Habitat UK reassures Irish customers

The furniture store Habitat, which closed its shops in Dublin and Galway last week, has assured customers that all outstanding orders will be honoured.

The National Consumer Agency (NCA) said it had received confirmation today from Habitat UK that it would stand by commitments to Irish customers.

Many customers reported they had paid thousands of euro for furniture that had not been delivered. They were taken by surprise when Conai Design, the company that operated the Habitat stores in Ireland, announced on Friday that it was going into liquidation.

NCA chief executive Ann Fitzgerald said today: “I welcome the commitment from Habitat that all outstanding customer orders will be honoured. Habitat has indicated that they will be in contact with such customers.”

She said customers with gift cards and vouchers would be able to redeem them in Habitat’s British stores.

In a letter sent to the company yesterday, the consumer agency urged it to fulfil all orders still with the Irish franchise or return payments. Deputy director John Shine also called on the company to honour gift vouchers.

Conai Design is being put into liquidation and notices advertising a creditors' meeting will be placed in national newspapers on Friday. This means customers with incomplete orders are unsecured creditors with few legal rights.

Ms Fitzgerald said today the confirmation from Habitat was a “positive outcome” for customers of the Dublin and Galway stores.

© 2008 ireland.com