Lego Mindstorm (8547) Pricing - $229.99

Toys R Us has had price matching as long as I can remember. I'd think
they'd match Amazon, especially as I believe they sell their items
online using Amazon. Tell your son not to fret, Toys R Us when it
comes to prices.

We made the purchase today with a price match using all the gift
cards. Thank you, ToysRUs!!

Also, thank you to everyone for your comments, suggestions and
different points of view.

My son certainly has learned a lot of life lessons from reading your
posts with me about this experience. He is so excited to tell his
friends what happened! And, he looks forward to visiting ToysRUs
again.

While its unfortunate that things didn't work out like you planned and
your son was unable to but the toy I fail to see how any of this is
toy r us' fault.

Maybe you should use this as a learning opportunity for you son and
explain to him the situation and how even with the best planning
sometime things don't always work out. I don't think there's any
valid reason for you to let you son go around bad mouthing something,
especially when they did nothing wrong.

looking at the item online... I see all the electronics that go into
it.


I'm just wondering if any of the parts were made in Thailand,
especially the computer that goes inside.


People involved in computers know about it but the general public may
never have paid attention to the news, or may have forgotten... There
was some pretty bad flooding in Thailand. Bad enough that some
factories were under water.


You may have noticed a drastic increase in the price of hard drives
for example. Limited supply, high demand.... prices go up.


That may be a factor.



Or it could just be generic supply / demand in effect.

Neither the employees nor the managers will kow when the Lego
Mindstorm or any other item will go on sale again. That is determined
by corporate and they will not tell you either. Your best bet is to be
patient and wait for them to go on sale again. As a former retail
manager, the store had copies of the upcoming sale ads up to a week
early. Most often, it was only a few days before the sale started.

This "toy" isn't meant for 7 year olds, the age suggested is 10 and up
-- while they are very cool robots (I know several people that own
one) it might end up being frustrating at this age.

Also, to address what you said below about a school club, while I
wonderful idea, I wouldn't suggest ever bringing this to school - for
any reason. If this is what he has his heart set on doing, start with
some smaller, less expensive models.

how many gift cards can be used at a time. The store I used to work in
only allowed three at a time, and I know of others that will only
allow two.

In all honesty - I would either sell the gift cards - ebay is the
best, you can almost always get full face value or use them separate
for some purchases. Even if he finds it at that price through TRU he
won't be able to use all the gift cards at once.

Your 7 yr old son is going to tell all his friends to never shop at
Toys R Us? And he will NEVER EVER "patronize" Toys R Us again? I did
not know that one could save gift cards for 7 years?

wow now children are threatening to boycott a store if they dont get
their way.

This is a good life lesson for your son. Things happen in life and
you cant always get your way.

I find it funny he is mad at ToysRus, shouldnt he be mad at your
husband for having to have surgery right when his sale was going on?
Or mad at you for caring more for your huband than a toy?

on another note...

HOLY COW some of those mindstorm things are $500-$1100 bucks!! Those
arnt toys, those are investments.

The empty threats and begging/bartering at the end do not win me over.
And if your family is not in a position to cover the shortfall for a
$230 frivolous toy, why MUST he get that toy this year? At his age I
was content with playing "simulated soccer" with checker pieces and a
shirt button.