Build-a-Bear Cheaters

I work at Build a Bear Workshop. I've put off saying where I work for several reasons. Number one being I am completely terrified of the higher-ups. I'm pretty sure we can get in trouble for blogging about work. I read something about it the handbook that no one gets to read. But I'm going to do it anyways and hope my blog doesn't come up on Maxine's Google search.

So, apparently children are really into these things called Webkinz. You buy a damn tiny stuffed animal and it comes with a code that you put into the Webkinz website to play with the virtual version of your toy. Of course Build a Bear had to get in on that action too. Just a little while ago, (December 08 maybe?) BABW opened BuildaBearville.com. You get to register your teddy bears, make a virtual avatar and play games, chat and crap. All BABW employees are supposed to know how the website works and the managers even have to play on it for a required amount of time. We play on it during store hours so it's fun! (My only complaint is the filtered chat... XD You can't type ANYTHING. Once there was a scavenger hunt for peanuts and I tried to ask the kids where they were and I couldn't even type "peanut". Some little snotty brat told me to look harder. I wanted to virtually slap her.)

Anyways. Here's what you have to know about Build a Bearville: When you register our newer stuffed animals, you get extra "Bear Bills" to spend on virtual crap. There are also codes that come with various things in our store so you can have special things online. There's a beach towel, a "bunny hop", Hannah Montana Purse... So these eventually become "rare" items. Well, as BABW employees we have access to so much things. Our managers go overboard sometime. I come into work and they're trying to trade a 12 year old online for some rare item. One of them had every single new animal there was, everything you could buy in the virtual store and who knows what else. BABW found her account and completely wiped it out. They deleted all of her things, her animals, her house (oh yes, you get to have a BABW house)...

I think that is SO hilarious. Is it really that serious? It's just an online game. An employee "cheating" at an online game is probably the least of their worries. I could tell some stories.... Oh, Build a Bear Workshop, you amuse me.