Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
CUSTOMERS OF RETAILER House of Fraser who purchased or were issued gift cards in euros will not be able to have them reissued after the company went into administration and was taken over last year.
This is despite House of Fraser saying in August that gift cards could be replaced with the full value being honoured online.
As well as this, House of Fraser has committed to replacing gift that were issued in Britain in sterling to be used in online transactions, despite it refusing to honour or reissue Irish gift cards in euro.
The company behind House of Fraser went into administration in August. It’s assets were then quickly snapped up by English businessman Mike Ashley’s company Sports Direct.
The Dundrum store remains open, with Sports Direct formally taking it over in October, after the takeover was given the green light by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).
Back in August, House of Fraser in Dundrum announced that it had stopped accepting its own gift cards after it went into administration.
A notice in the Dundrum store stated that “unfortunately” the retailer will no longer be accepting gift cards or vouchers as a form of payment.
However, the company’s official Twitter account said in response to a query about Dundrum that gift cards and vouchers would be reissued to customers.
Issues
Since then, House of Fraser has told Irish customers that it will not be honouring or reissuing gift cards or vouchers that were issued in euro.
This is despite the fact that in October, the company advised customers that they would be offered an online-only voucher that could be redeemed up until 31 January.
TheJournal.ie has spoken to two Irish customers who were informed by the retailer since then that it would not be honouring euro gift cards, or reissuing any online-only vouchers in exchange.
Both contacted House of Fraser repeatedly by email and phone over a number of months and posted back their gift cards, as they were advised to do by the retailer.
Gillian O’Rourke, from Dublin, Ireland, told TheJournal.ie that she had returned a number of items to House of Fraser, Dundrum, at the start of August last year, and was given the value of the items on a gift card.
She was later refused in-store when she tried to use the gift card, which had a value of €356.
“I was sickened,” O’Rourke said.
She said that she contacted House of Fraser and was advised to send the gift card details to a designated address.
“I did this (cost me €8) and heard nothing back,” she said.
That was in September. From September [to] December I tried many times to get in touch with [House of Fraser]. I sent countless emails but nothing.
She said she eventually contacted the customer care team through an online chat function, and was informed that House of Fraser was only honouring gift card issued for GBP and not euro.
“I said I’d be more than willing [or] happy to take a GBP card… and was refused,” she said.
“So, so disappointing. Makes me feel sick when I think about it. €356 gone down the drain.
I honestly don’t understand why they won’t honour Irish customers when they’re honouring UK-based customers. It seems wrong.
TheJournal.ie has seen correspondence with another customer from House of Fraser in which it says it will not be honouring or reissuing gift cards in euro.
“I have looked into this for you and unfortunately we are not able to provide gift card replacements that were originally in euros. We want to take the opportunity to explain the position,” a customer care rep said in an email to the customer last December.
“As you may know, on 10 August 2018 Sports Direct acquired the business and assets of House of Fraser.
As a result of this transaction Sports Direct had no liability to any customers in possession of gift cards and vouchers with an active balance issued prior to that date.
Similar to O’Rourke, the customer had attempted to contact the retailer on multiple occasions between August and December.
A third customer who contacted the organisation after their gift card was refused in store, was sent an email from the administrators – EY – in charge of winding down the company.
The email advised the customer that if they paid for the gift card with a credit or debit card, they may be able to apply for a refund from their bank. If not, the customer was informed that they were then “an unsecured creditor” of the company.
“In this instance, as an unsecured creditor of the Administration, you would be able to submit a claim form to the Administrators,” the email said.
However, it said that any payment or dividend was very likely to be less that 1p in the pound and would only be paid once the company has been fully wound up.
Responses
TheJournal.ie contacted House of Fraser Dundrum’s customer care team and was informed it would not be reissuing or redeeming any gift cards issued.
Sports Direct and House of Fraser had not responded to requests for comment by the time of publication.
The CCPC said that between 1 August and 31 December of last year it received 22 queries relating to the usage and acceptance of House of Fraser gift cards.
“However, none of these queries relate specifically to House of Fraser not reissuing or replacing gift cards that were issued in Euro,” a spokesperson said.
The CCPC also said that when a business changes ownership “there is no obligation on the new business owners to accept gift vouchers/cards issued by the previous business owners”.
“Anything the new business owners might offer to consumers is at their own discretion,” a spokesperson said.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The authorities really need to rein this practice in
If 6500 horses were slaughtered for their meat with Dept of Agriculture approval, where is the market for this meat and is it sold as stated ie horse meat for human consumption so the purchaser is aware of exactly what it is they are buying ,my concern naturally is that it is being sold as beef.Additionally what health record is kept of these animals prior to slaughter, I assume the same standards relating to beef apply and the same age profile of animals ie 36 months at slaughter is also the rule and that these animals are veterinary assessed through their lives.
@Honeybee: horse meat is popular on the continent, that’s where it usually goes from factories here. Horses are to have a record of all medications on their passports, are are listed as either on or off the human consumption lists, depending on the medications and owners preferences. They do not require testing for tb, which is the biggest testing for cattle. No age profile, as this was brought in for cattle due to the instances of bse in older stock.
@Honeybee: fact is that veterinary standards for horses going to the factory is more stringent than that of cattle
@Liam Carlin: are more stringent
Giddy up
Would want to be a very fast horse nowadays not to get eaten.
What’s a microship?
@Doz: A boat
@Peter: A very small ship
@Doz: It’s a small ferry-shaped object used subcutaneously to identify an animal; not to be confused with a microchip, a large silicon wafer used to transport people and goods between islands. Confusingly, microchips sometimes carry animals carrying microships. :)
@Doz: I think they come with pocket battleship.
We’re already eating chlorinated chicken from Brazil, just labelled “Made in Ireland” as it’s cooked, sliced, diced and packaged here.
Shergar burger anyone !!.
@tommytukamomo: A stallion should never be mixed with a scallion
It seems unbelievably crude
That the kindred of Shergar
Could get mixed in a burger
In Monaghan’s Silvercrest food
Why the long face?
Ate the goverment asleep?? And the ESB scandal went unnoticed also
Is there a health risk with eating horse meat?
@Coco86: It’s not great for the horse…
@Coco86: No, if the horse is/has been checked by Veterinary professional at time of slaughter.
@Coco86: yes, in that it’s not traceable and so is not properly regulated.
@Coco86: Yes , if the horse has been on certain medications , the horse is not considered fit for human consumption. Horses are meant to be chipped and if given those meds , that would need to be recorded on their passport .
@Coco86: it was reported on the news that the horses were unfit for human consumption hence the falsifying of paperwork.
@Coco86: ya can get the trots
Springer’s final thought;
Who was supplying incorrectly labelled horsemeat throughout Europe?
Mafia et al.
Who do they need to get rid of?
Lots of people who may negatively impact profits.
What did folk not test for in meat samples?
Human DNA.
Let that one sink in over dinner folks ;)
Well horse, how’s she cuttin’.
What’s with the long face sir? Not enjoying ur burger?
Meat products like certain foods say may contain nuts etc … Should say may contain other meats .
Does anyone actually regularly buy horse meat?
@Hardly Normal: its popular on the continent not so much here.
@Hardly Normal: I lived in Holland around 2003 and someone told me they were into it over there.. I was a vegetarian at the time so I didnt investigate it further..haha…but that’s as far as my horse eating knowledge goes..
@Hardly Normal: the belgians
It appears that the journal.ie don’t want certain establishments mentioned
Free press is certainly not alive and well where these shower are concerned
@builditnow: well let’s just say the biggest restraunt in Ireland
Have certainly brough their chickens home to roost all the way from twiwan
All the laughs and Jokes and many stupid comments above indicate that some people don’t mind if our international reputation is again destroyed and export income is lost and the result of that sort of effect means less money to pay the bills and the social welfare and all the rest of the costs of running this little Republic . Shame on those gangsters whoever They are ! It’s isn’t a laughing matter at all at all.
@Terry Cahill: Just remember that the firm which owned and operated the operation with the rotten imported Polish horse meat was owned by Europe’s biggest beef baron and he used the ensuing stink as an excuse to reduce the price he was paying to his own Irish suppliers AND GOT AWAY WITH IT.
@Terry Cahill: could not agree with you more. Why is there always some b……..ls cropping up every so often, destroying the reputation. And no heads will roll, vets, managers or owners.Saints and scholars…….
@John Mc Donagh: again same old, same old as i mentioed above
To many neigh sayers on this site.
Christ lads if ye knew where mc Donald’s are sourcing their chicken ,you never look at a chicken again
Couldn’t eat a whole one, maybe a fallabella with chips and a Coke!
Ahhh horsesh#t…
Steak Tartare ..
Expensive when you can get it
What are the odds for a bovine only burger.
Must have got the hind leg of a one from ballydoyle last night in the chipper I scorched up the town to back a looser
Is it illegal to eat horse meat?
@sb: Only if you’re an ass!
Neigh,not again
on holidays in France at the min had horse steak twice it’s bloody lovely
Here we go again!
have your say