Countrywide Signs

We have used COUNTRYWIDE for 6 years and can't fault them. Below is a story of when we used AGENCY EXPRESS for signs when we opened a second office. We used this AGENCY EXPRESS in a start up estate agency business. It was our second office and we traded under a separate Ltd company so if it didn't work out it would not impact the main business. We signed up for their rental package, whereby they owned the boards and we paid a higher fee than buying the boards ourselves. In the contract small print is a clause whereby if you decide to stop using them you then have to buy the boards you are renting. I pointed out to the local franchisee that this was unfair. If we had wanted to own the boards we would have from the off and benefited from a lower fee every time a board was erected. He agreed that we could remove that clause which we did by crossing it out and initialing it. After a year trading I resigned as a director and effectively handed the company to a business partner. She carried on for a few more months then closed the business. The company paid Agency Express all the money owed for board rental. They then invoiced my other company in regards to buying the boards as per the clause we had deleted. I pointed out that 1) they are invoicing a totally separate company and 2) the clause had been deleted in agreement with there local franchisee. They replied that they would take us to court if we did not cough up. This morning I received County Court papers chasing said money (Its only under 400 but its the principle of the thing now) but rather than mentioning either of the Ltd companies the claim is against me personally! In the claim they fail to mention the contract is with a Ltd company, neither have they included the contract, probably so the court does not see the deletion or the Ltd company name the contract is with. I think they are hoping I will be that scared of the County Court claim I will just pay. This is bully boy tactics as far as I'm concerned so as I do with all Bullies, Bigots and people who don't play fair I'm going to fight back. Starting right here! STAY CLEAR! FYI we use Countrywide Signs for the other office and have never had a problem.
Oct 14th, 2013