7 On Your Side: Customers complain of ToysRUs layaway problems

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Layaway is a lifesaver for families saving for those special Christmas gifts. And it's a way to hold, at little or no interest, the popular toys before they sell out.

But that's not the way the program was working for some customers at the nation's largest toy retailer, who say their orders were cancelled until they got 7 on your side.

It's a story that's burned up our Facebook feed. Consumer complaints from New York to New Orleans to Dallas.

And now we're seeing a growing chorus of unhappy customers lamenting a lackluster new online layaway plan from the largest toy retailer in America.

Two busy moms, one in New Jersey, the other on Long island, both say they're facing the same dilemma: presents they thought were secured for Christmas gifts, vanished off their layaway plan at Toys R' Us.

"They basically take everything away,"said Nicole Sorrentino.

With four kids and four nieces and nephews to buy gifts for, busy Bloomingdale mom Dina Van Lenten started Christmas shopping early.

She put 38 items on layaway, paid $380 as a deposit, but then she says got locked out of her online account.

"Couldn't access the account, couldn't make a payment, couldn't see the order, nothing,"she said.

What she could see were emails alerting her entire order was about to be cancelled.

"I had 24 hours to make the final payment," said Diane.

In Levitttown, Nicole Sorrentino says she's in layaway limbo - most of the items she laid-away for her 3 children in September, are now out of stock - even though she paid in full.

"I went online to check my status and noticed line by everything was cancelled, they never notified me," Nicole said.

She thought she secured the most popular toys, like the Snow Glow Elsa Doll and Paw patrol play-set.

"You get a confirmation and assume they put the order aside not knowing they would sell out and and pull from my order," Nicole said. Both customers say Toys R Us gave them customer dis-service.

"I got no confirmation it was cancelled, no confirmation I'd be receiving a credit," said Sorrentino. We contacted the toy giant, and Dina's frozen account got unlocked.

"Without you guys getting involved I'd have a cancelled order at this point," Van Lenten said.

Nicole was issued an E gift card to the store as a refund, which doesn't help because the stores out of what her kids want.

When we pointed that out to Toys R Us, finally her credit card got credited instead.

"You guys are awesome, you rock. I could not have done this without you," said Nicole.

A rep from Toys R Us apologized to both of these customers, saying both could've gotten better customer service.

But the rep said Toys R Us isn't getting a high amount of complaints from its layaway customers but is working hard to service any complaints.

One of the biggest complaints we've seen is layaway refunds. Toys R Us gives only store credit, not a chargeback to your credit card. But the takeaway here is this policy was part of the original terms agreed to by layaway customers - so read the terms before you sign off.