If you have young children, you've probably heard of "LOL Surprise," a box filled with dolls to surprise a little girl.
But one mom is furious with the way that gift arrived unboxed on her doorstep, ruining her Christmas surprise.
Nicole Buchman says her Black Friday order of an LOL Surprise camper arrived in its original packaging at the front door of her home, not in a discreet cardboard box, and beat up, with the bottom ripped open.
But the worst part was that her little girl saw it.
"I ordered my 5-year-old daughter the LOL Glamper from Target," she said. "She's been talking about it all year. Its her favorite present; that's all she wants."
But Christmas came early this year, Buchman said.
"She comes home from school and it's sitting on the front porch, not in a shipping box, it's just sitting there," she said. "She was ecstatic, because she got the LOL Glamper, which was supposed to be her big present from Santa."
Warning posted in shipping details
So we checked with Target and found out the retailer does indeed warn about unboxed items on its website, when it comes to items that ship in their original packaging (such as playsets, foosball tables, and other larger items).
If you click on "details," a new window opens up, saying, "This item won't be concealed in a Target box." It suggests that parents:
- Have it sent to their workplace.
- Have it sent to a relative's house.
- Have it shipped to their local store for pickup.
Buchman, however, feels the warning should have been more prominent.
"I never imagined it would not ship in a shipping box," she said.
But this should be a caution to parents: If you're not sure how a toy ships, use the "ship to store" feature instead. Otherwise, Santa may come early this year.
So check that website carefully and don't waste your money.
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This story was originally published by WCPO's John Matarese
Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc.
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