A crowdfunding campgaign has been raised to try and help staff at Emoov left out of jobs after the business went into administration.
The immediate target is £550,000.
A total of 140 staff are thought to have been affected by last week’s collapse into administration.
The appeal, launched on social media yesterday evening, says: “All ex-staff of Emoov Ltd were left in financial no man’s land when the company had no choice but to go into administration.
“Staff not paid for what they’ve worked, worried sick and out of a job. Christmas is looking miserable for most.
“It’s this time of year humanity usually prevails and we look after one another. Let’s help them put food on the table and give them a start for 2019.”
Amy Matthewman, who is behind the appeal, and a former Purplebricks local property expert before joining Emoov, told EYE yesterday evening that she is simply trying to raise the money that staff are owed.
She said: “I just really want people to have some help. Most of these people have children. It’s a very serious situation for all concerned.
She added: “Emoov was filled with hard-working wonderful people who face a very grim few months. I’d like to help people get back on their feet.
“I believe our industry does care.
“It’s heartbreaking.
“People haven’t been paid for what they’ve worked, with lack of guidance and information.
“We can try and claim wages owed off HMRC but it takes weeks and the administrators haven’t even confirmed the claims with HMRC to date.
“Also the claims are capped.
“People are genuinely going hungry. Behind on bills and worried sick.”
Comments (47)
£55 now. That’s about 40p each for the poor 140 staff – about enough for a mince pie each. Isn’t that enough?!
Up to £30.00 now!
Perhaps the fake that is Mr Quirk should put his hands in his ever so deeper pockets and pay the staff he employed.
Just checked, seems to have stalled at £30 which is about 21p for each of the 140 employees. I tend to agree with the comments on here, RQ and everyone around him was happy to run good agents down and over time screw many traditional agents so now the time has come for agents to say “you reap what you sow”. Absolutely no sympathy, let RQ put his hand I his pocket and pay his ex staff, I’m sure he didn’t walk away a pauper !
Just £30 in a nearly a day. Marvelous.
Looks like PB and Yopa have come to the rescue and generously donated 😉
Has anybody ran these sums? What on earth do they need £550,000 for? Divide by the 140 equates to just shy of £4k each! I would imagine more than any of their agents would be due, let alone the employed agency staff who would be earning 18-24k per annum.
Do not donate to this, this is not an emoov union, this is one lady making a go fund me page, what guarantees are there that she will equally distribute the monies between all 140 team members? If this was an initiative done by PIE or any other large organisation you could excuse it but screams to me of opportune hunting, if this gets to £2k then great; Amy Matthewman’s Christmas is saved.
Absolutely outrageous.
How about the customers, the investors and suppliers? Then how about my mum, my dog and ……..?
Staff had plenty of time to see the writing on the wall and still signed up customers.
Oh dear. What a pity. Never mind.
Some terrific responses here. No sympathy whatsoever. They wanted High Street agents on the dole queues and £5 raised in 14 hours shows agents have good memories!
A misguided or ill judged platform to promote this story I am afraid.
Were the staff not paid up front?
I find this sickening. As someone who was out of work for a year in a previous industry, I find sympathise with their predicament.
But “going hungry” ? Come on, this is truly insulting to the people who really will go hungry on the streets this Christmas. I’m sure all the staff will still have a warm, comfortable and fed Christmas.
And to be honest, I couldn’t care less given how companies like them have tried to put hardworking family run companies like ours out of business with mistruths, slander and attacks.
Were Emoov employees prepared to support the high street agents they were happy put out of business? No-one held a gun to their head when they wanted to work for Quirk in the full knowledge they knew what they were doing. To come out with the begging bowl …. are you having a laugh? humbug. I will continue to give to worthy charities but to ask us, the same people you tried to destroy, another naïve move.
Maybe the self promoting – I mean selfless PB will give them all a job since they are in mood for generosity? Emoov aside for a moment this crowdfunding lark is getting ridiculous……
If people are giving away free money. I could do with a handout too. Only two sales in the bag this month times are hard.
I genuinely thought people would show kindness not negative judgement in such hard times.
Emoov staff said none of the above. They just went to work.
Every negative comment refers to what was released into the press & absolutely nothing to to with the hardworking staff who are now out of a job.
Actually Blondage this isnt true. Yes many of the soundbites running the estate agency industry down were from Mr Quirk, but many Emoov employees have been seen promoting their company in a way that discredits the hard working high street agents. As a previous LPE Amy Matthewman would have been encouraged to repeat the PB spin re their “sold” stats etc. If you look through Twitter there are lots of negative tweets by LPEs etc.
As said earlier, yes i have sympathy, but you have to look at what you have done first before going cap in hand to others
It is never nice to lose a job before christmas, but I have little Sympathy.
People lose their job, it happens. If these people want to stay in the industry there are plenty of jobs out there.
I have seen numerous staff from Emoov, PBricks on many social platforms attack its own industry and slate other agents, and we should feel sorry for them, well not me.
The good news is, that any capable estate agents within the employee pool at emoov should very easily find themselves suitable employment within our industry. One of the common themes I hear from all agents across the UK is the difficulty they face finding good people to employ, whilst generally having roles available.
As others have posted in this thread, many are happy to talk to emoov staff to discuss employment options. And with 125 branches across the UK, I and my franchisees would also be happy to discuss options with anyone who cares to enquire to EweMove.
Head Shepherd
Perhaps maybe an opportune time to change your name? Ewemove now too similar in the public eye to Emoov,Surprised that you didn’t make an early move on the inventory You could have just got your sign erector to jiggle a few letters on the boards!
Flippancy aside it would be good to hear if you recruit any of their LPES maybe not this character a distressed BMV property buyer who earlier this year was EMOOV’s expert for the Midlands A man who wore many hats !!
https://twitter.com/adnanpa24513994?lang=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adnan-pasha-17103855/?originalSubdomain=uk
Only £549,995 to go!!
I think someone’s trying to be funny!!
Joining a ‘disruptor’ is exciting and high risk – caveat emptor for the employees. Harsh I know but it’s about taking personal responsibility for your career. (And I do not know if RQ was candid to staff ‘re cash burn)
So many other causes out there of more value IMHO: homeless, climate change etc.
The good staff will get jobs immediately- since 2011 there has been a shortage of good talent in sales and lettings. The emoove staff not in love with the industry will change career, that’s fine, it’s natural selection.
As most others who have commented on this article have already said, I feel sympathy for anyone who loses their job at any time, let alone around Christmas. I also appreciate that they haven’t been paid for work that they have already done but, on a brighter note, most of the 100 plus staff who have lost their jobs should be able to find new positions reasonably swiftly. The UK is experiencing its lowest unemployment rate since the 1970’s so there are plenty of jobs out there, including in the world of estate agency.
Dreadful to lose your job coming up to Christmas. However the model they represented undervalued the profession and created a car boot like mentality for vendors and landlord.
£5 of the £550k target raised in the first 14 hours is the writing on the wall. I’d be surprised if it raises 5% of target.
In their official correspondence, crowdcube use the terminology when investors invest the:
” capture of funds ”
Is anybody actually doing any productive work ?
First Bit Serious: IF any of the 140 are good listers and close to my business location, which you can find out by contacting EYE if you want (Hope EYE don’t mind that), we are opening a New Branch first week January (I know… crackers timing, or NOT!!) and we have a Branch Manager Position available at an existing location, which I am more than happy to meet the right people!
As for feeling sad about this… just cannot, certainly wouldn’t chuck some money at someone who has hoped I had to make my teams redundant in their “Death to the High Street” campaigns.
However, perhaps if there is a local GOOD LISTER out there now looking for work, they may appreciate working for a High Street Company now much more than ever before and be a useful asset to the High Street Agents… So feel free to hunt me down.
Even in administration Emoov can’t help but get the begging bowl out.
Very little empathy being shown here.Its clear that many of the LPEs were encouraged to join Emoov with exciting prospects which unfortunately did not materialise.Although £550k is a bit rich!!
This disgraceful statement by Quirk in the Daily Mail yesterday though really takes the biscuit
“And I’ve hired the wrong people and things haven’t worked out. It’s been a big test and learning experience. ”
How low does he have to stoop to evade personal responsibilty ?
Sometimes when the candyfloss m £100m valuation gets bandied around long enough it becomes embedded as fact
This interview with Faisal Butt https://www.forbes.com/sites/angelicakrystledonati/2018/12/10/this-is-the-lesson-startup-founders-should-learn-from-emoovs-demise/#7f5762af25d0
” Butt: My last piece of advice for Founders centers around a rather understated ‘H’ word…..’humility’. As a founder, you will hire smart team members who are experts in their respective fields, from the CFO to the COO and CTO”
Couldn’t make that one up. Humility and RQ are not in the same sentence
£550,000 / 140 payroll = nearly four grand each, unless it’s RQ £250,000 then £300,000 / 140 = two grand each…
I thought most were part time?
I also read yesterday that Urban has taken back his part along with the staff?
Whilst I am sure most people feel some sympathy for individuals hitting hard times – I am afraid that, as is borne out by the comments already made on this post – live by the sword, die by the sword.
I’m certainly not, unlike some, gloating at emoov’s demise and I don’t think we have seen the end of online agency – the whole sector is in a period of change and inevitably there will be winners and losers along the way.
If the emoov business model had succeeded then I wouldn’t expect a crowdfunding campaign to support others in the industry that failed to succeed in competing and I don’t see much support coming for this effort either.
Mr Q noticeably quiet since the administrators called in so he’s either busy with a pre-pack or keeping his head below the parapet (to avoid his former staff).
I think the main change is the marketing part.
Newspapers to Portals. The rest is still a people’s business.
I see the appeal has, in 15 hours, raised £5.
And that’s £5 Too much.
I feel sorry for anyone in this position, I’ve been in it myself. However, as previously commented, emoov and it’s ilk have done nothing for our industry except to try and cannibalize it for short term shareholder gain. I have eminently more sympathy for the high street agents barely surviving and particularly those that haven’t, so it’s a bit rich to now be asking for a hand out.
There are thousands and thousands of people losing their jobs in the lead up til Christmas, if you want to give, then give to a local foodbank or homeless charity (not that one).
I am completely sympathetic with the situation that some Emoov employees find themselves in, but some need to have a good hard look at themselves and the people that employed them. Did they jump on Mr Quirks bandwagon, were they slagging off high street agents at every opportunity, could they genuinely not see the writing on the wall.
Sometimes you have to look at yourselves before looking to others for help.
First rule of employing people: pay them before any other business expense, and on time.
With all the millions this outfit has spanked it is clear that wages came a long way down the list of priorities. Shameful.
Is this a hoax? How about you put some of your hard earned in and pay the lot Russell!
RQ probably the biggest earner on the payroll. Part of any donation probably heading in his direction.
What an awful situation for the Emoov employees to find themselves in at this time of year in particular.
Impossible however not to see the irony that a business built on miselling themselves through crowdfunding has now left its ex employees to fund the money they are owed through the same means.
Mr Quirk should be the number one name on that donors list!
Just had a look at the funding page – raised £5 so far from 1 donor in 6 hours – is this Mr Quirk’s contribution ?
Just wanted to mirror the sentiments already on this page – wonder how some of those now out of business would react ?
They haven’t lost their sense of humour though. The backdrop image on the crowdfunding page is from that perennial Christmas favourite ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ Oh the irony of it.
PS As at 13:01 the fund stands at £30.
The high street is dead… you old cronies are history…we’re disrupting this industry………….oh crickets, errr…couldn’t lend us a fiver could you?
Turning to the industry they were slagging off about fees?
How about the agents which they have closed due to pushing fees to level which were not workable?
I wonder how this will be accepted by the industry as there are also others in a similar situation.
Did they actually have 140 employed staff?
So you Crowd Fund your way into trouble and now want to Crowd Fund your way out of trouble?
I’d be asking your glorious leader Quirk for your wages rather than asking even more beleaguered investors to sort it out? Though more fool them for investing in the first place?
A very cynical pitch on the go fund page from Amy Matthewman of eMoov ‘It’s this time of year humanity usually prevails & we look after one another. Let’s help them put food on the table and give them a start for 2019.
Be aware her company is in the process of being dissolved! She appears to have worked for a large number of the disruptors and was a one time developer!