Parents out of pocket after baby shop goes bust

Parents have spoken of their anger and distress after losing hundreds of pounds due to a company selling baby items going bust.

Karen Betts, from Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, discovered the firm MyBaby had folded after she chased up the delivery of a £600 pram for her daughter which she had ordered in August from its Peterborough shop.

The company, which was set up in 2020 and also has stores elsewhere in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, sent an email to Ms Betts to say it was unable to fulfil orders or issue refunds "due to insolvency".

Ms Betts, whose daughter is now 34 weeks pregnant, said: "I'm disgusted, there's obviously other pregnant mums that are going to be in the same situation as us."

Ms Betts rang multiple times before she emailed and got the reply.

It said: "Unfortunately, due to insolvency, the business is unable to fulfil outstanding orders or issue refunds.

"Further information will be provided once the insolvency practitioner is formally appointed."

The message also advised customers to contact their card provider or bank, which could tell them whether they were eligible for a chargeback or Section 75 claim.

Ms Betts is now "frantically trying" to source a suitable pram for her daughter, who is a medical pharmacy technician at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon.

"Finances are already stretched so to have to go ahead and pay again - it's just not fair to put that on expectant mums," she said.

Chris McMaster and Natalie Davis, from Lowestoft in Suffolk, have had to buy their baby essentials elsewhere after spending £1,100 at the Norwich store, in preparation for their newborn's arrival in January.

Six weeks after purchase, they have received nothing apart from the insolvency email.

Ms Davis said: "We spent days calling and calling and calling, and getting no answer."

Mr McMaster added: "The end result — we've paid the money, we haven't got any items, and [we're] very, very, very angry."

MyBaby's other two other branches are in Haslingfield, near Cambridge, and in Norwich.

Its main address is listed as Crowland, Lincolnshire - just north of Peterborough.

It has been contacted for comment.

Despite the issues, James Langham, who recently bought a pram at its store in Peterborough, could only speak highly of his experience.

"Even though they were clearly under a lot of stress - and the owner explained they had lost a significant amount of money trying to keep the business running - they still prioritised fulfilling our order," he said.

"With our baby due in December, this situation could have become very stressful for us. But, I cannot thank the owners of MyBaby enough."

Rob Lilley-Jones, a Which? consumer expert said administrators might not yet have been assigned to the insolvency, but once they are, customers should get in touch with them.

"Outline the money that you believe you're owed, and of course evidence of that money as well, but, unfortunately not every circumstance results in you getting your money back," he added.

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