Parents left fuming with £25 Scruff-a-Luvs toy that ‘looks nothing like the ad’
3 January 2020, 12:07 | Updated: 3 January 2020, 12:09
One mum said she feels like she’s ‘been had’ after getting her child a 'Scruff-a-Luvs' toy for Christmas.
With Christmas over for another year, kids all around the country are busy playing with the new toys they got from their parents.
But one mum has been left feeling short changed after her youngest child unwrapped a “Scruff-a-Luvs” teddy a few days ago.
The idea is that the toys are meant to be ‘rescued’ by their owners, which means they arrive looking rough around the edges, with the children tasked with making them look glossy.
The website reads: “Rescue your poor little Scruff-a-Luv and transform them from scruffy to fluffy. Simply wash, dry, groom and love your Furry Friend Forever!”
Ranging from £9.99 to £29.99, instructions tell users to wash them with clean water, squeeze the water out and then towel dry.
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They then need to be shaken and dried with a hairdryer on a medium heat, with adult supervision.
It’s recommended that the hairdryer is kept moving and not held too close to the fur, while owners should also brush the toy and shake it as it dries.
But some parents have claimed that despite following the instructions, they look nothing like the advertised photos.
One mum took to internet forum Mumsnet with photos of her daughter’s ‘fluffy’ animal, which looks anything but glossy.
She wrote alongside the images: “Has anyone else fallen victim to the atrocities of "Scruff-a-loves" ????
“My smallest begged for one for Christmas - being the incredible gullible mum I am, I obliged. Not just any though, it had to be the one with babies”
She went on to say: “But - once dipped in water and swirled around a bit, it's meant to transform into a glossy haired toy of dreams.
“See attached photo. Not really what the box or advert suggested.”
Before adding: “£25!!!!!!! I feel like a prize plonker.”
Agreeing with the mum, another woman said: “Yes my daughter had 3 different versions of this for Christmas, I thought we had gone wrong somehow but clearly not.”
While a third slammed: “We had a rabbit one and did diligently follow instructions and it still ended up like yours.”
However, plenty said they had managed to get the toys looking fresh.
One suggested: “We put it in the tumble dryer and then gave it a good brush with a tangle teezer.”
And another added: “We’ve got one and it’s fluffy now! It had a bath for about 20 mins, was brushed thoroughly while in there, towel-dried then brushed again. Then sat on a radiator and was brushed every half hour or so and then brushed again properly once dry."
The Scruff-a-Luvs website warns has since released a statement, warning parents there counterfeit toys being made to look like the originals.
It says: “We’ve been made aware that there are some counterfeit Scruff-a-Luvs that are being sold directly from China.
“Please be careful when buying your Scruff-a-Luv that you are buying a genuine Scruff!
“If you believe you have received a counterfeit Scruff-a-Luv please click here to report it to our Customer Care Team.”
Heart.co.uk has reached out to Scruff-a-Luvs for comment.
