Webkinz on Other Complaint Sites

There are several other general complaint sites. Here are a few I've found, with links to their Webkinz pages. I've linked to the public parts of the sites.

P***edConsumer.com 1st complaint: Jan 12, 2008 Number of complaints: 1

my3Cents.com
When you search for Webkinz, you get 81 results back, but they seem to be recycling the same few complaints. There are tons of ads on the site, so it's hard to clear all the clutter to get a good read on how many people have actually commented. It felt like I was chasing my tail trying to figure out how many complaints had been file.

A search on complaints.com netted 8 results, archived by date. A particular date may have more than one comment. Less circular than my3cents.com.

Mybiggestcomplaint.com has one post, with a few comments, about Webkinz problems and another about Webkinz being a problem.

usefulcomplaints.com aren't. An August 2007 complaint about the layout change and four complaints from December 2007 about the site not working.

There's even a thread on the Amazon.com forums about Webkinz problems. It was started on Christmas Day 2007. To date it has 84 posts.

Those are just the ones I found from googling webkinz complaints.

A Few Customer Support Success Stories

Since starting this blog last Friday I've seen lots of complaints about Webkinz customer service, mostly in comments on other blog posts, 10 of which I've collected here. (I'll update the list as I find them.)

I've also seen a few success stories. On January 8th Jackie left a comment at our Success Stories post:

"I called 800-724-5902 and actually got a human and both of my kids webkinz are now working. They had to reset their accounts but the tech said that their old code would be usable again tomorrow so now they will have two pets online and gave a bunch of money to replace what was lost."

My friend Mopsy first posted a complaint in a comment on my other blog on January 8th that they couldn't enter a room. She wasn't happy with the online help. Then, on January 9th she posted a positive update:

"I was very happy at how they answered the phone instantly, helped me right away, and fixed it right away. The whole call took less than two minutes."

She called the Ganz 800 number which, according to the info I have, is 1-800-724-5902.

So, there are 2 success stories.

Then there's Ian's "almost success story" he mentioned in a comment:

"I got a response through their trouble ticket system, which claimed that they had fixed the problem ... but my daughter tried it this afternoon around 4 pm ET, and still no go."

Close, but no Kinzcash.

Note to Webkinz: Contact Typepad for Customer Support Ideas

Ganz was simply unprepared for the popularity of Webkinz, online and off. Handling product shortages is probably an easier fix than managing network limitations and customer service shortages. Those last areas will make or break Webkinz. Here are my completely amateur suggestions:

1) Obviously more technical infrastructure is needed, including a more secure site on the backend.
(For some techie talk about the Webkinz site see this post and comments at Chen's blog.)

2) Webkinz, get in touch with the support people at Typepad. (My other blogging platform.) Typepad has two excellent means of support for their product:
*an extensive and useful help database
*an excellent Help Ticket system

Every question I've had with Typepad has been answered through these two options. The Help Ticket system has a stellar response time. Not only are the responses timely, they are helpful.

from a Ganz Director: Missing Objects Are Still There

Though not a recent development, it show that Ganz does contact people and try to resolve issues. In October 2007 this Webkinzmom.com post relays a Ganz director told her:

” …All members must use the customer service tools that we have created. But I do have a message for you about items “lost” when dropped into the dock, and missing charms: they are all still on your account. We are currently working on fixing both issues, and when they are fixed all of the items will reappear on your account.”

It seems the fix is contingent on contacting customer support - no small feat these days. And what are those customer service tools?

Help Webkinz's Narrow Focus...For Now

Over the past few days I've been poking around online looking for info about Webkinz. At 12:28 am this morning, I realized I need to make sure this blog stays focused on the issue of Webkinz customer service. Otherwise, I'll spend way too much time on it.

As I've been reading, I've found Webkinz related articles dealing with the many aspects of kid friendly online worlds: a business slant, safety issues, their growth and a specific complaint about the consumerism taught by Webkinz. Then there are the lighter issues of actually playing on Webkinz. (Check out webkinzmomz.com for more info about the fun part of Webkinz.) With all those options, I could easily spend several hours a day blogging about Webkinz. Oy vey.

Consider this post is my "note to self."

Webkinz Woes Link List

Similar to a blogroll, I've compiled this list of blog posts where people made their Webkinz woes public. I've used Mr. Linky because it's easier to update like that instead of signing in to Blogger each time I find another post. I've entered the blog name followed by a short description of the problem they posted about.

Disclaimer: Inclusion on this list doesn't imply endorsement of the Help Webkinz blog. I've added the names to the list, not the bloggers. (Similar to other types of blogrolls and lists.) To see the self reported complaints, go to Our Complaint Desk.

UPI Covers Webkinz Christmas Outage

This brief article from UPI noted the downtime of Webkinz on Christmas. It also mentioned some larger retailers technical issues as well.

Contact Webkinz

Here's the compilation of ways to contact Webkinz: (Let us know how it works out for you.)

1) On webkinz.com it says to log in to Webkinz World and go to the Contact Us section of the Newz. (The site was down while during this post, so I don't have further instructions. In fairness to them, it is 2:23 am CST and kids should be in bed now.)

2) Webkinz Customer Service number: 1-866-932-5469. These are the instructions you'll currently hear:

• Send an e-mail to support@webkinz.com
• The number won't accept voicemail.
  
• Enter your service code if you have it. (I think you get this after you e-mail them.)

If you wait a minute after the recording stops, you'll hear the Mailbox for the Help Desk" recording with instructions to:

• Leave your first name and phone number. A service representative will call you back.
• If you've left a message w/in the past 24-48 hours, don't leave another one.
  
• Office hours are M-F, 9am - 5pm EST.
  

3) Contact info for Ganz, the parent company, is: 1-800-724-5902 or customerservice@ganz.com.

4) Here's the WHOIS info listed on the Ganz.com domain registration:

Registrant: Ganz
Leo Campione
1 Pearce Rd
Woodbridge, Ontario L4L-3t2, Canada
+1.905851661
112833@whois.gkg.net

5) Per a post on complaints.com, Professional Marketing is the PR agency for Ganz. (They have their work cut out for them.) Their phone number is 616.949.9104.

I used the "solutions" label for this post hoping that one day theses numbers will be the solution to getting help with your Webkinz.

Why the Ads?

Does it seem suspect to have Auction Ads for Webkinz on a blog made to gather complaints about those same toys? Here are the reasons how, in good conscience, I have the ads:

1) Because I'm not calling for a boycott of Webkinz or bemoaning their existence, I'm okay with providing links to E-bay so people can buy the critters. Overall they are still a fun product from a company facing growing pains.

2) Hopefully this blog will actually be of service to someone. In that respect, any income generated from the ads can be seen as compensation time spent building and maintaining this online suggestion box.

3) The primary focus of Help Webkinz is content, not advertising. Comparitively, the focus of the unofficial webkinzhelp.com is all advertising and no content. (That may change if Ganz buys that domain name.)

Okay. I'm glad I got that off my chest.

Don't forget to add your two cents to our Complaint Desk or Success Stories.

Inspiration for Help Webkinz

While my son worked through his frustration with things disappearing from his room, I searched online to see how others handled the issue. After finding the posts below and seeing the responses, I realized there might be a place on the web for Help Webkinz.

* Ganz Gate, @ I, Lamont (40 comments in series of posts)
* Hacking Webkinz @ Information Arbitrage (5 comments)
* Merry Christmas, but sorry, no Webkinz @ A Sunny Commune - Chen's Blog (25 comments)

Note these blogs are not Webkinz centric blogs. Neither are they mom blogs. I didn't realize it at first, but all these bloggers are professionsal men - a media professional/manager, a former Wall Street trader & current entrepeneur/investor, and IT engineer.

Why would these guys care if a stuffed animal's virtual world worked? Because children they care about were bummed out about Webkinz not working. Disappointed children = lost profit. Not Veruca Salt sad, but legitimate disappointment from a product not fulfilling expectations.

TV Report on Webkinz Issue

I found this consumer advocate spot from a TV station in North Carolina. A family was having trouble accessing their account. After the station's intervention the problem was resolved.

Succes Stories & Helpful Hints

Lest this blog be all negative, here's the spot to share some positive things like:

1) A satisfactory experience with Webkinz customer service. Please include specifics to help others.

2) Tips to make Webkinz run better. For example, some of the Webkinzmomz.com crew recommended only filling your rooms 3/4 full of items.

Either leave a comment at the end of this post or leave a link to your own blog via Mr. Linky.

Coverage of Webkinz Issues

Ian at I, Lamont has documented Webkinz problems over the past few weeks, even dubbing the crisis "Ganz Gate." The initial post, Shut Out of Webkinz World, from 12/27/07 also includes updates. After reading the comments and posts, I wondered if a dedicated 'Kinz issue blog could help. We'll see.

This is his latest post:
I, Lamont: Webkinz watch VI: A kids-eye view of a broken world

About Help Webkinz

This blog was started in response to the relative uselessness of Webkinz customer support in helping resolve major glitches like items disappearing from rooms and minor glitches like not being able to use apostrophes in room names.

After some time online, I realized I wasn't the only disgruntled Webkinz owner. Help Webkinz was born as a place to compile complaints from Webkinz users in hopes of getting Ganz's attention. Consider it a test with Web 2.0 consumer influence. Instead of calling for a boycott, I'm calling for input from other Webkinz users. However, the customer supports issues will definitely influence my endorsement and future purchases of Webkinz. I don't want to hurt Ganz, I want to help Webkinz became an even better place.

1/4/08 Update: After spending some time on webkinzmomz.com,
I realize this blog may also add some tips & tricks for Webkinz support. The ladies there have actually had some good experiences and helpful suggestions about some problems. I also added some Google Ads as an attempt to compensate me for time spent with the blog.

Disclaimer: Help Webkinz. Webkinz, help! is NOT an official site of, sponsored by or endorsed by Ganz, Inc., Webkinz, or Lil'Kinz.

What's Your Webkinz Problem? Speak Up!

The success of this blog's mission depends on the interaction of the readers.

Make your voice heard! Share your complaint by posting a comment below.