PEZ Head? PEZ Fanatic? PEZ Collector? Find It All At The PEZ Online Store!
Written: Nov 30 '03
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| Full Review |
As I mentioned in my review of the PEZ Yummy Bubbles, my American pen-pals originally got me hooked on the colorful candy dispensers and over the years the boys have grown to love them as well. Every year they receive three or four or them in the Christmas stockings, for their birthdays and as small rewards for a job well done. Most of the common dispensers are less than a dollar making it and inexpensive but fun thing to collect, they can be found almost everywhere and come in a variety of colors, themes and seasonal styles. Every month or so PEZ releases some new character or style of dispenser and keeping up with that type of release schedule is almost impossible without checking the website for updates. It’s also a great place to get information on sets, find a store near you that sells PEZ, collector’s information and of course a well stocked store where you can buy dispensers, candy and others PEZ related items.
It goes without saying that this is a site that I check on a regular basis to see what’s new. The site is pretty basic and easy to navigate with all the items being shown with a full color photo, brief description and easy to use shopping cart. There are four main sections of the PEZ site once you hit the main page, from there you can choose the online store, collectors information, activities and a section where you can learn about the history of PEZ. The online store area is the largest of the four and allows you to browse by categories like candy, limited editions, classics, interactive and PEZ extras. The tabs give you easy access to the areas and jumping back and forth between them is simple and quick. The shopping cart is easy to use and adjust quantities and creating an account takes less than thirty seconds.
Products
As you might expect, PEZ dispensers are the most abundant item at the site but don’t think that the selection stops there. No, not in the least. You can also find PEZ items like throw blankets, banks, oversized dispensers, candy, Fuzzy Friends, the popular bride and groom assortment and even PEZ telephones [not real phones]. This past Halloween I was desperate to find the Magic Dispensers for the brood but had a hard time finding them locally so I turned to the site to see if they were listed. As usual, I found them in the ‘interactive plus’ section and had them delivered in about a week. It wasn’t until a few days before Halloween that I saw these at Target for $4.99 each, the price online was $15.99 for three dispensers so I ended up paying a little more for it online but at least I had them on hand and had one less thing to worry about. The Jungle Mission assortment is one of my favorites and incorporates a working flashlight, magnifying glass, candy dispenser and functioning compass. These are a little hard to find locally but are always in stock at the online store. The downside is that in most cases, these items are packaged in units of three or more so you can’t just order one.
The online store is one of the few places that I have been able to find the PEZ body parts – a creative and fun way to add a little spunk to your dispensers without having to deviate from the original design or compromise the integrity of the base or body. These clip on, can be easily removed and are made of the same sturdy plastic – and they are great gifts for PEZ collectors! Outside of Hot Topic, these are rather hard to find; the few small specialty candy stores in the area charge an arm and a leg for these [upwards of $8.99 per packet] but the online site sells them for $5.99 for two outfits. Who could possibly pass up a colorful PEZ dispenser that’s decked out as a skeleton, knight or nurse? This is just one of the many PEZ related items that I have fallen in love with but sadly, most of these just aren’t available from retail stores since they have a limited display area. The ones that do carry a few of the specialty items charge twice as much as the site and often times the packaging is dented or has a lot of shelf wear – something that will make any collector scream.
The selection is well above average and is a great place to start looking when you are purchasing PEZ. You will be able to see the newer lines like Bob The Builder, Sesame Street and PEZ Planets as well as ordering candy in bulk sizes [84 rolls]. I am addicted to the peppermint and this is one of the few places that I can find it, if you haven’t tried it, it has a great flavor, isn’t overpowering and is a nice change from the standard flavors. There are some PEZ items that you won’t be able to find at the site. Products that are marketed for other countries, third party products like the previously mentioned Yummy Bubbles and discontinued or retired items that have been exhausted from their stock won’t be sold at the site but are available at placed like eBay, specialty online candy stores and from private collectors and PEZ brokers.
Payment Options
The PEZ Online Store only accepts MasterCard and Visa for purchases. If you don’t have one of these credit cards you can place an order through a candy vendor that sells PEZ products or check local stores like Wal-mart, Target, K-Mart, local grocery stores or retailers that specialize in candy products. When I placed orders using either my MasterCard or Visa, the charged amount was correct to the penny, never over billed and matched the amount in my email order confirmation. If you check the “stuff about PEZ” section of the site you will see an area where retail stores are listed where you can purchase PEZ items. This list is ever expanding so check this are of the site often if you don’t have a MasterCard or Visa to use at the site. If you are still stuck for a place to purchase PEZ, call their ultra friendly customer service department for further assistance.
Customer Service
PEZ Candy Incorporated
780 James P. Casey Road
Bristol, CT. 06010
[888] 777-2205
webmaster@pez.com
ordering@pez.com
customercare@pez.com
When you call the toll free number [available 24 hours a day] you will be greeted with a voice mail message about PEZ, if you still need help you will be instructed to hold the line and in short order, a real life human being will answer your call. None of this voice mail hell to deal with and trust me, these people know their PEZ. I called to ask about an older PEZ dispenser and fully expected the person to be stumped but the answer popped out as soon as I asked it. I have ordered from a lot of online stores and dealt with a lot of customer service representatives but I have to say that the PEZ folks are amongst the best. They are super friendly, knowledgeable and are always willing to answer questions – no matter how bizarre they may seem. When it comes to online sites, customer service is the “make it or break it” factor for most people. If the prices aren’t that great, they are a little slow to ship or charge a little more than others for delivery – all that can be over looked if the customer service is top notch. I’m extremely happy with the customer service team at PEZ, they are knowledgeable about the product, always answer the phone in a happy and chipper manner and never let you go without asking if there’s anything thing else you need taken care or are left with any unanswered questions.
Return Policy
Most items come with a thirty day return policy but there are some exceptions like clearance items or those that are listed in the product description as items that can’t be returned. If you need to make a return, please call the customer service center for information on how to make a return as well as the availability or a replacement item or substitution. I’ve never had to make a return to the site so I really can’t say how quick their turn around or credit time is – but if it is anything like the customer service portion of the site – you can expect quick work for replacements, returns and credits.
The Bottom Line
So far my purchased have been shipped fast, orders filled accurately, customer service has gone beyond the call of duty and all the products ordered have been perfect. While most of the PEZ items that are currently on the market there are some that retail stores don’t stock or get in limited quantities, this is when the website is a godsend and allows you to find the perfect gift for the “pezzie” in your life. Outside of the online store, there is a lot of information for collectors at the site. This is a great way to keep abreast of new items, sales and conventions not to mention a 100% kid safe site with no pop up advertisements or offensive content.
As always, thanks for the read!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
Other great sites that sell collectables ….
Things From Another World
Happy Toy Depot
Lunchboxes.com
HobbyTron
Lego World Shop
Recommended:
Yes
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