“…Published results for RFe 5 Al 7 compounds based on neutron diffraction data gave the indication that the formation of ferrimagnetic structures is preceded by short-range order or frozen magnetic states due to Fe clusters on 8j sites [15]. However, this study shows that for DyFe 4 Al 8 short-range order is also observed above the ordering temperature as in the isostructural YFe 4 Al 8 [26]. The Mö ssbauer spectroscopy, which is very sensitive to small amounts of Fe on 8j sites [20], clearly indicates that the Fe atoms on both YFe 4 Al 8 and DyFe 4 Al 8 only occupy the 8f positions.…”