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Updated: Monday, 29 Dec 2008, 7:13 PM EST
Published : Monday, 29 Dec 2008, 5:46 PM EST
West Hartford (WTNH) - Christian Bernard Jewelers' two Connecticut locations seems to have shut their doors without any notice.
Many spend thousands of dollars on jewelry in the holiday season - it is one of the big ticket items - but one day after Christmas one well-known jeweler turned off the lights and locked their doors and haven't reopened since.
The gold necklaces are still draped in the window at the Christian Bernard jewelry store in Westfarms Mall. The other inventory, still prominently displayed on the shelves. But on the door, a sign that reads simply, "Will not open Today."
This is the second day Gina O'Brien has come here - and no one seems to know anything.
"We were back the other day too and we actually asked someone else in the mall about what's going on and they don't know anything," Gina said.
Both Westfarms Mall and the Stamford Mall tell us, they were given no advance notice this would happen and no information about what will happen now.
Gina bought a Pandora charm for her daughter, not realizing she already had a similar one. But she has her receipt and she had reassurances from the clerk.
I asked him specifically if I would be able to return it and he said yes," Gina said.
And that could be a real problem for Christian Bernard. While there's no set rules for when and how a company can close up shop, under the Unfair Trade Practices Act a company cannot deceive or make promises to customers knowing they're going out of business.
The Attorney General's Office says they're looking into the situation with Christian Bernard. Without so much as a heads up, consumers are suddenly left high and dry.
"I'm angry cause I could've gone somewhere else, where I know if I needed to return I would've been able to do that, so it is disconcerting," Gina said.
News Channel 8 called Christian Bernard stores in other states as well, but we've gotten no answer in any of those locations. We've also tried to get in touch with anyone at their corporate headquarters in New Jersey and could not get through to anyone there either.
Forty two stores have closed their doors this year, that's up
from 34 in 2007.
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