Five days on - nothing!

Still nothing in my account.

I'm beginning to wonder if this Chris Knox is a compulsive liar or just plain stupid. I'm guessing both. Have a read of one of his recent rants, which he wrote in response to my suggestion that he did not have the money in his account to pay the debt. Seems a bit over defensive to me!

He writes (spelling and grammar left intact):

I am a 32 year old ..not bald and fit as a lat who can take care of myself I take people like you to the fucking cleaners.

I could buy and sell you 10 times over

My own business turnover was 3.2 million last year. We undertake work for Paramount Pictures/Dreamworks and others

I drive a 07 plate Rangerover or a Alpa 159 for when I'm in town

I live in France on 6 hectares outside Limoges. I am married a lovekly woman and

My only involvement in Studio and Stage is as a financial backer and mentor.
I became involved in this because of the diatribes you sent to Jenni who is not able enough to respond sensibly to a pompous twat like you.

I really couldn't care less whether the dolly is returned or not.. What I do care about is the people I help. So just be aware that it will be returned sooner or later and if its not you WILL suffer the consequences.

It wont be illegal or threatening just simply a few words in the right ears and you can sit back and watch your business go down the shitter.

If you really think your tin pot small time operation can handle the crap I throw at it then continue to send me emails. I have credited your account with what amounts to pocket money for me. You will return the dolly in due course and then you can crawl back under your stone and I will go away

Christopher Knox

Email ends.

Well, I think he made his point. That point being that he seems to be extremely insecure! Just remember this is over a £237 debt! If I were the owner of a £3.2m business I don't think I would waste my time over an insignificant twit like me!

I have asked him several times for the name of his business, his phone number and an address where I can meet him. Plus he was invited to meet up on Thursday evening when he was in London. He has bottled out of all of these requests.

As for his living in France, I wonder how that works without a bank account? The following was from Jenni before she left. It was in response to me asking why the promised IBAN bank transfer from his French bank account never took place:

I have spoken to Christopher Knox…he says there was a problem with his French account, having not been used for some time

Honestly, they can't even tell lies in harmony!

The ridiculous saga continues.

What a joker!

This was his email to me last night, following my email asking why he had not turned up.

"No excuse… I internet transferred the money to your account this morning before I left York. I hope I caused you a certain amount of inconvenience
I will be calling around where I will ask you to call me an arrogant arse to my face TWAT!

Christopher Knox"

Well, guess what - the money is not in my account today.

Yet another lie from the good people at Studio & Stage.

My guess is he bottled out when I told him my crew was going to be here to watch him demonstrate precisely how to make the dolly work as supplied (ie with parts missing, poor quality construction and materials, and different width spacers).

Well he's messed me about once too often. I have now instructed my solicitors to press on.

All this for £237. I suppose you could argue I should have better things to do with my time but I am damned if I am going to let these crooks get away with it.

Sigh . . .

eBay negative feedback

I've added this link (to the right) because it demonstrates their inability to accept a customer complaint. I have been in touch with both these guys and their stories are VERY different from what Studio & Stage have posted on their website (which of course they are unable to comment upon).

It's a sure sign of a desperately badly managed business that can't take criticism without going on the offensive.

I think he's bottled out!

Well, surprise, surprise - it's 5.45pm and he hasn't showed up - despite his office telling me he left Halifax at 8.30am.

I suspect he's bottled out - I told him that the crew were keen to meet him and see him demonstrate the right way to use the dolly. Either that or he thinks he's being clever by messing up my day (which he hasn't as I work from home). What a twat.

Interestingly, Jenni - the 'woman' I have been dealing with mostly up to now - has just emailed me to say she doesn't care any more because she is leaving tomorrow. Rats/sinking ship?

So, looks like court action then.

My latest film

Oh, I should add I have now shot a load of footage of the dolly in action, warts and all. Well, warts only, in fact. I'll be editing this together with a selection of their more entertaining demonstrations of customer anti-service and placing it on YouTube amongst other places.

When I told them I was considering this, Christopher Knox (a friend of important folks in film and TV, so it seems) said that he would ensure that any adverse publicity would be dealt with vigourously (his words). He said he would end my career in TV and commercial production by having a few quiet words in the right ears. Not sure which career he's talking about as I don't operate in that world! How strange. And what a great way to treat a customer.

Hey ho, it's going to make a lovely, entertaining short film!

Three weeks on and the lies continue

Well, here we are coming to the end of July and I still do not have my refund.
I came close on several occasions. There's a whole load of new e-lies they have spun, adding weight to my case against them if ever this goes to court (which I suspect it might!).

To cut to the chase, on 3rd July I was told they would be making a transfer into my account on 4th July. Never happened. Then on 15th July I was told the transfer had been made. Well, it's the 22nd now and today when I chased them again they told me that a cheque was to be paid in this afternoon. Then, for some bizarre reason, they emailed back to say that they would not be dictated to, that the cheque was not to be paid in and that the boss, a cowboy called Christopher Knox (who claims to be very well connected in the TV and commercials world), was going to drive down from North Yorkshire to Hampshire to collect the dolly and give me my refund in cash.

So, I've asked him to be here at 9.30 tomorrow morning when I have a crew meeting taking place so he can demonstrate to me how good his dolly really is.

Not that that is what I am threatening court action over - I really don't care how rubbish the dolly they sent me is. My action is because he has had my money since February and has not supplied me with the item I ordered and paid for. My solicitors have advised them that the incorrectly sent dolly is being held in lien against the debt.

I suspect they are worried because Studio and Stage is apparently a partnership made up of something like 14 partners - all of whom are jointly and severally liable for the debt. When they threatened to pay me back at £1 a week they were told that this would require the court to investigate ALL their individual financial circumstances. Also, because they have consistently refused to provide me wit hdetails of the individual partners, my lawyers have told them we will hire a private investigator - the costs of which will be included in the claim.

All in all, they contunie to demonstrate unbelievable ignorance, arrogance and sheer, bewildering foolishness in the way they have handled a legitimate customer complaint. They haven't supplied me with what I paid for. Full stop.

And to cap it all, I am a 'little shit', a 'fuckwit' and it's me who's up on his high horse! Charming. What excellent customer service.

Lies, damned lies, and Studio & Stage's lies!

Here's a selection of their lies that you may find interesting. If the bile starts to rise, just wait until you see the full emails!

• (18/2/08) “We will arrange a replacement for it this week”. A replacement has not been made, almost five months later.

• (9/3/08) “I will address it first thing Monday”. It was not addressed on the Monday and I had to chase them up on the 19th.

• (20/3/08) “It’s here awaiting collection by UPS along with new spacers etc. We will arrange a collection of the other dolly post Easter”. It never arrived, nor was the old dolly collected. I did not hear from them again until 31st March after I had to chase them yet again.

• (22/4/08) “ The order will be through the workshop today and will be sent out TNT tomorrow”. It was not sent out by TNT and I did not hear from then again until 26th April, again after I had chased them up.

• (26/4/08) “We will sort this out tomorrow”. It was not sorted out and despite several emails asking for an update I did not get the courtesy of a reply until 7th May.

• (11/5/08) “We have booked a collection for Thursday with UPS”. It was not sent out by UPS. The next I heard was on 17th May.

• (26/6/08) “You will shortly receive the shipping documents for a Monday collection by UPS”. No documents arrived.

• (30/6/08) “The UPS waybill was sent to you this morning . . . We will arrange for it to go again in a few minutes” . No waybill arrived and it was not re-sent in a few minutes as stated.

There you go. That gives you a flavour of what these cowboys are like. Plenty more where that came from!

Why am I exposing Studio and Stage for the swindlers they really are?

Welcome reader,

So what's this all about?

A case of sour grapes?

A child throwing his toys out the pram?

If you like.

I consider this a mission. A mission to expose this group of cheaters and liars so that anyone considering buying from them will think twice.

The truth of the matter is that I have come to the end of my tether with a business in North Yorkshire, Studio and Stage, who have lied to me for five months about goods which I ordered and paid for but have never been delivered.

I have something like 80 emails so far in which they continuously say one thing then fail to fulfil - or they tell me this will happen, but it never does - or that something has been done, but it wasn't.

And now they have started being abusive towards me and are suggesting that I am an arrogant fool who should get off his high horse. Yes, I am on my high horse. This horse is so damned high I have vertigo.

It is my intention to post the full history of our communications to date so readers of this blog can understand why I am so incensed at them. I also am making a short video (it's what I do for a living) in order to demonstrate the unique quality of one of their products. This will be posted in due course.

I am so angry with these people and their ignorant responses that I am doing everything in my power to expose them publicly. I'm not usually a vindictive or spiteful person but I am very much moved to action when I see people like this getting away with it.

So, watch this space. I have to go to a family funeral tomorrow so it may be a day or so before I am able to put the detailed evidence on display.

Thanks for reading. I'm keen to hear from other customers who have had dealings with Studio and Stage, Halifax (and other locations in Yorkshire).

Here's their website: www.studioandstage.co.uk

And here's their eBay seller profile (note, I did not buy through eBay so the negative comments about them are not from me) : http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/studioandstage