Fraud Charges Against “Cycle Tour Operator”

[Mike Mac]

1 hour ago, YETI575 said:

I am keen to hear how criminal proceedings are going.

He owes me a refund for 2 trips (R26 000) signed an acknowledgement of debt with a payment plan and then defaulted.

I am planning on laying fraud charges too.

 

 

AOD then default, easy win in the small claims court. 

 

If he has the ability to pay, that is another issue, but at least you should be able to get a judgement against him.

 

 

[Help.Me.]

56 minutes ago, Mike Mac said:

AOD then default, easy win in the small claims court. 

 

If he has the ability to pay, that is another issue, but at least you should be able to get a judgement against him.

 

 

It seems nothing is stopping this bloke from carrying on with his modus operandi ? Seems to me he operates like a pro...........??????

[DJuice]

1 hour ago, Mike Mac said:

AOD then default, easy win in the small claims court. 

 

If he has the ability to pay, that is another issue, but at least you should be able to get a judgement against him.

 

 

Limit of R20k for small claims court. Divide per tour.

[Shebeen]

On 7/22/2021 at 8:14 AM, Comrade J said:

Go to Tauns FB page https://www.facebook.com/AdventureSolutionsRSA

 

He must correct his FB page to read Bespoke scammer operator, with a focus on stealing your cash, but we offer solutions for all types of outdoor adventures

i see his next tour on hear is

https://adventurelogistics.co.za/shop/mountain-bike-tours/tonteldoos-beyond-20-23-aug-2021/

that's next month, - but it's "out of stock". I guess people are paying money to him still.

would be interesting to phone the accomodation up and see if anything is secured

[Hairy]

4 x chalet accommodation evenings with all meals included @ R4235.00 per person ...... surely just the accommodation alone will eat up that entry fee.

I wonder if the first nights meal is a braai and he goes off to get the wood and food by himself? 

[Help.Me.]

Okay so we just receive a letter that the Hessequa/Overberg tour of 2-8 September has been cancelled.....so yes there goes our money !!!

[BaGearA]

F#k tog man ????????????

[Bomberman]

Ive tried my part on facebook and was nicely warned that I will be taken to court if I did not stop calling him a scammer. Now I got a very long sorry message on how covid has hit them and how hes constantly in contact with the people and bla bla bla. out of interest, can I be taken to court and what would happen if I posted our his message here?

[madmarc]

On 7/23/2021 at 10:28 AM, YETI575 said:

I am keen to hear how criminal proceedings are going.

He owes me a refund for 2 trips (R26 000) signed an acknowledgement of debt with a payment plan and then defaulted.

I am planning on laying fraud charges too.

 

 

If you have an AOD - then no reason to still lay fraud charges - Default on an AOD is a simple court case and automatically judgment is handed against him and an attachment order is granted, with this you can arrive at his home with the sheriff  and attach goods to the value of what the AOD is.  even without him being in court.

[BaGearA]

9 hours ago, Bomberman said:

Ive tried my part on facebook and was nicely warned that I will be taken to court if I did not stop calling him a scammer. Now I got a very long sorry message on how covid has hit them and how hes constantly in contact with the people and bla bla bla. out of interest, can I be taken to court and what would happen if I posted our his message here?

then you could ask the judge about the 407 charges of fraud against him 

 

BuT don't cause maybe he could use it as A loophole to jump the whole thing 

[Help.Me.]

We are trying to "save" the trip , one of the participants phoned me and we are trying to do something on our own. Is there any body on Bikehub that entered for the trip ? Please send me a pm i want to make contact with you.....

[eddy]

  

1 hour ago, madmarc said:

If you have an AOD - then no reason to still lay fraud charges - Default on an AOD is a simple court case and automatically judgment is handed against him and an attachment order is granted, with this you can arrive at his home with the sheriff  and attach goods to the value of what the AOD is.  even without him being in court.

The fraud charge and the AOD are two different things, serve different purposes and have different outcomes. They are complimentary and not mutually exclusive.

The AOD is for the guy to recover the money  Tuan swindled him out of. The fraud charge is for the crook to go to jail. 

[ChrisF]

2 hours ago, Help.Me. said:

We are trying to "save" the trip , one of the participants phoned me and we are trying to do something on our own. Is there any body on Bikehub that entered for the trip ? Please send me a pm i want to make contact with you.....

 

Sounds like a good option.

 

2011 we booked leave to join a group on a trip through Namibia ..... 6 weeks before the trip the organiser called off the trip.  No money had exchanged hands, so "no-harm-no-fowl" ..... except we had everything in place already ...... Ended up doing a SOLO trip through Southern Namibia for 10 days.  ZERO bookings, just drive and find a spot late afternoon .... BEST trip ever.

 

 

HOPE you manage to put together a "lekka trip" !!!!!

[Danger Dassie]

22 hours ago, Help.Me. said:

We are trying to "save" the trip , one of the participants phoned me and we are trying to do something on our own. Is there any body on Bikehub that entered for the trip ? Please send me a pm i want to make contact with you.....

Maybe make contact with the folk on this thread, there may be some interest. https://www.facebook.com/groups/134361270058168/permalink/1903107483183529/

Edited August 27, 2021 by Danger Dassie

[Jana Porter]

SCAM ALERT: A WARNING TO THE MTB CYCLING / 4X4 / OUTDOOR ADVENTURE COMMUNITY

Please beware of Taun Kirby Bewsher aka “The notorious wood fetcher”, affiliated with Adventure Logistics Cycling Tours, Adventure Cycling tours, Authentic Adventures, ADVLOG (PTY) LTD.

The ‘Taun’ in the side of the cycling, 4x4 and outdoor adventure community has struck again… (and again… and again).

We booked a MTB cycling trip to the Hessequa/Overberg region with Taun Bewsher of Adventure Logistics Cycling Tours that was meant to take place from 2-8 Sept 2021.

Taun Bewsher, made all the right noises; speedily answering any queries, sending a packing list, sharing videos/blogs of previous trips, and sending an itinerary.

Paid in full, flights booked, leave put in. We contacted Taun on 26 Aug to confirm our pick up, only to receive an apologetic email in reply with a notice of voluntary liquidation attached.

“Sorry”. No trip. No refund. Enjoy your life.   

It seems Taun Bewsher is much better at saying “sorry” than he is at running cycling or 4x4 adventure tours. As it turns out he has said sorry many times before, to many different tour groups as far back as 2015… and possibly even before then.

According to a post on 4x4ag.co.za, in 2015, trading as “Authentic Adventures”, Taun Bewsher took a group of people on a 4x4 trip. Very early on in the trip he stepped out to fetch wood and never returned - sending only a message with the word “Sorry”. They continued on the trip only to find he had not made the bookings or arrangements. There was a big hoohah and allegedly, eventually, the money was refunded.

We currently know of at least 7 people on our trip who have been affected (this time), but don’t just take our word for it. Please peruse this list of complaints and bad reviews that a Google search of his name provides:

 

21 August 2021 - Post on Facebook about a cancelled trip: https://www.facebook.com/groups/134361270058168/posts/1903107483183529

 

5 July 2021 – A HelloPeter complaint about cancelled trip: https://www.hellopeter.com/adventure-logistics-cycles

 

11 June 2021 – A post seeking other victims of fraud to come forward: https://forum.bikehub.co.za/topic/189109-fraud-charges-against-%E2%80%9Ccycle-tour-operator%E2%80%9D/#comments

 

3 Jan 2021 – A warning on 4x4ag forum: https://www.4x4ag.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1155

 

30 Dec 2021 – A warning on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthony.forgey.184/posts/563164774659053

 

30 Dec 2020 – A warning on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.nieuwoudt.9/posts/10157448823485566

 

30 December 2020 – A thread on BikeHub: https://forum.bikehub.co.za/topic/187035-night-ride-and-dinner-21-october/page/2/

 

10 May 2015 – The notorious wood fetcher (A 37-page thread about the incident in 2015): https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/showthread.php/217922-Dropped-badly-by-Authentic-Adventures

 

9 April 2015 - Authentic Adventures ceases to be (A thread by Taun playing the world tiniest violin): https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum/showthread.php/217881-Authentic-Adventures-ceases-to-be

 

I case you’d like to contact Taun Bewsher himself to verify any of these details, please find below: https://adventurelogistics.co.za/

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/taun.bewsher

 

Feel free to DM me for a direct chat and please feel free to share widely to help keep our community safe.

 

Disclaimer: I’m sure this oke has his own stuff and I explicitly do not wish him any harm. I’m posting this because I don’t want someone else ending up in the same trap as we did. This oke has been up to his tricks since 2015, how long is he still going to go on before he is stopped?

  

[Mailman7412]

Did the Hessequa/Overberg tour in Feb. In the end all worked out and was very enjoyable. It sounds or group we’re lucky. Have to be honest it was one of the more enjoyable experiences I had. Especially the meals were good