Faulty Sorceress and Fisto figures with no more CS Stock.

[SCB]

I doubt its because of NYTF unless they passed out thousands of Fistos.

[mekaneckpain]

Even if they only gave away 10 --- That's still 10 people who paid for Fisto and didn't get him.

[bigsexy_j]

Did anyone on here actually get a free Fisto from NYTF or can Dan confirm they were handing them out? This is the first I heard of it as well.

How ever many were passed out only matters if they were part of the original quota, or were more made for this give away.

J

[Zodach]

With fisto I know what happend, DR CS didn't have enough Fistos because Mattel was passing out free fistos to the press at NYTF and if they didn't do that everyone probably would have gotten their fisto.

I highly doubt the Fistos they handed out at NYTF had anything to do with the shortage of CS stock. They probably handed out very few and it was more an issue of Mattel/Digital River underestimating the needed stock for unexpected issues, one being the Sorceress arriving in Fisto's box.

[SCB]

Even if they only gave away 10 --- That's still 10 people who paid for Fisto and didn't get him.

That's fine in principal, but I don't think the two events are related. They totally screwed up the number of Fistos that should have been produced, including customer service stock for replacements. They're out of Sorceress too and they didn't give her out.

[mekaneckpain]

Yeah, It sounds more like they are trying so hard to avoid having leftover stock --- so they purposely under-produce the figures without taking into account replacements for defective figures. --- Only, If the figures were made right the first time, there would be no need for replacement figures. Matty just can't stand the idea of not selling each and every single item they sell. God forbid they have left overs... Always better to make too much than too little. Mattel sucks!

[kenobi96]

I received a Fisto with 2 right legs and feet. I contacted Matty about a replacement. I received a refund (of figure cost only, not shipping cost). I contacted Matty again stating that I wanted a replacement figure and NOT a refund. I was told there were no longer any Fisto figures. So, I started to look on eBay for a figure...

About a week later, I received an email out of the blue from Matty stating that they would now be able to replace my Fisto figure once they had the defective one. They arranged a UPS pickup and paid for the return shipping. All I had to do was box up the defective figure.

I waited a week after the UPS pickup, checked the tracking number and saw that it was delivered and sent an email requesting any information on when they would ship out the replacement figure. About two days later I received my reply that, yes, the figure was returned to their warehouse but there were no longer any Fisto figures to be shipped out. I decided it was no longer worth the frustration...

I have since sent my request to cancel my subscriptions and deleted my credit card info from Matty. The only thing left is a cancelled credit card number on my account.

[DJ_Convoy]

That's a pretty shady thing to do. Not on your part, obviously- theirs. They coerced you into sending back a defective Fisto that you could have possibly fixed on your own.

[scott metzger]

Mattel/Digital River underestimating the needed stock for unexpected issues, one being the Sorceress arriving in Fisto's box.

And I think that may be the crux of the problem, though I'm mystified as to how that could happen. The packaging is the last step of the manufacturing process, so who was keeping track of things along the way? There should have been either an overabundance of Fistos going by the packages or a shortage of Sorceresses when checking the production numbers. I mean, somehow, somewhere along the way, someone had to have realized that the numbers were wrong; I don't care how small a line is, you have to keep track of exactly how many of each thing you paid the factory to produce and how many you are getting out of the production run. And, if they did do that, how did someone not notice that the number of boxed Fistos was more than that when the shipments were received? And wouldn't someone have noticed an unusual number of unused Sorceress mailers left over?

The numbers couldn't have added up someplace in the process; was someone asleep?

[SCB]

Yeah, It sounds more like they are trying so hard to avoid having leftover stock --- so they purposely under-produce the figures without taking into account replacements for defective figures. --- Only, If the figures were made right the first time, there would be no need for replacement figures. Matty just can't stand the idea of not selling each and every single item they sell. God forbid they have left overs... Always better to make too much than too little. Mattel sucks!

I think this may be a specific case with Fisto and maybe Sorceress. Otherwise, we'd be short of Khan as well, or Photog. If they produce the same fixed amount every month, then Fisto must have been severely short.

[blackiecats]

I still wonder if the shortage of Fisto's stems from the self reinstall of your Subs link DR posted months ago, for anyone to re-order a cancelled sub. Whats to say non sub holders didn't use the link to buy multiple subs once they saw the secondary market price Shadow Weaver was selling for... even I would have paid the $40 (second payment for Star Sisters) if it guaranteed a Shadow Weaver for $40 and you skip having to buy Star Sisters at all...

We know Sorceress had a higher production (as stated by Toyguru) and Shadow Weaver had no day of sales (obviously) and likely very few QC issues. That just leaves Fisto not have enough overstock to cover QC and perhaps those extra sub sales... then you have the Sorceress in Fisto's mailer that will add to the woe...

So it's not that difficult to work out what has happened here with the Fisto stock

[SCB]

They need to come up with a better solution for defective products. Exchanging them with DR is a nightmare to the point where I'd rather keep my defective figure and buy a new one from ebay.

[mekaneckpain]

They need to come up with a better solution for defective products. Exchanging them with DR is a nightmare to the point where I'd rather keep my defective figure and buy a new one from ebay.

It's as if Mattel is counting on that. They make dealing with CS and DR a total headache on purpose to the point where a customer says the hell with it --- I'l just keep it. Seems like a stretch but you never know.

[mjw41]

Look I could be totally wrong here that the fistos given out at NYTF had anything to do with the fisto problems, It just seems strange that scott said every subscriber got a fisto & sorcerss as the amount produced was made for the subscribers and then a small amount for day of sale. Lots of people got their subs canceled in error due to DR and it took some a month to get them reinstated, so if there were enough fistos for every subscriber where did they all go?

I just found it odd that I heard some fistos were given out to press at NYTF and i was thinking to myself why would mattel give any away for free before subs are shipped out and the sale day hasn't happend yet.

Pixel Dan would be the one to confirm this or not since he was at NYTF reveal night and if he can confirm it maybe he knows how many were given out.

It could be that those fistos given out at NYTF were not part of the production run for subscribers or day of sale, but again where did all the stock go because there are subscribers who didn't get their february items. I'm just saying to me it sounds weird.

[SCB]

I think Scott is sincere in saying that everyone was sent a subscription Fisto, but is unaware that Sorceress was shipped in Fisto mailers and counted as Fisto.

[mjw41]

I think Scott is sincere in saying that everyone was sent a subscription Fisto, but is unaware that Sorceress was shipped in Fisto mailers and counted as Fisto.

Thats true I read about those. That would be the vendor in china who packed the wrong figure in the wrong white mailer. Once Mattel gets them they just send out what they have by name on the white mailer.

[JafariStew]

Factory gashed Sorceress arm on 1 of 2 here. Looks like someone took a scalpel to her.

[cbomb23]

They need to come up with a better solution for defective products. Exchanging them with DR is a nightmare to the point where I'd rather keep my defective figure and buy a new one from ebay.

This is true of a lot of companies, they offer those 30 day money back guarantees knowing that people would rather just keep whatever they bought then hassle with the return process. Matty also used to simply send a replacement product without the requirement of the return, seemingly this was being abused and Mattel/DR is now requiring the return of the item.

I think Scott is sincere in saying that everyone was sent a subscription Fisto, but is unaware that Sorceress was shipped in Fisto mailers and counted as Fisto.

I think many of the subscribers who didn't receive their Fistos also had the subscription cancelled and DR/Mattel wasn't holding that stock hoping those would get reinstated but instead sold off that stock. So when a subscriber got their sub reinstated it was after the Fisto stock had been exhausted.

[vertigoink]

Factory gashed Sorceress arm on 1 of 2 here. Looks like someone took a scalpel to her.

Would it be fixable with some Magic Sculpt and paint?

[CanadaClassics]

I still wonder if the shortage of Fisto's stems from the self reinstall of your Subs link DR posted months ago, for anyone to re-order a cancelled sub. Whats to say non sub holders didn't use the link to buy multiple subs once they saw the secondary market price Shadow Weaver was selling for... even I would have paid the $40 (second payment for Star Sisters) if it guaranteed a Shadow Weaver for $40 and you skip having to buy Star Sisters at all...

We know Sorceress had a higher production (as stated by Toyguru) and Shadow Weaver had no day of sales (obviously) and likely very few QC issues. That just leaves Fisto not have enough overstock to cover QC and perhaps those extra sub sales... then you have the Sorceress in Fisto's mailer that will add to the woe...

So it's not that difficult to work out what has happened here with the Fisto stock

I read on the boards here that some members were able to start a sub with a link from somewhere after Jan (Star Sisters) in time for Shadow Weaver / Fisto / Sorceress...if enough people did that for Shadow Weaver...and don't cancel out...the rest of the year we may have "unexpected" shortages...

Although to balance out...Matty cancelled my sub, and asked for my figures back to give me a refund...I am not sending them back...I paid for em...I am keepin em...and I don't want a refund...the really funny part is that the return e-mail said I had 30 days to return them for a refund....joke is on Matty...took the figures 38 days just to get to my house!!!!!!

[Blaster]

It's as if Mattel is counting on that. They make dealing with CS and DR a total headache on purpose to the point where a customer says the hell with it --- I'l just keep it. Seems like a stretch but you never know.

Not really a stretch man, I work in a restaurant and we deal with difficult, demanding customers all the time, sometimes we intentionally mess their order up and give them bad service so they will never come back. Unfortunately, my managers have no back bone and won't outright tell them to leave.

Not saying people who want replacements are rude or demanding, but I'm just using it as a sort of proof that in the business world there are other ways to get rid of customers rather than flat out telling them, they don't want to deal with them.

[SidDarth]

I made the mistake of returning two Fistos because the packaging was crushed during shipping. The figures themselves were ok. DR/Matty has yet to inform me that they are out of product. I've been notified several times that they are working on a solution. I did request they return the ones with damaged packaging if they could not be replaced. They have yet to reply to that suggestion.

[rex_tech]

How many people ended up stuck with a defective Sorceress or Fisto because Mattel didn't have enough customer service stock on hand for replacements?

I have a sub and I emailed them about my damaged Sorceress the day she arrived, but I couldn't get any help. Before all was said and done I contacted them over half a dozen times and the first time I got any competent response from them was yesterday when Brady O. told me he would send me a refund. MINUS the cost of SHIPPING!?!

Looks like being a subscriber does not guarantee me all the figures.

Currently, I am still back and forth emailing with that CS named Brady O.

Of course, not helpful at all, he/she kept counting my "numbers of how many times reporting defective figure and replacement". Saying that I am now being put into "security alert". What have in their mind? I received defects, report just for replacement, return items if they wish. Why I am now being suspect of fraud and criminal? Why I have to suffer? And the point is I paid in full! Not begging in this trade!!

Talking about there will be new CS team to serve us? give us a break, stop those lies, we have enough. Respect us, please.




Yesterday, I received reply from Brady O., DR CS, , here's the captioned:

We apologize however we are unable to issue replacement figures without
the damaged figure being returned. At this point if you wish us to
issue a replacement for a damaged or defective figure we will need you
to ship the defective figure in question back to us. Once we receive it
at our warehouse we will process the replacement order. This is the
only exception we are able to make given the number of orders you have
requested and had replaced within the past 12 months. We will not be
able to credit you for the return shipment, we just ask that you send it
via a traceable method.

This person just loved to rip you off on return shipping.

[redsquadron]

I've never heard of any company, EVER, refusing to pay for returns shipping if the fault is theirs. Crazy... Glad I cherry-pick.