Habitat Ireland, voluntary liquidation question.

daheff

I got my sister a voucher as a wedding present...they hadnt gotten around to using it yet...Habitat gave me the usual..you can redeem it at the UK stores...which is absolute boll*cks

As far as i can see, Habitat Ireland went into voluntary liquidation..so the voucher *should* be refundable if there is any surplus once the company is wound up.

but habitat dont seem to want to admit this.
does anybody know how you can be listed as a creditor of a company that is being wound up? do you need to apply to the high court?

I would try to get the money back through my credit card..but i think technically i cant..as i bought a gift voucher and actually received it..even if it was never used.

MysticalSoul

I emailed Habitat UK regarding a voucher I have, and have been told if I send it on, it will be transferred into a sterling voucher instead, so that it can be used. Naturally, I have sent it by registered post to be on the safe side.

Dub47

hi,

well we paid by laser and we rang AIB today and they will NOT refund the money as laser is considered a CASH transaction so Habitat lied in their email to Irish consumers saying that we could get a refund.

I am contacting Joe Duffy as well and a journalist. I won't let them get away with this. They are ripping off Irish people after promising to honour all orders. I have spoken to the Consumer Agency here as well and Habitat are not cooperating with them either. Habitat quoted the Consumer Agency in their email to Irish consumers and what they quoted was a lie. The Consumer Agency confirmed to me that they never said that.

This just infuriates me.

mcaul

seems their not as good as their published word.

An angle for Joe Duffy, if you're talking to him, is that Habitat is actually owned by IKEA, though operated as a sepeate company. - So will IKEA offer the same "tell them one thing - do something else" attitude to customer service?

An e-mail to the various newspapers that gave Habitat the good PR for their false statement may also be an angle to go for.

Sponge Bob

The Irish Consumer Agency are Tossers , look at 3 Ireland peddling substandard non Broadband as Broadband and the Consumer Agency will not even acknowledge complaints about them, complaints submitted Last August .

I would complain to Joe Duffy about the useless Consumer Agency ias well as Habitat .

RichieFitz

Hi all,

I'm furious too with the lies and crap customer service Habitat are expecting their customers to put up with.

Like many many others we paid by Laser and last week when I spoke with the snottiest and most unhelpful "Customer Care" person in Habitat UK they too insisted they had agreed with the NCA and IPS (Irish Payment Services) that BOTH laser and Credit card customers would get a full refund.

Bizarrely he said they would only honour cash orders - which unsprisingly accounts for about .001% of all orders! I was blue in the face telling this fool that Laser (in UK & Ireland) IS a cash payment buthe wsa just reading from a script and kept saying email customer enquiries - they would sort it. I did that and have had no reply.

I spoke to Mark in the NCA this am andhe was helpful but did say that they cant force Habitat UK to do anything. He saidthey are still trying to get their "co-operation"...

I've potentialy lost €700, less than others I know but its still a lot of hard earned cash to lose these days!

The CRO told me today that both a Liquidator and Receiver had been appointed but you have to PAY to find out who they are (typical) despite the girl on the phone having the details on screen!

Has anyone else who paid laser had any contact from Habitat?

Cheers
Rich

RichieFitz

Did a bit more digging folks and discovered details of Director and Secretary of Conai Designs Ireland Ltd. I expected an Irish address but the one listed is in Middlesex, UK!

Did some more digging and found that he was head of finance for Habitat UK. See http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=15697

The other director listed is also based in the UK.

I now feel what Habitat UK have been telling us about Dublin being a completely separate franchisee may not be entirely accurate - ie more lies, and is nothing more than a hand-washing exercise.

I'm going to chase the Receiver company today also and will post my progress. As a company director myself I am disgusted at the behaviour of these people. They clearly knew they were about to shut down yet still took hard-earned cash from innocent punters.

I may sound naiive but I really hope some action is taken against them. I can't understand how they can sleep at night knowing how much hardship they've caused people who put their trust in them.

BTW - I understand a report will be submitted to the Director of Corporate Enforcement as part of the wind up process. I will report on this too if I can get info or provide input.

ninty

RichieFitz wrote: »

Did a bit more digging folks and discovered details of Director and Secretary of Conai Designs Ireland Ltd. I expected an Irish address but the one listed is in Middlesex, UK!

Did some more digging and found that he was head of finance for Habitat UK. See http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=15697

The other director listed is also based in the UK.

I now feel what Habitat UK have been telling us about Dublin being a completely separate franchisee may not be entirely accurate - ie more lies, and is nothing more than a hand-washing exercise.

I'm going to chase the Receiver company today also and will post my progress. As a company director myself I am disgusted at the behaviour of these people. They clearly knew they were about to shut down yet still took hard-earned cash from innocent punters.

I may sound naiive but I really hope some action is taken against them. I can't understand how they can sleep at night knowing how much hardship they've caused people who put their trust in them.

BTW - I understand a report will be submitted to the Director of Corporate Enforcement as part of the wind up process. I will report on this too if I can get info or provide input.

Got this from www.finfacts.com may be of help

Conai Designs (Ireland), which is in receivership, has assets of €2.35 million, according to a document circulated at its creditors’ meeting yesterday.
But a bill of €627,899 to its preferential creditors and a debt of €2.25 million to Bank of Scotland (Ireland) means its accounts show an estimated deficiency in shareholders’ funds of €2.13 million. Unsecured creditors are owed a total of €1.43 million.
George Maloney of Baker Tilly Ryan Glennon(Ph 4965388), the appointed receiver of Conai Designs, took control of the assets of the company last week.
No Habitat customers were present at the creditors’ meeting in Dublin yesterday. Habitat UK has said it will honour all outstanding customer orders placed with Conai Designs, which went into voluntary liquidation and closed its stores in Dublin and Galway earlier this month.
The business was owned by retailer Malcolm Brighton, a Londoner who acquired Habitat’s Irish franchise in 2002 from the foundation that owns the commercial interests of Ikea-founder Ingvar Kamprad and his family.
In 2005, Habitat spent more than €2.5 million fitting out its Dublin store. But the company ran into trouble when sales collapsed due to the downturn in the housing market and the wider economic slowdown, which meant consumers were reluctant to spend money on big-ticket items. It also faced competition from cheaper retailers, such as Ikea’s store outside Belfast.
Conai Designs’ list of unsecured creditors shows Habitat UK is the creditor that is owed the most, with a sum of €558,343 owed to the company. Mr Brighton is owed €150,530. AIB is owed €158,037, while the company also owes €187,000 in respect of leases.
Among the preferential creditors, who will eventually be repaid from the sale of its assets, Habitat employees are owed a total of €52,293 and the Revenue Commissioners are owed a VAT bill of €318,000. Dublin City Council is owed rates of €89,093, while Galway City Council is owed €28,643.

ddea

I have a voucher and got the email two weeks ago regarding posting it. I was in the UK last week so I contacted them to enquire how long it would take to be processed and was informed that it will be at least four weeks before they can begin processing the vouchers so don't hold your breath.

Instead of contacting Joe Duffy why not try British media to warn Habitat's british customers about the problems with the company, the fact that they haven't kept their word to Irish customers and the connection between Conai and their finance director. If it got some publicity in the UK surely it would affect their customer orders over there and spur them into meaningful action?

MysticalSoul

Does anyone know what time Habitat are closing for their sale today? as I was in the UK for the weekend did not get a chance to have a look around.

Ste.phen

You didn't read the rest of the thread did you?

Munya

OMG!:mad: I love that store. :[

MysticalSoul

Igy wrote: »

You didn't read the rest of the thread did you?

Actually I did, and had participated in the thread before. This weekend Habitat reopened the store to sell off the stock they had with up to 80% off. As I was away for the weekend I could not get in. I tried to get in yesterday after I landed, but when I got there just after 5pm, it had closed at 5pm, and stated Monday (ie today) would be the last day. I called in at lunch-time, and they were clearing the store out - were closed to business, so I reckon due to everyone flocking there, there was nothing left, and not worth paying staff wages to open for another day.

fjord

irishamethyst wrote: »

Actually I did, and had participated in the thread before. This weekend Habitat reopened the store to sell off the stock they had with up to 80% off. As I was away for the weekend I could not get in. I tried to get in yesterday after I landed, but when I got there just after 5pm, it had closed at 5pm, and stated Monday (ie today) would be the last day. I called in at lunch-time, and they were clearing the store out - were closed to business, so I reckon due to everyone flocking there, there was nothing left, and not worth paying staff wages to open for another day.

Irishamethyst,
Did you ever receive your sterling cheque back from Habitat Oxford Street?
I have vouchers and cards too that we received as Wedding gifts and was never advised to do this
Thanks