The Energon Pub

LoopyDetails.com has a very disturbing and scary article, the topic - your genuine Transformers Encore Metroplex might be a KO!

What The Heck? The Encore 12 Metroplex I Got From TFSource Is A Fake!

A couple of weeks ago I did a review of Transformers 12 Encore Metroplex. In my review, I noted that the plastic material used is very substandard and the toy seemed cheaply made. Initially I just thought that Takara screwed up in the build quality. Since I got this figure from a well respected online retailer (TFSource - on sale for $60); it didn't occur to me that my Metroplex could be a knock-off/counterfeit/fake.

Too read the full article and see how you can see if your Metroplex is real or a KO just click here.

Stay tuned to seibertron.com for all your Transformers related news!

that article link doesnt work...

works for me

nvm its working for me now

Part of me knows some crooks will do anything to screw unsuspecting customers but another part of wonders if the number of these increasingly accurate counterfeit TFs would lower if Takara/Hasbro left the KO vendors alone. At least you knew what you were getting.

I checked my Encore Metroplex and he's the real deal thank goodness. I bought mine from Tempting Toys months ago. I would be if mine was a KO since that is not what I had intended to buy.

Who the hell is making these Knockoffs? Hang them!

The TFSource folks seem pretty straight up to me, I can't imagine that they'd try and swindle someone - they are an established online store and a bad rep would destroy them.

However I have to say that they did have KO Metroplex and Metrotitan for sale before the Encore version was out - is it possible an inexperienced staff member grabbed one of the KOs that was in storage not realising is was a KO?

I dunno, but I'll be giving my Metro the beady when I get home.

Curious if the KO went so far as to have a HasTak on the toy itself. No mention is made of the stamp on the toy.

Craven Knight wrote:The TFSource folks seem pretty straight up to me, I can't imagine that they'd try and swindle someone - they are an established online store and a bad rep would destroy them.

However I have to say that they did have KO Metroplex and Metrotitan for sale before the Encore version was out - is it possible an inexperienced staff member grabbed one of the KOs that was in storage not realising is was a KO?

I dunno, but I'll be giving my Metro the beady when I get home.

They must have not noticed that those were KOs, remember that rumour we had a while ago as Encore Metroplex was announced that we would be seeing the rest of the KO Metroplexes in Encore boxes?
Well this is what happened, TF Source ordered a shipment of Encore Metroplex and received KOs in Encore packaging instead.

Dead Metal wrote:They must have not noticed that those were KOs, remember that rumour we had a while ago as Encore Metroplex was announced that we would be seeing the rest of the KO Metroplexes in Encore boxes?
Well this is what happened, TF Source ordered a shipment of Encore Metroplex and received KOs in Encore packaging instead.

That's certainly plausable, man - I'll be interested to see how the TFSource team deals with this.

I was planning on getting Encore Sky Lynx, Metroplex, and Omega Supreme (in that order) starting in the very near future from BBTS, so thanks for the heads up!

Ok, this IS bad... At least I've checked my Metroplex and it's a genuine Encore. But this is bad news that they started making KOs for new releases as well. It's amazing that we can't even buy our loved toys in peace of mind... KOs should never get passed as genuine products, there should always be some easy distinction. For example, the Mashin Eiyuden Wataru 2 KOs are easy to distinguish because they placed "Rare Col." and another logo in place of the Takara logo. I'm not totally against KOs, only when they're passed as genuine products cheating people like this KO Encore Metroplex...

Has Encore Sky Lynx been pirated in Encore packaging tooÉ
Because I really still want him and now I`m feeling too paranoid to buy...

Luckily mine is the real deal but I think this is shocking. Even the Encore's aren't safe now from damn KO's

Thanks for the info. Very interesting and helpful.

good for the tip i was gonna get him when it was on sale but now ill pass.........at least my encore omega supreme is lagit...now the only big ko i'll be forced to get is one of fortress maximus if there is one.

hmmm...
Mine bears the "H2208" mark of the beast but doesn't have the lines around it. My eyes aren't keen enough to tell if there is any yellow overlay on the grid, but all the TakaraTomy labels look good. I opened mine to check and it does have the rivets on the wheels. I never had Metroplex, were his legs kind of loose where they snapped together up near the knee?

torgo1 wrote:hmmm...
Mine bears the "H2208" mark of the beast but doesn't have the lines around it. My eyes aren't keen enough to tell if there is any yellow overlay on the grid, but all the TakaraTomy labels look good. I opened mine to check and it does have the rivets on the wheels. I never had Metroplex, were his legs kind of loose where they snapped together up near the knee?

The joints should all be pretty solid, my G1 Metroplex is still tight after all these years. Sounds like you could have one of the KO's. This is despicable.

I hope Takara/Tomy takes action on this. This is ridiculous. Good thing I didn't order one myself.

Has anybody contacted TF Source about this??

Holy fkn sh*t! Even Encore? BTW, my Encore's quality indeed is waaaaayyyyyyy different from the original. The black plastic is not as glossy as the G1 80's version. The KO is glossy.............so that's the difference. Same with Scamper, his shiny is dull.

We should allow TFSource to comment on this before berating them further. I have a high level of confidence in them and they would not have done this intentionally IMHO. They are in the business to keep their customers happy and they would not ruin their reputation over something like this.

Good job finding this story. There was a lot of chatter on ACToys last month about a KO Metroplex hitting China, but I couldn't decipher what they were exactly talking about. A lot of the Chinese members were very upset that their Encore Metroplex was a KO. It looks like foreign retailers got affected too.

This sucks. I'm one of the folks that purchased it from TFSource. Even though I live in Japan and could have purchase it easily from here - I chose TFSource because of their reliability and because I wanted the figure shipped to my address in America. I trusted their packaging and shipping. Unfortunately, I won't be returning to the U.S. until next June, so I can't check the contents until then.

I shot TFSource and email. I hope that this will get resolved well. I wonder how many other online retailers got affected.

I hate KO to no end, especially the ones that try to pawn themselves off as the real thing. They destroy collectors confidence. Takara needs to get their act together and stop these imposters.

This issue raises another important question: How many other Encores are KOs? Starscream? Optimus Prime?

In any case, this sucks. I'm sorry if anyone here wound up with one.

At this time, I hope through the retailers, Takara can trace the kos back to its source, and with the Encores being its big hit, sue the hell out of the manufacturers...

And on that note I brought my omega and sky lynx out of hiding (both from tfsource) and I don't see any of the same "tell tale" signs listed for metroplex on my sky lynx. However, Omega does seem to have the issue with the cross hatching having some yellow and gray mixing only on the front and not the back like the picture shows. Does anyone else have this issue? I am about to haul out the whole encore collection and see what I can find...