Customer Questions

We get questions in our shops and online all the time about sex and sex toys. Some keep coming up (pardon the pun) again and again so we thought it might be of help for us publish our answers here so they might help all our customers.

If you have a question that you think we can help you with please send it to us on questions@playblue.ie and we’ll definitely answer it via email personally and may publish the answer here. Of course all answers are totally discreet and no personal information will ever be published.

These answers are published at a point in time and of course may go out of date.

PlayBlue Customer Questions

Will I have to pay duty when it turns up, Is your Website actually based in Ireland or are you based elsewhere? (Matt, Email) - September 2022

Let me 100% clear we are 100% Irish. We operate and ship from Tallaght in Dublin and also have a store in Cork. If you purchase from Ireland or Northern Ireland you will NOT have to pay duties.

I know there are loads of .ie webstores that are actually English or Spanish and it is near impossible to tell. Shipping can take ages and you might get stung we a duty fee. Another snaky one is the website could be Irish but they either Drop ship from Europe or hold stock outside of Ireland. So suddenly it takes 2 weeks for deliveries to turn up - super annoying.

But we hold everything in store, in Tallaght so no worries there.

Can't find your Poppers can you send me the link? (Joe, Email) - Feb 2022

I'd say we get this question daily. We don't sell poppers because they are actually illegal. I know mad but we don't make the rules. I'm sure if you hunt around you can find them for purchase like nearly anything. But we don't sell them online or in-store, sorry.

P.S. There is no implied nod and wink there we really don't sell them, no hidden trove under the counter or secret word or anything we just don't sell them. We get loads of people instore who don't believe us and are convinced we have them in the back for "Special" customers. Well we don't.

I'm a total beginner, What is a good brand to start with? (Marion, Email) - October 2021

We have about 80+ brands that we deal with and some like Womanizer, Nexus and Fleshlight are quite specialised. Then we have more generic brands like Satisfyer and Rocks Off which are great brands to start with. Not too expensive, which is great when you are only figuring out what you like. Can be bought in smaller sizes always good for beginners and are kind of rock solid so won't let you down.

Here is a List of All our Brands so you can check them out.

Changed me mind, Can I cancel? (Dusan, Email) - August 2021

Of course but be quick. With our shipping policy to get orders out as soon as possible we might have your order already packed and shipped. Once it is packed we can't cancel I'm afraid. You can of course just return it once it's received but to cancel you must get us before we ship it. We ship orders generally between 9am-8pm.

I see this Vibrator cheaper, thought you had a Price Guarantee ? (Karla, In-Store) - June 2021

We do - We Guarantee to be cheaper or at least the same price as everyone selling sex toys in Ireland. If you ever see a Irish online store or high street store selling something we sell cheaper send us the link and we'll at least match it or if you've purchased already refund you the difference.

We've been doing this Price Guarantee for the last 5-6 years and we have had to use it less then a hand full of times. We are the biggest in Ireland so our scale enables us to be the cheapest. We don't do knockoffs, we don't do second hand (like some stores) and we don't gouge our customers.

Full Price Guarantee details are listed Here

Your Product Videos are a bit unusual? (Sylvia, Email) - April 2021

I'm deciding to take that as a compliment, strange is good no?

Our PlayBlue Product Videos are a bit strange as they generally do not try to sell you anything. We shoot them in an attempt to mimic what a customer might do in-store while checking out a product. We open it, squeeze it, turn it on, measure it just generally have a bit of a muck about with it to give you a real representation of what the product actually is without all the marketing stripped away. 

We truly want you to be happy with your purchases and showing you exactly what you'll get before purchase is a good start. We place the videos on the product pages to make it super relevant and ensure you have the chance to see it before purchase. Want to see our ever expanding range of videos? Click Here

Free Gift? Is this a joke? (Annette, Email) - November 2019

Update Sep 2022 :- A Standard free gift with all orders has stopped in an effort to keep prices and cost down, still ask in-store as we often have some left.

It took a bit of back and forth before we understood this question properly. But I'll answer all the variants of this question. No we do give free gifts to every order over €30 online no joke. It varies from a cock ring to a vibrator to massage oil to lube, to a whip, to a cock sleeve to basically anything we can get cheap enough to be able to give away and not end up broke.

We've been doing free gifts since 2012 and have no plans to stop anytime soon. We do it because we can basically. With our scale we can gouge a load of really cheap bulk buy gifts from our stressed suppliers and we are then delighted to give them away to you.

Finally if you are in Cork or Tallaght in-store and spend a few quid (over €30 anyway) ask for a free gift and the staff will be delighted to give you one....a free gift that is...sigh.

This is broke how do I return it? (Joan, Email) - March 2018

We are the only adult store in Ireland offering real FREE returns. Just contact us via the returns page and we'll contact you with the returns process, usually this entails you binning it and us just sending a new one. There is of course a few terms and conditions we don't do returns of intimate wear as this just means we'd end up selling secondhand lingerie which we will NEVER do.

Full return details are listed on our Returns Page

Can you send me a catalogue? (Sean, Phone) - January 2018

Again a question we get very regularly. The short answer is no. Our catalogue is our website.

Years ago we dabbled with the catalogue idea but gave up on it very quickly. Our range changes all the time so as soon as we'd print a catalogue it'd be out of date. Having the website as the catalogue also gives us the freedom to add new products without restraints.

What is the best vibrator you sell? (Ataya, Email) - November 2017

A little subjective as we all have our opinions on what makes up a good vibrator. We have a few resource to help you choose, first we have the Best Vibrators category which are vibrators that we love. There are also vibrators marked as PlayBlue Bestseller which updated daily with sales data. Then we have an annual post see Top 5 Female Solo Sex Toys and finally we have PlayBlue Vibrators Guide to help you understand the difference.

Why do you need my mobile number when I order? (Eamon, Email) - September 2017

A couple or reasons. Mainly it's for the courier who won't deliver without a contact number. But also in the rare occasion if there is an issue with the order we can call you to resolve it quickly. We never sell them or use them for marketing and apart from the courier calling you 99.9% are never used.

The popup telling me someone in Tipperary just brought a butt plug, is that for real? (John, Shop) - May 2017

Yes. We get asked this question at least once a day. That popup is absolutely real and uses live data. Try it out, place an order and check it after and you'll see someone from your home town just brought something. We're back to the honest broker idea, we have no interest in slight of hand or tricks. We just treat everyone fairly end of story.

Edit: We had to change it so now it just says someone as the odd person started putting their eircode in the Town part of the shipping address and this made them identifiable so now it only ever says someone. 

Have you any discount codes? (Alan, Online Chat) - March 2017

Generally not to be honest. The very rare occasion we create them for some special circumstances but if we are doing a special price for something we just drop the price for everyone, no code required. We really do try to make our prices as low as we can make them so it doesn't leave us much room for discount codes.

Hello, am I talking to a human? (Simon, Online Chat) - January 2017

You might laugh we get this question often on our online chat system. When you type a question into the chat box in the bottom right corner of every page and a few seconds later you get a response, it is from a real live person in PlayBlue support. When we are not available the chat is off or in the rare occasion we miss a chat you will be asked to leave a message. But yes we do consider ourselves human, say hello we don't bite.

Is it in Stock? (Joan, Phone) - October 2016

The short answer is yes. If we show the product on our website it is in stock and ready to ship. We are unique in the Irish sex toy industry in that we actually stock everything and the product pages on our website show live stock levels.

I wanna collect, Why no shop in Dublin? (Mark, Online Chat) - August 2016

Update:- Ah we now have a flagship store in Tallaght and you can shop Click n Collect to either Tallaght or Cork 

There are really two answers. First we truly believe in online being the best place to purchase sex toys and it will always be our primary focus and retail platform. But we do understand some people prefer to shop in store. We have tried to open in Dublin a few times without success but don't worry a flagship store in Dublin is still something we are actively working towards.

How much do returns cost? (Cintya, Email) - May 2016

With PlayBlue it's free. If you have a problem with a faulty sex toy we want to fix it and make sure you are not out of pocket. Checkout full details on our returns page.

Do Brands make a difference? (Tom, Email) - March 2016

Yes and no. We have found brands will tend to be more reliable and better made then generic copies but not all brands are great. It depends what you are looking for. If you just want to try a simple to use sex toy then go for the one you want and ignore the brand. If you are looking for a toy you plan to use medium term and want the best then definitely a brand.

What is the best beginner's vibrator? (Emily, Email) - December 2014

This is never a simple answer and changes all the time. As a basic rule we say don't go too big, too complicated or too expensive to start with. We have a specific beginner's vibrator category now which should help 

Every waterproof vibrator I have never lasts what's up with that? (Mags, Web) - November 2014

A little cheekily my first response was "Maybe give it a day off every once in a while.." but most honestly most vibrators nowadays are sold as waterproof. But of course they never give you the detail on how this exactly works. Well obviously if water gets into the inside of the vibrator it's going to break and water generally gets in via the battery compartment. Our advice is to ensure you have a super tight seal on the battery compartment and if in any doubt over tighten it and maybe use a little Vaseline on the seal.

You can test it out with little risk if you slowly lower the vibrator into a bowl of water and if any air bubbles come out of it, then its not sealed correctly and remove it straight away and leave it to dry in a warm place before trying to use it.

If in any doubt my advice is lay off using them in the bath or go for a rechargeable vibrator as they generally have better waterproof sealing. Click on our category to see our selection of waterproof vibrators.

Are Dolls any good for sex or just as a joke? (Bryan, Shop) - September 2014

Well we have sex dolls that cost over a grand so it would be a pretty expensive joke. But I assume you are talking about the cheaper blow-up models.

Without a doubt people do buy the very cheap ones as jokes but the majority of customers for sex dolls have sex with them. The only advice I can give you is plenty of lube and you get what you pay for. Also don't inflate the dolls too much as the pressure applied during sex might puncture them.

You can't really expect a €20 blow-up to compare with real sex. So if your expectations are set correctly of course you can enjoy sex with a doll. The most expensive sex dolls we have feel and weigh like a real person.

Why do you not sell Viagra or a herbal version? (Sean, Email) - July 2014

Update:- Just go to your local pharmacy and ask for Viagra Connect, no prescription easy.

This is a simple answer, because we don't really know if its legal so we just don't. No one can categorically tell us it's legal to do so, until we're sure we just don't.

I'm sure there are shops you can buy them from and they are definitely available online (what isn't?) but how safe they are or secure I really can't tell. Anyway unfortunately PlayBlue is not one of them.

What would you do with a fake pussy? (Martin, Online) - March 2014

By fake pussy I assume you are talking about male masturbators like the Fleshlight.

These are some of the most popular sex toys in the world and you may not believe it but sell in the millions. Really you can view them as male equivalents of vibrators in that they are used to help a man masturbate.

To use one you add a little water based lube to your penis and a little to the masturbator. Slowly work your penis in and then gradually increase the pumping speed to orgasm. Most have an air suction control that allows you to control the suction of the toy.

In short these 'fake pussies' replace your hand in masturbating. They can also be great fun when used as a couple.

What is a cock ring? (Sinéad, Shop) - January 2014

Cock Rings are used to enlarge the penis prior to sex. The basic ones have a single stretchy ring that is place around the base of the penis either above or behind the testicles depending on preference.

This acts as a barrier restricting blood flow back from the penis and will cause it to engorge and grow wider and longer giving the man a large stronger erection which he can hold for longer.

Fancier cock rings have built in bullet vibrators that can stimulate both partners during sex from clitoral stimulators, anal stimulators and testicle stimulators and endless combinations or each.

Some also have multiple rings that can be placed around the testicles and penis in various positions to enhance sensation.

Cock rings are fantastic starter couples sex toys and if you are interested you can learn more clicking here.


I can’t get the vibrator to work? (Louise, Online) - January 2014

Most vibrators take batteries some are rechargeable. Very few of our products have defects and we have a policy that if we get two broken toys in a short period we drop the product and query it with the manufacturer.

Usually the problem is batteries. To ensure you have the correct batteries get new good batteries (not cheap Lidl or Pound Shop batteries), nearly always one will go in upside down to the other even if it is not shown on the toy. Also on some vibrators especially waterproof ones you need to really tighten them as the contacts will only touch the batteries when the waterproof seal is engaged. We advise tighten normally then if it doesn’t work tighten a tiny bit more try it again, repeat until it works.

Failing all that it may just be broken or faulty and you need to check out returns page..

How does a Penis Pump work? (Margaret, Online) - December 2013

Ignoring the fact that I assumed Margaret was female and probably had no use for a penis pump herself, I answered the question as a question of curiosity.

Penis pumps all work on the idea of creating a vacuum around the penis which will make the blood rush towards it engorging it. This effect will usually last around 30 minutes. These are used by men to give them temporarily larger penises, many men find that using a cock ring after pumping prolongs the effect.

The penis expansion with a pump is usually in all direction so you should have more girth as well as length. Most men can expect around an extra ¾ inch to an inch. We do advice that newcomers take it very easy using penis pumps and follow all guidelines given.

To have a look at the full range of penis pumps on offer click here.


Have you any sex toys for men? (John, Shop) - December 2013

I thought this a very unusual question as John was standing in a sex shop at the time surrounded by sex toys at least half of them for men.

The short answer is absolutely. From a huge range of different masturbators, prostate massagers, dolls, male vibrators, cock rings, penis extenders, all the anal toys, loads of bondage/fetish gear shall, I go on?

What is an anal douche? (Seán, Shop) - October 2013

I must admit I wouldn't have known the answer to this until I started working at PlayBlue.

An Anal Douche is a device used to clean the rectum passage. Sounds all very medical I know and sometimes is used in medical cases. We’ve had patients referred by Doctors.

But usually they are used to ensure that the bum is clean inside and out prior to anal play. They usually look like large turkey basters with a bulbous end which you fill up with warm water. Then the tapered tube is inserted into your anus with a little lube. You squeeze the bulb and the water flushes into your rectum. You hold it for a minute or so and then on the toilet empty it. Repeat until the water empties clear. There are also douches that attach as shower heads too but they generally work in the same manner.


Penis Creams, do they work or are they all nonsense? (Ronan, Shop) – September 2013

We get this a lot and all I can say is they are not for everyone. We have customers who absolutely swear by them and others who got nothing out of them. This is why we sell the full gamut of penis enlargement products to try to suit everyone.

Creams will work on a large portion of men, they are totally safe and all the ones we sell are made from 100% natural ingredients. The other options for penis enlargement are pumps which work but only for a short time. Traction style machines that definitely work but take a bit of commitment and finally penis extenders. See our full selection of sex aids for men here.


Does using a butt plug make me a little gay? (Barry, Email) - September 2013

This was a funny question and my immediate response is “Aren’t we all a little gay?” but seriously anal play is not just for Christmas and not just for Gay men. All men straight and gay have a prostate gland and it is equally sensitive to massage.

Historically there has been a huge taboo in Ireland around any form of Anal pleasure but thankfully it is breaking down. This has freed all men (and women) to engage in anal play and it has been a revelation for many, but still in the recesses of our Irish brains we can sometimes associate anal sex and gay men.

My advice is stop trying to put a label on yourself based on what you like and just enjoy it.