Late Spanish payer breaks assurances
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III by Dominic Perry
A Spanish firm exposed by Commercial Motor as a late payer has failed to keep its promise that it would clear its debts by the end of March.
Now Bridgewater-based Pallet Freight Network (PFN) has ceased trading following several months of money wrangles with Interlog, which is also known as Intermodal Logistics ( Iberia).
PFN was owed about £6,000 by the Santander-based company and former managing director Richard Edbrook says that this contributed to the firm's demise; If it wasn't for the likes of Interlog then we would never have had to close. It doesn't matter how much profit you're making if people aren't paying you."
In March, CM revealed that Interlog, which runs its UK operation from Portbury Dock near Bristol, owed one haulier as much as £28,000. Managing director Jose Antonio Del Rio assured CM that the debts would be cleared by the end of March (CM1-7 March). But almost two months later thousands of pounds are still outstanding, for work carried out as long ago as April 2000. RSL Transport is owed £18.000; Gains Farm Transport, £5,000; Forrest Transport ,£4,500; Fuller and Sons. £3,000: and Banbury Davies, £1,300.
Commercial Freight Systems ICES) from Brighouse, West Yorks, and H&G Haulage from Wigan exercised liens on Interlog's loads. CFS received the £4,700 it was owed while H&G was paid £10,000 of a £15,000 debt. It says it is still witholding one load in an attempt to recover the remainder of the money .
An offer by Interlog to pay its debts over a 10-month period has been met with anger. "We've already waited 10 months for the payment and now they want another 10 months," blasts creditor Graham Fuller. Steve Baxter, Interlog's UK transport manager, insists that the company was not trying to rip anybody off: Our company in Spain is looking for an investor and it is taking more time than envisaged.
"They are looking to get the debt cleared as soon as they can, but there is an ongoing problem with it at the moment." Despite repeated attempts, nobody was available for comment at the company's Spanish offices.
• See linked story, page 9.