Money for nothing (chicks not free but if you have money..)

Money for nothing (chicks not free but if you have money..)

Author
Discussion

DSLiverpool

Original Poster:

14,725 posts

202 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
https://www.seedrs.com/iqualtech#team

How gullible are Seedrs "investors" a short breakdown of this place (in my eyes) is

Bloke and Mrs have degrees and a tiny web company, they probably go to a seminar about own branding on Amazon then go to the Canton Fair get some iPhone leads and a few gadgets, screen their (probably designed by a mate from uni) logo on generic tat and batter Amazon UK, then Europe and then worldwide selling said stuff building what they think is a business (but is just a pop up loss making shop in my eyes). It doesnt sustain the one full time owner and one junior full time member of staff (even the CTO with 33% is part time) so they hit seedrs for £100k on a totally full of generics pitch and guess what its oversubscribed. FFS! I MUST try this whats the downside?

Examples of the pitch is they trade £1m but can only afford 2 full time staff, the "develop" products - how, where, who does ?

Annnnnnd:
The company has an Amazon Lending loan which helps finance stock and is secured against stock held in the Amazon fulfilment centres. This can reach up to £74,500 over this period and is repayable over 6 months. The company also has an outstanding balance to Funding Circle for £50,806.77 which has 21 monthly repayments remaining, and a £20,000 overdraft facility. None of the proceeds of investment are intended to be used to repay any of this debt.

In summary - Importer of tat plays the "lend me money" game to the max getting
£169k from Seedrs
£75k against iPhone leads and speakers in Amazon warehouse
£50k from funding circle
Plus an overdraft

Anyone care to comment on where this is going.

GlenMH

5,207 posts

243 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
I am loving the preferential dividend structure, too!

DSLiverpool

Original Poster:

14,725 posts

202 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
GlenMH said:
I am loving the preferential dividend structure, too!
Well spotted that man! I didnt mention it as my piss was already boiling ;o)

JustinP1

13,330 posts

230 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
Looks like someone is still getting paid to run it despite the debt.

As you've said, their stock is generic cheapo phone cables.

The only things of substance are the speakers, however, these are a shameless, shameless rip-off of Beats products. It's the kind of thing that if it were sold in Romford market, Trading Standards may be calling.

It's such a shameless rip-off they even call the copy of Beats Pill "Pill".

The headline on their site is even 'Summer Beats' in the centre. They produce black and red speakers, just like Beats, and whilst the Beat logo is a red circle with a 'b' cut out, their logo is a red circle with an 'i' cutout.

I'm with you in that I'm astonished that a pitch can be dressed up in this way and £160k funding just appears to fund a company funded on debt, and with one full time employee.

Edited by JustinP1 on Thursday 29th September 10:12

Lexual

511 posts

213 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all


the crap pill speaker copies they're selling are £5.00 on AliExpress.. seen all this stuff in Asia in the markets selling for just a few dollars.

ModernAndy

2,094 posts

135 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
coyft said:
It looks like they got funded?!

Who in their right mind would become a minority shareholder in such a small business?
some extremely rich multi-millionaire playing a real-life version of this?


bga

8,134 posts

251 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
I wouldn't invest for obvious reasons but they are giving it a go. Fair play to them. Plenty of institutional investors have chucked their own & other peoples money at other ventures with a similar or lower chance of success.

jammy_basturd

29,778 posts

212 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
At what point does it become fraud??

uber

855 posts

170 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
jammy_basturd said:
At what point does it become fraud??
Creative borrowing .... For investors its all about creative tax relief

GT2CS

657 posts

169 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
40% gross margins though must have been attractive to the brain dead investors...where is the cashflow statement, not even a net profit figure.
The part time Indian woman was also filmed for their Amazon FBA video and mentioned sales in India were 500k - must be rupees or else India is half of their total sales. The company was only formed in March last year, so how they have a 3 year trading record under that name I dont know. Check out the reviews of their bluetooth pill speaker on Amazon - they gave a discounted copy to a reviewer and he only gave it 3*...ha what a joke. Around 10% of the reviews are 1* and say the quality is cr@p and bass tinny. Oh and the really good part as an investor is that you get some of their free goodies - enjoy them whilst they work cos you wont be getting much else from that company.

DSLiverpool

Original Poster:

14,725 posts

202 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
JustinP1 said:
Looks like someone is still getting paid to run it despite the debt.

As you've said, their stock is generic cheapo phone cables.

The only things of substance are the speakers, however, these are a shameless, shameless rip-off of Beats products. It's the kind of thing that if it were sold in Romford market, Trading Standards may be calling.

It's such a shameless rip-off they even call the copy of Beats Pill "Pill".

The headline on their site is even 'Summer Beats' in the centre. They produce black and red speakers, just like Beats, and whilst the Beat logo is a red circle with a 'b' cut out, their logo is a red circle with an 'i' cutout.

I'm with you in that I'm astonished that a pitch can be dressed up in this way and £160k funding just appears to fund a company funded on debt, and with one full time employee.

Edited by JustinP1 on Thursday 29th September 10:12
The PILL has gone from the website leaving 7 Apple chargers a few bike bits and another speaker - also the blog was updated in January - amazing!

Blaster72

10,816 posts

197 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
dodgy business said:
- £500+ investors will receive a complimentary pair of our new Limited Edition Bluetooth Headphones when released this autumn.
- £1,000+ investors will receive a complimentary pair of our new Limited Edition Bluetooth Headphones as well as a complimentary new Limited Edition Bluetooth Pill Shape Speaker when released this autumn.
Wow, £500 for some bluetooth headphones and a 10% discount card - sign me up laugh

I can see that funding disappearing in a big cloud of creative accounting smoke in no time.

jammy_basturd

29,778 posts

212 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
Is it possible to set up an automatic alert for when a company goes into liquidation or becomes bankrupt?

plasticpig

12,932 posts

225 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
DSLiverpool said:
https://www.seedrs.com/iqualtech#team

How gullible are Seedrs "investors" a short breakdown of this place (in my eyes) is

Bloke and Mrs have degrees and a tiny web company, they probably go to a seminar about own branding on Amazon then go to the Canton Fair get some iPhone leads and a few gadgets, screen their (probably designed by a mate from uni) logo on generic tat and batter Amazon UK, then Europe and then worldwide selling said stuff building what they think is a business (but is just a pop up loss making shop in my eyes). It doesnt sustain the one full time owner and one junior full time member of staff (even the CTO with 33% is part time) so they hit seedrs for £100k on a totally full of generics pitch and guess what its oversubscribed. FFS! I MUST try this whats the downside?
As a tiny web company they also know fk all. As a Ltd company they have to show the companies registration number and the registered office address on the website. They don't even show that it's a Ltd company by having Ltd after iQualTec. Not having any physical address on their website shouts scam to me.



JustinP1

13,330 posts

230 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
coyft said:
DSLiverpool said:
The PILL has gone from the website leaving 7 Apple chargers a few bike bits and another speaker - also the blog was updated in January - amazing!
No doubt in response to a cease and desist letter, together with a claim for damages.
The Beats Pill ripoff was on the website when I looked and mentioned it a couple of days ago... now, as you say, gone.

JQ

5,728 posts

179 months

Friday 30th September 2016
quotequote all
JustinP1 said:
coyft said:
DSLiverpool said:
The PILL has gone from the website leaving 7 Apple chargers a few bike bits and another speaker - also the blog was updated in January - amazing!
No doubt in response to a cease and desist letter, together with a claim for damages.
The Beats Pill ripoff was on the website when I looked and mentioned it a couple of days ago... now, as you say, gone.
Perhaps Dr Dre is a PHer!

twoblacklines

1,575 posts

161 months

Friday 14th October 2016
quotequote all
GT2CS said:
40% gross margins though must have been attractive to the brain dead investors...where is the cashflow statement, not even a net profit figure.
The part time Indian woman was also filmed for their Amazon FBA video and mentioned sales in India were 500k - must be rupees or else India is half of their total sales. The company was only formed in March last year, so how they have a 3 year trading record under that name I dont know. Check out the reviews of their bluetooth pill speaker on Amazon - they gave a discounted copy to a reviewer and he only gave it 3*...ha what a joke. Around 10% of the reviews are 1* and say the quality is cr@p and bass tinny. Oh and the really good part as an investor is that you get some of their free goodies - enjoy them whilst they work cos you wont be getting much else from that company.
You could sell a magic genie that works to people on amazon for £0.99 and 10% of the reviews would be 1*, this is an Amazon thing, people like to either troll and ruin peoples feedback, or other competitors do it, or people are just baiting for an arguement with the store owner / designer / author if it is on Kindle.

Birkin1932

784 posts

139 months

Friday 14th October 2016
quotequote all
Pre-Money valuation £3.3m smilesmile

It looks like a one of those generic website businesses they sell on eBay for £25



Aquarius909

99 posts

165 months

Saturday 15th October 2016
quotequote all
jammy_basturd said:
At what point does it become fraud??
Give it a few years. Many of these crowdfunders - especially the equity ones - are the fuel for the compensation claims industry in 2-4 years.

jammy-git

29,778 posts

212 months

Saturday 15th October 2016
quotequote all
Aquarius909 said:
jammy_basturd said:
At what point does it become fraud??
Give it a few years. Many of these crowdfunders - especially the equity ones - are the fuel for the compensation claims industry in 2-4 years.
Compensation from who?