Their day may come yet, Trading Standards are still looking into them. Let's hope common sense dictates and that these people are prevented from trading again, fingers crossed.

You will get ALL of your money back if you used a debit card provided you make a claim within 120 days of the transaction - contact your bank in the morning, they will issue a form over the next 7 days asking for proof of closure of ELS, this is contained within these threads. You should be OK.

perhaps consumer action group work on the same principle as ELS - close down and then open up somewhere else? I too have been watching the threads on ELS and I have been helped enormously by the advice and information they have contained. I trust that they will return to help others.

Thanks for the reminder on debit card refunds, I'm speaking to my bank and they will refund my deposit, so just the finance company..if I cancel the direct debits will I be in breach of the finance deal even though I haven't received the furniture? Do I continue to pay until everything is officially sorted or run the risk of a bad credit rating for non payment if I cancel??

Yes I've contacted Watchdog, suggest that everyone else does by going to the Watchdog website and filling in a report, only takes a few minutes. the more reports they get the greater the chance of this story being aired.

Jane, the back door is open I discovered when I went down this afternoon to see what was going on...up to you I suppose

The Cannock Store still has furniture in it, the back door is open and so is one of the containers out the back. I have no intention of claiming the furniture I believe is still inside the shop, unless I can do this officially as I'd probably get done for theft of my own furniture but I think that by the time the local community realises the above, it may all disappear. I have informed Watchdog, Trading Standards and attempted to contact the Police (however they put me on hold for 25 minutes before I gave up).

Yes, can I have my sofa & chair too (they were on the shop floor and sold as in stock) - my finance documents have been altered to say that my furniture was delivered, which it wasn't - so can I have my furniture please, cos this is fraud and falsification

Trading Standards need to be contacted by all affected - contact your local County Council for the number. They will give good advice on how to proceed. If finance or credit cards involved those companies must also be informed asap by telephone but also in writing. The finance company used by ELS have already started to take payments for my NON delivered sofa, so anyone waiting for delivery with a finance agreement needs to check that it hasn't been actioned already. Good luck to all.

Hi I should have received my sofa today from the Cannock branch - it hasn't arrived as yet. I have been down to the shop and it's locked up completely and looks as if it isn't open for business. I immediately contacted Trading standards and they have advised me to contact the finance company, which I've done. Finance company have already been informed by ELS that I have received my goods and have started to take payments!!!!!! So legal action for theft, fraud etc etc seem to be a potential. The Birmingham store has also been out of contact all day too - so what's going on?? I suggest that everyone starts contacting Trading Standards and finance companies cos it doesn't look to me like we are going to get any sofas from this company at all - unless they've taken a 16 week holiday to Italy