TWIN sisters say they have lost their life savings of more than £7,000 after a holiday company closed down.
Gillian and Jennifer Brooks, 65, invested in a holiday scheme with Connection 6 while enjoying a trip abroad to Tenerife.
But it is believed Connection 6 has now ceased trading.
Gillian said: “We’re devastated.
“We’re only pensioners so we don’t have an income and we’d saved so hard to store up that money. That was all the security we had and now it’s gone.”
It is believed Connection 6 is now being investigated by Spanish Trading Standards and police.
The pensioners, of Old Mold Road, Gwersyllt, were enjoying a rare trip abroad in the Spanish resort in November last year when a British man gave them a scratch card and told them they had won a free holiday.
He took them to the offices of Connection 6 where a large team of staff convinced the sisters it was a holiday deal not to be missed.
Jennifer said: “We really trusted them, they were so convincing.”
The sisters claim they were offered a deal for free holidays for the next three years in return for an up-front fee of £7,500, guaranteed to be refunded within three years.
But when they struggled to claim any free holidays they began worrying and returned to Tenerife to investigate.
They were then assured details of how to claim were in the post and would be waiting for them when they returned home, but they were again disappointed.
According to the sisters, Trading Standards in Madrid have been investigating the company but were warned they would probably pop up again in the future under a different name.
The sisters are now warning other holiday-makers to beware.
A spokesman for Wrexham Trading Standards said they were not familiar with Connection 6 but added: “There is information on the ‘Trip Advisor’ website which suggests the Spanish police are involved in investigating Connection 6.”
The sisters recovered about £400 of their savings through their debit card provider, but they are not holding out much hope of recovering the rest.
Now Gillian warns: “Don’t even talk to these people because once you start listening, they’ve got you.
“We won’t be going abroad again at any time soon, we’ve got a caravan in Southport so we’ll be much safer sticking to that.”
Trading Standards gives the following advice to holidaymakers:
“The perpetrators are normally charming and friendly and take advantage of the fact that people are in a relaxed holiday mood.
“People should always think before they engage and politely but firmly refuse and not be persuaded to attend presentations in alternative locations or attend ‘company offices’ where they could be subjected to more persuasive high pressure techniques for hours on end.”
The spokesman added: “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.”