# Bookster Closing



## Sedapsofeca (Jul 5, 2009)

Guess those two sport coats won't be arriving after all...

Dear Customer, 
It is with deep regret that we must inform you that we have had to close Bookster Tailoring as of today's date. We have tried everything humanly possible to avert this decision sadly without success. In fact, we were in serious discussions right up until today fully believing that everything would be alright. All along we have had professional support and advice, not just wishful thinking.

As some of you will know we experienced production delays due to circumstances beyond our control earlier in the year. As all our garments are hand tailored in England there were no shortcuts we could implement to catch up. The result has been that the vast majority of you have been very supportive and understanding, most of you are loyal repeat customers. Unfortunately a relatively small number of justifiably disatisfied angry customers have brought matters to a head. Neither we nor our staff are physically able to carry on and we will be unable to answer individual responses to this message personally.

This has also compromised us financially. Everybody is aware of the failure of the banks and government to support small businesses, we have been no exception. We drastically reduced costs and staff last year. For most of the recession we bucked the trend and were doing really well, but we could not have predicted this year whereby as well as the production problems we and others in our business have suffered a significant downturn in sales.

*We will issue a fuller statement to you in due course. In the meanwhile we would ask that you contact your order payment provider to issue you with a refund.*

*We were not a Limited Company so are not benefiting from that sort of protection and will not miraculously re appear under another name as many businesses seem to.*
*Strenuous efforts are still being made professionally to save the business but we have no way of knowing if anything will come from this so in the meanwhile we have both filed for personal bankruptcy. We do not own property etc, every penny we had was invested in Bookster.*
*Further information will be sent to you as soon as possible. NOTE all previous contact email addresses are no longer being used. The only contact address is now [email protected]*

*With humblest apologies, Yours Sincerely,*

*Peter & Michele King.*


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

Bookster's ebay store has just shut down too, in the past few minutes. 
I was watching a nice jacket there but everything has been removed.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Tragic, just tragic. And somehow I fear that the reason Horwell & Shaw never reactivated their website was for similar reasons. Pity, really. Both companies made such lovely clothing.


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## mnewb1 (Oct 26, 2012)

I am out some serious money over this...I had a vest being remade from a November order and I had ordered another suit in march...out about $1000.00.


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## velomane (Nov 6, 2009)

They seem to have updated their site. There is now a message indicating that they are unable to take any orders. Not a happy camper here, though, as I, too, am out one jacket.


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## Anthony Jordan (Apr 29, 2005)

Very sorry to read this, both for the sake of another British business closing down, and for those who look set to be out of pocket. I hope that something can be salvaged for all concerned.


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

I hope no one will be out anything but the time and aggravation of asking for a credit card chargeback. You pay by card and don't receive what you pay for and the credit card company will process a refund. Your statement will tell you how to file a chargeback request.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Except for those who paid by PayPal. I believe there is no way of getting a refund through them. Another good reason to shun the company whenever possible.


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

I have my PayPal charges billed to my credit card, rather than debiting my bank account. eBay also has a "buyer protection" coverage that may help here. I try never to pay for anything except by credit card--not only have I racked up an awful lot of frequent flyer and hotel points, but my cards double the manufacturer's warranty period.


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## Pale_Male (May 20, 2013)

More bad news.


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## JLibourel (Jun 13, 2004)

Sad news. I do believe they tried hard to please their customers. However, I can't say I'm unduly surprised.


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## Steve Zimmerman (May 25, 2013)

Very sad to hear of this, for all parties concerned. I was saving for one of their tweed Hacking Jackets.


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## 32rollandrock (May 1, 2008)

cdavant said:


> I have my PayPal charges billed to my credit card, rather than debiting my bank account. eBay also has a "buyer protection" coverage that may help here. I try never to pay for anything except by credit card--not only have I racked up an awful lot of frequent flyer and hotel points, but my cards double the manufacturer's warranty period.


This plus 1,000: Always, always, always use a credit card when purchasing anything online. Getting your money back in case something goes sideways is a much surer and simpler thing than relying on eBay or PayPal.


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

I have been waiting for 6 months for a suit from Bookster I pad in full the day after my fitting. I have a list of emails and phone calls with Bookster all full of empty promises and imaginary deadlines. I had even requested a refund as it was turning into a joke. I can understand waiting for a few extra weeks even a month but 6 months for a suit is an insult. The customer service was terrible at best. 

I have sent an email to the new address given in the letter. Sadly I paid over the phone and used my personal account. I have requested the name and address of the tailor who was making my suit. I had repeatedly asked for an update from the tailor and never got one in 6 months, 5 deadlines missed and I am left out of pocket and very sad about the way its all been handled. 

Please does anyone know which Tailors Bookster use in the UK??

I would like to make contact to enquire if my suit has even been started and see if the tailor has the order and was paid using my money to start the suit and if it can still be finished/salvaged. I have a gut feeling it has not even been cut.

Whilst I appreciate the tough times in retail. Leaving hard working customers hung dry is a crime.

i


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## AdrianW (Jul 11, 2013)

Hi,

Yes I ordered and paid for my suit last December, and I too was heading done the refund route via Trading Standards- for same reasons as IanLL.

But I did receive a dispatch note on Friday afternoon from Bookster - so I might be lucky.

I used a direct bank transfer to pay for the goods so I have no protection either.

Adrian


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

Thats good news Adrian. I feel I may not be so lucky. I am still trying to find out which tailors in the UK did the main work for Bookster. They farmed out the work to various tailors this I do know. I have requested this info from Bookster but have not had any reply. I am keen to know this information because I paid in full for the suit and was told this was in order to buy the materials and get the suit cut and tailored. I have been trying for 6 months to find out what stage was the suit at. However this info was never available even after many emails and phone calls. If my money and order did not make it to the tailor after 6 months, then it will become a different matter.

Please if anyone know the tailors ho do the work for Bookster could they please get in touch asap. 

many thanks i


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## JPM (Feb 5, 2013)

That's terrible news, i was planning on ordering a new overcoat from Bookster. Can anyone recommend a suitable alternative?


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

JPM said:


> That's terrible news, i was planning on ordering a new overcoat from Bookster. Can anyone recommend a suitable alternative?


Try Tweed addict


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## mnewb1 (Oct 26, 2012)

IanLL said:


> Thats good news Adrian. I feel I may not be so lucky. I am still trying to find out which tailors in the UK did the main work for Bookster. They farmed out the work to various tailors this I do know. I have requested this info from Bookster but have not had any reply. I am keen to know this information because I paid in full for the suit and was told this was in order to buy the materials and get the suit cut and tailored. I have been trying for 6 months to find out what stage was the suit at. However this info was never available even after many emails and phone calls. If my money and order did not make it to the tailor after 6 months, then it will become a different matter.
> 
> Please if anyone know the tailors ho do the work for Bookster could they please get in touch asap.
> 
> many thanks i


I fear that while desperately trying to hold things together they got behind and started taking new payments to finish previously ordered work hoping that future orders would continue to fund this pyramid scheme, and when the orders slowed...everything fell apart, and those of us late in the game were left holding the bag...


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## Tim_McD (Aug 20, 2012)

It is too bad that they went out like this, I hope that those who paid and did not receive their orders are made whole. I have been strongly considering a chesterfield in their Murray tweed, the one pictures on their site was perfect. 

Sadly not to be


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

mnewb1 said:


> I fear that while desperately trying to hold things together they got behind and started taking new payments to finish previously ordered work hoping that future orders would continue to fund this pyramid scheme, and when the orders slowed...everything fell apart, and those of us late in the game were left holding the bag...


Probably right old chap. The bag I am holding seems to be a tad empty.


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

Nothing at all on eBay today so I added a "favorite search." There were often a number of listings, some in my size, of jackets--many previously owned. I would suspect any inventory they have left may surface on the Bay once the legalities are settled. Alas, I always wanted a hacking jacket to hack around in...


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## Davros (Jul 13, 2013)

*If you find out who their tailors are please publish details here*

Xxxxxx


IanLL said:


> I have been waiting for 6 months for a suit from Bookster I pad in full the day after my fitting. I have a list of emails and phone calls with Bookster all full of empty promises and imaginary deadlines. I had even requested a refund as it was turning into a joke. I can understand waiting for a few extra weeks even a month but 6 months for a suit is an insult. The customer service was terrible at best.
> 
> I have sent an email to the new address given in the letter. Sadly I paid over the phone and used my personal account. I have requested the name and address of the tailor who was making my suit. I had repeatedly asked for an update from the tailor and never got one in 6 months, 5 deadlines missed and I am left out of pocket and very sad about the way its all been handled.
> 
> ...


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

The closest I've managed to narrow it down to is this...


> Bookster garments however are made entirely in Britain, by a second generation family-run tailoring outfit


Not much to go on, but it's a start.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

I can add to that a little. Bookster was located in Wales so I believe they wouldn't send their orders far they could find someone nearby. Hereford, perhaps?


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

IanLL said:


> Thats good news Adrian. I feel I may not be so lucky. I am still trying to find out which tailors in the UK did the main work for Bookster. They farmed out the work to various tailors this I do know. I have requested this info from Bookster but have not had any reply. I am keen to know this information because I paid in full for the suit and was told this was in order to buy the materials and get the suit cut and tailored. I have been trying for 6 months to find out what stage was the suit at. However this info was never available even after many emails and phone calls. If my money and order did not make it to the tailor after 6 months, then it will become a different matter.
> 
> Please if anyone know the tailors ho do the work for Bookster could they please get in touch asap.
> 
> many thanks i


I could be wrong, but my guess would be Mears - I have had jackets made by both Mears and Bookster, and noticed a number of similarities in design and construction which led me to suspect Bookster was subcontracting to Mears. In the end I went direct to Mears, who were both cheaper and faster. Perhaps they stopped supplying Bookster, for some reason?

This is pure conjecture, however.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Could you provide us a link to Mears or at least an address/phone number if they don't have a website?


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

Oldsarge said:


> I can add to that a little. Bookster was located in Wales so I believe they wouldn't send their orders far they could find someone nearby. Hereford, perhaps?


I have been to the Bookster office to be measured but its not where the tailors/pattern cutters they use are. The guys they said to me they use are semi retired tailors and a few other guys from memory. I am following up some leads. The main reason for wanting to speak to the tailors, whom ever this is, is to clarify if they ever received my order from 6 months ago. I pad Bookster so that they could get the suit made by he tailors, Bookster do not do the tailoring. If none of the tailors have my order then I bloody well want to know why my money was swallowed 6 months ago and why I have been led a very merry dance since. I have been trying all the phone numbers and emails and got no where. I think I remember Gloucester being mentioned for tailors so will find out soon. I feel really sorry for all the people waiting for items in the same boat as me. It is always the consumer that gets shafted. I lost count of how many times I asked a simple, simple question. "Has the suit even been cut yet" never got an answer in 6 months.

If I find any info I will pass along.

Thanks for the help. i


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

Langham said:


> I could be wrong, but my guess would be Mears - I have had jackets made by both Mears and Bookster, and noticed a number of similarities in design and construction which led me to suspect Bookster was subcontracting to Mears. In the end I went direct to Mears, who were both cheaper and faster. Perhaps they stopped supplying Bookster, for some reason?
> 
> This is pure conjecture, however.


Thanks Langham. I will certainly look into this.
Many thanks. i


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Okay, the Mears site.


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

Oldsarge said:


> Okay, the Mears site.


Thanks Oldsarge.


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

Oldsarge said:


> Could you provide us a link to Mears or at least an address/phone number if they don't have a website?





> *Bespoke Mears offers a new range from a second generation family business with close to 100 years experience of offering the discriminating and discerning customer, distinctive coats and jackets that combine quality and style for both town and country wear.*


A "second generation family business"?
Now where have I heard that before?


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

IanLL said:


> I think I remember Gloucester being mentioned for tailors so will find out soon.


Not to be flippant, but couldn't resist...










Hope you get your money back soon, or at least the garments you paid for.


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

Odradek said:


> Not to be flippant, but couldn't resist...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Brilliant 

thanks i


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## cassini (May 26, 2013)

Folks,

I ordered moleskin trousers and a tweed jacket back about the 20th November 2012. I had the same runaround - ignored, comedy promises to deliver by xx which went past with nothing happening. I threatened to appear at their offices - I live in Plymouth, but work in Bristol during the week, so could get there fairly easily - but was told my order would be ready within two weeks - of course it wasn't. Eventually I sent a recorded letter stating that 'time was of the essence' - a legal term reminding them they couldn't just deliver any old time they wanted - if it's unreasonably late, the contract is deemed void. However, they had my money...

What really started a reaction was my public complaining on 'styleforum', a website which Peter King frequented. I got my trousers a couple of weeks later, but no jacket...

Then I decided to take up Mr King's offer to talk and 'phoned him up, asking for my money back. To be fair, he asked if I didn't want the jacket? I did, Itold him, only I didn't think I would ever get it. He was nice to talk to and told me a lot of the tailors had been ill for three weeks earlier in the year etc. However, the website still promised 7-9 weeks delivery and people being ill couldn't account for a 32 week wait. Two weeks later, about two weeks ago in fact, I got my jacket - one of the last ones to be completed I suppose. The downside is, there are fitting issues - the shoulders are tailored for squarer shoulders than mine leaving slight horizontal creases under the arms and there is collar gap, noticeably so. Bookster do alterations, Peter King had told me so I was all ready to send it back with photos - just as well I didn't...

Anyway, sympathies to all concerned, even Bookster, which clearly was caught up in a delusion it could pull out of this with just a bit more time...

I agree with the proposition made by someone that Bookster probably started making a loss and started to use money from new orders to process old ones. As the crisis deepened, the delivery time widened as even more new orders were needed to fund the old ones...

IanLL, I hate to say it but I get the idea Bookster can cobble together a suit quite quickly once they get going. I don't know for sure, but I don't think they started making your suit as soon as your order went in - they probably used the money to start on someone else's order, from way before yours...still, it's worth checking to see.

I now have to find a local tailor who is competent to make alterations - if it's even possible to do it without too much work on the jacket of course...more money and faff...


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

Odradek said:


> A "second generation family business"?
> Now where have I heard that before?


Thats a good spot. Thanks I will be making a few phone calls I think. Thanks i


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## Busterdog (Jan 1, 2010)

So very sad, I had a couple of items made by them several years ago, service was prompt, product was decent considering the price, enquiries were always courteously addressed. Commiserations also to those cast adrift financially and sartorially by Bookster's demise. 
Relieved I held off on ordering some tweed from them to have made into a jacket by a tailor over here in the USA.


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

Sounds like you had a very similar experience to me old chap. I think you are probably correct about my money being used in that fashion. Which to my mind is completely out of order. Hope you get the suit fixed


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

IanLL said:


> Sounds like you had a very similar experience to me old chap. I think you are probably correct about my money being used in that fashion. Which to my mind is completely out of order. Hope you get the suit fixed


I think you're right in saying that what has happened is out of order. To my mind, Bookster's 'explanation/apology' leaves a number of unanswered questions - they seem to be trying to wash their hands of a problem they have visited on their customers. I dare say they are enthusiasts rather than businesspeople, and have just been overtaken by unfortunate events. Small businesses go bust all the time in circumstances that are always troublesome to all concerned.


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

Well it would seem from my research this morning that my order was never even sent to the Tailors (mears) The lady from Mears was very helpful and informed me that they do the tailoring for Bookster. The lady went right back into the order history and could find no traces of my order being placed. I have about 30 emails from bookster all saying they would chase the tailor about my order and ring them etc etc etc. The truth is the order was never sent. I have spoken to my bank who are lodging a dispute. I am still staggered that a company would do this to myself and others. I do know of people who had been waiting for wedding suits who will never see them in time for the big day and will also struggle to get money back. Mears had no idea that Bookster had closed down. I feel thoroughly frustrated and dejected. When I look back via the emails from Bookster which are riddled with excuses and lies I really feel I have been taken for a ride. 

Thanks to those who helped on this matter. 

At least I can still wear my beautiful Herring shoes I purchased to go with the suit! 

i


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

^^It might be actionable for libel if I said exactly what I think has happened here, but it looks rather murky. Booksters appear to have been charging a modest commission for taking orders and then directing the work to Mears, who I know complete work very quickly indeed - around two weeks in my experience. Why Bookster were unable to fulfil recent orders needs further explanation.

If customers have been paying Bookster in full up-front, it also appears that at some point, they have changed their terms of business as I'm sure that a few years ago I paid a deposit of around £100, followed by payment in full upon completion of the order. That remains the arrangement with Mears.


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## AdrianW (Jul 11, 2013)

Hi,

A waistcoat and trousers have arrived, but no jacket.

I did get a response to one of my 'Where's my stuff' queries suggesting that these were ready and that they needed to find out about the jacket.

I might have a chat with Mears too.

I've emailed Bookster to ask if it might turn up.

Adrian


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## culverwood (Feb 13, 2006)

Such a shame, they were when I dealt with them a fine company. 

I have the e-mail address of one of their makers which was left in the pocket of a jacket I had made by them. PM me as I would not want to splash a person I have never met's address publicly.


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## AdrianW (Jul 11, 2013)

Hi,

Yes Mears has my order (They got it in June with a February date on it - I ordered in December 2012)

They are looking into how they might be able to proceed with the jacket.

Adrian


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## Kingstonian (Dec 23, 2007)

Good detective work by several of you.

I hope it all works out well in the end.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Whilst I'm dissapointed that the jacket I've ordered will not appear, it was brought on credit card so hopefully I will get the money back. I'm dismayed though that they had my overcoat with them for lining repair, if anyone can make any suggestions as to how I might get that back I'd be really grateful.

I've emailed Mears as now I'm looking for a new tailor


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## cassini (May 26, 2013)

Oh dear,

I'm sorry to hear of anyone who is left high and dry by this, but I think it is inevitable - companies that go bust don't have money in the bank...

If this is a bankruptcy, it is also a feature with insolvencies that most creditors get very little back - the insolvency service takes a huge chunk of any value left, which seems adding insult to injury to me, then the governemnt, unbelievably, charge VAT at 20%! Then there are secured creditors higher up the food chain than actual customers, I believe...

When I talked to Peter King just over two weeks ago, he seemed quite cheery, but on the occasions I spoke to Michelle King, I always had the feeling I was talking to someone whose heart wasn't in it, she always sounded a bit defeated, now I know why.


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

culverwood said:


> Such a shame, they were when I dealt with them a fine company.
> 
> I have the e-mail address of one of their makers which was left in the pocket of a jacket I had made by them. PM me as I would not want to splash a person I have never met's address publicly.


Many thanks for this. I am unable to send a PM in the forum as I have not been a member for long enough. Please could you email me at [email protected]

thanks Ian


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## EquusLeather (Feb 6, 2011)

Sad news here for all concerned. I nearly ordered a tweed jacket a month or two ago - quite glad I never got round to it. Its a shame, everything they made for me was nice if sometimes a bit late. I hope people manage to get their refunds sorted. On that note I believe the PayPal customers will be able to get their money back, paypal generally is on the side of the customer.

Charlie


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Neill said:


> Whilst I'm dissapointed that the jacket I've ordered will not appear, it was brought on credit card so hopefully I will get the money back. I'm dismayed though that they had my overcoat with them for lining repair, if anyone can make any suggestions as to how I might get that back I'd be really grateful.
> 
> I've emailed Mears as now I'm looking for a new tailor


In the case of your overcoat, clearly it is your private property. Make this clear to Bookster if you can, and insist on its immediate return - you don't want it falling into the hands of bailiffs.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Thanks Langham. I've emailed to that effect, but don't hold out much hope!


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

I wouldn't be too despondent Neill - the law is perfectly clear and if your coat is disposed of in any other way, that would be tantamount to theft. You are in a slightly different position to someone who has paid for a thing (say a tweed suit) which at present has no physical existence.


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## velomane (Nov 6, 2009)

EquusLeather said:


> On that note I believe the PayPal customers will be able to get their money back, paypal generally is on the side of the customer.


So far, no joy here. It would seem too much time has passed.

Everyone, please keep this thread updated with any updates or progress. I gather Mears is about to get bombarded with emails and phone calls.


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## phyrpowr (Aug 30, 2009)

velomane said:


> Everyone, please keep this thread updated with any updates or progress. I gather Mears is about to get bombarded with emails and phone calls.


I hope they also get bombarded with more & better cloth choices


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## velomane (Nov 6, 2009)

For those of you who have contacted Mears, are the outstanding Bookster orders under your name? Did you contact them via email or telephone?


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

velomane said:


> For those of you who have contacted Mears, are the outstanding Bookster orders under your name? Did you contact them via email or telephone?


Ring them direct. Number on the mears website. They can tell you within minutes if you are on the list. 
i


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

I am looking over the cloth choices at Mears with great interest . . .


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

phyrpowr said:


> I hope they also get bombarded with more & better cloth choices





Oldsarge said:


> I am looking over the cloth choices at Mears with great interest . . .


It's worth bearing in mind that they seem to carry a greater range of tweeds than those appearing on their website - or they did when I last enquired. Some tweeds just come and go. However, they have nothing like the range boasted by Bookster.


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## Preacher (Jul 5, 2008)

I've been wanting to order a suit and overcoat from Bookster for a long time. I've got the money together and started several times to order one at the end of winter. I'm so glad that I never ordered now.


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## mnewb1 (Oct 26, 2012)

If I am able to recover my money, I will definitely be ordering with Mears...Had I known they were responsible for all the work, I would have gone to them in the first place. I have had their website bookmarked as long as Bookster...I simply chose wrong.


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## Ματθαῖος (Jun 17, 2011)

mnewb1 said:


> If I am able to recover my money, I will definitely be ordering with Mears...Had I known they were responsible for all the work, I would have gone to them in the first place. I have had their website bookmarked as long as Bookster...I simply chose wrong.


I definitely feel misled.


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## mnewb1 (Oct 26, 2012)

I emailed Mears and received a very quick reply from Lynne Mears ( very impressed especially as I am not a current customer ) It appears even though I sent full payment in late March, Bookster never sent along my order to be constructed (Lynne relayed that she did get an emailed list from Bookster of orders they planned to send and my name was on that list ) So, they took my money but almost 4 months later, they had not even started my suit ( even while promising 12 week to finish ). That, in my book, is Fraud!


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Lynne at Mears has been very helpful to me since yesterday, and I will be happy to order from them. Interestingly, the suit I'd ordered from Bookster in Mid-October last year only got to Mears in late November for manufacture, so Bookster had problems even then I suspect.


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

For all those struggling with the potential loss of money or suits, this may help if you are in the UK. It has helped me this morning.

Speak to consumer service (citizens advice use this number: 08454040506) and also Action Fraud www.action*fraud*.police.*uk*/‎

I have opened up a case with Trading Standards and reported it to the Action Fraud Team. I have also contacted my banks Fraud team who have informed me even though I paid on a debit card they will reimburse my money which is good news.

In reality all I really wanted was a nice 3 piece navy herringbone suit to wear for a special occasion. Such a shame that I and others had to wait 6 months for this to be the final out come. I have no sympathy for Bookster and utter contempt for how they left people hung out to dry.

i


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## Kingstonian (Dec 23, 2007)

Do we know all the facts at the moment? 

I am sorry people are out of pocket and a niche business has folded.

However, I am in no position to say exactly what went wrong or who is to blame on evidence which has so far come to light.


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

We don't know all the facts yet - however, some facts that have emerged in this thread appear to cast doubt on Bookster's own explanation for the unfortunate turn of events.

I do have some sympathy for Bookster, who for a number of years gave good service and had an unrivalled offering (at their price point certainly) of tweeds. It's possible they were talented enthusiasts, caught up in circumstances beyond their control. However, if as it seems _might_ be the case, they were really no more than an order-taker or middleman, interposing themselves (and their tweed collection) between customers and Mears, and all their 'explanations' for delay of adverse weather and sick tailors was just a lot of poppycock, then there could be grounds for believing there to have been some form of deceit.

I think Bookster's message mentioned further explanations in due course, so perhaps that will clarify matters a little.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Based on what is on this thread and my own knowledge, it does appear that Bookster were "middlemen" in a way. I know that Mears did not make my overcoat, or the trousers for a three piece suit for which they did make the jacket and waistcoat. Also I had on order a jacket with gauntlet cuffs that Mears know nothing about, but Peter from Bookster told me was being made by someone who also does work for Saville Row. I must admit I was never given any excuse by Bookster for long delay over and above the "tailor is very good but a bit slow". 

Specialist suppliers do "sub-contract" work out, and this would appear to be what Bookster did. What is wrong if it happened is if they are using new orders to fund old work, and the delays experienced could conceivably have been caused by late payment to these sub-contractors.

At this point I'm still inclined to sympathise a bit, they did give good service, and provided quality products at good prices. They might well simply have got trapped in a downward spiral until such time as someone pulled the plug! 

It will be interesting to see what the further explanation says, assuming one is provided. I'm hoping it gives contact details for an administration company who may just be able to get my coat back for me, but 'm not wildly optmistic.


----------



## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

Kingstonian said:


> Do we know all the facts at the moment?
> 
> I am sorry people are out of pocket and a niche business has folded.
> 
> However, I am in no position to say exactly what went wrong or who is to blame on evidence which has so far come to light.


This...

Companies do go out of business and hanging on with tooth and nails to a business in trouble is only human. It's why so many bankruptcies leave most creditors at a loss, the proprietor having pushed himself to complete insolvency.

Though I have not lost any money in this, some compassion for the people facing personal bankruptcy may be in order. Something to consider in amongst the legalities.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


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## EquusLeather (Feb 6, 2011)

Bjorn said:


> This...
> 
> Companies do go out of business and hanging on with tooth and nails to a business in trouble is only human. It's why so many bankruptcies leave most creditors at a loss, the proprietor having pushed himself to complete insolvency.
> 
> Though I have not lost any money in this, some compassion for the people facing personal bankruptcy may be in order. Something to consider in amongst the legalities.


I also haven't lost money but tend to agree with this. if both owners have filed for personal bankruptcy thats not a small thing, and certainly not the same as a Director walking away scott free from a Limited Co in recievership only to start up again the following day. Of course its a position they got themselves in to and I feel for those who lost money - they certainly have questions to answer. A certain amount of compassion for those who have lost their lifes work is probably no bad thing though.

Charlie


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Bjorn said:


> This...
> 
> Companies do go out of business and hanging on with tooth and nails to a business in trouble is only human. It's why so many bankruptcies leave most creditors at a loss, the proprietor having pushed himself to complete insolvency.
> 
> ...


I agree here, it is only human to hang on for as long as possible, and personal bankruptcy is no laughing matter, if Peter and Michele really did have everything tied up in their business then they are in a very unhappy situation indeed. My dealings with them were always pleasant and I believe them to be genuine, and whilst frustrated do feel compassion for the situation they find themselves in. I just hope that further information is forthcoming and that losses to all are minimised (and that I get my coat back!! I really liked it and hate the idea of loosing it - hence my harping on about it!!)


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

I don't have to show any sympathy or compassion to anyone or company. That is a personal choice and one I am more than happy to exercise in this situation with bookster. After 6 months of being treated like a fool I feel this is warranted. 

I know nothing of the company prior to my only dealing with then. I don't know them personally and don't have to show any feelings towards the situation they put themselves in. I am on the side of the people who have been left out to dry. 

Think and say what you want. I do.


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## AdrianW (Jul 11, 2013)

Hi,

I've now paid Mears to complete the work that was left outstanding (Mears got my order and cloth from Bookster in late June, but hadn't started it).

A few more weeks and I might have managed to get a suit without paying for the jacket twice.

Mears have quoted 2-3 weeks.

As for getting my orginal money back for the jacket, I have started down this route for advice:

https://www.gov.uk/register-creditor-bankruptcy

Then searched here to see if Bookster had filed yet:

https://www.gov.uk/search-bankruptcy-insolvency-register

No sign so far - when they have filed/registered we can all fill out 'Proof of Debt' forms.

Regards,

Adrian


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## EquusLeather (Feb 6, 2011)

IanLL said:


> <snip>
> 
> Think and say what you want. I do.


Absolutely - we are individuals not sheep and each and every attitude is equally valid - the more so for having lost out as a result of others inprudence



AdrianW said:


> Hi,
> 
> I've now paid Mears to complete the work that was left outstanding (Mears got my order and cloth from Bookster in late June, but hadn't started it).
> 
> ...


Given they are saying that they are personally bankrupt Im not sure the company actually is a company, its probably the principal(s) either being a sole trader or a partnership so the entries will be in their name rather than Booksters

Charlie


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## mnewb1 (Oct 26, 2012)

As a small business owner, I certainly understand the dread that would accompany the failing of a business, however...it appears to me that by the time they took my money in March, it was clear that my money did not go toward the production of my suit...I don't know what they did with it, but that is fraud...I'm sorry. Whatever they were in the past, however desperately they were trying to save their business, it does not excuse the fact that they took my money fraudulently, knowing it was not directly going toward the production of the product for which I paid.


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## IanLL (Jul 13, 2013)

mnewb1 said:


> As a small business owner, I certainly understand the dread that would accompany the failing of a business, however...it appears to me that by the time they took my money in March, it was clear that my money did not go toward the production of my suit...I don't know what they did with it, but that is fraud...I'm sorry. Whatever they were in the past, however desperately they were trying to save their business, it does not excuse the fact that they took my money fraudulently, knowing it was not directly going toward the production of the product for which I paid.


Well said man.


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## AdrianW (Jul 11, 2013)

> being a sole trader or a partnership so the entries will be in their name rather than Booksters

Yes you can search by trading name or surname / forename - tried both for all of England.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

I'm not qualified to say with any confidence whether or not Bookster were fraudulent, but it seems their cashflow was a problem and this accounts for businesses large and small. Their suppliers wanted paying, their incoming orders were declining and the bank was not prepared to fund them further, no cash, no business and unhappy customers and suppliers. I seem to recall hearing somewhere that it is an offence for a business to continue trading when knowingly insolvent, but if what they say is true then they only became insolvent when the bank pulled the plug at the weekend.


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## culverwood (Feb 13, 2006)

This is not the first and will not be the last of the internet forum promoted small businesses to fail I can remember one "ex Savile Row" tailor and one tie manufacturer for a start and there are probably others I have forgotten. Just be careful do not jump on every bandwagon and "Caveat Emptor"


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## AdrianW (Jul 11, 2013)

> Insolvency Register

To appear on this register you need to apply to your local court for Bankruptcy, which leaves the timescales down to how busy the courts are in the local area - Once the court has declared then you appear on the register within 24hrs.

Here is the chicken-and-egg problem - you need £700 to file.

If they owe you more than £750 - you can apply to the court to have them bankrupted for the fee of £920 pounds.

The nice man on the Insolvency register help line also mentioned that there might be other legal options available i.e. small claims court or even the Police/CPS if you felt you had sufficient evidence of wrong doing.

The only people that will walk away from this with profit will be the lawyers and the insolvency company.

For everyone else - a nasty memory.

Adrian


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## EquusLeather (Feb 6, 2011)

Neill said:


> I seem to recall hearing somewhere that it is an offence for a business to continue trading when knowingly insolvent, but if what they say is true then they only became insolvent when the bank pulled the plug at the weekend.


Definitey very true - difficult to prove in all but the most egregious cases though. Lots of companies go under but not many Directors get struck off, let alone prosecuted for fraud.


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## JPM (Feb 5, 2013)

For those interested, I spoke to Lynn Mears via email. I inquired about an overcoat in a 600-700 gram wool coating fabric (the same as I intended to order from Bookster) as Mears does not presently offer this type of fabric on its site. She responded that Mears would source the fabric for my order. Long story short, Mears can, in some instances, get some fabric that you want if it is not listed on its site.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Oh good because Lovat has a wonderful windowpane check of pink and green over greyish olive that I really covet. Until now only Horwood and Shaw, who also seem to have gone out of business, showed it in their lists of tweed.


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## Ekphrastic (Oct 4, 2009)

^ Yes, I've used Mears before, and they sourced fabric for me (I liked their keeper's tweed, but I wanted it in the traditional tan, not their proprietary green).


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Ekphrastic said:


> ^ Yes, I've used Mears before, and they sourced fabric for me (I liked their keeper's tweed, but I wanted it in the traditional tan, not their proprietary green).


Isn't the colour you wanted the colour it fades to after about five years?


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## Ekphrastic (Oct 4, 2009)

Perhaps--would green fade to tan? Depends on the pigment used, I suppose.

At any rate, they got the color that I envisioned just right.


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

It definitely fades.


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## 220203 (Jul 17, 2013)

So sad that Bookster has passed away. Lynne Mears extremely helpful


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

Oldsarge said:


> Oh good because Lovat has a wonderful windowpane check of pink and green over greyish olive that I really covet. Until now only Horwood and Shaw, who also seem to have gone out of business, showed it in their lists of tweed.


Sarge, I think that's the fabric that drew me to pondering a Bookster order (which I'm glad I didn't at this point...). Should you decide to go down that road with Mears, please let me know; I'll certainly take a 3pc in said fabric. I'm sure they'd prefer to source 10 yards instead of 5.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Well, if it works out and you get your suit and I get my shooting jacket and cap we will have to find somewhere between Philly and LA we can meet and toast each others' good taste. There's good beer in both St. Louis and in Denver . . . :icon_cheers:


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

Oldsarge said:


> Well, if it works out and you get your suit and I get my shooting jacket and cap we will have to find somewhere between Philly and LA we can meet and toast each others' good taste. There's good beer in both St. Louis and in Denver . . . :icon_cheers:


I say we find ourselves a nice sporting clay range somewhere in the Rockies and share a bottle of whiskey.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

I like the way you think. I'll bring along my Jeffery SLE and a case of 2 1/2" shells.


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

Oldsarge said:


> I like the way you think. I'll bring along my Jeffery SLE and a case of 2 1/2" shells.


And I'll bring my Citori XT golden clays and some of the 11 cases of 7 1/2 shot in my trunk.

We'll firm this up once we get our orders.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Oho! Serious competitor are you? I may have to start spending one day a week getting back in practice. I almost stopped shotgun with the first trip I took to Africa and that was clear back in '97! I was pretty good on pheasant over dogs, though.


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## TheGreatTwizz (Oct 27, 2010)

Ehh, just started shooting clays this year, and figured if I'm going to get into it, not dicker around with a cheap gun I'll want to upgrade anyway. Already did the fitting and stock adjustment, prescription glasses, etc. And the shells came at a hefty discount, and they'll get shot anyway (I usually shoot around 1k rounds/month). Haven't yet shot anything live, but plan to this fall; I love me some duck!

It'd be great to shoot with you sometime if circumstances allow.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

Duck hunting is a rich man's sport out here in the dry. We do mostly desert quail and plantation pheasant. And if the rains stay away we don't have much in the way of quail to shoot, either! Our best bet for wildfowling is white geese up the Central Valley, something I've sworn to try . . . once I get my shop finished up. Otherwise big game riflery is a lot more available . . . for a price.


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## Earlgrey (Nov 20, 2009)

I sadly found that the two jackets I ordered with Bookster in February has never been transferred to Mears.


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## AdrianW (Jul 11, 2013)

Hi,

My Jacket arrived today from Mears, and very nice it is too.

I know have a mix of Bookster and Mears labels.

Regards,

Adrian


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## Darren Spratt (Jul 24, 2013)

I first used Bookster in 2011 and such was my enthusiasm for their extensive range of cloths and the vintage styling of their cut, I spent a lot of money with them on 3-piece tweed suits, separate jackets and trousers. I went to their office on two occasions and always found Michelle to be charming and passionate about their range of materials. 

But very quickly it started to go wrong. Endless delays with my orders and an inconsistency in the reasons given. I had an issue where the waistcoats for two suits I'd waited ages for, came back way too short. Michelle was very apologetic, but it didn't stop them making me wait another three months for the replacements, which were now way too long!

This prompted me to visit in July last year. Michelle assured me they'd get it right third time round and as a gesture of goodwill and to signal that I really wanted to do business with them, I ordered two jackets.

I waited months for the third iteration of the waistcoats and when they finally arrived, it had been a year since I originally placed the order for the two suits.

The 'goodwill' jackets took about four months and arrived minus the comfort waist thus rendering them useless to me. This was the point at which I gave up.

I am not surprised they have gone out of business. It became increasingly clear to me that there was a major cash-flow issue there. As much as I liked Michelle, on one occasion she really annoyed me when I was chasing a long overdue order and she informed me that it had been de-prioritised as they had a big order from the hunting and shooting brigade!

I think the desperation was setting in when I first did business with them. All the errors with the orders suggest a lack of attention to detail and an air of panic. When they screwed up for a customer who had paid upfront and waited months longer than the advertised for their order, there should have been a speedy resolution. Not the case. You ended up in the overly long process again to get your order fixed. 

I've moved on from them some time ago, but the last time I spoke to Michelle she was promising me a free waistcoat to make up for all the issues and delays - needless to say, that never arrived.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Charm and passion in abundance was my experience, but you need more than that to run a successful business. Indeed the only slightly terse response I had from Michele was a reply to an email the day before they folded - so not surprising.


They tried to offer traditional clothing in a traditional manner, in a modern world where tradition counts for little!


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## Darren Spratt (Jul 24, 2013)

Neill said:


> Charm and passion in abundance was my experience, but you need more than that to run a successful business. Indeed the only slightly terse response I had from Michele was a reply to an email the day before they folded - so not surprising.
> 
> They tried to offer traditional clothing in a traditional manner, in a modern world where tradition counts for little!


Maybe, but one of the things this fascinating thread has highlighted is the fact they were very much the middle men.

I can't wait to give Mears a go - I had no idea they were out there and it's great to see they appear to have similar patterns to Bookster, but they actually do the tailoring themselves.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Darren Spratt said:


> Maybe, but one of the things this fascinating thread has highlighted is the fact they were very much the middle men.
> 
> I can't wait to give Mears a go - I had no idea they were out there and it's great to see they appear to have similar patterns to Bookster, but they actually do the tailoring themselves.


I agree on both counts!


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

^ Has your overcoat been returned yet, Neill?


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Langham said:


> ^ Has your overcoat been returned yet, Neill?


No such luck I'm afraid, I still harbour a faint hope, but it's fading.


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## Darren Spratt (Jul 24, 2013)

I've spoken to John Mears today - really helpful chap. It sounds as though they're doing a lot to help Bookster's customers out. They do a measure and first fitting service all in the price. I'm impressed and have my first appointment booked in.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

I've also spoken to John Mears and emailed Lynne, I agree, they are very helpful and I'm planning on ordering the jacket from them that Bookster never delivered.

I've also been in touch with Tweed Addict, and am strongly tempted to give them some custom as well, eggs and baskets as it were after the Bookster experience.

What I'm most pleased about is that there are alternatives, when I fist saw that Bookster were no more I thought that was that as far as good tweed clothing was concerned (at least at a price I can afford).

All I need now is to get that overcoat back and my credit card refunded and then I'm a happy chap. I do feel for the folk who used Pay Pal or debit cards though.


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

FYI, I had Bookster as a "saved seller" on ebay, and within a few hours of their demise all their ebay listings disappeared.
Nevertheless, they have recently changed the "name" on their ebay shop to ballentyne123.
Still nothing listed for sale though.


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## Darren Spratt (Jul 24, 2013)

Odradek said:


> FYI, I had Bookster as a "saved seller" on ebay, and within a few hours of their demise all their ebay listings disappeared.
> Nevertheless, they have recently changed the "name" on their ebay shop to ballentyne123.
> Still nothing listed for sale though.


I remember Michelle telling me that's how they started - selling vintage stuff on eBay. Check out the date on the eBay account - it goes back over 10 years. I suspect Peter will try to re-activate this activity, although not sure if he'll be allowed to as an undischarged bankrupt?


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

Darren Spratt said:


> I remember Michelle telling me that's how they started - selling vintage stuff on eBay. Check out the date on the eBay account - it goes back over 10 years. I suspect Peter will try to re-activate this activity, although not sure if he'll be allowed to as an undischarged bankrupt?


I bought a very nice vintage suit from them several months ago, which is currently having some slight alterations done.
And I was watching a rather smart tweed jacket they were selling there the week before they closed. Almost put a bid on it.


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## 127.72 MHz (Feb 16, 2007)

I've had very good luck with Peter, Michelle, and the entire Bookster staff. I have three hacking jackets and a heavy weight tweed suit, I love them all.

When I placed my orders I spoke to them several times over the phone and they could not have been more polite and accommodating.
I'm very sorry to see Bookster go away.


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## culverwood (Feb 13, 2006)

A salutary post from a moderator on another forum:

"I have to say that Bookster was a nightmare for Moderators of forums. They barraged forums with sock puppets asking questions about their services and other sock puppets who gave rave reviews. This technique of stealth marketing has become standard fare on forums nowadays and at the time it was a real nuisance. And even after polite emails from yours truly asking them to cease and desist, they kept on and on, registering new voices on the forum to advertise. As they created them, I erased them. ...

BTW, It's a lesson for some of you newbies surfing the forums and blogs...keep your eyes wide open."


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

^^ It's a pity they didn't devote the same effort to fulfilling orders.


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## Kingstonian (Dec 23, 2007)

culverwood said:


> A salutary post from a moderator on another forum:
> 
> "I have to say that Bookster was a nightmare for Moderators of forums. They barraged forums with sock puppets asking questions about their services and other sock puppets who gave rave reviews. This technique of stealth marketing has become standard fare on forums nowadays and at the time it was a real nuisance. And even after polite emails from yours truly asking them to cease and desist, they kept on and on, registering new voices on the forum to advertise. As they created them, I erased them. ...


Can you tell us any more?


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Kingstonian said:


> Can you tell us any more?


On that basis I'd have thought this forum would have been "barraged"? No, I'm not a "sock puppet", just a former customer minus an overcoat that's my property!


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## EquusLeather (Feb 6, 2011)

culverwood said:


> A salutary post from a moderator on another forum:
> 
> "I have to say that Bookster was a nightmare for Moderators of forums. They barraged forums with sock puppets asking questions about their services and other sock puppets who gave rave reviews. This technique of stealth marketing has become standard fare on forums nowadays and at the time it was a real nuisance. And even after polite emails from yours truly asking them to cease and desist, they kept on and on, registering new voices on the forum to advertise. As they created them, I erased them. ...
> 
> BTW, It's a lesson for some of you newbies surfing the forums and blogs...keep your eyes wide open."


Very interesting and I have to say Im surprised, they didn't seem that technically adept, certainly the website was awful. I suppose inept sock puppetry isnt that technical really..

Charlie


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## Kingstonian (Dec 23, 2007)

EquusLeather said:


> Very interesting and I have to say Im surprised, they didn't seem that technically adept, certainly the website was awful. I suppose inept sock puppetry isnt that technical really..
> 
> Charlie


I am surprised too.

I would disagree about the website though. The photography was excellent. This is where they were ahead of Mears with good views of the fabrics and suits and jackets in various settings. They could do a good job improving Mears site. Bookster eBay offerings were also very well photographed, although the backdrop was often that same shelf of books.


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## EquusLeather (Feb 6, 2011)

Kingstonian said:


> I am surprised too.
> 
> I would disagree about the website though. The photography was excellent. This is where they were ahead of Mears with good views of the fabrics and suits and jackets in various settings. They could do a good job improving Mears site. Bookster eBay offerings were also very well photographed, although the backdrop was often that same shelf of books.


The photography was good, but they had all sorts of orphan pages, broken links and things like that - you'd find a really useful series of photos and never be able to navigate back to the same page again because there was no clear navigation structure and things like that. Anyway, their sins are perhaps greater than flawed navigation structures so I should shut up about their website 

Charlie


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## Ματθαῖος (Jun 17, 2011)

EquusLeather said:


> The photography was good, but they had all sorts of orphan pages, broken links and things like that - you'd find a really useful series of photos and never be able to navigate back to the same page again because there was no clear navigation structure and things like that. Anyway, their sins are perhaps greater than flawed navigation structures so I should shut up about their website
> 
> Charlie


Good post, Charlie. It made me smile!

Matthew


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

Kingstonian said:


> I am surprised too.
> 
> I would disagree about the website though. The photography was excellent. This is where they were ahead of Mears with good views of the fabrics and suits and jackets in various settings. They could do a good job improving Mears site. Bookster eBay offerings were also very well photographed, although the backdrop was often that same shelf of books.


Yes, Mears could do with a lot better photography, and with showing a much wider variety of their wares.

Bookster have changed their name on ebay, but they'd need to re-photograph all their auctions if they were to try selling on there again. That bookshelf backdrop is a dead giveaway.


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

What name are they using on eBay? I predicted they might try to liquidate any inventory they had that way.


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## Mr Humphries (Apr 5, 2013)

cdavant said:


> What name are they using on eBay? I predicted they might try to liquidate any inventory they had that way.


https://myworld.ebay.co.uk/ballantyne123/


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

If you look at the items sold, this was Bookster until a couple of days ago. No items for sale now.


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## cdavant (Aug 28, 2005)

User ID Effective Date End Date 

ballantyne123 17-Jul-13 Present 



bookster1uk 04-Feb-02 17-Jul-13


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Is this some sort of audacious, bare-faced scam? Get lots of customers to pay for bespoke garments. Go into liquidation. Then sell everything again on e-bay?


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

Langham said:


> Is this some sort of audacious, bare-faced scam? Get lots of customers to pay for bespoke garments. Go into liquidation. Then sell everything again on e-bay?


Bookster have been selling "vintage" suits and jackets on ebay for years.
I bought a very nice three piece suit from them a few months ago.

I doubt they'll be selling anything customers have paid for on ebay though.


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## Professor Larkin (Jul 31, 2013)

Having purchased a number of jackets from Bookster over the years, it is with great regret to see the company go out of business.

The last dealing I had with them, however, would have been the last.

It was terrible.

I waited seven and a half months for a Norfolk jacket, Michelle told me the jacket would be with me in twelve to fourteen weeks. It wasn't.

After tons of e-mails and at least half a dozen phone calls, it was obvious Michelle/Heidi were lying to me and ignoring my concerns. At this point, obviously, I had no idea of the company's position.

The jacket eventually arrived mid february; it was ordered early July 2012.


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## Ματθαῖος (Jun 17, 2011)

Professor Larkin said:


> The jacket eventually arrived mid february; it was ordered early July 2012.


I'm glad you actually receive it, even after an unacceptable wait.

Matthew


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

I'm pleased you got your jacket Larkin. They've got a coat of mine they were simply doing a lining repair on, I doubt I will ever see that again!


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## Professor Larkin (Jul 31, 2013)

Ματθαῖος said:


> I'm glad you actually receive it, even after an unacceptable wait.
> 
> Matthew


Yes, you're right, Matthew (if I may), though one does feel for those that didn't.

I quite liked Michelle, she seemed a lovely, pleasant woman, who really cared for her customers.

But the waiting time became ridiculous. In addition to this, Michelle told many a tale when explaining the whereabouts of my jacket, all of which make sense now having read this thread.

On the other hand, Pete, according to reports on this thread, oft pretended to be different people when posting on forums, painting his company in a rather favourable, if somewhat fictional, light.

This, in my opinion, is more sinister and largely inexcusable.


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## Professor Larkin (Jul 31, 2013)

Neill said:


> I'm pleased you got your jacket Larkin. They've got a coat of mine they were simply doing a lining repair on, I doubt I will ever see that again!


This does seem a little odd. A repair is rather cheap in comparison to Bookster making a new jacket/coat for you, no?

This leaves one thinking: why not return the jacket? Bookster have nothing to gain by keeping the coat. Or, perhaps, their financial situation was so dire they could not afford the return postage.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Believe me Larkin, I'd happily pay the postage! I have a nasty suspicion it's with one of their out-source tailors and effectively being held against unpaid debts.


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

My own dealings with Bookster ended in January 2012. I have to say, I was pleased, and still am, with the tweed sports jacket and tweed three-piece they made for me (or rather, as I came to believe subsequently, that Mears made for me). However, Peter really annoyed me at the end. I sent him a virtually unworn bespoke Prince of Wales check suit that had been made locally for me, to sell on his e-bay website, together with a shooting jacket and I think a few other garments. The PoW suit was in effect brand new, and it fitted me quite well but somehow the cloth didn't suit me. It was his claim that the suit would have to be 'fumigated' that really irked. At least he paid me. I seem to remember he sold it on for a very good profit.

Blaming the government and the banks for the downfall of his business, and then casually expecting 'payment providers' to make good customers' losses, is just too bad.


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## phyrpowr (Aug 30, 2009)

Slightly OT, but when I last went to the Mears site, they said they'd have quite a lot of new cloths coming soon. Intend to give them a try shortly


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## Ματθαῖος (Jun 17, 2011)

Professor Larkin said:


> But the waiting time became ridiculous. In addition to this, Michelle told many a tale when explaining the whereabouts of my jacket, all of which make sense now having read this thread.
> 
> On the other hand, Pete, according to reports on this thread, oft pretended to be different people when posting on forums, painting his company in a rather favourable, if somewhat fictional, light.
> 
> This, in my opinion, is more sinister and largely inexcusable.


It seems to me that the ever-increasing wait times shares the same nefarious fiction that Peter King posted here and elsewhere.

The delays suggest, at least to me, that money was being use for something other than Mear's costs plus profit and overhead.

If the business model was to outsource the work to Mears, that model could have been sustained without the delays.

I'd be curious to know what happened along the way. It certainly wasn't the simple workroom backlog story we were told.

Matthew


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Ματθαῖος said:


> It seems to me that the ever-increasing wait times shares the same nefarious fiction that Peter King posted here and elsewhere.
> 
> The delays suggest, at least to me, that money was being use for something other than Mear's costs plus profit and overhead.
> 
> ...


There is something a little puzzling about it. Comparing Bookster's prices with Mears' suggests - assuming they simple passed orders on to Mears - they were charging something like a 40% mark-up (£510 for a two-piece tweed suit, for which Mears might have charged £360) or possibly more if they negotiated trade prices with Mears. Minus their cost of running a website of course. Perhaps turnover was too low for them to make a living? Nevertheless, 60% or so of their customers' money was effectively being held on trust, to pay Mears on completion of the work.


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## StephenRG (Apr 7, 2005)

I'm inclined to think that they started out with the best of intentions, and were just good enough business people to keep going long enough to develop their business, and bad enough that as it became successful, they couldn't manage it.


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## JLibourel (Jun 13, 2004)

I don't believe for a moment that Peter and Michele were rip-offs and flim-flam artists as some are implying. In the one transaction I had with them, they almost certainly lost money in making things right for me...unless, perhaps, they took the cost of the first overcoat they sent me out of their vendor's hide.


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## Matt S (Jun 15, 2006)

JLibourel said:


> I don't believe for a moment that Peter and Michele were rip-offs and flim-flam artists as some are implying. In the one transaction I had with them, they almost certainly lost money in making things right for me...unless, perhaps, they took the cost of the first overcoat they sent me out of their vendor's hide.


They seemed like honest people. The first jacket I got from them didn't turn out right so they offered to remake it. It fits okay but they got a few things wrong. I wanted the remake longer and it ended up an inch shorter (now it's fashionably short). The shape isn't right for my posture, and that's not something they could fix. I wear it occasionally, but it's not really something I'm happy with. However, my dealings with them were five years ago. I may have tried again if their cut was right for me, but it's really not.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

Do we have any evidence whatsoever to substantiate the claims that Peter posted on various forums under various guises in order to promote his company? Or can we just say any old thing we like about the poor fellow now?


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## culverwood (Feb 13, 2006)

Only the gentleman's word


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Shaver said:


> Do we have any evidence whatsoever to substantiate the claims that Peter posted on various forums under various guises in order to promote his company? Or can we just say any old thing we like about the poor fellow now?


IF that is what Peter was doing, I would say it was only a minor sin compared to the unnecessarily clumsy way he seems to have bilked his erstwhile customers. In the absence of a satisfactory explanation this is necessarily speculative, but surely at some point Bookster must have been able to see what was coming? Was there even a single case of a customer receiving a refund for an order that Bookster found they would be unable to fulfil I wonder?


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## EquusLeather (Feb 6, 2011)

Langham said:


> IF that is what Peter was doing, I would say it was only a minor sin compared to the unnecessarily clumsy way he seems to have bilked his erstwhile customers. In the absence of a satisfactory explanation this is necessarily speculative, but surely at some point Bookster must have been able to see what was coming? Was there even a single case of a customer receiving a refund for an order that Bookster found they would be unable to fulfil I wonder?


The nature of insolvency law in the UK is that trading while insolvent (not able to meet you bills as they fall due) is very illegal. Admitting that you have problems to the extent of not taking new orders, refunding some people, even not paying your own wages as normal can be taken as a sign that you saw the writing on the wall so generally acountants advise that if you think you have a chance to trade out of it continue exactly as normal because the Insolvency Service will jump on you from a great height if they see evidence you knew/thought you were going..

Charlie


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

^ Thanks Charlie. Perhaps naively I would have assumed that taking orders (while insolvent) amounts to trading while insolvent, but I would readily agree that the insolvency laws can have perverse effects. An ancestor of mine spent some time in a prison for bankrupts; oddly enough, the experience did not deter him from revisiting the establishment at a later point in his life. Now as then, however, I doubt whether many people become bankrupt (or insolvent) through choice or design.


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## Darren Spratt (Jul 24, 2013)

phyrpowr said:


> Slightly OT, but when I last went to the Mears site, they said they'd have quite a lot of new cloths coming soon. Intend to give them a try shortly


I visited Mears this week to be measured and place my first order with them. They have a lot more material options than are on their website. They even had the heavier-weight linings I had discovered via Bookster.

They appear to be a solid business. It was great to see suits being made whilst I was there. The patterns that we all came to associate with Bookster are Mears patterns.

It's very much a manufacturing business - not heavy on the marketing.

I'll be going back for a first fitting in a couple of weeks.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Langham said:


> ^ Thanks Charlie. Perhaps naively I would have assumed that taking orders (while insolvent) amounts to trading while insolvent, but I would readily agree that the insolvency laws can have perverse effects. An ancestor of mine spent some time in a prison for bankrupts; oddly enough, the experience did not deter him from revisiting the establishment at a later point in his life. Now as then, however, I doubt whether many people become bankrupt (or insolvent) through choice or design.


The thing is that they were not technically insolvent until the bank pulled the plug. I don't blame them for trying to work their way out of the problem, and for continuing to take orders. However, and there is no way of knowing whether or not they did this, they clearly needed some sound business advice some while ago, quite possibly a few years back. The concept behind the business was, it seems to me, sound, and the product offered of good quality and value. Therefore for it to fail implies poor managment of cashflow, such that they reached a point where customers (me included) were chasing their orders, their sub-contract tailors were probably refusing to work until they saw some money and, finally, the backers decided enough was enough - and the business folds.

I'd have thought a more robust model which would, of necessity, require some start-up capital is as follows. You secure the tailoring services you need with modest up-front payment, you take a deposit from your customers, with the balance paid at the point of delivery, and you have a diligent system for keeping your clients updated. The deposit would mean a degree of exposure, but depending upon the item if a customer pulled out you could decide to proceed to make it anyway and sell on as RTW. Goodwill from suppliers and customers is critical, but it is also an asset you can "value" on a balance sheet when speaking to the bank.

Anyway, that's my view, but I'm only an Engineer awaiting the return of an overcoat!!


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## culverwood (Feb 13, 2006)

Perhaps it is time to move the Mears discussion to a Mears thread?


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## velomane (Nov 6, 2009)

An excellent idea. Also, and I know it is wishful thinking, wouldn't it be nice if Mears granted those of us who are out of pocket with Bookster a modest discount for ordering from them?


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## Darren Spratt (Jul 24, 2013)

velomane said:


> An excellent idea. Also, and I know it is wishful thinking, wouldn't it be nice if Mears granted those of us who are out of pocket with Bookster a modest discount for ordering from them?


They're out of pocket too and I suspect to a significant extent.


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## 127.72 MHz (Feb 16, 2007)

culverwood said:


> A salutary post from a moderator on another forum:
> 
> "I have to say that Bookster was a nightmare for Moderators of forums. They barraged forums with sock puppets asking questions about their services and other sock puppets who gave rave reviews. This technique of stealth marketing has become standard fare on forums nowadays and at the time it was a real nuisance. And even after polite emails from yours truly asking them to cease and desist, they kept on and on, registering new voices on the forum to advertise. As they created them, I erased them. ...
> 
> BTW, It's a lesson for some of you newbies surfing the forums and blogs...keep your eyes wide open."


But do you have any comment about the many satisfied customers who received wonderful garments as promised?

Don't you think your comments would have more validity if you have made them while the firm was still in business? By waiting until the business has gone under it gives me the impression that you're unwilling or unable to face down someone who can respond to you. Kind of like you're only willing to pick over the bones of the dead,...

I have several hacking jackets and a suit that I received from Bookster, the Kings, and I could not be happier given the overall value I received.


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## culverwood (Feb 13, 2006)

I was reposting a comment made by the respected owner/moderator from another forum. Like you I received a number of good pieces from Bookster. The post was made after Bookster had closed so I could not have reposted it before. 

What I think this post and others help to warn us is that we should always have "caveat emptor" at the back of our minds when any internet new clothing/shoe brand appears with a big bandwagon behind it.


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

EquusLeather said:


> The nature of insolvency law in the UK is that trading while insolvent (not able to meet you bills as they fall due) is very illegal. Admitting that you have problems to the extent of not taking new orders, refunding some people, even not paying your own wages as normal can be taken as a sign that you saw the writing on the wall so generally acountants advise that if you think you have a chance to trade out of it continue exactly as normal because the Insolvency Service will jump on you from a great height if they see evidence you knew/thought you were going..
> 
> Charlie


Also, unless you continue as normal some customers and suppliers will inevitably start toting the insolvent horn, which might push you over. It's a knifes edge. And again, human nature is to try to push through. Nobody folds in time. If you are that risk averse, you're probably not much on an entrepreneur in the first place.

This happens in every small business bankruptcy. All this ho-hawing about 'nefarious intent' is starting to get pretty boring.

As for feedback trolling, it's quite obvious they've received enough good feedback from credible members here and elsewhere. Again, a little bit of compassion goes a long way when someone's gone bust. If they'd been a scam that'd be one thing, but some of you are walking around in clothes they sold you.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

culverwood said:


> Only the gentleman's word


But we do not have a gentleman's word - rather we have hearsay.


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## Shaver (May 2, 2012)

Bjorn said:


> Also, unless you continue as normal some customers and suppliers will inevitably start toting the insolvent horn, which might push you over. It's a knifes edge. And again, human nature is to try to push through. Nobody folds in time. If you are that risk averse, you're probably not much on an entrepreneur in the first place.
> 
> This happens in every small business bankruptcy. All this ho-hawing about 'nefarious intent' is starting to get pretty boring.
> 
> ...


The last business model I would ever consider starting up would be one with igents as it's primary customer base.

We see it all the time amongst these very fora "my brogues' medallion is a millimetre off centre - quick! I need a hot-line to the CEO".


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## 127.72 MHz (Feb 16, 2007)

^^ Bravo Bjorn! My wish would be for everyone who's posted to this thread to read the last paragraph of your post very s l o w l y. 

Compassion means very little in mob dynamics,...


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## phyrpowr (Aug 30, 2009)

Shaver said:


> The last business model I would ever consider starting up would be one with igents as it's primary customer base.
> 
> We see it all the time amongst these very fora "my brogues' medallion is a millimetre off centre - quick! I need a hot-line to the CEO".


Amen. Blogger called "The Shoe Snob" has a good post about wanting "gold for copper prices" in shoes, and it seems to apply across the board.

With absolutely no hard facts to back me up, I got the impression that Bookster out-sourced to a number of makers, including individuals, and not just Mears. I have, e.g., two coats with breast patch pockets that are different in size, indicative of different tailors. And from my dealings with the Kings, I felt they might have been in over their heads, but not venal nor devious. I just don't know....but then, I don't think anyone here does either.


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## Kingstonian (Dec 23, 2007)

Langham said:


> There is something a little puzzling about it. Comparing Bookster's prices with Mears' suggests - assuming they simple passed orders on to Mears - they were charging something like a 40% mark-up (£510 for a two-piece tweed suit, for which Mears might have charged £360) or possibly more if they negotiated trade prices with Mears. Minus their cost of running a website of course. Perhaps turnover was too low for them to make a living? Nevertheless, 60% or so of their customers' money was effectively being held on trust, to pay Mears on completion of the work.


Mears bespoke jacket £310. Mears bespoke trousers £150. Mears suit £460.

So I suspect the mark up was not that high.

A limited company would have made sense for Bookster if they intended to deliberately fleece customers.


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Kingstonian said:


> Mears bespoke jacket £310. Mears bespoke trousers £150. Mears suit £460.
> 
> So I suspect the mark up was not that high.
> 
> A limited company would have made sense for Bookster if they intended to deliberately fleece customers.


Strange, the Mears website I looked at has prices of £250 for tweed jackets and £110 for trousers = £360 for a suit.


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## Kingstonian (Dec 23, 2007)

Langham said:


> Strange, the Mears website I looked at has prices of £250 for tweed jackets and £110 for trousers = £360 for a suit.


Compared to this


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

^ That's all very strange - 'special' prices for Londoners perhaps? Just make sure you find the right website when ordering from Mears, then.


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

Langham said:


> ^ That's all very strange - 'special' prices for Londoners perhaps? Just make sure you find the right website when ordering from Mears, then.


There's no VAT on export sales to the US (.com site).

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Bjorn said:


> There's no VAT on export sales to the US (.com site).


That's true, and the differences in price between the two websites would be accounted for by 20% VAT. However, when I ordered a jacket earlier in the year, (from the UK), I was charged the lower price (£270 in the end, because of various extras). Very strange!

Unlike Bookster's erstwhile practice of requiring payment in full at the outset, I paid a £100 deposit, the balance paid upon completion.


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## mnewb1 (Oct 26, 2012)

127.72 MHz said:


> ^^ Bravo Bjorn! My wish would be for everyone who's posted to this thread to read the last paragraph of your post very s l o w l y.
> 
> Compassion means very little in mob dynamics,...


forgive my lack of compassion as I am out almost US $1000.00....I firmly believe by the time they took my money they knew very well they were in serious trouble and I'm sure my money went to hock some other customer's, who was howling for a refund, suit from Mears or wherever else it was being manufactured and not paid for.


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## TheTallEnglishman (Nov 16, 2010)

This is sad news as I ordered a pair of cords from Bookster last September and I have never received them. If it's any consolation Messkit, people who paid before christmas didn't get their order either. Maybe they should have stopped taking orders before they became a pyramid seller.

After a bit of digging I found Bookster's trouser supplier. They are a company called Elite Trousers and their contact details can be found at .

I spoke to a very helpful man called Stuart Sargent. He is obviously reeling from losing a fair bit of money from Booksters, however, he spent time trying to find my order but to no avail. Elite has never really dealt with the general public before. Their website is very (very) basic. Stuart did say that they would be trying to put together a website that the general public can use. Hopefully available soon.

I reordered my cords from them at a cost of £120 inc postage, so the prices are on par with Booksters. He quoted a a delivery time of two weeks which is so much quicker than Booksters. Thinking about it, every time I chased my order Bookster said it would be another two weeks before I get them. Coincidence?

tTE


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## tdiddy (Feb 22, 2009)

I had originally placed my order in early December for a corduroy jacket. I just received a refund from Visa. I was initially skeptical because of the amount of time that had passed but visa accepted my claim after I showed them all the emails. Hopefully others have the same luck.

Unfortunately this whole experience leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I was very courteous in my emails with Peter regarding the delays. partly from the sense of community that one gets from his presence on this site, and how often his products were discussed. This puts a dent in my confidence the whole concept of 'gentlemanly online conduct'. Hopefully the socks I got from Kabbaz will restore it


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## Darren Spratt (Jul 24, 2013)

TheTallEnglishman said:


> This is sad news as I ordered a pair of cords from Bookster last September and I have never received them. If it's any consolation Messkit, people who paid before christmas didn't get their order either. Maybe they should have stopped taking orders before they became a pyramid seller.
> 
> After a bit of digging I found Bookster's trouser supplier. They are a company called Elite Trousers and their contact details can be found at .
> 
> ...


This makes sense. When I met with John Mears to be measured for my first suit from them, he told me the history of his company. Mears make the jackets and the waistcoats and someone else makes the trousers. Mears was set up by his father when a large company in the West Midlands closed in the 80s. The guy who makes the trousers worked for that company and has worked alongside Mears since the beginning. Since Elite are down the road from Mears and his site talks about 35 years experience, it all seems to come together.

Makes me wonder if Bookster were totally dependant on these two linked operations from the West Midlands.


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Clearly Mears and Elite seem likely to have taken a bit of a hit from Bookster, besides various disappointed customers.

I noticed the names Peter and Michelle King now appear on the register of the British High Commission in Nicosia. Probably just a strange coincidence.


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## Odradek (Sep 1, 2011)

Langham said:


> Clearly Mears and Elite seem likely to have taken a bit of a hit from Bookster, besides various disappointed customers.
> 
> I noticed the names Peter and Michelle King now appear on the register of the British High Commission in Nicosia. Probably just a strange coincidence.


Nicosia?
A connection between the demise of Bookster and the financial crisis in Cyprus is a bit far fetched, right?


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Odradek said:


> Nicosia?
> A connection between the demise of Bookster and the financial crisis in Cyprus is a bit far fetched, right?
> p


Who knows? Minor actions in everyday life can have gross and widespread effects elsewhere.


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## Darren Spratt (Jul 24, 2013)

Langham said:


> Clearly Mears and Elite seem likely to have taken a bit of a hit from Bookster, besides various disappointed customers.
> 
> .


Mears has been left out of pocket and by the look on John's face, by quite a bit.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

I noticed the names Peter and Michelle King now appear on the register of the British High Commission in Nicosia. Probably just a strange coincidence.[/QUOTE said:


> In what context Langham - have they done a runner rather than the honourable thing?


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Neill said:


> In what context Langham - have they done a runner rather than the honourable thing?


I don't know the exact circumstances, although various scenarios seem possible. It appears they may have been quietly living there since at least last year, but any connection with recent events at Bookster (or indeed the recent equally disastrous Cypriot financial crisis) can only be speculative at the moment.

https://www.mfa.gov.cy/mfa/mfa2006.nsf/All/38346A662A83E490C22571B5002687B1


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Interesting though, thanks for the link. The spelling of Michele is different though, but whilst Peter, Michele and King are fairly popular names, how many are married couples probably reduces the odds somewhat.


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

^ Could be a deliberate typo to throw people off the scent.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Langham said:


> ^ Could be a deliberate typo to throw people off the scent.


Indeed it could, and I imagine Northern Cyprus is quite a good place to hide to avoid your creditors. Still, this is all supposition at this stage (but I do smell a rat!).


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Neill said:


> Indeed it could, and I imagine Northern Cyprus is quite a good place to hide to avoid your creditors. Still, this is all supposition at this stage (but I do smell a rat!).


There is no better place. Look at how long Asil Nadir evaded his creditors.


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## Kingstonian (Dec 23, 2007)

Seem to be a lot of good detectives on AAAC. 

First Mears, then the trouser manufacturer, then Cyprus.


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## TheTallEnglishman (Nov 16, 2010)

Well, after 8 days from ordering I got my cords from Elite Trousers. £120 inc vat and postage. Couldn't take credit cards. I payed by bank transfer. Paypal would incur a 3.5% surcharge.

They seem like a very sturdy pair of high quality trousers to me. Definitely the same as Bookster's cut, for the same price and not waiting around for ten weeks.

Elite do not hold any cloth stock bar some moleskin and corduroy. I asked for some white linen trousers but they were unable to comply. Stuart Sargent did say that if you sent him a picture from the bookster cloth gallery he might be able to source that material.


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

Sounds good. 

In my experience, Mears have always been nearly as quick with jackets - two weeks on both occasions. I can't understand what Booksters were up to.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

TheTallEnglishman said:


> Well, after 8 days from ordering I got my cords from Elite Trousers. £120 inc vat and postage. Couldn't take credit cards. I payed by bank transfer. Paypal would incur a 3.5% surcharge.
> 
> They seem like a very sturdy pair of high quality trousers to me. Definitely the same as Bookster's cut, for the same price and not waiting around for ten weeks.
> 
> Elite do not hold any cloth stock bar some moleskin and corduroy. I asked for some white linen trousers but they were unable to comply. Stuart Sargent did say that if you sent him a picture from the bookster cloth gallery he might be able to source that material.


That's well worth knowing, thanks. I've been speaking to Stuart re. ordering a pair of cords and he's being very helpful indeed. I'm awaiting a couple of fabric samples just to choose colour.

Still no joy on the long missing overcoat though, the good feeling and sympathy I felt for Mr and Mrs King is fast fading! All they've got to do is pack it up and post it - how hard is that? I've even offered to refund postage, there's no excuse whatsoever!


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## toontopo (May 27, 2013)

Would anyone know or have an informed guess whether the Bookster lounge jacket, not only the hacking jacket, was made by Mears, too?


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

toontopo said:


> Would anyone know or have an informed guess whether the Bookster lounge jacket, not only the hacking jacket, was made by Mears, too?


I suggest you contact Lynne at Mears, she's an extreemly helpful lady.


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## Earlgrey (Nov 20, 2009)

Update: I just got refund for the two purchases I made in February using Paypal. My credit card company has performed one month negotiation with Paypal.


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## mnewb1 (Oct 26, 2012)

that is good news, I have heard nothing so far, but this is encouraging.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

Well, for anyone who may be interested, the saga of my overcoat is over, at least as far as Bookster are concerned. After several increasingly strongly worded emails from me, and the considerable help of a couple of people who shall remain nameless (but if they are reading this they know who they are and that I am extremely grateful to them). it has been returned to me, albeit unrepaired.

What has been annoying in this is that less than a week after the closure email, to which I immediately replied reminding them of my coat, I received a reply saying I'd have it back "ASAP". A week later, I chased it up, and got a quick reply apologising and saying they'd "chase it up". Odd this, as it transpires it was with them all the time! I am afraid this apparent willingness to play with the truth, even after closure, leaves a bad taste in my mouth and has dented the sympathy I originally felt. 

I extend my sympathy to those on here who have lost money, but assuming my credit card refund for the jacket I never got is confirmed, I can put Bookster behind me I'm pleased to say.


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## Langham (Nov 7, 2012)

I'm glad your coat was returned Neill. This is a very strange saga. Obviously one speculates about the possible background to it all - some extreme crisis or breakdown, turmoil, overwork or fatigue pushing them to the abyss perhaps? Bookster seem to have treated their customers quite high-handedly, not to say extremely poorly, but I do feel some scintilla of compassion for them, if the circumstances are as I suspect.


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## Neill (Jul 10, 2013)

I agree Langham and thanks. Bookster have been high-handed. I don't think there has been anything malicious about the saga, and they did supply good clothing, but goodwill is important in a business and they have certainly stretched that which I felt to about breaking point.

Anyway, on a bright note, I found this site as a consequence and have no intention of being a one-thread poster!


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## Swaffers (Aug 21, 2013)

I have just heard the news about Bookster as I was trying to order a pair of matching trousers to go with a jacket I ordered from them at the start of the year. I confess there is a certain twinge of sadness about the whole escapade but in reading all these posts, I have a huge degree of sympathy with all who have posted.

My first order with Bookster was about five years ago, and many of the very familiar problems posted here still existed back then - I remember having to wait over 8 months for a Glenn suit I ordered at some cost and chased and chased it until I was blue in the face. However, on receiving it I was very pleased and subsequently ordered further items over the intervening years. However, this year the wheels really did start to come off and I experienced numerous problems with the non delivery of two jackets, one of which did not have to be made as it was 'in stock'. 

Thankfully, I am not owed anything and have all my orders fullfilled but I am a short of a tweed suit now. Any suggestions for an alternative supplier?

(I also have some 'Bookster excuses' not featured here, if anyone is interested.....)


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

seems to have actually made most of Bookster's clothing. They seem to have a good reputation.


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## Infrasonic (May 18, 2007)

I have no dog in this fight, but with regard to the sock puppetry...It is very easy for a moderator to track the IP address of any poster. If the same IP address is coming up for different posters then it is pretty safe to assume you have a multiple ID scenario. It's standard fare, many businesses do it, but most are smart enough to use proxy servers or different computers from different locations...


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## Bjorn (May 2, 2010)

Infrasonic said:


> I have no dog in this fight, but with regard to the sock puppetry...It is very easy for a moderator to track the IP address of any poster. If the same IP address is coming up for different posters then it is pretty safe to assume you have a multiple ID scenario. It's standard fare, many businesses do it, but most are smart enough to use proxy servers or different computers from different locations...


There have been plenty of well known posters posting positive reviews on here. Can't speak for other forums.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2


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