Sunday, March 23, 2014

Calumet Photographic bankruptcy update: Contact Information for those with rental equipment and other issues

Calumet Photographic Logo, courtesy of Calumet PhotographicAs reported here earlier this month, on March 12th Calumet Photographic, the US based photography store chain filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and closed all their US locations. The Calumet stores in the United Kingdom, and elsewhere in Europe, being financially separate entities from the US company, are unaffected by the US bankruptcy.

By the middle of the day on March 14th, the Calumet US website, as well as their Twitter and Facebook accounts were shut-down.

There are many US Calumet customers who are currently holding photography gear rented from the company, and currently unable to return the gear, due to the store closures. Others have prepaid orders at the company, while others have Calumet US store based credits.

Rob Wells of Calumet Photo UK has posted this notice on the Calumet UK Facebook page concerning Calumet US,
"We have been instructed to direct all inquiries to the bankruptcy attorney who is handling the Calumet US case.
Contact details are:
Melissa Root, Attorney – Jenner & Block
(312) 840-7255"
If you have rental equipment from Calumet US you need to return, or need information about another issue with the bankrupt company, such as what you can do about store credits, or prepaid orders, you might try contacting Ms. Root.

Melissa M. Root is a partner at Jenner & Block in the Bankruptcy, Workout and Corporate Reorganization Department in Chicago. Jenner & Block is a national law firm with 450 attorneys headquartered in Chicago, with branch offices in Washington DC, New York, and Los Angeles.

As discussed in my prior article about the Calumet bankruptcy, Unreturned rental gear from bankrupt Calumet Photographic isn't owned by renters, if you have a prepaid order with Calumet US, for merchandise you never received, and paid for the order with a credit card, if you haven't yet contacted your credit card company to dispute the charge, do so immediately as time is running out on your ability to possibly obtain a credit for the purchase of merchandise you never received.

For prepaid orders not received, but paid by cash or debit card, or by credit card if your credit card company can't help you, and for store credits, it appears as though you will have to be added to the general unsecured creditors' list. Unfortunately, those on the list will likely get very little, if anything, in the final bankruptcy settlement. I suggest you contact Ms. Root to determine your precise options.

3 comments:

  1. Thank so much for the update Ned. I'll try contact Root tomorrow. I want to get my rental gear out of the house before my wife kills me. (LOL)

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  2. Great info. You've done Calumet customers a great service with your two articles. I didn't know I might be able to get a credit on my camera purchase of a camera I never got. I just called the credit card company and they put in a temporary credit. I have to send them some info, but I should be okay according to the lady I spoke to.

    Thanks again.

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  3. Barry-PhiladelphiaMarch 24, 2014 at 9:03 AM

    Thanks for reminding me about contacting my credit card company. I have to provide them with more information, but I did get a temporary credit.

    ReplyDelete