HearthSong

Average toy shop. Shopping, ordering, delivery were all satisfactory.
NOTE:
Prior to ordering from Hearthsong I never ordered from an online toy shop, and I have not ordered from one since. The only explanation for the 16 different toy catalogs I am getting(I am sure more are on their way) is that Hearthsong sold my information and now my address is a commodity to be traded in the junk mailers market.

 I would not shop here again

Just off the phone with very arrogant and unresponsive staff supervisor.  I ordered Halloween items six days before Halloween.  They were not shipped until 3 days before Halloween, and got there the day after Halloween.  I complained at the time that I saw the shipping date; received lame online apology.  THEN I was billed on my credit card for 2 orders, very obviously exactly the same, posted to my credit card on two different days.  My order went to a seven-yr-old in FL (me in TN), whose parents I rarely speak to, and yet Hearthsong insists they will not refund my money for the second order unless I find out if the child received the duplicate order and send back whatever merchandise she may have received.  Halloween was more than a month ago, now.  They claim I pushed a button twice--but don't they have some sort of safeguard that would flag this kind of problem? Now, from TN, must talk to this child's parents in FL--not pleasant--see if she received two orders--they may not know--get them to find the merchandise and mail it to me so I can mail it back.

 I would not shop here again

I ordered two kids' pitching machines. They were shipped very quickly. I'd definitely buy from these people again! Great online shopping experience.

 I would shop here again

I ordered Hearthsong's "Pottery Special" (a Creativity Kits pottery wheel, additional air-dry clay and additional paint) as a birthday gift for my daughter. It arrived a few days before her birthday. I didn't open the box (kids like to peek!) until it was time to wrap it.

The pottery wheel was an obvious return: the paint, tools, clay cutter, and adapter cord were missing. The wheel had batteries (which are *not* included). The pottery wheel box was open, with the items spilling out (or I wouldn't have realized the problem). The pottery wheel itself had a piece of plastic broken off, and the included booklet had (missing) items circled in ink! The shipping carton was intact.

I have contacted them, but have not yet heard back. This is the second *major* problem I have had with Hearthsong. I don't trust them.

 I would not shop here again

I have ordered many items from Hearthsong, and have always been satisfied with the service, and the quality of the products.

 I would shop here again

On December 1st,I ordered 4 small items with standard delivery.On the 4th,I recieved an e-mail that my order was being processed.2 weeks went by so I called customer service.The rep told me they were backed up in the warehouse but I could expect delivery   Read full review...

 I would not shop here again

I ordered a sleeping bag for my daughter on 12/12, along with a couple of smaller items. The sleeping bag showed "in stock" as I placed my order and my credit card was billed for it when I did. I later received notice that my order shipped. The order arrived. In attempt to keep it hidden, I failed to open the box. When I opened it just in time for Christmas, there was no sleeping bag. And it wasn't on the invoice. Yet I knew I had paid for it. And there was no comment about it missing. I pulled the original order and indeed, I did pay for it.Heartbroken, I called HearthSong and they told me the item was out of stock until at least February. I said, "but I already paid for it and it was in stock when I purchased it". They apologized, but offered no remedy. I think it is UNACCEPTABLE that they didn't notify me OR didn't even credit my charge card. Had they let me know, I could have ordered my daughter a substitute. Instead, she will go without on Christmas Day. HORRIBLE!

 I would not shop here again

WARNING! Do *NOT* order from this company, *nothing* but problems and headaches! Website would not work to place an order (not a cookie problem on my end!) after trying to send 2 emails to customer services and not recieving a reply to either one, I   Read full review...

 I would not shop here again

After being told the product we ordered would be here, our Christmas destination, for the 24th, and we called on the 25th and was told it would be here on the 28th I will never buy anything from them again. I will not recommend them or say anything nice about thier company to anyone. They effectively upset our 6 year old little girl due to their lack of organization and effectual planning. They didn't seem to care if we ever received our product. Given a chance to buy from them again or a sharp stick in the eye, the stick in the eye will heal, I will listen to this Christmas story about how everyone else got a gift except her, for ever.

 I would not shop here again

HearthSong ruined Christmas 2007. I wish I had read these reviews before ordering. I ordered 12-11-07. They shipped on 12-20 and PROMISED it would be here before Christmas.Today(12-24) they say won't be here till 27th. They completely suck. For the person who would use them again- use Amazon they have same stuff, comes in three days. NEVER AGAIN. |I will make it my mission to tell everyone to tell everyone don't order from these incompetent liars.

 I would not shop here again

My daughter rec'd a lovely birthday gift from Hearth Song last year. I had check their web site and since we had many gifts to purchase, placed an order. The order was for well over $100 and a $15 shipping charge. Right now I am very angry and   Read full review...

 I would not shop here again

This company is absolutely horrible. Even though I placed one order for items (and received only 1 confirmation number), I received double of everything and my credit card was charged twice. I was told that I would have to return items for credit even though not my mistake. Because Ihad items shipped to the recipients directly, I then had to drive all over the state to get the toys back so I could return them. It was great fun taking toys away from children at Christmas time...NOT! Their customer service is the pits. Avoid this company at all costs. I wish I had seen these reviews before I ordered toys from them. They are now saying I did not return one of the items I ordered. Very frustrating.

 I would not shop here again

Personally I like shopping online, but with HearthSong I found some advantages to placing your order with them over the phone. Here is why: 1.- Their Online store gives you the impression which items can be wrapped - when actually wrapping is   Read full review...

 I would shop here again

Similar horror stories as other customers. Ordered the first week of December but they didn't ship until 12 days later. Package didn't arrive until *after* Christmas (would have been nice to get a heads-up from that about this delay!).

Returned the item to them but didn't get a credit. I had to call them at which point they said "Oh, yeah, we did get that back-- I guess we should refund your card."

Don't get suckered in-- they have a nice selection but you're not guaranteed to be able to get the goods!

 I would not shop here again

I started shopping at HearthSong approximately four years ago and from my very first purchase I was hooked. Most recently I placed several orders over the holiday and during the post-holiday clearance. My favorite and most frequently shopped categories   Read full review...

 I would shop here again

They did a TERRIBLE job with my order. They definitely could not handle the Christmas crunch. Even though I placed an order on December 5, I still did not get all of the items before Christmas. I even called them 2 times before Christmas to make sure   Read full review...

 I would not shop here again

I ordered several products right after Thanksgiving for Christmas. I called and called, they assured me they'd get there. Two days after Xmas two of the same order arrived.
I ordered the tether ball for Xmas for my son. When it arrived, we blew up the ball according to directions. It kept deflating. I called and asked for a replacement tether ball. I am still waiting.
I do not recommend this catalog, regardless of the products they offer. Their customer service reps are very kind. I doubt this is their fault. The problem I believe is with the overall management. I called to have my name removed from their mailing list. They said no problem, didn't even bother to ask why. I do the majority of my shopping online. This was without a doubt my very worst experience.

 I would not shop here again

Did not put one item into the box.
Told lies about "will ship immediately", "will refund", etc., during every call.
Has not refunded money yet.

 I would not shop here again

Look I have to say Hearthsong nearly ruined my Christmas.

Order made on 12/05/06 - with no idea where it was or what happened to it I had a reorder made on 12/20/06 (with overnight delivery) and a promise it would be received on 12/23/06. I received it yesterday 01/03/07. It had been overnighted but they never shipped it out until 01/02/07.

I would love to say I will never order again, but it isn't true. I have ordered ever christmas for 7 years (since my daughter was born), never with a major problem.

They have great products, that you can not get anywhere else. I am already planning on ordering Easter Gifts from them and I will for Birthdays, Baby Showers and my Christmas 2007 gifts.

I love Plow and Hearth/Hearthsong/Magic Cabin and they will make good with ALL the problems we encountered this season.

They will Always have me as a Customer, everyone has a rough patch...





 I would shop here again

Hearth Song is not a reputable company! They take your order and then they do not fulfill it. Then they have their customer service people tell you lie after lie about how an order has been shipped and it will be received by Christmas and then it doesn't show up. Now it is Christmas and we get to see the disappointment in our children's eyes because the presents they wanted are not under the tree. I have just called Hearth Song to find out WHEN and IF my order will ever be fulfilled and NOW they tell me that they are all back-ordered (wish they had told me that on December 9 when I placed my order!!!) and they don't know if they will be ever be received! This is ridiculous and I plan on writing in everywhere I can to let everyone know not to order from this catalog. They ruin Christmas.

 I would not shop here again

This was first experience ordering from HearthSong. I had received their catalog and loved the interesting and imaginative toys they offered. Christmas was coming and I was looking for some fun items for my children's stockings. Pros of my experience:   Read full review...

 I would not shop here again

"Go with my contingency plan and get a different gift." was the direct quote from the floor supervisor of the customer service office. I am disgusted with this company!!! Placed order on Dec 9, received the wrong product on Dec 16. Spoke with customer service and was "guaranteed" delivery of the correct item before Christmas. Now it is Dec 27 and they know that it has been shipped, but they have no tracking number and no idea where my gift is located. When I asked for a refund they told me that they would not be able to give me my money back. This company has the most absolutely rude customer service representatives I have ever spoken with. I have been purchasing from here for five years with no problems and now I will never shop here again.

 I would not shop here again

I ordered several "in stock" products from the Hearthsong website well before the 10 days needed to ship by Christmas. As of December 23rd, according to the website my order was still being "processed" and hadn't been shipped. My email to the company was never answered.

It's a real shame that this company can't seem to keep its act together around Christmas because they have some really great products. It's the type of store I would return to many times if it weren't for the lack of communication and slow shipping.

 I would not shop here again

Awful is the word I'd use. I received a partial acknowledgement of order through email (it listed two of the fifteen items I ordered). I never received the products I ordered (it is now 12/26, I placed the order on 12/15). When I called customer service (several times) they said the did not have tracking numbers and could not tell me anything about my order. I have ordered from them before (last year and in 2004) and never experienced anything like this. When I do finally receive my package I'll probably keep it because I have a feeling they are going to go under and wouldn't give me my money back. No one can stay in business with service like this. Most of the products they sell can be found elsewhere - I recommend you shop elsewhere!

 I would not shop here again

Short version: items never delivered, hopelessly incompetent customer service, caused even more stress at Christmas.

I placed an order on December 14 for 21 items, paying for expedited, two day shipping. On the 22nd, I received 4 items with no explanation as to where the rest of my order was. Customer service gave me a grand runaround on the phone, promising I would receive the remainder on the 23rd by midnight. They couldn't tell me how many packages were coming or what the tracking numbers were. Here it is, the 26th, and still no items, nor any response to my online customer service inquiry. Amusingly, they commented out the link to Bizrate from their webpage footer, but if you look at the source and go there, you'll see that Hearthsong did a whole bunch of people wrong this holiday.

 I would not shop here again

I have had very positive experiences in the past with HearthSong, and I am especially pleased with the types of products they offer. However, their service this Christmas has been horrific. I ordered a number of items on December 15 with a free 2 day   Read full review...

 I would not shop here again

I placed an order on December 11, 2006 11am at HearthSong.com. I've had good experiences with them before, but this time its been bad overall. I noticed I never recieved a shipping notice. When I called them...they said that they could not give me a tracking number and could not give me any information?

Now anyone can get a tracking number. I ordered from eToys.com, Amazon.com and Lego.com the very same day.. and I received all the products within a week. I still don't have my order from HearthSong and it is now December 24th. I am glad I went out and bought stocking stuffers to replace the ones I ordered.

I would not recommend ordering from them ever because of the horrid lack of "knowing or not knowing" where the order is. No tracking, nothing.

I have an update as of December 31, still nothing from them. I've called them and they still are in denial. Pretty sorry service if you ask me.

 I would not shop here again

This company engages in fraudulent business practices. Despite ordering two weeks before Christmas, and then following up every day for a week, I received absolutely horrible customer service. Either the company has no idea how to track its inventory or the customer service representatives lied. Now on December 23rd, I have no package, no idea where the package is, and no response from anyone at the company. I have never encountered a company that operates like this.

 I would not shop here again

I will never order from this company again. I made my order for Christmas on 12/15. Knowing Christmas was approaching soon, I paid the additional fee for second day air shipping. On 12/18, my order status was still showing as "processing", meaning it hadn't left the warehouse yet. I called every day from 12/19 to 12/22. No one could tell me the status of my order, but assured me that I would receive it in time for Christmas. On 12/21, I spoke with a rep who informed me that my order had shipped on 12/20, and I would receive it today. I called in again today and was informed that my order has not yet left the warehouse, and will not leave the warehouse prior to Christmas. I have been mislead and outright lied to by this company, and will never ordered from this company again.

 I would not shop here again

When I ordered this item it said it was in stock. It has been over 10 business days and I have yet to receive it. I did not receive a tracking or shipping confirmation instead I receive an email a day with one of their silly advertisements. When I called customer service a very rude representative said my package hadn't been shipped and I would probably receive it on the 27th. When I talked to her supervisor, he said that he thought it had been shipped and blamed USPS for losing it. This is the WORST online shopping experience I have ever had! I will NEVER order from HearthSong AGAIN!!

 I would not shop here again

I would NOT recommend this company. Upon ordering, UI said all items in stock. Site also clearly says standard shipping is 7-10 days. 13 days later and I have no order, have spent a total of 150 minutes on the phone with them in the last three days, no answers. Called Parent Company (Plow and Hearth) and was similarly treated. Standard seems to be to put you on hold for an excess of 10 minutes (twice in one call) to see if you, the customer, will hang up. Finally found that 1/3 of order was backordered, and what is being shipped is still uncertain as to delivery date. They also could not reconcile the charges to my credit card. Just a bad experience all around.

Too bad, as they have unusual offerings, but I question the actual morals of this firm. This was a $350 order, and I am calling the credit card company to dispute the order now.


 I would not shop here again

Terrible customer service. I paid extra for 2 day shipping, they confirmed that it had been sent, and only half the order showed up. They said there was nothing they could do. The order would show up another day, and that was it. Couldn't even tell me where it was. They did offer to refund the EXTRA amount for the expedited shipping.

Worst online shopping experience I've ever had.

 I would not shop here again

I agree with the negative reviews regarding delivery. I ordered on Dec 2nd and have not yet received it on Dec 20th. Plus, they charge $15 for basic shipping. I did nearly all my Xmas shopping online and EVERYTHING I have ordered besides this item has been delivered - even items I ordered AFTER this one. An item I ordered barely one week ago has already arrived. Coincidentally I was talking to my Mom and she had also ordered from them for Xmas AND she also had not received her item. The delivery is VERY, VERY bad and EXPENSIVE. There are too many other online stores to put up with this. They got my one and only order.

 I would not shop here again

I shopped at Hearthsong for most of my Christmas needs in 2003 and did okay. Tried again in 2004 and WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!! I received an E-mail from Hearthsong offering a free upgrade to 2nd day shipping. Since there were still roughly 2 weeks until Christmas I thought this was a safe offer. On December 21st I was still waiting. I called the company and after they apologized profusely they said they would ship my package out overnight at no extra charge. Three days after Christmas I called to tell them to cancel because obviously all their free upgrades didn't mean diddly. They said they would refund my money. Well, it took a month and a half and several nasty phone calls and letters before I saw a single dime. When they did give me a refund they shorted me by $30.00. I give up shopping with them but I will never tire of telling people what a lousy experience I had with them. By the way, HEARTHSONG is owned by 1-800-FLOWERS.COM who also own PLOW AND HEARTH.

 I would not shop here again

I placed an order for their toy sewing machine with express 2 day shipping on a Thursday, believing for some reason that as their website states my order would be processed within 24 hours leaving me to believe that it would be shipped out the next day   Read full review...

 I would not shop here again

Disappointed. I was taken by surprise. I called in and placed a two item order. Before completing the transaction I was read the list of items on special. One of the items I had ordered was listed. When I pointed this out and asked for the special price   Read full review...

 I would not shop here again

I ordered several Christmas gifts from Hearthsong for a slew of nephews. I opted not to pay for quick shipping, because I was ordering on December 10th but didn't need the gifts until after Christmas. I suspected we'd be having the family parties   Read full review...

 I would not shop here again

I ordered a majority of my son's Christmas presents over 2 weeks before Christmas. The week before Christmas, I called about the order, since I had only gotten 2 small packages shipped separately which were stocking stuffers. She assured me that all   Read full review...

 I would not shop here again

Well, where to start? I ordered three major items from this online merchant on December 7th intending them for Christmas presents for my 2 and 5 year old daughters and immediately received a confirmation stating that my order was received and would be   Read full review...

 I would not shop here again

One evening I was perusing the web in search of interesting art and craft kits for children when I happened upon hearthsong.com. The warm appearance of the HearthSong Online Store banner intrigued me with similar feelings to those emitted from   Read full review...

 I would shop here again