Toys"R"Us & Babies R Us sent over some information about their layaway expansion and upgrades for the 2011 holiday shopping season.
Here are the details:
They will offer its customers even more convenient, flexible payment options this holiday season, whether they prefer to shop in-store or online to purchase this year's must-have toys.
Layaway, available in Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us® stores nationwide, and special limited-time Bill Me Later® offers, available online at Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com, offer customers the ability to make a series of smaller payments over time as an alternative to incurring fees associated with credit card purchases.
Toys"R"Us introduced layaway in its stores in 2009 for "big gift" items such as bikes, swing sets, dollhouses, play kitchens and more, and since that time has added new categories, like video game hardware and tablet computers, to the assortment of products eligible for this pay-over-time option.
Beginning Saturday, October 15, Toys"R"Us will offer layaway on all playthings* in 450 of its approximately 600 Toys"R"Us stores nationwide**. Now, whether parents and gift-givers are looking to delight kids with a specific Barbie® or LEGO® set, or a Power Wheels vehicle or dollhouse, they can take advantage of layaway to put special gifts under the tree this Christmas.
The in-store layaway option gives customers 90 days to pay for their item(s). A 20% down payment is required and there is a $5 service fee for layaway. Payments may be made at the store where the order was placed at any time in the form of cash, check, credit card, debit card or gift card, but 50% of the total price of the order must be paid within 45 days and total price of the order must be paid within 90 days. In order to guarantee that items are made available by Christmas, all layaway orders for toys must be paid in full by December 4. In the event an order is cancelled, there is a $10 charge, however, there are some state-specific exceptions regarding this fee.
Customers who prefer to shop online can take advantage of a limited-time Bill Me Later offer to make flexible payments over time as an alternative to the in-store layaway program. Through Saturday, October 22, eligible customers can enjoy no payments plus no interest if paid in full in six months for purchases over $100 or no payments plus no interest if paid in full in 12 months for purchases over $500. In addition, new Bill Me Later customers can save $20 on purchases of $100 or more.***
This year, Toys"R"Us has introduced its first online catalog highlighting many of the "big gifts" that can be put on layaway in all stores nationwide, or purchased online using the convenient Bill Me Later payment option.
Showcasing more than 30 items from swing sets to dollhouses, the online catalog includes $900 worth of savings on the big gifts that are sure to bring big smiles on Christmas morning, including ride-on vehicles, play kitchens, train tables and more. The special savings included as part of this online catalog are available at Toys"R"Us® stores and online at Toysrus.com now through Saturday, October 22, and represent only a sample of the savings on products available for layaway in all Toys"R"Us stores nationwide.
*Some exclusions apply. See store for details.
**Toys"R"Us Express and Outlet stores do not participate in the company's layaway program.
***Bill Me Later is subject to credit approval as determined by the lender, WebBank, Salt Lake City, Utah and is available to US customers who are of legal age in their state of residence. You must pay with Bill Me Later® to get the offer. $20 credit valid on order of $100 or more for first time Bill Me Later® customers only and will appear on your Bill Me Later statement in 1-2 billing cycles. Limit one per customer. Click here to view important disclosures about payment amounts and terms. Offer expires at 11:59PM EST on October 22, 2011.