PlaymoFriends
General => Report & Review => Topic started by: Redmao on December 07, 2012, 00:21:54
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I just got the 5259 cargo set today and to my surprise, the workers which sported rolled-up sleeves on the box only have regular short sleeves.
The same thing happened to a few characters from the hotel series.
Did it happened in other theme as well?
I'm intrigued by this switch.
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while we wait for others to answer, maybe its because I complained too much about "why the buttons on the sleeves?!" :P
but seriously, you can complain and Geobra needs to give some good answers because this is happening too often now. What if kids complain and parents cant do a thing but return them? Will they send just a replacement klicky if you wrote in and enclosed your klicky with wrong sleeves(if its tampered with, they can tell right? and who'll bother do that when the mailing may cost more than a klicky) :xholly:
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It feels like they changed the design between the photo shoot of the boxes and the production of the actual sets.
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Photo shoots can take place quite some time before details of a set are finally decided on or the actual parts being available, or so I understand. If you look closely at the printing on the box, you may also find words saying something like this: "Contents may differ from those shown in the illustration", as this allows details changes to the set to be made, e.g. a change of colour of a piece or a change of design, to be made without having to reprint all the box.
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Photo shoots can take place quite some time before details of a set are finally decided on or the actual parts being available, or so I understand. If you look closely at the printing on the box, you may also find words saying something like this: "Contents may differ from those shown in the illustration", as this allows details changes to the set to be made, e.g. a change of colour of a piece or a change of design, to be made without having to reprint all the box.
hmm..we do notice those wordings on advertisements, will check my surviving blue boxes..I'm sure its there somewhere too, seen only with my reading glasses on ;) thank you gentlemen! :xmascheer:
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Honestly, if my children complained that the klicky on the box has rolled up sleeves and the one IN the box has short once, I'd start worrying about their mental health ... it's only adults who care whether the klicky on the box matches the one inside.
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They did the same thing with the roman arms. Many members complained a lot and some even sent them back to Geobra w/letters. In the end Geobra did acknowledge the mistake and sent replacements.
I know I would not be happy at all and I would also complain to Geobra as they are misrepresenting the set on the box image. I want the fancier arms with the intricate molds that cost more to make and trying to sneak in a cheap printed replacement is insulting.
Honestly, if my children complained that the klicky on the box has rolled up sleeves and the one IN the box has short once, I'd start worrying about their mental health ... it's only adults who care whether the klicky on the box matches the one inside.
Our middle son has an incredible ability to recognize slight differences in his surroundings. He also is able to spot things like this due to his almost photographic memory. Its not that he cares to the point that he is upset but he is able to spot them quite fast and accurately. He is also the one who has a 99.9% track record on the Figures series bags.
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They did the same thing with the roman arms. Many members complained a lot and some even sent them back to Geobra w/letters. In the end Geobra did acknowledge the mistake and sent replacements.
That IS annoying. Especially if they're supposed to be uniformed. Not that playmobil understands the concept (except when applied to hair)
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I asked Playmobil about this through their Twitter account.
They seemed surprised by this and asked me for some comparaison shots.
I'll let you know how this goes.
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I asked Playmobil about this through their Twitter account.
They seemed surprised by this and asked me for some comparaison shots.
I'll let you know how this goes.
Yes, please. I'd like to know weither it is accidental or intended and if it is going to become more widespread or not...
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Yes, please. I'd like to know weither it is accidental or intended and if it is going to become more widespread or not...
I do not know how on earth it could be an accident? I would understand that if someone placed the wrong klicky in the sets due to not knowing or a malfunction of a machine but this is hardly that. They, the building factory is deliberately putting in a cheaper alternative to the more elaborate arm mold. I am starting to wonder, due to Gemany Geobra's responce if they even know what is going on in their own out of town factories? The klickies are made in Malta and presumable bagged up to be included in sets that may be assembled in other areas. If they do not open the bags how would they spot a cheap replacement on such a tiny detail?
I call deliberate foul play
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yes , i got a few too
http://playmodb.org/cgi-bin/showinv.pl?setnum=5282
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I got my answer.
Seems like with the high demand and the upcoming Holidays, they decided to use both kind of arm molds to produce certain sets to complete their production. So apparently, both styles are available out there.
I wasn't told the ratio though, so I don't know which kind of arm is rarer.
As a follow-up, I was also told that the sets produced in 2013 should have the proper sleeves.
I don't know if we can assume that the sets that will be released for the International market will sport the same arms as those seen in the catalog pictures.
We'll see.
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Thanks for the update!
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I got my answer.
Seems like with the high demand and the upcoming Holidays, they decided to use both kind of arm molds to produce certain sets to complete their production. So apparently, both styles are available out there.
I wasn't told the ratio though, so I don't know which kind of arm is rarer.
As a follow-up, I was also told that the sets produced in 2013 should have the proper sleeves.
I don't know if we can assume that the sets that will be released for the International market will sport the same arms as those seen in the catalog pictures.
We'll see.
So to keep up with demand Geobra made the executive decision to allow cheaper/easier to produce arms to be included in certain sets. I do not think such a thing would reflect very well on customer satisfaction. If I was one to notice such details I would be annoyed at such a development. I can not complain yet as the ones we have came from large miscellaneous lots but if I bought an expensive full retail priced set and it had the ugly replacements I would complain to Geobra.
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But I think most Geobra consumers (i.e. children) would rather have plain sleeves and Playmobil for Christmas than no Playmobil for Christmas (in fact, most of them probably wouldn't notice the difference). Nor does it follow that one type of arm is cheaper/easier to produce than the other.
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Nor does it follow that one type of arm is cheaper/easier to produce than the other.
Well, it's what I understood. Takes some nerve to admit, I suppose. And they know it's (at least) not right, since they say they'll go back to the proper ones. I mean, it MIGHT be a big deal or not. But the days of "contents may vary" are long gone...
So, will they send people new klickys to replace those?
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Well, it's what I understood. Takes some nerve to admit, I suppose. And they know it's (at least) not right, since they say they'll go back to the proper ones. I mean, it MIGHT be a big deal or not. But the days of "contents may vary" are long gone...
I've seen no statement by Geobra that the less intricate arms are easier/cheaper to produce, only people assuming this is the case.
The fact that they are going back to the "correct" arm is because that is the correct arm and they have only used an alternative to help meet customers' demands, the majority of whom will not look at the box and compare the sleeves shown on the box with the sleeves on the klickies but will just be glad that they got the Playmobil set they had asked Santa Claus for. Geobra are trying to meet the demand for their products as fully as they can. (Compare this with Lego in the UK who are cancelling orders put in by small toy shops and concentrating on supplying the big sellers such as supermarkets.)
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We notice this kind of details because we are adults.
They still cared enough to use the other kind of short sleeve which probably costs the same to produce since both are made of a flesh color molded limb inserted in another color molded sleeve.
A non-caring company would have simply put the regular long sleeve playmo arms which take less parts to make.
It's not as if a figure was pictured with a molded jacket or vest and the figure was delivered with a painted on vest.
I applaud the fact that they took the time to answer me.
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We notice this kind of details because we are adults.
They still cared enough to use the other kind of short sleeve which probably costs the same to produce since both are made of a flesh color molded limb inserted in another color molded sleeve.
A non-caring company would have simply put the regular long sleeve playmo arms which take less parts to make.
It's not as if a figure was pictured with a molded jacket or vest and the figure was delivered with a painted on vest.
I applaud the fact that they took the time to answer me.
I agree with you, although on a technical point, both arms are moulded as a single piece, not two pieces joined together, the arm and the sleeve. Geobra has the technical ability to injection mould in 3 or even 4 colours in one operation.
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I got my answer.
Seems like with the high demand and the upcoming Holidays, they decided to use both kind of arm molds to produce certain sets to complete their production. So apparently, both styles are available out there.
I wasn't told the ratio though, so I don't know which kind of arm is rarer.
As a follow-up, I was also told that the sets produced in 2013 should have the proper sleeves.
I don't know if we can assume that the sets that will be released for the International market will sport the same arms as those seen in the catalog pictures.
I had made a remark on the PCC about the arms and I've also received the same answer.
The people at the PCC probably told us what they were told, but I'm not completely convinced the switch between the armstyles is due to "higher demand as expected", as it occured before or at the start of releases of several new sets and not a while after they first became available. Imho someone just made a mistake when determining the production-quantities of the original arms, or during assembly of the klickies...
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If it was a one time thing fine but the same problem happened with the Romans. Now you can not tell me that producing an arm that has 2 to 3 colors of plastic in a more intricate mold cost the same as a mold that is in great supply (the same are used on 10,000 other klickies) that just needs a simple stamp. The arm with the fancy rolled up 3 dimensional sleeve is a newer mold and I am sure Malta does not have many of them to keep up on demand, sure but that is not my problem and to substitute it for an arm that is an imitation sleeve is not acceptable to me. Get your act together and supply what you advertise. I do not go for advertising similar to how fast food chains have beautiful looking food on the add and when you get your order it looks like someone sat on an old thing they fished out of the garbage. Take it back and give me what you show. If Geobra would facilitate a policy where a collector could turn in the printed arms after the rush season and would give the proper arms, fine, I could live with.
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Seen at the New York Toyfair, the Playmobil special police trio sporting regular short sleeves instead of the rolled up sleeves like in the Germany released sets...
http://www.actionfigureinsider.com/gallery2/album/TF2013-Playmobil/1360643914-106.php