Warning: Strong language
 
EK is Imploding: Not Paying Employees, Partners, & Suppliers
 
https://youtu.be/b73xG1HlFhY?si=qAuO6wkpBxEURtus
 
Normally Gamers Nexus tries to censor it's own swearing/cursing but they missed at least one word in this video. Don't watch the video if you are offended by this type of language. 

Definitely not a good situation. Seems the water cooling and PC building industry is going through some changes. Not sure if it’s for the better.

 
Just watched it. That's a shocker, I always assumed EK were very reputable. Never had any issues dealing with them for years now. Then again, I was a regular customer of FrozenGPU for years, and boy did that place ever take a turn for the worse. Amazing how the wrong person in the driver's seat can completely ruin a company so quickly and destroy years of goodwill almost overnight. Hope EK sort it out, their products are great imho.

Not related to current situation, but here's somewhat EK-related story that happened to me a while ago.

Last year I upgraded to a Raptor Lake platform and bought an LGA 1700 waterblock from EK's website. It was shipped by DHL and they applied import duties and fees. DHL allows customers to pay in advance, pay at delivery, or clear the package yourself. I chose the latter, since it's a bit cheaper and I've done that before so I thought everything would go smoothly.

After getting necessary paperwork from DHL, I headed to the nearest Customs office. Upon arrival I presented the paperwork to an agent who first asked me how long I have been in Canada, which is weird. The last time I imported a motheboard monoblock, the agent only asked me if the item being imported was for personal or business use, and stamped the documents and I was out in less than 5 minutes.

This time the agent was either very suspicious or very clueless. After explaining I was building a custom water-cooled PC, he got more confused. He asked why I need water inside my computer; what is so special about my computer that it needs this part I was importing; who is EK; where is Slovenia; why didn't I buy it locally; why am building a PC, when I could've bought one from BestBuy; and so on. I answered every question accurately, I explained how water is used to carry heat away from the CPU, and how I've been building PCs since long time ago, and this wasn't my first water-cooled system, and that I've never bought a prebuilt desktop system ever in my life. In the end he was more confused, he said he never heard of EK, never heard of water being needed inside computers, and never heard of people building their own PCs.

Ok, I don't expect everyone to be an expert in PC building or custom water-cooling loops, but at least people of my age or younger should be aware of such things. It's not like 2003 anymore, when people used aquarium pumps and car radiators. As of 2023 water-cooling has become mainstream, even stores that never sold PC components before now carry AIOs. The agent who was interrogating me was probably about my age or younger, so he should've had some knowledge of modern technologies. The way he was interrogating me (and it felt like interrogation, customs officers are equipped with guns, just like police officers), and this agent armed with gun in police-like uniform was asking so many questions as if I was importing something illegal or prohibited.

In the end he let me pay the duties and getting documents stamped, but the way he was interrogating me he was either very suspicious or very clueless, and I left the office exhausted and stressed.

a213m
Not related to current situation, but here's somewhat EK-related story that happened to me a while ago.

Last year I upgraded to a Raptor Lake platform and bought an LGA 1700 waterblock from EK's website. It was shipped by DHL and they applied import duties and fees. DHL allows customers to pay in advance, pay at delivery, or clear the package yourself. I chose the latter, since it's a bit cheaper and I've done that before so I thought everything would go smoothly.

After getting necessary paperwork from DHL, I headed to the nearest Customs office. Upon arrival I presented the paperwork to an agent who first asked me how long I have been in Canada, which is weird. The last time I imported a motheboard monoblock, the agent only asked me if the item being imported was for personal or business use, and stamped the documents and I was out in less than 5 minutes.

This time the agent was either very suspicious or very clueless. After explaining I was building a custom water-cooled PC, he got more confused. He asked why I need water inside my computer; what is so special about my computer that it needs this part I was importing; who is EK; where is Slovenia; why didn't I buy it locally; why am building a PC, when I could've bought one from BestBuy; and so on. I answered every question accurately, I explained how water is used to carry heat away from the CPU, and how I've been building PCs since long time ago, and this wasn't my first water-cooled system, and that I've never bought a prebuilt desktop system ever in my life. In the end he was more confused, he said he never heard of EK, never heard of water being needed inside computers, and never heard of people building their own PCs.

Ok, I don't expect everyone to be an expert in PC building or custom water-cooling loops, but at least people of my age or younger should be aware of such things. It's not like 2003 anymore, when people used aquarium pumps and car radiators. As of 2023 water-cooling has become mainstream, even stores that never sold PC components before now carry AIOs. The agent who was interrogating me was probably about my age or younger, so he should've had some knowledge of modern technologies. The way he was interrogating me (and it felt like interrogation, customs officers are equipped with guns, just like police officers), and this agent armed with gun in police-like uniform was asking so many questions as if I was importing something illegal or prohibited.

In the end he let me pay the duties and getting documents stamped, but the way he was interrogating me he was either very suspicious or very clueless, and I left the office exhausted and stressed.

 you must have hesitated as you wondered why he wanted to know "X" ..... that sets off their radar.  They look at how you respond as much or more than what you respond.
 
I know someone who had an issue getting into Canada & ended up with a full vehicle search & passengers (driver +1) were separated & questioned.  All because as the driver was thinking what the hell does that have to do with anything / why would they ask that .... boarder agent "thinks" someone trying to be evasive or ?

EK's response (tldr version): 
 

Dear Community,
We sincerely apologize.
We are committed to fulfilling our financial obligations and regaining your trust.
We are dedicated to making things right and fostering a more responsible company culture.

https://www.ekwb.com/news/ek-issues-official-statement-acknowledging-past-issues-plans-corrective-actions/