It appears the Grinch visited Kmart’s online layaway service, leaving some holiday shopping sorely disappointed.
That's because the retail store inadvertently canceled some online layaway contracts, according to the Consumerist report. The Consumerist has been documenting Kmart layaway complaints via Facebook, and noticed a spike this week.
Impacted customers said they paid their layaway orders before the Dec. 14 deadline. Some customers then began receiving cancellation notices, saying the items were not in stock. Other customers are only receiving a portion of the items they paid for in their layaway order. Facebook complaints also mentioned that delayed refunds will not allow them to shop for replacement items before Christmas.
Kmart regrets the glitch, but says it only impacts online layaway orders, not in-store layaway orders. The company released a statement indicating it was leveraging alternative sources to fulfill orders and will provide complimentary expedited shipping.
Some customers reported being offered similar items at discounted prices and being offered gift cards to make up for the snafu, but many customers expressed disappointment and frustration over the situation.
