MFI customers' views: In quotes

Some stores will continue to trade but 26 will close

On the day MFI went into administration, it was hard to find customers outside its west London branch who were sorry to see it go.

It was a quiet afternoon at the Victoria retail park in Ruislip, west London, but a steady trickle of customers were willing to talk about their experiences with the troubled retailer.

One customer, who did not want to be identified, said she had paid £12,500 in cash for her new kitchen in July.

Despite 25 visits to the store, half of her kitchen had still not been fitted, "so as you can tell I am not too happy with them," she said, driving away.

And other customers had similar stories:

SHANTELLE PATEL

"I have been waiting two months for my furniture to arrive. It was meant to arrive today, but nobody bothered to call me to tell me it wasn't coming.

It was only by chance that I phoned up just to check that everything was still in order, and they said 'No, you won't be receiving your furniture'.

When I asked why, they said there was a problem with the delivery system.

Then I got a text from a friend today saying 'I think you should get your money back because they're on the brink of collapse,' so I have just had a refund

I have been living out of boxes for the past two months and I am not happy at all.

The manager did ask me to hold off until next week - and if I'd had better customer service maybe I would have done. But because nobody bothered to call me, I don't see why I should."

RAJESH KHADK

"Actually this is the first time we've come to MFI.

But for us, it's a big household name and it would definitely be helpful if it was around.

It's very sad to hear that it's going to go, of course, from the customers' point of view of availability of choice."

KIRANJEET KAUR

"We're not happy with MFI, not at all. We ordered a bed on 2 November and the mattress sinks.

Basically I have back problem, and I'd told the salesman who was serving me that I needed a mattress that should be firm.

We are not specialists in mattresses, so they should have helped us.

I'm not happy at all, because this is not a small amount of money - it's £615. Next time, of course, I'll go somewhere else."

RAVI SHAH

"It's a shame they are going, but their weakness is that for the last ten years - I'll be very honest and frank - the attitude of the staff has totally changed.

They've got to go back to having staff with old-fashioned values, who would go out of their way to be helpful to customers, and be courteous.

In all these modern stores the salesmen are not interested in selling, they won't go out of their way to greet the customers.

I'm really sorry to say so, because I worked myself in menswear and with tailors, but people have forgotten about service."

MAX

"No I won't miss it, not at all. You have to pay money for something, and then you have to wait six or eight weeks for it, or you'll never get it or only get half of it.

I bought a kitchen once and I had to come back and literally unscrew something from the showroom because they didn't supply all my materials.

I don't think anyone will miss it, there're too many other shops you can go to now, and it's too expensive.

I had gone in to try and buy something that was on display, but there wasn't one for sale."

LEE HAAGENSEN

"I have never bought stuff from MFI. I bought a place and did go in to have a look, but found it a bit expensive so went elsewhere.

From what I saw of the sofas and the beds, it was quite expensive."