CUSTOMERS ARE STILL waiting for their refunds from Irish online company Christmas Direct, with one parent telling TheJournal.ie that she is behind in paying for bills.
Lisa Jarrell is owed around €130 from Christmas Direct, and like a number of other customers we spoke to, said that “some of the stuff we got wasn’t even the stuff that we had ordered”.
Jarrell said that she went to the bank every week and lodged money into Christmas Direct’s bank account.
“This is the only way we could afford to, is pay bit and bit,” said Jarrell of putting money away with Christmas Direct to buy presents. She is not working and her husband is in college.
I have kids aged 6, 5 and 2. I’m behind in bills. I’m promising people the cheques [when I get the refund]. I wouldn’t care so much if it had been for a birthday. But Santa you can’t explain to kids.
She added that she didn’t get all of the items her children were looking for at Christmas.
“On the Friday [before Christmas] I had to take the money we had put aside for a bill and rush out to the shop,” said Jarrell.
The last she heard from the company was about three weeks ago. “I’ve been hounding them every day
and no reply,” she added.
I’m losing hope.
Jarrell said that if she could give a message to Christmas Direct: “I would just tell them how their behaviour was just totally disgraceful – letting children down is essentially what they’re doing”.
Another customer said in an email to TheJournal.ie that half of the items he ordered, valued at €152.77, “never arrived”.
We ended up spending every penny we had to source the main Christmas products elsewhere. They almost ruined our Christmas and haven’t been in touch since.
Investigation
The National Consumer Agency said its investigation into the issues relating to Christmas Direct orders “is ongoing”.
It added:
However, if consumers who have been affected have not yet contacted the Agency we would encourage them to do so (1890 432 432).
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