For many families, visiting Santa at the mall is a fun holiday activity. But for one mother and daughter who ventured to the Maine Mall in South Portland, it became a nightmare when the hired Santa was so rude, he didn’t give the poor family the time of day.

Jessica Mailhiot took her 6-year-old daughter Chantel to see St. Nick, so her daughter could tell him what she wanted for Christmas — but was instead completely snubbed.

When Jessica told Santa she wasn’t interested in spending the $20 for the take-home photo — she was already worried about bills and paying for Christmas gifts — he refused to let Chantel even sit on his lap.

“He just put his hand on his lap so I couldn’t go on,” Chantel told local news station WGME.

After dozens of other similar complaints, Maine Mall let the cranky Santa go.

“Visiting Santa at The Maine Mall is free. Photo purchases are NOT required and we have been reacting to customer complaints by taking some pretty serious steps already, the results of which you will see within the upcoming days,” the mall wrote on her Facebook page. “We realize time with Santa Claus is a holiday tradition many of our shoppers look forward to year after year – and so do we.”

What do YOU think of the rude Santa HollyMoms?

– Christina Stiehl

More on Sad Santa Stories:

1. Santas Are Now Lowering Kids’ Gift Expectations
2. Justin Bieber: I Wasn’t Allowed To Believe In Santa As A Kid
3. Chynna Phillips Hates Santa Claus — Calls Him A ‘Horrible Perpetuated Lie!’