How to get your money back from Global Personals / White Label Dating
Who to contact first
You can't usually report a trader directly to Trading Standards. This is because not all local offices offer a public service. However, Trading Standards has an agreement with Citizens Advice to help you report the problem. You can contact either:
the Citizens Advice consumer service, or
your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
Experienced advisers will assess your problem and work out whether to pass it on to Trading Standards. However, they won’t be able to make a decision about whether Trading Standards will take on your case.
If the problem is passed on it is called a referral. When Trading Standards have received the referral, they decide whether they are able to help you and may contact you directly.
Some local Trading Standards offices do offer a drop-in service for the public. You can check whether there is one in your area by contacting your local authority or the Citizens Advice consumer helpline.
What information do you need to report a problem
Before you contact Citizens Advice, gather as much information as you can to support your problem. This will help the adviser decide if your problem can be passed on to Trading Standards.
Try to give details of:
what the problem is
what you know about the trader
paperwork, including bills, invoices, quotes and estimates or contracts
notes of any conversations you've already had with the trader, including dates
witnesses who can confirm what you're saying
photos or video evidence of the problem.
What happens if Trading Standards take on your problem?
If Trading Standards take on your case, it’s important to know what may happen next.
The information you give Trading Standards may be passed on to other bodies with the power to take action against the trader. For example:
the Office of Fair Trading
the police
the courts service.
If there is a prosecution, you may be asked to give evidence against the trader in court.
However, not all cases end up in court. Trading Standards doesn’t have to prosecute a trader even when it's clear that a criminal offence has been committed and the trader is likely to be convicted. They can choose to take no action or to give the trader a warning.
If a trader is found guilty, the court has the power to award compensation of up to £5, 000 in cases where money has been lost. However, even if a trader is successfully prosecuted, you may not get your money back as the court doesn’t have to do this, particularly if the trader can’t afford to pay.
If you are awarded compensation, it can’t be any more than the value of the goods or services that you’ve lost. You usually can’t claim for distress or additional losses that are hard to put a value on.
What to do if Trading Standards can’t help you
Sometimes Trading Standards won't be able to help you personally and you may have to take other action to solve your problem. You could:
complain directly to the trader
contact a trade association if the trader is a member
use alternative dispute resolution, for example the Ombudsman
take the trader to court.
Your Citizens Advice adviser will be able to tell you what else you can do to solve your problem.
Even if they don’t take your case on, Trading Standards may still collect evidence about the trader and may decide to take action at a later date.
Next steps
To report a problem to Trading Standards, you can:
call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline
visit your local Citizens Advice Bureau. To find details of your nearest CAB, see nearest CAB.
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/consumer_e/consumer_protection_for_the_consumer_e/protection_trading_standards_e/reporting_a_problem_to_trading_standards.htm
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Trading Standards
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