Australian Home Based Business
Complaint 147689 Details

Facts of the dispute

1.I was contacted by a sales rep from AHBB PTY LTD who promoted a betting system and a “Hedge Button” that they use to offset potential losses during the course of a race.
2. I agreed to buy a HBB Premium Membership for a 2 year period for $4999.00
3. Contract sent and money paid to Australian Home Based Business Pty Ltd bank account 5th May 2011
4. Was advised I would be contacted to set up an account. After 2 days of no contact from them I tried to contact them by phone and email. The sales person who sold me the membership seemed to vanish and I never heard from him again.
5. I was finally contacted by “Nigel” (I do not know his surname). He said he would assist and told me to set up a Betfair account. This I did and I forwarded the details of the account to him.
6. I was 2 days later contacted by Betfair who advised that I could not have 2 accounts at once. I already had another Betfair account I had opened before and didn't want to give them access to that one.
7. I sent an email to Nigel to advise him of this but I did not hear back from him. I sent a number of emails and numerous phone messages to no avail. He has never spoken to me since and I have never received an email response to my emails enquiring as to what I should do.
8. I ended up contacting Direct Selling Standards with which AHBB Pty Ltd were members.
9. Over the next couple of months a representative at DSS managed to negotiate an agreement that AHBB would refund most of my membership fee at the rate of $400 per week but only to a maximum of $4400.
10. I received an amount of $400 into my bank account on 19 Jul 2011. Nothing has been received since then.
11. Despite efforts since by DSS no further communication has been achieved with AHBB.
12. I sent a final notice by email on 23rd September advising that if I didn’t have a resolve within 7 days I would take legal action. I have heard nothing.
13. On the 11th October 2011 I was contacted by another sales rep from AHBB who tried to sell me the same membership that I was sold in May.
14. I have taken this to VCAT and a judgement has now been made against them. I am now waiting for them to pay. But it has been 2 months and nothing. Now the Sheriffs office has been advised and supposedly they have the right to seize assets and sell them. We will see.
It is now mid August 2012.