I folks. I've not posted on here for a while, but feel the need to inform as many people in the photographic community as possible...
Balham Optical, a well known, and previously highly regarded specialist lens manufacturer and repairer has gone bust!
http://http://www.optil.co.uk/
Please be warned, up until yesterday this company was accepting work and taking your lenses for service and repair. Today we received a rather alarming phone call from the un-named buyer of the complete balham stock (including lenses sent in for repair that aren't owned by Balham!). According to the mystery phone caller and buyer, it turns out the owner wanted some cash in his pocket so sold everything he could get his hands on, including significantly expensive lenses we had in for servicing!. This will upset many retailers and traders who used the services of this company.
We are currently dealing with the matter, and tracing the source, but would like to inform as many people in the photographic community as possible, and help prevent the possibility of any more photographers loosing their lenses by posting them to Balham Optical.
Please do feel free to copy this content and paste onto other photographic forums you use.
cheers
Joe @ The Real Camera Co, Manchester