NetPC’s log-off strands customers

West Auckland computer company NetPC has suddenly closed its doors and ceased trading, leaving dozens of clients out of pocket and outstanding computer orders totalling tens of thousands of dollars.

NetPC has been selling cut price computers and computer software since 1992 and has operated a showroom in Westech Place, Kelston, since 2001. It has also offered maintenance, repairs and consultancy services to schools and small businesses.

More than 20 of its disgruntled clients are Bartercard trade exchange members, who placed orders for computers and paid combinations of cash and Bartercard dollars but have received nothing in return.

Bartercard staff began contacting members the week after Easter to say that the orders would be delivered but there had been a delay due to the ill health of NetPC managing director Brian Avent.

But now Bartercard management say they were misled by members of Avent's family and do not know whether the company will be reopening for business. Avent has been out of contact for a fortnight.

Palmerston North retailer Shaun Crooks, manager of The Watch Shop, said he ordered $5000 worth of computers and was told by Avent they would be delivered within a week.

When he rang back a week later Avent said because of Easter he would not be able to deliver them until the following Tuesday, but by then the company phone was no longer being answered.

Other customers of NetPC have found their computers, sent in for repairs or maintenance, have been locked up and they have no way of getting them back.

The company had a policy that computers under warranty had to be returned to it before repairs would be carried out.

Emails to the company are being bounced back by Telecom Xtra.

Bartercard national trading manager Paul Hebbink said clients alerted the company on March 31 that computers they had paid for had not been delivered.

Hebbink said he had made numerous inquiries to try to find out what was happening.

Bartercard staff had contacted members of Avent's family and were told he was unwell in hospital and heavily sedated but the family would be running the business for him.

Hebbink said he had since learned that was not true and since then members of the family had refused to communicate.

When the Herald rang Avent's mother, Wendy, she refused to reveal his whereabouts or discuss whether his business would reopen.

Crooks said he believed Bartercard should have reversed the transactions but Hebbink said to do so would be illegal.

"Bartercard has an authorisation process and providing its members follow it there's no bad debts. The problem is that these members signed transaction vouchers prior to receiving their goods.

"We, like a bank, can't take money out of someone's account due to a business dispute."