Ruby & Duke about to pull a fast one?

FurBabyMomma

So I heard Ruby and Duke have gone out of business and the next shipment of boxes won't go out. I've been trying to contact them via their website and facebook since last week to cancel my subscription but am being ignored. And the (well hidden) link on the website to access your account and cancel it is broken ... Next payment goes out on the 4th and I called my bank today to cancel with them, but don't know if it will go through in time. Does anyone have any info on this? I'm disappointed, both because I loved the boxes and because their lack of response or statement on the issue is appalling.

ene

i really hope this isn't true! i have paid for a years subscription!!

FurBabyMomma

ene wrote: »

i really hope this isn't true! i have paid for a years subscription!!

Oh crap, I'm sorry ene. If you paid by credit card you should be able yo claim your money back. I still haven't heard from them and the chat facility on the website and also fb are non-responsive to messages. Is it mid-month the boxes usually come? I can't remember as have only had 2 so far.

pegasus1

Discovered this this afternoon, was looking up the uk courier name in a previous post on Fb when I spotted this news...poor dogs will be sad not to get the monthly delivery..very bad show of them...surely the bank can put animmediate stop of the payments....pity we payed for the whole year...:mad:

pegasus1

FurBabyMomma wrote: »

If you paid by credit card you should be able yo claim your money back.

Must ask the OH what way the payment was done...only 5 months into the year...Yes shipment date is on or was on the 15th...

bluecherry74

I paid for a year's subscription as well as it was half price at the time. I hope it's not true but I just looked at their Facebook page and it hasn't been updated in weeks, and they were normally very active there.

pegasus1

rang a number for bow wow times r&d's partner....goes to message..it was at 6 tonight so will try again in the morning

FurBabyMomma

Neither Ruby and Duke or Bow Wow Times have updated their pages since October 17th so it's not looking good is it? Two days after the last shipment so.

hardCopy

The owner is still active on Twitter

@NiallHarbison

FurBabyMomma

hardCopy wrote: »

The owner is still active on Twitter

@NiallHarbison

Oh thanks hardcopy! Not on twitter but will get the hubby to get on to him.

FurBabyMomma

Ok well my subscription didn't renew so that's good. Still no response from the company. We'll see what happens with the boxes this month. Has anyone else tried them?

Dubl07

FurBabyMomma wrote: »

Ok well my subscription didn't renew so that's good. Still no response from the company. We'll see what happens with the boxes this month. Has anyone else tried them?

I tried them for a half-price month in March and got okay value for the money I paid. It wasn't worth their normal subscription price. The most baffling item was a recycled bamboo dog-food spoon. We also received dog popcorn, a cheap squeaky toy that lasted twenty minutes and something else that I've totally forgotten. Oh, it was a rope toy that was far too big and was donated elsewhere.

I'm sure other people loved the surprise factor and getting a delivery every month but I'm happy enough to visit a few local shops for that kind of stuff and pay as I go for what I fancy. The cardboard box was great though. Really sturdy and well-made. It came in handy to send stuff to a friend in England. It was my favourite bit so perhaps I'm half cat.

pegasus1

ruby an duke deleted all the queries about whats happening on their page on facebook...

ene

pegasus1 wrote: »

ruby an duke deleted all the queries about whats happening on their page on facebook...

i noticed that- if you go on the website it says its a work in progress i hope its all a rumour!

Dubl07

ene wrote: »

i noticed that- if you go on the website it says its a work in progress i hope its all a rumour!

Perhaps it's just a restructure of some sort. Fingers crossed for everyone who liked the service and subscribed.

FurBabyMomma

Whether it's just a reconfiguration, a temporary glitch or a complete shut down, the way to deal with it is to answer your customers' queries, not delete them. Completely rude and unprofessional, not to mention bang out if order considering they have taken people's money in advance payment. I really liked the boxes but tbh I'd never buy from them again after being ignored and deleted.

PS: Dubl07, great name and you're definitely half cat

FurBabyMomma

Ok so apparently some customers got the following email:

It is with great sadness we are to announce the discontinuation of the Ruby&Duke service. As an active customer on our One Month Plan you should have received the last Dukebox, which was dispatched on October 15th 2015. I'd like to reassure you that we stopped taking payments immediately, once the decision was made to discontinue the service. You were therefore not billed in November and will receive no further boxes. Your credit card details have been removed from our system.

I'd like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Ruby&Duke team, to thank you sincerely for being a much valued customer.

I didn't get the email. I'm guess because it's I paid upfront and am still owed a box.

ene

i am owed ten boxes and didn't get any email... normally they are sent out on the 16th though right?

pegasus1

All the staff were let go with no notice, by the owner,
Both bow wow times and ruby&duke closed down...more info inc. the name of the owner on the visitor posts on ruby&dukes facebook page...
we had 7 months left to go on the monthly box paid in advance and no email from them...:mad:

FurBabyMomma

Oh that's terrible for all the poor staff I wonder is Niall Harbison going to file for bankruptcy after the mess that's been made? Otherwise it's just theft from people who paid in advance.

I think the boxes are usually shipped between the 13th and 15th.

pegasus1

Shipped on or next working day after the 15th it was...The staff must have loved their job too...

there is a facebook page called https://www.facebook.com/Devastateddukeboxers/?fref=ts in case the r&b one closes..

FurBabyMomma

You know if they're sending emails to some people I don't see why they can't put a statement on their social media apologising to their customers. Maybe they will by the end of the week when people start questioning where their boxes are.

bigpink

That the hipster internet guy?

pegasus1

bigpink wrote: »

That the hipster internet guy?

looks like it...actually is he on boards?

bigpink

He should be named and shamed on social media even Joe Duffy

PaulPriest

Sadly Ruby and Duke have now gone bust, and those on the discount subscriptions along with it.

Hi there

Bad news I'm afraid about Ruby&Duke as the company has gone out of business. We were a start up business but our business did not work out and we had to lay off our 9 staff and cease operations.

This has been a hard time for the company and as CEO I take full responsibility hence the personal email.

You are one of 221 customers who paid for boxes in advance to avail of a discount which I am now working through. You will not get a those boxes as we do not have the staff or finances to fulfil those orders.

We have the stock in place but as a liquidator has been appointed to the company it is his call in terms of approving all costs such as delivery, packaging and goods. I have a meeting with him tomorrow after he was officially appointed last week. I am to work through this with him over the coming days to find a solution. I will confirm what you are owed in terms of boxes and an exact monetary figure paid in advance so as that is on the record.

I know this is not an ideal situation for you personally and it is not one that I saw coming as we aimed to build a large company.

I'd like to thank you for the support in the early days and genuinely apologise for our failure.

Please feel free to email me here personally and I will answer as best I can as well as keeping everybody updated.

I hope to work through this as best I can and appreciate your patience. Letting down people isn't great but as an owner of 2 dogs the thought of them not getting their boxes worries me just as much.

Regards

Niall Harbison

Dubl07

On Liveline at the moment.