Jersey Paul

Hi There, My name is Paul and I live in Jersey, I am new to this consumer forum and was hoping that someone might be able to help me with a problem I have, I placed an order with a furniture company trading on the net called lavenderbluelondon.co.uk. I purchase four items of oak furniture from them on the 4th December 2008 using my maestro debit card, (Total cost £1,197.83).
I tried getting in touch with this company before Christmas to find out when I could expect delivery of my order, but they have not returned any of my calls.
Which I found alarming, As they are not open to take any orders over the phone even though they are advertising 10% off until the 31st December on their website? They only have an answer machine switched on to leave massages but no one is returning my calls.
I managed to get hold of Steve Wainwright (One of the Directors of Lavender Blue who took my order, Got his mobile number off another website, He told me that he is no longer with the company as he left just before Christmas, and the only info, he could or would give me was the company had closed for 10 days and will be open again for business on the 5th January 2009.
He gave the name of another director of this company, (Phil Dickens) but was unable to give me his personal phone number, Has anyone got a contact number for this person?
All sounds rather fishy to me, As they should have put a notice down on their website that they were closing for 10 days, The website is still up and running and as far as I'm aware they are still taking orders online but no one is answering the phones or replying to any of my e-mails.
What should I do now as I am getting rather anxious? does anyone no anything about this site or could anyone give me advise on what I should do next ?
Thank you from Jersey Paul.

Lavender Blue (London) Ltd

Thanks Tony,

I will try some of the searches you mentioned, I found another website called Shobby, it’s a UK online shopping directory, Lavender Blue London Ltd has been rated poorly by some of their customers.
Wish I had found this site before ordering from them.
Thanks again for the info.

Regards Paul.

Lavender Blue gone into receivership

I have just found out this morning that the company Lavender Blue London Ltd has gone into receivership.
Middleton Partners have been appointed receivers (Tel; 02079086190)

Steve Wainwright a director of this company took my order and I paid with my debit card on the 8th December as he said they had the furniture in stock in their warehouse ready for delivery.
I’ve learnt one expensive lesson here at that’s not to take people on trust and not to use debit cards for payment of goods as there is no guarantee unlike credit cards.

Jersey Paul.

I have had an e-mail from Lavender Blue London Ltd

I had an e-mail from Lavender Blue today trying to explain their circumstances, and that it was not their fault but three of their of main suppliers had gone bump on the company, “their words not mine” which had left them with no alternative but to call in the receivers.

What really annoys me is that I was lead to believe that the furniture was in stock and that they would make every effort to get it delivered to me in time for Christmas, they even took a premium payment for carriage to deliver to Jersey.
Surely this is fraud as they deliberately deceived me into believing they had the furniture in the warehouse so as to get my order and money,One of the main reasons I ordered through this company was that I didn’t have to wait to long as the furniture was ready for shipment, now they are saying they were let down by their suppliers?
Thanks for your message katealpha I'm hoping for the same outcome?

It all smells rather fishy to me!

Thanks Tony,

That is very interesting piece of advice.
I have written back to the company as I feel they deceived me into buying furniture under false pretences, given that the furniture was supposed to be in stock ready to ship out with my order.
I strongly feel that they new their predicament when they took my order, and that they never had any of the furniture I ordered in stock.
As I mentioned earlier a website called Shobby has reviews from disgruntled customers of Lavender Blue some were complaining that they hadn’t received their furniture since the beginning of October, and that they were being fobbed off with various excuses.
Something smells fishy to me, I will obviously pursue the matter and inform the receivers of this information.

I will keep you posted.

Regards Paul.