Build-A-Bear Workshop Reviews 345

Spent nearly £300 over two orders via their website. This was my first time ordering with Build-a-Bear. When they arrived it was to find the bears just stuffed into two boxes with the various outfits stuffed in the boxes, here, there and everywhere. It was a mess. This isn't what I expected from such a store. All that money and it looked like a box of rubbish someone was going to take the tip! Then I had a problem with bonus points...they never updated. I contacted customer services who told me I had 263 points which would be converted into vouchers. Yet when I looked on my account, only 246 points had been added to my account, which meant I had lost out on a £5 voucher. I contacted customer services again to query this and to complain about the state my order arrived in... Well, what a farce this was!!!! You totally waste your breath with these people! They either don't even bother reading all the email or - as I suspect - just ignore practically everything and give you an answer that doesn't resolve the issue. Several emails were exchanged in a row and each time this person - I don't know if it was male or female as it was a foreign name - failed to address the issues. I even included the email from their colleague that stated I had 263 points NOT 246, yet they totally ignored this and each time just replied with nonsense...and then just stopped replying altogether. So I am out of pocket a £5 voucher and they are refusing to accept this or discuss it. Appalling customer service from start to finish.

Absolutely terrible customer service and online system. Booked a party online no confirmation no gift card as advised £20 taken from my account. Trying to get hold of someone for 5 day been told im lying. Also told that im the only person to complain trust pilot says different. Hanging up on me for the way I communicate (I have a communication disability). Despite me telling the call handler I am disabled still hung up. Promised call backs and not been done. Everytime I call I get told the same thing that is completely not resolving the matter at hand.

Total scam! Very expensive and they say they do not have the Birthday Special which is advertised online!! We especially made a trip to the shop on my son’s birthday to take advantage of the advertised birthday special but apparently it does not exist. Also the shop manager in Hamleys was very rude!!

If you get emotionally attached to your stuffed animals DO NOT order from them online.
Absolutely heartless monsters over email and chat. I am autistic ok and IDC how "childish" it is - I get very emotionally attached to the bears I created in my order - they were special to me - they had names and hearts and to me feelings (even if I know logically that is not true my heart still feels it) - when the package was lost (fed ex said on its way and build a bear said returned) they gave me back my money but I didn't want my money back nor did I ask for my money back - I wanted my bears! I tried explaining how important this was and that I was crying over them (stupid to many people I know but I really loved them) they just kept saying your money was refunded bye. Literally no help at all. Fed Ex said it was on its way still and that Build A Bear would have to call them to figure out what was going on and the chat agent refused to call Fed Ex - just literally like a robot kept saying "they are returned and you are refund. the refund will arrive in X days" no matter how many times I said I didn't care about the refund and that I'd pay again if they would ship them again - at the very least I want to know where my bears went and what happened to them - I am heartbroken at the idea of them ending up in the trash :(

Now talking to someone on the phone who at least has been kind to me!! unlike the chat or email agent but apparently the items are at the warehouse now and FOR WHATEVER REASON can't be sent back to me even though I'm willing to pay again. I don't understand why they would do that. I just want my bears :(

I I was very happy with the service the young Lady Miah was very helpful
And very happy with the product thank you.

Took my 11 year old daughter to Penrith Build A Bear today, after her wanting to go for a while... it was great. Of course it's the most expensive soft toy they'll ever own but, the experience and how happy she is, made it worth it. Time was taken with each part of her customisation. The lady was short-staffed but still made the effort to go through each stage and did not rush her.
Very happy with the whole process and my daughter's new furry friend.

Store wouldn’t honour the birthday build a bear special. They claimed there is fine print that stated you had to sign up on the first of the month. That’s “convenient” when they force you to pay the full price and continue the following year.
To build-a-bear, if you read this, I’d like to make you aware that you’ve lost what would have been an annual tradition on my daughter’s birthday. Secondly, my other sons will cease their tradition and I will not support the store after the lack of compassion. Very disappointed in the way this was handled.

The emo axolotl promotion was a cruel prank because many including my family were not able to see the promotion early enough as it was only for one day. Members of my family were looking forward to getting one and are extremely disappointed in this company. I'm sure I can speak for everyone saying we hope you bring this little axolotl back so more people can have a chance to get one.

Thank you for my olde dog my plates solf toy I love him so much good item and brilliant shipping to me

My build a bear was a gift from my husband that passed on in December.
Ive recently noticed that the battery may no longer be working as I can no longer hear the message that was left for me.
Called build a bear at the Gateway branch and spoke to someone that was unable to offer me a direct answer about whether they would be able to replace the battery and if I would be able to get the voice recording working again.
Long story short was that they are afraid that the recording device may break if they fit a new battery or I can come in and record a new voice. Not very empathetic as I need my husbands voice message that was left. I still do not have the answer to my initial enquiry

Ordered on Sunday and arrived Monday. WoW superb service 👏 Great product. Well made.

Got my 2021 graduating teddy bear, in the mall. Lovely staff and company. Most recently, got ome in the UK, last july. Great experience, good service.

I took 2 of my grandkids to build a bear OKC for a birthday experience. We drive 2 1-2 hours and spent almost $200.00 for no experience at all. They didn’t do the heart ceremony, help with printing the birth certificates or anything else! I’ve went here for years and have never had more unmotivated staff than we did that day!

We travelled nearly two hours to build a bear in Highcross Leicester with only 2weeks and 2 days until our daughter’s birthday and we didn’t realise it had to be the birthday month. I had explained to the staff member (the older woman)
we traveled so far was there any chance we could do it today she bluntly said no.

I ordered allot of Build A Bears online and happy with the service and just recently I ordered Otterly Adorable Otter unstuffed undresses and I have been having problems with this order. It took about a week just to get a update and now I got it has shipped but only label created when I track it and was told today which is 2/25/25 that FedEx does not operate on weekends so when did Monday become a weekend which was yesterday. I don’t think anyone that works for customer service knows what they are doing lack of training for sure. I will never order another Build A Bear online ever again. Not to mention I also ordered another one with this one to be picked up at store and I had to call the store up to see if it was ready because customer service did not want to. I called the store and told them the order number and they said they never got it and I told them the order number and they said it should be ready in ten minutes and when I picked that one up and complained about Build A Bear.com they said Build A Bear online customer service is awful.

So I'm 12 and me and my BFF thought it would be fun if we made bears for each other. Everyone was really nice and helped us pick a bear. But then we got to the clothes! None of them have prices on so we didn't know how much we were spending. We both ended up spending £50 and I now have no money. It's a trap to get you to spend more money! Overall it was fun but not worth the price!

I ordered a bear for a gift on Saturday 15th Feb with the delivery date being by the 21st Feb, only received tracking info today which says they have received my order information but no parcel very bad service indeed, spoken to guests service only to be told I could not have a refund which I requested as the bear had been shipped, I could get a refund by sending it back once I received it, really poor build a bear will not be ordering off you again!

Leicester Highcross Buildabear- one lady was exceptionally lovely and another when something went wrong had appalling customer service and was extremely rude, was buying a gift and you aren’t allowed to add a message from a tv show and this lady told me in an extremely passive aggressive way, i purchased the item and returned the same day becuse it wasn’t perfect and she served me in a tone that was just horrid. will never return to a buildabear shop again.

Placed an order. 3 days ago now, and the still says "Pending". All items in stock and available. Spoke with "Live Agent", "Bruce R.", in chat and the response was, "I can see your order has been prepared and is waiting for fedex to pick it up". I asked when is Fedex coming, a reasonable question since Fedex usually comes around the same time to companies that use them often. Bruce R.'s response was "we will just need to wait for them to pick it up from our warehouse."

So a company with $539M market cap does not have a way for customer circus to communicate with the warehouse for simple questions?!? If I could give ZERO stars I would.

Nicole L was helping us and she was so kind! The experience was fun and the bear is cute and good quality. I am definitely going again! 💖