Kobalt Computers Officially out of business

Hi All,

I too have been stung by this, ordered 3rd May, over £1000 paid, no laptop received

I paid with my HSBC Mastercard and thought I was safe, I dont recall the exact payment process however I appear to have an email from paypoint with some very limited info about the transaction, although my credit card statement clearly says "www.kobaltcomputers.co.uk internet" with no reference to paypoint

I have just been in contact with HSBC mastercard, unfortunately after 30mins of explaining the situation and confirming amounts they said I had to call back tomorrow when someone was around that could help :O

I will try again tomorrow and hopefully will be able to update people on here of my progress and whether the paypoint thing is an issue with hsbc mastercard or not.

fingers crossed, as with most people now is a really bad time to be losing that kinda money

Bram

 

I got this email earlier tonight -

"Dear Sir/Madam

It is with great regret that on Tuesday 11th September 2011 Kobalt Computers Ltd ceased trading and a note was placed on the company website to this effect. If your contact is regarding an order or outstanding RMA please contact the registered company address by letter only and state that you wish to be listed as an unsecured creditor of Kobalt Computers Ltd. The company to be assigned to manage the affairs of Kobalt Computers Ltd after it ceased trading will then be in contact with you.

Regards"

 

Hi all,

This seems like it might be a good place to ask: my Kobalt G860 decided to pack up today - looks like a cooling system failure of some kind - and I was about to call and book it in for repair under warranty when I found out what had happened to the company. (Now I'm having to post usimg a bl**dy iphone, apologies for tpyos).

I need the PC fixed in a hurry, whether I have to pay for the repair or not - or I need to order a brand new machine of similar spec from somewhere. Any suggestions as to whom I might usefully contact please?

(Guess it could be worse... it could have died 2 days *before* Kobalt disappeared...)

 

I must shut this window down and focus on my editing I'm turning into a forum geek

Someone said PC Specialist will do repairs but not under Kobalt warranties you have to pay. If it is still under the 1st year of warranty then CLEVO may fix it as apparently they did when another company went under.

Likewise PCS sell Clevos and have a good rep or some say order from Malibal in the USA as they will ship and sell EU warranty for $250 extra

 

Ches had you already emailed them or do they owe you a computer? I heard nothing from them so I was wondering if they were going to say anything to all the people they owe?

 

I sent my laptop back for repair last Monday, and had emailed them on Monday and Tuesday, then found out they had "ceased trading" today, so sent an email to every email address I have @kobaltcomputers.co.uk and received that.

 

Oh Chez that is just crap I am sorry....

I am so glad that although I had paid for parts I was just too nervous to let Kobalt anywhere near my machine so I never sent it in....

OK I am no expert but I think go find the PDF link I posted a few pages back - it is an Advice Guide for when companies go into liquidation and it includes when you have sent repairs in. You need to ensure that you have a claim on your own goods when the administrators come in. I belive there is a window of 3 months before they decide whether to literally bankrupt a company or go a different route to maybe rescue by a buyout or something.

Keep an eye on this thread too, and maybe try and hook up with others in the RMA position. Citizens Advice used to be very good for free advice and it is where the PDF came from originally...

Good luck and keep us posted and now I must shutdown my edit and this window

 

Hi, I'm surprised by this fact. If someone needs the address , or at least, the address I can read in my order box, received this August 2, take a look:

Kobalt Computers Ltd
Unit 5 Redhill 23 Business Par
RedHill RH12GD
United Kingdom

And in the Invoice, only a telephone and fax number:

Telephone: 0845 230 1585
Fax: 020 8645 6327

I am without warranty too, and I extended it till 3 years, I hope this be simply a "rebirth" of Kobalt, for me and for all you folks, that are in worst situation than me.

I hope they simply avoid all the problems and back to the work with a better way to do things.

In my case, yes, unaccomplished ETA's, but I must say that they send me my order perfectly, wihout any fail.

I hope the best for Andrew, Neil and Pman, and yes, the best would be the come back stronger than ever as soon as possible.

 

Be glad you got a response, I sent my laptop in for repair on September 8th and they still have it... been sending e-mails to every Kobalt Computers address I have as well.

Hope they will at least put up more relevant information on their website soon. I'm very keen to find out about the current situation regarding RMA's.

I will fight to get my laptop back though. It is my property, not theirs and there is personal information contained on the hard drive (if you know where to look).

Be better to write to this address (Their Registered Office):
7-9 THE AVENUE,
EASTBOURNE
EAST SUSSEX
BN21 3YA

Think someone said in this topic that there was no one as their offices at the address you mentioned (Though no harm in writing to both).

 

I highly doubt the "rebirth" idea, based on their latest reply -

"Good Evening,

You will need to write to the registered office of Kobalt Computers limited, then as/when an Administrator is appointed they will be in contact with you regarding your laptop.

As there has not been an administrator appointed yet writing to the registered office will ensure that when one is you will be informed.

Sadly there is nothing else that we can do in this instance.

Regards

Kobalt Computers."

 

Hopefully it wont take long until an administrator is appointed.

But I'm just wondering why isn't that instruction to write to the registered office (including the address) not mentioned in the message on their homepage?

 

I see, I'll take note of the "new" address.

Any clue of what are exactly this two companies that "contracted to provide merchant services to Kobalt"?

Maybe Kobalt was denounced for the two ones for non-payment?

Really Pman, Andrew & Neil haven't nothing to say, after have been fired in that way?. Confidentiality contract after be fired!?. This silence by their side is nonsense.

 

Andrew and Neil can't exactly have been "fired", seeing as they were the company directors.

 

Ok, then ½ of the people...

And I believe that they all share some kind of blame. Even if PMan only knew what they told him, having common sense and seing the extent of the problems and customer complaints, should have alerted him. Never ever did anyone from Kobalt admit to a fault, there were ALWAYS an excuse. I questioned every single one from day one, and who was right in the end?

 

..........

 

Can one of you Kobalt customers do me a favour please, and look at the box that came from your notebook. On the white Sticker one outside (side of box), what does it say next to REMARK:

Thanks.

 

Mine says Fortune....

Why?

 

Goldenstar UK.

U.K. Contract Service Center
Address : Unit 6, Suttons Business Park ,Suttons Park Avenue ,Reading Berkshire RG6 1AZ UK
Tel No. : +44(0)1189269988
Fax No. : +44(0)1189662244
E-mail: [email protected]

 

What is this Goldenstar UK? I can't find any info for them via google!

 

strangely enough that is the uk address for clevo uk CLEVO - World's Service
google the full address and half way down the search is clevo

 

Goldenstar Computers Ltd

Hey that's useful they sell Clevo parts and are a Clevo repair shop!!

 

Summary of advice and help so far:

When a supplier goes out of business (everyone should read it):
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/c_supplier_has_gone_out_of_business.pdf

Section 75 Credit card claims & Chargeback for Visa Debit and others:

S75:
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_world/consumer_affairs/buying_goods_your_rights.htm#making_a_claim_against_a_credit_lender_for_a_problem_with_goods

Template letter for S75 claims:
Section 75 refunds: Free protection for ALL spending...

Debit card Chargeback:
Some banks say they've never heard of Chargeback: don't listen to them | Money | The Observer

Template letter for Debit Card Chargebacks:
Section 75 refunds: Free protection for ALL spending...

General advice on rights for Card users:
Complaining about goods bought on credit : Directgov - Government, citizens and rights

Financial Ombudsman (when you have a dispute with Card issuer etc) This is for when you have tried everything else:
Financial Ombudsman Service

Clevo Repairs and Spares in the UK:
Goldenstar Computers Ltd

PC Specialist will also do repairs....

Keep copies of everything. Send letters to company registered address just above and send REGISTERED. Do not threaten, abuse or harrass. For RMAs find as much evidence as possible for proof of ownership.

Everyone: keep an eye on this thread, our best option is shared knowledge and information so please post back and good luck.

I will summarize again if necessary further down the line.

 

might be worth copying this to your first post on this thread as well

 

True. It'll stop idiots like me posting information that has already been stated

 

Lucia: the link within
"S75:
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/...lem_with_goods"

Is broken. I went thru this thread quickly but didn't find it. I did fix one other that had a typo in it

 

Yup, they sent me the keyboard Kobalt couldn't deliver (Kobalts excuse: "The supplier doesn't have it in stock") lol.

 

KLF thanks

Fixed the link and posted a permalink to the summary post in my first post.
Couldn't copy it all again my fingers are sore

Please folks share info about the things you try and their effects....

 

Their website is a little on the basic side and is very much out of date by a year or more when you look at the available products.

I assume you called them up?

 

I wouldn't judge a company by how fancy their website is.... (er Kobalt for example)

They are the Clevo official service centre also

 

True, but the data on the site is the thing I am more worried about.

I just thought it would be kept upto date. In fact I can't find a single component of my laptop on their site.

 

It is out of date but at the top of each page it does state that if your part isn't on the list they might have what you want.

Looks like it was last updated September last year, so they're not going to have the most recent parts on there.

 

Hi, I'm new to posting on forums so I hope you'll be patient with me!
Briefly, like many other people my husband ordered a laptop at the end of June, no action, a load of excuses in reply to emails etc. I am posting on here to ask if anyone had a VAT invoice when they ordered from Kobalt? We paid by bank transfer on 27 June, got email in reply - no VAT number, after many emails eventually got order confirmation on 25 July, again no VAT number despite us having paid VAT on purchase.
Please could other posters who also did not receive their order check their correspondence to see if they were given a VAT invoice and let me know? This is something which needs investigating I feel.

 

Why?

Meanwhile folks I urge you all to read the first advice link I posted on p14 called When a supplier goes out of business - it is a saveable pdf and was writen by legal advisers and was updated in September 2011

 

I might add that in the UK you pay VAT on everything that is chargeable under VAT laws whether a company is VAT registered or not. I think this is probably not relevant to current problems with Kobalt.

 

When I ordered my laptop last year I had to request a VAT invoice from them, they didn't automatically send one. This is obviously no longer possible.

 

Yeah, I called them. But they respond just fine to e-mails as well

 

I don't think there is much to do. By paying by bank transfer, you have to trust the company 101%, because your rights are so limited. You payment will most likely be used to cover their deficits.

(English isn't my first language, so please bear with me)

 

Note: this post is about Kobalt my experience with Kobalt, and will not help provide any information that may help in getting money back from them.

---
If you're interested, read on...

After a 4 month ordeal with Kobalt, I have no reason to believe a word they say about anything, including why they went out of business.

They were incredibly friendly and responsive on their forums when prospective customers were enquiring about lead times and components, giving quick responses with laughable ETAs like "3 weeks" even when they knew how many customers had been waiting 3 months or more. But as soon as they had your money they stopped responding to you, deleted forum posts enquiring about order status, and generally went out of their way to avoid engaging with their customers. I also found their forum representative to be incredibly arrogant and unprofessional on their forum and this, and specifically asked Neil not to have to deal with him.

But I think the real reason they are no longer in business is because they simply were unable to listen to what people were telling them. I can't remember how many times I read posts on their forums and others saying "we don't mind waiting, but just give us a conservative ETA that you can actually hit", or "just be honest and tell us what is going on".

But they did not do that. I suggested to them at some point to stop taking new orders, focus on shipping existing orders on a first-in, first-out basis, and make a real concerted effort to communicate honestly with each customer who was waiting on an order. I was told that "I didn't know anything about running a business, and that this approach would cripple their business".

In hindsight, and given where they are now having ignored this advice, I wonder which option they would choose if they had a second chance? And for all those people defending them and saying what nice blokes they were: if it walks like a dog, and barks like a dog, it's usually a dog.

Finally, I'd like to say how sorry I am for those of you who are going to be out of pocket over this. I consider myself one of the fortunate ones because I managed to get my machine out of them before they went under, despite having paid for a 3 year warranty which is now useless.

 

Well done for the title at least and I don't want to offend anyone but please can we try and keep this thread on useful stuff as much as possible? Otherwise it just becomes too big and unwieldy to find the info...

That is why I made a summary of advice post on p14 - pleeeeez don't want to have to do it too often And a lot of folks really need practical help now with the various issues that this has thrown up so communication/experiences/ideas on that would be good.

 

Personally I am not surprised in the least that they have gone bust, I am a small business owner myself and I can truthfully say in 15 years of business Kobalt Computers were the worst run, most inept shower i have ever had the misfortune to deal with.

Not wanting to derail this thread on my first ever forum post here, i will spare you the details of my ridiculous dealings with Kobalt (anyone who wants to see my email correspondance with them, by all means PM me ill share it gladly - its amusing its so tragic) but suffice it to say i have a year ish old machine I paid 1600 quid for, eventually got only for it to go repeatedly wrong and I have been trying to return it for RMA for over 6 months.

My third or fourth and final attempt at RMA saw the machine returned to them a few weeks ago, but it showed up on my doorstep again untouched and unrepaired yesterday, at which point i learned they had gone bust (of course there was no communication to this effect from them, I checked their website).

So - can someone point me in the direction of a website I can buy Clevo parts from myself please ?, I would like to fix this damned machine such that i can flog it and recoup at least some of my initial purchase price.

Many Thanks,

R.

 

lucia, I think the disclaimer at the top of my post was fair enough. Put your summary in the first post and people will find it. Many people are reading this thread for many reasons, and I felt that a bit of background might inform people about who they are dealing with.

If I must provide some practical advice in order to justify a post in here, then let me say that I emailed them to give him a piece of my mind when I heard the news, and I got a reply. I will not specifically divulge email addresses, but it's fairly simple to guess their addresses (this is how I got in touch 3 months ago). Their domain is kobaltcomputers.co.uk and their names are bandied around here quite often.

 

erm... I started the thread and there are links there but you clearly didn't see them so it is probable others won't either!! And if you look through this thread you will see endless posts like the one you just wrote.. plus endless threads throughout this forum moaning about Kobalt. Others have even posted the email in this thread... like I said I don't wish to offend but please this thread is for a reason and it helps to keep that more or less on track...

Thanks

 

Darsh... I've been e-mailing them at their 'obvious' Kobalt e-mails for weeks. Basically begging for a response... nothing.

Would you mind telling us what he had to say for himself? Is he off on holiday now? Bit of winter sun?

 

Follow the link for goldencomputers on p14 in my links post

here it is but ignore their parts list it is old - phone them http://www.goldenstarcomputers.co.uk/index.php

 

Has anyone else contacted Consumer Direct? We did this back in August, and they opened a file on Kobalt. Maybe if a lot more people contacted them they could investigate further, I did ask if there were any other complaints against Kobalt - needless to say the Data Protection Act prevented them from telling me!
I feel frustrated at every turn, but will be registering as a creditor at their registered office in Eastbourne, which is a firm of accountants I discovered.

 

Denies mismanagement and blames 3rd parties for their failure - the usual. Then said he wouldn't defend himself any further. I told him that he didn't need to defend himself to me but to those who have lost a lot of money.

 

I did, and i was told there was nothing that could be done because ETAs are only an estimated. Despite the massive weight of evidence of wrongdoing from this forum alone Consumer Direct wouldn't touch it.

 

Anne, probably everyone posting here has contacted Consmer Direct. I know I have. I couldn't have told them in stronger terms how appauling Kobalt's business practices were.

Frankly this is a case for Watchdog or Dominic Littlewood.

 

PowerNerd... Consumer Direct report all complains to the local Trading Standards office. I wouldn't be surprised to see Trading Standards having a few conversations with them. Sadly we'll probably never know about it due to confidentiality & data protection etc.

 

Ann if you go to p14 there is a long list of links for advice and help.
At this moment there is no point in complaining until they are in administration IF they go into administration. The address is also in this thread it is their registered company address. Probably best to send anything to that address by registered post. Please read the PDF in the first link of my summary post p14 it iis legal advice for when a company goes under. Do they owe you a new computer or was it a RMA?