Wedding gift firm wraps up

Two thousand couples who have wedding lists with the online gift service Wrapit could lose their presents after the company was put into administration today.

Newlyweds now face the difficult task of contacting an estimated 100,000 guests to tell them to try to reclaim their money.

Guests who used a credit card to buy gifts costing more than £100 should have little difficulty getting their money back.

However the best hope of thousands of others will be to add their names to the list of creditors.

The Trading Standards Institute urged couples and customers to formally register as a creditor of the company as quickly as possible by writing to administrators KPMG.

TSI spokeswoman Michele Shambrook said the letters should be detailed, including exactly what was bought, where and when, and the gift's value.

Customers should also specify if they still wanted the goods or would prefer to get their money back.

Customers should send letters by recorded delivery or at least retain proof of postage, and keep a copy for their records, Ms Shambrook added.

Those who used credit cards should have little difficulty claiming their money back because credit card companies are jointly liable, she said.

Credit customers should contact their card company, who will send a claim form asking for details of the gift purchase.

Ms Shambrook added: "These customers should have no problems getting their money back.

"But even those customers who did not use a credit card should contact their banks because some have an indemnity policy that could be helpful.

"Banks have no obligation to refund money, so customers should make a gentle request that is not demanding, asking if there is any help available to them."

KPMG said customers who believe they may be owed money should call 0844 770 1301.

A KPMG spokeswoman said couples should not visit the store's warehouses even if they had been told there were gifts there for them, as the administrator would need to check stock availability.