An online savings and shopping company which claims to help make Christmas stress-free has been accused of being more like a Grinch.
Single mother Bec Wood has saved more than $3000 with Hampsta. She planned to spend it all in Countdown, one of Hampsta's partners. But without warning that partnership dissolved.
Ms Wood has a benign brain tumour and both her children have special needs. Now she says she's been dealt another blow.
"This has been extremely stressful for me because I thought I had it all sorted for Christmas shopping," she says.
Ms Wood signed up with Hampsta, where members pay money into an account and from December to January they can spend it at 22 Hampsta partner stores.
She's been saving $80 a week and planned to spend it all at Countdown on food and vouchers.
"I was doing it this year because of my daughter," says Ms Wood. "Her health has definitely deteriorated over the last year and my own health conditions as well. That's why I wanted to do it at one place. I wouldn't be stressed, she wouldn't be stressed."
But on Sunday night she discovered, by chance, Countdown was no longer a partner.
"I was completely shocked. I was absolutely flabbergasted," she says.
Hampsta cut ties with the supermarket mid-September - they couldn't come to a deal - but didn't tell members, just removed the name.
"Nothing has been hidden, nothing has been stashed away," says general manager Gary Alway. "There are no secrets. It was on the web. We have had people comment on Facebook. We have reacted. We are never ever going to please everyone all the time."
Hampsta announced today it has instead teamed up with Supermarket Online, a new New Zealand company.
But that doesn't help Bec Wood. For example, the new alternative doesn't stock the baby formula or wipes she wants and it doesn't have produce or dairy products.
She said some members don't have computers so can't order online.
Ms Wood now wants her $3000 refunded. Hampsta told 3 News it deals with refunds case by case.
The company has thousands of members - so far a dozen have laid a serious complaint about Countdown.
3 News
source: newshub archive
