Parents warned over Smyths Christmas shopping issue that could spell disaster

With Christmas less than a month away, preparations are in full swing for many households across Ireland. Parents will be scrambling to shops, particularly over this Black Friday weekend, looking to bag the best deals ahead of time.

And as excitement builds for Santa's arrival, Smyths Toys has issued an urgent warning to parents buying presents for children.

The popular retailer has a handy click and collect service, however it could spell disaster for anyone using it while accompanied by curious little ones. Orders are packaged in clear, plastic bags which could spoil any Christmas morning surprises.

A message on the Smyths website reads: "Please note your Click & Collect items will be in clear packaging with contents visible."

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Year after year, people take to social media to remind parents using the service to bring their own bags. Twitter user Sarah Breen took to the platform in 2020 to advise: "Warning to anyone using the click and collect service from Smyths - they put everything in a clear bag. I repeat, the bag is CLEAR."

In a follow-up message in 2021, she stressed: "This is your seasonal reminder that Smyths plastic bags are still SEE THROUGH".

Smyths Toys (stock pic)
(Image: Newcastle Chronicle)

To give parents a fighting chance at keeping the magic undercover, the toy store has announced an extended shopping window, with most stores staying open until 9pm Monday to Friday in the lead-up to December 25 - a perfect opportunity for late-night gifting missions. It also has a range of Black Friday offers in-store and online, while supplies last.

The Twitter warnings have sparked comments from other parents sharing their close calls. One person said: "A colleague here has Amazon Alexa which announced 'your package will be delivered in 30 minutes'… to which the kids responded 'Alexa, what's in the package?' and were duly told".

Offering advice on how to fix the issue, one person responded: "You probably know this, but you can set Alexa to be more discreet about those things."

To change the settings on your Alexa and stop anything being given away, do the following:

Open Alexa on your phone. Tap Settings. Choose Notifications. Select Amazon Shopping. Uncheck the box titled "For items in delivery updates" under the section "Let Alexa say or show titles for items you've ordered."

Parents also warned to keep an eye out for deliveries, as some may not come in discreet packaging. One person said: "I've had toys delivered with no box, just address sticker slapped on them – would have been disastrous if the kids had seen".

A second said: "The Lego online shop was shipping all their stuff last year in big Lego-branded boxes. Pure grace of God none of our kids came to the door when DPD delivered it."

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