Shop closure leaves woman out of pocket

Mar 31 2009 By Vicki Eltis

A pensioner is £1,000 out of pocket after leaving a deposit for a new fireplace with a Walton store that has since gone into voluntary liquidation.

Mary McMahon, 66, of Mead Road, Hersham, saved up for a year and put down the £1,000 deposit on Saturday February 28 at Design Fireplaces, in High Street.

She was told to wait six weeks but has not heard anything since and last week she visited the store four times only to find it closed and empty.

She said: "I have wanted to do up my home for some time and saved up about £5 a week for a year.

"It makes me sick. I'm an old age pensioner. When they took my money, they must have known, they were going to close. They even came round and took measurements and photographs of my fireplace. This is stealing.

"There's a lot of post on the shop floor and I haven't heard anything. I don't know what to do and I wonder who else they have done this too."

The Herald and News tried contacting the store and its other two shops in Guildford and Camberley but was unable to speak to anyone via telephone or email.

Trading Standards have no record of any similar complaints regarding this company, yet.

However, on Thursday (April 2) it was confirmed by administrators Antony Batty & Company LLP, based in London, that the firm was in liquidation. The administrator has not commented so far.

It is believed the Walton showroom manager was Richard Billington, a member of a wealthy family, Billington-Sugar who has since sold to Silverspoon.

Design Fireplaces was listed on Companies House as a limited company but in 2000 it seized to be a limited company.

A spokesman from Consumer Direct said the only thing Mary could do was to register a reclaim as an unsecured creditor to the administrators.

Mary added: "I'm going to have to wait along time now before I can get another fireplace."

Have you been left high and dry by this company? Post a comment below or email vickieltis@trinitysouth.co.uk