Knights, Vikings, Astronauts and Wizards Are Just A Click Away! Playmobil Online Store
Written: Sep 15 '03 (Updated Nov 16 '04)
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As you may have gathered from previous reviews, I’m a die-hard Lego fan. For years I swore up and down that no other building or construction set would ever be as entertaining or durable as the Lego products. That all changed when I started to spot some of the Halloween themed sets that Playmobil carries. Being that these are seasonal products, they are only on shelves for a few months out of the year – so what’s a freak supposed to do? Wait for the end of September to roll around then wait for the store to stock them? No way, I cruise on over to the Playmobil site, check out the listings and place my order. Even though I am a hard core Lego fanatic, I’ve softened a little over the years and have added several of the Playmobil sets to my Halloween line up – and lets face it, who can resist a glow in the dark ghost? The boys are thrilled that I’ve gotten a little attached to the various Playmobil figures and characters, that means that I’ll be a sure target when we hit the toy stores and they point out the newest sets. But it’s gone farther than that, they now get the huge catalog and hit the site often to check out the castle and medieval sets. Their Lego collection isn’t in jeopardy of losing its appeal but they’ve started to collect the various figures and accessories in the Knights, Magic and Space play worlds.
One of the worst things about trying to find Playmobil sets is that most stores like Wal-Mart and Target only have a handful in stock. This means you have to go to specialty stores line Zany Brainy and Toys ‘R Us and pay a few dollars more or watch them like a hawk for when they go on sale. Shopping at the online store means I can order any set that I want, when ever I want and never have to worry about trying to track down the figures and accessories. So far I’ve placed at least six orders and have to say that they are not only quick shippers but answer any and all questions about their products in record time. Customer service is one of the best selling points of a site and I’m pretty happy to say that they haven’t let me down so far, we’ll see how they handle inquiries and orders when the holidays roll around.
Navigation
Getting around the site is easy once you pick a portal. When you arrive at the site you’ll have to pick a county in which the text will be shown, from there you’ll see a rotating sphere of figures that represent the different play worlds. If this is a bit much for you, there is an alternative. Just click one of the top links to have the various play world icons displayed. From there it’s just a matter of finding one of the various themes to explore. All of the available sets and figures are listed on the right hand side of the screen and once you click on one of them, you’ll see an enlarged view, details and pricing. To get back to the main screen just click the Playmobil logo and you are taken back to the front page of the site. This is a great site for kids to browse and you can set up a mini account for them if they want to create a wish list or gently let you know which sets they want. Before you place an order you’ll need to sign up for a free account – simple and painless, this takes about 90 seconds and stores your information for your future orders.
Products
If you aren’t familiar with the Playmobil line of building toys, think of them as really large Lego sets. They are a lot easier to build than Lego but have a little more detail, the figures are a little more animated and come with more detailed accessories. As a steadfast Lego lover I can honestly say that these products are well made, will hold up to a lot of use and encourage the use of a childs imagination. The drawback is that there aren’t many pieces, bricks or elements that can be readily swapped out to make new scenes or create new settings. There are a ton of different themes to choose from but our favorites are the Knights, Magic and Space. The boys aren’t into the sets as much as they are the figures, but in some cases you need to purchase the set to get the figure you really want. All of the items displayed at the site have full color photos, a small description and pertinent information. If you really want to get a good grasp of what the site sells, request a printed catalog. Ours came in about two weeks and included a lot of information about sets that are not yet released.
In addition to the regular Playmobil sets and figures, there are also several lines dedicated to the younger crowd. The Playmobil First Smile and Playmobil 1-2-3 sets are colorful, safe and entertaining for kinds under the age of three. The site says that they are recommended for children ages three months and older, but use your best judgment and remember that all kids are different. If you have any questions about a product in either of these sections, contact customer service and they’ll be more than happy to help.
Prices
It all boils down to quality. You get what you pay for and in the case of Playmobil, you are getting toys that will last a long time, even if your child is pretty rough on them. Average pries for figures range from $1.99 [the special series] to $4.99 [with a handful of accessories]. Sets range from $3.99 to $59.99 but I am sure that there are larger sets with a higher price tag. Are the sets and figures worth it? In my opinion they are. They might not have the replay value that Lego sets have but they are well made, pose easily and have a uniformed size so you can display them without having to arrange them according to size.
Customer Service
Playmobil
PO Box 877
Dayton, NJ 08810
[609] 395-5566
[800] PLAYMOBIL
[800] 351-8697
service@playmobilusa.com
www.playmobil.com
Playmobil is one of the growing number of companies that have removed a majority of their emails from their site. These are replaced with a customer service form that can handle questions about products, orders, shipping queries and comments. While this seems less personal, it allows questions to be answered quicker by delivering them to the correct departments. The customer service form at the site is easy to fill out and only asks the basics but there is a field where you can enter in additional information or ask an in depth question. Any time I’ve used this form I received a reply within a few hours, a little longer on the weekends but still in under 24 hours.
Payment Options
The site only accepts MasterCard, Visa and American Express for online orders. If this isn’t an option for you, call the toll free number and ask if there is an alternative method of payment. If you live in New York, New Jersey or Florida [their shipping centers] you will have to pay sales tax. So far I’ve used both my MasterCard and Visa for orders and never had a problem with order processing, billing or being charged an amount that was different from what was listed during check out. Your credit card is charged when your order is placed, not when it is shipped and if they are out of an item or it is back ordered they will give you the option to cancel that part of the order or have it shipped separately [at their expense] when it becomes available.
Shipping Fees
Shipping charges are calculated according to the total dollar amount, not number of pieces or weight. All parcels are shipped via UPS Ground service and the prices are hard to beat. The most you will pay for ground shipping is $8.00 for orders up to the $100.00 mark. Anything over $100.00 and you get free shipping and trust me, getting to $100.00 doesn’t take very long since the site is jam packed with some very cool sets and figures. If UPS Ground isn’t fast enough you can elect to have your order expedited for an additional fee and if you need a different delivery service other than UPS, call the customer service number to see what they can do for you.
Return Policy
Customer satisfaction is one of Playmobil’s biggest concerns. If you are unsatisfied with a set or simply don’t want it, you can return it to them for a full refund within the first 14 days. Any open sets that aren’t defective will be subject to a restocking fee of 20% so make sure that you look over the items when they arrive so you can make sure you received the correct items. While we never had a problem with missing pieces, the site allows you a 30 day time frame to report damaged or missing pieces from sets. You can call customer service to ask for a replacement piece, make sure you have your invoice handy or your account information so they can get the correct set number and determine which piece needs sent out.
The Bottom Line
If you are a fan of the Playmobil line of toys and are having trouble finding the sets that you want, the online store is a great way to get them. Orders are shipped quickly, customer service is great and the site is extremely easy to navigate. I am looking forward to getting the Halloween sets that I ordered last week and plan on placing another order at the end of October as a surprise for the boys. Sending off for a catalog is a great way to let kids pick out sets they are interested in but the website is 100% kid friendly – no pop ups, no outside advertisements and absolutely no questionable or objectionable material.
As always, thanks for the visit …
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
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Recommended:
Yes
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