Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. has 123 locations, listed below.

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  Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.

  415 S 18th St Ste 102 Saint Louis, MO 63103-2269

  
• 

  Build-A-Bear Workshop

  24 Willie Mays Plaza San Francisco, CA 94107

• 

  Build-A-Bear Workshop

  1248 Broadway Plaza Walnut Creek, CA 94596

• 

  Build-A-Bear, Inc.

  228 Park City Center Lancaster, PA 17601

• 

  Build-A-Bear, Inc.

  2300 East Lincoln Highway Langhorne, PA 19047

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/08/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am inquiring in regards to 2 canceled orders made by me and my brother in the same household. My email is: ************************** and order number is W7098482. His email is: ********************* and order number is: W7098167.This company canceled both of our orders a few months ago due to the items being out of stock. We both inquired about our refunds being that we used build a bear gift cards for our orders but disposed of them. After numerous calls, they told us they would send us new gift cards via email. But they mixed up both of our orders so I only received a refund for ONE of the orders. They have caused major complications because I dont know if they sent my brothers refund to me or my refund to my brother, which they claimed they did.All I want is for some clarity and our refunds issued to our email in the form of new gift cards so we can use them online. This mixup has caused major stress and complications with the back and forth calling and speaking to agents which seem confused and unable to resolve our issue. All me and my brother want is our refund for our canceled order which shouldnt be hard to comprehend.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2024

  We are working to review the 2 cancelled orders along with the multiple gift cards used to purchase the orders. Once an update is available, we will respond. Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/21/2024

  Complaint: 22529168
  
  I have reviewed the business' response and am rejecting it because: It has been 2 weeks without any updates and refund from this business. I am still left waiting when I need to purchase gifts for Christmas using my owed funds
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Jammess Rammoss

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2024

  Thank you for your patience as we work to understand the complexity of issues surrounding these orders. Please know that each order, gift card and refund is being thoroughly reviewed. This case is still under review and will be updated as quickly as possible. If additional details are needed, we will reach out. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/30/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My wife and I recently took our Granddaughter to Build a Bear, *********************** in ********** *** Upon entering the store we saw a large sign picturing two Bluey characters in the upper half, the bottom half stating in large letters "DOUBLE the stuff you love. 2 for $45" (this photo is attached).Based on the misleading signage, we purchased both Bluey characters instead of just the one we had planned on. By the time we went all the way through the stuffing song and dance and finally reached the checkout, were then informed that the 2 for $45 did not apply to Bluey characters. Of course by that time (and with granddaughter in tow) we chose not to disappoint her and endure the resulting melt-down :)The signage is obviously mis-leading.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/31/2024

  Mr. ***** - hi!

  Thank you for reaching out about your experience. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and sharing the picture of the signage. While the Bluey collection is not included in the 2 for $45 assortment (select furry friends) we understand the frustration and want to make this a better experience. We would be happy to refund the difference in the cost of the 2 furry friends, honoring the promotion.  To process the refund, we will need a bit more information. Please provide either an image of the receipt OR the below details:

   

  Date:

  Transaction #:

  Store #:

  Once, we hear from you, we will review and follow up.

  Looking forward to making this a brighter experience!

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/22/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I made an online order on October 1st 2024. I received a shipment on October 16th and nothing in that shipment was mine which I get mistakes happen. I called on the 17th and spoke to a gal who was sending me a prepaid sticker to send the items back and then replaced my order and she said it would be expedited and I would receive and email soon. Im thinking I should see something in a couple of days. On the 21st of October I still have not heard anything so I called requesting to just cancel my order and be done with it. By this point the birthday party already happened and I just needed to cut my losses. When I called she said she couldnt cancel it and that I had to wait till I received it and then turn around and send it back. Which how that makes sense is beyond me because Im having to pay for postage to return it? A order that they botched. Later that day, I received an email from customer service explaining that they were processing my replacement order and that I also would get a refund. Come to find out one of the items is sold out and they couldnt ship that again. I wanted the entire set that I ordered not half so why couldnt I cancel everything? Its just a waste of time at this point and very disappointing. I just want my order cancelled and a refund

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/25/2024

  Hello!  After reviewing the replacement order, it was determined that it could not be stopped or otherwise cancelled systemically. The order did ship and delivered on 10/24/24. The original order has now been refunded in full. As a courtesy, either/both orders can be kept or returned using the attached prepaid return label. The label just needs to be printed and placed on the box(es) and dropped off at a local USPS.  Thank you. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/25/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the business' response regarding complaint ID ******** and am satisfied with this resolution. 
   
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/11/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  September 1st - order #W7261946 $107.32 failed due to a site error, and funds were removed from my giftcard which caused me to miss the purchase of an item (the Sanrio 50th Anniversary Hello Kitty dress) because it sold out within the time it took Build-A-Bear (BAB) to put the funds back onto the giftcards. The pending charge has not fallen off yet. My other order #W7261946 $59.66 is lost in transit. It has not moved from ************** for several days. The last scan date/time keeps updating but the location does not. For example it said Oct 10 11AM **************, and the next day it said OcT 11 11AM ***********, **. I spoke to ***** and they advised me to reach out to BAB since the package appears to be lost. I tried calling but the person over the phone was not listening and just kept telling me the time of the last scan. I requested a supervisor multiple times & finally after around the 5th time he said no supervisors are available & scheduled a callback. I also tried chatting with an agent , ******* *. after that. She ignored me throughout the chat & just provided cookie cutter responses until I called her out on it. She was extremely rude and seemed very keen on disconnecting the chat after that because she would wait less than 30 seconds to ask me if I'm still there... like after I would send a message she would immediately ask if I'm still there. I was advised to wait until next Friday for assistance even though the package has been 2.5 hrs away for days and has no movement. The item is out of stock and I doubt BAB can reship it. I was also unable to apply my vouchers to my order because a site error caused them to show they were already used.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/14/2024

  Hello - Thank you for reaching out! We are reviewing the concerns and will share updates as quickly as possible. Thank you.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 10/16/2024

  After review, we have determined that Order W7261946 $59.66 is still on the way to the Guest - showing delivery expected today 10/16/24 (*****************************************************************************************).  An appeasement of a 25% refund to the Guest was credited to the order today in the amount of $14.92.

  Order W7112114 is invalid and cannot be located systemically. The Guest was not charged for this order.  No further action is needed for Order W7112114.
  

  Additionally, Order W7096919 has failed and cannot be fulfilled. The Guest will need to submit a dispute with ****** to remove any pending authorizations that might exist. Build-A-Bear does not have the ability to cancel pending authorizations through Klarna. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/24/2024

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On September 7th, 2024, I placed an order for a Giant Pumpkin Kitty ******* Animal to ship to a friend overseas. On September 10th, I received an email from Build a Bear telling me that my order had shipped. They provided me with a tracking number (CY143416215US). When I checked the tracking this weekend to see where the stuffed animal was, it stated that the package was still in pre-shipment, as "a shipping label has been prepared for your item. A delivery date will be provided when **** receives the package; contact the shipper or shipping partner with any inquiries." When contacted, **** stated that this means a label had been printed, but the package was never handed over to them for delivery.I contacted the chat service on the Build a Bear website, and was told that they couldn't help me as the package needed to be out for delivery for between 6 to 21 business days before they would open a case. I tried to explain to them this would be fine IF the package had even left the warehouse, but it was obvious that it had not. The chat service referred me to their **************** number, as they claimed they were unable to help me resolve my issue.I called the service number at **************, and spoke to a representative who told me that there was nothing they could do, as my package was not yet past the 21 business day ****. I again explained that the tracking for the package shows that it literally had not even left the warehouse, much less been received by **** to begin the 21 business day timer. The representative told me that they would open a case and gave me #******** so that I could follow up. After attempting to get someone to at least tell me the progress of the investigation, I was referred to their email in order to find out further information. Today, I was told my order wouldn't be getting delivered and was offered a refund. I just want what I ordered. The UK warehouse has it in stock - just ship it from there.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/25/2024

  This order cannot be reshipped and a full refund has been processed. Please allow a few business days for the bank to reflect the refund. Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/26/2024

  Complaint: 22335548
  
  I have reviewed the business' response and am rejecting it because the item is still in stock, Build a Bear just refuses to ship it from the warehouse.  It literally shows as in stock at the following link:

  *********************************************************************************

  I simply want Build a Bear to honor the sale they did not complete, or at the very least to offer something to compensate for the severe lack of customer service on their part.  Selling me an item, failing to ship it, then just refunding my money without so much as an apology or trying to make it right is a slap in my face.  Especially when they clearly still have the item available to ship.

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/22/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On Sat 9/21 at 3pm, my 13-year daughter and her friend walked into build-a-bear workshop at *********** (**********************************************) and discovered next morning that there was an erroneous charge of $9 on her receipt for personalized recording service which she did not order, and the bear also clearly did not have that feature.I was unable to accompany her on the trip on 9/21 as I have been down with COVID. Her friend's Mom took her along with her friend shopping that day. When I called the store on Sun 9/22 to request the refund, the store insisted that we showed up with the bear and the receipt or else they would not process the refund.I explained that the store is far from our home, and I am still recovering from COVID and did not want to bring the bugs into the store to infect other people. So I offered to send picture of the receipt and a video clip of the bear to prove that the bear had no "implant speaker" in its palm. But this was flat out rejected. The Store Manager insisted that nothing could be done unless we make a ******* the entire exchange, the Store Manager never asked me any questions like "when did they come in? Which store staff did they work with?" None of that. This leads me to believe that the Store Manager had no interest to find out what really happened.Wouldn't it be very easy to speak with the store staff who helped them and show picture of the bear to verify our claim? We had a number printed on the receipt indicating who rang us up, and my daughter said the same lady helping them also rang up the receipt. But the Store Manager never asked. And kept saying "no" to my offer to send him the receipt.What became more irritating was when he said "once you bring the bear and the receipt in in person and they all check out [with your story], then we can process a refund."This is accusatory! It sounded like the customers always lie and it is our burden to prove that we're not. Whereas you could just ask your staff?

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/25/2024

  When there is a discrepancy in what was added into a furry friend, the Guest is asked to return to the Workshop for a refund/adjustment as the Workshop cannot process the refund without the form of payment/card presented. As a one time Guest courtesy a refund will be processed in the amount of $9.56 to the **** card. Please allow 5-7 business days for this to be reflected on the account. Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/26/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/22/2024

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a birthday bear for my granddaughter upon seeing Build A Bear while traveling out of town. I was fraudulently charged for a personalized record for 9.00 that I did not request and was unaware of. The manager refused to reimburse the fee over the phone stating they could not do so and confirmed this with the district manager. I was told I would need to visit the store again or another location to in order for the refund to be issued. There is not a store location in my town or anywhere near for this to happen. It's not my fault that I was fraudulently charged and I have to spend my own time and money to correct their mistake. The manager was unwilling to credit my card and refused to be of further assistance and was very unconcerned and unapologetic.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/23/2024

  Thank you for reaching out and for being our Guest. We are happy to review but need additional details. Please provide the below and we will further review.

  Date:

  Location/Store #:

  Transaction/Invoice #:

  Amount:

   

  We are looking forward to hearing from you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/26/2024

  Purchase Date: 9/21/2024

  Location: ************, *********

  Store number: 1220

  Transaction Number: 2156

  There is no invoice number

  Amount: 66.16

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/27/2024

  Hello - A refund for the item in question (Record Your Voice) has been processed to the original form of payment. Please allow 5-7 business days for the refund to appear at the financial institution. Thank you.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/30/2024

  A refund was processed as previously stated on Friday September 27th for the cost of the *** and tax. We advised waiting 5-7 business days for the refund to appear in the account. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/09/2024

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Order placed on August 5, 2024 Cost $82.63 The business was committed to provide a Heart Box. A rose bear, a rose, a small candle, a gift box with a personal note. The dispute is that I contacted build a bear on August 7, the day of delivery to let them know that the note was messed up that you could not read it. Its part of the package. Anyone who knows build a bear knows that their certificates come with the Bears. Theyre important l, however, was emailed sorry for the inconvenience there is nothing we can do. This note was in a gift box to ask his girlfriend to homecoming. An extra amount of money was paid to get the bear in time for homecoming. Now we have to pay extra for printer and certificate paper to make our own because your business couldnt even look over and see their mistake and fix it, nor would you take the time to print, correct and mail a new one. Its a lot of money to pay to have to pay to have your mistake fixed. All I wanted was a replacement certificate. Attached is what we received. I circled the note. Also, attached is what was supposed to be on the note. Notice how messed up? And I attached the confirmation with express shipping that we paid extra for and attached is the email sorry for inconvenience. We can do nothing.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/09/2024

  ********* - hi! Thank you for reaching out and for being our Guest. We are so sorry to know that your son's order did not arrive as expected. We are working to determine how we can best assist. Looking forward to making this a brighter experience. *****, Manager, Guest Experience

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/14/2024

  Complaint: 22258753
  
  I have reviewed the business' response and am rejecting it because: ia gift card is not resolving the issue. You cant fix it so the problem, so Id just like to return the product and get a refund please.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* ******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2024

  September 15th the Guest was provided both a return label and a form. Once the order is received a full refund will be provided to the Guest. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  MY DAUGHTER AND I WENT TO BUILD A BEAR LOCATED AT **************************************** ON AUG 6, I GAVE DEBIT CARD TO CASHIER TO RUN THE TRANSACTION, SHE TOLD ME IT DIDN'T GO THRU, EVEN AFTER I ASKED HER WAS SHE SURE IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH, SHE SAID THAT SHE WAS SURE, BUT I LATER FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS INCORRECT.SO I GAVE HER A DIFFERENT CARD, AND I WAS GIVEN A RECEIPT. A FEW DAYS LATER I LOOKED AT MY BANK STATEMENT AND IT SHOWS $41.71 WAS TAKEN OUT ON THE FIRST AND SECOND CARD. I WENT BACK TO THE STORE TO SHOW THEM PROOF THEY CHARGED ME TWICE FOR THE ***** BUT WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AND TO REACH OUT TO MY BANK, WHEN I DID MY BANK TELLS ME IT COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED BY THE STORE. I HAVE SINCE PUT A CLAIM WITH MY BANK, BUT NOT SURE IF THEY WILL BE ABLE TO REVERSE IT. HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE FOR THE BUSINESS TO MAKE A CORRECTION TO THEIR CASHIERS ERROR AND PROVIDE ME WITH A REFUND.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2024

  Dear ****- Thank you for reaching out and for being our Guest! After reviewing the details of your transactions, we see that the initial charge of $41.71 is in a "refused" status and was not charged by Build-A-Bear. However, there may have been a pending "authorization" that remained on your card for a few days based on your bank's procedures. Additionally, we can confirm that the second card was charged in the amount of $41.71. 

  A refund cannot be processed for the initial "charge" as Build-A-Bear did not collect those funds. Please contact your financial provider for additional details if needed.

   

  Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/12/2024

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 8/6/2024 I had placed an order with Build a Bear online. Part of that order was 2 Pumpkin Kitty ********* plush. Yesterday, on 6/11/2024 I received my order. Upon inspection I noticed I only received 1 of the Pumpkin kitty ********* plush. I contacted the support and was told I'd simply get a refund when I requested a replacement not a refund. I later see on other social media accounts of their businesses that customers are receiving more than they ordered. So they are purposely sending out wrong quantities to some customers in order to give more to others. I simply want the item I ordered. No refund necessary. Order Number is W6974908

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/21/2024

  Hi - We are actively reviewing this complaint and will update as quickly as possible. Thank you!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/22/2024

  Dear **** - hi!

  Thank you for reaching out and for being our Guest! We are so sorry to know you did not receive your full order. We never want to disappoint our Guests for any reason and want to help make this a brighter experience. Great news - we were able to locate a Pumpkin Kitty to ship to you. Once it is shipped the tracking details will be shared with you - be on the lookout!

  Thank you.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/22/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************