FilterFantastic

[nictry]

Excuse me, why are you threatening me? Do you even know my real name for a start? I think human rights allow expressing opinion about trade organisations, don't they? I am really concerned about other people getting into problems like that. I am sorry I can't recommend them to anybody.

Believe me, they are no longer harbour48 for a good reason, most likely the reason I explained above.

In fact I am surprised, they are still at large, but sadly ebay and law enforcement don't always go well together.

I don't think anyone is threatening you, and not sure why your real name is even relevant :shrug: Fact is that users and forum owners themselves can be taken down for slanderous or untrue statements made about companies, all you were being given was some advise that perhaps you should edit your post from what you were claiming as fact into your opinions on the company (which I see you have now done)

I would imagine that your best course of action was to contact the local trading standards office (who from the thread you linked to obviously know about this company) and perhaps if you have enough 'evidence' then drop a line to BBC Watchdog who although not a legal route may, if they take the case on, actually prove to be far more effective with the company in terms of future knowledge by consumers (and there are a fair few photographers out there) and loss of trading in the future for FF

 

[Al de Man]

Excuse me, why are you threatening me? Do you even know my real name for a start?

With the greatest respect, I don't know if you were tired last night but you may want to go back and re-read exactly what I have written. I haven't made any threats; not even thinly veiled. It was just advice from one forum user to another.

You seem to have got it in your head that I work for Filter Fantastic, which I certainly don't. I have lost out to H48/FF on more eBay auctions than I care to remember but the fact that they were prepared to pay more than me isn't really grounds for complaint.

Knowing your real name or not isn't really the major issue. What I am concerned about is the hassle to the messageboard. I've heard about too many forum owners and moderators being held responsible for the actions of their members making libellous statements thinking they're above the law protected by the anonymity of a username.

I think human rights allow expressing opinion about trade organisations, don't they?

Absolutely, but what you originally wrote wasn't an opinion; you very clearly presented it as a fact.

Just because something's written on the Internet, it doesn't mean it's the truth. A post on a Sun messageboard is hardly evidence. I'd take anything written on their main news pages with a massive pinch of salt.

I am really concerned about other people getting into problems like that. I am sorry I can't recommend them to anybody.

So am I. Go and check the eportuk thread if you want.

Believe me, they are no longer harbour48 for a good reason, most likely the reason I explained above.

In fact I am surprised, they are still at large, but sadly ebay and law enforcement don't always go well together.

I agree, but unfortunately eBay appear to have one rule for the small fry and another for their big clients whose monthly fees amount to four figure sums.

 

[ted21]

I'm another person who'll never deal with them again. Took 4 (business) days and constant excuses before they shipped, always claiming to 'have to check with dispatch' or something like that. Go on Google earth and look up their address: it's a residential street: if you have to check with 'dispatch', even if they're at the other end of the street it's only a 2 minute walk!!!! They're not a limited company (check online with Companies House), at least not under the name Filter Fantastic (and under the Companies Act 2006 it's mandatory to display your full company name on all correspondence, including electronic). I've had plenty of emails from them that do not state a contact name - a sure sign in my experience of a one-person operation.

Therefore, the business is that of a sole trader, who may or may not have registered their trading name. However, I'm fairly sure there's still a requirement to display the registered sole trader's name e.g. 'John Smith trading as XYZ Photography' on correspondence and websites.

The next dodgy issue is that of VAT. Looking at their eBay transactions it is clear that they have reached the threshold for VAT registration... yet do not issue any VAT receipts. Again, it is a legal obligation to supply a receipt showing your VAT number. Of course, if you don't have a VAT number then that's a good reason to avoid issuing receipts. (Not to mention that a customer has a right to a receipt... but maybe the Paypal receipt is a workaround here.) If I was a tax inspector I'd have a look at their business declared income against eBay records...

WHOIS data for filterfantastic.co.uk shows the registrant as one Steve Cork. I have access to Companies House data and Steve Cork is not a registered director of any seemingly photography related company. This doesn't mean much in itself: he could be a friend or subcontractor who set up the website and registered it in his name. However his registered address simply lists Pedmore, Stourbridge etc. and a postcode DY9 9HU. This postcode resolves (need a postcode lookup tool? www.dominos.co.uk) to Murcroft Road - exactly what Filter Fantastic lists as its address. Google Earth will show you this is a residential street. I had to return an item to them and might have the house number somewhere... interesting how they don't list it. Again I'm pretty sure disclosing your full trading address is a requirement.

So I'm not sure what any of that proves... nothing really. But if something doesn't smell right, it usually isn't. I strongly recommend that everyone stays well away from them.

 

[Al de Man]

WHOIS data for filterfantastic.co.uk shows the registrant as one Steve Cork. I have access to Companies House data and Steve Cork is not a registered director of any seemingly photography related company. This doesn't mean much in itself: he could be a friend or subcontractor who set up the website and registered it in his name. However his registered address simply lists Pedmore, Stourbridge etc. and a postcode DY9 9HU.

I don't know if it's significant, but it was previously B32 9JU.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

they sold my credit card details to fraudsters (not 100% proved, but they had all the details, address, while nobody else did - my only transaction over the phone at that time, and new card, so it really makes sense to think so), so I had to get a new Mastercard.

Clicky

 

[LongLensPhotography]

Clicky

nice try. If you read your link Harbour48 were a company and are gone so one could say *anything* about them; and I was only sharing my personal experience that can be backed up with bank statements and that is a 'fair comment' (Their relationship with FF is a different matter, discussed by others). It would look like they would have some explaining to do if they ever tried to claim anything. Clearly their reputation is already damaged as they were banned from ebay.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

nice try. If you read your link Harbour48 were a company and are gone so one could say *anything* about them; and I was only sharing my personal experience that can be backed up with bank statements and that is a 'fair comment' (Their relationship with FF is a different matter, discussed by others). It would look like they would have some explaining to do if they ever tried to claim anything. Clearly their reputation is already damaged as they were banned from ebay.

I think you'll find there was no company called "Harbour48" it was merely an Ebay identity, belonging to the same company as the FilterFantastic one. Both Ebay IDs were operating in tandem and the company are still very much in business, so I think you might find yourself on a sticky wicket there

Adding the word "probably" doesn't make your post any less libelous, as you have no substantive proof of any criminal activity on their part, all you have is heresay......

 

[LongLensPhotography]

I think you'll find there was no company called "Harbour48" it was merely an Ebay identity, belonging to the same company as the FilterFantastic one. Both Ebay IDs were operating in tandem and the company are still very much in business, so I think you might find yourself on a sticky wicket there

Adding the word "probably" doesn't make your post any less libelous, as you have no substantive proof of any criminal activity on their part, all you have is heresay......

removed that bit, enjoy! I guess I may have to buy a fantastic filter or 8 from them and find a good reason to complain to a trading standards organisation. Somebody has to stop this

After that I have no more trust in any business used gear trader on ebay (I had another not as described item later from another trader but it turned out to be a much more expensive modification - apart from badly worn out casing, so I got very lucky).