Monday, October 26, 2009

TOYS R US: Teasing the Children

Dear Toys R Us,
 
You suck.
 
I have long hated your high prices. Why do toys cost more at your TOY store, than they do at Target or Walmart, stores that don't specialize in toys?
 
But now I hate you even more, because you hurt my daughter.
 
When I was a kid, something I wanted more than anything else was a Speed Racer Mach 5 hotwheel. Unfortunately, they didn't make it. Despite dreaming of one all the time, I never got to play with one until years later, when Johnny Lightning came out with one.
 
So it was with great pleasure that I watched my 4 year old become enamored with Speed and the gang after the recent live action movie and collector's edition of the classic cartoon. I have watched her play with my Mach 5 and Shooting Star for several weeks now. Watched her name those cars Speed and Racer X, and some of my other collectible hotwheels Chim Chim, Spridle etc.
 
On October 24, 2009, I took my 4 year old daughter to your store to pick out a Halloween costume. While there, we looked around the store, and she was very excited to see Speed Racer toys. The toys were being re-stocked/rearranged by a TRU employee, and after he finished, we located a Racer X car with action figure. My daughter was very excited to buy this car, as we already have the Mach 5 in a similar scale (1:24th?) from the same movie.

When we went to check out, the item rang up as "unsellable". The TRU employee at the register guessed that it was a recalled toy (possibly lead painted). My daughter did not cry only because I told her we would go to a different store.

Unfortunately, we were unable to find ANY other Speed Racer toys at the other stores in the area we went to. My daughter was quite upset, and talked about "her" Speed Racer car all weekend.

As a parent, I can assure you this kind of crap guarantees me never wanting to shop your store again. You cannot put toys out that are not for sale, and not expect children to be upset. Especially when a parent agrees to buy the toy and lets the child carry it up front or pay for the toy themselves. It's like waving food at zoo animals and not giving them any.

Your store owes my daughter an apology- unfortunately, this will not ease her anguish, nor will she understand. She doesn't understand lead-based paint or toy recalls. All she understands is that she wants a Racer X car with a little person to put in it, that she had it in her hand, and the store wouldn't sell it to her.

1 comment:

Troglodad said...

And the response so far...


Thank you for contacting the "R" Us Family.

I appreciate you sharing your feedback with us. I am sorry you are dissatisfied. Please be assured, your comments and suggestions are extremely important to us and I will immediately forward your issue to the appropriate department for review.

Thank you, once again, for contacting the "R" Us Family.

Sincerely,
The "R" Us Team