MORE than 80 aggrieved Global Vacations customers gathered in York to hear expert legal advice - and share tales of woe.

The customers, attending a public meeting organised by the Evening Press in conjunction with City of York Council, complained they had largely failed to get the luxury holidays they expected after paying the firm up to £4,995 to join its Global Discovery Club.

The customers unanimously called for a change in the law to bring such holiday clubs into line with timeshare schemes, where customers who sign up to a scheme have a statutory cooling-off period to reconsider their decision.

And they applauded the Evening Press for arranging the meeting, saying it helped them feel less isolated in their plight. "I was feeling very isolated. It's a good piece of work. It has got us together," said one man.

The newspaper set up the meeting at the Tempest Anderson Hall after reporting the grievances of a series of readers who had joined the club after attending a sales presentation at the firm's offices in Barleycorn Yard, Walmgate, York - which suddenly closed down recently.

York trading standards manager Liz Levett and solicitor Toby Conyers-Kelly, of Hetherton & Dempsey, gave a series of tips to dissatisfied customers on what they could do now in a bid to ensure they either got the holidays to which they were entitled or a full refund.

Liz Levett said that, under the Consumer Credit Act 1974, people who had paid by credit card could claim the money back from the card company if Global was in breach of contract or had misrepresented what they would receive.

This would apply to the whole of their payment, even if only part was made by credit card and the rest was by cash or cheque - provided the total amount came to more than £100.

Her department had a draft letter which people could use to write to their credit card companies.

She said an organisation called S and W Collections, which had written to Global customers demanding outstanding money, had told her yesterday they would not be pursued if people had not received the service to which they were entitled from Global.

She said Global appeared to have ceased operating.

Mr Conyers-Kelly advised people unhappy with what Global had provided to write as quickly as possible to the firm, giving it a set period to perform according to the contract and warning that the contracts would otherwise be rescinded.

He also said that if customers were contemplating taking legal action against the firm, it might be beneficial for them to group together for a joint action.

Global Vacations was unable to attend the meeting, but Global Discovery Club (Scotland) Ltd, which says it wants to help English club members get their holidays, asked for a statement - the details of which were reported in yesterday's paper - to be read out.

PICTURE: PUBLIC DEBATE: A scene at the meeting in Tempest Anderson Hall, York, last night (Nigel Holland)