Parcels firm dispute over start-up cash
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by Amanda Bradbury 0 A former shareholder of £5m-turnover independent parcels carrier Acclaim Ltd says he is taking legal action to recover £10,000 from the company, now known as Acclaim Holdings Ltd, trading as Apex, of Cradley Heath, West Midlands. Ian Glass says he is owed the money after helping to establish the company's original base; Glass was a joint-founder of Acclaim Ltd—he had a 25% stake in the company until last October.
It was originally agreed that the £10,000 allegedly outstanding would be paid at a later date, says Glass. He adds that he has now been waiting more than a year. Acclaim denies that it owes the money: managing director Raymond Giblin says he doesn't want anything to do with Glass.
The Crown Prosecution Service says that Glass, also transport manager of Rapid Action Transport Ltd, was due to appear at Wrexham Magistrates Court earlier this week on charges of having no 0-licence. Giblin also refutes Glass's accusation that a centrally controlled invoicing system introduced last year means that small delivery depots using Acclaim's hub are put at unnecessary financial risk.
All current Acclaim-licensed carriers contacted by GIVI say they are happy with the company. One does admit to "some problems", but adds: This is not unusual in the industry."
Acclaim admits to at least four County Court and one High Court judgements against its name since August 1992, but says this is nothing out of the ordinary and is caused by problems which are often experienced in the industry of tracing proof-of-delivery forms.
A former licensed agent of Acclaim, TLP Express Delivery Services of Newcastle under Lyme, Staffs, successfully sued Acclaim last year for £3,063 in the High Court.
TLP says that Acclaim tried to deny it had ever been associated with it. Acclaim denies this and says the action was not defended in court because there was no one available to attend from the company.