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Most of you have probably heard by now that Phones 4U has gone in to administration and is selling off its retail stores and assets to the likes of EE and Vodafone, the same networks that allegedly drove it out of business. However, despite offloading its retail stores, the company's financial position is obviously still dire as it has announced that those who pre-ordered the iPhone 6 and handed over their cash up-front, won't be getting refunds.
Phones 4U initially stated that all orders that had not been dispatched would be canceled and buyers would be refunded. However, it turns out that this doesn't apply to those who bought an iPhone 6.
“Unfortunately we do not have any iPhone 6’s, therefore customers who have pre-ordered an iPhone 6 through Phones 4u will not receive their purchase.”
Those who did pre-order an iPhone 6 are urged to try and get their bank to reverse the charge, people can also file a claim , which will go off to the administrator, although there's no guarantee that this will get you your money back.
Stefano Quadrio Curzio, from BC Partners, which owns Phones 4U, has said that Vodafone's behaviour over the last six months seems to indicate that the network wanted to inflict maximum damage on the company, giving it no time to “develop commercial alternatives”.
Phones 4U boss, David Kassler, put things bluntly stating that if “mobile network operators decline to supply us, we do not have a business.” Kassler also seems to think that networks colluded in order to force what he describes as a “decent company” with thousands of employees in to administration.
You can fill out an iPhone 6 pre-order claim form, HERE.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: While some jobs were saved due to Vodafone and EE buying several ex Phones 4U stores, many more still find themselves unemployed thanks to what appears to be some form of collusion. However, no official investigation has been launched in to this as of yet so its impossible to determine exactly how or why this happened. Were any of you guys affected by Phones 4U going in to administration?
Source: PCA
To give my 2 cents as an Ex Vodafone employee with zero company loyalty.
I’m not surprised the major networks tried their hardest to put P4U out of business, due to their employee pay model it would hurt their paycheck to help existing customers with problems with their bills or devices. This meant that they sent all the customers to the nearest vodafone/o2/ee store to resolve their problems, at which point I would open their account and see they were with P4U, so would send them back to P4U to resolve their problem. This charade would often continue with customers being bounced back and forth up to the point I would have to show them excerts from UK retail law showing them P4U are responsible.
Not to say I wasn’t fully capable of helping these customers, however my manager would string me out if I did, he was an awful manager and would do ANYTHING not to interact with customers or help them in any way, last I knew he worked in Brighton, probably avoid the store inside the mall.