What the TV said
Coverage: ITV News · Yahoo News · ASA ruling.
What buyers received, in their words
- "All it literally does is pace in one spot and make an annoying squeaky sound." — Trustpilot, July 2026
- "I received three smaller dogs named NICO, battery operated, that trot and bark." — BBB Scam Tracker
- "A metal plate in the bottom, presumably to make the box feel heavier." — KTLA, Feb 2026
The brands, side by side
| Name | What arrives | Paid | Seller (own terms) | Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wuffy | 2×AA plush, paces and yaps | $30–$59 | UAB Commerce Core, Lithuania | ASA ban · BBB F · Trustpilot 2.6 |
| Nicoo / Nico | Same plush, pop-up stores | $16–$33 | No single owner | Trustpilot 2.0 · listings delisted |
| Froplay | 9-inch plush, leash remote | $34.99 | Cola Technology, Hong Kong | Trustpilot 1.2 · $50–$80 returns |
| Waggy · WiggyDog | Same product, new name | $34.99 | Name on the ASA ruling | $24.99/mo "club" charges |
Already ordered? Do this
- Cancel now if you are inside the window (Wuffy's terms: 12 hours).
- Don't pay $50–$80 to return a $35 toy. Dispute the charge with your card issuer as "not as described"; keep the ad, the order page and photos.
- Report it: [BBB Scam Tracker](https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker) and, in the U.S., the [FTC](https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/).
- Check your statement for a recurring "membership" or "shipping protection" charge.
Spot the next one
- **AI-generated video** — shimmering fur, a puppy that changes size, a "vet neighbour" never shown.
- **"70% off today"** and a $60–$70 "regular price" it never sold at.
- **Terms name a company in Lithuania or Hong Kong** and say "our products are not toys".
- **Returns at your cost** to a foreign address.
- **The same toy is on Amazon for $13–$40.** That is the real price.
What to buy instead
Joy for All Pup
Best for: You wanted a puppy that feels alive for a parent or grandparent. Heartbeat, barks back, no app.
Watch out: Stationary lap pet; no learning or conversation
metaDog
Best for: Same idea, USB-C rechargeable. Ships from China.
Watch out: Ships from China; 7-day unopened returns
Loona
Best for: You wanted a robot that actually recognises faces and voices — for a family.
Watch out: ~90-minute battery; hard floors only
Tombot Jennie Waitlist
Best for: The product the ads imitate. Real, and still a waitlist.
Watch out: Not shipping; multiple slipped dates
You wanted the toy in the video
It is on Amazon under a dozen generic names, with returns: the small walking, barking plush at $15.99 or $16.99, the nine-inch version with the leash remote at $39.99, and a plush Labradoodle that responds to twelve spoken commands at $41.99. These are toys for young children. They are not AI and they will not fool anyone, but they cost what they are worth. A hard-plastic trick robot from a brand with real returns: Sharper Image AI Dog, $99.99.
What the ads show, and what the box contains
The ads are AI-generated, according to both the ASA and Truth in Advertising (TINA.org). The voice-over quoted in the ASA ruling: "This robotic puppy looks so real it completely fooled my neighbour who is a veterinarian… He sits on command, barks when you talk to him, walks around the house, even tilts his head and wags his tail exactly like a real puppy."
The physical product is a plush-covered toy, roughly four to nine inches long depending on the version, with a small motor that drives the legs, a sound chip, and two or three AA batteries. The nine-inch version comes with a leash-shaped remote. The Amazon listings for the identical toy read "simply tap its head to hear it bark". One Wuffy buyer received units branded NICO; Amazon's "Froplay" listings name the same Shenzhen manufacturer as the generic toys. It is one product under many names. Trustpilot reviewers on several of these sites report partial-refund offers of 25%–70% to keep the toy; a chargeback is usually the faster route.
Names we are watching for the 2026 season
Searches for "SavingsHero AI puppy" and "Telegelam robot puppy" started appearing in mid-2026 alongside the older names. We have not finished checking those sellers; the checklist above applies regardless of the name on the ad. If you have received one of these products, tell us what arrived and we will add it.
Sources
- ASA ruling G25-1321974, UAB CommerceCore t/a WiggyDog, 25 March 2026 — asa.org.uk
- Truth in Advertising, "Wuffy and Other 'AI' Dogs", 16 February 2026 — truthinadvertising.org
- KTLA / Rich DeMuro, "Buyers say Wuffy AI robot puppy falls short of online promises", 18 February 2026 — ktla.com
- ITV News, "Robot puppy Facebook ad banned as customers report being misled by AI content", 26 March 2026 — itv.com
- Axios San Diego, "AI toy ads: Wuffy robot dog", 15 January 2026 — axios.com
- BBB business profile and Scam Tracker reports for Wuffy — bbb.org
- Trustpilot profiles: getwuffy.com, get-wuffy.com, froplay.com, kefxs.com
- Archived Wuffy terms, contact and returns pages (Wayback Machine, January 2026) naming UAB Commerce Core and UAB Rara Digital
- Froplay terms of service and contact pages naming Cola Technology International / COLAPA, Hong Kong — froplay.com
- Amazon listings for the generic toy and the "Froplay"-titled listings (manufacturer Tumama Kids Care, Shenzhen), fetched 6 September 2026
Prices and availability verified September 5, 2026. We re-check monthly.