Frustration at the Checkout

Hello, Zhu Zhu Pets™ fanatics!

Over on the GottaDeal.com forum, there is a very active Zhu Zhu Pets™ thread. Some interesting discussion has taken place in the last weeks. Most recently, people have been showing frustration. Target.com has been cancelling preorders that were completed several weeks ago. Stores are enforcing limits on Zhu Zhu Pets™ hamsters and accessories, sometimes to an extreme. The following is a post on that thread by username "friholic", which left me feeling very sad, indeed:

"I understand that Toys R Us is trying to help parents get a hard to find toy, but the limits are boarding on a little silly, as parents do shop for more than 1 child at a time. No matter the limit Toys R Us is still selling out of them within 5 minutes of a store opening.

Here is one problem with the 1 Zhu Zhu Pet limit. My SIL took my niece to the store. She was lucky enough to get there and some were on the shelf. My niece did some extra chores last weekend to earn the money to buy a Zhu Zhu Pet. So my niece proceeds to pick 1 of the 4 colors of hamster she wants. With such pride she picks Num Nums. While my niece was distracted my SIL picked up a white one and put it in her cart along with some other items (trying to hide it from my niece). When they go to pay my SIL puts her items on the counter. She hands her white Zhu Zhu Pet to the cashier and gives that parents nod and wink to the cashier and whispers "can you put this at the bottom of the bag?" You know the look we all give to the sales clerk when we are tying to distract our child and pay for something at the same time. The cashier was helpful and my SIL paid for her items.

Then it was my niece’s turn to pay for her Zhu Zhu Pet. With all the pride of an 8 year old, with her change inside her Hello Kitty Wallet inside her Jonas Brothers purse she steps to the counter. Proudly says she "wants to buy this". The cashier then turns to my SIL and tells her that my niece can't buy it. It is explained that since my SIL already purchased 1 Zhu Zhu Pet that my niece can't now purchase one. It is further explained since my niece and my SIL are related it is only "1 Zhu Zhu Pet per household per day". REALLY?

So not only was my niece denied her purchase, she now knows that my SIL had purchased one for a present. "

Further posts revealed that this incident was backed up by the store's manager, and Toys R Us corporate customer service stated that each store's manager has the power to make and enforce these rules to their discretion.

The good news is that Cepia is definitely producing/shipping as many of these sweet critters as fast as they possibly can! They do not condone any of the price-gouging and 3rd party sales that are taking place. They are committed to satisfying the customers to the best of their ability during this time. One representative's words sum it up best: "I know goods are tough to come by, but there are millions of hamsters our there and on their way!".

It appears that Toys R Us is the most reliable place to find shipments of Zhu Zhu Pets™ these days. Do not be afraid to call ahead of time and inquire... ask about when shipments may be expected and about any limits that may be imposed. Don't be afraid to take family and friends with you, if need be!

As always, happy and successful hunting!