Customer Reviews: Read 20 more reviews...
 I took a risk too, but it was worth it. December 25, 2008
I bought this table in October, and the packaging was in ruins. I don't know if it's Beck International, Amazon, or FedEx that causes this, but with all the complaints, it should definitely be looked into. The hardware was at the bottom of the box, loose, and a couple pieces were missing. The instructions were horrible. They show you where everything goes, but not in what order.
THAT SAID,
I found the number for Beck International and explained the package arrived poorly and asked if I could be sent a couple pieces of hardware to replace what I was missing. The man was very apologetic and asked me to email the company with my request, giving me the email, of course. I did so and within 3 or 4 days, a whole new package of hardware arrived via UPS, even though I had only requested 3 pieces. I was impressed by this very much. My husband and I put the table together on Christmas Eve and we realized the new hardware was partially plastic. We kept splitting pieces! So it was a good thing that the company was good about sending a whole new package of hardware, or we might not have had enough. We probably split 6 or 7 pieces so you do the math. In the end, we did get it all together with the original hardware (which was all metal--go figure). It probably took an hour and a half or more, but once we got the train set up it was good to go and our 2 year old son loves it.
Bottom line--bad packaging, but excellent customer service. Oh and the table itself was not damaged in any way and it appears to be sturdy and durable.
 Good, Basic Play Table December 22, 2008
Ordered two of these tables. My son is 16 months but below average in height and weight, so he cannot reach the center of the table while standing along the long sides of the table, but I bet most 2 year olds can probably reach most places on the tables when motivated to play. He loves to "cruise" around the table playing with different toys.
The Good: They work great for the little ones to keep some of their toys confined to a play area. Great for use with Trains, of course, play sets (castles / pirate ships) and building block toys (mega bloks / legos, etc). You can measure the height under the table and purchase storage containers for that will fit under the table for toy storage. This worked out well.
The Bad: Don't expect a pristine condition when ordering these from online. The packaging material is minimal and you almost certainly will have corner damage of one sort or another. Also one box had the metal hardware in a bag, but the other box's metal hardware was loose in the container, causing scratches. Also the metal bolts and the nuts will probably have a few kinks in their threads, so its best to make sure to work those out before trying to assemble the table.
The Ugly: The shape the packaging will be in when it gets to your house.
Hard plastic end cap covers on the corners probably would have gone a long way towards reducing damage on these tables.
wooden train table December 6, 2008
I took a risk when buying this table because all the reviews said that the table was shipped poorly. Well, they were right. The box came opened and broke in a few spots. I was very lucky that I had all the pieces though. The screws in the box were not wrapped (just floating around), but I ended up with them all. The directions were torn in half and not very good. After getting the table together, I was pleasantly surprised that it is a pretty solid table. So if you like taking risks, this is one for you!
Some damage, but nice table overall for $$ November 6, 2008
Ordered this table Saturday evening, it arrived Wednesday afternoon - box had some damage to sides and corners, but all pieces were intact and with minimal damage to table itself - a couple of dings, small split in the wood, etc... We decided to go ahead and put the table together to make sure it would be okay - took less than an hour and we were pleasantly surprised at how sturdy it is. Looks like our two boys will get years of use out of it. I was a little disappointed at the fact that is doesn't have the cute little "village" scene painted on it - of course I knew that before I bought it, but still - it's very plain. But I guess you can't have it all, for as little as it cost compared to similar tables, and free shipping on top of that. A great deal, for sure, and you can always put down some posters or something on it. Only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because of the damage - which, after the table went together, is barely noticeable and the 2 and 4 year olds won't care.
BEST train table ever!!! Great value! October 14, 2008
I was a little nervous about this seemingly "too good to be true" deal on a train table. Other reviews had said they were all damaged by the time they went through shipping. I decided to take a chance and was SO pleasantly surprised. I ordered with the free shipping one afternoon and the next morning Fed Ex was ringing my bell with the big train table! To my delight the box looked in great shape and all the fasteners were inside.
This pregnant mom put the table together in about 45 minutes and my 2 youngest (3 and 11 months) played trains while I was able to do some cleaning! We've had this now for almost 2 weeks and the kids enjoy using the table for building blocks and hot wheels as well. (I'm thinking when they're older it's a good place for doing a jigsaw puzzle too.) They also climb under and on top of it -- it's built well and very sturdy. The first time I saw them both sitting up there I was worried it would collapse, but it's holding up to all they are doing in their play.
I couldn't be more happy with this table and I'm so glad we have it!
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