Boxclever

{{Short description|British electronic and domestic appliance rental chain}}

{{for|the game show|Box Clever}}

{{Notability|date=January 2025}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Boxclever

| logo =

| caption =

| type = Private

| genre =

| fate = Administration (original)

| predecessor = Granada Rentals, Radio Rentals

| successor = Home Technology Finance Limited, (t/a Boxclever){{cite web |url=http://www.boxclever.co.uk/ |title=Home |website=boxclever.co.uk}}

| foundation = 2000

| founder =

| defunct = 2003 (original)

| location_city = Bedford

| location_country = England

| locations =

| area_served = United Kingdom

| key_people =

| industry = Consumer Electronics
Major Appliances
Rentals

| products =

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| homepage = [http://www.boxclever.co.uk boxclever]

| footnotes =

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}}

Boxclever (styled as “boxclever”) is a British electronic and domestic appliance rental chain that was founded in 2000 by the merger of Radio Rentals and Granada Rentals.{{cite news|title=Box Clever deal saves 400 jobs|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/i/matrix/the-business-matrix-friday-6-may-2011-2279714.html?origin=internalSearch|publisher=Independent|accessdate=30 March 2013|location=London|date=6 May 2011}}{{cite news|title=Alchemy offers £200m for Boxclever buyout|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2863754/Alchemy-offers-200m-for-Boxclever-buyout.html|publisher=Telegraph|accessdate=30 March 2013|location=London|first=Damian|last=Reece|date=21 September 2003}} The company originally operated through high street stores but later moved to an online-only service.{{cite news|title=Hands set to buy back struggling TV business|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/hands-set-to-buy-back-struggling-tv-business-9v09dv5jj0c|work=The Times|date=7 January 2004|access-date=30 March 2013|last1=Bawden|first1=By Tom}}{{cite web|url=https://mancunian1001.wordpress.com/2020/03/26/great-service-great-sets-remembering-the-tv-rental-shop-the-lost-precinct/|title=Great Service, Great Sets: Remembering the TV Rental Shop: The Lost Precinct|website=mancunian1001.wordpress.com|date=26 March 2020|accessdate=3 November 2020}} The company was sold to WestLB and went into administration in June 2003,{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2864360/Why-Boxclever-wasnt-very-clever-after-all.html|title=Why Boxclever wasn't very clever after all|website=telegraph.co.uk|date=28 September 2003|accessdate=3 November 2020}} causing WestLB to register their €650 million bad debt charge.{{cite news|title=WestLB pulls plug on boxclever service unit|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/article2108944.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512192931/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/article2108944.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 May 2015|work=The Times|date=25 September 2003|access-date=30 March 2013|last1=Bawden|first1=By Tom}}{{cite book|title=The Law of Corporate Finance: General Principles and Eu Law|year=2010|publisher=Springer Publishing|isbn=978-3-642-03057-4|page=377|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h7g5L8VtP58C&q=%22boxclever%22&pg=PA377}}{{cite book|last=Slatter|first=Stuart|title=Leading Corporate Turnaround: How Leaders Fix Troubled Companies|year=2006|publisher=Wiley|isbn=978-0-470-02559-8|pages=215–216|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RyKE9vVHUTIC&q=%22boxclever%22&pg=PT269}}{{cite web|title=Boxclever blow for Saunders|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/boxclever-blow-for-saunders-6972478.html|publisher=Standard|date=24 September 2003|accessdate=30 March 2013}}

The company was bought out of administration in January 2005 by Fortress Investment Group for £135 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/boxclever-set-to-be-sold-at-big-loss-7206171.html|title=Boxclever set to be sold at big loss|publisher=www.standard.co.uk|date=18 January 2005|accessdate=12 June 2018}} Fortress and Cerberus sold the business to Weight Partners in May 2011.{{cite news|title=Weight Partners buys rental firm Boxclever|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/weight-partners-buys-rental-firm-boxclever-2279781.html?origin=internalSearch|publisher=Independent|accessdate=30 March 2013|location=London|first=James|last=Thompson|date=6 May 2011}}