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British Consualte Services
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Anyone have any experience of them helping out a complete British dick on holiday?
I've done the obvious & googled etc & their website is really informative & helpful,if you fall ill,have a relative die,etc etc.
I have a mate that is begging for financial assistance via txt messages & is stuck abroad & I am not sure the consulate will help him.
He has basically done all his money on beer,gambling & hookers.
Ended up in hospital for 4 days due to the excess of 8 weeks on the local brew.
His hotel will now not release his passport back because he owes them for 3 weeks room hire & food etc.
They stopped allowing him to book food & drink to the room as soon as they realised he could not pay but agreed to let him keep the room while he tried to sort out some funds,consequently he has now not eaten for 5 days & only has bottled water to drink.
His visa & return flight tickets have now expired.
The hotel have rightly lost patience and said that if he does not settle within the next 48 hours they will involve the police.
He has contacted the airline & they will allow him reinstate his flight ticket at a cost,obviously travel costs to the airport are beyond him.
Anyone know if the consulate will help him get home?
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Comments
Dont think they will. They're there to help - not lend him money.
Can you imagine if they DID lend money ?
http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/2855621/english-summary
Page 3: We Cannot 'pay any bills or give you money from public funds'
Page 2: We Can 'provide information about transferring funds'
Head says that Dave,conscience says help him.
He needs the best part of £2500 & on Monday morning I said leave it with me I will get you home,Monday afternoon her indoors calls me @ work and says I got some great news,you are going to be a father.
Don't think of it as abandoning him, just think of the new experiences he has to look forward to should you chose your unborn child over him.
Completely his own doing I'm afraid. He needs to take responsibility for his actions.
Unless he's saved your life or something massive in the past. Did he donate a kidney or something ?
What a F**king prick he is !!
Not sure I could ever deal with the guilt of doing nothing
Do you trust your mate to repay you once he's back? Or is it a donation?
Sounds like the best is to liaise with the consulate to ensure any money sent is routed to where it's needed? Would you trust any cash transfer not to go on more beer etc rather than hotel, airline etc.
Where is he? No chance to get a job to pay some of his way while there?
just tell him you'll help as much as poss in other ways but can't stump the dosh. has he asked his family to help?? maybe you can help as an intermediate there??
Mick,no chance I don't think he is even capable of leaving his hotel room.
FB,I am meeting a brother of his later,however I am not sure that he can help or even will given the terms on which they parted back in December.
Are you sure it's genuine? Isnt' there some scam involving this kind of thing?
Have you actually spoken to him or is it all by text?
Sounds suspiciously like one of these?
http://techcrunch.com/2009/01/20/latest-facebook-scam-phishers-hit-up-friends-for-cash/
Where is he? £2500 sounds a lot if he's in a country that insists on holding onto your passport although I've never had to leave my passport with a hotel. If it's a genuine problem and you feel you have to help, dont send money directly. Speak to the hotel to see what he owes, do a search for a cheap flight. If all that doesn't add up to what he's asking, he's taking advantage and doesn't deserve your help.
I know he went.
I spoke with him on Xmas day,he was with a local at the time because they were also shoutng down the phone,So I know he was still there Xmas day.
Another friend spoke with him after he missed his original return date of 9th January & then spoke with him 2 weeks ago.
The info sounds to personal.
The ain't home that is certain.
I would most certainly want to speak to him before I sent any money!
Just because he's not back doesn't mean it's genuine. Talk to him in person before you do anything.
Good plan, BRT.
Unless I heard in person, I'd assume someone stole his mobile and was using it for a scam. Check with other people who'd be in his contacts if they've had the same texts.
If you do have to send money, make sure about the method. As he's lost his passport, how will the wire service confirm it's him? Have it sent to a "friend"?
I'm speaking as someone whose friends were informed by email I was stuck in a similar position in Nigeria. Some of them even believed it was me! With that appalling grammar? Puh-lease!
Sounds like a good plan. Re the info being personal - especially if he has a smartphone, then chances are that there is a hell of a lot of personal info on there on Facebook account / previous emails etc that a reasonably clever scammer could do a passable impression by text, but not by voice. Fingers crossed that he's just had a phone nicked rather than really being in trouble.
In all seriousness (despite previous posts) you could contact the British consulate and see if they would be able to handle the hotel bill, flight tickets if you send the money or help with the details of payments you might need.
Only you know if you trust him enough not to spunk the money should you send it ,As others have said be careful of a scam.
If he is a good mate im sure you'll know he will pay you back, if not it will only be a matter of time before your called upon again to help him out.
My understanding was that the consul has a duty to repatriate brits abroad but may give you a bill afterwards. They definitely won't pay the hotel bill but can issue a new passport.
It's painful if it's a mate but if genuine the consul can do more than you can.
Sounds like he's had a grand holiday though!