we are looking into the concerns which have been raised by members, and will pass any relevant information on the appropriate authorities.

Hi everyone,

Club members may wish to note that the Brett Caravans website appears to be down at present. We can’t be sure that it won’t reappear (in the same or similar form), so we’ll be keeping watch for this, and would appreciate any updates from members who spot anything like this which raises concerns.

The Club raised concerns over Brett Caravans with Trading Standards (via Citizens Advice) and with the police ActionFraud service. We know that other individuals and organisations did so too, and hopefully these efforts are why the website seems to have disappeared.

For those who didn’t see the website while it was live, although it superficially appeared to portray a typical caravan and motorhome dealership, the stock listed was advertised at significantly below normal market prices. Our investigations showed that many if not all of the images and descriptions of the caravans and motorhomes advertised appeared on other dealer websites or private advertisements (at normal prices). The images of the dealership, its facilities and staff were copied from another well-established company, with company logos removed and names changed. It proved impossible for us to find a trading address (as opposed to registered office) for the business.

We have contacted the dealership from whom many of the ‘Brett’ images were taken and have confirmed that they had no involvement with Brett Caravans whatsoever. Understandably, they have asked us not to associate their name with this operation, however, and we would ask that Club members respect that wish too.

As general advice for anyone looking to buy a caravan or motorhome, always be cautious of deals which appear almost too good to be true. Be sceptical of any requests to pay a cash deposit to secure a vehicle you haven’t seen. If you must pay a deposit, use a credit card for at least some of the cost – that secures you ‘Section 75’ protection should you lose your money, meaning you can claim from the card company for the full amount paid (not just the amount put on the card) up to £30,000. Check the seller’s actual possession and legitimate ownership of the vehicle before making full payment. While everyone likes to get a good deal, never get carried away by the chance of an apparent bargain. There will always be the opportunity to buy something else should you miss out through being cautious.

Good luck Sandy, I wish you all the best. I hope Karma comes for the person/s behind the scam, they deserve everything they get.