THE STEP2 COMPANY
Reviews and Complaints

This toy company is the worst ever! Other companies will happily send replacement parts, especially if they're small and made of cheap plastic. But Step2 has the worst return policy and their products are poorly made. And let's not forget about their terrible customer service. I spoke to someone named *** and she was really loud and rude. She should never interact with humans as part of her job. I'll never buy anything from this company again.

We paid around $200 for an Outdoor Storage Bench that came with a big crack on the right side. If we didn't see and put it together, it could have easily broken when people sat on it and hurt them. It seems like Step2 doesn't check the quality of their products, because this is the second item we've gotten from them in less than 3 months that arrived broken or with parts missing. To make things even worse, their return policy says we have to pay for shipping, which would be almost the same price as the bench itself since it weighs about 50 lbs.

I ordered a Playset and more from their website on 4/30. On 5/10, I called to check on it due to no updates. On 5/17, customer service admitted they hadn't shipped my items, so I requested a refund from Step2. On 5/27, I inquired about my refund status; they promised urgency but failed to deliver. On 6/3, I followed up again, only to be given excuses and false reassurances. The company also removed my critical review from their site, a tactic to hide negative feedback. This is by far the worst experience I've had purchasing children's items. I'm now forced to resolve this through my bank.

I ordered The *** for my 1 year old twins birthdays on February 14, 2022. It arrived (finally) on March 4th. My son-in-law tried to put it together, but two of the largest pieces were defective. On March 7th, I contacted customer service and sent photos of the defective pieces. I even called and talked to a customer service rep who said theyd ship out the new parts. On March 18th, we received only one of the defective items. I immediately called and told them that we still needed the other part and customer service said they would ship out the other large piece. Its now March 31st and we are still waiting for that to arrive. I was so excited about this gift to my grandchildren. Now, I feel its a big tainted dud and I wish I would have found something similar on Amazon. Im outraged, upset and think Step2 could have rushed the new parts to us or a whole new fun center when I first contacted them as Amazon would have done. My message to buyers BEWARE of buying directly from this manufacturer!

My daughter got a Step 2 Shady Oasis Water and Sand Table for Christmas. When we opened the box, the connections are all broken and the table sections don't connect together... The item is broken and needs to be replaced ASAP.

I'm having trouble reaching out to the company for replacement parts for my product that's still under warranty. When I call, I end up waiting on the phone for hours without any representative picking up. And when I email them, they claim they'll get back to me within 2 working days. I sent them emails on May 31 and June 9, but I haven't received any responses yet. I just want the company to get in touch with me.

On September 29th, I ordered something for my grandson's birthday from The Step2 Company, LLC. The order number is ***. They claim that they delivered it, but I never got it. I sent them an email asking for a refund because I had to buy something locally since his birthday was only 3 days away. A person named ROSE replied and said that they couldn't do anything after it was shipped, so no refund. I replied to her, but she hasn't responded. I don't want to lose my money for something I didn't even receive. I just want the refund that I originally asked for. I'm really disappointed with Step 2. I have 6 grown children and they all had Step 2 toys when they were little, for like 20 years. Their customer service is terrible and they don't take responsibility for their mistakes. If they don't give me a refund, I will have to dispute the charge.

I ordered an item on January 4th and it was delivered on January 11th. Unfortunately, the item arrived damaged on the same day. According to Step2's return policy, I was instructed not to refuse delivery but to contact them for return authorization. I immediately reached out to them, but it took them a whole week to respond. And when they finally did, they hung up on me during our phone call, abruptly ended our live chat, and only responded to my email a week later. They asked for photos of the damage, which I promptly provided. After sending the photos, I simply asked for a return label so that I could get a refund. I had already informed them about the damage to the product and the missing screws. However, instead of addressing my request, they tried to convince me to keep the poor quality damaged item and offered to ship the missing screws separately. I declined their offer and insisted on a prepaid label, as it was clearly stated in their return policy. But they completely ignored my emails and never responded again. This is a total scam!

I didn't want this to get worse, but I had no choice but to complain. I contacted Step 2 about the second package for the Grand WalkIn Wood Kitchen. On June 1, I told them that the package hadn't arrived. They emailed me back saying it was delivered, but I quickly replied that it wasn't sent to our son's house. I sent two more emails on June 2 and June 3, but got no response. Finally, on June 7, Rose emailed me and I replied within 30 minutes. But once again, no response. On June 8, I sent another email, but still nothing. Our granddaughter's birthday party was on June 7, and we only have part of the gift. It's really upsetting. You can't get hold of anyone by phone or email. It's so frustrating.

I bought the Step2 Elegant Edge Kitchen on April 27th. When I opened it for my child's birthday, I found out that some parts were missing. I sent an email, but I never heard back within their promised 48 hours. I waited on the phone for an agent, but no one answered. After a long wait, I finally got someone to respond through online chat. They said their system was down last week and they either didn't receive the email or it went to their spam folder. Seriously? They told me they couldn't do anything and advised me to email or call again. I already tried those methods. All I want is the missing boiling pot sound piece for my kitchen. It's really frustrating that something is wrong or missing considering the price of this kitchen. I'm really disappointed with the company's customer service. As a parent, I never want to deal with this company again for any product. I'd rather go without.

We gave hundreds of dollars to this company for a toddler "Play Up Gym Set" in March. The item was delivered with a missing safety "A Brace" that is essential to make the structure safe to play on. We have reached out to customer service multiple times only to get automated responses that our concerns have been resolved, which they have not been or unaccommodating customer service representatives who state that it is a large part that we are requesting and it will take a while to receive. We are not requesting a replacement part-this is a missing structural component that we have already paid and been charged for but we can not use the product. We simply asked for email confirmation that our missing item has been shipped. We have now paid a lot of money for something that we can not safely have our baby use. We have had no attempt from customer service to ensure that we are satisfied with the resolution process. Our tracking information still says that it is being processed by customer service. Our issues have not been dealt with, but this company is still taking on and delivering new orders to other customers. We want the safety of children as a top priority and missing safety pieces delivered with the same expediency that they are taking on new orders. It seems that financial gains are of more importance than child safety.

The Step 2 company has a recall on their Little Helpers Shopping Cart. They have a button on their site to check and certify that you have destroyed the cart with a specific date code combination. On their Facebook post about the recall, I asked what information was needed and the customer service person told me to dispose of the cart and fill out a form. I took a picture of the date code before throwing it away. The recall form gave me the option to get a $40 credit on step2.com or receive a replacement cart. I chose the credit and bought a new cart on Amazon because I didn't want to wait. The recall form said to call during eastern time business hours or email. I decided to email. I sent Step 2 a picture of the date code and explained that I didn't have a receipt because the cart was a gift. I mentioned that I had already purchased a new one from Amazon. Days later, I received a reply saying that I wouldn't get the credit without a receipt. I logged into my Step 2 account to chat with an associate. I provided pictures and screenshots as proof, but the associate accused me of fraud because my Amazon receipt didn't match the purchase. I explained again that I didn't have a receipt for the recalled cart and the new receipt was to show that I already bought a new one. The associate closed my case and told me not to contact them again. I saved the conversation because I felt she was rude and didn't fully consider my request and evidence. Requiring consumers to dispose of their product and provide picture evidence without offering a solution is bad business practice. I had to spend money to buy another Step 2 cart!