[Chas]

Report on the BBC website that Jessops are going into administration. Link here I thought the influx of cash from Canon might have saved them.

[BrianL]

Bang goes my birthday gift, yes a gift voucher £150.

Brian

[Si_]

BrianL, on 09 January 2013 - 05:04 PM, said:

Bang goes my birthday gift, yes a gift voucher £150.

Brian

I am sorry to hear that Brian and my thoughts go out to the staff and their families. I am surprised they did not scale back their retail and beef up the online side.

Si

[davidm61]

I agree, the first thoughts have to be for the staff who now have a very uncertain future. It might also explain why I got such a good deal on new Nikon D800 last week at my local Jessops though.

[Bill]

I just managed to spend my £250 prize vouchers from the STFC on Tuesday. Staff in the Edinburgh shop gave no indication this was on the cards.

[Si_]

Bill, on 10 January 2013 - 09:43 AM, said:

I just managed to spend my £250 prize vouchers from the STFC on Tuesday. Staff in the Edinburgh shop gave no indication this was on the cards.

They we possibly the last to know, I would not be suprised if they saw it on the news first.

Si

[BrianL]

Well, I went in to a shop the day before and asked them toorder from the system, I was told to go home and order on line for shopcollection, and come back when it was in, and pay with the gift card then asyou could not use the gift card on line.

Yes the staff have lost out, and that’s sad, having been laidoff several time over the years know the feeling.

I wonder how many people got gift cards for Christmas thatwill now be money down the drain. It’s not just the money, but the people thathave given them as presents, somewhat less than nice yes.

Plus Jessops are still trading, but not allowing the giftcards to be used, they have got taken the moneys for them, people talk aboutfairness is this acceptable?

Brian

[tim.harris]

If gift vouchers were bought with a credit card then it is worth checking if a "Section 75" refund is possible http://www.guardian....now-your-rights

--Tim

[Glenn Spiteri A.R.P.S.]

I'm sorry to see Jessops go under although they have been on thin ice for the last 4 years. Love them or hate them they have been a good source of equipment at realistic prices for years. The staff at my local Livingston branch have been fabulous in dealings with me for over 14 years.
It's sad for the
staff many of whom that I know have been with Jessops for years. The reality of modern day Britain is that no-one has a " job for life " anymore.

Sad too for the people with the now worthless vouchers.

[Chas]

............and although not a photographic retailer, HMV have called in the administrators today.

[Si_]

Chas, on 15 January 2013 - 08:03 AM, said:

............and although not a photographic retailer, HMV have called in the administrators today.

it looks like the high street is going to become a row of moble phone, poundland, M&S, estate agent and tesco express stores :huh:src="http://www.rpsforum.org/public/style_emoticons/default/huh.gif">

Si

[Mike Rowe]

Si_, on 15 January 2013 - 10:41 PM, said:

it looks like the high street is going to become a row of moble phone, poundland, M&S, estate agent and tesco express stores :huh:src="http://www.rpsforum.org/public/style_emoticons/default/huh.gif">

Si

Don't forget the shoe shops.

And the charity shops.

But seriously, I've not bought anything in Jessops for years, but I used to when they had lots of stock to gawp at.

Mike

This post has been edited by Mike Rowe: 15 January 2013 - 11:00 PM

[Si_]

Mike Rowe, on 15 January 2013 - 10:58 PM, said:

Don't forget the shoe shops.

And the charity shops.

Mike

As I am not shoe mad I forgot that one and the charity shops can take over and have my vote.

Si

This post has been edited by Si_: 15 January 2013 - 11:01 PM

[Mike Rowe]

tim.harris, on 10 January 2013 - 03:53 PM, said:

If gift vouchers were bought with a credit card then it is worth checking if a "Section 75" refund is possible http://www.guardian....now-your-rights

--Tim

Tim

My wife, who works for a solicitor, tells me that credit cards offer no protection for this. They will protect you for goods that don't arrive, and indeed I've had to recover £600 from Photobox by these means when they went into administration. But in this case what you've bought is a gift voucher and you are in posession of said voucher, so from the credit card's point of view, that's an end to it.

All leaves a very bad taste.

Mike

[mourneview]

I feel sorry for the staff in our local Newry store.

They were very clued up on everything photography and very helpful indeed, also very friendly.

Many thanks to all concerned at the Newry store.

I am of course discussing the staff members who will of course be out of their jobs.

How sad is that!.

Also of course our two local HMVs..........I still love to purchase actual records (i.e. cds) as opposed to 'cyberspace' downloads.

[jimread]

Like most of us I used Jessops I really liked their papers and the 400 ASA film.

In 1998 Phil Askey and his wife started Digital Photography Review, Jessops didn't buy them out, Amazon did.

People go to DPR to find out and to ask and then to Amazon or eBay to buy, by the millions! 7,000,000 people per month who make 100,000,000 page views per month on DPR alone.

It seems to me that they had no idea what was going on and no doubt when some young bright spark told them they were ignored.

There we go lol - Jim

[RichE]

Although thats true Jim, isn't DPR's traffic mostly from the US? I think that the UK visitors to the site account for around 4% of their overall traffic. Still impressive however but maybe that was why Jessops, a UK company overlooked it.

Equally, how many other sites promised much and then withered away for various reasons? Given their reach, the price of the site was probably way way above Jessops affordability at the time. Things are not always as they seem and hindsight is a wonderful thing is it not?

Cheers

Rich

[jimread]

Hello Rich,

I accept what you say Rich DPR began as UK site and was then taken over by worldwide interest in cameras and an American company, that doesn't explain why Jessops went down I grant you, maybe there's another explanation.

It might be this; looking at the history of UK family businesses that have survived for between 300 to 500 years. What is their secret, BBC R4 sent their intrepid financial reporter to find out and in every case this is what she found, the management stepped down when a 20 to 25 year old family member showed a real interest. One of these companies was a private bank in London, another a metalworking company in Old Hill and another a textile manufacturer in Manchester, it was a very interesting series to listen to.

They all said that it is the most difficult and scary thing to do but all agreed that it was the secret of their longevity. No doubt the 25 yr old Jessop would have seen DPR and Internet for what it was immediately.

Such is life :-) Jim

[mourneview]

I am really sorry for those who have lost out re giftcards. I sent one to my brother in law at Xmas. I am sure that with his busy schedule that he has almost certainly lost out!....They have my money!.... Has to be illegal surely?

I would be so mad if it was my giftcard.

I used to display photos in our local bookshop. Now it has closed down!.. Damn, I love bookshops. All Amazon now I guess.

And no music shops also!....Is it only me or do many people like browsing music shops for long forgotton album titles and bargains. Nothing like the 'real thing'.

I am so against everything 'cyberspace'' Yet here I am enjoying this forum....

Strange why we have to go with the technology flow. Has its good points but not where jobs are concerned. Mental health will surely become more of an issue with nowhere to go for the unemployed like my good self.


P.s. what is the term 'Digital photography review'.

Cheers.

[jimread]

Hello S,

Not far from where we live is Chesterfield it doesn't have much of a catchment area with Sheffield to the north and Nottingham and Derby to the south and it's been invaded by out of town Tesco's and Sainsbury's. Yet the centre is heaving every day with businesses like shoe and watch repairers still going, little tea shops and small clothes shops abound. Vacant shops are soon occupied, on four days there is a market, on Thursdays this is a 'flea' market with about 300 stalls, many sell books, CD's and vinyl. It has a great 'busy' atmosphere and is a pleasure to walk through. I can only think the why of it is a combination of all the the above, plus a local authority that despite moans from lots of people must be doing it right.

DPR is a website: http://www.dpreview.com/ which had a hugely supported worldwide forum and anyone can join in the jolly fun.

I belong to a classical music forum where one can ask for a list of definitive recordings of works and get loads of replies.

Photo sites like Flickr are good places to display your images and to find and attend local meets, Tumblr is the same, Google will find both of them.

The DIYAudio.com site also has local meets where people can bring along their amps, speakers etc and have a listen and enjoy a load of banter.

The web has changed things but if you spend some time looking it can be very rewarding.

I do hope you find some employment soon, I've been there myself a number of times and know how desperate it can be.

Good luck - Jim