Staff Reporter

3 has appointed David Bickett as its new director of retail business development.

Bickett comes from 3s Australian operation. He joins Ian Parpworth who arrived from The Link early this year in 3s expanded retail team as it rolls out its store portfolio.

3 has opened 130 standalone stores during the past 12 months. It is rolling out its store portfolio at a faster rate than any other network claimed a spokesman.

This time last year we had 15 standalone stores and 130 concessions within Superdrug he said. We now have 145 standalone stores.

3 has some 1600 retail employees and the new appointments will also aim to boost staff performance.

Bickett had been general manager for consumer sales at 3 Australia since 2001. Prior to that he was national general manager for retail at Australian network Telstra.

Parpworth was operations director for The Link between 2004 and 2007 and was previously an area manager for The Link between 1998 and 1999. Parpworth will now report to Bickett.

3 UK sales director Marc Allera said: With this announcement we are confirming our aim to be the best mobile retailer in the market.

O2 UK head of SME marketing Simon Devonshire said: While small businesses can see the value in mobile data many are put off by the perceived complexity of implementing it. We want to help businesses see which options best suit their circumstances.

An O2 spokesman said the initiative was not an alternative strategy implemented after O2 dismissed its entire field sales team last month.

He said: Its completely unrelated to field sales. The initiative is specifically linked to insights from our smaller SME customers that they are put off implementing mobile email because of a perceived complexity.

O2 is considering legal action against 60 dealers for mis-selling O2 products and services it said last week.

O2 has started legal proceedings in the High Court in London against Cardiff-based call centre dealer Communications Direct for trademark infringement and passing off.

It is the second Cardiff-based distance caller the network has accused of mis-selling O2 customers airtime contracts on rival networks a sales tactic known as slamming. It took Landmark Communications to court in December. Landmark eventually settled out of court for £500000.

An O2 spokesman said: The problem is widespread; we are reviewing 60 others that may be guilty of similar practices.

O2 claimed it had received up to 100 complaints a month about Communications Direct. O2 is now waiting for Communications Direct to file its defence.

Somerset-based dealership Uplands Mobile will open a new B2B outlet in Weston-Super-Mare on April 11.

The new Business Specialist Centre will showcase products including mobile data and satnav.

Uplands managing director Paul Hooper said: We want to offer SME customers an end-to-end solution everything from tariff analysis to data tracking.

Uplands was established in 1979. It is an O2 Advance dealer.

South-west dealership JAG Communications has lost its appeal against HM Revenue & Customs to reclaim £365000 in VAT on cashback deals stretching back to 2002.

JAG managing director John George said: It has been a long haul to get this far. Allowing VAT on line rental but not allowing it to be reclaimed on the cost of the cashback would seem a simple case of double taxation by Customs which is against European guidelines.

In 2002 Customs overturned a rule that said cashback represented a cost for which VAT could be claimed. JAG has been fighting for its money ever since.

European Telecom parent company Emblaze confirmed last week that it lost more than $10 million (£5.1 million) during the past year as a result of withheld VAT repayments by HM Revenue & Customs.

Emblaze said that European Telecom had also suffered from the decline in handset trading following Customs squeeze on the sector.

In a statement it said: The Group expects to incur a net loss of not more than $10 million for the year as a result of an ongoing VAT dispute that is currently affecting the UK mobile phone distribution industry.

First the group has had to make a significant provision for the potential loss of VAT refund in 2006. Second the action has led to uncertainty in mobile distribution and a significant slowdown in trading.

European Telecom chairman Nico Dervisaj told Mobile News earlier this month: The weakest part of our business now is SIM-free trading. We dont have any direct relationships with UK manufacturers and dont buy from the open market.

Emblaze will post its full-year results in the second half of April.

London-based Olive Communications has won T-Mobiles business partner of the year award for the third year running.

T-Mobile rated dealers on connection volumes ARPU churn and data sales. Olive took the title ahead of 28 other businesses.

Olive managing director Mark Geraghty said: Where a lot of dealers sit back were proactive and work extremely closely with T-Mobile.

T-Mobile UK Business Partner Programme national sales manager John Fannon said: Olive brought over 20000 business customers to T-Mobile.

Olive has doubled in size each year since its inception in 2003 claimed Geraghty. It turned over £10 million last year.

Former Carphone Warehouse commercial director George Dymond is returning to the UK to take up the role of trading director at Carphone a post vacated by John Durkan earlier this month.

Durkan replaces Richard Walker as chief operating officer.

Dymond had been working on Carphones US joint-venture with US consumer electronics retailer BestBuy called BestBuy Mobile. Dymond opened nine BestBuy Mobile stores in New York a combination of concessions and standalone outlets in the past six months.

Walker will work within BestBuy and in a consultancy role for TalkTalk in the US.

A Carphone spokesperson said: George went to the US to bring his UK experience to them as their market is so different. He will be based in the UK but will travel to the US to check on progress.

Get Connected managing director Damian Cole finished second in the Wydean Forest Rally last month the first event in a 10-round rally championship.

Coles Get Connected dealership which has 33 stores throughout Wales and the Midlands sponsored the event.

Shebang Distribution sponsors Coles car for the championship. Its own Nexus accessories brand appears across the bonnet and sides of the Hyundai Accent WRC.

Shebang Distribution managing director Iain Humphrey said: Damian is a very professional guy and that is reflected in his success in the rally world.

Hugh Symons Communications has launched a scheme to help its Unity dealers manage their Orange marketing funds and keep within its guidelines on logo usage.

Orange pays dealers £15 per contract connection on a six-monthly basis.
Hugh Symons new Canvas scheme offers its top Unity dealers free marketing and point-of-sale material with pre-approved Orange branding.
Other Hugh Symons dealers will be offered reduced rates.

Hugh Symons is charging £50 for the design of a press ad compared with up to £300 from an agency.

All costs incurred using the Canvas service are redeemable against dealers Orange marketing funds.

Hugh Symons marketing manager Theresa Williams said: This leaves dealers more time and money to spend on increased marketing to drive Orange contract sales.