2023-09-08 18:10:47
This is what customers need to know now
Steg and its sister companies cease operations due to excessive indebtedness. Bankruptcy is imminent. What that means for customers.
Due to a “lack of funding,” Steg and sister companies such as Techmania and PC-Ostschweiz have ceased operations and can no longer guarantee the delivery of orders.
Foto: Imago, Pond5 Images
The closure of Steg Electronics with its 17 branches and other trading companies such as Techmania or PC-Ostschweiz of the parent company PCP.com can hit customers hard. The group, which is primarily active in the consumer electronics trade, cites a “lack of financing” as the reason for the closure.
There are liquidity bottlenecks due to the termination of a credit line of 7 million francs. The online trading companies announced on their websites that orders would be deleted and delivery might no longer be guaranteed. The search for alternative financing failed. There is therefore a risk of bankruptcy.
Who is hit hardest
When bankruptcy occurs, creditors are divided into different classes. Priority is given, among other things, to wages of employees or their social security contributions. Third class claims will only be covered if there is still money left over. In this case, this would include customers with orders that have not yet been delivered. “Things often don’t look good at all because there is often nothing left to meet the third-class demands,” says Hunkeler.
The starting position is different if an order is not paid for in advance but on account. If the goods have not yet been delivered, the customer can, in Hunkeler’s opinion, withdraw from the purchase if there is a risk of disadvantages due to the merchant’s bankruptcy. A typical example of such a disadvantage would be if the customer no longer receives warranty services as a result of the company closing. If bankruptcy is declared, the retailer is no longer allowed to deliver goods and might therefore no longer fulfill the contract. An exception would be if the bankruptcy administration continues the business.
Cancellation when purchasing on account?
At best, there are consumers who have just received goods and would prefer to withdraw from the purchase in view of the threat of bankruptcy. One reason might be uncertainty regarding warranty services. In this case, Daniel Hunkeler advises not to use the goods and, if possible, not to unpack them at all. “Without bankruptcy proceedings officially opened, it is legally sensitive to withdraw from a sales transaction,” he explains. If bankruptcy can no longer be averted, reversal is possible later. Otherwise not.
The trading companies affected point out in messages that the guarantee claim remains valid despite the closure. Customers should report any claims directly to the manufacturer with the commercial invoice. In fact, warranty services are sometimes handled directly by manufacturer companies. Sometimes they also require a delivery note in addition to the invoice.
If these processes are ensured in this way, lawyer Daniel Hunkeler sees no problem with guarantee services. However, the prerequisite is that consumers keep the invoice and delivery note. After bankruptcy, these papers are no longer available from the supplier or are difficult to obtain.
But there are also customers who have brought devices in for repair at one of the 17 Steg branches. According to Hunkeler, in the event of bankruptcy, Steg would have to return these devices – without repair.
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