How about after-sales for riding toys?
Everyone likes a bargain. The Internet has made bargain shopping easier than ever. Unfortunately, there are times those bargains can get very expensive.
One area where this is particularly true is riding toys. Tricycles, bicycles, kids-cars, and scooters used to be only purchased in brick and mortar stores. Consumers could look over the store, get to know the staff, and know they were dealing with a company that was real and had plans to stick around.
The problem with buying riding toys on the Internet is that many people offering them for sale are actually resellers who have no maintenance department to offer the consumer service after the sale. Additionally, many of these so-called companies are here today and gone tomorrow.
Your score of $200 off may suddenly become quite expensive when you realize you can’t get any spare or replacement parts. The riding toy you purchased may require some assembly – did your supplier provide a number to call for help when you get stuck? Has your supplier even put one of those toys together?
So, what’s a consumer to do to ensure they find the best prices while not sacrificing support? Simple, do your homework.
Look at the company’s website – you’ll learn a great deal from their own marketing. Sure they sell the hottest go kart on the market and the price is great, but do they also have a section on spare parts, replacement parts or frequently asked questions? And do the frequently asked questions only discuss the initial purchase or do they also discuss how to maintain that go kart
Look at the website to see if they have phone numbers for after-sales support. Do they have a maintenance or service department or even somewhere you can send/take your new riding toy when it needs repairs? Call the numbers before you make a purchase to determine if they are only customer service representatives “waiting to take your order” at the other end of the phone and not someone who can actually help you when your toy breaks.
Look over the website to see what else they sell. Do they sell everything or just riding toys? If there’s one page of riding toys and twenty pages of dolls, do you really think they sell spare and replacement parts or have a service department?
Don’t skip the terms of service and warranty pages. Those pages can tell you a great deal about a company. If their website doesn’t have information like that – it would be smart to look elsewhere. When you find those pages look for their policy on damage – what happens if the item is damaged in shipment, what if there is some sort of defect, what if a part is missing or incorrect.
Also look for the warranty. Is it clear, or is it vague? Does it clearly explain the length and coverage of the warranty? Does it explain how to make a claim? If time limited, is it clear when the time starts being counted (at shipment, at receipt, or at payment)? Are any parts excluded, i.e. tires/wheels, seats, etc? Do they charge for some repairs?
Read the terms of service/warranty page carefully. This can turn that really cool riding toy into the world’s most expensive lawn ornament if you’re not careful.
There are many companies on the Internet that sell well-made riding toys, have people on staff that can answer questions beyond how to make the purchase, and provide excellent warranties. Doing a little homework will have your family enjoying that riding toy while you have that peace of mind that comes from knowing the company you bought it from will be there when you need spare or replacement parts or service.
