Destination Baby & Kids — Local services in Dublin

I’ve changed this from 3 to 5 Stars, and edited to add: Brian emailed me to apologize and say that they had talked with staff regarding returns of defective baby gear, and that he was sorry about my experience. I realized I should’ve called back or asked to speak to someone else, regarding my stroller frame that I purchased. He has always been very polite, and knows how to run a business, as well as understanding customer service. To recap, I live on the East coast, called with a tight deadline, and in spite of minor glitches, they were on top of everything, prompt and courteous, and made sure I met my baby shower deadline. You can’t get better than that, especially post Covid. I have no hesitation in recommending them. Original Review: I purchased an Agio Z4 stroller with Bassinet, and the lounge car seat. They were great over the phone, as I live in Virginia, and was buying as a gift for my son and DIL, after purchasing a Graco stroller that was very wobbly and rickety. As it was short notice, I asked if it was possible to get for the baby shower on 11/4, and this was on I believe 10/24th. They said yes, it was Two day delivery and it would ship out that day. I received the Bassinet on Friday, but no stroller or car seat. On Monday I checked the tracking number and found they had never been sent from the Distribution Center. I called the store back and they contacted FEDEX and the distribution center, corrected it and sent me two new tracking numbers. So far, I was very impressed with the store’s responsiveness and attention to my particular situation. I ordered, payed and received, and while there was a snafu, it wasn’t the stores fault and they quickly fixed it. The reason for the three stars was because when I got the stroller, there was a defective piece that made me unable to lock the arms into place when setting it up, and when I called the store (on the same day it arrived) they told me in no more than 20 seconds that it wasn’t their problem, and I should call the manufacturer. Seriously? I spend 1400$ in your store, receive a defective stroller frame, and you have nothing to do with it? If I lived there, you most certainly would have to exchange it for another. I don’t know who I spoke to, but I found this really annoying.

Thankfully when I called Peg Perego in Indiana, the woman I spoke with advised me to return it to the store. Of COURSE, she was correct. But since I’m 3000 miles away, that’s a little difficult. When I told her they refused and told me to go to them, she was very dismayed and asked for the store information, then told me they would send out a new frame and a label to return the first frame.

In the end, I’m happy with Peg Perego. The store was very helpful up until...

My husband and I visited this store with our 3 year old son looking for Jellycat plushies for my birthday. I had chosen to visit this place because their website stated that they had quite a few varieties in stock. We looked around and didn't find very many on display. A man behind the register, who I presume to be Bryan, asked me if I needed help with anything. At which point I proceeded to ask them if they had any other Jellycats in stock other than what I was seeing on the sales floor. Bryan stated that they have more stock, just not on the floor due to theft and they (the owners) not wanting them touched. I asked if they had the croissant bag and Bryan confirmed that they had it in the back stock room. I asked to see it and Bryan went to the back to grab the croissant bag and came back with it. Before Bryan handed the item over for me to take a look, they proceeded to tell me NOT to take the strap out of the zipper compartment of the bag. I thought it was odd that I couldn't pull the strap out. If I'm shopping for a bag, I'd like to try it on and such. What's the point of having an item in stock if you can't fully look at it?! I handed it back to them and they slipped it behind the counter. At that point, I was made to feel like I was about to make a mad dash out the door with it or something. Because that's what my toddler and I go around doing to these local businesses. Smh!

I then asked if they had another one in stock, a little snake bag charm, in which they stated they did in the back. I asked to see it, only for Bryan to say that I couldn't. Bryan told me to let know them which ones I wanted and to pay for it and that they''ll bring it out for me afterwards. I told Bryan that I wanted to see the size of it, to determine if it would be a good fit for my purse. Bryan proceeds to use their hands to give me a measurement "it's about this big". At that point, we opted to not purchase anything here and left.

If you're looking for an item that this store may carry, take your business elsewhere. Since they don't want you touching the items before purchasing, might as well buy it online! Take your business to a place where you feel welcomed and not a place where it leaves a salty taste in your mouth. We opted to purchase the item from another local store, 5 Little Monkeys. Their service is top notch and they were very welcoming! Also went to Therapy Stores, which was also a much more pleasant experience! I'm all for supporting local businesses, but if you're going to be rude (this appears to be a common theme with all the negative reviews about this place) I'd rather support a...

HIGHLY recommend making an appointment and purchasing your car seat and or/stroller here with Gina and Bryan. Some reviews have focused on not knowing you need an appointment which includes a fee that goes towards your purchase. I also read that some people are unimpressed with the look of the store. I totally get the frustration of driving somewhere not knowing about the appointment thing. However, the reality is that there is nowhere else you can get this level of care, service and expertise on what is most likely the biggest and most important purchase when having a baby. There is also nowhere around here you can demo a wide variety of strollers and car seats with someone who is an expert. The only way this can be done with this level of service is by having an appointment. And it is SO worth it. Bryan was really on top of communication as we emailed about our order back and forth. And we learned so much from Gina both in the appointment to demo strollers/car seats AND when we went to pickup our order they went over everything again and installed our car seat for us. As mentioned, you can’t get this level of care anywhere else and you are paying the same price as you would ordering online or another retail store. It’s not like they are charging more for their white glove service. I really appreciate that a business like this still exists and that people who are experts are there to hold your hand for this type of purchase. I know more about car seat safety than I ever thought I would and extremely grateful for the time and effort both Gina and Bryan spent on us. I also LOVE our new Silver Cross stroller/bassinet and Clek Ling car seat. Looking forward to going back when we need to buy our next car seat next year.

One final note, there were a couple of opportunities that both Bryan and Gina could have easily upsold us and they didn’t. As someone who knows nothing about baby stuff, I would have been the easiest target. Reason why I mention that is because it speaks volumes about their character and integrity as a business. You should feel comfortable about making a purchase with good people helping you who are considerate about not having you spend unnecessary money and giving you options. Just one more reason...