Open a toy; Get junk. What is your next move?

[Team Jetfire]

We have all been there and unfortunately it seems that it has been more regular that before. You finally track down the toy that everyone has been looking for. You get back from the store (or you are in the parking lot depending how toy-crazy you are) and disaster strikes. Your just-got-a-new-toy-high has been shattered by a glaring QC issue on the toy.

What do you do?

Pack it up and head back to the store to return the POS?

Keep it and display it proudly as a special variant.

Use your awesome skills as a craftsman and fix the issue yourself.

I have done all three, except the Awesome skills bit I have tried though

[Malwave]

well...when I buy a toy that ends up having QC issues, it usually involves loose joints if anything.

Been lucky that way I guess xD, but that's why I always keep the receipts

[Prowl_2009]

Keep the reciept and return it as soon as you can.

[Mumps]

I have never had a major QC error on any of my figures. But that doesn't mean I never will, and if it does happen, back to the store it goes.

[jourdo]

I remember opening up Energon Omega Supreme to find one of the arms missing form his headmaster. He went back to the store the next day.

Otheriwse it might be a loose joint here and there, which doesn't really bug me all that much and can be fixed easily (for the most part). Those guys I hang on to.

As for the "variant" thing... I kept a Pixar Cars item once that was missing the paint aps on the eyes just because it looked different, but never for the robots in disguise we all know and love.

[Tekkamanraiden]

Return it for a new one.

[BadJeff]

Other than one SWTF (cockpit cover busted right off @ hinge) a couple years ago i've been quite lucky - no real issues. Then again, i don't sweat the fine print. Loose joint, blemish in paint - i'm more you get what you get because once it's up on the shelf it'll never bother me.

[Shepp]

March it right back in as soon as possible and demand an exchange. The next day may be too late, and they may be out of stock.

But it really depends on the problems. I brought Animated Shockwave (purple) back because he was a ragdoll that looked and felt brittle. But I waited like 2 weeks. Didn't bother with an exchange, just got my money back. I have a few figures with paint smears and chips, and unless it is really horrible, I don't care much.

On other figures, like Animated Bumblebee with his exploding plastic arms, I went back right away.


Overall, I try to inspect packages before I buy to prevent instant regret over missing parts or QC issues. If I suspect there's an issue, I don't buy.

[Mighty_Galvatron]

I've had three instances where this has happened.

(1) AN VOY Skywarp
- He was missing a thumb. So I exchanged him for another Skywarp - told the CS dude that it was missing parts and thus, defective.

(2) MP Megatron
- One foot was suffering the rust, so I had a replacement foot sent to me.

(3) RotF VOY Bludgeon
- A scratch (big) on his brown head - so I bought another - I MEANT to exchange them, but have since decided to keep both cause he is just too cool. I may repaint the one with the scratched head one day, as soon as I figure out how to that is.

[Terminal Hipster]

In a lot of cases I'll attempt a repair on my on, unless it's something really bad. Paint smears, loose joints, untrimmed flash... that's all stuff I can handle. Heck,

Snapped or missing parts... well, I've actually never had anything like that, so I don't know. I guess I'd return the figure. Even then, though, it'd depend on how obvious the break is.