HIGHWAY ROBBERY
(Major addendum at page bottom)
(See also the November 2020 story "Fraud Squad Investigates Motorhome Company Crash": fraud-squad-investigates-motorhome-company-crash)
I suffered a massive cost blowout when I hired a campervan in England from Unbeatablehire Ltd (unbeatablehire.com) through its subsidiary Hire Booking Centre Ltd (hirebookingcentre.com).
A series of bills blew the cost out from the original price of £488 to £693.55 - an increase of £205.55 - more than 40%.
In addition, the company took £1250 from my credit card as a returnable deposit against damage and insurance claims and failed to return my money in reasonable time when I returned my campervan in pristine condition and without having had any accidents, despite two emails requesting repayment.
And it charged me another £30 as an administration fee to take the £1250 from my account.
If you obtain what appears to be a cheap quote from Unbeatablehire be aware the company boasted in 2013 to would-be investors that it took an average of £1,193 on each hire.
Dozens of people have made complaints about the companies and their former incarnations as Motorholme Ltd and Motorholme Hire Ltd. In fact, the name Motorholme Force is still used on some forms and motorholme.co.uk is still used by the companies on the Internet to solicit bookings.
On September 21 2012 The Guardian carried a complaint from someone who had received a quote of £897 plus £12.50 a day for insurance from Motorholme "but the company then took another £331 for an insurance surcharge not covered in the original conversation".
On complaintsboard.com "VAB1234" wrote on April 21 2015 of having been charged £75 plus an administration fee for six hours cleaning for a muddy floor.
"Sonjet" from Fife, Scotland, wrote on November 3 2012 his total hire charge had been £558 but the total pre-hire payment had been £1,949.61.
"Genniem" wrote on November 12 2015: "We returned our van immaculate and with the required amount of petrol." He said it was not until several weeks later the returnable deposit was returned minus over £40 - "apparently for 10 litres of petrol".
Kris Watson wrote on March 1 2016 of a returnable deposit: "I've been chasing them for 13 weeks now and they will not respond to emails, phone messages nor live chat."
"Nomis3" from Durham reported on July 20, 2015 of the battle to retrieve the refundable deposit: "We had to ring up every day to chase it up and when they did put a payment in it was £60 short."
TripAdvisor has similar complaints.
"Hazel94" wrote on August 8 2013: "They take a £1250 deposit for a week's hire and return it four weeks after the vehicle is safely returned. You have to threaten them with a bank investigation to suddenly get it back six days after they say they have returned it."
"TheGrebes" from Auckland said on August 30 2013 complained of heaps of hidden fees. "I had to wait 45 days for my security refund" - minus a £45 fee.
It cost "Wanderingstarlet" from the midlands £9.80 for a toilet roll that was taken from the company's toilet pack, according to a complaint on May 29 2013.
There are dozens more complaints.
It's not just renters who are outraged. The company invites motorhome owners to use it as a booking agency. "Sealover71" told TripAdvisor on June 27 2014: "As a motorhome owner who wanted to rent our vehicle out we had an awful experience with Motorholme."
And "InHudson1945" told Reviewcentre.com on June 9 2014: "this company used my motorhome for several hires...I had to wait several months for payments despite them saying it would be paid straight after a hire."
Believe it or not, there are good reviews.
But reviewcentre.com says it understands Hire Booking Centre and Unbeatable Hire(sic) have requested positive reviews in exchange for £30 Amazon vouchers.
This is confirmed by a review on complaintsboard.com by "PEH1962" on April 21 2016. He revealed he had been offered £30 Amazon vouchers as an inducement by UnbeatableHire. He says the company told him: "All you have to do is provide either a four star or five star review on www.reviewcentre.com." He added: "To my mind that's a bribe."
My own rental started with a hire charge of £488 but this was soured by a booking fee of £9 and a processing fee of £11.93.
A bedding and towel pack cost £49 plus an "administration arrangement fee" of £9.
At this stage I received a receipt with the notification: "Balance to pay £0.00"
With the holiday fast approaching and commitments to meet, I was the hit with a bill of £70 for a driver insurance surcharge. To add insult to injury, this was accompanied by a demand for insurance VAT of £14 plus a driver insurance surcharge administration fee of £9.
I was told the payment had to be made because I had a foreign driving licence. But I have hired many vehicles in the UK and elsewhere overseas and such a surcharge has never been necessary. I twice emailed the company asking for a copy of the policy and the name of the insurance company as proof of purchase but did not receive the information.
Then came the demand for an "insurance excess deposit of £1,000 and a "security deposit" of £250. The total outlay from my credit card was nearly £2000.
When the company refused to return my money after the hire despite two emails from me I emailed the company saying I would charge it £100 a day for retaining my £1,000 and £25 a day for the £250. The company told me that under its terms and conditions I had agreed to it retaining the £1,000 for at least 28 days. But the company hadn't read its own small print. That proviso only related to the £250. When I pointed this out I immediately received all my cash back.
I imagine the company will be changing its terms and conditions as a result but meanwhile, if the company is refusing to return your money, it may be worth doing the same. Money Claim Online is the next step.
What might have happened if I had decided to cancel my booking instead of paying these extra fees? The small print warns: "...the total hire charge may be forfeited."
The Guardian reported on March 12 2012 that when a customer had cancelled his hire when faced with the £1,250 payment the company had refused to repay a deposit of £250.
The company's timetable for returning the £1,250 to customers suggests the company will be profiting from their cash for about two months
Is it any wonder with these sorts of charges that the driving force behind these companies, Andrew Hughes, aged 50, of Bourn, Cambridgeshire, can boast to would-be investors in Unbeatablehire that he guarantees "a tried, tested and trusted way to a 30% investment return".
The self-confessed Lamborghini lover says investors are enjoying £300 a month into their bank accounts in interest payments and £10,800 profit in three years for a £35,000 investment.
His scheme extends to motorhome owners who placed their vehicles with Motorholme. In a web advertisement he says: "Motorhome owners can earn an average £612 each time it goes out on hire."
But wait, there's more. The advert goes on to say a motorhome "could be earning you over £1,206 a week for nothing more than a little "cleaning work"
People hiring the motorhomes must be paying stupendous amounts of money to enable these profits.
In fact, an investment seminar in 2013 by Neville Young, of Unbeatable Invest (another of Andrew Hughes's creations), which can be seen on YouTube, reveals that Unbeatablehire Ltd takes an average of £1,193 per hire.
It might be wise to remember that figure if you obtain a quote from one of Mr Hughes's companies.
Who's who?
Andrew Hughes's address is given as Golders Farm, Fox Road, Bourn, Cambridgeshire, CB23 2TX.
Hughes's company secretary and logistics consultant Teresa Suzanne Parker, was appointed in 2011 "to secure the company's growth" after Hughes's wife, Victoria Anne Hughes, resigned. Ms Parker's address is Kilbies Cottage, 20 Old North Road, Longstowe, Cambridgeshire, CB23 2UB.
The business development manager is Catherine Smart who was appointed in April 2015.
Company details: Andrew Hughes and his wife Victoria Anne Hughes own all 1,000 shares in Unbeatablehire Ltd which was Motorholme Ltd until October 2012. (Note the superfluous 'l' in Motorholme.)
Unbeatablehire Ltd owns the only share in Hire Booking Centre Ltd which was Motorholme Hire Ltd until December 2014. The address for all these companies is Golders Farm.
Another previous company name was Medin Marketing Ltd.
Some phone numbers: Teresa Parker 01954 911748, 01954 748751 and 01223 911748; Andrew Hughes 01954 718750, 01223 911847 and 0778 995 0087.
Updated 2016: Company secretary - Karen Oakley 57 Broadmeadow, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3EB
Email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]
MARCH 2020
A reader contacted me to inform me that the companies were about to be relaunched as Vaaroom Ltd.
Research revealed that under Andrew Hughes' stewardship the companies had become insolvent and had entered administration through Antony Batty and Co.
Batty reported it had sold the Hire Booking Centre/UnbeatableHire website to a man named Alfred William (Alfie) Best for 5,000 pounds.
Best is the owner of Wyldecrest Parks which boasts it is
the UK’s largest park home operator with over 75 Residential and Holiday Parks conveniently located across England, Scotland & Wales. Being the largest park home operator in the UK means we can offer you many benefits like our relationship with Residential Park Home Manufacturers, a dedicated team of professionals with significant experience in the park home industry, very competitive pricing and much more.
I asked:: Were you aware of the many complaints about the conduct of HireBooking Centre and Unbeatable Hire before you bought the website? (Main complaints were that extra payments were demanded after clients had paid a deposit for what they believed was a final quote. And that large, returnable security deposits were not returned in reasonable time.)
No we were not aware; all we knew was that the company was in administration and we were approached to see if we would be interested in purchasing. We thought it would save many jobs and loss of money plus it was a good fit for our business. The company was owned and run by another individual and we could not comment on their actions and how they ran Unbeatable Hire.
Will Vaaroom be adopting a different policy in that when a price is quoted to potential customers it will be the final price?
Our policies will be set out very quickly on our website and of course, the final price will be the final price unless a customer requests something different.
If there is no damage to a motorhome when it is returned will returnable deposits be repaid in a reasonable time - say, within a week?
We can confirm that of course, if there is no damage to a vehicle, the deposit will be returned within a reasonable amount of time.
(Major addendum at page bottom)
(See also the November 2020 story "Fraud Squad Investigates Motorhome Company Crash": fraud-squad-investigates-motorhome-company-crash)
I suffered a massive cost blowout when I hired a campervan in England from Unbeatablehire Ltd (unbeatablehire.com) through its subsidiary Hire Booking Centre Ltd (hirebookingcentre.com).
A series of bills blew the cost out from the original price of £488 to £693.55 - an increase of £205.55 - more than 40%.
In addition, the company took £1250 from my credit card as a returnable deposit against damage and insurance claims and failed to return my money in reasonable time when I returned my campervan in pristine condition and without having had any accidents, despite two emails requesting repayment.
And it charged me another £30 as an administration fee to take the £1250 from my account.
If you obtain what appears to be a cheap quote from Unbeatablehire be aware the company boasted in 2013 to would-be investors that it took an average of £1,193 on each hire.
Dozens of people have made complaints about the companies and their former incarnations as Motorholme Ltd and Motorholme Hire Ltd. In fact, the name Motorholme Force is still used on some forms and motorholme.co.uk is still used by the companies on the Internet to solicit bookings.
On September 21 2012 The Guardian carried a complaint from someone who had received a quote of £897 plus £12.50 a day for insurance from Motorholme "but the company then took another £331 for an insurance surcharge not covered in the original conversation".
On complaintsboard.com "VAB1234" wrote on April 21 2015 of having been charged £75 plus an administration fee for six hours cleaning for a muddy floor.
"Sonjet" from Fife, Scotland, wrote on November 3 2012 his total hire charge had been £558 but the total pre-hire payment had been £1,949.61.
"Genniem" wrote on November 12 2015: "We returned our van immaculate and with the required amount of petrol." He said it was not until several weeks later the returnable deposit was returned minus over £40 - "apparently for 10 litres of petrol".
Kris Watson wrote on March 1 2016 of a returnable deposit: "I've been chasing them for 13 weeks now and they will not respond to emails, phone messages nor live chat."
"Nomis3" from Durham reported on July 20, 2015 of the battle to retrieve the refundable deposit: "We had to ring up every day to chase it up and when they did put a payment in it was £60 short."
TripAdvisor has similar complaints.
"Hazel94" wrote on August 8 2013: "They take a £1250 deposit for a week's hire and return it four weeks after the vehicle is safely returned. You have to threaten them with a bank investigation to suddenly get it back six days after they say they have returned it."
"TheGrebes" from Auckland said on August 30 2013 complained of heaps of hidden fees. "I had to wait 45 days for my security refund" - minus a £45 fee.
It cost "Wanderingstarlet" from the midlands £9.80 for a toilet roll that was taken from the company's toilet pack, according to a complaint on May 29 2013.
There are dozens more complaints.
It's not just renters who are outraged. The company invites motorhome owners to use it as a booking agency. "Sealover71" told TripAdvisor on June 27 2014: "As a motorhome owner who wanted to rent our vehicle out we had an awful experience with Motorholme."
And "InHudson1945" told Reviewcentre.com on June 9 2014: "this company used my motorhome for several hires...I had to wait several months for payments despite them saying it would be paid straight after a hire."
Believe it or not, there are good reviews.
But reviewcentre.com says it understands Hire Booking Centre and Unbeatable Hire(sic) have requested positive reviews in exchange for £30 Amazon vouchers.
This is confirmed by a review on complaintsboard.com by "PEH1962" on April 21 2016. He revealed he had been offered £30 Amazon vouchers as an inducement by UnbeatableHire. He says the company told him: "All you have to do is provide either a four star or five star review on www.reviewcentre.com." He added: "To my mind that's a bribe."
My own rental started with a hire charge of £488 but this was soured by a booking fee of £9 and a processing fee of £11.93.
A bedding and towel pack cost £49 plus an "administration arrangement fee" of £9.
At this stage I received a receipt with the notification: "Balance to pay £0.00"
With the holiday fast approaching and commitments to meet, I was the hit with a bill of £70 for a driver insurance surcharge. To add insult to injury, this was accompanied by a demand for insurance VAT of £14 plus a driver insurance surcharge administration fee of £9.
I was told the payment had to be made because I had a foreign driving licence. But I have hired many vehicles in the UK and elsewhere overseas and such a surcharge has never been necessary. I twice emailed the company asking for a copy of the policy and the name of the insurance company as proof of purchase but did not receive the information.
Then came the demand for an "insurance excess deposit of £1,000 and a "security deposit" of £250. The total outlay from my credit card was nearly £2000.
When the company refused to return my money after the hire despite two emails from me I emailed the company saying I would charge it £100 a day for retaining my £1,000 and £25 a day for the £250. The company told me that under its terms and conditions I had agreed to it retaining the £1,000 for at least 28 days. But the company hadn't read its own small print. That proviso only related to the £250. When I pointed this out I immediately received all my cash back.
I imagine the company will be changing its terms and conditions as a result but meanwhile, if the company is refusing to return your money, it may be worth doing the same. Money Claim Online is the next step.
What might have happened if I had decided to cancel my booking instead of paying these extra fees? The small print warns: "...the total hire charge may be forfeited."
The Guardian reported on March 12 2012 that when a customer had cancelled his hire when faced with the £1,250 payment the company had refused to repay a deposit of £250.
The company's timetable for returning the £1,250 to customers suggests the company will be profiting from their cash for about two months
Is it any wonder with these sorts of charges that the driving force behind these companies, Andrew Hughes, aged 50, of Bourn, Cambridgeshire, can boast to would-be investors in Unbeatablehire that he guarantees "a tried, tested and trusted way to a 30% investment return".
The self-confessed Lamborghini lover says investors are enjoying £300 a month into their bank accounts in interest payments and £10,800 profit in three years for a £35,000 investment.
His scheme extends to motorhome owners who placed their vehicles with Motorholme. In a web advertisement he says: "Motorhome owners can earn an average £612 each time it goes out on hire."
But wait, there's more. The advert goes on to say a motorhome "could be earning you over £1,206 a week for nothing more than a little "cleaning work"
People hiring the motorhomes must be paying stupendous amounts of money to enable these profits.
In fact, an investment seminar in 2013 by Neville Young, of Unbeatable Invest (another of Andrew Hughes's creations), which can be seen on YouTube, reveals that Unbeatablehire Ltd takes an average of £1,193 per hire.
It might be wise to remember that figure if you obtain a quote from one of Mr Hughes's companies.
Who's who?
Andrew Hughes's address is given as Golders Farm, Fox Road, Bourn, Cambridgeshire, CB23 2TX.
Hughes's company secretary and logistics consultant Teresa Suzanne Parker, was appointed in 2011 "to secure the company's growth" after Hughes's wife, Victoria Anne Hughes, resigned. Ms Parker's address is Kilbies Cottage, 20 Old North Road, Longstowe, Cambridgeshire, CB23 2UB.
The business development manager is Catherine Smart who was appointed in April 2015.
Company details: Andrew Hughes and his wife Victoria Anne Hughes own all 1,000 shares in Unbeatablehire Ltd which was Motorholme Ltd until October 2012. (Note the superfluous 'l' in Motorholme.)
Unbeatablehire Ltd owns the only share in Hire Booking Centre Ltd which was Motorholme Hire Ltd until December 2014. The address for all these companies is Golders Farm.
Another previous company name was Medin Marketing Ltd.
Some phone numbers: Teresa Parker 01954 911748, 01954 748751 and 01223 911748; Andrew Hughes 01954 718750, 01223 911847 and 0778 995 0087.
Updated 2016: Company secretary - Karen Oakley 57 Broadmeadow, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3EB
Email addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]
MARCH 2020
A reader contacted me to inform me that the companies were about to be relaunched as Vaaroom Ltd.
Research revealed that under Andrew Hughes' stewardship the companies had become insolvent and had entered administration through Antony Batty and Co.
Batty reported it had sold the Hire Booking Centre/UnbeatableHire website to a man named Alfred William (Alfie) Best for 5,000 pounds.
Best is the owner of Wyldecrest Parks which boasts it is
the UK’s largest park home operator with over 75 Residential and Holiday Parks conveniently located across England, Scotland & Wales. Being the largest park home operator in the UK means we can offer you many benefits like our relationship with Residential Park Home Manufacturers, a dedicated team of professionals with significant experience in the park home industry, very competitive pricing and much more.
I asked:: Were you aware of the many complaints about the conduct of HireBooking Centre and Unbeatable Hire before you bought the website? (Main complaints were that extra payments were demanded after clients had paid a deposit for what they believed was a final quote. And that large, returnable security deposits were not returned in reasonable time.)
No we were not aware; all we knew was that the company was in administration and we were approached to see if we would be interested in purchasing. We thought it would save many jobs and loss of money plus it was a good fit for our business. The company was owned and run by another individual and we could not comment on their actions and how they ran Unbeatable Hire.
Will Vaaroom be adopting a different policy in that when a price is quoted to potential customers it will be the final price?
Our policies will be set out very quickly on our website and of course, the final price will be the final price unless a customer requests something different.
If there is no damage to a motorhome when it is returned will returnable deposits be repaid in a reasonable time - say, within a week?
We can confirm that of course, if there is no damage to a vehicle, the deposit will be returned within a reasonable amount of time.
