Some Yankee Candle customers are worried that this Christmas might not be so merry and bright.
After placing orders for their favorite holiday scents weeks ago, many fans of the popular retailer are still waiting for their annual dose of Christmas cheer to arrive. And they're not happy about it.
Shoppers are also having trouble getting in touch with the brand's customer service line, with many reporting call wait times of up to three hours.
Lots of online shoppers, many of whom scored candle deals on Black Friday, have taken to Yankee Candle's social media accounts to express their frustration. They all seem to be wondering the same thing: When will their Christmas candles arrive?
"I ordered candles on the 3rd of December and still haven’t shipped what is going on..I was on hold today for over an hour and a half no one ever answer..I will never order again!!!" Facebook user Della Stevens Stewart wrote on the brand's profile.
Others wondered why the brand was still advertising new sales if they haven't fulfilled previous orders.
"I’m not sure why they are still selling candles at the moment when they aren’t staffed to fill orders! Ordered 9 days ago and order still hasn’t shipped... after a week, I tried emailing them to get the status and didn’t get a response. I tried calling this morning and recording said wait time was over an hour...no way this will arrive by Christmas even though it was ordered with 3+ weeks time🙈😳😠" Facebook user Nancy Townsend Sears wrote.
Many shoppers were starting to worry that their Christmas gifts wouldn't arrive on time due to the delay in shipping.
Still, a few shoppers sympathized with Yankee Candle's customer service team.
"I kind of feel sorry for the customer service folks as they are probably pulling their hair out with all the calls. It's not their fault this is happening. Corporate needs to step up and put something out there. Use FB to relay some kind of message," Facebook user Kathi Webber Suckar wrote.
Yankee Candle responded to a few customer concerns on Twitter.
And the brand added the following message to their automated call center to warn customers about wait times: "We are experiencing extremely high call volumes. Your estimated wait time could exceed one hour."
A Yankee Candle spokesperson told TODAY Home that the brand understands shoppers' frustration and places a high value on their business: "At Yankee Candle®, our customers’ satisfaction is our highest priority. We are aware that this holiday season some have had a shopping experience that does not meet the standards to which we are committed. We extend our sincere apologies for recent issues including order delays and extended wait times when contacting our Consumer Service team. We know how stressful the holidays can be and understand why some customers are frustrated."
The brand anticipated a spike in demand this holiday season, but orders have been significantly higher than expected, and a systems issue impacted order processing and confirmations. The issue has since been resolved and the company has deployed additional resources to address the order backlog and support consumers, according to Yankee Candle.
The good news? All orders that were placed prior to 1 p.m. EST on Dec. 14 should be delivered by Christmas!