Buy buy baby vs Babies R Us, Registry- Which is best?

[Anonymous]

Buy buy baby vs Babies R Us, Registry- Which is best? And is there any benefit to registering in store vs online.? Thank you in advance

[Anonymous]

BBB hands down; easy return policy (if you get something that they carry, regardless of whether it was from there, they will take it back and it doesn't have to be on your registry, like BRUs. Also, ppl can use BedBath&Beyond 20% coupons at BBB which is a great!

[Anonymous]

We decided not to register at BBB because the actual stores are few and far between (many of our family and friends are out of the DC area, where we are lucky to have 2 BBB locations), and the coupons cannot be used for online purchases. That being said, I think the selection at BBB is much better than BRS, and the in-store service is far superior at BBB. The people in the store actually offer to help you and know what they are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We decided not to register at BBB because the actual stores are few and far between (many of our family and friends are out of the DC area, where we are lucky to have 2 BBB locations), and the coupons cannot be used for online purchases. That being said, I think the selection at BBB is much better than BRS, and the in-store service is far superior at BBB. The people in the store actually offer to help you and know what they are talking about.

Agree! If most of the folks who will be buying from the registry are local, go with BBB. Otherwise, BRU is the better choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We decided not to register at BBB because the actual stores are few and far between (many of our family and friends are out of the DC area, where we are lucky to have 2 BBB locations), and the coupons cannot be used for online purchases. That being said, I think the selection at BBB is much better than BRS, and the in-store service is far superior at BBB. The people in the store actually offer to help you and know what they are talking about.

I echo this exactly.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for BBB. As far as the coupons, we returned something with a gift receipt and bought it back with a coupon- it was a $400 stroller so it made a huge difference! My aunt who bought it actually told us to do this which was even better, I would have never known.

[Anonymous]

There was a recent thread about this--search for "where to register" or something like that. We picked BBB because BRU is not close to us or our friends. We also did Amazon.

We returned several things at BBB without receipts and got store credit for the full price, including a $150 playard that I'm pretty sure the person used a 20% coupon for.

I also think the BBB online registry is easier to navigate--I get unreasonably annoyed sorting through a BRU registry because they put up their "free shipping for over $100!!!" comment after every item, so you can only see 2 or 3 items on the screen at once. Petty, but as a purchaser, it's much easier to zip through a BBB registry online and compare the items quickly.

[Anonymous]

I picked BRU only because it's closer to my house and there are a lot more of them. With that said, I have already written them 3 nasty emails about their online review. The categories don't make sense - For example, in the Car Seat section are the toys I selected for the car - not the car seat. You can find that in BRU Exclusives. Then, I registered for a few different color crib sheets and they are also showing up in 3 different places. Bottles showed up in feeding and Natural/Organic. But, if you get the store print out, everything is listed by categories that actually make sense.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

BRU's return policy is terrible and their website often screws up and tells you things are still available when in fact they have been purchased, leading you to wind up with 3 of some things and other things unpurchased. Such a pain. BBB's selection is great, the people are helpful, returns are good, there's a registry completion coupon, they take Bed Bath and Beyond coupons, and people who are not local can order online or call.

[Anonymous]

BBB has a better in store selection, but it is more expensive and farther away. I don't mind going out because they always have what I need.
BRU is Good for newborn necessities but I don't like their clueless staff.
I also registered at Amazon because it was so easy and they had reviews to help me make decisions.

[Anonymous]

BBB is not always more expensive, especially if you use their 20% off coupon. BTW, BRU also has 20% off coupons. Anyway, BBB staff is much more knowledgeable and their selection is way better. Another option for fam/friends who are not near a BBB... Amazon. They allow 1 yr to return baby items.

[Anonymous]

I registered at both because then I got coupons and discounts at both. BBB wasn't close to me (I hate going to Springfield) so I admit I was glad when my gift cards there were all used up! But they have a different selection of kids clothes and room decor, so I wasn't sorry I registered there; I've found some cool clothes there. I got a lot more gifts and cards from BRU, though. Why not register at both?

[Anonymous]

I recently registered at BBB because it is closer to me. FWIW, everyone buys online these days anyway, so I wouldn't worry about whether it's close to family and friends. You're the one who has to return/exchange the stuff! While I love the staff there (so helpful, especially with no fam or friends in the area) and they do have nice things, my thoughts are that:

(1) Their selection is less with regard to pricing (I feel like I did not have the option to register for things that were like one grade lower than the option at BBB - like the play yards are $160 (for the premium one) instead of $120 for the slightly less premium one at BRU, which isn't even an option at BBB). I know other people were buying the stuff for me, but I think it's unnecessary to have the "best" of everything and my friends who registered at BRU had more of a variety of price ranges/items. I was actually embarrassed about this because I'm sure people were like "geez, she has the best of the best on here and it's not cheap!"; and

(2) The website is terrible (I was on my friends' BRU registries every day trying to figure out what to buy and thought the website and reviews were much better).

The return policy is amazing, though, and the store is orderly and nice to be in. Also, I wouldn't bank on the 20% off coupon thing too much - they only issue a BBB coupon like 5 times a year and they only take unexpired Bed Bath & Beyond coupons (and you can't use them on everything, as certain brands are excluded). I just went to get the rest of what I need (I have four more weeks to go) and did not have enough coupons! I also went to Target the next day and was sick at the amount of money I spent at BBB.

You really can't go wrong, though. Good luck and congrats!!!!

[Anonymous]

We did BBB, mostly because (IMO) a trip to BRU is like hell on earth. I think BBB tends to have higher end product lines & their staff are super-knowledgeable & helpful for big-ticket items like carseats, strollers, furniture. But b/c of the limited locations, we did also register at Target. Luckily, the Springfield BBB was pretty close for us (although there was a BRU somewhat closer)

[Anonymous]

BBB price matches as well.