Just a warning for those still intending to buy Earthrise Starscream, especially since it is short-packed (1 Starscream to 2 Grapples), a number of sightings in America have been reported of people returning Siege Starscream (and even POTP Starscream) in Earthrise boxes for a refund, because they want the new version in place of the older one, but don't want to be stuck with two toys, or lose money reselling the old one.

Check out the last few pages of this topic on TFW2005, to see some examples people have already been finding of Earthrise boxes that have older toys inside them.

The POTP Starscream is obvious to dedicated collectors, but would fool a parent looking to buy "Earthrise Starscream". However, a Siege Starscream in an Earthrise box, could be easy to not notice, as the robot modes look very similar (see post #872 for an example of the wrong toy in the box, and post #882 for how similar they can be next to each other).

Also found in America recently is a Titans Return Astrotrain in an Earthrise box (see post #827), and POTP Optimus in an Earthrise box (see post #836).

This has raised concern over Hasbro having plans to remove all plastic from their packaging, which would mean no more windows on the boxes, making it harder to know for sure that you are getting the right toy if it was re-sealed well by someone who switched out the toy (or not even put a toy back in there). There have been various expensive exclusives in the past that haven't had windows, but if all of the cheaper toys have solid boxes, it makes it easier for the general public and non-dedicated fans to swap out the toys and return it sealed, or claim that the box didn't have the right toy inside and still get a refund.
If you look at post #840 in that TFW2005 topic, a person is claiming that a returned box of Lego was filled with ziplock bags of pasta, which probably would have sounded enough like Lego to fool the retailer staff and the next customer.


We haven't had too much of a problem with toy-swapping in Australia (our topic on the matter has only had a few examples, from several years ago), but be careful and keep an eye out if ever shopping at a store, just in case it starts happening at a time when more people don't have the money to buy new toys, but instead decide to get free toys by returning their older toys in the packaging that they no longer want.