Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern outlines the rules on essential appliances during level four.

Noel Leeming customers are disappointed the company is selling essential items that were out of stock.

The retailer, owned by The Warehouse Group, was allowed to sell essential items after the Government clarified its rules around essential goods earlier this month.

Noel Leeming customer Jenna Handford bought a $34 Canon printer on April 3 to help her work from home during the lockdown. She said she was promised a delivery window of five to seven days.

But on April 15, two weeks after buying the printer, Handford hadn't heard from the company.

"I was checking their website for updates but it said the printer was in stock. When I checked on Wednesday it said 'buy now, ship later'. If you're operating as provider of essential items during the lockdown, why are you selling items that won't be shipped out until after the lockdown?"

Handford was just one of numerous complaints the retailer received for poor communication, and charging customers $89 for delivery.

MAARTEN HOLL/STUFF Noel Leeming is allowed to sell essential items during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The retailer said on Facebook it was facing "overwhelming demand" for its essential items.

Other retailers have also come under pressure to supply essentials, with Farmers advertising on its site out of stock boys pyjamas, and The Warehouse also

Another customer, Sheree Glasgow, said she had to battle Noel Leeming for three days to get a refund for her $1010 oven, after hearing nothing from the company for two weeks.

Glasgow said after waiting for 46 minutes on the phone, she was told to email the retailer.

SUPPLIED Noel Leeming customer Jenna Handford says she's disappointed in the retailer's poor communication as an essential service provider.

"What a joke... this is an essential item. I personally am very disappointed with this process and think the government should take a good look at who should of been given the opportunity to do online sales on the ability for supply and demand and after sales service," Glasgow said.

Another customer, with a broken washing machine, was desperate for a response from the company.

SCREENSHOT Customers disappointed with Noel Leeming shipping essential items after Covid-19 lockdown.

"I work in a medical centre we are told to wash our clothes as soon as we get home but can't do that and fast running out of clothes.

"With everything going on at work this is adding to the stress I understand you are very busy but please even if you got back to me and said it would be another week."

Noel Leeming merchandise general manager Jason Bell said the retailer felt "privileged" to be operating during the lockdown providing essential products but it was experiencing "unprecedented demand" which meant some orders were taking longer to deliver.

"Our teams are working hard on solutions, including adding four times the resource to our customer care team and significantly expanding our fulfilment network to deliver thousands more orders each day," Bell said.

"We apologise to our customers and we'd like to thank them for their patience."

He said the company was offering its tech solutions service free until April 23 to "help Kiwis get the most out of their technology at home".