Out in the mighty toy jungle, you will meet two types of monkeys: Swinging from the pure vines of WowWee, you’ll encounter cute, playful, tech-enhanced monkey toys that will latch onto your fingers. You’ll instantly fall in love with these whimsical pals. Blow kisses at them and they’ll reciprocate, hear them giggle with glee when you swing them from their tails, and more — in fact, they feature more than 40 adorable monkey sounds and gestures. They’re called Fingerlings from WowWee, and they’re the No. 1 hottest toy this holiday season.
But also lurking in the jungle, just looking to bamboozle you and steal all your hard-earned bananas, are a bogus breed of Fingerlings, donning similar names such as Fmgeblings or Baby Monkey Toy. At first glance these sly imposters look very similar to Fingerlings, but PLEASE don’t be fooled! They’re inferior knock-offs, and NOT the monkeys your kids are begging for.
As you can see, the fakes are eerily similar to Fingerlings, but are colored slightly different, and sometimes feature plastic hair and unblinking eyes. Unfortunately, there’s an overpopulation of these fake monkeys and unuathorized retailers are trying to trick you into buying one.We don’t want that to happen, because your kids deserve an authentic Fingerling come Christmas morning. Here are some tips to help you avoid buying a fake one!
Know the Price Point and Manufacturer
To begin, Fingerlings are manufactured by WowWee and sell for $14.99. Head to their official website and it will direct you to order from Amazon — but this is where it gets tricky. There are multiple third-party resellers on Amazon selling counterfeit Fingerlings, or selling legitimate Fingerlings for inflated price points. Do not click that “add to cart” button unless you see that the toy is listed for $14.99 and is shipped from and sold by Amazon in the Seller Information column. If you purchase from an unauthorized third-party reseller, you may be purchasing a counterfeit monkey, paying more than you should for the toy, and/or run into problems with returns or defective products.
If WowWee isn’t the manufacturer, get off that page!
Shop at Trusted Retailers
If you’re trying to buy them in person, make sure to only buy from trusted retailers, such as Walmart, Target, and Toys “R” Us. For example, your local convenience store is great for Slurpees, but should not be your go-to for the hottest toys of the year. They are crawling with fakes. WowWee has a full list of authorized retailers in the U.S. and Canada, click here to see where it’s safe to buy Fingerlings!
Read the Packaging
Look closely: The above package looks a lot like Fingerlings packaging, but these actually read “Fmgeblings,” instead of “Fingerlings.” These are not the monkeys you want to hang with. Always make sure you see “Fingerlings” on the package, and also keep a close eye out for the white WowWee name, trademark, and logo on the back of the package.
Avoid Toys that Are “Final Sale”
Signs that say things like “final sale (no exception) on all monkey toys” should be your first clue that these monkeys are not the real thing. These counterfeit Fingerlings are of a lower caliber, and your local corner store is probably well aware that these are impostures, which is why they won’t refund you. NEVER BUY A NON-REFUNDABLE TOY.
Why You Should Buy An Authentic Fingerling
So yes, Fingerlings by WowWee are the original primates of the toy jungle, but clearly have a large extended family of fake evil cousins. And I know what you’re thinking: Fingerlings are sold out practically everywhere, so should I just get my kid a knockoff?
It’s important to remember that counterfeit toys do not meet the same quality standards of the real thing, and may ultimately lead to very disappointed kids. And what happens when your counterfeit Fingerling doesn’t work the way you or your kids expected? Well, there’s no customer service for these fraudulent monkeys, meaning there’s nowhere to turn for help, a refund, or a new toy.
Fake Fingerlings often don’t feature sound or even movement in some cases, they will not respond to kids’ touch the way real Fingerlings do, and some of them even feature unblinking eyes, plastic hair, and low quality paints.
We promise you that waiting for the real Fingerlings to be restocked is totally worth it! Retailers are continually getting more of these happy little monkeys throughout the shopping season, so set those stock alerts and call your local retailer to get the scoop on when their shipments are arriving!
And in the event that you don’t get your hands—or rather, your fingers—on a real one by Christmas, don’t let that spoil your holiday season. Explain the situation to your child, and keep your eye on this Amazon page as we dive into 2018. Once the holiday rush dies down, the real Fingerlings should begin repopulating Amazon.
As you embark on your holiday shopping, always remember to check the packaging and the fine print. Here are some of our holiday shopping tips!
