The Wiggles Online Store - Input from a Wiggly Mom & Shopper
Written: Jul 31 '02 (Updated Jan 15 '03)
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My 19 month old son and I are die-hard fans of The Wiggles so the past few months I've been on a mission to purchase him all sorts of Wiggly stuff. I originally requested this category to be added in early/mid July while I was waiting for an order. As my merchandise has finally arrived I decided it was time for me to submit my Wiggly Review!
Those of you who have no idea who The Wiggles are then visit their website at:http://www.thewiggles.com.au or see one of my many Wiggles reviews which are listed on my profile page here at Epinions. (I've reviewed all of their videos, and more).
In a nutshell, The Wiggles are children's entertainment from Australia who are becoming more and more popular in the US due to airtime on The Disney Channel. While plentiful in Australia, the availability of Wiggles merchandise in the US pales in comparison. I am so lucky to have a dear friend in Australia who has "hooked me up" on occasion with Wiggles loot. For those who are not so lucky, you'll need to shop at online auctions like eBay or go to one of the Wiggles Live Shows in order to purchase "stuff". Or, you can shop at The Wiggles Online Store. This online store is basically "THE" place to look for Wiggles merchandise. The store can be browsed by going to The Wiggles Website at www.thewiggles.com.au and clicking on "Online Store". Or, if you want to go directly there, copy and paste this link into your browser:
http://bne004i.webcentral.com.au/catalogue/vs14164/default.shtml
First of all, if you are in the US or Canada and looking to pick up Wiggles Videos, CDs or Audio Cassettes - skip The Wiggles Online Store and head for your favorite local or online retailer. If you don't have one you can visit the Hit Entertainment Online Store at: http://store.yahoo.com/lyrickstudios/wiggles.html
HIT Entertainment holds the exclusive licence in the US to CDs, Videos, DVDs, and Cassettes. Besides, the videos are a different format in the US (NTSC) and Australia (PAL) so they wouldn't work anyhow.
Wiggly Shopping Experience
Site Navigation
Once you enter The Wiggles Online Store you will see that function prevails over form. The site is rather amateurish looking as far as websites go but that is part of charm of The Wiggles. The main shopping area is layed out on a white screen with the colorful Wiggles Online Store logo and 24 various icons representing various shopping categories laid out in a grid - 5 across by 5 down. While simple to locate items, the setup is rather primitive. (Sort of like The Wiggles in Caveland, for those of you who are fans.)
Icons
The following category/icons are available for browsing:
~New Items
~Merchandise Insurance Options
~Wiggly Specials
~Big Red Car Ride On
~Books
~Cards
~CD-Roms
~Clocks & Watches
~Clothing
~Dinnerware
~Dolls
~Hat, Tails & Costumes
~Motifs
~Parties
~Posters
~Toys & Bags
~Tapes (not for purchase in the US)
~CDs (not for purchase in the US)
~Videos (not available for purchase in the US)
~Videos NTSC format (right format for us, but not for sale to the US here)
~DVD (not for purchase in the US)
~Greg Page Solo Album (actually a link to gregpage.com)
~Morgan Crowley CD
~US Online Store link (for movies and music)
As you can see a wide-range of merchandise is available, though not all to the US audience. Some of the "fun" and popular items on the site include various costumes for children to dress up as their favorite Wiggle or even Captain Feathersword. No Worries, strap-on dorothy tails are also available. I have fallen in love with the Big Red Car Ride-On which is actually from Little Tikes and is similar to a Cozy Coupe in function. The car is $130 in Australian dollars, which isn't too bad. Except, to ship it to the US the postage is another $105 (AU dollars). Ouch. This time I opted for a Wiggles CD-Rom software package which was $40 (AU) and a spoon & fork set which was $8 (AU).
Pricing
All pricing on the site is in Australian dollars, so things look really expensive. Don't be fooled though, because of the exchange rate being in favor of the US dollar to the Australian dollar, the prices are affordable. If you are unfamiliar with currency conversion they offer a link to a currency converter website before entering the online store: http://www.oanda.com/converter/classic
I talk to my friend in Australia online quite a bit so I roughly know where our dollar stands so I didn't bother looking up the exchange. I later saw on our statement what we were charged and it was a pretty good deal for what I purchased.
Shipping & Handling
Unless purchasing special items, like The Big Red Car Ride-On, you will play a flat rate for shipping based on how many items you purchase. To the US or Canada you will pay $13 (AU) for 1-2 items, or $27 (AU) for 3 or more items. Insurance is recommended for online orders and is available for a few extra dollars. Even though my order was a relatively small one, I did add insurance to it.
Wiggly Checkout
After selecting my items I proceeded to check out, where I paid with my credit card. The Wiggles Online Store only accepts payment from the US in MasterCard, Visa, or an International Bank Cheque. Final payment displayed on the screen during checkout is in Australian dollars and the currency conversion takes place behind the scenes by your credit card company. After placing my order I was taken to an order confirmation screen which I printed out and placed in my bookmarks. (Remember this - you'll need it later)
One thing that concerned me was that no email confirmation was sent to me when I placed my order. Though I printed out what was on the screen I always like to receive some sort of confirmation telling me that my order has indeed been received and will be processed. Likewise, I appreciate an email correspondence when my order was shipped, but there was no such email.
On the other hand, there is a customer service email listed at The Wiggles Online Store for order questions and I did contact it to receive a confirmation, which was sent out promptly. I just don't think shoppers should need to ask for these things, they should be a given.
When I couldn't locate my printout I went to the browser link I had bookmarked only to find that it pulled up another customer's order. Payment info was not listed, but address and delivery info was and this really concerned me as it directly conflicted the stated privacy policy listed on the site. I plan on contacting them about this concern immediately.
Wiggly Delivery
More than 3 full weeks later my son's Wiggly stuff has arrived. According to The Wiggles Online Store delivery time to the US is estimated at about a month. My delivery time was well within their window, but still seemed like a very long time to me. Overall though, I'm pleased with my merchandise decisions and found them to be worth the wait.
Wiggly Outcome
I recommend The Wiggles Online Store as being "The Source" for purchasing Wiggles merchandise online. All merchandise I've received has been wonderful and being a Wiggles fan I'll definitely return. My next purchase will likely be some party supplies if they are not available in the US when it nears my son's second birthday.
But, I do feel that their online store does have several areas for improvement (communication, security, and look/feel). Because of these shortcomings, I can only give it 3 stars. They can only get better!
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Reviews of Other Videos from The Wiggles
Wiggle Time
Yummy Yummy
Wake Up Jeff
Dance Party
Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas
Yule Be Wiggling
Wiggly, Wiggly World
Toot Toot!
Wiggly Play Time
Hoop Dee Doo Its a Wiggly Party!
Wiggly Safari or Wiggly Safari on CD
For "Everything you need to know about The Wiggles" Read: The Wiggles 101
Visit The Wiggles website:
http://www.thewiggles.com
Recommended:
Yes
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marytara
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