The Energon Pub

by **amtm** » Sun May 08, 2011 11:34 pm

So, months ago I bought a ROTF Scout Ransack. And I hung him up on the wall. And then two days ago or so, I opened him up for the first time and transformed him to plane mode, only to discover an incorrect part had been included with the toy. See the pictures below.

You'll notice the end of the lower right wing is actually the part for the end of the lower left wing, so the lower right wing can't be completed. I emailed Hasbro to ask for a replacement part, as it's way beyond the return period and none of the local retailers have any more Ransacks in stock.

Anyone else have this happen to them before? I've seen toys on the wrong card (e.g., Cyclonus on a Starscream card), but this is a first for me.

by **Valandar** » Mon May 09, 2011 12:43 am

It's not very common, but people have mentioned in the past about getting, for example, a figure with two right fists, or two left shins, or otherwise two of one side part that's not identical to its opposite side.

News Credits: 12 · by **robofreak** » Mon May 09, 2011 1:09 am

There was a guy back when Animated was released that got a Lugnut with 2 left legs.

It happens. That's why I always check my figures when I get home from buying them.

News Credits: 1 · by **ShardFenix** » Mon May 09, 2011 3:03 am

i know i ordered my ROTF Superion combiner online and when i got it the black jet has two left forearms...

News Credits: 1452 · by **Blurrz** » Mon May 09, 2011 3:46 am

My Drift came with two left arms. It's arm is reversible if unscrewed, except for one part, which I had to saw off to make everything flush.

by **Autobot Strider** » Mon May 09, 2011 6:00 am

The first Gen. Thrust I bought had two left forearms (and thus hands). So I returned it and got another, which was missing the top "nub" on his missile launcher.

My Universe Cyclonus' Nightstick was missing the tip of his cannon barrel, making it look like some kind of cattle prod. Thanks to lego, it now looks like a proper cannon!

News Credits: 1235 · by **LOST Cybertronian** » Mon May 09, 2011 6:36 am

amtm wrote:I emailed Hasbro to ask for a replacement part,

That does really suck dude but Hasbro doesn't do replacement parts. They will ask you to send back the entire figure and give one of equal value ie. random scout.

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Mon May 09, 2011 7:37 am

Such assembly errors have become quite common in recent years it seems, after production was moved to China. All you can do is simply return the figure and get a new one, the shops in the US are quite easy with that, really. Just bring the packaging and receipt, and you're good. I mentioned this plenty of times, but I had to exchange PCC Skyburst with two left legs for a new one. And guys, please leave the "Why not get a better figure altogether" at the door.

As mentioned before, Hasbro does not supply replacement parts, only replacement figures of equal or lesser value. And it could be any figure in the current assortments. However, some online stores do offer replacement parts or accessories, site sponsor BBTS is a well-known example of that.

by **Cobalt Prime** » Mon May 09, 2011 8:22 am

Ya know, quality control issues in the form of malformed, mispainted, sloppily glued, or simply poorly designed parts has been irritating and inexcusable enough.

Now in recent years, we are getting the wrong parts entirely. Frankly I'm given to wonder if they're using half starved children or lightly trained chimps to assemble the items. Right arm/leg/etc parts should never even come near left arm/leg/etc parts during assembly. It almost sounds like they are keeping the parts in buckets right next to each other and occasionally the buckets tip over, leaving it anyone's guess where the parts go. That is just plain sloppy. It is the reason that "made in China" or "made in Japan" used to have such a negative stigma back in the day.

Then there's Hasbro/Takara ALLOWING it to happen. I suppose they figure that X amount of **cked-up figures is quite acceptable. Of course, it is not they nor their families that are going through the disappointment and inconvenience of getting one of these defective items. And of course, my personal favorite, the old "get a figure of equal value" rather than the same damn figure you spent your hard earned money on in the first place. It tells me that THEY DO NOT CARE.

It's called ACCOUNTABILITY. Back in my day companies knew what that word meant and understood that there are some corners that you just can't cut when it comes to your customers. I hate to say it, but Has/Tak has completely lost touch, and until they pull their heads out of their collective tailpipes we will continue to see these careless, unacceptable screw-ups in their loosely governed manufacturing processes. :-x

by **gambit020480** » Mon May 09, 2011 8:37 am

Cobalt Prime wrote:Ya know, quality control issues in the form of malformed, mispainted, sloppily glued, or simply poorly designed parts has been irritating and inexcusable enough.

Now in recent years, we are getting the wrong parts entirely. Frankly I'm given to wonder if they're using half starved children or lightly trained chimps to assemble the items. Right arm/leg/etc parts should never even come near left arm/leg/etc parts during assembly. It almost sounds like they are keeping the parts in buckets right next to each other and occasionally the buckets tip over, leaving it anyone's guess where the parts go. That is just plain sloppy. It is the reason that "made in China" or "made in Japan" used to have such a negative stigma back in the day.

Then there's Hasbro/Takara ALLOWING it to happen. I suppose they figure that X amount of **cked-up figures is quite acceptable. Of course, it is not they nor their families that are going through the disappointment and inconvenience of getting one of these defective items. And of course, my personal favorite, the old "get a figure of equal value" rather than the same damn figure you spent your hard earned money on in the first place. It tells me that THEY DO NOT CARE.

It's called ACCOUNTABILITY. Back in my day companies knew what that word meant and understood that there are some corners that you just can't cut when it comes to your customers. I hate to say it, but Has/Tak has completely lost touch, and until they pull their heads out of their collective tailpipes we will continue to see these careless, unacceptable screw-ups in their loosely governed manufacturing processes.

Hey, you get what you pay for. Do you all realize that if these were made in the US you would still have QC issues and the figure would cost you about $30 for a deluxe? People make mistakes. Hence the reason why you should open your figures rather than letting them rot in the package. Now, if the guy with the Ransack would have open his in the beginning he could have returned it. And if he would have kept it in the package, then he could have at least sold his Bayformer at a rummage sale in two years for the $5 it would be worth MIP. Now, it is nothing but a deformed oddity...

BTW, I'm pretty sure Transformers have always been manufactured in China or the such, so what is the point of the whole "The US was better back in the day" Speech?

News Credits: 241 · by **Jelze Bunnycat** » Mon May 09, 2011 8:46 am

gambit020480 wrote:BTW, I'm pretty sure Transformers have always been manufactured in China or the such, so what is the point of the whole "The US was better back in the day" Speech?

Or the such is more correct, as production has moved all across Southeast Asia, including Japan and Macau. I think they're planning on moving again, this time to Thailand.

by **gambit020480** » Mon May 09, 2011 8:56 am

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:
gambit020480 wrote:BTW, I'm pretty sure Transformers have always been manufactured in China or the such, so what is the point of the whole "The US was better back in the day" Speech?

Or the such is more correct, as production has moved all across Southeast Asia, including Japan and Macau. I think they're planning on moving again, this time to Thailand.

They go where it is cheaper. Also, I work as an accountant for a US plastics manufacturer and I can tell you first hand QC is no better in the US than anywhere else. If not worse. Especially when our workforce has this sense of entitlement, which was definately worse back in the day of unions. Can you imagine what transformers would have become had the manufacturers of the type that worked at Delco Remy, GM, etc had done transformers as well? Geez.....those people were barely sober enough to clock in.....

by **Cobalt Prime** » Mon May 09, 2011 6:12 pm

gambit020480 wrote:Hey, you get what you pay for. Do you all realize that if these were made in the US you would still have QC issues and the figure would cost you about $30 for a deluxe? People make mistakes. Hence the reason why you should open your figures rather than letting them rot in the package. Now, if the guy with the Ransack would have open his in the beginning he could have returned it. And if he would have kept it in the package, then he could have at least sold his Bayformer at a rummage sale in two years for the $5 it would be worth MIP. Now, it is nothing but a deformed oddity...

BTW, I'm pretty sure Transformers have always been manufactured in China or the such, so what is the point of the whole "The US was better back in the day" Speech?

You seem to have fixated on the wrong thing and missed the point of the whole post.

Whatever. You either get it or you don't. I got to say my piece, you got to act clever and chew up somebody else's post, so EVERYBODY'S happy now.

Moving on...

News Credits: 609 · by **Razorclaw0000** » Mon May 09, 2011 6:18 pm

There's a certain site moderator real nearby selling one for cheap:

lots-o-figures-for-sale-multiple-lines-t73484.php

by **DJLazer** » Mon May 09, 2011 6:21 pm

I have 1 g1 soundwave toy that has a left fist in his right hand. so sad! :sad:

by **Optimum Supreme** » Tue May 10, 2011 5:38 pm

Gen Thrust came with two left missile launchers.

Gen Wheeljack came with his upper leg/hips both the same. I'm not sure if he's got two right hips or two left, but they don't match, and it's really annoying because otherwise the figure is great, much better than my RTS Tracks.

by **STINGRAY749** » Tue May 10, 2011 9:13 pm

on my pcc grimestone that i got for christmas, well the claw gimmick arm dino has two right arms. my local walmart has another one that ive noticed is correct. Should i get it or just wait a week for a dotm shockwave

News Credits: 2 · by **bionic_radical** » Tue May 10, 2011 10:13 pm

gambit020480 wrote: Geez.....those people were barely sober enough to clock in.....

For being an accountant, you sure made an ignorant comment.

Go you.

News Credits: 2 · by **bionic_radical** » Tue May 10, 2011 10:26 pm

Back to the original topic, Amtm, depending on your confidence with an exacto knife or a dremmel tool and super glue, you might be able to salvage this. You have two options that im looking at.

1) you cut along the lines by the c clamp and flip the pieces over, and glue them back together, and run a hairdryer over it for like fifteen minutes.

2) you actually cut the c clamp off, and glue it on the other side, and use the hairdryer.

If you decide you're a bad enough dude to save the president, I would recommend the first of the two options. Theres a chance with just cutting off the clamp, that the plastic under the paint is a different color, and you'd have to play the matching game. not to mention, that the clamp could be weaker and snap off easier.

Good luck man.

News Credits: 7 · by **alldarker** » Wed May 11, 2011 4:02 am

My experiences, for what they're worth: Classic Sideswipe with two left shoulders... And Takara 2010 Unicron with same teeth on the planet shells (evidently a very common problem). Both problems are relatively minor, but annoying.

by **amtm** » Fri May 13, 2011 7:28 pm

Not that this is news to those who've replied, but in case this happens to anyone else, here's my correspondence with Hasbro about the issue (from most recent to least recent).

Since I can still order Ransack online, I figured I'll just do that, return the defective one, and include a list of desirable replacements starting with RTS Windcharger and Rumble, and moving into the DOTM line from there, with Powerglide at the top of the list.

I realize it's a gamble, but on the off chance they have the RTS Scouts in the warehouse still, I might get lucky, and if they don't, I can probably get Powerglide or another Cyberverse Commander and if they're really nice maybe a Human Alliance Basic even though the MSRP is higher.

Discussion Thread
Response (Charlotte) 05/13/2011 08:55 AM
Hi,

Thank you for your email.

We do not order replacement products from Hasbro Toy Shop. Our replacements are shipped from our warehouse. The warehouse will choose a product by the suggested retail value, age code on the product and what is available when your return is received. Please visit http://www.hasbro.com and include a list of products you would like.

Thank you.

Customer (ME!) 05/12/2011 09:31 PM
Hi,

I'm not sure how to specify what I want in return. I know there are Ransack toys available at Hasbrotoyshop.com, so if their inventory is how you fulfill this replacement that is what I would like.

http://www.hasbrotoyshop.com/transforme ... 5&ID=24195

If not, what is available that is comparable in the Transformers line?

Response (Charlotte) 05/10/2011 04:31 PM
Hi,

Thank you for contacting Hasbro, Inc.

I am very sorry to hear that you had a problem with your Transformers Ransack figure and can fully appreciate the disappointment caused. We pride ourselves on ensuring that our products are of the highest quality and we are concerned to learn that this product was unsatisfactory.

Regrettably, this particular figure has now been discontinued and we are unable to supply you with either parts, or product. I will of course, be pleased to arrange an exchange for you for an alternative product of similar value. To help facilitate the process, a postage paid mailing label has been sent via email from eMerchandiseReturnAlert@uspsshippingapis.com for you to use in returning your Ransack figure to us. Simply package up your return and place the mailing label securely on the package. Drop it off at the Post Office window and it’ll be on its way back to us.

If there is a particular item that you feel would make a suitable replacement please let us know by enclosing a note with your return. Be certain to include your full name and mailing address and the age and gender of the child the item was purchased for. Our products include Hasbro, Playskool, Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers.

We appreciate having the opportunity to assist you. We hope you and your family will enjoy our products for many years to come.

Customer (ME!) 05/09/2011 12:15 AM
Several months ago I purchased a Scout Class Ransack toy from the Revenge of the Fallen line at one of the major retailers (Target or Walmart or Toys R Us). The other night I decided to open it and transform it for the first time. In the process I discovered that one of the wings had the wrong part attached to it and therefore the transformation to airplane mode could not be completed. I have attached a picture showing the problem. You can see that the endpiece attached to the lower right wing is actually the endpiece for the lower left wing. The correct endpiece was nowhere to be found in the package. I am wondering if you can provide a correct replacement for the incorrect part. This is the first time I have seen a wrong part in a Transformer I've purchased.

Question Reference
Product Level 1: Transformers
Product Level 2: Revenge of the Fallen
Product Level 3: Scout Class
Product Level 4: Ransack #91396
Category Level 1: Missing or Defective Parts or Products
Date Created: 05/09/2011 12:15 AM
Last Updated: 05/13/2011 08:55 AM
Status: Solved

by **amtm** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 10:11 pm

Just wanted to update this thread with the final outcome in case anyone runs across similar problems. I sent Ransack back to Hasbro with a list of toys I wanted, including both Scouts from the RTS line and Cyberverse Commanders from the new DOTM line, since those are all in the same pricepoint.

What they sent me was a Legends Fireburst Optimus Prime. Obviously, I wasn't happy with that. So I wrote them back explaining how inconsiderate I thought that was and that a company should provide something of equal or GREATER value, not lesser value. Of course it was the fault of whoever was filling the order at the warehouse rather than the customer service rep I dealt with, so I tried to be polite about it.

She understood and issued me a refund of $7.99 and let me keep the toy.

Obviously I wish it had simply been a comparable replacement, but I can't complain now. Although Hasbro maybe didn't come through at first, they made up for their mistake. Just be aware that how it plays out is unpredictable and could be troublesome. Lesson learned.