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OFT revokes Sussex travel club's credit licence

171/04    14 October 2004

A holiday broker and travel club from East Grinstead has had its consumer credit licence revoked by the OFT.

N&N Travel Club's licence was revoked after an adjudicator found that partners in the licensee, Neil Robert Brindley and Natalie Brindley had both been convicted of nine counts of making false statements under the Trade Descriptions Act and three counts of being unable to provide evidence of security for the refund of money in the event of insolvency, in breach of the regulations governing package travel. The licensee also failed to notify the OFT of a change in its trading address, in breach of the Consumer Credit Act.
An adjudicator therefore decided that the licensee was unfit to provide credit to consumers and the licence was revoked.

In considering fitness, the OFT takes into account a number of factors carried on by the business or anyone involved in running the business including:

• any offence or conviction of violence or dishonesty
• failure to comply with the provisions of the Consumer Credit Act or other consumer protection legislation
• consumer complaints
• evidence of unfair business practice
• evidence of discrimination on grounds of sex, colour, race or ethnic/national origin.

Christine Wade, Director of Consumer Regulation Enforcement, said:

'Partners of the licensee have caused serious detriment to consumers through these convictions making the trader unfit to hold a consumer credit licence.'

NOTES

1. The Consumer Credit Act 1974 requires most businesses that offer goods or services on credit or lend money or are involved in activities relating to credit or hire to be licensed by the OFT.

2. The OFT can refuse or revoke a licence if it decides that a trader is not fit to hold one.

3. It should be noted that proceedings under the Act are not the same as those of a court and the adjudicator's findings are not the same as convictions by a court. Therefore where the adjudicator finds that an offence has been committed or a provision of the statute has been contravened, it does not mean that the person concerned has been convicted under court proceedings of that offence or of that contravention.

4. An adverse determination (a refusal to grant a licence or the revocation of an existing licence) can be appealed to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

5. The Consumer Credit Public Register is maintained by the OFT. The register documents traders that hold a licence and any action taken against them. It also details traders that have applied for a licence. Enquiries can be made to the Consumer Credit Licensing Bureau on 020 7211 8608.

6. The determination to revoke licence number 496148 was published on 9 September 2004. The licensee was N&N Travel Club, 14 Wellington Town Road, East Grinstead, Sussex, RH19 2ES.

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