Buildabear Reviews 

Visited the lakeside store to let our 2 year old spend her gift voucher, from the minute we walked in it wasn’t your usual ‘build a bear’ experience, both colleagues were just stood behind the counter leaning on the back wall chatting. We’ve then gone down to look at the accessories to go with her bear, we were showing her all the bits and bobs she could get and then showed her the little wheelchair and opened it up to show her what it was, the male staff member then came over and told us we wasn’t allowed to open it up and that it has to stay shut because it might get broken… If you are that worried about them being broken and don’t want children in a children’s toy shop playing with it maybe it should either be on the top shelf out of arm’s reach (not on the lowest shelf in the shop) or even packages up in a box, the best part is that we were actually going to buy that item but wasn’t trusted enough to touch it before purchasing! We put the stuff back on the shelf and left straight after. We will have to travel to a different store (after travelling an hour to this one) and hope that she can enjoy choosing what she would like to spend her money on without being told off in the process! Little hint for the staff working there don’t work in a toy/kids shop if you don’t like children!

I recently purchased 2 bears from the Brighton store I found the staff very helpful and knowledgeable especially Ginger and Jack. Many thanks for my bear experience, we will be back.

Customer service is terrible. No reply to emails. Phone call was awful too and not able to understand the lady on the other end, due to poor line and accent. Gift cards take over two weeks to arrive and this is not explained on the website, so unable to put in my daughters birthday card. They were as useful as a chocolate teapot.

An update, gift card did not arrive and on phoning them again, was told it takes 3 weeks to arrive. They refused a refund, so had to get resolver involved to get my money back, who are an outside complaint company who helped me get my money back after the gift card was clearly lost. Never again will I deal with this company, they are horrible.

Horrendous experience trying to buy a gift card online. Repeatedly told via an error message that there may be too much traffic. Pathetic. Never has it been so difficult to give a business your money. Off to spend it elsewhere.

Just received my online exclusive order. Absolutely gobsmacked at how it has arrived, just dumped in a huge box that could have held 6 or 7 bears!! no care whatsoever was taken no packaging just loose in the box. Had to pay £5 for del as wouldn't allow store collection . As a company you obviously don't care as your reviews are appalling you should be ashamed of yourselves .

I’ve been trying for SIX days to place an online order but it fails every time - always blaming “high volume" or "poor connection” (my connection is fine, and I’ve even tried at 2–3am so highly unlikely to be busy). Customer service takes 2–3 days to reply each time and am now on my third contact with them, which adds to frustration. Can't help but wonder if the issue is linked to my attempt to also purchase their "bonus" (discounted) gift cards as other voucher codes (for delivery etc.) also don’t work. Cynic is me suspects if I remove those and try to only purchase bears and full price gift cards it will miraculously work. This was meant to be a birthday treat for my daughter and her friends, am very tempted to tell her she'll have to choose something else and spending money elsewhere! That'll be nearly £200 they lose in one sale and I suspect I'm one of hundreds in similar boat; doubt it'll be long before we see these stores closing en masse and company will only have themselves to blame - whole process has been an absolute farce.

Tried to place an order when an offer was available and wouldn’t take me to the payment page. Clearly a facade that they were actually offering a discount as customer service has been a joke since. Already totally overpriced!

Package delivered in a battered box
They have a box to mark this is a gift but then expect you to purchase an extra gift box went in the chat and they ended it as they couldn’t answer my question very poor customer service

They must hire idiots to work in their customer service department. My package was delivered to the wrong house and then stolen as DPD (more idiots) had left my package in full view of the street! I contacted the morons at build a bear and they said I needed to contact DPD and put in a claim with them. Absolutely not and completely incorrect. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 clearly states the customers contract is with the seller alone. The seller has the legal obligation to ensure parcels/packages are delivered safely to the correct address and in as new condition. Apparently the morons at build a bear have never heard of this act and blatantly infringed on my rights covered by this. They are finally giving me a refund but they have neglected to send me their formal complaints procedure because apparently they can only read 1-2 sentences per email. I am reporting to Trading Standards because they shouldn’t get away with infringing on people’s rights.

Ordered a couple of exclusive online-only bears, and they arrived in a tatty, opened box held together by a single strip of scrunched up tape - put on by a concerned courier.

The box was still gaping open when it arrived!

As a result, the bears smelt of some kind of overly fragrant chemical (assumedly from the courier van) and the costume we ordered was all crumpled up, including a hat that could not be straightened.

The worst part of all, however, was the disrespectful attitude of customer services, who didn't answer our questions about reordering, told us that they wouldn't refund the postage costs (which is illegal) - and patronisingly made closing statements about bear hugs and the importance of good customer service!

If we do not get this resolved, we will start a chargeback through the bank!

Absolutely brilliant experience for my granddaughter who has never been to build a bear shop. The assistant really made a fuss of my granddaughter especially as it was her birthday, she made the whole experience fun.

I bought Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, which arrived safely, and a muffin from Build-A-Bear that I ordered yesterday, which is on its way. DPD is excellent at delivering.

Terrible customer service. My order didn't go through and they refused to release the pending payment. Phoned twice both times they put the phone down.

Courier failed to deliver and build a bear attempted to pass the problem to me to deal with the courier - in contravention of the consumer rights act 2015.

The courier also separately confirmed that build a bear should initiate the claim.

Charged back the order and will never use them again.

Terrible customer service both my twin girls ordered the same build a bear online one got delivered but the other after a week still hadn't arrived. After ringing them numerous times asking where the other bear is was told they would get back to me within 48 hrs. After 48 hrs nothing called them again was told they would refund me the postage cost and find out where the other bear is. No refund of postage I had to ring again as still no contact from them to be told it's been delivered. They sent me a picture of the house it had been delivered too. What a surprise DPD had left it outside someone else's house was told I need to contact DPD to find out where the house is. The lady on the phone was extremely rude. I paid for two bears to be delivered to my address and only have one. Build a bear don't care and I'm still trying to locate the bear as apparently no house number where it was left. Happy to take my money give empty promises still no bear Fuming. Will never again order online.

Love my new solf toy

It's all fun and games until you order online and they don't even tell you your parcel will be delivered by DPD, the worst of the service providers. Give customers choice for delivery, I would never willingly choose DPD and I have very bad experience with your order because of that

As a tradition we take our grandchildren to Build a Bear for their 4th birthday present and usually spend £100 plus. So we took our granddaughter to Lakeside BaB which is 75 miles away from us. We had the usual full treatment, (which has really deteriorated). I asked the apparent manager ‘Kayleigh’ for the Birthday bear but she refused because our granddaughter’s birthday was in the next week which was the beginning of the next month by a few days. I explained that we had travelled a long way and could she make an exception, but she flatly refused. So I did not but any extras as usual because I was so disgusted with her attitude. So thank you Kayleigh for ruining my granddaughter’s day, making her cry and losing your company more sales. I will not return and will find another treat for the remaining grand children. Unfortunately my four previous grandchildren have their birthday bears, however the latest one does not.
Disgusting service from a declining company!

Very glitchy website where coupons don’t work and refunds does not include shipping!

I used a £10 off £30 purchase voucher and x2 £5 bonus club vouchers to get my order down from £36 -> £16. They all applied yet when I pressed pay my bank notified me BAB has taken £26. The order now doesn't show on my account, i've had no email confirmation, no order number. I feel like I've been scammed.