Wincanton faces potential £470,000 bill over DRL feud
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
By Chris Druce WINCANTON IS facing a potential bill for £470,000, plus costs, after the Court of Appeal ruled against the logistics irm in a long-running dispute with online retailer DRL.
Last month (26 July), the court overruled an earlier decision by the High Court in favour of Wincanton on a dispute that started in 2007 over liability for goods damaged while in the logistic irm’s care.
DRL, which sells white goods online as well as supplying goods to retailers such as House of Fraser, Argos and Marks & Spencer, originally contracted Wincanton to deliver to customers across the UK, offering an unpack and inspect service.
However, DRL claims that Wincanton did not meet the standards required, leaving it facing customer complaints and almost £3mworth of lost or damaged goods.
DRL paid Wincanton £1m towards the end of the contract to deliver remaining orders, but the logistics irm requested an additional £300,000 to complete the process.
The case went to the High Court, which found in favour of Wincanton, but that decision has been overturned.
The inal sum to be paid to DRL has not been inalised, with resolution some way off.
A Wincanton spokeswoman says: “Because the litigation remains extant, we do not consider it an appropriate time to comment.”