GENERAL SITE QUESTIONS

1. What can I do on BarbieGirls.com?

In the Barbie Girls® world, you can create and decorate your virtual room, design an online character, play games, earn B Bucks®, have a B Chat™ with your friends, and more!

2. Barbie Girls® V.I.P. sounds super cool. What is it?

V.I.P. members have special access to the hottest stuff on BarbieGirls.com. With a V.I.P. membership, you can play exclusive games, adopt an online pet, unlock special areas, and get members-only hairstyles, outfits, and other super-cool stuff for your character (like a tiara!). You can send and receive online gifts, give (and get) virtual makeovers, visit a rockin’ amusement park, and so much more. You can even “shop” for fabulous fashions, furni and pet accessories with those B Bucks® you’ve earned! V.I.P. members also get priority access to the site when it’s busy. How cool is that?

3. How do I become a V.I.P. member? How much does it cost?

First, you need to create a basic Barbie Girls® membership, if you don’t already have one. Then, your mom or dad needs to create a Parents’ Place account. Once they’ve done that, they can purchase your V.I.P. membership for one month, 3 months, or 6 months! Your parent’s account will always be linked with yours, so they can help you do stuff like change your password or switch your chat status. As for cost, 1 month = $5.99, 3 months = $16.99, and 6 months = $29.99. Taxes or VAT may be charged depending on what state or country you live in.

Girls who purchase a Barbie Girl™ MP3 Player can also unlock a trial V.I.P. membership that will last either one month or one year, depending on where the device was purchased. Your V.I.P. membership length is printed on the outside of the MP3 player package, and it starts when you register your Barbie Girl™ through the CD registration process. If you want to continue the V.I.P. membership after it expires, you can ask your parent to renew through Parents' Place.

4. What's Parents' Place? What can you do there?

Parents' Place is a special section just for parents of Barbie Girls® members. There, they can make B Smart Pacts with you, learn all about BarbieGirls.com, and find out what we're doing to make your experience here fun, fabulous, and totally safe! Once your parent has created a Parents' Place account, he or she can do stuff like update your chat level, change your password, and more!

5. What's a B Smart Pact?

It's a fun and interactive way for you and your parents to create your own rules for safe online play! Just like real playgrounds need rules, digital playgrounds do, too. You get to write your rules as a team, then make a printout that you can both sign. How cool is that? Check it out here.

6. What are the different kinds of chat on BarbieGirls.com?

B Chat™ is available to all registered users on BarbieGirls.com. With B Chat™, you can chat using a drop-down menu of words and phrases, which helps keep chatting safe, friendly, and fun. To use B Chat™, just click on the speech bubble on the bottom of your screen and pick cool phrases from the menu that appears! When you click the phrase, it automatically appears in a speech bubble above your character's head!

Super B Chat™ is available to all registered users, but you need permission from your parents to use it. With Super B Chat™, you can type what you want to say without using drop-down menus. It's designed to be safe and fun! Our word filter blocks anything inappropriate or mean, and prevents the exchange of personal information, too. Keep in mind that you can only use Super B Chat™ with friends who also have Super B Chat™ activated.

Secret B Chat™ is a special kind of chat for real-life friends! To have a Secret B Chat™, you need to register your Barbie Girl™ device and receive a parent's permission. Then you can have a Secret B Chat™ with your best friends on BarbieGirls.com. Best Friends are girls who have physically connected their Barbie Girl™ devices into one another's computers. With Secret B Chat™, you can type in your own messages using a dictionary of words approved and compiled in the Barbie Girls® database. Just like with Super B Chat™, this word filter prevents the exchange of personal information and blocks mean or inappropriate language. To have a Secret B Chat™, just click your best friend and select "Secret B Chat™ invite." If she accepts, you're both taken to your room (if you're not already there). If your room was "open," everyone else will be removed from your room. Then you can type your message in the "Secret B Chat™" box and click "send."

7. How do I get Super B Chat™?

Click on the button that says "get Super B Chat™!" at the bottom of your screen. Then enter your parent's email address so we can send them a note to see if it's okay. We'll let them know how to activate Super B Chat™, and once they do, you can chat with other girls who have access to Super B Chat™, too!

8. Do I need my parent's permission to play on BarbieGirls.com?

When you register, you need to enter your parent's email address so we can send them a note letting them know you're playing on the site. Your parents can take away your access if they want to, so be sure to respect their rules (and the Barbie Girls® Rules)!

9. Do I need my parent's permission to chat on BarbieGirls.com?

You need your parent's permission to use Secret B Chat™ and Super B Chat™, but not regular B Chat™. You'll be asked to enter your parent's email address so we can send them a note telling them all about Super B Chat™ or Secret B Chat™ and asking if it's okay. In that email, they'll get instructions on how to activate whatever chat you requested.

10. What are B Bucks®? How do I earn them?

B Bucks® are the "money" you can earn as a registered user on BarbieGirls.com. You get B Bucks® when you play games, watch shows in B Cinemas™, design your online character for the first time, and enter special codes V.I.P. members can spend B Bucks® at the online stores in the mall to buy fashions, accessories, furniture, and more for their online characters. The more B Bucks® you earn, the more you can spend as a V.I.P. member! You can go to My B Bucks® to find out how you've earned and spent your online "money."

11. Where can I go shopping? What can I buy?

All Barbie Girls® users can earn B Bucks®, but only V.I.P. members and Barbie Girl™ device owners can spend them. Click on the map to see all the fabulous stores in the Barbie Girls® world. V.I.P. members and device owners can buy fashions, furniture, accessories, and more with the B Bucks® they've earned!

12. My friends have some special items I cannot buy in the Barbie Girls® world. Can they give them to me as gifts?

Barbie Girl™ device owners can sometimes redeem accessory packs with special items you can't buy in the Barbie Girls® world. If you don't own a Barbie Girl™ device, or you're not a V.I.P. member, then you cannot receive a special item as a gift from a friend. You can only give and receive gifts if you're a V.I.P. member or Barbie Girl™ device owner.

13. How can I get a virtual pet?

If you're a V.I.P. member, or if you've registered your Barbie Girl™ device online, you can adopt a virtual pet for free at B Posh Pets™. You can also adopt special online pets by entering the code that comes with specially marked Deco Packs for your Barbie Girl™ device!

14. Can I have more than one virtual pet?

Barbie Girls® V.I.P. members can adopt one virtual pet at a time. If you would like to exchange your current pet for a new one, go to B Posh Pets™. Your virtual pet lives in your room on a specially-marked pink square, and you can only have one online pet in your room at a time. You can move the square around your room by clicking "move" and dragging the square to a new place. You can also display one pet bed and one pet accessory for your virtual pet in your room. If you want to change your pet bed or pet accessory, put your current item into your closet, then add a new pet bed or accessory to your room.

15. Can I have more than one room?

No. Each registered user gets one room and one character that can be customized. But you can change the look of your character and your room anytime! As a V.I.P. member, the more B Bucks® you earn, the more stuff you can buy to change the look of your room and your character.

16. How do I know whose room I'm in?

The name of the user's room you are in will appear at the top of the screen.

17. Why are my friends' rooms sometimes unavailable?

Your friend must be in her room in order for anyone to visit. And she can only have 5 people, plus her, in her room. Here are some reasons why your friend's room might not be available: your friend is not in her room; her room already has 5 guests, plus her; her room is locked and no one can come in; her room is set to "knock first" and she isn't letting more people in.

18. Why can't I have friends visit my room?

Basic BarbieGirls.com users can visit their friends' rooms, but if you wanted to invite other girls to hang out in your room, you would need to become a V.I.P. member.

19. How do I make friends? How do I make best friends?

Here's how to make friends! To add someone to your friends list, click their character, then click "add to my friends"! If you can't see their character, go to "my mail" and enter your friend's screen name. Then click "search" to find out if she's online. If she is, her name will show up and you can click it to add her as a friend!

Here's how to make best friends! To add a friend to your best friends list, you both need to own a Barbie Girl™ device. Connect your friend's Barbie Girl™ device to your computer and follow the on-screen instructions. With parent's permission, best friends can have a Secret B Chat™ in their room and type their own chat and email messages to each other.

20. How can I find my friends?

Go to "my mail" and enter your friend's screen name. Click "search" to find out if she's online. If she is, her name will show up and you can click it to add her as a friend!

21. I know my friend is online right now. Why can't I find her?

To allow lots of girls to play in the Barbie Girls® world, we've created several copies of our stores and hangouts. For that reason, you and your friend might be in the same place at the same time but still not see each other. And remember, your friends need to have the same chat level as you do to play in the same Barbie Girls® world. The best way to connect with your friend is to visit her room. To do that, click the map and click "Rooms." When you see her room name, click to enter!

22. What can I do if someone says something inappropriate to me?

There are lots of things you can do! You can block them, report them, or make them leave your room. And if you're ever uncomfortable with something that happens online, don't be afraid to talk to your parents and let them know. You can also let us know by reporting that user!

23. How do I block someone?

If someone isn't being nice, click her character and select "block." This will keep her from sending you messages (you won't be able to send her anything, either). To unblock someone, click her character and select "unblock." Or click the "friends online" box and click "unblock" next to her screen name. But make sure you talk to your parents first before unblocking a user!

24. How can I make someone leave my room?

To make anyone leave your room, click her character and select "ask to leave."

25. How do I report someone?

To let us know about someone's bad behavior, click her character's baseball card and select "report." Then, from the drop-down menu, select the reason why you're reporting her to us. Remember, we take these reports super seriously! Please do not report someone as a joke or to make them feel bad.

26. What happens when I report someone?

When a user is reported, we can review the chat at the time of the incident, monitor the offending user, and determine whether further action is required. Any users attempting objectionable behavior will get a series of warnings, and can eventually be banned from the site.

27. I've got some other questions. Where can I go to find out more?

Read the official Barbie Girls® Rules to learn about the best ways to have fun and stay safe on our site. Our Message to Parents tells parents about our safety features on the site and offers recommendations for safe online play. Check out our Privacy Policy to learn more about the ways in which Mattel's family of sites protects our users' identities. Be sure to read our Terms & Conditions to understand important information about our website and your permitted use of it. And, if you ever need to contact us, you can call Customer Service at 877-3BARBIE (877-322-7243).

BARBIE GIRL™ DEVICE QUESTIONS

1. What is a Barbie Girl™ device? How do I connect her?

A Barbie Girl™ device is an MP3 player that you can customize with hot looks, fashions, charms, and more. She's also your key to unlocking some cool stuff on BarbieGirls.com! To connect your Barbie Girl™ to your computer, go to the "Online Play" section of your instructions and follow the "Installation and Registration" directions. When referring to Barbie Girl™, we use the words "device" and "MP3 player" interchangeably.

2. How many different Barbie Girl™ devices are there?

There is one Barbie Girl™ device that comes in three different colors: pink, blue, or green. If you own a Barbie Girl™ device, you can also get fashion and accessory packs to change the look of your Barbie Girl™ and unlock special features online!

3. Once I register my Barbie Girl™ device online, how long will my BarbieGirls.com account last?

One whole year! If you set up your account on or before 9/24/2007 — while BarbieGirls.com was in BETA — your account will expire on 9/24/2008. If you set up your account after 9/24/2007, your account will expire one year after the date your device was registered. And guess what? If you’ve registered your MP3 player, you’ll also be V.I.P. for either one month or one year, depending on where the device was purchased! You can find out how long your V.I.P. membership will last by reading the outside of the package that your Barbie Girl™ MP3 player came in. Your membership starts when you register the MP3 player through the CD registration process. If you want to continue the V.I.P. membership after it expires, you can choose to renew through Parents' Place.

4. I have a Barbie Girl™ device. Can I still sign up for a V.I.P. membership?

Of course! Your device already unlocks either one month or one year of V.I.P. access. You can add on to your membership at any time by purchasing one month, three months, or six months of additional access.

5. Do I always have to have my Barbie Girl™ device plugged into my computer to access BarbieGirls.com?

No. After you register your Barbie Girl™ device, you can access your account from any computer using your screen name and password.

6. How do I turn it on?

Plug in the earbuds. Or, if the earbuds are already in, hold down the play button for 3 seconds. The light will turn on when the device is on.

7. How do I jump to the first song in the playlist?

Unplug the earbuds. Hold down the play button–the light will turn on. Release it when the light turns off, about 3 seconds. Plug the earbuds back in and the playlist will be reset to the first song.

8. What kind of music files can I play?

Barbie Girl™ plays both mp3 and WMA music files. Files protected by digital rights management (DRM) are not supported.

9. What can I do with my Barbie Girl™ device when I'm not online?

You can copy music from your CDs and transfer it to your Barbie Girl™. You can even copy photos and other files to your Barbie Girl™. You can customize your Barbie Girl™ with cool snap-on outfits and accessories, and decorate your earbuds with snap-in earrings and beads.

10. Where do I get a special code?

Special codes will come in a variety of ways! Get special codes when you buy select Barbie Girls® products, such as Deco Packs and Fashion Packs at toy stores, or through promo offers. To enter a special code, click the key symbol [key icon]. Then type in your code and click "submit."

11. What if I lose my Barbie Girl™ device? If someone finds it, can they pretend to be me online?

No. Your username and password protect your privacy. So be sure you don't share it with anyone except your parents.

CD AND SOFTWARE QUESTIONS

1. There's a CD? Where is it?

The CD is under the back cover of the package.

2. My Barbie Girl™ didn't come with a CD / the CD is broken.

Call the number on the back of the instructions that came with your Barbie Girl™ and we'll send you a replacement.

3. I put the CD in my computer but nothing happened.

Try these following steps:

4. What if I don't want to register my Barbie Girl™ using the Barbie Girl™ software?

Barbie Girl™ will still work as a digital music player. But if you want to access any of the special items on BarbieGirls.com or become Best Friends with another user, you will need to register your Barbie Girl™ using the Barbie Girl™ software.

5. What's on the CD?

The CD contains Barbie Girls® software that lets you register the device with your account on BarbieGirls.com. It also comes with the latest versions of Adobe Reader and Windows Media Player 11.

6. How do I install Windows Media Player 11?

Follow these steps:

7. Does Barbie Girl™ work with earlier versions of Windows Media Player?

Yes. However, the screenshots in the instructions will look different that what you will see on your computer. You can also drag and drop mp3 and WMA files directly to your device using Windows Explorer

8. I gave Barbie Girl™ devices to both of my daughters. Can they be used on the same computer?

Yes. You can use as many Barbie Girl™ devices as you like on a single computer, but only one at a time. And you can add both daughters to your Parents' Place account! Each Barbie Girl™ device must be registered to a different user account on BarbieGirls.com. If you want the Barbie Girl™ devices to be Best Friends on BarbieGirls.com, use the Best Friends feature in the Barbie Girls® software.

9. What happens if someone learns my registration code?

Your username and password protect your identity online. So be sure you don't share it with anyone except your parents. As long as you keep that info private, no one can access your Best Friends or any items you've bought with B Bucks®. And no one can use your code to register another device because the code is tied to your account and can only be used once.

10. What if no registration code was included with my Barbie Girl™ device?

Call the number on the back of the instructions that came with your Barbie Girl™ device.

11. I installed & registered my Barbie Girl™, but I lost or broke the device. I bought a new one. How do I retrieve my Best Friends, B Bucks®, and stuff I "bought" online with my online "money"?

If you lose or break your device, your online account is not affected in any way. If you want to register a new device using your old registration code, click on the "key" icon in the Barbie Girls® software. Click "Re-register Barbie Girl™" to go through the registration process again.

12. I bought a Barbie Girl™ and installed the software. I entered the registration code but a message popped up saying "registration code already in use". What do I do?

Call the number on the back of the instructions that came with your Barbie Girl™. After your purchase has been verified you'll be issued a new registration code.

13. What operating systems are supported?

Windows XP and Windows Vista (all versions).

TROUBLESHOOTING

1. I can't log in. What can I do?

Confirm your login information is correct and try again. If you forgot your password, click "forgot password?" to retrieve it. If you have a basic account and you forgot your username, you will need to re-register. If you have a Barbie Girl™ device and you forgot your username, call the number located on the back of the instructions that came with your Barbie Girl™. If your parent has set up a Parents' Place account, you can also check out your account details or change your password with their help.

2. Why was I logged out?

If you are logged in and have not done anything at all on the site for 15 minutes, then your session on BarbieGirls.com automatically ends.

3. Why are the hangouts sometimes full?

That means there are so many users in the hangout area that we can't fit any more! But try again to see if a space opened up. If not, click the map and find another cool hangout!

4. I can't have a Secret B Chat™ with my friends. What do I do?

In order to have Secret B Chat™ with friends, you must become best friends on BarbieGirls.com. In order to become best friends, you must connect your Barbie Girl™ to each other's computers and both receive parental approval to use that feature on the site. In the meantime, you can still have a B Chat™!

5. I try to exit through the door and nothing happens. How do I go from room to room?

If you want to go to another room, click the map, then click "rooms" and select the room you'd like to enter! You cannot exit through the door.

6. What are the minimum system requirements for Barbie Girls®?

You can log on to the BarbieGirls.com site with both a Mac and a PC computer! But you can only connect your Barbie Girl™ device to a PC computer with Windows® XP or Windows® Vista; Pentium® III 800 MHz or above or equivalent processor; 512 MB RAM; 200MB free hard drive space; DirectX9.0B or above; Internet Explorer 6.0 or later with SP1 and Macromedia Flash Plug-In; Internet connection (broadband recommended); Windows Media Player 11; USB 2.0 port; and CD-ROM drive. Check out the "system requirements" section of the instructions that came with your Barbie Girl™ device.

7. The light started flashing on my device and the volume decreased by itself. What's going on?

The battery is low. Plug your Barbie Girl™ into the docking station to recharge it! The LED lights up when your Barbie Girl™ is charging, and turns off when your device is fully charged.

8. My computer doesn't recognize Barbie Girl™. What can I do?

Check all the connections to make sure they're tight. Also make sure the Barbie Girl™ USB connector is popped all the way out of the device. If it is, plug it firmly into the docking station. Then be sure to plug the USB cable firmly into a USB port on your computer.

If the device is still not recognized, plug the docking station into a different USB port. Remember... the Barbie Girl™ device software only works on a PC computer. Your Barbie Girl™ is not Mac compatible. Ask a grownup for help if you need it!

9. I have a Macintosh computer. How can I connect my Barbie Girl™ to the Barbie Girls® world?

The software included with the Barbie Girl™ device is not compatible with a Mac. But, both Mac and PC users can register basic and V.I.P. accounts on BarbieGirls.com!

10. I lost my docking station. How do I retrieve it?

Call the number on the back of the instructions that came with your Barbie Girl™ and they will give you step-by-step instructions.

11. When I connect Barbie Girl™ to the docking station, I get a popup saying "This device will work faster with USB 2.0." Why?

You may have an older computer that doesn't support USB 2.0. Barbie Girl™ will still work fine with your computer

12. A Windows Vista error message appeared when installing Adobe Reader. What should I do?

When you install Adobe Reader 8 on Windows Vista you may see the error message "The Temp folder is on a drive that is full or is inaccessible. Free up space on the drive or verify that you have write permission on the Temp folder."

There are two methods of fixing this--

1) Enable User Account Control

2) Run the installer in XP Compatibility Mode

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?id=333643

 

13. I get a message saying, "Oops! Looks like you're already signed in!" Why? What should I do?

This message might appear for several reasons:

To resolve the issue, close all browsers, wait 60 seconds, and try again. If that doesn't work, please call Customer Service at 877-3BARBIE (877-322-7243).

14. I get a message saying, "Oops! Make some room for your bed!" What's going on?

Your current room design doesn't include a bed, and you've put furni in that extra space. Before changing your room design to one that does include a bed, you need to move items out of the way. Your bed will always go in the same place.

15. How do I play in Club Beauty?

A special shop just for V.I.P. members, Club Beauty features an interactive makeover activity, which requires you and another user be available at the same time. To receive a makeover, wait for someone to click on you. To give a makeover, click on another girl's avatar. If she isn't busy giving or getting a makeover, you can start playing!

16. I get a "duplicate order" error message. How can I reorder?

Log out of your Parents' Place account and sign back in. Select the desired screen name and check your order history to make sure you're not ordering twice for the same name. If the message appears again, please call Customer Service at 877-3BARBIE (877-322-7243). You'll need to provide the screen name and prior order number, if available.

17. How will subscription charges for Barbie Girls® appear on my credit card statement?

Charges will appear as DRI*BarbieGirls.com.

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