Checkaco Consumer News: customers have the rug pulled from under them as Carpetright collapses leaving them without a penny (but were there tell tale signs of trouble brewing)

By Rupert Bridgwater: You’ve paid out hundreds of pounds for that new carpet and await for it to be delivered and then find out the company has collapsed and you’ve lost every penny. That’s the unhappy experience of customers of retailing chain Carpetright the collapsed this month owing hundreds of thousands of pounds for deposits and down payments that will never be repaid.  

Reporting for the Retail Gazette Aoife Morgan noted: “Carpetright suppliers, customers and landlords have been left £80m out of pocket following the chain’s collapse at the start of the week. According to documents seen by The Times, the flooring specialist’s trade creditors including Condor and AW Weavers were owed around £24m at the time of its collapse. Carpetright also owes £30.9m to “other creditors”, including customers, as well as £15.6m to “other accruals”. The documents showed the retailer had built up £81.7m worth of liabilities on its balance sheet by the end of April, which is understood to have “not changed materially” since then.”

Founded back in 1988 in London I grew to open 273 shops across the country and employ close to 2,000 staff and was supplied by hundreds of companies who now face losing their trade and unpaid invoices. The BBC reported earlier this week that Tapi Carpets & Floors has bought the Carpetright brand name, the company's intellectual property, two warehouses and 54 stores, saving 308 jobs. But that leaves suppliers unpaid and over 1,200 staff without a job.

Pervis Chapel of Checkaco said there were numerous signs that the firm was in trouble. He said: “It is no secret that the carpetright didn’t have the highest of reputations for customer service as online there have been lots of complaints suggesting the company 'ripped off customers'. In the spring of this year there were a string of resignations from the company including the company secretary. Checkaco also heard of a number of anecdotal stories of customers paying for carpets to be fitted but waiting ages for delivery. Also suppliers like Condor and AW Weavers were known to be owed huge amounts of cash by Carpetright. All the signs were there - which is why Checkaco allows customers of retailers who are going to spend hundreds or even thousands of pounds to check the firm they are buying from is financially secure.”

The media have been full of sad stories of customers who have lost out including this one from the BBC: "Sian Bowers, 40, from Dagenham spent £681 on new carpet for her home earlier in July and fears she has lost her money. The mother-of-two told the BBC she has already called the company and been told her order won't be sent."

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