AlbeeBaby - Nice Selection, Great Prices (Updated 11/05)
Written: Jun 26 '04 (Updated Feb 01 '09)
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In the world of baby products, I have a try before I buy policy. That means I am pretty limited to what Babies R Us has in stock. However, I am not always thrilled with their prices. So after I have made my decision I head home to check prices on-line. When I decided to buy my Maclaren Rally Twin stroller AlbeeBaby had it for $100 than I could find it anywhere else. They were also one of the few retailers that actually had the color that I wanted. Sold!
Navigation
The hardest part of navigating AlbeeBaby is finding the site, which is http://store.yahoo.com/albee-baby/index.html. Typing in the logical name of albeebaby.com yields a message that the site is under construction and will launch in July 2002.
Once you make it to the site a list of all of the major baby categories is listed on the left side of the screen. Clicking on any of the categories brings up the products. If there is a large number of products in a category, such as strollers, a new screen with subcategories will pop to help you narrow down your search. The product list page includes the name of each product in the category, thumbnail pictures, suggested price and AlbeeBaby’s price. Clicking on either the picture or the product name brings up the details on that item.
You can also search the site using key words. The search will return results with your word in the title or the product description. You get 10 results per page but there is no way to sort the results. Results with the search word in the title appear first in the list and then products where your word only appears in the description.
Selection
AlbeeBaby has a nice selection of baby gear, specializing in big ticket items such as car seat, strollers, and high chairs. They have smaller selections of diapering accessories, carriers, a few toys as well as bathing and feeding accessories. Most of the brands are what I consider mid to high end of the price range. They have a large selection of Maclaren, Combi, Peg Perego and Graco.
Something to keep in mind, is that AlbeeBaby is not and authorized retailer for some of the brands that they sell and the manufacturer may not honor your warranty. At the time I made my purchase Maclaren and Combi did not list AlbeeBaby as an authorized internet retailer. So while you may be getting a great price it is something you want to keep in mind should you have problems down the road with your product. However these lists are updated regularly, just be sure to check the manufacturers website before buying. I know since I purchased my stroller Maclaren and Combi have added Albee Baby to their authorized on-line retailer list.
The prices are great. For every product I have researched AlbeeBaby consistently has the lowest prices. However, they do not always carry every pattern available or the lowest price may not be on the fabric you want.
Ordering
You need to be on the product description page in order to add an item to your basket. Once it is added you can proceed to the check-out or continue to shop. Because AlbeeBaby is a Yahoo store my shipping and billing address pop-up automatically. Otherwise on the first page you fill out your name and shipping address. On the next page you enter your payment information including a billing address if it is different from the shipping address. The final page is to review your order before placing your order.
AlbeeBaby offers free shipping on all orders over $99 and shipping is a reasonable $4.95 for orders less than $99. UPS 2nd Day and Next Day Air are available. Most items are in-stock and ship within 2 business days, for a $15 expedite charge AlbeeBaby guarantees shipping within 24 hours of placing an order. You must call and make to make arrangements for any of the non-standard shipping and ordering options. AlbeeBaby ships only within the 48 contiguous states.
AlbeeBaby accepts Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. While their office and retail store is in New York the warehouse is in New Jersey so shipping to either state means you will be paying sales tax.
Customer Service
You can contact AlbeeBaby at albeeny@aol.com or by calling (212) 662-7337. There hours are Monday through Saturday, 9am to 5:30pm EST.
You can return an item within 30 days of receipt for a full refund of the purchase price less a $25 restocking fee for each item shipped. You pay for return shipping. All items must be in new and unused condition and you must include a copy of your invoice. You cannot return opened or used: feeding accessories, breast pumps, bathing accessories, lotions and powders, diapering accessories, diaper pails, potty seats and wipes, video/audio tapes, and undergarments.
Our Experience
I admit that was a little concerned about ordering from a store with an AOL e-mail address. Anyone can get one of those! I did a little research and found out that AlbeeBaby has been in business for over 70 years, so that eased my mind a little. The fact that they are only about 90 miles from my house gave me a little nudge to go ahead and place my first order with them.
I placed my stroller order on a Friday evening. I immediately received an e-mail telling me that they were experiencing delays and my stroller might not ship for up to ten days. I was given the option of canceling my order if I did not want to wait. Although I was disappointed I was not in any particular rush for the stroller and I was willing to wait to save $100.
On Saturday morning I received an e-mail from AlbeeBaby because they were having trouble getting my credit card to go through. I keyed in my card number incorrectly so I e-mailed them the corrected credit card number. Within an hour I received an email confirming that my credit card had gone through the second time. I was impressed at how quickly they caught and correct the error.
Imagine my surprise when my new stroller was waiting for me on Tuesday afternoon, only two business days after I ordered it. I hadn’t checked my e-mail on Monday so I didn’t even know it had shipped until after I received it. The stroller was shipped in its original packaging and arrived undamaged. I did not receive an instruction manual with my stroller but I contacted the manufacturer directly to get one.
I received the exact stroller I ordered faster than I expected. AlbeeBaby had one very happy customer.
Final Thoughts
Although I was thrilled with my first experience with AlbeeBaby I have not ordered from them again. I am a little concerned that manufacturers who do not recognize AlbeeBaby as an authorized retailer may not honor the warranty. The savings on the stroller was so much that I was willing to take that risk. While I may never need the manufacturer’s warranty I would hate to not be able to use if I was just saving a few dollars.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Maclaren Rally Twin stroller
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Member: Mary Ellen
Location: Nutmeg State
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