Ebuyer
Encyclopedia
Ebuyer is a UK-based electronic commerce
retailer based in Howden
, United Kingdom. It is the largest independent online retailer of computer and electrical goods in the United Kingdom.
.
, and Holbrook outlets to move to 280000 square feet (26,012.9 m²) custom-built premises in Howden.
The new premises features a warehouse with over 4 miles of conveyor belt and an automated order system that takes an average 15 minutes to select and pack one order. Ebuyer spent £17m developing the warehouse. Its security is apparently based on a Las Vegas casino with 97 cameras.
It opened its US facility in February 2003, but this arm of the business closed in 2006.
.
, Toshiba
and Sony
.
Ebuyer sponsored The Kingston Communications Stadium
's west stand in Hull, East Yorkshire
.
They were also in an advertising partnership with Screwfix Direct, with promotions appearing on each other's offer newsletter.
The value of the Ebuyer brand is often utilised by other companies, such as Shebang who licensed the name and website aesthetics for the EbuyerMobile website.
had received 282 complaints about the company, and the customer service phone number had been removed from its Web site. After this, the firm promised to improve its service, and restored the customer service number to its Web site. Average daily telephone wait times are published.
In an effort to further improve the level of service, the operations direction Armando Sanchez now invited aggrieved customers to contact him directly using a contact form on the company's website.
Ebuyer publishes one contact number for customer service. UK call centre closes at 6pm.
Ebuyer received much criticism of its implementation of "national rate" 0870 and 0871 numbers for customer service and returns.
Customers wishing to communicate online can use the firm's "eNote" system .
Ebuyer is also noted for using the couriers City Link
and Parcelforce
. Reports were made by customers in July and August 2010 of difficulties with incomplete shipping labels being generated, leading to delays in deliveries.
In December 2009 Ebuyer set up a direct email address for customers to reach the company Operations Directors Armando Sanchez. This December 2010, Mr Sanchez also launched a personal Twitter account @armandoebuyer for customers to contact him directly.
in Flintshire
, North Wales
admitted stealing goods worth £20,000 from the firm before returning the goods, and demanding full refunds.
.
Brent, whose suspicious transactions were spotted by Ebuyer's security team, went on to conduct an online campaign against the company and the investigation. This included menacing Ebuyer staff and a police officer from Brent's now-defunct blog.
.
Electronic commerce
Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce, eCommerce or e-comm, refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. However, the term may refer to more than just buying and selling products online...
retailer based in Howden
Howden
Howden is a small market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies north of the M62, on the A614 road about north of Goole and south-west of York. William the Conqueror gave the town to the Bishops of Durham in 1080...
, United Kingdom. It is the largest independent online retailer of computer and electrical goods in the United Kingdom.
History
Founded in November 2000 in a Rotherham garage by Paul Cusack, Mike Naylor, Steve Kay, Neeraj Patel, and Adam Ashmore - with startup capital of £250,000 from Paul Cusack, its annual turnover was in excess of £220 million by September 2005. It claims to be the UK's largest independent online retailer of computers, components and electronics. It was founded in SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
.
Howden Automated Warehouse Facility
In February 2006 closed its Sheffield, EastringtonEastrington
Eastrington is a small village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately to the east of Howden.The civil parish is formed by the village of Eastrington and the hamlets of Newland, Owsthorpe and Portington....
, and Holbrook outlets to move to 280000 square feet (26,012.9 m²) custom-built premises in Howden.
The new premises features a warehouse with over 4 miles of conveyor belt and an automated order system that takes an average 15 minutes to select and pack one order. Ebuyer spent £17m developing the warehouse. Its security is apparently based on a Las Vegas casino with 97 cameras.
It opened its US facility in February 2003, but this arm of the business closed in 2006.
Second Warehouse Facility
Ebuyer began building another warehouse in Howden alongside its existing one in December 2007. The new facility completed in November 2008. The new warehouse will help with the storage for other items such as kitchens, as part of their new sister company, Wren KitchensWren Kitchens
Wren Kitchens is a privately-owned British designer, manufacturer and retailer of fully assembled kitchen cabinets and bedroom furniture. The company has 27 showrooms across the UK, and its headquarters in Howden, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England....
.
Spinoffs, Acquisitions and Related Companies
The original investor in Ebuyer (UK) Ltd was also instrumental in establishing UK broadband suppler PlusNet. He later went on to co-found Localphone Ltd.Merchant Partnerships
Ebuyer has a number of strategic business partnerships in place, most notably with Hewlett Packard (HP Preferred Partner 2010). Other key partners include MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Toshiba
Toshiba
is a multinational electronics and electrical equipment corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of electrical products, spanning information & communications equipment and systems, Internet-based solutions and services, electronic components and...
and Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
.
Ebuyer sponsored The Kingston Communications Stadium
KC Stadium
The KC Stadium, often shortened to the KC, is a multi-purpose facility in the city of Kingston upon Hull , England. Conceived as early as the late 1990s, it was completed in 2002 at a cost of approximately £44 million. It is named after the stadium's sponsors, telecommunications provider KC,...
's west stand in Hull, East Yorkshire
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
.
They were also in an advertising partnership with Screwfix Direct, with promotions appearing on each other's offer newsletter.
The value of the Ebuyer brand is often utilised by other companies, such as Shebang who licensed the name and website aesthetics for the EbuyerMobile website.
Products and Services
Ebuyer (UK) Ltd retail products in computing and consumer electronics categories, including TVs, laptops, smartphones and Blu-ray disc players.Website
The main Ebuyer (UK) Ltd website is available at http://www.ebuyer.com. It is the 206th most visited site in the United Kingdom and has 3 million registered customers.Reviews
Ebuyer allows users to submit reviews to the web page of each product. Reviewers must rate the product on a rating scale from one to five stars. One star stands for the product being very poor, five stars meaning that the item is very good. Customers may enter into a product discussion on the product, or vote on the reviews, indicating whether or not they found it helpful.Forums
The Ebuyer forums allow members to discuss products or find out information before they buy as well as seeking post sales help and advice from knowledgeable customers, moderators & staff.Customer service
During 2005 Ebuyer had significant customer service problems. Sheffield (where the firm was originally based) Trading StandardsTrading Standards
Trading Standards is the name given to local authority departments in the UK formerly known as Weights and Measures. These departments investigate commercial organisations that carry out trade in unethical ways or outside the scope of the law.-History:...
had received 282 complaints about the company, and the customer service phone number had been removed from its Web site. After this, the firm promised to improve its service, and restored the customer service number to its Web site. Average daily telephone wait times are published.
In an effort to further improve the level of service, the operations direction Armando Sanchez now invited aggrieved customers to contact him directly using a contact form on the company's website.
Ebuyer publishes one contact number for customer service. UK call centre closes at 6pm.
Ebuyer received much criticism of its implementation of "national rate" 0870 and 0871 numbers for customer service and returns.
Customers wishing to communicate online can use the firm's "eNote" system .
Ebuyer is also noted for using the couriers City Link
City Link Ltd.
City Link is a British next day courier company based in Coventry, United Kingdom. City Link operates services in the UK including the Isle of Man from its hub in Coventry in the West Midlands although functional offices exist in other areas of the country...
and Parcelforce
Parcelforce
Parcelforce Worldwide is a courier and logistics service in the United Kingdom. Parcelforce Worldwide is a trading name of Royal Mail Group Ltd.Its international partner network allows it to extend its delivery reach worldwide...
. Reports were made by customers in July and August 2010 of difficulties with incomplete shipping labels being generated, leading to delays in deliveries.
In December 2009 Ebuyer set up a direct email address for customers to reach the company Operations Directors Armando Sanchez. This December 2010, Mr Sanchez also launched a personal Twitter account @armandoebuyer for customers to contact him directly.
Security
In July 2008, Gavin Brent, from HolywellHolywell
Holywell is the fifth largest town in Flintshire, North Wales, lying to the west of the estuary of the River Dee.-History:The market town of Holywell takes its name from the St Winefride's Well, a holy well surrounded by a chapel...
in Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
, North Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
admitted stealing goods worth £20,000 from the firm before returning the goods, and demanding full refunds.
.
Brent, whose suspicious transactions were spotted by Ebuyer's security team, went on to conduct an online campaign against the company and the investigation. This included menacing Ebuyer staff and a police officer from Brent's now-defunct blog.
.