NKSupply leaves over 1,000 retailers out of pocket

SIM card distributor and commission scheme NKSupply has left over 1,000 retailers out of pocket after it ceased trading without informing retailers.

The ten year old company supplied free mobile phone SIM cards for retailers to sell to customers, and retailers also received a commission whenever the SIM cards were topped up.

Retailers were only contacted and only had their accounts credited when £30 worth of commission was generated, meaning nearly all will have some an amount owed and many are yet to know the company is no longer trading.

The company’s website, email address and phone number are all unresponsive, but Retail Express did speak to the owner’s ex-business partner James Davidson, who left the business on February 28 of this year.

James Davidson described the state of the business when he left stating, “It was absolutely fine when I left but I don’t think it would of stayed fine. I had a feeling that once I left no-one would take the reins, but I left it in perfect working order.”

Describing his business relationship with the company owner Nick Kirke, Davidson stated, “Nick was managing director and I was operations director, so day to day running of the company was done by myself until I resigned.

Everyone involved knew that I wouldn’t be there anymore and someone would have to take that responsibility over, but nobody obviously did.”

Stevo Stars, owner of The Wee Shop in Carstairs Junction was a customer of NKSupply. Stars stated, “I’ve been phoning trying to figure out what’s going on but nobody has been answering, we can still sell the SIM cards but the commission was the important aspect.”

Retailer Unimobiles.com commented, “They stopped trading abruptly, and disappeared with all my commission money.”

NKSupply were popular with retailers for having the highest commission on the market and have been an NFRN approved supplier since 2006, winning awards from the trade body as recently as 2016 when they won Supplier of the Year at the NFRN Awards.

Commenting on the business' demise, NFRN CEO Paul Baxter told Retail Express, "We were very sad to hear of the demise of NKSupply as it was an excellent supplier.  We have advised our members that we are replacing NKSupply with a company called Elite.  The new deal will match the premium terms that NFRN members enjoyed with NKSupply."

Rivals Elite Mobile have recorded an uptick in retailers getting in touch since NKSupply ceased contacting its partners, suggesting many retailers are looking to continue a SIM offering.