A Christmas Without Angry Birds

By  |  Thursday, December 16, 2010 at 9:00 am

Demand for smartphone game developer Rovio’s Angry Birds plush toys has been so great that order fulfillment is flying past the holiday season, and customer service is in the pigpen.

Angry Birds has taken smartphone gaming by storm, so much so that it is even drawing comparisons to the venerable Pac-Man franchise. Rovio has been a savvy marketeer of its feathered protagonists with holiday themed editions of the game, and, most recently, plush toys.

Enter Murphy’s Law: Rovio has dramatically underestimated demand. Customers are reporting having paid with the expectation of shipment during the holiday season only to be told that their expectations have flown the coop. Orders will not be fulfilled until January.

Customers that contacted Rovio received this e-mail, “Due to unforeseen demand for Angry Birds plush toys, our logistics and customer service have been overwhelmed and we have not been able to respond promptly to all queries. If you have already contacted us regarding your order, our staff is working on the case to resolve any problems and you will receive a reply at the earliest opportunity.”

Let’s hope that its customers don’t own any human-sized slingshots.

 
6 Comments


Read more: , , ,

6 Comments For This Post

  1. Jeff Says:
    December 16th, 2010 at 9:51 am

    I wouldn't be so disapointed with Rovio if they hadn't sent me a "shipping confirmation" email over two weeks ago. The email had no tracking number, but assured me that my order had been shipped. It would have been nice if they were honest over two weeks ago giving me some time for some alternate christmas shopping.
    I also like in their "regret to inform you" email they had not insulted me with a $10 off my next order coupon as if I would order something from a company that could not hold it's promise on delivery.

  2. johnwbaxter Says:
    December 16th, 2010 at 10:03 am

    Without knowing the scale, I worry about that topknot. If (when) it comes off, is it small enough to be a choking hazard leading to a recall?

    That aside, I can see why demand has run ahead of supply.

  3. Adam Says:
    December 16th, 2010 at 2:01 pm

    I actually had ordered the angry birds plush and was severely disappointed that they charged my credit card using their paypal account the SECOND I placed the order, but only two weeks later I am told the order will not be shipping until January. The quote he used was a snip of what they sent me today after I sent them two aggravated emails. What reputable company charges you then tells you that you will not receive product until a month later? It's very bad business and seems greedy on their part.

  4. Randy Says:
    December 16th, 2010 at 5:56 pm

    I got mine last week – http://goo.gl/quWHX – My son loves them

  5. jak Says:
    December 16th, 2010 at 6:11 pm

    I got a shipping notice 2 weeks ago and then today an email stating that my order hadn't actually shipped at all. Very disappointing and my enthusiasm for future angry birds toys has greatly diminished.

  6. rovio Says:
    May 9th, 2011 at 12:55 am

    I found some pretty funny angry bird shirt designs you guys may like here.
    iPhone4 case
    plush toy ,Pigs,Birds,you can buy kinds of angry bird pet here,iphone case and etc,
    or here is the url: http://www.buyangrybird.com/