Answers to WTFWTK 2.79!

[chuc98]

Snout Spout isn't defective????

[Ealo]

I have to say that with seeing all the answers admins on the site have done lately on Matty that perhaps it wasn't Scott who answered this round?

since the start of these whenever scott would answer they'd say it at the start of the answer that it was him, so i always presumed he wasn't doing it - though a lot of people think he does. scott said a couple of times it is done by PR.

[Marvelous0ne]

How many times were we shown prototypes at the shows that the 4H just brought in that had all the articulation? Until Scott breaks them! This is why I dislike the man! The overdeco of a figure?! This is what they, Mattel wanted from the start! It's the whole point of MOTUC! Super articulated and detailed versions of the vintage figures! Another strike Scott! And Snout Spout is defective! The moment you bend his truck you get cracks in the cheap foam they used! And the comment to get a replacement, when the figure had no remaining stock right after sale cause Mattel didn't send any to Digital River! And it was a poor choice by Mattel's In House Team to go and use it! They would have been better off using the rubber that was used on King Hsss!

[shadowfall1976]

1. bigsexy_j: We hear in answers all the time that design decisions of the figures are left up to the 4H. The 4H designed Stinkor with new forearms and put them on the sides they decided they should be on. Why was the decision made by Mattel then to swap the forearms on Stinkor and change the design of the 4H prototype? Is this not contradictory of all the other times we were told that all these decisions are the 4H's and has nothing to do with engineering or safety standards?

The Horsemen make sculpting choices (like how many eyes to give Webstor) but it is up to Mattel designers to translate the Horsemen non articulated sculpt into a functional toy and sometimes changes are made for logistical, aesthetic or safety/assembly reasons. The choice to swap Stinkor's arms was made by Mattel design to give Stinkor a little something extra since he reuses so many parts and make him stand out on shelf. Design also changed Horde Prime’s chest form the flat armor lower torso to the muscle torso. Some choices fans may like, others not so much. But at the end of the day the design team makes the final call on the look and functionality of the figures using the Horsemen sculpt as a jumping off point. This has been the same since figure 1.


4. bskcase: Since it is clear that Snout Spout was defective, can we have a re-release of the figure with a solid plastic snout down the line? I think we are owed that.

He was not defective. Toys do sometimes break after being played with or posed. If you have a broken toy you can have it replaced by calling customer service for a non broken one.

#1) Stinkor looked different enough with accessories and his color scheme to not need anything extra, the forearms were fine as was on the prototype, stupid choice to make, I don't care if they make the choices or not, just because you think it's a good idea.....it's probably not!.

For future reference....

Don't change the anatomy of the figures!!!
The fins go on the outside!!!

#4) Snout Spout was defective, if not how do you explain breaking in the package, and for those who only touched their figures once? Arrogant answer, and completely wrong....
2 of my 3 local friends that have Snout, both MOSC, and both trunks have split and cracked....IN THE PACKAGE....How is that not a defect?

[THINKOR]

Again the same answers for SS's trunk and Stinkor's forearm. If the line is doing so well as TG just recently claimed, why is it a problem to reissue one fixed figure per year, in a small quantity? This is SS, King Hisss, Roboto we are talking about (Yes, GG too).

[Darth Daddy]

The "adding insult to injury" part is the fact that months before he shipped fans expressed concern about the material being used in an "Ask Matty", and we were told Mattel had a "crack team of testers" to make sure that didn't happen, everything was "rigorously tested", etc.

It's a defect because it affects everyone. Mine hasn't split (yet), but it has completely stiffened from it's pliability when it was opened. This was noticeable after just 2-3 months out of the package.

There is something called "normal wear and tear", and this product doesn't even stand up to zero wear. I took it out, posed it once (didn't really touch the snout except to see it was very pliable when I opened it), and now it's frozen in place. I'd actually be fine with that (or if the figure originally came out that way), but hearing that some people have them MOC and are seeing splits, means it's just a matter of time before they all split, even if we don't handle them. And, unlike a lot of other Mattel goofs, I don't believe there is anything that can be done to repair him even with those of us who do tinker with the figures a bit.

Let me guess, in a year or two they will admit it, and start taking returns like they did with Goddess, years after the fact.

Amen!! Well said. I know that the requested "head-pack" is not going to happen but, if it did, I would really hope it would include a new Snout Spout head... and the 200X head would be a bigger bonus.

[vertigoink]

PEOPLE CALM DOWN!

Put the pitchforks down and realize once again that perhaps it isn't Scott answering these question- you know that if I of all people decide not to jump on the issue with TG then it must be correct to take a wait and see approach lol. What I will agree with is whoever answered these questions is either 1) misinformed or 2) delusional. I say give Scott a chance to clarify if it was him or not who answered this round and then go from there.

[Hosed Ovor]

PEOPLE CALM DOWN!

Put the pitchforks down and realize once again that perhaps it isn't Scott answering these question- you know that if I of all people decide not to jump on the issue with TG then it must be correct to take a wait and see approach lol. What I will agree with is whoever answered these questions is either 1) misinformed or 2) delusional. I say give Scott a chance to clarify if it was him or not who answered this round and then go from there.

Does it matter who the author is? It doesn't change the content nor the fact these are official answers from Mattel.

[JonWes]

It is a good point that we have no way of knowing if Scott is the one who answers these. But I do think the criticism of the actual answer is very valid.

[shadowfall1976]

PEOPLE CALM DOWN!

Put the pitchforks down and realize once again that perhaps it isn't Scott answering these question- you know that if I of all people decide not to jump on the issue with TG then it must be correct to take a wait and see approach lol. What I will agree with is whoever answered these questions is either 1) misinformed or 2) delusional. I say give Scott a chance to clarify if it was him or not who answered this round and then go from there.

No matter if Scott answered or not, I kind of doubt it was him anyway, point is, some rep from Mattel answered these, and gave those obvious wrong and uninformed answers, before they let someone answer they should know their own product to answer, and answer in a non arrogant and insulting way, they get paid to do this, so just answer the friggin questions in a friendly and informed way, and don't try to make it seem someone broke their TOY by playing with it, because it wasn't playing with it that broke many of them, unless you can somehow play with your toys while you're staring at them, or while they're sealed in plastic & cardboard.

Stop making defective products, then try to make it seem like the customers are breaking them. And also stop saying you need to take a slot to remedy these figures, when you fixed He-Man & Skeletor as second runs without taking new slots. Just because you said no re-issues doesn't mean you can fix the defective figures with a new run, they won't be re-issues, they'll be fixed versions of what people should have gotten to begin with. No way do they need to take a figure slot to re-release these things.

[Hosed Ovor]

It is a good point that we have no way of knowing if Scott is the one who answers these. But I do think the criticism of the actual answer is very valid.

At least we finally know Mattel's official stance. Of course I think most of us knew what it was all along. Although it's never fun to essentially be told to go pound sand. I wish I had the willpower to never purchase another Mattel product.

[JVS3]

vertigoink's right. We don't know who answered these.

But, whoever answered these should not answer the questions again until they do some more research. I think some of those answers are bad.

Snout Spout is clearly defective. No replacement, if in stock, is going to fix that. Passing the blame to fans for wear and tear is not okay.

And I don't think they should be altering the 4H's designs, at least not before going over it with them as the 4H may have a better solution. I guess it's Mattel's right to do so, but changing Stinkor's forearms was clearly a controversial decision that was not liked by many. For Stinkor's sculpt, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Instead, fix Snout Spout.

[Hosed Ovor]

It would be nice if Scott would take a few moments and acknowledge that Snout Spout is defective and apologize to fans on behalf of Mattel.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

I don't expect Mattel to make a new run of Snout Spouts with new material to replace those messed up

I do. At least, that is what should be expected of them, and that's what they should do. They don't have the resources allocated to the line for that? Tough! Take it from Hot Wheels or something. Snout Spout, the Goddess, the yellowing Ghostbusters Marshmallow Man, etc, should all go into new production, making the figures as identical to the original release as possible while fixing their respective QC issues, and allowing fans to exchange them at no cost. Anything less is absurd.

And the Stinkor situation is just stupid. STUPID. The people who made that decision should all be fired immediately. They shouldn't be allowed to design stick figures.

These answers are ridiculous. What a load of bull [crap]!

[JonWes]

It's funny, Mattel just released info about how to get a refund your Stay Puft, and it's exactly the right tone and execution for these situations:

http://www.mattycollector.com/store/...StayPuftRefund

Which kind of makes the stance taken with Snout Spout even more strange.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

It's funny, Mattel just released info about how to get a refund your Stay Puft, and it's exactly the right tone and execution for these situations:

http://www.mattycollector.com/store/...StayPuftRefund

Which kind of makes the stance taken with Snout Spout even more strange.

While handled better, it is still a crappy solution since it results in collectors having a gap in their collection.

[Inhibitor]

I guess it's Mattel's right to do so, but changing Stinkor's forearms was clearly a controversial decision that was not liked by any.

Fixed it for you. Nyah!

The design team thing sounds like a cover for another QC oversight. If it really is then I see the reason behind the decision. It's better to appear in control, even if a mistake was made, than to give out the impression of negligence.

It's funny, Mattel just released info about how to get a refund your Stay Puft, and it's exactly the right tone and execution for these situations:

http://www.mattycollector.com/store/...StayPuftRefund

Which kind of makes the stance taken with Snout Spout even more strange.

Well, maybe they figured out the best way not to have to give out refunds is to deny the problem. Stay Puft probably burned them badly.

[Hosed Ovor]

Perhaps the Snout Spout answer was a mistake and an official statement is forthcoming? Of course it's always possible Mattel won't admit Snout Spout is defective. I can't help but think if fans continue to be vocal about the problem that an official announcement is more likely.

[Darth Daddy]

Perhaps the Snout Spout answer was a mistake and an official statement is forthcoming? Of course it's always possible Mattel won't admit Snout Spout is defective. I can't help but think if fans continue to be vocal about the problem that an official announcement is more likely.

I think what we are seeing/reading is not the fault of Scott. (I think Scott is proving to be a convenient scapegoat as he's the one (and likely only) person at Mattel that anyone really knows within the consumer community.) I think he appropriately understands this when he says he recognizes that, whatever the issue, everything is going to be seen as his fault. I understand where he's coming from, believe me.

But, what I think we are seeing, is that communications and communications delivery to customers (by Mattel) is not very well coordinated either within the Matty dept. or possibly within the company at large. One thing I am picking up is that Mattel has recognized Matty is a growing business and, as it is growing, they are getting more resources awarded to them. Sometimes growth and the addition of resources creates additional challenges and additional "bugs" that need to get hammered out. Certainly not an excuse... but something that is a good fit, regardless of organization type.

While I still think the Snout Spout answer is a total load that should be retracted and rephrased, I do think we should take a step back and recognize that the MOTUC fan base is, likely, one of the biggest driving forces behind the success of Matty (as a business within Mattel). We should all be proud of that. We should also continue to make sure our voices are heard when something is communicated that doesn't seem right. Who knows, our drum-beating may help to expedite fixing an issue. (Granted, it may take a looooooooooooooong time and the looooooooooooooooooooooong time it takes will likely try everyone's patience to an unbelievable degree.)

[Agent Gibbs]

well since snout spouts trunk is the same material as staypuft i'm calling utter bull on answer 4

and answer 1, lol i don't believe that for one second

[He-Kal]

I do. At least, that is what should be expected of them, and that's what they should do. They don't have the resources allocated to the line for that? Tough! Take it from Hot Wheels or something. Snout Spout, the Goddess, the yellowing Ghostbusters Marshmallow Man, etc, should all go into new production, making the figures as identical to the original release as possible while fixing their respective QC issues, and allowing fans to exchange them at no cost. Anything less is absurd.

And the Stinkor situation is just stupid. STUPID. The people who made that decision should all be fired immediately. They shouldn't be allowed to design stick figures.

These answers are ridiculous. What a load of bull [crap]!

While I agree that the response to Snout Spout is a problem--to suggest people should be fired over the altered appearance of a figure (Stinkor) is a little silly don't you think?

[DetectiveFork]

he was not defective. Toys do sometimes break after being played with or posed. If you have a broken toy you can have it replaced by calling customer service for a non broken one.

bull. *****.

[Robogeek1973]

I understand folks being upset by the Stinkor and Snout Spout answers but am surprised that no one is saying anything about the "when and if we make Ram man" comment.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

While I agree that the response to Snout Spout is a problem--to suggest people should be fired over the altered appearance of a figure (Stinkor) is a little silly don't you think?

If not fired, then given at least given a stern warning, with them being fired upon the next future similar offense should one happen. Look, this is an adult collector's line. Perhaps my view points seem extreme to you and some other reading them, but the reality is that it only requires a very small amount of common sense to see that this was a bad idea from the get-go. If these people had said common sense, they would have seen what a bad idea this was in the first place... ESPECIALLY after all of the occasions that we've gone through of parts accidentally being swapped (i.e. shoulders) and the anger and drama that had caused. Why anyone would think it would be a good idea to intentionally swap left and right parts of a figure around after they were well aware of those past issues is beyond me.

Of course, it's beyond me why anyone would even think swapping those parts around would make the figure "pop" on the shelf (in a good way) in the first place. Even if the forearms had truly been designed to be interchangeable to make 2 different, but otherwise anatomically correct looks (which they most definitely weren't), it's not like making that swap was suddenly going to make Stinkor significantly more exciting or make him really stand out in any major way simply and purely for that swap alone. It's moronic logic to think that it would. The only reason that this reversed forearm look "pops" at all now is because it doesn't look right... so it's not for positive reasons. This was a decision that has angered and infuriated many fans, and it should have been FRIGGING OBVIOUS that it would do exactly that. It's not like anybody would have questioned it if they had left the forearms the way that they were meant to be. It's was an incredibly stupid decision no matter how it is broken down.


And frankly whoever answered these questions should be fired (not even given a warning... just flat out fired), especially with the Snout Spout response. There are figures from 30 years ago that are still holding up fine that were posed, played with, and beaten up over and over again over the years. Any that have broken down in any major way is more so due to their age than any quality control problems from when they were created. By contrast, MOTUC is mainly a collectors line for adults. While some 'play' may happen in some cases, for the most part these figures are being posed once (or very few times) and being displayed on shelves. Again, common sense dictates that this response is absurd, but it was still the given response anyway.

I understand folks being upset by the Stinkor and Snout Spout answers but am surprised that no one is saying anything about the "when and if we make Ram man" comment.

That's just the common way that they state things when referring to future figures that haven't been officially announced yet. It doesn't mean that he's not on the table or likely to be produced, it just means that they are being coy about it to not make a definitive statement about a figure that hasn't officially been announced yet. It's nothing new, and it doesn't mean anything.

[shadowfall1976]

I understand folks being upset by the Stinkor and Snout Spout answers but am surprised that no one is saying anything about the "when and if we make Ram man" comment.

Ram-Man is a main character, they will get to him eventually....not soon enough for me though.