Sudden closure of Limerick baby and nursery store leaves pregnant woman in distress
Some women say their orders from June have still been left unfulfilled.
A NUMBER of pregnant women in Limerick have been left without baby supplies, some just days before their due date, following the sudden closure of BabyDoc Shop, which has a premises in the city.
The owners of the company, which has outlets at Delta Retail Park in Limerick and at Deansgrange in Dublin announced their decision to enter liquidation on Wednesday.
“An application has been made to the High Court seeking the winding up of Deal-Doc Technology Limited, trading as BabyDoc Shop, and the appointment of Mark Degnan and Daryll McKenna of Interpath as Joint Provisional Liquidators,” reads a statement posted on its website.
“We are sorry for the concern and disruption this situation will cause to customers and families,” it adds.
In recent weeks, customers online had noted slow delivery times and a lack of contact from customer service.
Limerick Live has learned that following Wednesday’s announcement, a number of pregnant women arrived at the BabyDoc Shop premises in Limerick in the hope of getting the products they had ordered or a refund.
According to one woman who was on the scene, some of those who arrived were left standing outside the shop for hours, hoping to get refunds for products they had purchased ahead of their due date.
“We were repeatedly told that something was going to be sorted for us, so we waited. We were patient. We gave them the opportunity to come out and speak to us and explain what was happening.”
She explained in a social media post that representatives of the liquidators then asked for the names and phone numbers connected to the women’s orders.
Once they went back into the shop, they didn’t come out until gardai arrived.
“Not one person had the decency to come out and properly talk to us. We were left standing there, heavily pregnant, stressed and completely in the dark about what was happening to goods that we had already paid for,” wrote the woman.
According to her post on social media, customers were told that refunds would not be possible if they had paid in cash, while those who paid by card might receive a refund in a few weeks.
A message posted on the BabyDoc Shop website states: “We understand that customers with outstanding orders or deposits will have urgent questions. If you paid by debit or with credit card, you should contact your bank or card provider promptly to ask whether a chargeback process may apply to your payment. “
On social media, a number of women shared their stories of frustration with the company.
One woman, due to have her first child next week, said she has been left without a car seat for the journey home from the hospital.
A number of women have claimed their orders from June have still been left unfulfilled, with some totaling over €1000
Announcing their closure, The BabyDoc Shop founders Mike Morrissey and David Keenaghan apologised for the issues caused.
“We know how stressful and upsetting this will be, particularly for families preparing for the arrival of a baby, and we are deeply sorry for the uncertainty this has caused.”
A significant decrease in trading and cash flow was cited as the reason for closure.
BabyDoc Shop’s social media pages have since been deleted.