IBM forced into MSL payment by own blunder

An IBM mistake became a Surrey reseller's blessing last week after the vendor accidentally credited the dealer's account with nearly #500,000 and did not get a refund until it paid off a previous debt.

IBM Financial Services UK erroneously paid #458,156.72 into Microtechnics Systems' (MSL) account instead of another partner understood to have the same initials.

The vendor was forced to issue a writ to reclaim the funds.

Rajeev Kapoor, chairman of MSL, said the accident created an opportunity for the reseller to put pressure on the giant to settle a previous debt.

'IBM owed us some funds and we said: "If you pay us, then we'll pay you,"' he said.

'We've been waiting a lot longer for our money than IBM has for its own,' he added.

Mark Kirkham, managing director of MSL, confirmed that IBM had owed the reseller 'a couple of hundred thousand' pounds and that the vendor had threatened to serve a writ to recover the erroneous payment.

However, Kirkham insisted the writ was never served on the reseller and that the matter had been resolved out of court.

'We settled at the start of last week. We owed IBM a lot more than it owed us, so the company paid up,' he said.

According to the writ, seen by PC Dealer, the money was paid into Barclays Bank in Bracknell on 5 January. A representative of the bank refused to comment on customer transactions.

IBM was unavailable for comment on the matter.

MSL is a Novell reseller and part of the Systems House Group of companies.

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