retrothomas wrote:Regarding quality control: I was fortunate to receive Transformers: Prime figures for Christmas. I have Arcee, Starscream, Bumblebee, and the entertainment pack with Optimus/Megatron.
Bumblebee's heel was out of alignment and he couldn't stand right. I was able to disassemble the foot and fix it, but he has a loose shoulder that flops around and I can't fix that. Two issues in one figure.
My Bumblebee has a loose and floppy shoulder. The right one, actually. The metal stud or rivet or whatever they call those flatheaded pins is loose and makes the arm flop. Can't get it to move without damaging the figure. If I had a soldering iron, I could warm it up enough to push it in without damage, but I currently have no access to one, at the moment.
retrothomas wrote:One of Starscream's rubbery knee spikes was folded over when packaged and is pointing to the side at 45 degrees. Doesn't hinder transformation or posing but it looks pretty obviously wrong when you see him, and it's not something I think I can fix since I can't bend it back into place without it just snapping right back.
Put the rubbery piece, or the entire leg, in just barely boiling water. Not enough to warp the plastic, but make it pliable. Give it a good 30 seconds. Scoop it out, straighten it immediately and then shove it in the freezer for about 5 minutes. It'll come out rock solid and straight. If it ever gets floppy again, just repeat the process.
retrothomas wrote:I started collecting with Generations and had a few quality issues before, but it stinks that I can't easily return any of the new figures to get a fixed replacement because of their rarity right now. I've seen others complain about Hasbro QC before but this was the first time it hit me, and gave me a wow factor after having obvious issues with two figures in a row. I wondered if things had gone downhill somehow.
That's why it bothers me to be an early adopter. I still went ahead and bought the figures, but yeah, it worries and bothers me that if I get a piece of junk, I'm stuck with it. Can't depend on Hasbro to replace it, they'll send you something comparable. (Yay?)
I did notice a trend in QC this year. First in DOTM, now in F.E.P...
Horrible paint quality. The apps are handled well, as in they don't bleed and they're not crooked, but the paint is thin and chips easily. My DOTM Sentinel Prime's legs are awful. The paint looks so horrible. I will give it a touch up here when I get the chance, but it's pretty awful after spending that kinda dough.
Voyager Prime Optimus Prime is one of the worst offenders. Mine has paint chips on the smokestack panels, the waist, the feet and the roof. Problem is, instead of molding the plastic red, they molded it in blue and black and just painted it. I don't see how that saves them costs, because you can tell there's more than one coat of paint on these sections.
I'm not sure who's idea it was, but they need a refresher course in getting it right.
The plastic feels thinner, the paint's worse, the construction is shoddy. If this is an indication of what's to come, we're going to see a return to GPS. Or something else that's equally horrible. Hasbro wants $12.99 per Deluxe...well, where is that money going? Obviously not into the materials, or to the workers, so what's their excuse now?
I'm normally not a Hasbro basher, I hate that brand hate crap, but these concerns are legitimate and after spending good money, I'm a little P.O.ed.
