Dear Leap Frog ........... I'm NOT happy ... *Update*

.(If you read my regular blog, this is shared on there too) 

This morning I called Leap Frog Customer Service.  Kaedyn, who LOVES playing the Jewel Train application on his Leap Pad was complaining it was no longer there.  So I looked, and sure enough it wasn't on the device OR the software I could load up off my account on the computer.

So riddle me this......... why?

 Playing their Leap Pads

I told him I would call them this morning and get it fixed.  So I did.  I called ...... and the call was completely frustrating.......  left me completely unsatisfied....  and an unhappy customer!   So I posed a letter to them and promptly sent it to the customer service email they have listed.

Our devices ......

Dear Leap Frog,

I warn you – I am one very UNHAPPY Momma right now.  But I'm not one of those crazy yelling emailers.  I just want to bring to your attention why I am unhappy in hopes that MAYBE you can still help me or at the very least, bring to your attention how wrong this is. 

First off, I want to say that we generally love your products.   We managed to scrap together two Christmases ago to buy TWO Leap Pads (ones) ….  We got the warranty on both – which we were very thankful we did, because we ended up having to return our Leap Pad Ones and used the refunded money to get Leap Pad Twos.  We have had ZERO problems with the Leap Pad Twos.  They lovingly call them their “iPads” … it’s cute.  

My boys love to play on the same game – at the same time.  So buying software off the site has been great for us, as an option – because we can share that between both devices.  However we do have increased issues with the game cartridges.  While I have your attention, I would love to suggest that there be a way to register the cartridges you BUY on the site, so that you can have them as downloaded software if wanted, or needed.  Like when my Autistic son sucks on the cartridge instead of putting it in the machine, or he spills his drink all over it, OR they lose it all together in the depths of the couch abyss.  But that’s just a suggestion. 

So onto why I am one UNHAPPY Momma.   I have four kids all together.  Two of which have complicated medical needs.  I have a husband who lost the ability to walk in 2011 and hasn’t been able to get a job since.  Now that he can walk again, they discovered he has some rather major issues with his spine.  My days are filled with driving everyone around, various medical appointments, a lot are one to two hours away.  The little bit of money we have has to stretch far and wide.  I have to make it work. 

So my five year old – who is a math wiz! – was asking me why his train game wasn’t on his Leap Pad anymore….and so I look, and sure enough, it’s not there.  He’s talking about Jewel Train 1.   And while I’m looking at our software, I realize that the Dinosaur e-book we had gotten for my autistic son (because he LOVES dinosaurs) is also not showing up. 

These were both the free applications we got when we initially got the Leap Pads.

So I spent some of the little bit of money we had to get them a couple more things – including Jewel Train 2 and some ebooks to tide them over until I could call you today.  (It being Monday – December 2^nd, 2013 ….. after the long Thanksgiving weekend). 

So I’m on the phone and I’m explaining to the guy what is going on.  After being put on hold twice for long periods of time, he comes back and assures me they are on the account.  So I plug in one of the Leap Pads and I am looking at it, and I’m telling him, it’s not there.  So he puts me on hold a third time, and comes back and tells me the following………

I cannot access them anymore because they were free applications and can’t be shared. 

Excuse me?  

We loaded up BOTH applications on the Leap Pad Ones ….  And I am pretty sure they were on the Leap Pad Twos when we first got them because I know he was playing the Train Game on his a couple months ago.  But I recently updated everything the other day ….. we had gotten a couple of game application cards to receive software off the site on Black Friday and I was loading the stuff we bought with that on the Leap Pads ….. and so both Leap Pads had to update. 

It seems to have disappeared from that point.   That’s when he realized that the train game was no longer on there (Jewel Train 1). 

So imagine my surprise when I was told that because we got the two items as FREE applications when we first got the original devices, they were no longer available to us. 

This is wrong on so many levels.   I was told I have to purchase these applications in order to be able to use them again.  Well, I don’t have money to purchase them again. I should have used the money I did on other things, like gas or food as it was.  But I decided to splurge on them a little and get them a few new things for them to play. 

My kids love their Leap Pads, and it really really saddens me that this is the type of customer service we got.  The only thing I was told was “I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”   He said sorry about ten times during the call.  For the waits while I was on hold, and when I became irritated at the line he was giving me about them not being available to us anymore. 

Basically he’s saying ….  the FREE applications are only free for a while, don’t expect to always have them.  He said they were like “trial” applications – which wasn’t true.  They were the full applications as far as I knew.  He didn’t use the word trial, I think it was starter.   Both these applications were on their devices until the update I made on them just a few days ago.  I called your company to solve a problem and was left hanging with “sorry for the inconvenience,” which – let’s face it – is just a slap in the face. 

So now I get to explain to my child that even though Mommy said she would have it fixed today, she can’t fix it because your company said no.   Then I get to deal with his disappointment. 

I am writing this email in hopes someone who knows what they are doing can help me – just because it was free initially doesn’t mean you can just take it away.  That’s rude, and wrong, in my opinion.  I want to bring to your attention that this isn’t a very good customer service policy.   AND I want to tell you that at 7:30 am this morning, I would have recommended your product to anyone.   Now I am going to publish my experience, and this letter on my blog.  By 8:30am this morning, I’m not sure I would recommend your products anymore.  Frankly, those who cannot make a costumer happy by figuring out a way to correct a situation where they have the applications that they already had, even if they were FREE …  isn’t the type of customer service I want to deal with.   And I’m sure other special needs families would feel the same way. 

In case you would like to look at our account, it’s under the email address (email addy here).  If you are going to reply to me, please direct it at (email addy here) since I no longer use my aol email. 

In kind regards,

(my name)

So I thought I would just add the update on this entry.   I did hear back from Leapfrog and it did NOT make me a satisfied customer in the least ....

The Jewel Train that you mentioned on your first e-mail is a starter game, not purchased and these are not transferrable to another handheld.

If the app you are looking for was purchased and is not yet installed on a maximum of 3 apps, this should show under the On This LeapPad tab but if it was a starter game or included, it will not show on the On This LeapPad Tab.

Jewel Train (virtual) Starter Available 10/30/11 18081E00010B060A88A4 

The status of the Jewel Train is starter which means that it was not purchased. If you can provide us the order # or any proof that you purchased this separately, we will be glad to double check this for you. 

Should you have further queries, please let us know.

So in other words....... the fact that we had to replace my son's leap frog -we no longer the the "starter addition" of the Jewel Train EVEN THOUGH it was on the same device I was trying to put it on, just a mont or two before.  It wasn't until the UPDATE that the Leapfrog went through that seemed to make it disappear.  Whatever.  It's a good thing my kids love the product ...  or they would lose a customer for bad customer support.

(Rolls Eyes)