MOTHERCARE customers have been urged to use their gift cards and vouchers "immediately" to avoid losing their money.
The troubled mother-and-baby retailer has appointed administrators who plan to close all 79 of its stores in Britain and Northern Ireland, putting 2,500 jobs at risk.
The Consumer Council's Mark Crawford said customers of Mothercare, which has shops in Sprucefield and Newry, should use their gift cards and vouchers "as soon as possible".
"Now that an administrator has been appointed, there are no guarantees that Mothercare gift cards or vouchers will be honoured. It will be at the discretion of the administrator whether to honour these or not," he said.
"In the event that your gift card or voucher is not accepted, you should check with the person who bought it to see if it was purchased using a credit or debit card. If so, they may be able to secure a full refund from the card issuer."
Mr Crawford also encouraged consumers who have gift cards or vouchers for any retailer to use them promptly and "always check the expiry date".
