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Empire Direct have gone into administration. Updated more.

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  • trixie73
    trixie73 Posts: 933 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    :money:

    So it's your fault they went into administration, you cad ;);)

    Nice one though, I'd have done same.
    that did cross my mind you know:o . and i didnt open the second set for months just incase they came back. but they never did so its on my bedroom wall :D . needless to say no garantee for either set now but never mind, it will just have to go with my garanteless sofa from land of leather:confused:
  • Triker
    Triker Posts: 7,247 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    Not good news I'm afraid, been sent this by a friend on here, I'll also post on fron page,

    as I suspected but still leaves a very bitter taste in the mouth,

    Electrical customers to lose cash



    Nearly 1,800 people may be left out of pocket after the collapse of electrical goods retailer Empire Direct.
    The Leeds-based firm went into administration on Monday, and 158 of its 350 employees were made redundant.
    Stores in Bolton, Bradford, Chingford, Derby, Doncaster, Dudley, Huddersfield, Leeds, Loughborough, Nuneaton, Romford and Wetherby have closed.
    Administrators KPMG said customers who had paid with cash would not receive their ordered goods.
    o.gifstart_quote_rb.gifThe customer phone line we established on Tuesday has received a thousand calls a day from concerned customers end_quote_rb.gif


    Mark Firmin, KPMG


    KPMG said 5,800 customers had placed orders and paid for goods they had not received.
    Of those, 4,800 paid by card and KPMG estimated that just over 4,000 of those would be able to claim a refund from their card issuer.
    In a statement the administrator said: "The remaining customers will become unsecured creditors of the company and can lodge a claim with the administrators, though a dividend is not expected.
    "Customers will not receive goods ordered because the company's terms and conditions state that the customer does not take ownership of goods ordered until delivery or collection.
    "Refunds will not be possible due to Empire Direct's lack of funds when it entered administration. Money paid by customers was put into the company's overdrawn bank account."

    Potential buyers
    Mark Firmin, joint administrator and KPMG restructuring partner, said: "The customer phone line we established on Tuesday has received a thousand calls a day from concerned customers and so I am very aware of how regrettable this situation is for many customers of Empire Direct.
    "Those who have paid by card should contact their card provider to establish whether they are entitled to a refund." KPMG said no further staff had been made redundant since Monday and it had received 159 expressions of interest from potential purchasers ranging from major international businesses to corner shops. Empire Direct had been established for 25 years and marketed itself as the UK's largest independent retailer of electrical goods with a turnover of £150m.
    DFW Nerd 267. DEBT FREE 11.06.08
    Stick to It by R.B. Stanfield
    It matters not if you try and fail,
    And fail, and try again; But it matters much if you try and fail, And fail to try again.
  • Triker wrote: »
    Not good news I'm afraid, been sent this by a friend on here, I'll also post on fron page,

    as I suspected but still leaves a very bitter taste in the mouth,

    Electrical customers to lose cash



    Nearly 1,800 people may be left out of pocket after the collapse of electrical goods retailer Empire Direct.
    The Leeds-based firm went into administration on Monday, and 158 of its 350 employees were made redundant.
    Stores in Bolton, Bradford, Chingford, Derby, Doncaster, Dudley, Huddersfield, Leeds, Loughborough, Nuneaton, Romford and Wetherby have closed.
    Administrators KPMG said customers who had paid with cash would not receive their ordered goods.
    o.gifstart_quote_rb.gifThe customer phone line we established on Tuesday has received a thousand calls a day from concerned customers end_quote_rb.gif


    Mark Firmin, KPMG


    KPMG said 5,800 customers had placed orders and paid for goods they had not received.
    Of those, 4,800 paid by card and KPMG estimated that just over 4,000 of those would be able to claim a refund from their card issuer.
    In a statement the administrator said: "The remaining customers will become unsecured creditors of the company and can lodge a claim with the administrators, though a dividend is not expected.
    "Customers will not receive goods ordered because the company's terms and conditions state that the customer does not take ownership of goods ordered until delivery or collection.
    "Refunds will not be possible due to Empire Direct's lack of funds when it entered administration. Money paid by customers was put into the company's overdrawn bank account."
    Potential buyers
    Mark Firmin, joint administrator and KPMG restructuring partner, said: "The customer phone line we established on Tuesday has received a thousand calls a day from concerned customers and so I am very aware of how regrettable this situation is for many customers of Empire Direct.
    "Those who have paid by card should contact their card provider to establish whether they are entitled to a refund." KPMG said no further staff had been made redundant since Monday and it had received 159 expressions of interest from potential purchasers ranging from major international businesses to corner shops. Empire Direct had been established for 25 years and marketed itself as the UK's largest independent retailer of electrical goods with a turnover of £150m.

    Thanks for posting the news. This is nothing less than criminal. I really hope that something can be done. Fingers crossed for all of you trying to retrieve their money, and for those that are trying to retrieve their items already in the repair system.
  • al1982
    al1982 Posts: 26 Forumite
    Does Anyone know if i will be entitled to a Visa Debit Card Chargeback if i paid for my goods, sent them back as they were faulty for a refund but never received a refund???

    Does this still fall under goods not received/ faulty goods???

    I am hoping it does as it was not in for repair but for a refund
  • Call Consumer Direct on 08454 040506
    or visit website http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/
    Hopefully they will help you. Hope you get your money back!
    "I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy something"
  • al1982
    al1982 Posts: 26 Forumite
    Thank you, i called consumer direct who said because i have a collections note, showing the item was collected from me and i never received a refund or a replacement, i should be fine in initiating a visa debit chargeback.

    I also managed to get through to ED and the guy said that those waiting for a refund should contact their banks to do a charge back and i asked but your systems were not showing the item as returned to your company as it takes over a 1 week for some reason, the guy said the administrators will be able to confirm if the product is back with them or not, and once they confirm it is they will not put a fight for a chargeback.

    So for anyone who was waiting for a refund and paid by CC or Visa Debit contact your bank and they will contact HSB (EDs bank) to confirm the order, now ONLY outstanding orders are with HSBC with automatic chargeback approval, so if, like me, you have an outstanding refund, the bank will contact the administrators, who will then confirm the iteam is back with the company.
  • How slow am I??? I chased up the delivery of a memory card (only £14.. but hey, still better in my pocket than someone elses) last week and never even read the automated email from the administrators as I thought it was just an acknowledgement... so chased it up again today and found out today they have gone bump.

    I am more naffed off after reading so many stories on here from people who have lost hundreds of pounds. Its disgusting, its criminal and something needs to be done to stop these companies trading up to the last minute of going into administration and pocketing the money (just like xcel airways did).

    I know I won't get my money back, but I wish all of you waiting on refunds from large purchases lots of luck that you will eventually get your money back.

    Its quite worrying really who to trust now... I have £1600 worth of dollars to be delivered in June, and I now getting the heeby jeebies that they may not materialise so going to cancel my currency order.
  • The following email might be of interest to Empire Direct customers that already had faulty items in the repair system, or that were due for collection to be repaired, replaced, or refunded. I received the email today:

    Dear customer

    Thank you for your email.

    Since appointment, the administrators have been assessing the position as regards the customers who have an item which is in need of repair.

    Unfortunately it will not be possible for the administrators to accept any further items for repair or provide a refund. You will rank as an unsecured creditor of the Company and as such please follow the process to claim with the administrators.

    Please refer to the company website at www.empiredirect.co.uk for further details on how to proceed.

    Yours Faithfully
    For Empire Direct Plc (in administration)

    Mark Firmin

    Joint Administrator
  • al1982
    al1982 Posts: 26 Forumite
    HERE IS THE EMAIL I RECEIVED, MY GOODS WERE IN FOR A REFUND AS THE TV HAD A SCRATCH ON THE BACK CASING, IM GOING TO COLLECT IT BACK AND JUST LIVE WITH THE SCRATCH OR SELL IT ON EBAY:

    Dear customer

    Thank you for your email.

    The administrators are currently working hard to try and locate all
    goods which have been taken in for repair. We will endeavour to contact
    all repair customers as soon as reasonably practicable to arrange for
    customers to collect their property, but the Company will be unable to
    complete any repairs.

    Please refer to the company website at https://www.empiredirect.co.uk for
    further details on how to proceed and any future updates.

    Yours Faithfully
    For Empire Direct Plc (in administration)

    Mark Firmin
    Joint Administrator

    The Joint Administrators contract without personal liability
  • WOW! :confused:

    Bought my tv new years day. Waited two weeks for it to come into store, and picked it up myself (phew). Although I'm gutted my tv, washing machine and tumble drier no longer have their 3 year warranties, I'm still under manufacturers warranties on the drier and the tv (again phew).

    Feel bad for those who lost their jobs, but would be very angry if I'd have lost out as a unsecure transaction (paid by cash :embarasse ).

    Seems I was lucky (ish) some of the posts on here have shocked me.

    Some posts gave me the impression some of the staff knew the place was going under, yet still sold items -?????? - which hits me hard because, I wouldnt have done that job or no job.
    Some give me the impression they were blissfully unaware that anything was happening until the managers shut shop early and everyone was told to 'go forth and multiply'.

    Everyone looses out, except those who were fast enough to clamber to the top and buy a porsche and a big house. :rolleyes:

    I suppose the key here is to find out as quick as possible if you are in the section of folks that are not gonna be refunded, and just accept it, unfortunately.

    Good luck everyone! I truly hope you get refunded.

    Time for me to start looking into servicing my washer and drier myself. :rotfl: :rotfl:
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