Useless Peppa Pig Family Figure playsets = hysterical frustrated DD.

[BaileysMilkshake]

I have just bought the Peppa and Mummy Pig and George and Daddy Pig sets for my DD (3) and she has spent half an hour crying in frustration because Peppa and George refuse to stay on thier bikes and Daddy Pig wont stand up at all. I know for a fiver each they are'nt going to be all singing all dancing, but if they come with bikes you expect them to actually be able to sit on them! And how do you explain the fact they wont to a 3 year old?

I have just e-mailed 'Character' customer services and await thier response. Just wondered if anyone else had this problem?

i had that trouble with the playhouse. in the end we used blu tack!

That's an idea to try - will just have to makesure it doesnt end up all over the carpet/furniture

Thanks
x

Really? We've got the house and it's fine. Ds loves it. I'm really suprised - your poor dd

Compo, I had a look at the sets on the Character website and read that figures sit or stand. But daddy pid refuses to stand and falls over if he sits un-propped. George is better on his bike if DD or I jam him on it, but Peppa is just useless.

I had a similar problem with Bob the Builder and the scrambler, I found double-sided sticky tape useful.

Thanks will add that to the list to try.

I am so fed up with plastic crap.

We bought DD the Thomas Sodor Post Office a while back and it was awful - it kept coming off the rails, getting stuck etc. And because it moved so fast DD could'nt put it back. We returned that to ToysRUs and bought her a wooden train set and extender set and she has had hours of fun with that and still does.

I can never fit all the figures and bits back into the peppa pig house to close it.
Daddy pig needs to go to weightwatchers.

Last Christmas our DD's main present was a Fisher-Price Kitchen costing £30 from ToysRUs, not on the main kitchen areas but in the middle of the isles. Have since learned this is where they put all the 'specials' - that are specials because the are discontinued.

We put the stupid thing together on Christmas Eve only to find the dishwasher door was warped and refused to stay shut - so DD had it with no dishwasher door. Has'nt spoiled her enjoyment - we dont have a dishwasher so she doesnt know what she missing

But I can't stand feeling ripped off. Phoned ToysRUs, all sold out! Phoned Fisher-Price who said it was discontinued....however they sent DD a really nice Winnie the Pooh play house, which when I checked and found retailed for £30 as well - although was also discontinued! But it came really quickly, so not a dead loss - however like the peppa Pig play house it's not easy to get Pooh and Piglet back inside along with the furniture etc.

bailys.....i bought that for dd for christmas last year as wellm same thing happened and theu replaced it with a newer model and didnt want the old one back. second one much nicer and i gave faulty one to playgroup!

Typical , I've just bought DD2 the Peppa Pig playhouse and 3 playground pals. I'll look forward to the tantrums on Christmas Day. Thanks for the warning though - will just have an extra glass of champagne in the morning and let DH deal with it!!

i cant help with george staying on his bike, but if you bend daddy pig slightly forward, he seems to balance a bit better and stand up. But a slight vibration and he's on his back again!

have had a reply from Character and am even more angry now. Is Peppa Pig not a character designed for pre-schoolers, and is pre-school age not mostly 3. Here's what they said - let me know if you think I should respond?

"I am sorry that this item did not meet your expectations, and I have passed your comments on to our development team.

The toys are based on TV characters, and have to match what you would see on the TV. With the Daddy pig, on the TV show he has a rotund body, but very short and very thin legs. The toy has to match this, and as a result he would not be able to stand without being held.

I can understand that the bicycles can be tricky to play with for someone so young. The age on the box is an "age warning" rather than a "age grade". An age warning is something that suggests that they toys should not be used by someone under the suggested age, due to things like small parts. The age warning on this box says 3+, which means it should not be played with by people under 3, but does not necessarily mean it is aimed at 3 year olds. This can be extremely confusing, and again, I have passed these comments on to the development team."

Basically they are saying the toys are designed for older children....no?

We have the same thing with Scooby Doo and Shaggy - jointed dolls but they will not sit up in the Mystery Mobile (or whatever the van is called) - why make a van and matching figures and not make them the right size to sit in it? Lots of tantrums all round (including me - wah!)

Feel like I should reply and ask him at what age I should have bought them for DD?? 16 perhaps?

oh dear that reply was a real cop-out! well done for writing though!

lego star wars creations don't look like the original characters BUT they're designed to be played with!

I think it might be worth a response to the initial reply.

After all I read somewhere the other day peppa Pig won an award for best Pre-School something or other!!

Think I will steer clear of Character products in future if I can

peppa pig is a good show, but the merchandise isn't great

I have responded again after reviewing the packaging and find a major flaw in the reply from Character.

See what you think - ohh I am such a complainer when in the mood!

Thank you for your response - however I feel it has been written without you actually looking at the packaging to which you refer.

You comment below " The age on the box is an "age warning" rather than a "age grade". " But if you read your own box, you will find it actually says "AGE GRADE: Ages 3 Years+"

Being on a pre-school committee, and a member of one of the largest Internet parent networks I am in a very good position to seek opinions from others as to the quality of toys and children's products. And I have to say I am not alone in my finding of the quality and suitability of this particular range.

And when I have mentioned to others your response to my initial e-mail - it was commented on by most to be a complete 'cop-out'! At least that's one of the more polite responses I received.

So I would like to ask what age you think my daughter should receive Peppa Pig toys - if 3 years is not suitable? I doubt by the time she is 5 she will find the programme as entertaining.

And why would toys from a BAFTA Award winning Pre-School Children's show not actually be aimed at children of a pre-school age - and 3 is the recognised age of a pre-school child?

I appreciate you are probably one of a large team answering e-mails of this type - and that you have a specific script to follow. But I feel your answer has been incorrect and inappropriate, therefore I would be more than happy for you to pass my comments on to your superiors and I will await a reply from them.

In the future I will be thinking long and hard about any other toys I buy from the Character Group, as I have not only found this particular product to be disappointing - but also the customer service.

Very well worded milkshake, let us know if they reply to that

BUMP

Just got an e-mail to say my second e-mail has been passed to a supervisor and I should hear back tomorrow.

good! it'll be interesting what happens next!

Oh f*ckign great - I've just bought the Peppa Pig playset - car, house, roundabout adn figures for ds3. He's only 2 so he's not got a chance!! Ha ha! He adores the programme though and has taken to calling me 'Mummy Pig' and himself 'George'

Not too chuffed to read the comments about the thomas track either - I've just bought the steam along one for ds2!!

Arrghghghghghg!

It's basically all crappola isn't it?!

Hate to say it - but we have learned the hard way - plastic stuff can either be great or not be great.

But you're not alone, after our experience with the Thomas thing we realised we had bought a very similar circuit-type toy as DD's main Christmas present. But it's made by megablocks and they tend to be okay -'so fingers crossed.