Customers lose as furniture firm shuts

FURNITURE RETAILER Jim Langan has closed down, leaving large numbers of customers without items for which they had paid.

The Dublin retailer, with stores in Liffey Valley and Carrickmines, specialised in discount furniture.

Several customers told RTÉ's Livelineyesterday that they had paid hundreds of euros in deposits for sofas, beds, tables and chairs, but had not received their items.

Customers who had arrived at the stores in recent days after being unable to get through to the company by phone said they were told by staff the shops were closed because of an electrical fault.

However, yesterday several customers said they were allowed to enter and remove items for which they had paid.

Jim Langan Furniture could not be contacted yesterday at its shops or head office at Keypoint Industrial Estate in north Dublin.

In a statement to RTÉ, it said it had been trying to secure funding for several months but had been “turned down” by the banks. It said the company had asked its bank to appoint a receiver and it was trying to go into voluntary liquidation.

One customer told The Irish Timeshe had paid a deposit of €1,500 for three sofas and a table in January: "I'm going to write to the liquidator, but I understand that because I paid by credit card I will be able to get a refund."

Customers who have paid in full or paid deposits for furniture not delivered are “unsecured creditors” and will be dealt with by a liquidator until secured creditors, such as banks, are reimbursed, according to the National Consumer Agency.