Clearly, it wasn't a viable business model, unless of course, Mr and Mrs King have streamlined their pockets since August last year and are now making their merry way down to Rio.

Hockeyinsider flagged up issues of delay in December 2010.

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/forum/showthread.php?109655-Bookster&p=1172104#post1172104

Not to be rude, but what have we lost ?

That's interesting.  I tested the water with them (after discovering them from Maxminimus's blog) by ordering a pair of trousers in January which never turned up.  About two weeks ago they said they'd provide a refund but no sign of that either.  Their customer service is a shambles.  Anyway, I paid by credit card, so I'll get on onto the credit card company.  Anyone know how this works?  I'm hoping it just means I have to complete some forms and then get refunded in full.

Will Mears honour the completion of the orders?

I feel sorry for Bookster. I got stuff off them years ago before I'd seen an online forum.

iirc the stuff I got was off their ebay shop and consisted of 2 x NWOT jackets and one or two used tweeds. All turned out satisfactory and Bookster were memorably pleasant to deal with.

I'm not surprised things turned out badly though - I think anyone offering customisable or MTM clothing online across nations or even national with people - especially a certain type of USA person - who thinks nothing of demanding recompense or free postage / remakes etc for imagined or real defects - and who treats even a small startup business like a deep pocket oil company - is bound for disaster.

I wouldn't be surprised if some customers had, at more cost than any old tweed suit would cost, hired USA legal guns who have threatened them in a way that would incur substantial costs win or lose.

What will happen now is a bunch of idiots will swamp Mears with demands and orders and want half an inch off the left sleeve and 5 inches more around the belly and such.. If I was Mears I'd bar all USA calls and block emails from USA ISPs.

Shooey - theres a few horse shops that sell Mears jackets etc here - pretty cheap  - you could go in  and try some on and order through the shops - not really your style but would be right up your alley for tough knock around bush  weeds paddock  wear - what would be other peoples Sunday best

People On Show Horses (POSH)
110 Clark St
Port Melbourne (by appointment)
Phone Tollfree: 1800 825001
info@posh.net.au
www.posh.net.au

Equino
Devon Park
710 Robinsons Rd
Langwarrin Sth Vic 3911
Australia
Web - www.equino.com.au
Email - lisa@equino.com.au

Indeed, taking a negative perspective, completely without foundation: it could be alleged that towards the end they were running a ponzi scheme and that they were using payment for new orders to fund the older ones, which would explain the chronic delay. That's a cynical view, I know.

Another alternative, as per Mr King's email letter, was that the recession and down turn hit them hard and in this current climate, even with a good order book, the banks are not going to support a small business. Now it's bankrupt status and six years in purgatory before they can get their feet back on the ground. This is the risk of business and I notice that the cost of failure in the US is not as harsh as in the UK for going bankrupt.

Its not a Ponzi scheme if something is actually purchased. Theres nothing dodgy about using deposits on future orders to keep going - thats good business. Bad business is not having enough cash flow, not paying debtors in adequate time and not delivering goods. Possibly, in this case, caused by not having high enough margins. Just off the top of my head overseas postage has doubled in the last few years - for one. I'm not sure how the GBP has been against the U$A

Sadly they appear to not have had a company structure form what I can see so individual assets may be lost. Unlike the real scamsters who would set up a company - go bust - having spent others cash and then survive with house, car etc intact.