A shockwave has hit the UK’s online fashion sector. Behind a popular store where thousands shopped daily, serious problems had been building for months — unnoticed by the public. And only now is it becoming clear how deep the crisis truly was.
The first warning signs appeared at the end of October: the website stopped accepting orders, and customer support went silent. Some shoppers reported never receiving refunds for items they had already returned. On social media, suspicions grew — from technical outages to a possible collapse. But still, no official explanation appeared.
The breaking point came when the company filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator. Shortly after, the online store was completely shut down, leaving thousands of customers in total uncertainty. Financial analysts spoke of cash flow shortages, experts cited falling sales, while customers simply asked one question: Where is our money?
And only after several days of silence did the truth come out: the retailer in question is SilkFred, which has now officially entered administration.
The administration process began on 29 October under the oversight of Quantuma Advisory Limited. Joint administrators Andrew Watling and Duncan Beat confirmed that the company was facing severe financial difficulties — and that issuing customer refunds is no longer possible. What’s worse, shoppers are being directly advised not to send back any unwanted items, as nobody will be able to process them.
Everyone owed money by the retailer is now considered an “unsecured creditor.” This comes with a harsh reality: current information indicates there will not be enough funds to pay them anything.
However, there is one potential lifeline for customers who spent more than £100 and paid by credit card. They can submit a claim to their bank under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act — which may allow the bank to reimburse the lost funds.
Hundreds of affected customers are already filing claims, while SilkFred’s downfall now stands as a cautionary tale — a reminder of how a rapid online success can turn into an equally rapid collapse, and how important it is to notice the cracks long before the building comes crashing down.
