Customers of the furniture store Habitat have expressed concern that they have paid the company thousands of euros for goods that have not been delivered.
Habitat, run by the firm Conai Designs (Ireland), closed two stores in Dublin and Galway last Friday due to what it described as a "severe" deterioration in sales.
One customer, Eileen Browne, said she had paid €3,600 in January for two sofas that she had not yet received.
She said she had contacted the National Consumer Agency, which referred her to the Companies Registration Office, which in turn referred her to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement.
“I assumed as a consumer that I would have rights, but I’ve gone through numerous State bodies, and I’m still left in the position of not knowing what’s happening.”
A spokeswoman for the National Consumer Agency said the body was aware of the issues that had arisen following the closure of Habitat.
In a statement on Friday, the owners said they were working closely with Habitat UK Ltd to “determine the extent to which customers will be affected by this unfortunate situation, and Habitat UK Ltd will be investigating all options available”.
"We deeply regret any inconvenience that this may cause to our customers and we appreciate their patience and understanding at this difficult time," the firm said.
Habitat could not be contacted today for comment.