# Habitat Closing Down, outstanding vouchers



## tipping (11 May 2008)

Just heard this morning on the radio that Habitat closed their stores in Ireland yesterday evening with immediate effect. 
I have approx €100 vouchers outstanding with them and was wondering what happens to vouchers in a situation like this. 

Thanks 
Tipping


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## Sue Ellen (11 May 2008)

Would www.nca.ie give any advice or perhaps an e-mail to [broken link removed]  might give some help.


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## tipping (12 May 2008)

Hi Sue-Ellen

Tried an e-mail to Habitat. Got an auto-reply stating they had gone into Liquidation and nothing else.

I'll try nca.ie and see what they say.

Thanks
Tim


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## Mpsox (12 May 2008)

I don't have the details with me, but in the Irish times on Saturday it said Habitat had set up 2 email addresses for any affected customers, might be worth seeing if you can get a copy of the paper,it was on the front page


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## Brendan Burgess (12 May 2008)

As the company is in liquidation, you are an unsecured creditor and so you are legally not entitled to anything. 

The company in Ireland, seemed to operate as a franchise. The main company in the UK might well honour the vouchers out of goodwill, but are not obliged to do so.

Brendan


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## fitzg (12 May 2008)

Hi Tipping,

I'm in the same situation - have €60 of vouchers.  It says on the back of the vouchers that they are valid in ROI and the UK so I'm sure any UK store will accept them.


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## Pantone (12 May 2008)

I have vouchers worth a few grand and it is really quite upsetting to think that we cannot use them now - that's a lot of money to loose!  My voucher says that it is only redeemable the ROI stores.  To think that we were holding off from using them so we could decide what we really needed most for our new home - if I had known what was going to happen I would have bought ASAP.  I tried numerous times over the past couple of weeks to order some furniture only to be told that their ordering system was down.  Looks like they knew about it from some time ago.  What a disaster!

I can't imagine Dublin without a Habitat store. I think it will be missed. I wonder who is interested in taking over the retail space - apparently there are a number of interested parties.


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## tallpaul (12 May 2008)

To be honest I would say that they are one of the first to be caught by the IKEA effect here in Ireland. Habitat and IKEA are pretty much in the same market, but with Habitat being about five times more expensive. 

I also think their move to the new premises didn't do them any favours...


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## tipping (12 May 2008)

> As the company is in liquidation, you are an unsecured creditor and so you are legally not entitled to anything.


 
Thanks Brendan, this is what I had guessed, just wasn't too sure. Hopefully the UK company may honour it but at least it's only €100. 
Sorry to hear about your situation Pantone, especially after moving into a new home and FitzG I'll check whether the vouchers I have are valid in the UK when I get home. (Happen to be in the UK tomorrow, could be a stroke of luck!!)


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## bigbird (12 May 2008)

I am in the same position, I have €500 worth of vouchers, and its says on the back that it can only be used in ROI.


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## wheels (12 May 2008)

tallpaul said:


> To be honest I would say that they are one of the first to be caught by the IKEA effect here in Ireland. Habitat and IKEA are pretty much in the same market, but with Habitat being about five times more expensive.




That's not true to be honest. I like IKEA as much as the next guy and have some great pieces, but the quality and the design is nothing like Habitat. I loved Habitat because it had some truly stunning pieces of furniture that made a statement. Yes some things were over priced but I found that compared with other similar top quality furniture stores it was on a par.


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## Pique318 (12 May 2008)

wheels said:


> I loved Habitat because it had some truly stunning pieces of furniture that made a statement.



Really? What did they say ?


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## Sylvester3 (12 May 2008)

Pique318 said:


> Really? What did they say ?



BUY ME! BUY ME NOW!


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## ubiquitous (12 May 2008)

I always thought that Habitat was full of overpriced tat, stuff that was designed to go out of fashion within a very short time.


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## Pique318 (12 May 2008)

Sylvester3 said:


> BUY ME! BUY ME NOW!



In a Ross O'Carroll-Kelly accent...roight !


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## tallpaul (12 May 2008)

ubiquitous said:


> I always thought that Habitat was full of overpriced tat, stuff that was designed to go out of fashion within a very short time.


 
Agree totally. As for furniture making a statement, I usually buy furniture to sit on or store things, not to ask it for an opinion...


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## woodseb (12 May 2008)

wheels said:


> That's not true to be honest. I like IKEA as much as the next guy and have some great pieces, but the quality and the design is nothing like Habitat. I loved Habitat because it had some truly stunning pieces of furniture that made a statement. Yes some things were over priced but I found that compared with other similar top quality furniture stores it was on a par.


 

you do know that IKEA own habitat, right?


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## becky (12 May 2008)

tallpaul said:


> Agree totally. As for furniture making a statement, I usually buy furniture to sit on or store things, not to ask it for an opinion...


 

Agree 100% and hope my furniture does as well - don't want any more agruments.


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## wheels (12 May 2008)

woodseb said:


> you do know that IKEA own habitat, right?




I'm well aware of that. But they are two very different companies aimed at two different markets. 

There seems to be a precieved sense of snobbery picked up from my original post. It was not intended like that at all. As I said, I like IKEA I've some great pieces in my apartment from there. Some of their stuff is great, some is not and a lot is practical but not attractive. I spent a fortune on my apartment so I don't want to throw any old junk into it, anything that I've put in it has been well thought out and there's been a big mix. A lot has come from Habitat because it's unusual and pleasing to look at. 

This business about fashionable furniture is true for some of the pieces but it's the same for IKEA and anywhere else. I've no problem buying a piece that most people think is out of fashion if it fits the look I'm going for.


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## woodseb (12 May 2008)

wheels said:


> I'm well aware of that. But they are two very different companies aimed at two different markets.
> 
> There seems to be a precieved sense of snobbery picked up from my original post. It was not intended like that at all. As I said, I like IKEA I've some great pieces in my apartment from there. Some of their stuff is great, some is not and a lot is practical but not attractive. I spent a fortune on my apartment so I don't want to throw any old junk into it, anything that I've put in it has been well thought out and there's been a big mix. A lot has come from Habitat because it's unusual and pleasing to look at.
> 
> This business about fashionable furniture is true for some of the pieces but it's the same for IKEA and anywhere else. I've no problem buying a piece that most people think is out of fashion if it fits the look I'm going for.


 

i suppose it's a matter of opinion but design wise i think habitat is very similar to ikea and it doesn't differentiate enough in quality or design to justify the price premium


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## efm (12 May 2008)

woodseb said:


> i suppose it's a matter of opinion but design wise i think habitat is very similar to ikea and it doesn't differentiate enough in quality or design to justify the price premium


 
Obviously most of their potential Irish customers agreed with you!


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## wheels (12 May 2008)

woodseb said:


> i suppose it's a matter of opinion but design wise i think habitat is very similar to ikea and it doesn't differentiate enough in quality or design to justify the price premium




I would totally disagree. There are huge differences, especially in design. Habitat's lighting was excellent and changed on a regular basis, IKEA's has been the same for as long as I've been going to it and it's fairly uninspiring.

As for quality, I've been very impressed by the build on many items I've bought from IKEA. Habitat though goes that step further though so instead of the press with the handle, its the press that's flush that you push to open. It's a subtle but nice difference.


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## Jock04 (12 May 2008)

Mpsox said:


> I don't have the details with me, but in the Irish times on Saturday it said Habitat had set up 2 email addresses for any affected customers, might be worth seeing if you can get a copy of the paper,it was on the front page


 

On their website today, it asks that any enquiries are sent to info@habitat.ie


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## dcummins (13 May 2008)

Hi Guys... 

With regards to the Vouchers, Habitat brought out a new electronic cards late last year, end of summer time frame, and they CANNOT be used in the UK stores. If you still have the older, paper vouchers, they can be use in the UK. 

Hope this helps. 

David


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## Bronte (13 May 2008)

I wonder when they made the new vouchers not valid in the UK, did they know something then?


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## becky (13 May 2008)

Bronte said:


> I wonder when they made the new vouchers not valid in the UK, did they know something then?


 

Possibly Bronte but H&M and Boots operate a similar policy.


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## Brendan Burgess (14 May 2008)

See here


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