Build-A-Bear Workshop Reviews 345

Absolutely terrible customer service. I need an order cancelled as it will not arrive on time for Christmas and I can get then items I need elsewhere so my daughter is not disappointed by Santa. The order has not processed, paid for or shipped and it has been 5 days. I spoke to an agent online that said it could not be cancelled. The agent on the phone said it could not be cancelled because the order has been shipped….yet I have not paid for the order yet (payment has not been processed or gone through). Therefore it has not been shipped. He said it’s been shipped buy also said the last update he had was on the day I placed the order. I demanded a tracking number by the end of today and have not received one and was also cut off of an online chat with an agent without resolution. Do NOT order online from build a bear US. Absolutely horrendous.

When you ask for an item to be delivered to your property, you expect it to arrive, unless there are circumstances that doesn’t warrant it. Waiting for a giant plush toy to turn up, and it’s been sent to a store, with a pickup box. I don’t recall, asking for this!!
Shipping fees and delivery costs, don’t seem to matter. Won’t use them again!!!

Refuse to honour their own gift vouchers! My 3 kids under 10 attended with their Xmas present vouchers to build bears, only to be told by staff that 1 of the vouchers was a “web only voucher” that was unable to be used in store whatsoever. All vouchers were purchased as gifts online. Staff offered no solution, other than to pay cash and purchase an in-store voucher online, using the web store voucher (!!!) and wait a week for postage (!!), with crying children who had already been assisted to build-a-bear. I am now still waiting 2 weeks later for a voucher I will have to try and sell. No response from head office via email. Staff more than helpful with kids until they raised the issue, then became totally dismissive. Reported to ACCC seeking advice.

Terrible service. I've been waiting for an online order only to be told that it was 'delivered' on 17 Nov. My Ring doorbell footage says otherwise and 2 online agents could not tell me that the parcel number doesn't work on the DPD website if you use a mobile. I was rudely told to raise a complaint with DPD and then send a screenshot of the response. As there isn't a contact email or message services for DPD, I don't know how I can achieve this so I'm now out of pocket and it isn't an insignificant amount either. The 2nd agent closed the chat while I was typing!! This is the last time I use Build-a-Bear, awful awful customer service and I'm so sad that I didn't get the item I wanted.

I purchased Harry Potter Slytherin bear from the Build A Bear shop in Oxford Street for my great niece. On the way home in the train I discovered that I have been charged for 2 Light Up Wands at £10.00 each. I bought 1. Upon returning home I called the number on the receipt and was referred to customer services. After a call of some 45 minutes during which I sent them a copy of the receipt. I was told that I would receive my £10.00 refund. Subsequently I received an email saying I had not provided sufficient evidence to justify a refund. These people seem to use any excuse they can to avoid paying a refund. They appear to be greedy and money grabbing. I am very disappointed with them.

Utterly shocking customer service, ordered online 4 days later after calling up advised that my order had failed ? But in the words of the advisor “no worries” kept saying it over and over again, obviously just reading of a prompt sheet, shame on you BAB terrible customer service, very very reluctant to use again

I purchased a grinch with the extra large heart with lavender Scent from Build a bear .com but my bear was missing both . It was sent in a brown cardboard box and when I tried to complain to the company after paying a lot of money they advised me to go to your nearest build a bear and get these added . So there was know refund and endless amount of emails . Don’t trust this site as it has got really bad reviews.

Placed my order which is a gift on 10th November 2025 . The check status didn't work. I tried chat eith agent twice in one day to no avail. They were useless telling to me to wait till end of day don't worry you'll get your email. Two days layer nothing. Fuming. This is a gift. I called this morning 12th November 2025, told its only gone through this morning but she doesn't know where it is. She can check with store if I like. I said cancel it. Useless customer service all round. I now have to wait 7-0 days for refund. I won't be using online again. I presume instore is better. I do not recommend online build a bear or their customer service. Couldn't understand on phone and very muffled. The website is also not user friendly. Not recommending. I still don't have my gift 😔 Very unhappy with this corporate business.

New review your company I am now happy with customer service I went to Douglasville Georgia to build a bear with my brother and my friend we have the best experience ever that a lady was so sweet kid friendly and I bought a mountain dog named him Rocky I was born with Down syndrome so me to have a real pet not happenmy mom dad chose promise pet I don’t know her name her she so awesome wok Build bear workshop in Douglas ga she’s celebrating my birthday even before came this this moth she was so friendly Love your company customer service was awesome today. Thank you. I have new grade is a+ you gave me my bother the best experience ever had at Buid bear workshop thank you for that my bother and I have special needs that working was amazing her name is. Susan. I just totally love that.Work thank you build bear help me Make my experience awesome

I took my grandson to the local mall and as always I wanted get him to appreciate and understand money. I withdrew £100 out of an ATM and was given 2 £50 notes.

He wanted to get a Build-A-Bear, so we went into the store where he selected the bear and it was prepared for him and he was ready to pay for it but the store refused a £50 note.

It’s really disappointing and sends a negative message to children if a store won’t accept legitimate currency.

I went to the nearby Lego Store and they accepted the £50.

We both felt as though the staff treated us as criminals for paying with money which had only just come out of an ATM.

I just heard build a bear when it build a little girl a Charlie Kirk bear. Shane on them

Employee won't give child her bear because she wanted to name it Charlie Kirk. They held the bear. Unfortunately all my bears are now donated because of this,I don't want them in my house and my children will never experience them. That's okay ⭐️

In their store. Didn’t let me make a Charlie Kirk bear

They are way to high priced and their customer service is terrible. They are not invested in a positive customer interaction.

I ordered 4 items as an online order (Australia) on 17 Jul 2025. As of today 26 Aug 25, I have not received any of my order. Instead I have had a very frustrating experience as a 1st time buyer of build a bear.
-All items were available at time of online order
-2 days after ordering they email to tell me 1 item is now only available to click n collect customers
-I chose to substitute for another item showing as available
-another email to say my substitute item now also only available to click n collect
-I ask for a refund of that 1 item and to proceed with sending my remaining 3 items on my order
-01 Aug I am told to allow 10 days for the refund and my order will be shipped soon.
-I wait patiently but by 15 Aug I email them to say no refund nor has my order arrived.
-2 days later I'm told another of my initial 3 items is now not available. On an order that was meant to have been filled from Jul 17. No mention of my refund.
- I'm asked if I want to substitute another item or refund of now unavailable item.
- Yet, when I look online I find that all of the items in my original order -that I'm being told I can't have are all showing as 'available' to ONLINE ordering.
-Their website provides an email for feedback about all customer experiences so I send an email to GM and I included AUS CEO Gavin Port.
-to date (26 Aug)no response received from either of my GM emails. So much for caring about customer experiences.
-As my order has still not been sent( 6 weeks after placing my order), and I'm now only getting 2 of my 4 items which were bought as a set of 4, I emailed to ask for a single different item to replace my original order or to have my initial order of my 4 items which are all showing as 'available' to be honoured.
-I have had no email response to my last email sent last week.
This has been a farcical, frustrating, time consuming online shopping experience. Imagine if I'd been buying items as a gift for someone- here I am 6 weeks later with none of my items.
-Buildabear...more like build an empire...with zero care for your online customers ..how about do better by your online customers !
-So be careful, this is my experience and as I said no items received, no email from GM and am still awaiting an email response from 'orders'-all in relation to what is happening with my order from 6 weeks ago.

Hugely disappointed that selfridges Birmingham does not accept build a bear voucher. We travelled into the city purposefully for build a bear and they refused. It should not matter to the customer whether it’s a concession or not. Therefore they should accept a voucher for a store it within its space. Not a happy customer!

My daughter has been several times over the years and each time she has really enjoyed it and she still has all her teddy's that she has made there.

Great for making those memories with your kids. Can be a bit pricey if you start adding loads of accessories so just be wary on that but overall a great experience.

My daughters went in to build a bear. The one had used her hard earned money to buy her sister a bear as her birthday present. The staff were rude and the manager of Build a bear Chadstone was very happy to take her money but because their system didn’t link to their eftpos machine, they refused to give my daughter the bear even though the money had come out of her account. They told her to take it up with the bank and that the bank would refund her within a few days. A few days came and went and the money had gone from pending to well and truly having been removed from her account. She went back to Chadstone to ask them for the bear because they had pocketed the money. They still refused My husband contacted the regional manager and the owner and we were ignored. Btw, the staff were also more intent on helping other staff members than on helping paying customers. This is a far cry from the Build a bear that first came to Australia. My daughters had their birthday parties there when they were you get and they were wonderful. But as things stand now, I would not recommend this company at all, as they have literally taken money without providing the goods and they were pretty rude about it. A really terrible, terrible customer experience!

Build a Bear has really fallen off. It seems they have gotten too big to the point they no longer care about the customer. Took me 2 hours to place an order because it wouldn't allow me to add everything into one cart. When I got on the chat with Eduardo he exited the chat while I was trying to upload the information asked for. I had to re-enter the chat 4 times just to get the order processed. Then once it was finally processed they removed the Voice Message without my consent saying I requested it to be removed. When I asked to show me the transcript where I requested it be removed he simply said he will check on it and notify me, then emailed me a few minutes later saying there is nothing they can do. Then when I asked why was it removed I got ghosted.

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER! I will never purchase anything from them again

Never, I repeat Never pay for faster shipping with Build A Bear! They drag their feet and their Customer Service is HORRIBLE!!! I have been a loyal customer for years. Kids and grandkids. However the service i recieved this month (7/25) Has changed that. Never again.