Defective Playmobil

[Gis]

Watch it with the Dragon Fire, MamaDragon, or you might need more replacements then just those wings.

[Martin Milner]

EDIT:  I just called Playmo to let them know I had defective wings and that I'd like a replacement and they told me they didn't have any and that I'd have to call back in two to three weeks.  I'm a little upset that I have to call them back to get a replacement piece for something that's defective.  ::breathing dragon fire::

That is unacceptable customer service. They should have taken your details, put you on the list for replacement parts, and emailed you or called you when the piece came in to let you know it was on the way.

Playmobil - time to wake up you US office. You cannot treat loyal customers in this lacadasical way and expect them to keep coming back.

Rona - you should call back, and if you get the same answer, get the employee's name and then ask for the supervisor or manager and push this up the ladder. I'd like to know if this is a systematic failure at the US office, or a lazy employee who doesn't deserve a job in today's tough employment market.

[playmofire]

I'd go so far as to email Zirndorf both about the wings (it suggests someone isn't packing the figure correctly) and the poor service from US Playmobil.

[Sir Gareth]

 Compared to the amount of playmobil I buy I have had a few defective items.

The 1st one was when I bought the Roman arena 4270 it has 5 defetive parts in it mainly figures with a thin paint problem.

4651 special Cleopatra had her eyes printed off centre.

4654 special Pirate had a problem with his legs.

Recently I have had a problem with the sandles on an Egyptian figure.

I have also had a Lion with a loose tail and a Knight with a snapped collar and also a Nun special with a bad habit which was a very common problem with them just popping off their heads.

[Giorginetto]

A couple of months ago i purchased 40 sets of pine trees. two of the big tree logs were deformed at the bottom, one barely manages to stand and quite a few of these logs were bend at an angle and the plastic quality seemed of poor quality, same goes for the quality on some dyno and egyptian sets , i have a sinking feeling that quality is definitely not getting better but actually slightly , only slightly worse perhaps ?? I hope that is not a trend and a sign of things to come ....

[Andy R]

EDIT:  I just called Playmo to let them know I had defective wings and that I'd like a replacement and they told me they didn't have any and that I'd have to call back in two to three weeks.  I'm a little upset that I have to call them back to get a replacement piece for something that's defective.  ::breathing dragon fire::

Well, that’s interesting. I didn’t used to be that way, though it used to be a lady (sounded a bit older to my imperfect ear), whereas the guy I always seem to get now seems a bit more rushed…
As to your wing situation, I would advize that you give them a few days to see if they return to tier proper shape, this does happen sometimes with the softer materials. (No, that’s not an excuse for the guy being a jerk, but a fact of life sometimes.) If they don’t call them back and give them (or should I say him) Hell.

[BlackPearl2006]

I LIKE TO MODIFY WHAT I SAID:

I now believe CURRENT playmobil plastic is inferior to vintage plastic.
I now own playmobil stuff from vintage days  to about 2000, and current.

OLD Steck and old ships are definitely FAR MORE SOLID than current castles system x and large playset pieces, even the newer ship designs.  The old steck and ships have a noticeable "heft" to them just when you touch it, or pick it up.  When I take a dremel to it (for customizing), the dremel doesn't really melt it.  It's like carving solid WOOD.

Newer ships, like the 4290 and especially the new Roman ship, as well as some of the modern theme ships I've handled, feel more "plasticy."  Same can be said of modern castles such as the 3268 Knights Empire Castle.  I can bend the plastic with little effort from my own fingers or hands compared to a steck piece or an older ship.

As far as Klickies go, I think the quality went as follows:

vintage: less than good (imo) 
mid (2000 and up): best quality
current: WORST

Why?  Vintage klickies still stand the test of time, but you can tell they are made of a diff kind of plastic subject to loose joints, yellowing etc....and they're more "shiny" surface.

mid-range klickies are more solid, made from what seems to be better plastics, don't get loose as easily, and have a less smooth surface (not as shiny).

CURRENT klickies like dragon knights and romans are CHEAP plastic!!!  you can see some of the injection mold swirls on the parts.  They feel somehow "lighter" in weight than an older kliky (unless I'm imagining it).  and they're flimsy!  Several of my newer klickies have this problem of having too tight of wrist joints, and when you try to turn the wrist, their arm twists instead!  And there are VISIBLE mold-seam lines that protrude from the cast and get in the way of movement of parts (like the wrists).  I even compared a standard knights sword to a vintage one, and the current sword was DEFINITELY flimsier than the vintage one of the same design!  And the newer klickies arecloser to having a matte finish (at least on  the fleshtoned parts) and feel thinner.  At least with the lots I have!  (I've been buying a lot of specials lately, dragon knights, regular knights, and romans).  The only thing I like better about new klickies is they now have well-done tampo-printing designs on them that make them more AESTHETICALLY beautiful compared to vintage or even  mid-range klickies.

So I modify my post now because I was comparing vintage to more mid-aged playmobil, which I belive is better stilll than vintage.  But more RECENT playmobil plastic is cheaper IMO!!