Overseas dental care scam
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Be very careful if you are considering having dental work carried out overseas, particlularly if the destination is Thailand and you happen to live in Australia! I have lost a lot of money in this way and I'm still waiting on some form of settlement. I had a quote to have extensive dental work done and it came close to $20,000 AUD (approx. £8847 GBP). This was in Cairns, Queensland (North East Australia). So I searched the Internet for an alternative overseas dentist and found the web site of a company operating out of the Sunshine Coast. They would send people to Thailand to have dental work carried out in Bangkok and Phuket. There were a few different packages on offer, but basically they book the accommodation and flights etc. On the 13th April this year I received an email which said that they had flights available and could I pay a deposit, which of course I did immediately. I received shortly after advising me I would have to settle the balance within a couple of days. So I paid the balance promptly and was then told that I would soon receive details of the booking and a travel pack. All good so far... |
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By the 30th April, two weeks after I had paid, I still had no details and no travel pack. In fact I hadn't heard a single thing up until this date at which point I received an email. The person I had been dealing with said that they could not confirm flights and that they would try to re-book on them on Monday. He also said could have a think about it over the weekend as he was on his way to Thailand himself. I emailed back straight away saying "URGENT, do not re-book and to please refund my money." He then emailed back saying I would have to wait a month for a full refund. When I asked why, all he would say was he had made bookings and to stop harassing him! |
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Of course, one month went by and then two etc. and still nothing. He did put in a proposal back in July which I promptly refused. He wanted to pay me $700 now and then further $1970 in October leaving a sum of $700 plus, which he reckons were cancellation fees. Every time I have asked him to show me WHAT bookings, he can't provide any proof so I don't see why I should receive anything other than the full amount back. After all, I am the one who has been out of pocket and had to do all the chasing for the past six months. The Office of Fair Trading seem to have done very little here to help me. To make matters worse, this person has been back and forth to Thailand several times since April and because the legal system and the fact that he has my money , I have been unable to go myself! I am absolutely furious and would like to know how someone can get away with a scam like this! If anyone has been in the same boat or has any advice or suggestions, please let me know. Thanks. By: Redmodel |
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Comments from visitors
This is a guy who had a flash website up in 2007 in Australia promoting Dental trips to Thailand where you could get a whole swag a dentristry done in one hit for a fraction of the price here in Oz.
There were testimonials, newspaper articles etc all looking to be the genuine thing.
Well I booked in April and did not receive a thing for my money once I paid (doing a bank transfer online).
By then end of 2007, after fighting to let as many people know, many other "victims" came forward and the TV people were after him as well and actually had a "sting" where this guy actually promised to pay me back in full by the end of two months - even though I had taken him to court and won anyway with a judge ordering him to pay me back - hello - I am stilllllllll waiting.
He just simply started up a brand new web site, fled to Thailand with his Thai wife and God only knows how many he has scammed by now!
Victims total by end of Nov. 2007 - well over $100,000.00AUD.
Naturally, I have long written it off but wonder where this lowlife is now.
If I could save one person I would be happy.
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Step 2: Don't negotiate too long with crooks. One week is ideal. One month is way too long.
Step 3. All you need is one refusal from the crook to refund your money, then you can go to step 4.
Step 4: Many banks, especially US banks, will charge your purchase back to unscrupulous merchants. Other banks do it too, including Canadian banks. Sorry, I don't know about Australia.
Step 5: Let it be known who the crook is, right here and right now. This will help hundreds of potential victims.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: Do it yourself. Deal with airline companies directly. Deal with dentists directly. You need no middlemen!
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How do I know that you are bona fide?
Your web site looks just as good as the one that "caught" me two years ago.
I still have not received my money back nor have I ever been to Thailand and looks like I never will thanks to a conman.
Do you have a cancellation policy etc?
Good luck.
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Dental Care
Private Dental Care
Dental Care and Private Health Insurance
I have private health Insurance. Why do private hospitals charge £850 for accommodation for 1 hour day attendance, not even overnight? Why does a blood test cost £250?
Why is the semi skilled labour of a dental hygienist costing £45 for half-an-hour?
Why do you also need to pay a dentist for an "inspection" before a dental hygienist can practice her trade?
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However, whilst I had a total of £193 worth of treatment throughout the year, I have paid £220 (to HSA in premiums) plus £22 (the amount of treatment not covered by HSA). So I am far worse off having joined HSA.
Then, to cap it all (no pun intended), I received a letter from HSA telling me that they are changing my policy as of 10/01/2009. The premium will stay the same but the cover is dramatically reduced.
I phoned HSA to explain the situation in the hope that they would say something like "well we need to move you to a cheaper premium" but instead they just told me that it was my tough luck. Seems this is one company that does not understand customer retention and that it is sensible to keep profitable customers happy.
I can't in good faith recommend using HSA.
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Get this. He has now changed his name, strangely enough, both names both start with G and the surnames both have the same number of letters. The website has also changed which is the third "different" one since I got scammed, along with a heap of others in April last year.
He also has a new address and of course new home and mobile numbers.
I really am fed up that this guy is allowed to still keep operating even though the authorities know that this guy has no integrity, he is a liar and knows how to "work" the sytem.
In the meantime, I do my best to make as many people aware as best as possible about this dreadful man.
So if you don't want to get a DENT in your bank account and MEDical bills, check thoroughly all websites offering such TOURISM to Thailand.
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Well what a cop out! But the worst part is that he has his brand new dental website up and running and apparently that's okay but no one has any idea who is booking with him now and how many of these people from all around the globe is he not delivering the goods to?
Please be aware of making any dental trips to Thailand. As I am not allowed to say the name of his new website please be aware of any dentaltours to Thailand or you may not have anything to Smile about.
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In the meantime, his last hearing has gone into the Registry and will proceed again as usual should this conman miss even one payment.
So it does pay to persist.
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He even had the cheek to have a profile page of a particular well renowned Thai plastic surgeon on his new website and when it was discovered was promptly asked to remove.
Now it seems he is just sticking to the dental tours and smiling all the way as more innocent people pay him for trips that they are never going to go on.
This very day, this man is supposed to be appearing in a court in Australia but fled to Manila last month.
Please everyone do your homework thoroughly before you book any trips to Thailand.
Secondly if you do book please use your credit card only.
Good luck.
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"I'de ban you from ALL airlines, you seem to be nothing but a trouble maker. I'll bet you complain even when everything is perfect, just to get compensation."
List your spelling and grammer mistakes here....
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Think Prince......
Ohh noooo, I've spolled everythink rong and now the weekly gripe is saying I'm using excessive use of capitalization, what do I dooooo....
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Nikki (TAFKAN) - 12-Nov-07 11:13
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De Camptown ladies sing dis song -- Doo-dah! doo-dah!
De Camptown racetrack five miles long -- Oh! doo-dah day!
I come down dah wid my hat caved in -- Doo-dah! doo-dah!
I go back home wid a pocket full of tin -- Oh! doo-dah day!
Gwine to run all night! Gwine to run all day!
I'll bet my money on de bob-tail nag -- Somebody bet on de bay!
Ne'er look a gifte horse in de moudth.
And certainly never ever take them to the dentist. They want a heck of a lot of tin.
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So Nikki TAFKAN - whatever that means - who said :
the words ... givin' a ......
is NOT me because I would never say or type "givin' ". The word is giving, spelt with a g on the end and pronounced with the g silent.
I may be all the things I'm accused of, but NEVER will I use or speak bad grammar.
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So whoever the Nikki pretending to be Nikki is and the Nikki who is Nikki pretending to be Nikki, leave me alone. I'm the only Nikki in the whole world........
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Nikki (TAFKAN) - 9-Nov-07 14:15
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Pearly Gnashers - 9-Nov-07 11:24
Just for the record, it has just come to my attention that there are another six victims
of this con artist.
I just hope that there will be no more.
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