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Wilko administration – here are your refund and shopping rights
All of Wilko's 398 stores will close for good by Sunday 8 October, it's been announced – though some locations will be sold to other retail chains and rebranded. Below we round up all you need to know about the budget homeware retailer's administration.
Wilko fell into administration in August and all stores are set to close or be sold
PwC – the financial services firm that's been overseeing Wilko after it fell into administration on 10 August – said on 11 September that all of Wilko's stores would close by 8 October. This comes after discussions fell through with the owner of HMV, which had attempted to buy around 200 Wilko shops.
As a result, some 12,500 workers will be made redundant across Wilko's stores, warehouses, distribution centres, support centres and more. Kin Limited, a subsidiary of Wilko that made home and gardening products, will also close. If you're affected by redundancies at Wilko, see our Redundancy help guide.
Below we've got a full list of closure dates for all of Wilko's 398 stores. This includes 71 sites that will eventually be rebranded as Poundland stores. We don't yet know which stores B&M will buy, but it's said it will purchase up to 51 Wilko sites, with info on new store openings to be announced in its interim results on 9 November.
But the Wilko brand won't disappear for good as competing budget homeware retailer The Range has agreed to buy the brand, website and intellectual property. The Range will start selling Wilko-branded products and Wilko.com will also resume click and collect orders, which you'll be able to pick up from Range stores. However, a launch date for this service is yet to be confirmed – we'll update this article when we know more.
You can still buy in open stores for now, but be wary of doing so
If you're a Wilko shopper, you can still buy goods in open stores for now and there are currently sales on in most stores. But be warned; you may struggle to get your money back if you need a refund or if goods break after Wilko has closed all of its stores.
When this happens, you will join a list of creditors owed money by Wilko and have to file a claim with PwC, though in this situation there's no guarantee you'll get your money back. See below for more on this.
For more on your general administration rights, you can read our Company administration guide.
You can no longer shop online, so beware copycat sites
You can no longer purchase items from Wilko's website.
However, PwC says copycat websites have sprung up that look very similar to Wilko.com. They claim to be selling under the Wilko brand and offer very low prices. But PwC says these websites have nothing to do with Wilko. Telltale signs to watch out for include slightly different URLs to Wilko.com and websites that are littered with incorrect spelling and grammatical errors.
Remember; if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. For more on avoiding fraud – and what to do if you've been scammed – see our Scams guide.
Gareth Shaw, deputy editor at MoneySavingExpert.com, said: "When buying goods online, it is always important to double check where you're planning to buy from – scammers can spoof real retailers which can be very convincing. Always remember the old saying... 'If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is'.
"A couple of giveaways can be unusual-looking URLs and unsecured payment pages. For web addresses, it's what's before the .com or .co.uk that counts – always look where you're clicking, as it's so easy not to notice extra characters in a web address.
"Although a secure site doesn't guarantee it isn't a scam, any data you enter when paying for a purchase is encrypted so it's harder for others to intercept. It's really easy to tell as the web address will start with 'https', rather than just 'http'. Look for a security padlock on your browser (usually next to the web address)."
Home delivery orders have been cancelled
When Wilko went into administration it cancelled existing home delivery orders but it initially continued to accept online click and collect orders to its stores. It since, however, also suspended click and collect orders.
Any click and collect orders that weren't picked up within seven days of purchase should have been automatically refunded. If you didn't receive a refund, you can contact Wilko.
Home delivery orders will not be fulfilled and PwC is not proactively offering refunds; you'll instead need to go to your local Wilko store to request one. Don't delay; all Wilko stores are closing soon and you may be left out of pocket once they do.
If you have placed an order that won't be fulfilled and you're struggling to get a refund, you may want to try to get your money back via other means if you can – see below for more on this.
Returns will be accepted for now, but don't delay
Under consumer rights law, you have 14 days to cancel an online order after receiving it, and a further 14 days to send most goods back for a full refund. You don't have the same rights in store – here, you're at the mercy of the retailer's returns policy. Under consumer rights law, if an item is faulty you should be offered a repair, replacement, or refund. See our Consumer Rights guide for more on this.
PwC has confirmed that:
- Unwanted online orders can be returned or exchanged in store. As outlined above, you'll also need to go in store to get a refund on unfulfilled online orders.
- Unwanted items purchased in store can be returned or exchanged in store within 28 days with proof of purchase.
- Faulty goods purchased online or in store can be returned in store within 30 days of purchase, alongside proof of purchase for a full refund.
In all of the above scenarios PwC recommends doing this sooner rather than later, as once Wilko closes all stores in early October you will have to file a creditor's claim to try and get your money back and you may end up out of pocket. See below for more on this, plus alternative ways to try to get your money back.
Wilko gift cards can still be redeemed for now
Administrators are allowed to change gift card Terms and Conditions when a firm goes bust and whether you can claim for their original value isn't guaranteed.
PwC says Wilko will continue to accept Wilko-branded gift cards in-store (it didn't accept them online anyway). But again, you should do this soon before your local store is sold or closed. After this, you'll have to register to claim your money back from PwC and there are no guarantees. See below for more on this, plus alternative ways to try to get your money back.
Wilko will, however, no longer accept multi-retailer gift cards, such as those sold by Love2Shop. If you have one of these, you'll need to spend it elsewhere or try to get a refund from the voucher issuer or your card provider if you paid for it using one.
How to try getting your money back
If you can't get your money back from Wilko, you may be able to get your money back if you paid using a debit or credit card:
- If you paid on a credit card: Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, if you pay for something costing more than £100 but less than £30,000 on a credit card, the card firm's equally liable if something goes wrong. See our Section 75 guide for more details. If your purchase was for £100 or less, you may still be able to get your money back via Chargeback.
- If you paid with a debit card: Under chargeback – which isn't a legal requirement, just a customer service promise – your bank will try to get your money back from the bank of the firm you purchased from. Though be aware that even if you're paid, the firm itself can sometimes dispute it with the bank and the money may later be clawed back. You typically have 120 days from purchase to submit a claim. See our Chargeback guide for full info.
If you're not covered on plastic, you can usually try to claim the cash from the administrator by becoming an "unsecured creditor". But here, you become another person on the administrator's list of people it owes money to with no guarantee of getting your cash back.
To register as a Wilko creditor, email PwC at: uk_wilko_creditors@pwc.com
Additional reporting by the Press Association.
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