Pub has vision to outsmart Smartbox

One disgruntled Smartbox customer has decided to take the company to the small claims court to recoup the £1,800 he says he is owed.

Bill Ganley, of the Grange Inn in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire claims he has never been paid a penny since signing a Smartbox agreement in December 2005.

He is supposed to receive £45 a week from Smartbox for showing its adverts while he has to pay finance company Haydock £249 a month for the equipment and big screen over three years. The equipment is provided by Smartbox parent company Vision Leisure Services.

"I have written to Smartbox serving them with 30 days' notice that I wish to end the contract because of a material breach - I have never been paid," he said. "I plan to take them to the small claims court and claim for three years' rental at £45 a week so that I can pay the lease agreement."

Smartbox managing director Kate Venables has written to Ganley, saying: "Smartbox (Vision) Limited has every intention of paying you, in full, all monies outstanding at the earliest possible opportunity."

However, the letter received by Ganley failed to give any date for payment and also warned that "it would be unfair on any of our clients involved in this error if we were to allow queue-jumping when one client shouts more loudly than another. We are continuing to work through our data periodically and professionally."