An NFRN member is urging others affected by a collapsed advertising deal to join a number of retailers taking class action against Viewble Media UK Ltd.
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An NFRN member is urging others affected by a collapsed advertising deal to join a number of retailers taking class action against Viewble Media UK Ltd.
Colin Mulligan is one of more than 200 store owners – alleged to have been misled by the company – who recently met in Belfast to discuss their next course of action.
Some of the business owners now owe more than £10,000 after the advertising deal collapsed.
Viewble Media UK Ltd, which was based in Groomsport, operated across the UK.
Their deal required shop owners to buy a screen for £299 a month for three years.
An associate company, Shoppers Network UK Ltd, was to then rent the screen for advertising – paying the retailers £299 a month for three years.
The shop owner would also get their advert shown on their own and on nearby businesses’ screens as part of the supposed cost neutral deal.
Business owners, however, soon discovered that payments from Shoppers Network UK had stopped.
Retailers must now still make their payments, despite no longer receiving any money from Shoppers Network UK.
NFRN member, Colin Mulligan, said: “I felt really optimistic going into the Viewble Media deal.
“I first discovered that things weren’t as they seemed in December 2018, when the company went into liquidation. In January 2019, I realised that no payments were going in to my account.”
Rhino Media Group took over the company in February 2019 and said that they would make any repayments to business owners.
“Rhino Media made repayments until September 2019, when they too went into liquidation.”
The directors of the company also ran Viewable Media PTY Ltd. in Australia, which has also gone into liquidation.
Colin continued: “[The directors] have done the exact same thing in Australia.
“This has ruined the lives of many business owners. Most are already living close to the breadline, and that’s without having to deal with this.
“The court fees and monthly payments have destroyed stores – I know of three that have had to close because of Viewble Media. It’s important that we all make a stand.
“We’ve taken the issue to MPs, created a WhatsApp group and have fund raisers to assist with court proceedings.
“Other NFRN members may have been affected. It’s important that they learn about our groups and meetings – we can help them and keep them in the know.”
If you believe you may have been misled by Viewble Media and want to find out more about the group, call either of the following contacts:
- Colin Mulligan – 07795023472
- Alan Collingwood – 07817685242
- Alfie Murray – 07809132107