Beware - "New toys" returned with old toy inside box

[Kyle]

http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/buyer-beware-2007-figures-in-rotf-packaging/16088/

As much as I don't like Hasbro releasing countless repaints... ROTF Optimus Prime is a sincere and genuine attempt at making a new and much better toy. Sucks for those who aren't aware and get an old toy instead. :(

[kup]

http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/buyer-beware-2007-figures-in-rotf-packaging/16088/

As much as I don't like Hasbro releasing countless repaints... ROTF Optimus Prime is a sincere and genuine attempt at making a new and much better toy. Sucks for those who aren't aware and get an old toy instead. :(

hmm...Tempting.

Just kidding :p

[GoktimusPrime]

TFwiki has an article about this, but I forget what it's called (FFN?). Apparently it happens a lot in the US where people buy new toys then refund them with old toys inside; essentially getting a toy for free by scamming stores. According to the TFwiki article this occurs quite frequently in the US but it doesn't really happen here because our store employees are work under relatively better conditions so they're more vigilant against this sort of thing (whereas US employees are apparently too apathetic so it frequently flies under their radar).

Last time I exchanged a faulty toy at Kmart, they inspected the toy I had swapped it for to make sure it was the same product. Only took a few seconds to do it.

[Sky Shadow]

TFwiki has an article about this, but I forget what it's called

Ah, it's under the sophisticated jargon of... um... "toy swapping". :p

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Toy_swapping

[willocrew]

This is terrible. Its obvious that the perpetrator is an adult transformers collector. I feel sorry for the poor kid who ends up getting the 2007 model.

Seriously. These toys are meant for kids and if an adult collector can't afford to do the right thing, they should just quit collecting transformers altogether.

I really hope it's merely a US of A kinda mentality & we haven't got people amongst us who do this sort of thing.:(

Part swapping and discount swapping.. those are still within the ambit of tenuous acceptability: But to swap in an older model... terrible.

[griffin]

Just moved that last post into this recent topic.

It is shameful to hear, and I hope it doesn't happen locally.

[willocrew]

Just moved that last post into this recent topic.

It is shameful to hear, and I hope it doesn't happen locally.

Hopefully Gok is right about the more vigilant shophands in Oz.

[Kyle]

Another one... :rolleyes:

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/248666-deluxe-class-cannon-bumblebee-human-alliance-bumblebee.html

It's interesting they left the Sam figure behind...

[nettie!]

this happens a lot more than you would all think!

in refunds (and even at POS) we have to check each and every box
- the pic on front
- the object inside
- if we can open the box, check everything is inside
etc

i remember working in the sound dept one day and i went to sell a ds to a customer, opened the box to check the colour and accessories etc (usual procedure) only to find a blue gameboy colour in the ds box! :mad:
so - that meant whoever accepted the refund, didnt do their job properly!

[Tober]

this happens a lot more than you would all think!

in refunds (and even at POS) we have to check each and every box
- the pic on front
- the object inside
- if we can open the box, check everything is inside
etc


Good! Do you prosecute for fraud, theft or anything?

[nettie!]

Good! Do you prosecute for fraud, theft or anything?

If we can prove that they were the ones who changed the stock over...
So with refunds all we can really do is refuse the refund
but if it's at POS we can check the security videos and see if that customer was the one to swap the stock
IYKWIM..?

[reillyd]

I didnt think the average toy collector would go to SO much trouble - those twisty ties are a nightmare - I couldn't imagine trying to do them UP again to return. Is it really worth the effort, when the toy might be twenty to eighty dollars?

What I'd be more concerned would be someone buying minty fresh KO transformers, and then getting an old damaged G1 box to put them in (you know, so you can't see Bomander Grimlock, etc and the obvious packaging errors).

Or for that matter, an Encore release inside hasbro packaging. As soon as I hear of an upcoming Encore release, I rule out ever buying a non AFA-graded G1 Hasbro version.

[Sky Shadow]

Or for that matter, an Encore release inside hasbro packaging. As soon as I hear of an upcoming Encore release, I rule out ever buying a non AFA-graded G1 Hasbro version.

Buying AFA-Graded toys doesn't necessarily help - they've graded knockoffs as originals before:

http://highendtfs.com/images/news/afakobeachcomber.jpg

[kup]

Personally, I think AFA graded stuff is over rated.

Hey Larry! Come'ere and tell me what grade I should give this blue Transmorpher guy with big sunglasses!

[Tober]

If we can prove that they were the ones who changed the stock over...
So with refunds all we can really do is refuse the refund
but if it's at POS we can check the security videos and see if that customer was the one to swap the stock
IYKWIM..?

Good to know. So what if someone buys a TF2 Leader Optimus, swaps it with a TF1 Leader Optimus and then brings it back claiming that someone else swapped it and they didn't realise unlill their kid pointed it out? Does returned stock go back to the shelf if opened or sent back to Hasbro?

Just curious, I don't collect the movie lines except for a few deluxes.

[reillyd]

Buying AFA-Graded toys doesn't necessarily help - they've graded knockoffs as originals before:

http://highendtfs.com/images/news/afakobeachcomber.jpg

Oh crap!

That is SO not good.

Apparently swaps are not uncommon to retail though - just read about the ipod box containing a brick on Ars Technia
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2009/07/bricks-in-ipod-boxes-the-retail-employee-perspective.ars

[loophole]

Buying AFA-Graded toys doesn't necessarily help - they've graded knockoffs as originals before:

http://highendtfs.com/images/news/afakobeachcomber.jpg

sure thats a KO and not a chinese rerelease cause i have one of those too

[Sky Shadow]

sure thats a KO and not a chinese rerelease cause i have one of those too

I really hope you don't mean you have an AFA Beachcomber that looks like that, because unfortunately they're knockoffs, not Chinese reissues. With mini-Autobots, if the holepunch is in the centre of the top of the card (instead of where they're meant to be - to the right - above the toy itself), it's always a KO - it's an easy spot. It's hard to see on this picture, but KO Beachcombers also have an Autobot sticker on their chests instead of the trapesium with an orangey circle in the middle that they're supposed to have. There's also supposed to be a typo somewhere on the back of KO Beachcombers - I can't remember what it is though. There were real 1990s Chinese reissue Beachcombers, but they had holepunches to the right, the correct non-Autobot chest sticker and no typo on the back.

I believe what happened in this particular case with Beachcombers was that AFA stuffed up twice. First they labelled knockoff Beachcombers as original Beachcombers. Then apparently they bought back some of the knockoff Beachcombers for some reason and relabeled them as "1990s Chinese Reissue". But they're not, they're just AFA graded knockoffs. Which is abysmal, because it means people are paying more for AFA graded knockoffs than for real non AFA MOSC G1 Beachcombers.

[Yet another reason why I would never waste money on an AFA graded toy (the main reason would be that I can never open up and play with an AFA toy or it loses even more value than all the other toys I open.)]