Staff at a Dundee furniture store were sacked by text just two days before Christmas.
Employees at Furniture Mountain say they were left in limbo by callous bosses who sent them each a text just days before December 25.
It is alleged the bosses then shut down their numbers so they could not be contacted.
Customers have also been left thousands of pounds out of pocket, as the full extent of the final days of the once-popular business come to light.
James Anderson, 30, was a delivery driver for the now defunct business.
He worked for the company for more than two years and staff had stopped receiving invoiced wage slips since the introduction of the compulsory work place pension.
Mr Anderson said bosses kept staff in the dark about the future of the company, allowing them to sell thousands of pounds of furniture orders in December which have still to be fulfilled.
He said: “I received a text message from the boss, David Chillas, we were all just dropped and left in the gutter.
“I worked as a delivery driver for the company for more than two years, staff never received any training, health or safety advice and we didn’t get any wage slips.
“Hundreds of orders were taken in the first few weeks of December and when we closed up for Christmas, the Wednesday before, we were told the shop would open again on December 26 – Boxing day.
“Thousands of pounds of sales were taken before Christmas, the store was as busy as normal.”
Darren Somerville, 30, worked for the company for 18 months, before being let go by text.
He said customers had been phoning him since before Christmas asking where there goods were.
He said: “They texted us on December 23, saying: ‘We can’t operate the business with the debts we have’.
“They had zero respect for customers and staff, they were taking orders right up until we closed.
“Two of the guys we worked with had been with the company for 11 years. He was let go by text, which is disgraceful.
“I have customers phoning me asking where the goods they have paid for are.
“I have no idea where there stuff is, or where any of the remaining stock has gone.”
Andy Goudie, of Broughty Ferry, purchased a bookcase and two-seater sofa on December 5 from Furniture Mountain, and was promised delivery by Christmas.
He said: “The only thing we have from the order we placed was a table lamp-stand, because we bought it there and then on the day and were able to take it home ourselves.
“Nobody has been in touch to say whether the money will be refunded, or if they will somehow fulfill the order.
“I have contacted my credit card company, who will hopefully be able to charge back the order to Furniture Mountain, but who knows really what will happen.
“It’s a shocking way to treat their customers, especially at that time of year.”
Prior to the abrupt closure of the store days before Christmas, the company had premises in Aberdeen, Udingston, Clydebank and Dundee.
When contacted by The Courier Jack Chillas acknowledged that staff would be disgruntled but declined to answer questions over the fulfilment of existing orders.
According to Companies House, Furniture Mountain as a company was dissolved in February 2016, with David Chillas listed as a former director and Jack Chillas listed as a former secretary.
David and Jack Chillas are both currently listed as directors for Pine Warehouse Limited. A full set of un-audited accounts was uploaded to Companies House on December 8 2017 for the year ended December 31 2016.
