Animal Kettle 2.8 Quart Whistling Enamel on Steel Giraffe Tea Kettle

Comment: We love Mr. Duck. He blasts his honker to let us know the water is ready, then slops and spills when you pour. Reviewers warned us of this but we could not resist the cute factor and we're not sorry.

Comment: Originally ordered 2 of these giraffes on Nov 27, 2009 as holiday gifts. When they hadn't arrived by mid February (I kept receiving updates with new estimated shipping dates all that time), I cancelled that order and went with this different supplier.

Well, I got my 2 giraffes in 2 days time (even with all snow in the midwest the past few weeks, they arrived promptly here in the Northeast). The shipping box was practically destroyed and appeared to be taped together over and over again. Once removed from the pulverized shipping carton, one box holding a tea kettle was smooshed in every way imaginable. The other was in great condition. Both kettles appeared to be in good condition regardless of packing destruction. However, the first kettle I looked inside had enamel scraped off in several areas inside the kettle where the water goes; as if someone had tried cleaning it with abrasive materials. The whistle on that kettle didn't work either, so I decided to keep that one for myself rather than pay to return it.

The second kettle did not have any defects that I could see, but before 'gifting' that one as originally intended, I decided to test it out for the whistle. Nope. That whistle doesn't whistle either.

What a waste. Other than looking cute and fitting on the stove top nicely, I could use a small pot for boiling water and would not be expecting it to whistle at me when it was ready. It would be nice if after waiting months for a product it actually worked as promised when it arrived. I could understand maybe one not being right, but two?

I should have paid more attention and when it was taking so long for these to be shipped to me, just cancelled the order and continued using my Revere copper bottom 3 qt old-fashioned tea kettle. At least that one whistles even if it does dribble a bit when pouring from the spout.

Edit: 2/27/10 I did receive an e-mail from the seller yesterday advising me to keep the shipping carton for 3-5 days and they would process a return, refund, credit (my choice). They also advised they were contacting UPS concerning the horrid condition in which the parcel was delivered. (I told them my UPS delivery person was nothing short of stellar and did not feel it was UPS' fault). I guess I'm out of luck here because I don't write my reviews the day I receive the product(s). The saturated and dried, taped together over taped together, falling-apart shipping carton went in the recyle pickup last week; the two kettles (although they didn't whistle, they do look cute and will boil water) were donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters this past Monday during their neighborhood pickup drive. I'm waiting for a response from the seller but don't expect much.

Edit 3/2/10 - seller advised total refund being processed on my Amazon account for both kettles. It should take about 10 days for processing. While I was extremely disappointed in the kettles and their delivery condition, this seller has been nothing short of outstanding since I left my 'seller feedback'. Based on this alone, I would definitely consider purchasing from them in the future. Their prompt response to my feedback, more than adequate solution options offered impressed me quite a bit. Very few businesses operate this way now. I'm happy to say this company has risen to the top of my list based on their exemplary customer service.

While I originally voted 3 stars (just because I thought the product was cute), I've updated to 5 stars for outstanding customer service.

Comment: I love this tea kettle! My only complaint is it that it takes longer than my previous kettle to boil. It also doesn't really whistle-it kind of makes this humming sound,sort of like an eerie alarm siren. It's not too bad, althoughI do wish it would quack instead. It also kind of reminds me of a curling stone with a duck head attached. All in all it's a charming sight in my kitchen and I'm glad I have it.

Comment: The Strawberry pot is very cute, bright, nice paint job. Two problems we've encountered are the whistle works only occasionally and the whistle sounds like a car alarm or a foghorn. Does not sound like a regular teapot whistle in any way. It appears the stopper over the spout is not fitted correctly so we help it by pressing it into the spout and usually works. We'll keep it because it's a novelty item and we don't heat water everyday.

Comment: First off, it looks great. The whistle makes a fun noise. However, my wife uses it every day to make a full pot of tea. The plastic spout is starting to melt and the handle feels like its about to break. I bought it for my wife for Christmas, so this is only after one month of use. I don't think its going to last much longer. For light use, it may be sufficient.