So I did 90% of my xmas shopping on line. There was only one item that I hunted for - a Thomas the Tank Engine Flashlight. I saw it with one of my neighbor’s kids on Halloween night and knew Four would love it. Four developed a phobia of the dark like his sister and had “borrowed” her flashlight from her which wasn’t going over well. Her flashlight goes off a minute or so when you let go of the button, so I have no problem with them sleeping with it. Little Tikes makes other ones, but they make noise - he has a dinosaur one that growls that he’s deathly afraid of since he was one. The Thomas one Toots a little whistle. He’s not afraid of it and Q would just sleep through it.

So since Halloween I have searched 3 Targets, 1 Kohls, and a Toys R Us in my travels. Beginning of December I gave up and ordered it off the Little Tikes Website. It was sent to my parent’s house who emailed me that my Penguin on a Surf Board had arrived. This was the Monday before Christmas. The invoice and packing slip said Thomas Flashlight, but instead I got a $2.99 penguin. I called Little Tikes customer service and they were like sorry but we can’t get it to you till December 26th. I asked for an expedite since they were the ones who screwed up and it was a Santa gift and they were ruining Christmas for a three year old. I escalated to the Manager on duty. They couldn’t do anything. Oh, but I could keep the $2.99 penguin which would have cost them more for me to send back than it was worth. Did I mention it was a toy for a 9 month old??? and it was so lame, that I wouldn’t have ever bought it… ever?

So I wrote a scathing email to them explaining how I had allowed enough time on my side to get the item, and that just because their order fulfillment system/process had screwed up and wouldn’t do anything to rectify the situation. Used every marketing/inventory term i know, called them Scrooge, told them I would never ever buy another Little Tikes for my kids who were their key demographics, birthday party presents, or neices/nephews, and I was a first time and last time website customer.  I also added how the Penguin was being donated to Toys for Tots so that someone would have a nice Christmas since they ruined a Santa present.  Husband thinks I’m mean.  I don’t really care.

So…. I thought I’d get a response and checked my email most of the day. Turns out they read it and left me a vm at home. Apparently, I had misunderstood “Sorry, you can’t have it.” They were sending it next day to my parents house who promplty opened it to make sure it was a train flashlight versus a surfing penguin.

So am I satisfied? Well, Four absolutely adores the thing. Probably his most used xmas present. He uses it every night and nap. Would I shop at Little Tikes Web site again? Probably not because I’m pretty pissed I had to even deal with this.

Last year it was Snapfish who pissed me off. I did order from them again this year and I got 20 envelopes for the 40 cards I ordered. I think I’m going to prove that I’m not an old dog and can learn this year not to use either site again.