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Typo.
How a typo cost this businessman millions of pounds
It was 10 years ago next month that Philip Davison-Sebry was relaxing in the Maldives for his wife’s birthday.
He had good reason to feel relaxed. His family business Taylor & Sons Ltd, which was founded in 1875, was thriving.
“We had a thriving business and a full order book,” Philip recalls. “We were on course for making £45m that year.”
The Welsh engineering firm employed more than 250 people plus had recently secured a £3m contract with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and boasted factories in Briton Ferry, Baglan and Cardiff.
One typo and one phone call later his life would completely change.
His mobile rang and his biggest client Corus, now Tata, were on the phone demanding a meeting. Confused Philip told them he was away.
“What are you doing away at a time like this? Your company is in liquidation!”
Philip was so confused - the business was doing well and couldn’t possibly be in liquidation.
It transpired that Companies House had made an error. A Manchester business called “Taylor & Son Ltd” (nothing to do with Mr Davison-Sebry’s business) had gone into liquidation whereas Philip’s business was called “Taylor & Sons Ltd”.
The error was amended a few days later but that missing “S” would go on rob him of seven years of his life and cost him millions.
“It happened on my wife’s birthday when we were on holiday,” he said speaking to WalesOnline. “Companies House told the whole world that we were being wound up by HMRC.
“We were making £30-40 million a year. People were queueing up outside the factories.
“We kept telling people that we were not in liquidation but the credit references agencies denied it. To be fair the suppliers and the customers didn’t make the error - it was Companies House.
“I felt physically sick. Back at the business the phones were ringing out, it was like Armageddon. Everyone wanted to be paid. People were queuing up for money. Equipment was being taken off site I felt like I had been kicked in the b******s.”
It wasn’t long before the Companies House error became a self fulfilling prophecy.
Lines of credit were called in, customers cancelled orders and their best customer Tata Steel left - taking £400,000-a-month income with them.
It meant the business collapsed for real and the administrators were called in
Understandably this put a huge strain on Philip who not only had enormous concerns for his livelihood and family, but also his loyal staff. Luckily he managed to keep most of them in work by selling to competitors.
“I haven’t got the businesses back that I lost because they were sold out from under me,” he said.
“The businesses were sold to competitors. I assisted the administrator and not many people lost their jobs.
“When it all happened I was so worried about staff and my family - my daughter and wife work in the business.
"Afterwards I was so down and so gutted that I was not in a good state. Looking back I should have started it back up the next day but I wasn’t in the mental state to do it.
“I could hardly sleep for two years - I would wake up in a sweat.”
© Credits: Richard Swingler
With the support of family and friends Philip, who is from the St Fagans area of Cardiff, decided to take Companies House to court for what had happened. This decision acted as a catalyst for him taking back the control that had been taken from him.
Related: ‘Elected to lead, not to proofread’: Typos, spelling mistakes are commonplace in Trump’s White House
He said: “Fighting them with the help from family and friends helped me refocus. We spent all our money fighting it and it showed we had a strong marriage.
“We couldn’t have done it without the support from family and friends - the legal bills were huge.
“I just started up again with a little business and a member of staff who had been with me for nearly 30 years.”
Philip talking about the trauma of battling through the court system and the amazing support he got from his family and friends
Following a six-year legal battle, on April 22, 2015, he was award almost £9m in damages for the monumental blunder.
“When we got the result I felt unbelievable,” Philip said.
“When we got the call to say we had won we had to wait for seven days before we could tell everyone. Then we had all the family and friends round for drinks.
“It is seven years of my life I will never get back. During that time it is never out of your mind. Even now I still wake up thinking about it.”
Through hard work and the support of his friends and family Philip now runs a number of other businesses though not in the same industry.
He said: “We are now trading with new companies and we are starting to grow them and I have some of my old staff with me.
“We have Taylor Protected Coating which does industrial painting. As well as Taylor Decorating and the Thermal Compaction Group.”
When you speak to Philip he is reflective over what happened but has no time for Companies House who make money from selling this information. As Philip said: “They profited from the error”.
It was 10 years ago next month that Philip Davison-Sebry was relaxing in the Maldives for his wife’s birthday.
He had good reason to feel relaxed. His family business Taylor & Sons Ltd, which was founded in 1875, was thriving.
“We had a thriving business and a full order book,” Philip recalls. “We were on course for making £45m that year.”
The Welsh engineering firm employed more than 250 people plus had recently secured a £3m contract with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and boasted factories in Briton Ferry, Baglan and Cardiff.
One typo and one phone call later his life would completely change.
His mobile rang and his biggest client Corus, now Tata, were on the phone demanding a meeting. Confused Philip told them he was away.
“What are you doing away at a time like this? Your company is in liquidation!”
Philip was so confused - the business was doing well and couldn’t possibly be in liquidation.
It transpired that Companies House had made an error. A Manchester business called “Taylor & Son Ltd” (nothing to do with Mr Davison-Sebry’s business) had gone into liquidation whereas Philip’s business was called “Taylor & Sons Ltd”.
The error was amended a few days later but that missing “S” would go on rob him of seven years of his life and cost him millions.
“It happened on my wife’s birthday when we were on holiday,” he said speaking to WalesOnline. “Companies House told the whole world that we were being wound up by HMRC.
“We were making £30-40 million a year. People were queueing up outside the factories.
“We kept telling people that we were not in liquidation but the credit references agencies denied it. To be fair the suppliers and the customers didn’t make the error - it was Companies House.
“I felt physically sick. Back at the business the phones were ringing out, it was like Armageddon. Everyone wanted to be paid. People were queuing up for money. Equipment was being taken off site I felt like I had been kicked in the b******s.”
It wasn’t long before the Companies House error became a self fulfilling prophecy.
Lines of credit were called in, customers cancelled orders and their best customer Tata Steel left - taking £400,000-a-month income with them.
It meant the business collapsed for real and the administrators were called in
Understandably this put a huge strain on Philip who not only had enormous concerns for his livelihood and family, but also his loyal staff. Luckily he managed to keep most of them in work by selling to competitors.
“I haven’t got the businesses back that I lost because they were sold out from under me,” he said.
“The businesses were sold to competitors. I assisted the administrator and not many people lost their jobs.
“When it all happened I was so worried about staff and my family - my daughter and wife work in the business.
"Afterwards I was so down and so gutted that I was not in a good state. Looking back I should have started it back up the next day but I wasn’t in the mental state to do it.
“I could hardly sleep for two years - I would wake up in a sweat.”
© Credits: Richard Swingler
With the support of family and friends Philip, who is from the St Fagans area of Cardiff, decided to take Companies House to court for what had happened. This decision acted as a catalyst for him taking back the control that had been taken from him.
Related: ‘Elected to lead, not to proofread’: Typos, spelling mistakes are commonplace in Trump’s White House
He said: “Fighting them with the help from family and friends helped me refocus. We spent all our money fighting it and it showed we had a strong marriage.
“We couldn’t have done it without the support from family and friends - the legal bills were huge.
“I just started up again with a little business and a member of staff who had been with me for nearly 30 years.”
Philip talking about the trauma of battling through the court system and the amazing support he got from his family and friends
Following a six-year legal battle, on April 22, 2015, he was award almost £9m in damages for the monumental blunder.
“When we got the result I felt unbelievable,” Philip said.
“When we got the call to say we had won we had to wait for seven days before we could tell everyone. Then we had all the family and friends round for drinks.
“It is seven years of my life I will never get back. During that time it is never out of your mind. Even now I still wake up thinking about it.”
Through hard work and the support of his friends and family Philip now runs a number of other businesses though not in the same industry.
He said: “We are now trading with new companies and we are starting to grow them and I have some of my old staff with me.
“We have Taylor Protected Coating which does industrial painting. As well as Taylor Decorating and the Thermal Compaction Group.”
When you speak to Philip he is reflective over what happened but has no time for Companies House who make money from selling this information. As Philip said: “They profited from the error”.
Comments
getting screwed over because someone elses mistake ,typical of this country , glad he got some compo
Not to mention the fees they take for searches etc, on these companies.
They wont be skint.