When you fork out good money for electronic ‘solutions’ you do expect them to work - and if they don’t, you expect a bit of attention from the supplier.

Both Nick Patel and Zarana Patel (no relation) rang to complain about equipment they bought from Eaziscan and their frustrations in trying to get their systems running as they should.

Nick runs two stores in Croydon and Bournemouth and spent £10K on two epos systems 18 months ago, but says Bournemouth is a nightmare. The equipment isn’t registered and is not secure. “I have to physically scan every item in; we can’t create a purchase order; it gives sales at the end of the day, but not margins. We specified full stock control.”

He went to the National Federation of Retail Newsagents to get some assistance, which tried to organise a meeting for February 18 in Nick’s store. When Nick rang me on Feb 14 he predicted that no one would show up from Eaziscan, and he turned out to be right.

Zarana trades as Ford Newsagents at Horley in Surrey and spent £4K on an Eaziscan scan system in July 2012. She was told that it would do all that her old Torex system did in running the newspaper side of the business.

She has given up trying to chase the company and now just uses the new system as a cash register, relying on her old back office Torex to handle the news. Like Nick, she too has complained to the NFRN. Legal advice is being sought.

I also sought response from Eaziscan, but despite one telephone call and three emails, there was none forthcoming.