IRISH shoppers were left raging after New Look refused to honour vouchers – as Irish watchdog seeks clarification after ‘horrific’ closing down sales.
The fashion giant announced last week that it will exit the country, leaving hundreds facing redundancy.
As hundreds of shoppers flocked to the closing down sales on Sunday, many shoppers returned home empty handed.
Videos emerged on TikTok of New Look shops “destroyed” as people scrambled to grab a bargain.
While other shoppers blasted the retailer “disgraceful” for not honouring vouchers.
New Look shopper Jane Manning told The Irish Sun: “I’m actually fuming to be honest.
“My boyfriend got me a voucher for my birthday in January. It was only a few weeks ago as well. I was saving it.
“I said I’d wait for summer for their new stuff.”
A worker at the door of the shop informed her no vouchers were being accepted.
Jane said: “He said you can sign a form, there’s a form here, a claim form to claim it back.
“And you have to put your vouchers in with the claim form.”
Jane said that she was worried if she would ever get her money back and didn’t feel like the store wanted to hear from customers with vouchers like her.
The Cork woman told how staff were abused by customers during the sale over the voucher scandal.
A former New Look worker told us: “We found out in the middle of the day through email.
“About half an hour later a member from KPMG entered our store and we had to ask everyone to leave and shut the shutters.
“The next two days were spent turning the stores into sale shops with no help.
“The next morning we had queues going all around the shopping centre, and that goes for every new look in Ireland as well.”
OVER-CROWDED SALES
She explained that “too many people” were let in at once, even though they told 10-15 people at a time.
The worker said the vouchers caused a “lot of problems with staff getting the back hand of it”.
She continued: “When I went out to tell people we weren’t letting anyone in and shutting the shop an hour early I had a woman scream in my face over how long she was waiting and how she’s supporting us by queuing up to get in.
“Another woman was screaming in my face over the fact she couldn’t use her vouchers no matter how many times I explained it wasn’t our staff’s fault it was New Look.
“Another manager told me their staff was shouted and spat at over the fact we can’t accept vouchers.”
INVESTIGATION
The Irish consumer watchdog, Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, are looking for clarification on their gift vouchers.
A spokesperson for the CCPC said: “The Consumer Protection (Gift Vouchers) Act 2019 covers the use of gift vouchers in Ireland.
“This legislation contains no exemption for sales of any kind, including closing-down sales.
“Officers from the CCPC contacted the liquidators in this case late last week regarding a number of consumer protection concerns.
“In our correspondence, we sought clarification on arrangements for the use of gift vouchers by consumers. Engagement with the liquidators is ongoing.”
A spokesperson for New Look said: “Per last week’s statement the Provisional Liquidators have taken over the management of the New look ROI business including stock and voucher matters.”
The High Court approved that Shane McCarthy and Cormac O’Connor of KPMG Ireland be appointed as Provisional Liquidators over the business and its assets.
REDUNDENCIES
With 26 stores across the Republic of Ireland, some 347 staff members have been let go.
Irish shops closing include Northside Shopping Centre, Liffey Valley, Tallaght, Omni Park, Blanchardstown and Jervis Street in Dublin.
In Cork, the stores in Wilton, Ballincollig, Blackpool and Opera Lane will close.
Other stores impacted include locations at Carlow, Clonmel, Galway, Navan, Limerick, Dundalk, Newbridge, Killarney, Dungarvan, Wicklow, Wexford, Mullingar, Letterkenny and Castlebar.
The retailer said: “During the liquidation period, any unspent gift vouchers cannot be used.
“However, you may submit a claim for any amounts owed to you in relation to your gift voucher.
“To do this, you must obtain a claims form from in store, whilst our stores are open.
“You will need to email a copy of the gift voucher, along with the claim form, to the address listed on the form itself. Any claim submitted will rank as unsecured in the liquidation.”
STRUGGLING SHOPS
In a statement, the company shared the closure news to fans.
They said: “Regrettably, a collective redundancy process impacting all colleagues in the Republic of Ireland is also envisaged.
“The decision to seek the appointment of liquidators was not taken lightly.
“New Look’s Irish operation has struggled for some years, impacted by a range of factors including supply-chain and in-market costs, and squeezed consumer spending”.
They added that the New Look Group decided it was no longer viable to trade in Ireland.
They added: “The group will refocus investment on its UK business and its digital offering.”
