CHILDRENS PLAYHOUSES

 

 

The Spirit Elements website is professional, easy to navigate, pleasing to the eye, and full of useful information. In fact, after reviewing the Spirit Elements website, ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition selected this company as their playhouse provider. (Spirit Elements proceeded to donate the playhouse to the show). However, it is Spirit Elements' superb customer service that puts this company in a class of its own.

The Spirit Elements website contains a multitude of testimonials that rave about Spirit Elements' customer service. In fact, a few customers felt it necessary to send employees thank you cards, and even flowers, following their dealings with this company. We feel that customer service is very important when purchasing a large item that is sent in multiple shipments. Additionally, Spirit Elements offers a 100% money-back guarantee, and their return policy is the best in our review.

Some of Spirit Elements' playhouses are slightly more expensive than the other sites reviewed. However, as mentioned previously, Spirit Elements' customer service cannot be beat. In fact, their website has a few features that the other websites we reviewed did not. These include foundation instructions, assembly animation, and supplemental product images that we found very helpful and creative.

The following list includes a sampling of Spirit Elements' playhouse prices:

•  Home Sweet Home Playhouse - $1,229.00 (plus $69.00 discounted shipping and a $13.00 handling fee). This playhouse is made of kiln-dried Scandinavian pine. It features two opening windows, a porch overhang, and walls of tongue and groove construction.

•  Windermere Mansion - $5,619.00 (plus a discounted shipping rate of $293.00 and a handling fee of $34.00). This playhouse parallels the Sara Victorian Mansion on the other sites reviewed.

•  Bradford Mansion - $7,888.00. This house has 17 working windows, shutters, window boxes, a Dutch door, loft, and hardware. It measures 10'x18'.

When items are ordered, an e-mail is sent to inform you of the estimated shipping date. After that time, it usually takes five to seven business days for the product to reach you. What sets Spirit Elements' shipping policies apart from other companies reviewed is the fact that if you notice that something is missing or broken when you begin assembling the product, you can contact Spirit Elements directly or call the manufacturer yourself. The part will be sent by courier to you the very next day.

Another way Spirit Elements is set apart from its competitors is its return policy. Spirit Elements offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee, but Spirit Elements gives you a 60-day window. Other companies require that product returns be made within 30 days. Products must be returned in original condition with all components. Additionally, like other companies that were reviewed, Spirit Elements charges a 20% restocking fee plus outbound shipping, handling, and processing fees. Custom orders cannot be returned.

For the reasons described above, Spirit Elements is our top-rated playhouse provider.  They are a company we would confidently recommend for all your playhouse needs.

 

 

PlayHouses offers a very large selection - over 90 playhouses and playtents to choose from. These playhouses and playtents include features such as lofts, doors, windows, and bookshelves. The website is very organized and professional. In fact, with the high volume of products offered, PlayHouses facilitates the browsing process by using a search engine that enables you to choose the perfect playhouse based on material, price, and so on. The website also includes helpful links to information such as playhouse features, care, location, landscaping, customization, and safety.

The following list includes a sampling of PlayHouses product pricing:

•  Victorian - $1,496.98. The Victorian playhouse offers two working windows, shutters with flowerboxes, and Duratemp siding to protect the exterior.

•  Cape Cod - $1,288.99.  The Cape Code features both a child's dutch door and an adult's dutch door, plus chimney and two working windows.

•  Engine Number One Firehouse - This playhouse features a brass exterior doorbell, exterior signage, and primed siding.

It should be noted that there is a promotional code on their homepage for free shipping on orders over $600.00.

PlayHouses return policy mirrors most in this campaign. Returns can be made within 30 days if the product is in original condition with all its components. Items sent with free shipping will have shipping charges deducted from the refund amount. They also charge a restocking fee. Customers are responsible for return shipping costs. Unique and personal items cannot be returned.

Playhouses is an excellent contender for your playhouse needs. With a large selection and very competitive pricing, they earn very high marks.

 

 

Playhouses & PlayTents is very professional in appearance, easy to navigate, and full of useful information. It offers 28 different, reasonably priced playhouses to choose from. However, one of the most compelling aspects of this company is the fact that Playhouses & PlayTents has a return outlet warehouse located in Boston, MA called CSN Returns outlet. There you can purchase returned products for an additional 25-50% off. If you are looking for deep discounts on playhouses, you might want to try their return outlet store. However, without any testimonials, forums, or blogs reviewing Playhouses & PlayTents, we are unable to give it our highest rating.

The following list includes a sampling of Playhouses & PlayTents playhouse pricing:

•  Sara's Victorian Mansion - $4,605.00 (with free shipping at the time of this review). It features wooden trusses, gingerbread Victorian trim, 17 working windows, a lofted play area, hardwood flooring, hardware, and it is custom-made.

•  Kids Crooked House - $2,332.27 (with free shipping). This is a fun, cartoon-like playhouse and assembles in less than 30 minutes.  All pieces are angled and crooked to enhance the look and fun nature of this structure.

Playhouses & PlayTents return policy also mirrors most in this campaign. Returns may be made within 30 days in the same packaging for products in new, unused condition. Items sent with free shipping will have shipping costs deducted from the refund amount. Customers must pay for return shipping. Additionally, personalized and unique items cannot be returned. If an item is damaged, they will pay for its return and send you a replacement. However, you cannot cancel your order.

 

 

Outdoor Decor offers five outdoor, cedar playhouses. Four of the five playhouses are log cabins and one is a playhouse with a sandbox under it and a slide. Due to the lack of variety in playhouse selection, we ranked this site fourth among the others in this campaign. However, Outdoor Decor's website is easy to navigate and includes wonderful product pictures.

One thing that sets this company apart from the rest is their one-year warranty. This warranty guarantees that the product will remain free of material and workmanship defects for up to one year. To comply with their warranty policies, you must notify them within 30 days of product failure.

The following list includes a sampling of Outdoor Decor's playhouse pricing (from most expensive to least expensive):

•  Outback Playhouse with Porch - $3,581.10 (with free shipping). This playhouse is very nice, and it is similar to those offered on some of the other websites in this campaign. It ships in about three weeks from the warehouse.

•  Little Squirt Playhouse - $1,612.00 (with free shipping). This playhouse is 6'x 6'. On the Spirit Elements website, this playhouse is called the Pea Pod Cedar Playhouse, and it retails for $1,352.00 with free shipping (at the time of this review).

Outdoor Decor's regular return policy is also about the same as the others reviewed. You may send items back without a restocking fee if the product is in new condition. However, if unsatisfied with your purchase, you must first call their customer service department to see if they can resolve the issue. If the item needs to be returned, you will only be responsible for return shipping costs. Personalized items cannot be returned. Outdoor Decor also guarantees that all products will be delivered without shipping damages. If a product arrives damaged, you must notify them within 10 days to comply with their return policies. You must also notify them within 30 days of finding any custom-order defects.

 

 

At first appearance, WillyGoat seems to be a great choice for playhouses. This website caters to a more masculine audience, and the homepage is very professional. The website offers 64 playhouses to choose from, including a chapel, a Victorian, a kid's crooked playhouse, a schoolhouse, a cape cod, a gingerbread, a country gal, a firehouse, and a condo.

However, upon closer scrutiny, the website begins to pale in comparison to the other websites reviewed. As your product search begins, the website's quality begins to falter. The products are listed with all the information you want, but the scattered blue links on each side of the products can be confusing. Another problem with the website's organization is that the product information column headings are at the very top of the page. As you scroll down, you lose track of which heading the information relates to, so you must constantly scroll up and down the page.

The following list includes a sampling of WillyGoat's playhouse pricing (from most to least expensive):

•  Queen Anne - $4,179.99 (with shipping calculated based on size, weight, and your location. There are no handling fees.) This is a wooden playhouse with a vaulted entry, fireplace, L-shaped stairway, abundance of room, and a taller design. It usually ships within four to six weeks.

•  Log Cabin - $249.99 (plus calculated shipping fees). This playhouse is wooden and has a rear window with a shelf and curtains. When the curtains are closed, this playhouse can be nicely transformed into a puppet theater. It is strong and sturdy with a non-toxic Danish oil finish and interlocking door panels. This model usually ships within 7-9 days.

WillyGoat's return policies are very similar to others in this campaign. The total product's cost (minus shipping charges) will be refunded if returned within 30-days. (However, if they made a mistake, shipping costs will also be refunded.) Additionally, WillyGoat charges a restocking fee. When returning items, you must call for authorization and the correct WillyGoat address to send your return. Special orders may not be eligible for return. One thing to note is that because WillyGoat playhouses are custom-made, orders can only be canceled within 72 hours of purchase.

WillyGoat's return policy pales in comparison with many of the other products reviewed in the event of missing or damaged parts. If you are missing parts or receive damaged parts, you must call the manufacturer. WillyGoat does not provide credits or refunds for inconvenience. They also do not offer any warranties aside from the manufacturer's.

However, what concerned us the most about WillyGoat were its consumer reviews. Several websites including epinions, resellerratings, and pricegrabber have posted very mixed reviews of WillyGoat. The following list is a sampling of the consumer reviews posted on these websites:

•  Definitely the best price on toys. Quick responses when asked questions. Very easy ordering and follow-up after. Would highly recommend anyone to purchase from them. Did receive damaged and had replaced immediately without question. Have ordered two times from this company."

•  "..had trouble. Contacted manufacturer for missing items said to contact seller, seller replaced it, then floor boards didn't fit WillyGoat contacted manufacturer, manufacturer told them to cut the boards to fit."

•  "...more missing parts seller sent. Congo climber playset seemed unsturdy. Poor customer service. Took over thirty days because of missing parts so would not take back."

•  "Poor customer service, forgot to ship." * "Nice! Great selection and price."

•  "Poor customer service."

•  "Pleasure to deal with." * "Good for shipping."

•  "Poor customer service."

Based on these reviews, WillyGoat does not seem to offer the same consistently great customer service as our top-rated provider. For these reasons, we would suggest looking at some of the high-rated companies we reviewed when looking for a playhouse.