Rathwood enters examinership, halts refunds

Garden centre and outdoor furniture retailer Rathwood has formally entered examinership and says that while it is still trading, it will not be issuing refunds owed to customers who placed orders that were never delivered, until the process has been completed.

In a statement published on its website, the company, which is based outside Tullow, near the Carlow/Wicklow border, and employs around 100 people, said it would continue to trade as normal during the examinership process.

The statement reads: "We want to reassure all our customers, suppliers, and partners that we continue to trade as normal and operate fully in accordance with all applicable laws.

"Our business remains open, and we are continuing to sell goods and engage with customers and stakeholders as usual.

"At this time, we regret that we are not in a position to address any outstanding payments or refund requests relating to amounts owed up to today.

"These matters will be reviewed as part of the Examinership process, and we will provide further updates once the appointed persons have completed their initial report.

"We appreciate your understanding and continued support during this period."
Examinership is a legal process that allows a financially distressed, yet viable, company to obtain court protection from its creditors in an effort to restructure and try and solve its financial problems.

Rathwood was the second-most complained about company - after Ryanair - to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission's (CCPC) helpline last year, the number of complaints rising to 565 in 2025 from just 24 in 2024.

Previously, the company accepted it had issues with delays in orders being delivered and that there were slow response times in issuing refunds.

A Rathwood spokesperson told RTÉ News earlier this month that it acknowledged the company "fell short" and that it was "fully committed" to restoring customer trust.

In a statement, the company said that last year "we lost our main supplier of uniquely designed garden furniture and have since rebuilt our supply chain, creating a stronger and more reliable system for the future".

Olivia Dunne from Co Kildare said she had ordered from Rathwood in February, spending €1,300 on garden furniture that she said was due to be delivered on 18 March.

After that was delayed, she was told that the 'guaranteed delivery' included a 20 day window, but her furniture still had not arrived.

She went in person to the company's premises this morning to look for information:
"What really annoyed me is the girl in Rathwood said she would get it sorted," she said.

She said she was told this even after the Examinership period had started.

"What's really frustrating is there is no signage there in the shop," which she said meant that some customers may still be ordering goods that may not be delivered.

She said she had wanted to order her furniture from a trusted Irish company, but had now ordered alternative furniture from the UK, whilst she awaits news of a refund.