200p Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 More than 2,700 jobs are at risk over the festive period after one of the UK's biggest parcel delivery services companies collapsed into administration. http://news.sky.com/story/1397670/2700-jobs-at-risk-as-city-link-collapses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfk Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longtomsilver Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 (edited) Better Capital headed by veteran venture capitalist John Moulton bought City Link from Rentokil Initial last year for £1. The article then goes on to say Better Capital have been forced to write down £40 million in assets. So the lion (Rentokil) left the carcass to the Vultures to tear bits off (Better Capital). I doubt either went hungry. Worryingly my neighbour works for them. Edited December 25, 2014 by longtomsilver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trampa501 Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 Yet we're told ecommerce is going skywards every year, with the corresponding growth in courier traffic that entails. Why have Citylink done so badly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Access Denied Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 Because their service is appalling. They are not known as $h1tty-link for nothing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 Not good news for the staff. Who owns the vans are the drivers effectively self employed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulfar Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 The only thing city link had going for them was the were better than Yodel(formerly Home Delivery Network, big hint changing the name didn't improve your business). This is why I know check when ordering that I can have parcels delivered by royal mail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie_George Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 Must've been better than MyHerpes. They truly are shite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juvenal Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30602326 'Substantial redundancies' in coming days... Company failed to deliver.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 No, they've just left the envelope with the wages and taxes down the side of door, whilst it rains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giesahoose Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 No need to do this on Christmas day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 (edited) No need to do this on Christmas day no. but it's not fair on the poor creditors to compel them to extend their credit any further - what about small private businesses that need to know about their courier's insolvency so as not to pay any money to them - what about the jobs that they're providing? what if they lost them because of money accidentally dropped into an insolvent black hole? in all seriousness, no-one is celebrating that people shall lose their jobs, but bleeding heart socialism won't make thiongs any better Edited December 25, 2014 by Si1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subspace Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 Must've been better than MyHerpes. They truly are shite. I've posted dozens of parcels with them and never had a problem. Wonder what's going to happen to all the parcels stuck at Citylink. Presumably no-one is going to deliver them. So they will have to be collected from the depots. But how will the customers know they have a parcel waiting for them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikhail Liebenstein Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 I've posted dozens of parcels with them and never had a problem. Wonder what's going to happen to all the parcels stuck at Citylink. Presumably no-one is going to deliver them. So they will have to be collected from the depots. But how will the customers know they have a parcel waiting for them? I've generally found City Link better than the other couriers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 part of the admistration process is to wind down the company in an orderly manner AFAIK. I would think that would involve delivering all the parcels that are in transit, but probably not taking on any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 I've generally found City Link better than the other couriers. I found Dr Harold Shipman a more considerate serial killer than Peter Sutcliffe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 part of the admistration process is to wind down the company in an orderly manner AFAIK. I would think that would involve delivering all the parcels that are in transit, but probably not taking on any more. Yep. There will not be a lot of packages in transit, esp. on xmas eve, which is probably the best day to fold a business like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted December 25, 2014 Share Posted December 25, 2014 (edited) it may have been Christmas that did the damage - they have to hire large numbers of temps to add extra capacity, and may have had a cashflow crisis as a result furthermore, here is the statement about what they are doing with parcels still in transit: (From the telegraph) EY, which has been appointed as administrator, said operations at City Link transport hubs and depots will be suspended until December 29. "City Link Limited will no longer be able to deliver any further parcels and customers are urged to make alternative arrangements for future deliveries," EY said in a statement. It advised customers and clients waiting to send or receive orders to head to their nearest depot after this date to collect their parcels. Customers are also encouraged to use City Link's online tracking system to locate their parcels, which was still running on Christmas Day. Edited December 25, 2014 by Si1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EUBanana Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 +1 With Royal Mail they leave your parcel at a close post office if you are not in for pick up. Citylink return it to their depot. I once had to travel 100 mile (return) to pick up a parcel!. Generally it seems that no matter how small a item you order the packaging won't allow it to fit through the letter box. Yup. Royal Mail is bearable. City Link, for me, involves a taxi ride which is a £20 round trip if it goes to their depot - and its always their depot. There's no point ordering online with City Link, given that. I always ask if it's not Royal Mail first and if it isn't I don't bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Banner Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 When I was in business I used to use City Link for daily timed deliveries to a customer who operated a "Just in Time" system, they never once let me down. Their special contract rates made them competitive, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
200p Posted December 26, 2014 Author Share Posted December 26, 2014 (edited) On their careers page, there are about 50 of these vacancies; Capital in the 21st Century, in a low yield environment, will require people to speculate with their own capital just to secure income from work. Edited December 26, 2014 by 200p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StainlessSteelCat Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 Saw one of their vans delivering locally on Christmas Eve. Poor sod, I wonder if they had any inkling. Like a few others, I found them no worst or better than others - but it may help living in a rural area. No driver wants to redeliver to the back of beyond if they can help it, and it's a low crime area with trustworthy neighbours who you actually know. The end result is most couriers here interpret signed for in a slightly liberal manner, and will leave in your shed/porch/with a neighbour. Those that are new will often call ahead to make sure you are in or what you'd like to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
200p Posted December 26, 2014 Author Share Posted December 26, 2014 I try not to order anything from the internet - I think the drivers/Royal Mail get so stressed. I decide if I actually need it (as opposed to want), and see if I can wait and get it in a shop or do click and collect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trampa501 Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 it may have been Christmas that did the damage - they have to hire large numbers of temps to add extra capacity, and may have had a cashflow crisis as a result ... Not sure about that. A lot of the slack would surely have been taken up by getting existing staff to work longer hours? And employing temps - often companies will wait weeks or months before paying the agency invoice. Seems like the management of this company must have been spectacularly bad, considering the continuing rise in eCommerce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 On their careers page, there are about 50 of these vacancies; Capital in the 21st Century, in a low yield environment, will require people to speculate with their own capital just to secure income from work. I think the ad is playing on the fact that 50%+ of the population do not understand what 'gross' means. Bit like all those nurses whinging about 'being paid less than a plumber'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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