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I have been contacted by a company called Office Essentials, who say they help start-up businesses with free advice, support, and provide help with government start-up loans. They said they want to work with me in a consultancy partnership for the North East postcode area and they will pass on new start up businesses to me who are in my area for a yearly fee. They said they could bring me in 30 new clients. I have looked on there website www.officeessentials.co.uk which is quite minimalistic. I was wondering if anyone has been contacted by a company like this, has anyone used them or heard of them and is it worth it.
Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you
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- Member PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 746 posts
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Hi Foxy
I've no idea really, but to me it probably sounds about as genuine as the one who tried to sell me place in a emergency services magazine, so be careful. I looked up the website out of interest and my brower is ? it. It lets me into a stationary company of a similar name and says that is safe, but question marks the one you say. I think anythink that is asking for money is just trying to sell you advertising and as the one that I had could even be a scam.
If you are interested then make sure it is genuine before you do anything. Anyway others may well have heard of it, but im just saying be careful.
Kind regards and very best wishes
Lainy
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Hi Lainy
Thank you so much for your reply, I have come to the conclusion that you are paying them to just put a profile of your business up on their website, however the woman on the phone was very clever at her wording, I always like to check and do my research before jumping in, never had one like this before though, thank you for your advice and I think I'll stay well away from the offer.
Thanks again 
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Hi Foxy and Lainy,
It is www.officeessential.co.uk - not essentials.
I would still be wary especially as the website is dated 2015.
Marilyn
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- Member PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 38 posts
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Hi
I received a phone call from the same people. When I asked if they would want commission from any fee income the reply was that they were dealing with a government scheme and weren't allowed to take commission. I then expressed vague interest but was told that like all partnerships there would be a joining fee of £300.00. End of conversation.
Edited at 19 Jan 2015 04:50 PM GMT
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Thank you Marylin and David
After looking into it further I realised that you are paying money just to put your profile on their website, its a con really. Definitely won't be accepting their offer, they also tried to tell me they were working along side the government schemes the same as you David, which was what was making me wonder. They have pestered me by phone all afternoon despite me saying no, hopefully I won't get any more calls from them tomorrow as I have now asked them to delete my details from their system.
Thank you all for your help!
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Reading their website they are a 'resource hub', selling subcontracted services.
Their nagging calls would appear to be the 'vetting' as described on the T&C's page, quote below
"Office Essential has carefully vetted each specialist we recommend and have ensured that all members are suitable options for small business requirements based on each specialists experience, capacity and geographic proximity to the user."
It would appear that what was described to you as a partnership is in fact a fee - which appears to be an annual one - entitling you to being described as a 'member'.
It isn't clear if they would cap your charges, quite clearly, given they require clients to pay them, not you - they will want a percentage or fee from each transaction.
Sounds a bit like an umbrella setup...
All in all - avoid!
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Edited at 04 Mar 2015 11:17 AM GMT
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I'm glad you folks are here, I've just had a voicemail from these people and wasn't sure what to do. Reading your comments, I think I'll leave it and see if they call again - doesn't sound as though I really want what they're offering anyway. I see it's been over a year since the last comment here, obviously whatever it is they do they're still looking for customers!
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Hi,
i was contacted by these last Friday and was sucked in as they were quite clever with the way they worded it. After i had spoken to them i came across the reviews on here and rang them and e mailed them within 1 hour to ask for a refund as the website says that there is a 24hr cooling off period. I haven't yet had a refund from them so rang today and was told that i might not get one as the company secretary has the final say on such matters.i pointed out the cooling off period but they said they can't guarantee it.
they said they got my details from the ICB members directory so they are obviously going through the directory and contacting people from there so be careful best just to hang up on them.
stephen
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Sames here last Friday, I had a missed call and was due to ring back Friday. Luckily I came across this post prior to agreeing/paying anything. Good luck, I hope you get your money back. If I was you I'd put in a written request sent via recorded delivery, that way you have proof of when you raised your request to a refund within the cooling off period.
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I have contacted them a few more times and just keep getting told that the company secretary hasn't made a decision yet about a refund. I noticed the other day that they have taken the piece about the 24hr cooling off period out of the terms and conditions bit of their website.
I will just have to keep chasing them for the refund.
Stephen
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They phoned me last week, and as I couldn't talk to them at the time I asked them to contact me by email, which they did. They made it all sound very attractive but the bit about the £300 is buried deep in the text. Since then they've phoned me every day. I seem to remember a previous thread about these people that ran a very similar course, so with that thread and this one I now feel comfortable telling them I really don't have £300 to spare.
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Hi . I have been trying to get an answer from them now about my refund but they never return any e mails and when I ring to speak to them they just tell me that it is at the discretion of the company secretary and they will be in touch but they never do.
Not sure what I need to do next to get money back
stephen
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- Member PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 38 posts
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The best way forward is to pursue a claim to get your money back through the Small Claims Court. Full details of procedures and costs can be found on the gov.uk website.
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- Member PM.Dip
- Practice Licence
- 97 posts
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stephen72 said:
“
Hi,
i was contacted by these last Friday and was sucked in as they were quite clever with the way they worded it. After i had spoken to them i came across the reviews on here and rang them and e mailed them within 1 hour to ask for a refund as the website says that there is a 24hr cooling off period. I haven't yet had a refund from them so rang today and was told that i might not get one as the company secretary has the final say on such matters.i pointed out the cooling off period but they said they can't guarantee it.
they said they got my details from the ICB members directory so they are obviously going through the directory and contacting people from there so be careful best just to hang up on them.
stephen
”
I have just had the exact same call so obviously they are running a new telepone campaign. When I said I dealt with the local Business Gateway for start up companies who needed help with bookkeeping they tried to tell me that the Business Gatteway were no longer in business. Good one!
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Hi,
seems as though they will tell anyone anything just to get money out of them. I am still trying to get my money back from them , I eventually got to speak to the founder the other day but he was unable to help me , I have to wait for the company secretary to come back from leave and she will have a look at it.
I really think I am going to have to go down the small claims court route to get my money back from them.
Stephen
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- Member
- Practice Licence
- 88 posts
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stephen72 said:
“
Hi,
seems as though they will tell anyone anything just to get money out of them. I am still trying to get my money back from them , I eventually got to speak to the founder the other day but he was unable to help me , I have to wait for the company secretary to come back from leave and she will have a look at it.
I really think I am going to have to go down the small claims court route to get my money back from them.
Stephen
”
How did you pay Stephen? If you did it by credit card, contact your card company they may well be able to help. Have a chat with Trading Standards - I think you will find that this is distance selling which by law has a cooling off period of 14 days regardless of what the company says. Have a look at www.gov.uk under online and distance selling. I suggest you put it all in writing to the company citing the regulations, and that if they do not comply with the law you will have no choice but to take them to the small claims.
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Hi Louise,
thank you, I have spoken to citizens advice and they have said that business to business sales such as this do not have any cooling off period under law only what is in the terms of the agreement with the seller. I will write them another letter and give them a date to sortout a refund or else I will take it to the small claims court.
thank you for your help
stephen
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- Member
- Practice Licence
- 88 posts
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Having looked further into this I was shocked to discover that there is no cooling off period for distance selling for b2b. Good luck with getting your money back - I hope you are successful. Let us know how you get on.
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