Business Support : Anyone actually getting any help from Punch?

Paul Scregg

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I would like to hear from any who has actually managed to get any help from Punch. I am sick of seeing "Passionate about our pubs" all over the trade press and internet, I am sick of reading about the amount of money they are spending on support of struggling Leassees and I am sick of trying to contact my BRM to get some of this mystery help.

I run a Punch Leased property in Wirral, my wife and I contacted our BRM about a month ago when it became apparent that our business was going to become yet another victim of Government Policy, Smoking deprivation and Credit Crunch. He seemed helpful and when he left to put a proposal to his boss we felt sure we were getting a rent concession and extra discount on our beer, he also agreed to buy us a pizza oven so that we could offer a small food menu. A few days later after many calls in to him we got a flat "sorry guys, No Help, I got an email from above telling no more help to anyone it's costing us 26 million" The BRM did say he would get the Pizza Oven by "Next week" 3 weeks on Nothing, he also said he would put a deal in place whereby our customers get a buy 4 get 1 free on selected pints, punch was to fund the free pint, again, Nothing.

We have now been trying to contact the BRM for 2-3 weeks and have had a text message saying "I know it appears I'm ignoring you, I need to speak to my boss". Yesterday I called frontline in an attempt to make contact, they sent him a meesage and a copy of it to the operations manager, guess what, still no contact.

If you are having to endure similar problems please let as may people know as possible, then we may start getting somewhere.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Good Luck for 2009, I think we need it!

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Nigel Wakefield 06/12/2008 13:44:31

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Anyone actually getting any help from Punch?

I had a phone call from a highly distressed lessee saying that the DD date had been moved forward by a day and no further assistance would be forth coming for struggling lessees, the company would be making an announcement shortly.

Moving the date forward without notification is possibly a breach of the Consumer Credit Act, I am not an authority on that. But it ensures in many cases that the DD fails and the Pub Co can put the lessee on cash with order removing his terms of credit and improving the Pub Co's cash flow and their level of debt to the suppliers.

However this would appear to be the latest activity within the Pub Co's, I thought it applied to one Pub Co but apparently not from the lessees that have been caught on it.

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George Baker 06/12/2008 16:17:34

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Anyone actually getting any help from Punch?

Nigel, I know of one or two more. It's an act of total desperation by these companies that now are incapable of determining what's legal from what is not. As I've said before (but it will be censored) the similarity with Robert Maxwell, Pergamon Press etc is chilling!

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martin kay 06/12/2008 17:05:33

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Anyone actually getting any help from Punch?

This sounds like an appalling sequence and that there may be an announcement?

Not defending any position, but moving DD dates when they fall over a non bank active weekend (forwards or back) may be the answer and is usual? The statement must provide the date on which the DD is pulled. A little more detail on the dates involved would be helpful.

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George Baker 06/12/2008 17:22:23

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Anyone actually getting any help from Punch?

Glad you're not 'defending any position" Martin. Why the need to change anything?

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Madhouse 06/12/2008 18:08:34

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Anyone actually getting any help from Punch?

Non banking weekends and bank holidays, do DD transactions actually take place over these periods. A friend of mine had 3 DD's for rent taken on a weekend and a bank holiday. Subsequently all 3 bounced. It was queried and was told by credit control that it was ok as it was electronic banking. Can someone help because I did not think transactions happened over these periods.

Thanks

J

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Keith Marsden 06/12/2008 19:34:51

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Anyone actually getting any help from Punch?

We used to run 2 Punch pubs in Birmingham. In one, not only did we not get any help but Punch reneged on the original deal with did with them when we took over the pub. The original BRM left and a new one came along with a new (more expensive) deal and told us to forget the old deal. Then this BRM left! A third BRM then arrived and simply tried to dictate terms to us so we gave the keys back.

We still operate one Punch pub. 3 weeks ago they moved us to cash with order without warning. A bailiff appeared same day and tried to exercise distraint. We are only still here as we came up with over £30,000 in 7 days.

Another Birmingham Punch pub had the same experience - they could not come up with the cash so they were booted out. This pub is now closed whilst Punch try to con another person into taking it on.

There are no concessions on rent or beer. Its all spin and lies.

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Stephen Docking 07/12/2008 02:21:07

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Anyone actually getting any help from Punch?

Yet more spin and creative accounting...

The millions the pubcos claim to be giving in support can be made up by 'claiming' the full rent payable over and above the £1pw TAW contribution, on an otherwise closed-down property. The pubco, not the individual licensee, gets the benefit!

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MArk Dodds comment:

Funny thing - something shocking in fact - I read this stuff and don't find any of it at all shocking because I've experienced all of it - mistakes on payment dates, bailffs coming in for distraint action, taking inventory when there's been no rent arrears - obliged to go CWO paying for beer three days before it's even left the depot while I have 45 days credit with all other suppliers - yet I'm sure that if I were from outside the trade and read it I'd actually be so shocked that I'd find it hard to believe and probably think it's all exaggeration.

It so isn't. It's just normal, routine, scandalous daily pubco behaviour. What amazes me is they all seem to behave in exactly the same way. MONOPOLY pure and simple.