The Link

tim_n

I spoke to a salesman in the link and he advised me not to purchase from them (esp cashback) as the takeover from CPW was unlikely to honour such deals. Has there been any update?

fonesaver

1. It's O2 that are taking over The Link.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5101016.stm

2. Are you saying the salesman told you NOT to buy from his store???

I personally think O2 will honour deals with no problems.

Old_Gold

Surely it would be a legal obligation for whoever takes over to honour any debts.

Babboon

Check out http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=251989.

Doesn't look like the Link is going to close but be carried on as a web only business by DSGi. From feedback on this site, it looks a fairly safe bet to get your cashback if you send in all the stuff on time.

Tedrick_2

The Link may have been bought out but there is no risk from taking advantage of any deal that they are running.

Cashbacks are run from a separate part of the company therefore are not affected by the store closures, the majority of the stores are remaining open til mid March anyway.

The Link are still under DSGi at present.

Many of the stores are being slowly removed from the highstreet though, i.e. my local store haved stopped selling fixed line phones, certain accessories and are not getting handset stock replenished as often.

mtm990553

There will be no Link stores as of January 31st 2007, although it is anticipated that it may be much sooner. Any Cashback deals purchased up until The Link ceases to trade on the High Street will be paid out by DSGi (who employ a marketing cimpany in Leicester to administrate the cheques).

O2 will own all Link stores when they receive approval from the E.U. - expected to be Friday 15th September. They will rebrand 97 stores as O2 stores. The rest will be sold off in lots to other mobile operators with Orange recently acquiring over 30 Link stores (subject to E.U. approval). Even though O2 will own all Link stores as of the next few days, they will pay DSGi a management fee to continue to run The Link until O2 sell all remaining stores. DSGi will continue to receive the commissions from the Networks that The Link connect, therefore, they will continue to pay out on the Cashbacks.

There is immense competition in the mobile industry for strong High Street/Shopping Centre presence. The opportunity to acquire some prime retail sites currently occupied by The Link means O2 will have no problems getting shot of the rest of the stores it does not want. This process will not take long. It has been announced that some 30 stores will close completely due to expiry of lease

The Link as a brand will only exist online and will be a completely DSGi operation.

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT GETTING YOUR MONEY BACK - FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE CLAIM FORM AND YOU WILL BE JUST FINE!

Tedrick_2

mtm990553 wrote:

There will be no Link stores as of January 31st 2007,

ALthough this is what has gone to press, the stores all have leases on the properties that they are in, which O2 will make use of until they end, running upto Mid-March, after what point, if the stores are not sold on, they will close and store staff made redundant.

CPW bought a batch of shops also last week.

mtm990553

Tedrick: Be assured there will be NO Link stores as of 31st January 2007 - probably even sooner. T-Mobile has just agreed to buy 9 stores and Phones4U are taking 11. Orange have also announced they are taking a further 3 stores to the ones they have already agreed to buy. These deals should be complete by OCTOBER (subject to E.U. approval).

There has been no mention of CPW yet, although we anticipate they will take some stores.

The demise of The Link will be complete much sooner than March.

And yes, I do work for The Link and will shortly be rebranded as an O2 store. Please note that the sale I referred to in the 'Here it comes' thread will begin on Wednesday 20th of September.

mtm990553

Tedrick: Did O2 announce to you what I already have told you about the Link stores closing before January 31st 2007. Looks like it will now be November 2006 - pretty much blows your March 2007 'guesstimation' to pieces.....

Tedrick_2

Theres no 'guesstimating' about it, The Link in Bury, store 2625 are in contract to lease the property until Feb 07 and have been told by the powers that be that they will be there until this lease is up.

The Link in Manchester Fort 4171, a newly built store is leased until March 07 and have been told as above.

Having worked at both stores myself, i trust the word of the manager that has told them this.

mtm990553

Ask again - you will learn yet my boy!

I will speak to you again in November about this.....

PS Check out https://www.mobiletoday.co.uk

November deadline for sale

The last of the stores in The Link chain will have either been closed or sold by late November, according to company MD Nick Wood.

O2 and DSG revised their targets of an early 2007 completion because of strong interest from rival operators.