Updated 11.25am
THE NATIONAL CONSUMER Agency (NCA) has said that HMV stores in Ireland should accept gift vouchers having established that the company’s Irish operation has not entered administration or examinership in the Republic.
The advice came as HMV’s main Irish store on Dublin’s Grafton Street was closed this morning as was the case for its 15 other stores across the country.
A source said that the Grafton Street store would be remaining closed until an examiner is appointed as is likely the case for HMV’s other stores in Ireland.
The source added that it was hoped that it could reopen at some point later today. HMV’s head office referred queries to the administrator, Deloitte, which did not immediately comment.
The music retailer announced yesterday in the UK that was in administration with its 230 plus stores including 16 in Ireland and around 4,300 jobs, including 300 in Ireland, put at risk.
More significantly for consumers the company said that it could no longer honour gift vouchers as holders of these vouchers were classed as unsecured creditors under the administrative process.
However, the NCA said today that it has now clarified that HMV in the Republic of Ireland is a separate corporate entity to the UK operation and HMV Ireland Ltd is not currently in administration or examinership.
It is therefore calling on Irish stores to honour “contracts with consumers and accept all gift vouchers with immediate effect”.
HMV referred queries to the administrator, Deloitte, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether or not the company’s Irish operation is accepting gift vouchers.
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