December 12, 2014

Attorney General George Jepsen and state Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner William M. Rubenstein are advising Connecticut residents who may be holding gift cards, certificates or store credits to the retail establishment Delia's to use their gift cards as soon as possible.  The company recently filed bankruptcy and has announced plans to close its stores by early next year.

Connecticut consumers seeking to return merchandise to Delia's should also do so as soon as possible.

"The rule of thumb with gift cards is to always use them as soon you can after purchase or receipt as a gift because, if a store closes or goes bankrupt, there may be little to no recourse to recover an unspent gift card balance," Attorney General Jepsen. "If you currently have a Delia's gift card, you need to use it immediately to avoid losing what credit it contains."

The clothing retailer Delia's and its subsidiaries filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy petitions on December 7; the company operates two stores in Connecticut, in Manchester and Milford. The company has received approval to begin immediate store closing liquidation sales, and gift cards will only be accepted within the first 30 days of the sales.

Assistant Attorneys General Brendan Flynn and Phillip Rosario, head of the Consumer Protection Department, are assisting the Attorney General with this matter.

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