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Not once has anyone brought up the issue in the Q&A the fact that we haven't even received BG Evil-Lyn and Demo-Man yet! Isn't anyone even bothered about that? Ooooh, look, here's another rather tedious question about WR not selling fast enough. Yawn!Quote:
Originally Posted by Ravenskarr
They should do Buzz-Saw Hordak BUT make it the blue Filmation one.
Isn't that what happens in the mini comic - enter Buzz-Saw Hordak - he goes in central tower and becomes machine like?
This is one of the stupidest answers I have read, so in order offer the figures as they were supposed to be released (correctly, including Goddess), they would have to take up a new slot, and Goddess is the worst example, because of those who have a broken figure with no hope ever to replace her....unless they use a monthly slot to fix an already released figure that already has a mold....Really stupid response, and stupid solution to a problem, Roboto & Hsss are problems, but nothing to take the figure from your collection, but the Goddess, and now Snout Spout thing, have removed those figures from collections or from being mint ever again, ripping the customer off from ever having a complete collection.Quote:
Matty: Now that we are no longer doing reissues we would need to use a monthly slot for a new Roboto or King Hssss. If fans would prefer a fixed or updated version of these characters over an all new character as monthly sub spot, let us know!
So in short a solution to a flawed figure many collectors bought, is to not give them a figure, because re-issues are done? Like Goddess and now Snout....so a hole is to be left in a collection of figures that were promised, but delivered with total QC / material flaws, and they can't change the material or process and re-run those 2 figures on a limited basis to offer a solution, but like with Hsss they would say it would need to take a slot from another character? Really poor customer service Mattel.
Not to mention a classic smart ass answer from Mattel "let us know!", like you're going to give up a slot for 4 figures that should have been right in the first place, when Mattel should own it and not offer refunds, but offer a fix for the figure (Snout & Goddess) that should have not used poor material or an assembly process in the first place, and re-release them in exchange for the ones sold that were flawed....
Especially when the answer repeated over and over is one of those "let's be snarky and make a point" when the point is completely wrong and one of those borderline offensive tones talking to us like children that just don't understand.Quote:
Originally Posted by Heli88
I don't know why the PR spin refuses to acknowledge the facts of the situation. It's so obvious - I don't know if it's ineptitude or some other reason they wish to pooh-pooh vehicles. Yes, fans could have "put their money in cookie jars" if they needed to. But that's a child's way of looking at it, or looking at the customer base as children. Either way, it ignores the fact that no, it wasn't just that people failed to save, etc. To begin with, yes, it was Christmas. If that were the only reason, the canned response would be more valid. However, that ignores the basic truth of the situation.
November was the most expensive month ever for many of us in MOTUC, and some of that WAS unexpected, and unable to be planned for. Besides a relatively expensive regular release month (Swifty, BP She-ra, Photog, and many got extras of BP She-ra for various display options), we had Black Friday/Cyber Monday, where many of us spent 100's of dollars (I spent over $500 myself over the weekend). We had no idea if BF was just going to be He-man thrown up, or the expansive line of characters that did show up. I ended up with 20+ figures.
I still bought 2 Wind Raiders. I probably would have bought 4 or 5 if I had not just spent close to $700 total in November at MattyCollector. It wasn't that I didn't save my money in a cookie jar like a child. It was - "I've already spent a ton of money on this line in one month, so I chose not to". And although you cannot use message boards as an absolute, I see post after post after post saying the same thing - I either would have bought more, or I just couldn't buy any after all that BF/CM stuff. But oh no, the line keeps going back to - "If people really wanted it, they would have saved in their little cookie jar".
Life isn't that simple, and many of us it wasn't a lack of saving it was a slight burn-out in spending so much on a hobby just weeks before - in fact, many hadn't even GOTTEN their BF/CM orders by the time the Wind Raider went on sale. When you add that to the season, and the fact that we all knew it would be back again (in fact, in spite of the wording, I honestly would not be surprised if there are many just sitting in a warehouse already). I honestly think they lost out on multiple sales (people like myself who bought one or two who normally would have bought more extras) more than anything else.
The statements almost sound as if they do not want the WR to sell well, or expect to, in the "reissue". Like they are gunning against it? I know that's kind of crazy, but that's what the tone and the continual denial of the above truths of the situation sound like. Almost like they want to be proven right, in spite of the fact we all know that would be bad for the line. Almost like it's a fan talking and wanting their self-interests over what would actually be best for the line (and most people seem to agree - that would be more vehicles).
Why do none of those site links go into the Q&A directly? I cannot find them.
But it doesn't HAVE to be this way, logistically speaking. The truth is, they could go to pre-orders, or other options to ensure their costs are covered, but they will not do it. They are being stubborn and not listening to what the fans want. It will come around to bite them in the long run.Quote:
Originally Posted by Skystalker
Mattel is so stubborn about their 'sub or death' policy. I am fearful for 2013 because:Quote:
Originally Posted by MegaGearMax
1. From reading posts on this forum, my feeling is that a lot of current subscribers will not be subscribing next year.
2. Mattel uses the number of subs sold to determine how many units of a figure to produce. Mattel cut the number of figures produced this year because subs were down, resulting in a pretty fast Fisto and Sorceress sell-out. So, it looks like the number of units produced next year will be even lower than this year.
3. Assuming that most of the people who are dropping the sub are still going to buy figures day of, it leaves us with more day of purchasers, but fewer figures available for purchase.
4. Then we're back to 2-5 minute sell-outs. Only this time, we've been told there will be no reissues.
If my only options next year are to subscribe or fight for figures again, I'll quit the line. That makes me sad because I buy about 85% of what's available, and I love the figures.
It is insane that he refuses to listen and actually hear what people have to say.Quote:
Originally Posted by JonWes
Hopefully others are questioning how/why the 30th anniversary of one of the most successful toy lines in history is getting next to nothing for it's 30th anniversary. Aside from the 30th Anniversary figs, what is being done to build awareness? Toy Fair didn't reveal anthing. He-Man was in the top ten most tweeted things the day after the Super Bowl due to the Met Life advertisement, and we've got... next to nothing! Strange.Quote:
Originally Posted by markatisu
Perhaps as a first step, they could try to build awareness for the line beyond all of us in the "core."Quote:
Originally Posted by JonWes
Or Mattel could strategize (and execute) plans for building buzz outside of the core fan community.Quote:
Originally Posted by Skystalker
Maybe Digital River lied to Scott and Mattel; maybe Scott and Mattel are simply deep-dive adverse to really get to the bottom of the problem.Quote:
Originally Posted by PPC
Based on the things Digital River is not able to fix, over YEARS, I am not so sure Mattel is able to get sales details like these. I expect sub numbers for '13 to really fall unless the Digital River fix is an all singing, all dancing extravaganza of epic proportions. Gives me chills.Quote:
Originally Posted by orbles
They can. If they don't have this information readily available, how was TG able to tell us for certain a while back that the vast majority of the sales off the site were not to scalpers buying the max of 10 figures? THey HAD to have information on exactly how many each person was buying to determine that.Quote:
Originally Posted by orbles
I am sure Mattel can pull a report and see how many WR each customer purchased and do not need to rely combing the internet to find out.
And to still be pushing the bull about insufficient funds being the reason the sub cancellations occurred when they know this is not the only reason (which TG had to acknowledge right on these boards the first time he tried dishing the bantha poo-doo) is outright pathetic. It is the same exact thing that happened with the rash of sub cancellations last year at the same exact point (second charge of the year goes to an old card). DR didn't fix it then and it happened again. I echo the sentiments here: stop trying to blame the fans for your own incompetence. Mattel turned the site over to people who have no idea how to run a website, and needs to own up to its mistakes. Offering nothing but pathetic excuses rather than frankness and action to fix the problems is a big part of why subs went down. Do you really think blaming your customers for your inept handling of the problems is going to increase sales next time around?