To think smiggle is rubbish??

[MaryPoppinsPenguins]

My DD needs a pencil case this year, going into year 2. All summer she has been asking to get the stuff from Smiggle. She's a terrible sleeper and we did a reward chart, with the reward being that she could get one and fill it from there.

She earned it, so yesterday we went and she got a pencil case, water bottle, keyring, pencils that smell like strawberries, toppers, ruler, scissors, rubbers like lollipops, colours, a pen with a Pom Pom on it and a few other things. (£90!!!! Almost had a heart attack)

We left the shop and she wanted to look at her stuff... picked up the pen and the Pom Pom fell off.

Then she tried the soap band ruler, and it had a big scratch in the design all on the inside

So as I was two minutes out, I went back to the shop and showed them that the items were faulty. They refused to give me a refund and said they only do gift vouchers. I'm pretty sure that's not right, said so, and was refused, so got the gift voucher and left.

Today we were getting her stuff ready for school, putting her stuff in the pencil case, and the zip broke. Totally broke off. Ffs.

Also the metal part of the sharpener is not in right so it doesn't sharpen properly.

Now she has to go to school tomorrow without her little pencil case she's been so excited about. Which I know isn't a big deal... but it is to her.

I'm so annoyed. If you're going to charge £5 a pen and ££££ a pencil case, surely you have to make them with a bit of care so they last more than three seconds.

I'm so pissed off.

My DD10 was always popping into the smiggle shop looking at things asking for things, cruel DM (moi) would just smile sweetly and when pressed laugh maniacally at the prices and waft out the store buying nothing.
And then just before Christmas there was a brilliant sale and discounts online including the advent calendar as it was now halfway through December, so mummy who secretly loves all their tat, went spending crazy and bought tons of smelly pens and pencils, gorgeous pencil cases, glittery lights and even treated DS to a pencil case. Everything has lasted really well and DD loves her DM for smiggling ever

Just to add that wooden toys seem like a lovely idea until you have a stroppy toddler who decides to throw them at the telly. Then the lightweight plastic ones become a lot more appealing

Totally agree about this shop. Gorgeous granddaughter dragged me in there during the hols. All cheap imported rubbish but bright and cheerful! So sorry about your experience and lack of refund. I don't think that it's ethical to insist on vouchers for more rubbish!

They saw you coming! £90 on back to school tat you're mad!
Luckily mine are 8 and grown put of it now.

Ah shit! My oldest dd bought the youngest some smiggle stuff last week as a treat. It hasn't arrived yet. But oldest is pretty careful with her money so if it isn't really special she will not be pleased.

Feckin hell, I know the Netmumification of Mumsnet is an unstoppable force, steamrolling ahead, but I thought I'd stepped into the Twilight Zone seeing "Momma" being used liberally throughout the thread.

Just please, for the love of all things anti-hun, no more "Momma".

As for Smiggle - wanky store and they are successful because parents spend the money.

I'm yet to meet a kid who doesn't go through phases of being tat mad. No doubt someone will say their child went straight from loving ethically sourced wooden toddler toys to loving chess sets chiselled by a women's co-operative in Guatemala*

£90 on tat!

I used to tell DD "you have £xx to spend, once it's gone, it's gone" so she usually ended up in Poundland to get the most for her money!

Bold fail. Oops.

Our primary has banned Smiggle (and every parent has thanked them for it!). The pencil cases were getting larger & larger and the kids were fiddling/showing off their gear during lessons and causing upset to those who didn't have the same stuff. The kids are provided with a clear basic pencil case and all the stationery required. (YR5 & 6). I think that they used PTA funds for the supplies.

We have some Smiggle stuff here and found it good quality and quite robust! But they absolutely should have refunded you on the faulty goods. £90 worth of stuff is insane. I would have bought one of the £15 ones as the treat and popped Wilko or WH Smith stuff In it.

I still don't know how they make money...

I do love Paperchase quite a lot though!

The online sales are also good

When I was at school, shortly after the Norman invasion, the Thing was to have a Head tennis bag with a zip off end bit, and you used the end bit as a pencil case. These things were about the same size as most of our heads and full of total bollocks.

The bags were really expensive but they did last, and we'd all go to the same cheapass stationers that had stuff that was just like Smiggle but for pence rather than £££.

So I guess this tat impulse has always been there in small kids but that Smiggle stuff really is awful.

Lush is amazing though, I can spend everything in there and then live in the bath for months

I quite like the shop, I would have been happy to buy DD (8) some stuff from there as well, however she huffed at the website and said "No thanks, my school bag is fine and I can use my Frozen lunch bag." I seem to have had a child born middle aged and sensible in this regard

We've never been asked for school pens or pencil cases so when I have offered to get her some she replies "No - I'll use the schools."

I know if I was 8/9 I'd be desperate for half the stuff in there ! already am 😳

@BannedfromNarnia

I'm the same with Lush and could happily spend months in the bath.

Alpha Your DD sounds just like me is a child I'm a very old soul even now and I'm not even 20 yet

Haven't read all the thread but if you don't contact them on social media I've found them very good.
But yes their stuff is shit quality.

*do contact