"Danger to children comes from today's perspective, then, if the characters were changed, for example, as follows:
◦ bend by heating with electrical equipment or open flames
◦ decorations with sharp parts e.g. Metal wires
◦ manipulation of the figures with a hammer and nails
◦ painting the figures for toys with no shared lacquers and paints "
I cant imagine how customizing in this way poses a danger to children-- unless its the children themselves who are doing such customizing, and even so, I'm not sure how customizing a playmobil product AFTER it's already been purchased would be Geobra's liability. It's the parent's job to supervise what their kids are doing, not the toy's fault for what is being done to it (the toy). UNLESS THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT A CUSTOMIZED TOY WHICH MAY NO LONGER BE SAFE FOR THE ORIGINAL AUDIENCE (children) IS BEING SOLD TO CHILDREN....in which case, as a second-hand seller, maybe you can put a disclaimer on Playmobil's behalf stating something like:
"While initially based off of a stock Playmobil toy, this customized creation is for sale by private transaction only, intended for the adult enthusiast and is in no way endorsed by Playmobil for mass release to the general child-aged consumer group as it may no longer meet factory safety standards for children. By purchasing this custom you agree that you are at least 18 years of age and have read our disclaimer that this custom is meant for adult collectors only and is not reccommended for children."
Maybe if customizers include this verbage on their invoices and on their auctions, Geobra can be satisfied with that? Also, as long as it isn't cutting into their profits (so don't make an ebay "store" and list more than one of the same kind of custom over and over again)....and in other words, try to stay off their radar by just keeping a low profile. and if you're a store owner, don't sell your customs through your store, but rather simply as a private transaction not associated with your store.
