Visitor feedback: KbToys/KbKids (4)

Sometimes at KBKids, they will allow you to put in your email address and they'll notify you when the sale is about to start. That's what happened to me today. I got email from them and opened the window. Kept going back and refreshing. Just to see what would happen, I clicked on the bundle link even though it said they were not in stock... and "lo and behold" there was the little green box... ADD TO CART. I think I got one. Took my info, credit card and said it would ship from the warehouse 12/18/00. Also said I'd get a confirmation email in 48 hours... so we'll see. Thank you so much for this reporter. It's been fun during the stressful search for the elusive playstion. Shel

I just wanted to add that I was able to get one of the kbkids PS2 packages using the search method someone put up on the site the other day. Search for playstation 2 console, if you get 5 results they are not selling and if you get 10 quickly pick one and check out. thanks for all the help. William

I went nutz with your latest newsletter; clicking here and there and only came up with "out of stock". Normally I'm asleep at this time.....for some reason I felt the need to stay awake. I've already kinda said to myself Santa will be leaving and IOU under the tree. But, I will keep trying...with your help. Thank you. diane

I called KBKids.com and they told me that the Playstation 2 was sold out. I called them at around 4:00PM EST, and was informed that the PS2s sold out in less than twenty minutes of them posting it on their page. I kept checking and refreshing the Playstation 2 Bundle pages and kept on seeing the words "Out of Stock". I could snag a Playstation 2 this time but there is always next time, which should be pretty soon. I heard that Playstation 2s usually arrive on Wednesdays and Thursday and in this case its tomorrow. Net2Surfer

I called Kb today, Word has that (after begging for info) they are expecting a shipment but was very vague about it. Heck I am trying so hard to get one without goin broke. Not goin Broke in Philly Mia

IT'S BULL. When you click add to cart it then takes you to a screen that says your item is temporarily out of stock. Click checkout and it gives you an error message. Keep up the good work at least you give me some hope! George

No, the green "order now" button is there but as soon as it's in your cart, it says "The item you previously placed in your shopping cart, PS2 Bundled with Madden 2001, Dynasty Warrior, Ready 2 Rumble, Memory Card and Controller, is temporarily out of stock and has been removed from your shopping cart." Thanks -- will keep trying. Lori

12/13/00 I don't know how it worked for others on kbkids, but it told me they were available to order on the web. When I clicked them to order and check it out, I was informed the "item was temporarily out of stock." Tim

Markus - Thanks for all of the info. I think I too was able to successfully acquire a PS2 bundle from KB Kids. I wanted to comment about something I saw in your latest email. It concerns the gentleman who inadvertantly ordered 2 bundles. According to KBKids policies, there is a limit of one bundle per customer. If your order contains more than one, it will be cancelled. I had done the same thing, but followed up with a call to KB Kids customer service. They were able to remove one of my bundles (Thanks to a great rep - Sedrick). Apparently, my order was already targeted for cancellation because of fraud! I still won't be totally believe it until my order arrives, but I just wanted to pass along the info. Thanks again for taking on this arduous (and probably somewhat thankless) task! Brion

Thank You- I think I got one! I ordered one for my daughter and then realized that my friend's son, who has a terminal illness asked for one for Christmas and they have not been able to find one so I went back in and did Express-checkout, which sent it to my address. By the time I realized you could onluy have 1 per household, they were sold-out. I e-mailed the "help" desk my dilemma and my friend's work address to chage the order to so that I can get one and she can get one for her son. I hope they will honor this request. I'll let you know what happens. Thanks! Jill

If you ask me almost the entire kbkids sell was a farce. I tried quite a few times while the "sale" was supposedly going on, and each time I tried to make a purchase, a statement came up saying the item I had placed into my shopping cart had to be taken out since it was "temporarily out of stock." Eventually I just gave up on the kbkids site, which I had concluded was another farce in the long list of ps2 leads (such as walmart, which sells on some mysterious time that virtually no one can get one). This doesn't mean that I am giving up. I feel hooked on trying to buy one, and it has become a game in itself, as much as a ps2 game possibly. I still get excited at almost any possible lead even if it does turn out to be a farce. In fact, my girlfriend has called me obsessed with it. Tim, 12/13

Well I think I bought one of the PS2 consoles at KB.com -- I don't want to be too confident given some of the problems you cited with other people's orders disappearing even after they appear to have purchased a console. I have an order number anyway. Just fyi -- you might want to tell folks to sign up for KB's email notification service, because while your efforts are laudable, KB sent me a message at 3:07 and I didn't get your first message until 3:53 -- a full 45 minutes later! Even getting their message at 3:07 I still had to scramble and I got beat out of the bundle that was my first choice. It was in my shopping cart and I was going to checkout when it disappeared! Oh well.

Marcus, KBKIDS is only selling a new package that contains not only 3 games, but a memory card and extra controller for $569.99 (plus tax and shipping) as well. The one I got was earlier, which was just the $499.99 one that only included 3 games, that's it. I think it's a ripoff of at least $50! But still.. at least I got one. But the thing is, they use Airborne Express, and I've just been delayed an extra day! I even ordered Express but for some reason they knocked it down to Premium without changing the shipping cost! So I complained about both problems so they brought it down to standard delivery price. I should get it to day after ordering it last Thursday. Whew! Cal

Dear Markus, Thanks for all your help! Last night I was on line (I know it was dumb on a Saturday night) with four screens open, refreshing every two seconds. It took me a week of your hints and learning a bit about what can and cannot be done with screens, how fast they can turn, etc. but I finally got it down. My 14-son came into the room and I was not about to let the screens go since it took me at least five minutes to set them up so that I could refresh all four at one clip and keep tabs on who was doing what. Needless to say, he glanced at the screen and asked me what I was doing. I told him I was just on line because I was curious about Playstation 2 and its availability. We started talking and he said to me, "If I had my way, I'd rather have Sega Genesis anyway."

I was dumbfounded.... I've spent hours on line and have always been at the wrong place at the wrong time. Here I am trying to get him what I thought was what he wanted for Christmas and he tells me that the graphics are much better on Dreamcast. He also said that if he got Dreamcast he would also wish for NFL2K1. Needless to say when he left the room, I placed my order for the Dreamcast and a bunch of games to go with it. I spent 1/2 of what I would have spent for the Playstation Bundle and I'll have a happy kid come Christmas Morning. As far as a DVD player goes...I'll buy him one for his birthday and I'll still be ahead of the game. A warning to parents.... make sure it's not your obsession and it's what your kids want. My son played both of the systems at Circuit City and found Playstation 2 to be inferior....

Thanks for all your help, but there was a happy ending after all. And for all of you that still want Playstation.... Sony, themselves, will have them on sale before Christmas according to a rep who answered an e-mail of mine. Good luck! Happy Hunting! I'm going to sleep! Denise

I wish I could say your web site had been helpful to me but moore often than not it wa just a source of frustratioon I never seemed to get the e-mail alerts in time and never got to the retailers website in time to get a ps2 I do have good news to report however I did get my ps2 yesterday 12-15-00 thanks to a good friend who works for a large retailer she gave me a call when a shipment of 9 ps units came in and I broke several speed laws getting there anyway I congratulate all the lucky people who did get there bundles through your website but my advice is make a friend at one of the big retail stores in your town and also In my job I work very closely with U.P.S. and they have the contract with sony to deliver all the playstations to every retailer in the united states and a shipment of 10,000 units left the san francisco hub for delivery in the western states on 12-13-00 happy hunting anonymous via feedback