Abundance Investment Reviews 

494
TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

3.5

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

My partner and I have lost a total of around 80k between us due to companies failing. There are promises we'll get a proportion back, but this always comes to nothing. Yes they tell you these are uns... See more

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I chose to invest with Abundance in 2018. They seemed to offer investments to fund good ideas for green energy generation, charging points etc for cities like Manchester. The maturity payout for my... See more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

The marketplace is clunky - i'm glad it exists, because that's part of building a believe that these investments are slightly more flexible - but I preferred your previous interface where I could fi... See more

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I don't see a point in investing in companies that destroy the world I want to retire and my children to thrive in. For my modest savings, Abundance offer a great way to invest money into an IFISA. It... See more

Company details

  1. Investment Service

Written by the company

Abundance lets you invest in local government and earn a stable, long term income while your money funds real green projects in towns, cities and communities across the country.


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3.5

Average

TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

494 reviews

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3.5

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(494)

27 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Abundance have been fantastic

Abundance have been fantastic, I can not recommend them enough! In a time of climate emergency they make me feel empowered and seeing some of the amazing companies that they fund, and I am now an investor in, makes me feel optimistic about the future.

It is not to say it has been smooth sailing on all investments. One of my investment got into trouble, but I was impressed by how Abundance stood by the company, helped them fix the problems and then got the investment back on track. Who said saving the world would be easy! Thank you Abundance!

October 12, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

Fantastic, I have just received a cash return and made another investment into Atlantis - the current company raising money on Abundance.

Abundance enables me to use some of my money to easily back the companies that are trying to fix climate change. Until I came across abundance I had been searching for a company that would enable me to not only earn a financial return but also feel like I was using my money to build a better world for my children and grandchildren. Keep up the good work!

October 9, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Recently received my cash returns and…

Recently received my cash returns and two updates. It is super exciting to see the progress on the construction of the orbital tidal energy generator, I am looking forward to seeing it lowered into the Pentland Firth and starting to generate power!

September 10, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A solid ethical platform

Reading the reviews below, I would like to defend Abundance. I have invested in a number of projects and the majority are performing well (better than my traditional investments), but I have also been involved in the 2 investments that have hit troubles. To me it is pretty clear that the problems with both investments were things beyond the control of Abundance or the company, in both cases it was the Government reneging on contracts / commitments.

I have been impressed by how Abundance kept me informed when problems occurred and the detail provided on the actions they and the company were taken to rectify things. I was also impressed that Abundance stood by the companies when perhaps more traditional lenders would have pulled the plug. With the first project Abundance threatened legal action against the Government and subsequently the Government’s incorrect RHI decision was overturned which enabled the company to get back on its feet and the investment back on track. Abundance are also working to fix the problems with the second project, and things look like they will be sorted.

Though the terms on one investment were changed to help get the company back on its feet, to date I have not lost any money on any investment and fully support everything the companies and Abundance have done to manage what has been a tough situation.

With Abundances’ higher risk investments anything offering 8% or more , people should only put in money they can afford to lose. For me these investment represent an opportunity to use my money to help fix the UK’s environmental and social problems while also earning a return so I will continue investing.

September 4, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I've been caught out with 3 out of my 8…

Keep clear of these people
I've been caught out with 3 out of my 8 small investments getting into trouble.
I had a go at one of the bosses on the basis of due diligence (lack of) & she wasn't really interested.
As soon as I can I will take my money out of here.

August 30, 2019
Unprompted review
Abundance Investment logo

Reply from Abundance Investment

Hi Richard,

We have spoken separately by email about the performance of some of your investments and your options for looking to sell investments through the marketplace if you want to withdraw money. If you still have any questions about your investments or would like to discuss, please get in touch at support@abundanceinvestment.com.

Best wishes,

Tom Harwood
Head of Customer Support
The Abundance team

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I was one of the mugs who invested in…

I was one of the mugs who invested in Abundance's Monnow Valley scheme - for 12 months. After the first few quarterly repayments of interest, everything stopped. The result - I will not see any of my money for 18 years - yes, years. This is a Ponzi scheme. Please, avoid anything to do with this company, despite their crocodile tears.

August 28, 2019
Unprompted review
Abundance Investment logo

Reply from Abundance Investment

Hi Huw,

We have responded to your previous review below and we have also corresponded by email since. If you still have any further questions about your investment or would like to discuss, please get in touch at support@abundanceinvestment.com.

Best wishes,

Tom Harwood
Head of Customer Support
The Abundance team

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Good offers, but too much cash drag

I invest at a number of p2p sites. This one has a professional appearance and seems well run. The company has been making an operational loss for the last few years, but that is not uncommon in the p2p market. They are growing.

Their offers are medium to high risk; the higher risk ones are usually short(er) term at 8/10/12% and sometimes higher; the medium risk ones are around 5-7+-. There have been problems with medium risks ones. It is therefore crucial that one diversifies, ie distributes funds across a range of offers. The info material provided is usually good but I doubt that even the experts can predict which projects will run into problems.

Diversification is a bit tricky though, as there are only few loans coming up per year. This means that cash can be sitting in an account for months earning no interest (especially in an ISA). This problem is aggravated by the fact that most loans need a few months to fill, again usually without paying interest.

One could buy loan parts on the secondary market, where they are sold by other investors. The SM seems reasonably active. However, compared to other p2p-sites the SM is slow and clumsy, and what's worse, loans are heavily overprised - on average one loses half a year's interest when buying, and it can be several times that.

For now, I'll keep the account as one among many.

August 19, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Lost my house deposit in an ISA no…

Lost my house deposit in an ISA no warning no service and recompense?? extremely upset will never deal with these charlatans again.

August 10, 2019
Unprompted review
Abundance Investment logo

Reply from Abundance Investment

Hi,
I’m sorry to hear you’ve not been satisfied with your experience investing through Abundance. We understand and share your disappointment when an investment runs into difficulties. I believe you have also sent an email to us about your investment in GDFC Services which we have registered as a complaint and provided a response to - please get in touch if you would like to discuss further. GDFC Services has also provided a number of email updates in the run up to the restructuring (which required a vote by investors) which gave more detail on the reasons behind the need to restructure, and also the company’s new strategy to create a successful business. The company will continue to provide updates to investors on the progress in delivering the new strategy and what this means for your investment over time.

Abundance is an investment platform and the nature of investing means there are always risks involved which we make clear throughout the Abundance website, including the risk statement before making any investment and also within the investment Offer Document which includes a risk section. The key risk that is shown on the risk statement before you make any investment is that your capital is at risk and any returns are not guaranteed.

Abundance is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and our role is to review and approve any investment offer that is made through Abundance, which we did for the GDFC Services offer of Debentures. This due diligence process looks at the information provided by the company to ensure the investment offer is fair, clear and not misleading. Abundance also gives careful consideration to the businesses and teams behind the investments offered on the platform. However, this does not mitigate the risks that can affect a particular investment and which are set out in the Offer Document, although this list can never be exhaustive. Abundance is not authorised to recommend investments or provide investment advice. Our role is to ensure the information is provided for individual investors to review before considering the risks and whether the investment is right for them in the context of their overall appetite for risk and their spread of investments.

When things do go wrong we will always work hard to support the company in its efforts to achieve the best possible outcome for investors. In the case of GDFC Services, we have worked actively and constructively with management and shareholders to ensure Debenture investors’ various interests have been fully considered in the restructuring proposal that was put to investors and which has now been accepted by the required number of Debenture holders. The company, with its shareholders and new management team, believe this restructuring will give it the opportunity to succeed and Debenture investors the ability to share in any future success of the business.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your restructured investment, please contact us on 0203 475 8666 or email us at support@abundanceinvestment.com.

Best wishes,

Tom Harwood
Head of Customer Support
The Abundance team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I manage my risk tolerance…

I manage my risk tolerance appropriately, and understand that these projects are higher risk than e.g. a Regular Saver account. I have been extremely pleased with Abundance and would highly recommend them to someone who wants to add to their portfolio and understands the nature of the risk associated with them. I have been very happy with the return I've received and I've had in initial investment returned for some of them as well as interest payments. I've also been pleased with the quality of customer service and ease of using the platform.

July 5, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I have invested in a number of projects…

I have invested in a number of projects and the majority are doing very well, but one the Green Deal company is not going to plan. So far I have not lost any money, but my bond has been converted into a “warrant”.

I have however been impressed with how Abundance has kept me in informed during the process of restructuring the company and given me a vote on the option to restructure. I have invested via other platforms and Abundance appear to operate with a totally different philosophy - acting with transparency and integrity. I want to back companies that are doing interesting things to help the world, but that does not come with out risk!

June 21, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

We also got burned by GDFC

We also got burned by GDFC. We have asked several questions to do with ethics, diligence and governance, all of which have been ignored by GDFC although basics about what they intend to happen, are being answered. We understand that investments can be lost, it's why we have a basket of investments, but we really didn't want to lose a 18 months of tuition fees in one fell swoop and feel extremely sorry for those who have lost out on pensions, particularly after following the Guardian recommendation (like us). Our concern is that Abundance put forward a package (and have put forward others that have also gone wrong) but we're not sure now, whether they really did do their due diligence before recommending the product. Similarly, although they say that they will liaise with the company, when GDFC fails to answer questions, there seems to be no push back from Abundance. At the moment, we're being asked to vote on a restructure of the debentures into warrants that seems to be valuing the total debenture holding at about 1/4 of the amount initially invested, and even that is still making some optimistic assumptions about performance. We wanted to invest ethically, in sustainable products, but ethics includes not just whether something says it's climate friendly but also how you manage people, assets and your corporate/social responsibility. I see little, if any evidence of a will to act ethically in those ways.

June 1, 2019
Unprompted review
Abundance Investment logo

Reply from Abundance Investment

Hi Joanna,

I’m sorry to hear you’ve not been satisfied with the answers received to your questions about GDFC. Please let us know by emailing support@abundanceinvestment.com which questions you feel were not answered satisfactorily and we will come back with more information if possible.

We remain actively engaged with all the investments on Abundance on a regular basis. This includes the management and shareholders of GDFC Services who alerted us when it was clear it needed a change of strategy and approach. Both they and we are aware that there has been a lot of information to absorb in their efforts to restructure the business and in an evolving picture. Whenever possible, we want issuers on Abundance to maintain high levels of openness and transparency with their investors, especially when things are not going according to plan.

We have also worked actively and constructively with management and shareholders to ensure Debenture investors’ various interests have been fully considered in the proposal that has now been put to investors. The company with its shareholders and new management team believe this proposal will give it the opportunity to succeed and Debenture investors the ability to share in any future success of the business. You can vote on this proposal.

We understand a restructuring process can be more complicated for investors so we are on hand to answer any questions you have. If you are unclear about the proposal, please contact us at support@abundanceinvestment.com and a member of our team or one of the directors of Abundance can give you a call to discuss and answer any questions you have.

Abundance is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and our role is to review and approve any investment offer that is made through Abundance. This due diligence process looks at all the information that is provided by the company to ensure the investment offer is fair, clear and not misleading. Abundance also gives careful consideration to the businesses and teams behind the investments offered on the platform. However, this does not mitigate the risks that can affect a particular investment and which are set out in the Offer Document, although this list can never be exhaustive. Abundance is not authorised to recommend investments or provide investment advice. Our role is to ensure the information is provided for individual investors to review before considering the risks and whether the investment is right for them in the context of their overall appetite for risk and their spread of investments.

On Abundance we have offered investments with a range of risk and return, from 4.5% to 15%. In total 37 investments have been funded on Abundance since we launched in 2012. One investment has defaulted but has since been restructured to allow it to repay investors’ capital plus interest on top. Two other investments (including GDFC) have not yet defaulted but have run in to difficulties and are looking to be restructured. All 3 of these investments have been at the higher returning, higher risk end of the spectrum of investments offered through Abundance. The nature of investing means there are always risks involved - however when things do go wrong we will always work hard to support the company in its efforts to achieve the best possible outcome for investors.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the proposal from GDFC, please contact us on 0203 475 8666 or email us at support@abundanceinvestment.com.

Best wishes,
Tom Harwood
Head of Customer Support
The Abundance team

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

I have been investing with Abundance…

I have been investing with Abundance for several years now and in the early days it worked very well for us.Their systems and proceses work very well and the ability to trade your investments via the marketplace is a good add on. And in the earlydays there was a steady pipeline of investments and they all generally performed as per plan. My aim was to invest some of my pension lump sum and enjoy a decent level of income as well as help green projects.
But.... the last couple of years have been generally characterised by a shortage of new projects to invest in and for some of my existing investments ( Monnow Valley. GFDC,Eccosol, Celtic renewables) by one bit of bad news after another. I have what are for me quite large sums tied up the above and set up ISAs to house these.Long story short I am no longer sure about the safety of my investments or whether I will see some / any of my money back. If these had been shares I would have accepted the risk as the potential upside would mitigate some of the risks but the debentures give me a limited upside and a very clear downside ( ie all money lost) . I haven't completely lost faith as I know Abundance have worked closely with the companies listed above and have helped them as they seek to rectify problems. But I shall sit on my cash in the main from hereon in and am worried about the companies long term prospects.

May 30, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Impressive bond trading platform

An excellent, easy to use platform for the saver/investor wanting to make a positive impact through funding green energy projects and social housing. The returns are generally very competitive. Of course, as with any investments, there are risks, which the small number of negative reviewers below point out; but these risks are made very clear on the site. So far all my investments have paid the returns projected, on time. Some are long-term investments, but there is an easy to use facility for sellers and buyers to deal.

April 7, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

An excellent company

An excellent company, which enables me to put my money to work to do something positive for the world. The website is also fantastic to use and so far the investment returns have been solid.

April 6, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

In theory

In theory, a great idea. Appeals to the urge to do good for the planet while making putting some money aside for your pension, etc. However, having been sucked into GDFC and Celtic Renewables, both of which are now in trouble, I am now sitting on my hands with the cash I have in my SIPP and IF ISA, wary of being burnt again. I am fortunate in that I can afford to wait to see what materialises, but wrt those of you who were hoping that this would provide a needed boost now to retirement income, I would strongly advise you to be very, very careful and to put forward a sensible amount if you were to take the plunge in one of these projects, & only do so after reading the offer documents very thoroughly . Do your research. If it sounds too good to be true, eg 12% return in one year, it probably is. Having said this, Abundance provide a very user friendly platform for investing in what is an important sector deserving of support. Just hope they are carrying out the required due diligence checks on the companies offering debentures through their site as thoroughly as you’d expect...

March 26, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Abundance is a great way to invest in…

Abundance is a great way to invest in sustainable projects and diversify your investment into debentures. The platform is easy to use and understand. It would be even better if there were more projects and greater diversity of projects.

March 23, 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Be very wary of Abundance

I have invested in 3 Abundance projects.United Downs Geothermal project. Closed down. Got my initial money back plus 2%. This represents a loss because it was supposed to pay 12% interest.
GDFC services is in trouble as it needs to borrow more money. The best scenario for current debenture holders is that they may get their investment back 5 to 10 years down the road. The worst scenario is administration and we will lose all our money.Celtic Renewables has big problems with the Scottish government who were supposed to be a major funder and now are not.

March 18, 2019
Unprompted review
Abundance Investment logo

Reply from Abundance Investment

Hi Roger,

I’m sorry to hear you have had a poor experience investing on Abundance. I know you have since spoken to Louise Wilson, one of Abundance’s founders, to discuss the status of your investments and to address some of your concerns. We continue to work hard to support the companies in their efforts to achieve the best possible outcome for investors when things do go wrong. If you have any questions or would like to discuss further, please get in touch on 0203 475 8666 or support@abundanceinvestment.com.

Best wishes,
Tom Harwood
Head of customer support
The Abundance team

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Sustainable investments made easy

I've been investing with Abundance for a few years now. I originally invested because I liked the idea of investing in sustainable projects. Whilst not all the projects have delivered the anticipated returns, the documentation has been very clear on the risks of investing. Any queries I have had have been dealt with promptly and efficiently (even outside normal working hours). Their website makes it easy to see the status of investments and expected future payments. I'm happy to continue to support the investments offered by Abundance.

February 16, 2019
Unprompted review

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