Babee Tenda

I didn't realize there were timeshare presentations for baby stuff...but there are!

I got a postcard in the mail for a "Getting Ready for Baby Show." Now, I'll be honest - I had a feeling this was not going to be a great investment of an afternoon, but I thought why not - free gift, could be interesting. Even better! I get fascinated by these types of things, in that people actually believe this stuff and think they're getting a good value. The presentation started off with discussion of the infant car seat and the inherent dangers of the seat becoming a projectile and flying out of the base. These are issues that were addressed and corrected early on in the inception of this idea, and are no longer (to my knowledge) accurate. But there were many more soon to be parents in that "seminar" with little to no background knowledge on the products being presented. As if soon to be parents don't have enough anxiety about the arrival of their baby, this gentleman decided that extraordinary scare tactics were the way to go. Then, he introduced the Cosco Scenera as the far superior product. So, I made a mental note - Ok, this is a Cosco products demonstration. Not exactly, but I'll explain the car seat comparison later. Then there was discussion about cribs and the recalls involving cribs and the slats that break, and the sliding rails, and the releases, etc. Then, we were introduced to the Babee Tenda crib. Babee Tenda...what's babee tenda? So I looked through my binder and other paperwork and found information about the Babee Tenda feeding table. Ah-ha! Babee Tenda it is...the product behind these people. But why have I NEVER heard of this stuff at all? Because this is the only place to find this stuff. Worse than an infomercial - these items are not available in stores. So, after demonstrating the incredible convertible nature of the crib/bed (5 in 1), the presenter moved on to demonstrate the inherent dangers of high chairs. One man calls out, "But what's the alternative?" It's as if these people were actually paid in to say this stuff. "Well, let me tell you about the alternative..." I actually leaned over to let him know that the "alternative" was in his binder if he'd like to check it out. A feeding table - that converts to all different sizes, becomes a table (with a white board on one side and a chalkboard on the other), and a bath tub. There was also a bib that covered the baby's front and the entire table. Ridiculous!

There were a few things this gentleman said that I agreed with:
* He advocated for a Sleep Sack Swaddler
* He discussed bumpers and comforters being soft bedding that you aren't really supposed to use. (I've since un-registered for the "bedding package" that included these items since it really would just be "for show.")

With that in mind - next came the pricing. He had everyone in this room convinced they were going to easily spend $1000 on items that would be comparable to the two items that he was selling. I know my own budget and know for a fact that you don't need to spend that amount to get quality items.

So, the prices he quoted for:
* Feeding Table $499
* Crib $899

But, for today only at the group rates:
* Feeding Table $299
* Crib $599
And...thrown in for free...the Cosco Scenera Convertible Car Seat (and that's why he pitched that first!)

He assured the crowd that you could not contact the company to get these products for less in the future. You much act now to get these "amazing" discounts.

And the free gift at the end...coupons - for JC Penney Portraits, and 4 "Vacation Getaway" coupon certificates that I'm certain are worthless (grocery coupons, restaurant coupons, gas coupons, and a "Vacation in Paradise.")

So, if you get a postcard in the mail for "Getting Ready for Baby Show," I suggest only going if you're as amused by this kind of stuff as I am...but if you ever find yourself in a situation where you're easily persuaded to drop $800+ dollars on products from a company you've never heard of, stay far, far away.

Another blogger's Babee Tenda reflection...