The Energon Pub

Thu Aug 12, 2010 2:40 am

i was looking at some of the Human alliance toys , and someone switched out the sideswipe, with a dub city rc car....lol
i thought it was funny , the rc car's are only 12.00 or something like that...
they even took the arcee figure...
anyone else see something like this????

News Credits: 7 · Thu Aug 12, 2010 3:09 am

Actually, stuff like that is not THAT funny. I live in Europe, where it's usually impossible to exchange an opened toy unless there's something wrong with it, but it seems in the US it's all to easy to exchange your opened stuff back. And this happens with underpaid and unmotivated workers who don't care at all about the quality of their work, and who'll just accept anything exchanged just to avoid arguing with customers. Walmart and Target and whoever might think this is 'customer service', but I think it's plain DUMB.

Another thing is this. We (as TF fans) know what these should look like, but do you think the average worker has a clue as to what a 'HA Sideswipe' toy actually should look like? Hey, it's a Transformer, it could look like anything! The bigger problem is this, however: grandma, who wants to buy a nice birthday gift for Little Timmy, doesn't know what HA Sideswipe looks like either... And so major disappointment looms!

Anyway, I've read a lot of posts on various sites with people having seen the same thing: buying a sealed toy, putting cheap crap back in the box and exchanging it back for cash.
It sucks, and I'm glad that it doesn't happen in Europe...

News Credits: 36 · Thu Aug 12, 2010 3:30 am

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Toy_swapping

Sums it all up quite well. Unfortunately it only seems to affect the larger figures, as they are pricey and easy to reseal.

News Credits: 9 · Thu Aug 12, 2010 4:01 am

An amusing experiment would be to try this to see just what you can get away with in different stores. How about a photo of the original product? Or a photo of a different product? Or screwed up paper? Of course, the findings would be reported to the management in a effort to end this.

News Credits: 241 · Thu Aug 12, 2010 4:42 am

Mykltron wrote:An amusing experiment would be to try this to see just what you can get away with in different stores. How about a photo of the original product? Or a photo of a different product? Or screwed up paper? Of course, the findings would be reported to the management in a effort to end this.

Actually no. Read the TFWiki article about the cases with a wasp's nest and three tomatoes.

What I'd like to see is someone make a YouTube video about Toy-swapping and how easy it is, and show it to Walmart and Target. Kinda like Michael Moore. I wonder if my wife would cooperate with that, but given her father works for Walmart (dairy section, but still) I find that unlikely :lol:

News Credits: 2 · Thu Aug 12, 2010 10:17 am

We did have experienced the same thing, but not on TFs. We bought a new iPod Nano gen 5. My wife went to Target to buy a clear cover set for gen 5 but it could never fit. When I took a look at it, the circle and screen were totally in the wrong place and the clear plastic already had many scratches. Then I found out it fit perfectly with our older Nano gen 4. Of course we took it back for exchange but this did feel terrible.

Back to TF toys at Walmart, I found out many times in the store, a HA Skids has everything except missing Mikaela or Arcee bike. Will you just take out Mikaela and return it back to store? I don't know. Assumed it just plainly being "TOOK" out from the box in the store since the box seemed damaged. Then my question is why Walmart still kept those defect items on the shelf as they were clearly missing something. Then they are really hiring careless employees.

News Credits: 1 · Thu Aug 12, 2010 10:50 am

Just last week I returned a power USB hub to futureshop without the package. I walked in with a handful of cables and the hub, and left with cash lol. Worked fine, I just didn't keep the package.

News Credits: 7 · Thu Aug 12, 2010 10:58 am

I never see any of this repackaging stuff here. There are plenty of beat-up, busted, and ripped packages, with their plastic bubbles hanging on by a thread -and in one case with a Scout, no card at all!- but the whole, original toy was always there.

News Credits: 5 · Thu Aug 12, 2010 10:58 am

Check these out too

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=62894&p=1046247&hilit=repack#p1046247

News Credits: 1 · Thu Aug 12, 2010 2:02 pm

I saw a video of someone returning a xbox 360 a couple years ago with a nintendo 64 in the box; and another video with DSi with box of rocks.

We shouldn't blame the workers at wal-mart or target(target is a pain to return stuff) ect, blame Corporate that doesn't give them the tools to know all this and there is toooo much to know when working at these places. WalMart n others make too much money compared to the x-millions they loose due to theft and us Americans bending policy and customer service too the extreme. When I was younger i'd seal up a game if I didn't like it and take it back (walmart). I'm too honest to not put the correct game in but sooo many times they didn't even open the game up to make sure. It's now become very difficult to reseal a game. Wal mart doesn't want anything negative.. I bet they get million complaints a year that are a joke and corp takes it serious and fires certain people or makes your life a living hell working for them. Why should a person working at WalMart care... they're insurance sucks!

Americans are way too obsesssed with customer service and milking all companies for $$ while much is warranted to get issues fixed such as calling a cell phone provider, cable, Walmart ect buet even then; people will make up all sorts of bull**** and just say gimme gimme or i'll cancel. I hate this! It's like... hmm my ipad didn't work for an hour give me a free ipad, ipod, iphone and free service for a year. If this is you... get a life. One day all these companies will be like your light and water bills; try calling them and saying my powers been out for a storm 5 times this year... you owe me money for food ect. ... then wait for them to laugh and hang up.

On a side note I believe utilities should be included with state taxes thus free!

Just my two-cents so if your in this category of ripping and/or complaining just stop being a duche(sp)... without the bag!

Thu Aug 12, 2010 5:11 pm

erol312006 wrote:i was looking at some of the Human alliance toys , and someone switched out the sideswipe, with a dub city rc car....lol
i thought it was funny , the rc car's are only 12.00 or something like that...
they even took the arcee figure...
anyone else see something like this????

Wow, I saw the exact same thing. It looked a White fair lady Z right?

Thu Aug 12, 2010 6:31 pm

The people who do this are d-bags who don't care about others. DON'T DO DRUGS. But anyways, yeah toy swapping isn't nice.

News Credits: 3 · Thu Aug 12, 2010 7:29 pm

Well someone placed a fisher price construction toy inside a ROTF constructicon package as a return at Target...no joke.

Most of the blatant returns I have seen are with Hot Wheels giftsets. Some of the cars placed in special packaging get hit too. on the HWC/RLC website they gave instructions on how to remove a car from packaging without the bubble showing a tear.

I worked in returns for Wally and I have seen some seriously bad and botched returns, toys were no exception. Even though I was up on my Transformers and Hot Wheels, try telling your manager this is a fake return when your line is backed up around the corner. I hated that sh*!

News Credits: 5749 · Thu Aug 12, 2010 8:53 pm

The last repackage I saw was first movie regular edition Ironhide in a ROTF Recon Ironhide box at my local Wal-Mart. It was there for a few weeks and now it's gone. I guess somebody finally bought it.

News Credits: 3 · Thu Aug 12, 2010 9:28 pm

I was thinking about buying ROTF Arcee and returning it to Waldump with a turd in the package in its place, but then I realized I think I might rather just keep the turd...

Thu Aug 12, 2010 11:01 pm

Kibble wrote:I was thinking about buying ROTF Arcee and returning it to Waldump with a turd in the package in its place, but then I realized I think I might rather just keep the turd...

Why not just sub the toy for some gold from the old cat box, or dog pile? I've been tempted on occasion, but the minimum wage idiots have yet to give me fair reason.

Fri Aug 13, 2010 12:20 am

(((Wow, I saw the exact same thing. It looked a White fair lady Z right?)))

actually it was the corect car they used ,, they just swappped out sideswipe and the bike...
but the bike was never replaced .. and they put a
dub city rc corvette same color same shape.. actually you couldnt tell it was a fake until you looked at the windows ... witch the rc car has painted on windows

News Credits: 1 · Fri Aug 13, 2010 3:05 am

Why not just sub the toy for some gold from the old cat box, or dog pile? I've been tempted on occasion, but the minimum wage idiots have yet to give me fair reason.[/quote]

I wouldn't call them minimum idots! bit harsh my friend. At least they're working and not welching off government.

News Credits: 1 · Fri Aug 13, 2010 5:13 am

nsp.prime wrote:Why not just sub the toy for some gold from the old cat box, or dog pile? I've been tempted on occasion, but the minimum wage idiots have yet to give me fair reason.

I wouldn't call them minimum idots! bit harsh my friend. At least they're working and not welching off government.[/quote]

I'm sure the majority of this forums users are, or once were "minimum wage idiots" lol. When you're not getting paid much, it's pretty hard to give a damn about your job...

Fri Aug 13, 2010 5:25 pm

Back when TFC was popular II got a green Optimus Prime in a Megatron toy bag. They really screwwed up there. He looks funny the way he clashes with the wall paintjob of blue.

Fri Aug 13, 2010 5:33 pm

Kibble wrote:I was thinking about buying ROTF Arcee and returning it to Waldump with a turd in the package in its place, but then I realized I think I might rather just keep the turd...

Before people complain about this as being insensative, I lol'ed much.

I love toy swapping stories. They always make me giggle. Before people complain about that, I don't participate in it, and I don't condone the practice, but when people post pictures of things they find returned, it makes me chuckle. Yes, I recognize the tragic event that some unknowing parent would buy a mispackaged return and forever ruin their childs' life, but it still gives me a good laugh.

Fri Aug 13, 2010 10:07 pm

Jesterhead wrote:
nsp.prime wrote:
AshesOfPain wrote:Why not just sub the toy for some gold from the old cat box, or dog pile? I've been tempted on occasion, but the minimum wage idiots have yet to give me fair reason.

I wouldn't call them minimum idots! bit harsh my friend. At least they're working and not welching off government.

I'm sure the majority of this forums users are, or once were "minimum wage idiots" lol. When you're not getting paid much, it's pretty hard to give a damn about your job...

Be glad i didn't use the variant of the phrase I'm used to using in the kitchen I work in. I may not get more than minimum, but I still get more. When you work with them, you can easily identify the ones with the low income and matching I.Q.

But time to move on, no need to light up a flame thread.

News Credits: 3 · Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:56 pm

For the record, I think returning something as something else is a dick move and should be treated the same as shoplifting, but the argument that a kid's gonna get screwed over and get a piece of crap toy from an unknowing parent, etc... Here's my question: who the hell actually buys these scam returns? Especially if you don't know anything about what you're buying! How do you know if it's complete, broken, or anything else jacked up? I'm pretty sure it wasn't returned because they realized was it was just too awesome to own! Buying someone a return as a gift is kind of a dick move in itself... If you know what you're buying and can get them to knock some cash off or you're that desperate for the item in question, so be it...but otherwise, why would someone even do that?

PS: Keep in mind I'm talking about cases where it's hard to miss the fact that it's a return...not where somebody takes the time to meticulously twist tie up their original leader Megatron in the place of the premium version or something. Although in those cases, your average kid probably isn't going to feel as though they were bent over and violated anyhow.

News Credits: 37 · Sat Aug 14, 2010 12:22 am

Kibble wrote:For the record, I think returning something as something else is a dick move and should be treated the same as shoplifting, but the argument that a kid's gonna get screwed over and get a piece of crap toy from an unknowing parent, etc... Here's my question: who the hell actually buys these scam returns? Especially if you don't know anything about what you're buying! How do you know if it's complete, broken, or anything else jacked up? I'm pretty sure it wasn't returned because they realized was it was just too awesome to own! Buying someone a return as a gift is kind of a dick move in itself... If you know what you're buying and can get them to knock some cash off or you're that desperate for the item in question, so be it...but otherwise, why would someone even do that?

PS: Keep in mind I'm talking about cases where it's hard to miss the fact that it's a return...not where somebody takes the time to meticulously twist tie up their original leader Megatron in the place of the premium version or something. Although in those cases, your average kid probably isn't going to feel as though they were bent over and violated anyhow.

What if its broken and you want you're damn money back? $10 isnt cheap...for me anyway.

News Credits: 3 · Sat Aug 14, 2010 7:26 am

SlyTF1 wrote:What if its broken and you want you're damn money back? $10 isnt cheap...for me anyway.

If you're returning it in another figures package, that's messed up. If it's a legitimate return, then there's not really a conversation...unless you wanted to go into who's at fault, but there's probably too much gray area there and that wasn't my point.