I am thinking that, in view of all the posts on SP about people losing money, that the tribe could come together and produce a crowd-sourced guide of how to get your money back.

Here are my suggestions:

1.  Keep a record of all phone calls, emails, letters, etc. logging who you spoke to and what was said.  Documentary evidence is crucial.

2. Put everything in writing.

3. Refer specifically to the implied term under the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 section 13, to use reasonable care and skill when, as a business, they’re providing a service.  Have they shown a "duty of care" to you?  If not, explain why and that you want your money back.

4.  Do not make idle threats, as they have heard them all before and they will fall on deaf ears.  Be business like and professional and VERY persistent.  You can wear them down by contacting them every day.

5.  Do not be fobbed off.  Ask for deadlines if they say they will refund you.  If the money does not appear in your bank account on that date, get in touch with them immediately.

6.  Turn up at their offices at 9.00 a.m. and say you are not leaving without a cheque in your hand.  Take a friend to act as a witness for you.

7.  Landlord Action at www.landlordaction.co.uk are having some success at getting money back from property clubs.  Contact them for advice.

8.  Property Journalist Graham Norwood often writes exposes on dodgy property clubs.  He was the first person to expose Inside Track.  You can contact him via www.grahamnorwood.com .  You can use this as leverage to imply that you are serious about getting your money back.

9.  Do not be fobbed off with promises of a "replacement deal".  It is very unlikely that this will materialise and is just a stalling process so that they do not have to return your money.

For more ideas, visit the discussion on our Property Tribes forum.  Click >>> here to join the conversation.

Here is the first in a series of interviews pre-viewing the Property Investor Show 2010.




Assetz is a group of leading property investment companies offering selected UK and overseas investment property. In this short interview, CEO Stuart Law talks about the state of the U.K. and overseas property markets, along with his thoughts on the Property Investor Show, the U.K.'s premier property gathering and networking arena.

What I think is really pertinent in this interview is how Stuart explains that true market value can be assessed by working out the actual yield the property delivers rather than trying to use comparables in the current challenging market conditions.

Free tickets to the show are available by clicking >>> here.

50% discounted seminar tickets, which are selling out fast, can be obtained >>> here.

Nick and I are presenting two seminars:

1. Harnessing the power of the social web in your property business

2. Sourcing a holiday let with year-round occupancy potential.



Photo: Nick speaking about optimising the social web to 400 estate agents at the recent "Lettings Live" event in London.

We are also hosting the Great Landlord's Debate on the Friday which will be a live version of our Property Tribes forum and promises to be a healthy and robust discussion about the state of the U.K. property market!

The show will be broadcasting live on the #propshow hashtag and you can follow the show's twitter stream at @investor_show.

Please do come and visit us at our seminars or on our stand at Property Investor Show 2010!

... which is a round up of all the most popular stories of the day on the forum, along with those stories on Twitter that I have found most helpful or interesting.

It is broadcast daily via Twitter and I will also add it to Property Tribes daily.

Here is the most recent example:

"Top story on the #propertytribes Daily ▸ My New Build Disappointment - Subsidence and Insurance Risks!"

Click >>> here to read.

As you can see, it aggregates YOUR content and gives you greater visibility via my Twitter stream as well!

You can hashtag your property-related tweets as #propertytribes to add content.

Contribute and enjoy!