MP-01 Convoy and MP-04 Convoy

[GoktimusPrime]

My MP01 was missing one ladder panel but Takara sent me a pair of them, most likely because they manufacture left-right parts like this in sets. This means that if they do decide you send you replacements then they should send you both. There's no point in HasTak keeping the other one... for example, if they sent you a left headlight panel what on Earth are they going to do with the right panel? It was probably for this reason that I was sent both ladder panels and I'd imagine that they'd do the same for you.

Anyway, good luck!

[Jaisun]

My MP01 was missing one ladder panel but Takara sent me a pair of them, most likely because they manufacture left-right parts like this in sets. This means that if they do decide you send you replacements then they should send you both. There's no point in HasTak keeping the other one... for example, if they sent you a left headlight panel what on Earth are they going to do with the right panel? It was probably for this reason that I was sent both ladder panels and I'd imagine that they'd do the same for you.

Anyway, good luck!

I guess they could send 1 side and hope someone else would eventually need the other...? =oP j/k, it would be cheaper and simpler for them to distribute sets than keep track of loose individual sides. Anyways, progress report: I called Hasbro AU after my last post, left my number for them to call back, but as I have the flu atm, I had to have a sleep in the arvo, and ofcourse, they called back while I slept =oP Better luck tomorrow...

[Jaisun]

Mmkay, I got on to Hasbro AU today, and they told me that anything Takara, even if officially released over here, has nothing to do with them. So I guess Target got them direct from Japan through Takara then? If so, I better brush o on my Japanese... Any ideas for contacting them?

[GoktimusPrime]

W H A T ?

Okay, first of all, if Target called TakaraTOMY and tried to directly import MP04 from then, unless Target had permission from Hasbro Australia then TakaraTOMY would tell Target to go jump. I know this because when I was organising the Sabretron 2004 convention I called Takara in 2003 and asked them if they could help me make some convention exclusive toys. They told me that since the convention was going to be in Australia, a Hasbro market, then I would have to seek permission from Hasbro Australia first and they also explained to me about this contractual agreement between Takara and Hasbro which expressly forbids them from interfering/contaminating each other's markets without permission.

Secondly, all the Masterpiece Transformers released in Target here had legal blurbs written in ENGLISH on a sticker attached on the bottom of the box. I suspect that Hasbro Australia must've attached this sticker. Could someone here with an Australian MP Magnus or MP04 confirm what's written on this sticker and whether or not Hasbro Australia's name/address appears on it or not?

Thirdly, unfortunately Hasbro Australia has been known to say things that are untrue. Zaul called them a few months ago and they told him that they would not be releasing ROTF Skids, Wheelie and Chromia in Australia. They later told someone else (griffin?) that they would - and sure enough they have. The verdict is still out on MP Grimlock (Hasbro AU told me that we won't be getting MP Grimlock here but many people aren't sure whether or not to believe them on that).

If so, I better brush o on my Japanese... Any ideas for contacting them?

Their call centre numbers are located on the bottom or back of the box. Here they are:
0011-81-3-5650-1031 or 0011-81-6-6395-1031
They're open weekdays from 10:00-17:00 JST (+9 UTC)

They also have online customer support here

[Jaisun]

MP-02 has an english sticker, MP-04 does not, just to make things confusing ofcourse. All of this is a bit of paradox. One would assume Hasbro AU would be the distributor for the MP's that were released here, but they have a contractual agreement with Takara not to meddle with each others stuff... So, I guess this is a matter for Takara after all? I'm confuzzled...

[GoktimusPrime]

*sigh* You've already tried Hasbro with no luck. You can try to call them again and see if they give you a different answer (as they did with the news about ROTF Chromia, Skids and Wheelie) or call TakaraTOMY first and explain to them that you've already contacted Hasbro Australia and tell them what they told you.

Failing that you might want to consider buying a loose Hasbro Masterpiece Optimus Prime, swapping the panels, then selling the spare - customisers like KC99 would be willing to buy it for spare parts.

[GoktimusPrime]

btw, there's a discussion thread about quality issues regarding MP04 here... so your problem isn't an isolated incident. :/