More in the Evesham sell-off saga

[Rik]

El Reg is reporting more developments in the ongoing Evesham sale story. According to the site, "Evesham Technology's founder and chairman Richard Austin became director of a newly created firm with links to TimeUK."

This is turning into something Mario Puzo could have written - I'm glad it no longer affects me.

[Rik]

El Reg is now reporting that the TimeUK buyout has concluded.

"Richard Austin, founder and chairman at Evesham, said in a statement: "We would like to reassure all of our customers that they will continue to receive support from the same Evesham staff and that their existing warranties will continue to be handled with Evesham's award winning service, as before".

...

"One Evesham employee has been in touch with us to report that a majority of the staff has been laid off and asked to leave the premises. No-one at Evesham was available to comment"

[Inactive]

I think all that I have bought from Evesham ( Lowestonweb ) is a memory module in the last 12 months.

That is if my memory serves me correctly.. 

[Rik]

El Reg is reporting that Evesham went into administration on Friday. "Following on from a very difficult few days for many ex-employees of the firm, Austin finally confirmed yesterday that Evesham had indeed entered administration on Friday 3 August."

Sad for the staff, but I am not surprised.

[Inactive]

Nice honest sort of guy this Richard Austin..

Bit different to what he said last week.

[Rik]

Isn't it just. I can't help but feel that, if there's one person who won't have suffered in this, it will be him. 

[Inactive]

Agreed, like you I feel sorry for the Staff in these things.

No doubt Richard Austin will soon be up and running another business in his wifes name.

The suppliers will also take a hit as well.

[Rik]

Yes, it's easy to forget the suppliers, not just manufacturers, but small firms, eg printers, cleaners etc. There is something fundamentally wrong with company law in this country when it allows people to take a company into administration, but buy the company back at a knockdown price, eg Ken Bates and Leeds. IMO, if a firms goes bust, directors should be barred for a year or so.

[Rik]

The BBC is carrying another story on this saga today, stating that "A demonstration is planned outside a technology company which a union claims told some staff they were losing their jobs by text."

Not a happy situation for staff or customers.

[RobMc]

PC Pro has an interview with Mr Austin. I think this is rather a sad way that businesses are allowed to operate; The old Change the name, shed creditors and staff then do the same. Needless to say it's not Mr Austin who is suffering.

Rob.

[Inactive]

Thanks for that link Rob, makes interesting reading, I agree, it really is terrible the way these things are allowed to continue, it is time that this was stopped.

[Rik]

Even PCPro sounded like they didn't trust the people involved in the deal! 

[Noreen]

Ex-employees of Evesham have now set up a website http://www.geemore.com/

[Rik]

I saw that, Noreen, rather a gaffe by the new management to miss on registering the domains... 

[Noreen]

It certainly was.    The three year guarantee on my laptop runs out in October this year and I'm praying that nothing goes wrong before then.

[Rik]

Oddly enough, the warranty on my other machine runs out in the middle of next month. It should be OK, though, they rebuilt the machine last November...