Mesh Computers enmeshed in unholy row

11 Apr 2008 | 08:06 BST

By Paul Hales

AN UNHOLY row has broken out between a third party warranty provider and system builder Mesh Computers.

According to a post on its web site, Repair-Line recently placed Mesh's account on stop. “All services to the manufacturer are being withheld due to non payment of account and failure to exchange parts buffer stock to allow repairs to continue,” says the message on the website.

The long, detailed and occasionally rabid account apparently posted by boss of Castleford-based Repair-Line, Carl Hill, accuses Mesh of all sort of shenanigans and picks out consultant Paul Kinsler as the focus of his anger.

Kinsler is a fairly well-known chap in the UK IT business, having made his presence felt as MD of Mesh back in the days when system builders were virtually printing their own cash. After some years at the helm, he left Mesh in 2000 to found his own PR company. A personable chap, Kinsler is always ready with a laugh and an anecdote but, back in the day, Mesh employees did suggest he could be fearsome when riled. He's a well-built fellow and you do get the impression you wouldn't like to be on the wrong side of him should he explode.

We were pretty sure Kinsler would right now – to use our founder's favourite phrase – be going apeshit bananas. But having spoken to him on the phone, he seems pretty sanguine about the whole sorry affair.

Repair-Line lays into Kinsler in the long diatribe which is really aimed at Mesh, alleging various misrepresentations of the way the deal for on-site warranties was handled between the two companies.

It seems Mesh, having found itself in a bit of a pickle, called on ex-MD Kinsler to get involved with the company again. Kinsler has run a PR company PK Media for the past few years and said he was asked by Mesh to help restructure and refocus the company. According to Repair-Line, “Paul subsequently took charge and Max (Sherafati) was no longer contactable the last claims are he is in Iran living his life in his Mansion complete with servants to tend his ever need.” (sic).

Kinsler said he used the title acting MD and denied that he “likes to disassociate himself with Mesh just in case the inevitable happens and they fall,” as Repair-Line alleges. Kinsler said that as part of his attempts to sort out Mesh he decided to cancel Mesh's contract with the Repair-Line giving the firm the required three months notice, a version of events Repair-Line disputes.

“It's a Mickey Mouse company,” he said. “They are in the process of being wound up. We'd be winding them up ourselves but we can't as they're already being wound up. They gave crap service so we gave them three months notice.”

In reply to our query, Dave Williams Technical Manager at Repair-Line said in an email: “Repair-Line are not in the process of being wound up and expect that is just a slanderous rumour being passed about by certain disgruntled persons to discredit the company.”

He added: "We will be posting a further update to this on our website in the next day or two once we have confirmed it will not affect our legal case against Mesh Computers".

Kinsler wouldn't be drawn on the specific allegations made by Hill on the web page, "What can I do?" he opined. "The whole thing's total rubbish. The only good thing I can say about it is that PK Media now shows up on a Google search..." µ

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