Buildabear Reviews 

Ordered a bear from the website, populated all the details for the birth certificate which they say you receive. When delivered there was no sign of this certificate, customer service response was that they don’t supply despite it being on their website, and you need to drive to a store to get it which kind of defeats the online shopping convenience. Misleading website and poor customer service

Not sure why there's so many negative reviews?? Sometimes items are deleted out of the basket if you're not logged in and customer service leaves a bit to be desired but not much else I can whinge about to be honest. My orders have always been sent out quickly and arrived in much better condition than the stuff in the stores which seems to always be dirty.

Trying to find and buy accessories on the Build-a-Bear website is one of the worst online experienced I have ever had! After 30 minutes fighting with the ordering page, and three attempts at buying the items, entering exactly teh same information each tiime, it finally went through. I won't bother next time.

Predatory staff taking advantage of vulnerable children.
Selfridges Birmingham 10.06.2023.
I have 2 children with learning disabilities (9 and 11), the staff ignored the JAM card shown to them, this states their difficulty and potential need for help. The staff continued to make sales statements like "do you want a bag or a box?" Without explanation price or that they did not need to have either. They would have bumped the starting price od £25 to nearer £40 without adult intervention. I honestly don't know how they sleep at night.

Terrible customer service. Called up because I didn't get my £10 discount and they told me to wait 48 hours. Not much good when it'll be sold out by then, is it? Try hiring people that can actually speak English.

I have been making a return to build since the 28th of March 2023 and only TODAY has my issue been resolved by Paypal. My bear arrived damaged, so I looked for return instructions on the invoice…Nothing. Go onto the website for instructions..Nothing. I emailed Build-a-Bear customer services to ask for the return address and over two weeks go by with no response. I had to go into my local store to complain about the lack of information regarding returns and was finally told I would get my return label emailed to me that day.
By the next day I still have no email and had to call customer services to ask for an update on why I haven’t received an email. I was then told it would take 7-10 days to issue the email, so I was lied to about receiving the email for a return label the same day. By the 12th day I call again to ask for an update on why I haven’t received an email and I couldn’t get a straight answer. Nearly 2 weeks go by and I finally get my email with the return label and post off my bear. 2 days later I get a notification to say my bear has been delivered to the return address. Over a week goes by and I have not had my refund, so I email customer services a screenshot of my bear being delivered and call to ask where is my refund. I was told I would receive my refund within 7-10 days when my product was returned and refused to acknowledge my email of proof they had my return. I told customer services I would be going to Paypal as they have lied more than once, they are withholding my money and for some reason everything is taking so long, yet they answer the phone within seconds of me calling them. I’m glad I went through Paypal to get my money back, nothing but stress for months and for no reason!! Will never be purchasing from Build-a-Bear again!

The customer service is completely none. Giving it one star is to good. Placed a order and paid extra for next day delivery. Was due yesterday what a surprise never showed up. Rang customer service for them to change there story more times that they change there underwear. It out of delivery today,it with DPD,it waiting for DPD to collect,it at the warehouse and the best one it been returned all these excuses where given to us by the some people who was meant to be a manager.

I got 4 bears in Doncaster yesterday my kids was so excited but the young lady who served them was just rude and had a cant be arsed attitude very disappointed they
Are not cheep bears and you pay for the experience for children but that was such a disappointment we will not be going back!!!

Poor service avoid you can see from reviews this company a mess. Customer service non existent

bunch of incompetent jokers. I paid extra for 1 day delivery; they sent me a wrong tracking code that doesnt exist and when I called them to enquire about it, they advised to call shipping company and figure it out there! Of course, shipping company couldn't help me because the tracking number they gave me does not exist. Had to call buildabear again and they just told me to wait a few days until they have an update (I paid for 1 day delivery)! Incompetent. Do not advise anyone on buying anything there

Took full payment on my card without letting me apply The £20 worth of vouchers saying I had to do that on the next screen but the next screen just said the order was placed and money taken. Customer service on previous orders has been atrocious, I only ordered today because the earned money was going to expire. All their shops are closing down because they are so over priced, won’t be long before they are in administration as online Customer service is rude and unhelpful and the website is decades out of date. I have written to cancel the order but I doubt they’ll do anything in time.

I visited Hamleys Build a Bear store in Westfield White City. I had e-gift voucher which turns out that to use, need to be print out. What is the problem with this company?!!! Nowadays no one even owns a printed and if I would like a use a paper would order an actual card by post. So useless!!! I cannot even believe how old fashion it is. Huge disappointment!!! There is also no certificate that you get as in other stores. Small not much stuff to chose from. Would recommend to use different shops!

Build a bear stores I have always had a fab experience with. BUT their online service is utterly shocking.
I ordered a gengar and glaceon pokemon bundles for my boys expecting to recieve the same quality as the stores. Completely not that at all.
Glaceons sound arrived broken and the sound boxes they put inside are not the same ones as the instore. They are cheap, flimsy, clunky versions and make a horrible plasticy noise when pressing. So no wonder the glaceon one arrived broke.
I tried phoning at 1pm om a Tuesday to sort it out to have 'build a bear offices are shut'. So I emailed the guest relations email, it's now Saturday and no one replied. So in the end I rang up my nearest build a bear shop and the manager fixed it within half an hour of me dropping them off.
Build a bear! Sort your online service out. Its utterly appalling.

First of all, delivery was a week late despite paying extra for Saturday delivery.

Secondly I added voice record to the order which we were able to do over the phone. We recorded and listened back to make sure it sounded good. We accepted the recording.
We now received the bear and the recording is very robotic. This is very disappointing as it's a gift.

I ordered a build a bear back in 2012 and since then it looks like the company is in a massive decline in its service .

I will no longer order from this company again. Very disappointing

I visit Hamleys in London 4 times a year on my grandchildren’s birthdays. Needless to say they love a bear, the trouble is with the store inside Hamleys is how uninviting, unhelpful and unfriendly all the staff are. They are awful and the shop is always short of the correct costumes, the voice machine often broke and now you don’t even get a birth certificate 😳 unless you print at home. Absolutely shocking as a bear and accessories are easily £50 plus, a big part of a birthday present. Every time I go there is a problem, I have notified Hamleys management in the past as they are trading under a great name , I also know that stores outside this store have been great. It’s just the awful staff here.

Couldn't even check out! The amount of bugs on this website is shocking! They even have links to their staging website environment on the production site! Worryingly they also stored my card details during the checkout process. Judging by the other reviews, I probably got off lucky

I do not recommend. Customer service is terrible. I make time to make the phone call’s necessary by all means to try to resolve this situation regarding my order and the refunds that I am trying to get back. However, no one is of help apart from one advisor today the rest are truly terrible. They just tell you anything to get you off the phone or you will finally get through then the advisor will hang up the phone without even speaking to the customer. Very unprofessional! I’ve sent countless emails as well for nothing to be resolved. I’m just tired of this honestly. I just would like my refunds.

Extremely pushy sales people working in a child's shop!
Losers! Clearly not capable of getting a real sales jib so they target children through their parents, over priced, out of order and Extremely disappointing no stars!

Ordered some Christmas presents for our daughter on the 9th December and they haven’t arrived for Christmas, so disappointing.

I had to chase for a progress update and Buildabear Customer Service has been terrible. Won’t but from them again.

Ordered an item to Southampton. Arrived for collection to be told they don’t have the item. On checking the find it had been delivered incorrectly to Bournemouth. I asked if it could be diverted to my home address but they said I would have to go through customer services online.

I did this. The first email reply they asked me to wait 7 days and it will automatically cancel, and to order to the correct location (blaming me for the mistake). I have to email again to correct them as again ask for it to be directed to my home. I get a reply saying they will help but I need to call their help line.

I call the helpline which takes me 45mins to get through. The lady is very helpful send assured me that the item would be sent on ‘rush’ to my home and apologised for the mistake.

What in fact had happened was that she cancelled the order and sent me nothing. It took about 3weeks for the refund, so ignore that 7days refund rubbish. And I am without my order, missing the birthday that it was for.

Such time wasted and the worst customer service I have seen in a long time.

Order at your own risk!!!

FAO, my reference was U1765207, on the off chance that you decide it would be a good idea to look at the performance of your customer service.