Last month, my daughter showed me her bike and she pointed to the tires, which I immediately noticed they were worn out and needed replacement. I immediately thought about going to craigslist and get a used bike for her. But, my daughter had already decided for me that she needed a new bike. Being the generous Father that I am, I told her I would buy her a new bike and we went shopping at Toys R Us.
Impressive Bike Selection
I was impressed by the great selection of bikes at Toys R Us and my daughter tested out several 20 inch bikes. Eventually she found one that she likes and we made the purchase. To save extra $10, I even decided to assemble the bike myself.
Damaged Package
When the employee bought the box, I noticed that the box was not only dirty but also somewhat falling part on the bottom. Figuring it was still new inside, I took it home and started assembling right away.
Assembly Gone Bad
The first thing I did after taking out all the parts from the box was put together the front wheel, which I ended up wasting next 10 minutes on this first step. For some reason I could not find a way to attach the front wheel to the front body frame of the bike. Frustrated, I put back all the parts into the box again and took it back to the Toys R Us.
Another Bike Please
I told them about the problem with the bike and asked for another one of same kind. When they brought another new box, I again noticed that the box was not in good shape. I was afraid that something again could be wrong with the bike just looking at the condition. I started complaining about the box and they eventually called their supervisor.
Assembling at the Store
I asked the supervisor if I could open the box in front of him and he agreed. This time I was able to attach the front wheel in less than 30 seconds and realized that the previous box contained slightly bent front body frame which caused the front wheel not to fit. Because I can now attach the front wheel, I was happy and was about to take it back home.
A New Damaged Part
Just then, I noticed something wrong with the front brake. When I compared the front brake with the back brake, it was obvious that the front brake was oddly shaped. I immediately pointed that out to the supervisor. It turned out the brake was damaged. I ended up returning the bike in disgrace for a full refund and promised myself never to shop here again. One thing for sure, Toys R Us is not willing to do much to make satisfied customer.
A New Bike from Walmart
My daughter was disappointed that she still did not have a new bike. The next day, I took her to Walmart. Although the bike selection was not as impressive as Toys R Us, the assembly is free. We spent next 15 minutes looking for the perfect bike for my daughter, which she ended up picking a pretty blue bike. No assembly necessary. Just pick out the bike and take it straight to the cashier. I was amazed how easy it was at Walmart.
Moral of the Story
When we buy something that is new, we expect the box and package to be new as well. Many stores like the Toys R Us do not take care of their merchandise during loading, shipping and unloading. And thus the merchandise get easily damaged. As consumers, you really need to pay attention to the packages. Make sure there are no dents or no holes and look for any extra taping around the box. If the box is not in good condition, you need to request for another one even though it’s a hassle to do so. Remind yourself this is one of ways to become the ultimate smart spender. It could save you a lot of time, energy, and gas mileage in the end.
Sorry to hear you had a negative experience. We haven’t shopped there yet because we don’t have kids yet but when we do we will definitely be on the watch for things like this. Thanks for the info. It is funny but it seems like more and more stores are caring less about these kinds of things.
Sorry to hear about the bad experience at Toy’s R Us! I do agree though, you do have to look at how the item is packaged before buying it. This even goes for small things. I always try to look and see if the box is damaged or if it looks like it’s opened. It’s very annoying and frustrating to get something home and find its broken or missing parts!
I hope your daughter enjoys her pretty new bike!
Products are similar to food, we eat or buy with our eyes first. If it looks bad or broken, we are suspicious of the rest. Toys R Us needs to understand this better.
Wow, that is terrible. I have only purchased bikes at Wal-Mart for the reason you mention. Walk it straight to the cashier. I don’t have time to assemble at home. It would take me hours or days to get it done.
It’s frustrating – we’re supposed to avoid Walmart because they run small businesses out, treat their employees badly, etc. (all VERY bad things!), and yet …. they’re convenient, helpful, well-stocked, everything you want in a big store. They want you happy and it shows. Sigh … love to hate, and hate to love, Walmart.
Yah I find assembly time is never worth it for it for me. I can ghost write an article in 20 minutes that will cover the cost of assembly and that is definitely a deal I’m willing to make.Yah I find assembly time is never worth it for it for me. I can ghost write an article in 20 minutes that will cover the cost of assembly and that is definitely a deal I’m willing to make. I’m glad things worked out in the end.
I am also not a fan of Toys R Us – even the backward R grates on me! Generally the store is devoid of any intelligent assistants and rather over priced. Worse still, it panders to the staid images – girls have pink things and boys have miitary toys all from the current TV advertising campaigns. For a bike where safety is surely an important consideration, go to a proper bike shop. For other stuff, charity shops, hand-me-downs, second hand stores are more interesting and even Tesco and Walmart (as you found) are at least as good. No – a salutary tale!
Sorry to hear about your experience! You would think that a business would know better than to try and resell damaged goods but unfortunately it has happened to all of us at some point. I always check the package and if it looks as if it has been opened I will ask for a new item.
I hate it when I get a faulty product and have to keep going back. I actually bought something for my daughter from Toys R Us recently and the packaging was in terrible shape. Fortunately for me all of the parts were ok, but I doubt I’ll use them again.
I would’ve just asked toys r us to assemble the bike for free and give me another 10% discount for having to go back and forth because of defect.
Thanks for the hints on Toys’R'Us. We don’t have one in our city, and all things being fair, we refuse to shop Walmart. We’ll use a local independent business to buy lil’ SPFs first bike.