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Maplin in administration: Internet connectivity issues hit in-store card payments
Internet issues at beleaguered high-street electronics retailer Maplin cause trouble at the tills in stores across the UK
Company-wide internet connectivity issues at troubled high-street electronics retailer Maplin left staff struggling to process credit card payments from shoppers earlier today.
The incident, which is understood to have started at around 6pm on Monday 19 March, meant store staff could only accept payment in cash or using manual credit card imprinting machines.
A member of Maplin’s social media team confirmed it was a company-wide issue that was resolved around mid-morning on Tuesday 20 March. It is also thought to have affected the company’s phone lines.
The news comes at a difficult time for the retailer, which fell into administration on 28 February, with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) ushered in to oversee the day-to-day running of the company.
A PwC spokesperson told Computer Weekly that a “supplier issue” was to blame for today’s technical difficulties, resulting in its stores losing internet connectivity.
“This has now been resolved and the stores should now have internet access again,” the spokesperson said.
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The company operates more than 200 stores across the UK, and PwC confirmed on 8 March that 63 people at Maplin’s head offices in London and Rotherham are facing redundancy as a result of it entering administration.
“The company is continuing to trade but, due to lack of interest, we may be required to initiate a controlled closure programme,” said Toby Underwood, joint administrator and PwC partner, in a statement at the time.
“We still believe there is strong value in the company and we remain focused on doing all we can to preserve the business while we continue trying to achieve a sale.”
