Rathwood customers will only receive ‘a very small sum’
Rathwood Home and Garden World directors Thomas and James Keogh
CUSTOMERS waiting for refunds from Rathwood Home and Garden World have been advised they will only receive a ‘very small sum’ of what they paid for unfulfilled orders, according to a letter sent from the company’s appointed examiner.
Around 7,000 Rathwood customers received a letter on 8 June from Padraic Bermingham of Strata Financial, in which they were told to fill out a form by 12 June to confirm if they had a claim against the Tullow-based company.
The letter states: ‘Rathwood’s records indicate that a significant number of customers have outstanding claims in respect of unfulfilled orders and/or unpaid refund requests arising prior to the examinership and that you may be one of these customers.’ The letter continues: ‘Please note that I expect that only a nominal return will be made to customers with claims in respect of unfulfilled and/or unpaid refund requests. This means that if you have a claim against Rathwood, you will only receive a very small sum in respect of any monies paid by you to Rathwood.’
The consumer watchdog, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), is advising any affected customers to ‘take action immediately’ by registering a claim against Rathwood and requesting a charge back from their bank card or provider.
Rathwood’s financial difficulties have come to light in recent months, most notably when an investigation by the CCPC found the company was in breach of consumer protection legislation for not reimbursing affected customers.
The CCPC also announced that it was the second most complained about company in Ireland in 2025.
Director of communications at the CCPC, Grainne Griffin, said: “We advise any affected consumers to review the correspondence from the examiner carefully and to complete the form provided as soon as possible. Those who wish to request a charge back should contact their bank or card provider immediately.”
Rathwood announced that it was entering examinership in April to try to secure its financial future and said it would continue to trade during the process, which is expected to draw to a close in the coming weeks.
