Investments - La Reserve Club - Possible Scam?

[Richard Reynolds]

Hi, I am trying to locate apartments for sale in Tobago, they are advertised in my local paper UK. The website is lareserveclub.com. I will be visiting Tobago shortly, an wondered where they are located as they do not give address on the website.

[Steve Wooler]

Hello Richard

Welcome aboard.

A development company worth GBP18 million with 16 international offices, established for 11 years and based in Tobago? Hmmm! Why do I have a sceptical look on my face?

After reading your post I clicked on the link your provided (sorry, for various reasons I have deleted the link) to have a look at their site. The website is an amateur 'home' effort and the more I read, the more astounded I become.

All I can say is that if I was you, Richard, I would be running a four minute mile right now.

Has anyone heard of this organisation?

[Lisa Keith]

Difficult to tell without knowing the name of the company (unless I'm missing something!!)... but as Linda pointed out in the previous thread, unless you're resident or T&T National, you CANNOT buy in Tobago at the moment. The Alien Land Act (or Foreign Investment Act as it's actually called, I think!) is in full force. I know this from personal experience. We purchased a piece of land in 2005 and the Act came into force in January 2007.... but because (due to an ongoing argument between Town and Country and WASA, I believe), our paperwork wasn't completely finalised before the Act came in.... we're now sitting with a piece of land that we can't complete on! The words 'Rock' and 'Hard Place' spring to mind! People may tell you that there are ways around the Act, and it's not impossible that there are ways, but my position is, sadly, not unique, from several things that I've read on this site (reading between the lines in a couple of cases). I'm fairly sure I'm not alone!

There's talk of the Act being repealed (sp?!), and that it will be resolved 'in the next few weeks', which is the same statement we've been hearing for the last 18 months, so I've given up holding my breath... that shade of blue just doesn't suit me!

At the risk of being the shot messenger.... Don't let anyone tell you that it's ok to buy their land / house / apartment unless you are either married to a local / resident, or you're a returning national! It's just one long, expensive headache, believe me!

In the meantime, fortunately, I have an amazing landlord and I'll continue renting. To my mind, it's money down the drain for something that will never, truly, be mine, but - hey - this is Tobago! It may not be perfect, but it's pretty close in many ways!!

Lisa.

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Lisa

The name of this 'organisation' is La Reserve Club. Interestingly, the domain name (same name + .com)has been bought using a highly suspect US proxy service in order to hide the identity of the owner. The whole thing gets fishier by the minute.

[Brian Taylor]

the page must get plenty hits since this thread. had a good look, too and by now I can not say that I have any idea where a big venture like this should be located, also I have never seen any of the rental vehicles or bikes or the tour boats around here...strange... whoever finds out what it is all about, keep us posted. I am curious!
steph

[Ronald]

Hi all

As far I can see, when searching, the Domain Name was created 28-Aug-05 and expires 28-Aug-09, last update was 18-Oct-07.
But no street/office adresses at all on the website, anyone who try to reach them must go via an e-mail addresses all over the world! Nice pictures, some of them with big building with apartments, but I don´t recognice that house at all.

Head Office i Cambridge? I remember when I some years ago got one of these e-mails telling me that I won some houndred thousend GBP on an Internet lottery.
I´d play a fool with them, writing a number of questions to find out more about them. That webpage did also look good, head office in London with street address and phone number, but the address fór the website was in USA!
When searching more I in the end found that there were no such office in London, I also needed to pay a fee to a account to receive "my money", and that accound went to a grocery in Indonesia!
When I had all info I´d send complete set to them and told them that the police were interested!

I beileve this it´s something like that, they try to make peoples to buy "real property or time share", and somehow, some peoples alwasy believe it. When things sounds too good to be true, than it´s mostly not true!
I really hope that no one who use to travel to Tobago, or would like to do so, doesen´t buy this "Ultimate Buy-to-let opportunity" offer.

Ronald

[Lisa Keith]

I also can't believe that they can charge those prices for a tent in Tobago too! You can get better accommodation for less money! I quite like camping, but at that price, I would expect to be able to KEEP the tent!

Also, interestingly, they claim to be a PADI divecentre. There's no mention of them on PADI's website. I smell a rather large rodent.

I think Ronald is right. If it sounds too good to be true... it usually is! I just hope that no-one has parted with any money.

Lisa.

[Richard Reynolds]

Now I realize this guy is just a fraud, I would like to expose his next website he has sent to confirm his investments available collecting for charities by auction of timeshares in Tobago. www. pmcwl. com. I would like to thank everyone for confirming my suspicions, also on this new website can anyone tell me if they recognize him from his photo as he says he is a prominent business owner in Tobago, I wonder if he has ever been there. Many Thanks Richard.

[Lisa Keith]

Hi Richard,

His photo shows (I assume it's) him outside of Happy Havens which is certainly here, but although his face is familiar, it 's probably just because I spent so long looking to see if I recognised him!! One thing's for sure... he's not part of the Scuba scene here, despite his adverts. That I CAN say from a professional standpoint! Don't get me wrong, I'm far from knowing everyone, but I'd have thought that our paths would have crossed by now if he's been here for so long! That said - I've not (officially!) met Steph yet, which, frankly is very bad of me, though I suspect we actually would recognise eachother if our paths did cross!

Lisa.

[Linda P]

I emailed this company, they claim to be based at Cinnamon Hill, perhaps someone out there can take a drive, a development this size can't be difficult to spot!! The reply also seemed to think I had been interested in buying at Sandy Point, and said that if I sent my telephone number they would tell me things to put me off ever buying there!!

Linda

[Brian Taylor]

cinnamon hill is a tiny short cut in the scarborough outskirts that we sometimes use to overtake the truck in front of us, but I must say i have not passed there for a while. must remeber to do that when I am going to town ("me go tong") next time...
steph

lisa: since we both have no pic here, we could pass each other in the supermarket and not even now. there is a pic of me on our website...these days I am out with alibaba anyway, did not try to go by myself with our little "angel"

[Steve Wooler]

Hi All

Sorry that I have been a little quiet on this one, but an awful lot has been going on behind the scenes.

Can I please appeal to all readers on Tobago or with close business connections on Tobago to attempt to determine if anybody knows anything of a Peter Mueller or of La Reserve Club - or, in fact, any new timeshare/apartment complex particularly if it is near Cinnamon Hill (not somewhere that would be seen on my list of top 30 most desirable locations for a tourism development).

The La Reserve Club website promises investors a money-back guaranteed return of £78,000-286,000. Assuming 100% occupancy (i.e. rented every night of the year), this equates to a daily income/profit of between US$400 and US$1500. One assumes for this to be an investment return, it must be after all costs, including local wages, etc. I would respectfully suggest that at one or two zeros must have accidentally been added to the figures.

I cannot give too many details because investigation is ongoing. However, Mr Mueller has declined to provide an address or telephone number for his alleged UK offices. His La Reserve Club website certainly avoids this information. However, the Charity Auction site mentioned by Rirchard does quote an address of Suite 140, 80 Thornhill Place, Longstanton, Cambridge.

Investigations reveal that this address is quite genuine. However, the "Suite 140" might give some readers the impression of a large and impressive office block. In fact the address is an end of terrace property on a low grade estate - probably ex-council houses. You can see a picture of the neighbouring property below, with no 80 to the left. This property is on sale for "around £164,950", which intself gives some level of property (particularly as the price of housing in Cambridge and area is VERY expensive).

longstanton.jpg (24.91 KiB) Viewed 19415 times

I am very anxious to establish if this individual/organisation is legitimate, particularly as they are attempting to raise money in a property auction with a claimed prize of an apartment in Tobago.

I am also taking the unusual step of publishing a photo that we believe is of Mr Peter Mueller, the owner of La Reserve Club and the charity auction club. Does anyone know this person? Please feel free to contact me at steve @myTobago.info (delete the anti-spam space after 'steve') in the very strictest of confidence.

peter_mueller.jpg (7.58 KiB) Viewed 19414 times

[Richard Reynolds]

Hi Steve, I did not realise you wanted to get in touch with Peter Muller, but I can provide another website with his telephone number / email address on. www. lareservepm. com hope this is helpful. Regards Richard.

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Richard

You misunderstand me. I am already in touch with him, indirectly. I am asking if anyone knows him and/or has any information about his business background and integrity so that I can either remove this thread from the forum and offer him our sincere apologies for doubting his integrity, or alternatively whether I can prove the suspicions voiced here and take the matter further with the authorities.

If you have any further information, I would appreciate you contacting me direct at steve @myTobago.info, as mentioned.

[Richard Reynolds]

Hi Steve, Have read your message again, and looked at the photo and I can confirm that is the person that introduced himself as Peter Mueller. Regards Richard.

[Paul Tallet]

This looks like a sure-fire scammer.

I have only spent 5 minutes looking at his website and that's all I needed.

OK ... he could be a good man but the efforts he says he is putting into this would not pose any problems if he registered his business as a charity ... that's all a genuine fund raiser needs to do.

Instead, this twit is claiming (if you read his website carefully) to be a 'charity supporter' ... there is the difference ... he is NOT a charity ... so how is the money he raises accounted for and audited??

And the pudding (had a bit of a laugh over this) on the Tobago Offer ...

In order to maintain the high standards of the apartment complex clientele which includes Celebrities, VIP's, TV personalities and persons connected with Hollywood, and to ensure that only persons who are serious about participating in the Charity Auction do so, a nominal Auction entry fee of £500 (Sterling) is require by each bidder.

Come on !! ... personalities connected with Hollywood ... I am having a right old laugh about this ... If 100 suckers get hooked into that then he has pocketed £50,000 already.

I reckon this guy would even claim to have found my missing underpants and try to make some profit out of it.

Oh ... the shame of it !!

Regards

[Tony J]

Hi everyone

I am on island at the moment, if someone more or less knows where this place 'may' be, I am quite happy to go and have a look for you all to help out.

I am only five minutes drive away

Sara

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Tony

The big problem is that nobody knows exactly where this development might be - although, as already said, anything of the scale that he is talking about (in fact any development of half a dozen houses) would clearly stand out in an area where very little development has taken place.

Take the North-Side road from the Claude Noel Highway. This is the lights after the main Wilson Road junction into Scarborough and after the Botanical Gardens, but before the stadium.

Head towards Mason Hall, Moriah and Castara,etc. Watch out for Government House on the left followed by the Prime Minister's Office on the right. Within half a mile you will come to a sharp turn in the road with a road leading off to the left. Keep right. This is the start of Cinnamon Hill. As Steph said, if you know the area, there is a little cut-through on the left that loops round and joins the main road a little higher up the hill. The Cinnamon Hill area is only about half a mile long - so forget it by the time you get to Adelphi, long before Mason Hall.

Apart from anything else, this is not a prime area for tourist development. It's pretty enough, but as analysis of our reader enquiries prove, properties along the Atlantic Coast only receive about 10-15% of equivalent properties along the Caribbean coast and inland properties - like Cinnamon Hill - less than 5%. Any development here would have to be spectacular to succeed here and would only be able to charge a fraction of similar apartments along the Caribbean coast.

Anyway, thanks for your help. Everything we can do to clarify this project will be most gratefully received.

[Tony J]

Hi Steve

We are leaving now to go and check things out, will take a photo or two if we see any sign of a luxury development!

Back soon

[GillMathews]

Hi folks,
Hey this is amazing.Having looked at the website every other tour operator must be going out of business I have never seen a camper van in Tobago and just where is this place (casino ) which is apparently "posed" (think they mean poised) to become the hottest night spot on the island.Must know so that I can go and rub shoulders with the rich and famous
In activities,yes the glass bottomed boat named York'es Pride will take you from Store Bay or Pigeon Point to the reef,however although it's name is celebrity linked the crew still tout for customers alongside all the other boats and they don't always have enough for a trip
Tobago looks like a fabulous place though.Think I might give it a go
Gill xx