Two Left Feet - stopped trading
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A few weeks ago, we investigated a company called Two Left Feet. Watchdog first looked at the company two years ago. Since then things hadn't improved. Over the last few months the programme has received complaints almost every day, all telling similar stories about late or non-existent deliveries, a lack of customer service and difficulty in getting money back when orders were cancelled.
Watchdog sent Richard Farleigh, a former Dragon from Dragon's Den, to talk to the company to see what had happened and what could be done. During the meeting, Two Left Feet's managing director Richard Bone apologised and claimed the company had reached a cross roads and would improve in the future.
Stopped trading
Sadly, it seems that it was too little, too late as Two Left Feet have stopped trading. The company's website now states that Two Left Feet have been forced into administration by the Royal Bank of Scotland.
The company also tries to blame Watchdog for its troubles, although the programme can hardly be blamed for the hundreds of people that were left waiting for their goods or refunds. Richard Bone, the managing director, does appear to acknowledge his own failings and apologises for any distress caused.
Statement from KPMG Restructuring
Two Right Feet Limited t/a Two Left Feet (the Company) is in administration.
Ian Corfield and Jane Moriarty of KPMG Restructuring were yesterday appointed joint administrators of Two Right Feet Limited. The company has recently encountered severe financial difficulties after experiencing significant delays in satisfying customer orders.
Ian Corfield said: "Despite the efforts of the company's directors, they were unable to secure additional funding for the company and have had no option but to place the company into administration. We understand that the company has not been processing any new orders for over a week.
"We are aware that there are a number of existing orders which have not yet been fulfilled.
However, we believe that there is little or no stock available in this regard and unless you are contacted within the next week regrettably we will not be able to satisfy this demand."
The joint administrators have arranged for a call centre to be available for a short time to customers requiring further information 0844 770 1305. Thereafter, the company's website will be updated with any pertinent information as and when available.
A dedicated call centre has been set up which will be open between 9am and 6pm, from Wednesday 1 April 2009 to 5pm on Thursday 9 April 2009. Ring 0844 770 1305.
While the helpline is only operational for a limited period of time, the website will continue to detail the latest information once the call centre has closed down.
Go to the website, www.twoleftfeet.co.uk, for further information.
Read the original report posted on Monday 2 March.
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Comments
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Hi,
I am absolutely devasted. I was expecting my puschair last week. Contacted the company on Monday 23/03 at 9am and got response at 16.00 I was so happy.
I spent over £800.00 on puschair and paid by debit card.
I am in serious trouble.
Due in 2 weeks time - no money- no puschair!!! tell me about not being stressed while pregnant!!
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Cant say I'm surprised, I'm pleased in a way i just hope that those who are owed money get paid out!
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Hi we purchased our pram in august £300.00 we have had numerous emails promising payment. we stupidly paid be debit card and our bank told us today there is nothing they can do why should we just give up. like most people we have small children and on low income.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I spent £390 on a push chair the day before the website went down. The website was the cheapest by far with a further 10% off and offers ending on that day; too tempting.
How can they be allowed to still take money for orders the day before they close the company down?
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I am absolutely disgusted at the way Two Left Feet have handled my order which was placed on December 26th 2008. I ordered the Bugaboo Chameleon and a maxi cosi car seat which came to £600. I was originally given a delivery date for 6-8 weeks time, i received a series of email pushing this date further and further back, the last of which ensuring me that i would receive my order durng the week commencing the 30th March. I returned from a holiday on the 30th March and 7 months pregnant to find out that Two Left Feet had gone into administration. The problems started months ago and i think it is appaling that despite warnings of financial difficulty the company continued to take peoples money for further months.
I feel it is theft and the message from Richard Bone and his staff has made things worse. He has tried to shift the blame and not take responsibility for the errors he has made. I am very upset about the whole situation as i did not purchase the order with a credit card and had saved up for this and paid with a debit card. Bugaboo have told me there is nothing they can do and likewise the HSBC have said similarly but why should they?
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i placed an order with two left feet at the beginning of october last year, thinking i was getting a fantastic deal on the pram i wanted for my unborn daughter. now as my baby wasnt due until january i knew i had placed my order in plenty of time. little did i know of the heartache that would follow over the next few months. my delivery was expected within 4-6 weeks, the time arrived and no pram. i tried to contact them via telephone but was informed that aftersales could only be cantacted via email. so emailed them and recieved a prompt reply stating that my order was taking slightly longer than expected and that they were expecting my order within 10-14 working days. i was told the same thing via email right up unitl december last year when i decided to cancel my order and asked for a full refund to be placed back into my partners account. they replied saying that they would in a time period not exceeding 30 days. it is now april 09, my daugther is 11 weeks old and still no pram. fortunately i have a family that all put together the money for another pram as i could not afford another on my own. i feel that this is disugstingly bad practice especially when a young mother such as myself trying their hardest to pay for items for their children to give them the best start pays just under £400 for a pram only now to be told that that £400 probably wont be seen again as i paid with a debit card. i could cry every time i think about.
samantha,
county durham
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I feel desperately sorry for zaba26 and anyone who got caught out by Two Left Feet's policy of taking payment before goods were shipped. We almost got caught out by them a year ago, when I was heavily pregnant with my daughter. Luckily we realised what they were like and got a refund through our credit card company, and were able to get a buggy elsewhere, but not without considerable stress and many many tears, which at 37+ weeks' pregnant was really out of order. We were also able to warn a friend who was waiting for her buggy and she also reclaimed her money through the credit card company.
Shame on Richard Bone and his business partners and, in my opinion, good for RBS for pulling the plug! I hope that they are never allowed to run a company again.
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I'm 32 weeks pregnant and have had the worst time since finding out I was pregnant. I was made redundant in the worst way ever, cheated out of my maternity pay and haven't been able to find a job because I am pregnant. i save up £320 to buy my pram because these compnay offered me a discount and now have lost all my money. cant stop crying, feel truly awful, how coudl they have been allowed to accept orders? I only ordered 1 mth ago on my debit card(yes stupid of me I know) and now I'm broke without a pram for my baby
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We are delighted to hear that Two Left Feet have finally been forced to cease trading.
The lessons anyone should learn from this is that 1) cheapest isn't the best 2) always pay with a credit card for online goods so you are protected by your bank 3) never use any website to buy something without making sure it has a good customer reputation, by looking at review sites and speaking to friends.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
My wife has 6 weeks to go before birth and today we found out that we will end up spending a total of 800 pounds on our unborn childs pram.
Our pram was supposed to be delivered on monday 6th of april 2009 by two left feet and recieved an email confirming this though liars come in many faces.
This country has become a disgrace! My wife was made redundant while carrying our child and this is the finishing touches for the both of us. I really hope that these people are never allowed to run a business again.
Ian
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Ordered a car seat prior to the watchdog program. Promised it would be recieved 3 times. The phone number quoted just cuts you off.
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I have one year old and a 4month old and was awaiting my pushchair for them both as i cant go out with both of them at the moment....i am so angry, i made payment by debit card and i saved like mad...im on benefis and rationed on eating so that i could buy them this pram for us to be able to go to the park....i didnt even get a email to say that they had gone into administration...i just found out by looking for a website that isnt even there. I hope to get a refund and the rest of us as they are taking away our baby money....and now my children like so many others will have to go without.
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hi everyone another "MUG" here. my wifes due next month, im in the armed forces so it was a bit stressful for my wife when i had to deploy in nov 08. so to cheer her up alittle bit i managed to get internet access and order aload of stuff for our bundle of joy thats on its way. i ordered the cot and other bits from [retailer removed] whom i would recommend to anyone there fast delivery and very helpful (one item was broken on delivery but replaced the next day) but i also ordered a [retailer and product details removed]. total cost was £386.00. TLF messed me around as the internet wouldnt take my card payment so i ended up using a sat phone to call them to make a payment. they then gave me another sales ref No. and thats the last i heard until now. ive just come back home to find out that the company is now in administration, i like many people payed with my hsbc mestro card, i have contacted the bank who were helpful but there hands are tied as they can not recover the payment or any part of it for that matter. so i rang the TLF admin helpline and spoke to [personal details removed] who said that theres no change of my order or money back and to contact HSBC (which ive already done). she then said well im sorry thats all the information i have you can if you wish write to the administation team. what i want to know is Why there is NO PROTECTION FOR CUSTOMERS. unless you use a credit card
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We placed our order on 5 Jan - but as of the end of March we'd only received ~£100 of goods from our £700 order.
TLF finally going into administration was initially gutting - but it's all turned out fine.
1) I'd paid by American Express card. Amex agreed to refund the full amount of the outstanding items within a couple of days. Kudos to them.
2) [Retailer removed] have an offer on their site offering to price-match/honour TLF orders, if possible. My wife spoke to them last week and they price-matched our TLF order - the goods were with us within 2 days.
It's good to know that even in the current climate, there are some companies out there doing the right thing and offering great customer service.
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I am absolutely gutted, only found out sat 11th april by trying to track my order, didnt even get conformation they had gone into administration. I spent £340 on a phil and teds package, stupidly paid for it on my maestro debit card so doubt very much i will see a penny of that money again, im so angry how can they take your money like that, its disgusting. now i have two young daugters and no puschair to take them out in, their is no way i can afford that amount of cash again to buy another i saved for ages. Live and learn make purchases on credit not debit cards ive learnt before it was to late
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