The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Pony Corral => Topic started by: WingsOfMasquerade on July 19, 2021, 01:57:38 AM
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Well an unpleasant discovery.
I was in a mall that had an (unusual now a days) Hallmark store. I decided to bop in because I knew that this year was to have Powder as their G1 ornament and I really wanted her, because I love that pose and that pony. The sculpt in the preview factory photos was also really nice. I then found her on the shelf and bought her right away (They had 2 left after mine) because I don't want to pay like 30 on Ebay or Amazon or whatever like the past years are going for. All told, she was about 17 dollars (15 with tax)
When I got her home and deboxed though...she was broken!
Someone snapped the back leg off and it is re-glued with really really strong glue at a garbage-looking angle. The tail also prevents where the leg would have to go to look normal, even if I could break through the glue without further damaging her. So I got mad and started to tell friends "check in the store first! I'm going to return this!" But then...........I can't find ANY ONE who has one that is NOT broken??? There's also a lot of complaining on Facebook as people find her, start to buy her and then she is broken.
Like, if it was a 5 dollar ornament, I wouldn't care so much.
I'd be disappointed, but it wouldn't be that big of a deal and I'd buy more than one and experiment on it.
But this was 17 dollars! Broken! Doesn't even look good! Big obvious crack!
Can you imagine getting her on Christmas morning or a kid getting her and she's just broken like that?
SO.
I want to complain. Hallmark shouldn't get away with knowingly selling broken trashy items for so much money. They're also all broken, so you can't just go into the franchise store and try to return or exchange because they're all like that? Has anyone here seen a photo (a customer's photo) where it isn't broken? Know anybody to prove there is one not? I can't find a person so far.
How should complaining be done?
I thought to gather photos from different people where each one is obviously someone else who has her (diff background, diff hands holding it, etc) and then make a montage-group pic or something out of it and then dump it on Hallmark's facebook? I can't twitter. People ought to be warned before they spend 17 on a broken ornament this year. What's the best way to do it?
This is what it looks like
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(https://servimg.com/view/19654716/56)
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(https://servimg.com/view/19654716/57)
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Take her back and complain that she was broken right out of the box, and get a refund. That's unacceptable.
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Wow, I hope they at least let you return her. That is unacceptable.
I don't have Powder yet, but I worry about the integrity of my Firefly ornament's tail. It just sticks off of her behind rather precariously, and bends when you put the slightest pressure on it. For as much as these ornaments cost, they really need to work on their quality control.
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:shocked:
Like I wouldn't be as surprised if she had an issue where she'd just break somehow in transit too easily, but the fact that she was clearly broken prior to being packed in her box, and was glued by someone before packing her, is particularly baffling. Why would they do that instead of put a new one in there???
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I would be upset too. Does the store you bought her from let you check the ornaments before you buy them to make sure they're not broken? My store used to let me do that especially if it was an ornament that had really delicate pieces
I heard that Hallmark delayed the release of some ornaments due to quality control issues this year. Maybe Powder slipped through and Hallmark doesn't realize so many are broken? I would definitely complain to the local store and cooperate Hallmark. I've had pretty good luck complaining on the company's Facebook page when there is an issue that needs resolving. I wouldn't post other people's pictures of the broken ornament on Facebook though. I'd also write an email to Hallmark and let them know that it's a wide spread issue and not just a few Powder ornaments that are broken.
I agree with everyone else. Try to return her to the store and see if you can get a refund. Be sure you tell them that it was broken when you unwrapped it.
@LadyAmalthea I was thinking about the Firefly ornament too. The tail on mine is like that too. I thought it was going to break when I put just a tiny bit of pressure on the tail.
Ponyfan
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I would be upset too. Does the store you bought her from let you check the ornaments before you buy them to make sure they're not broken? My store used to let me do that especially if it was an ornament that had really delicate pieces
I heard that Hallmark delayed the release of some ornaments due to quality control issues this year. Maybe Powder slipped through and Hallmark doesn't realize so many are broken? I would definitely complain to the local store and cooperate Hallmark. I've had pretty good luck complaining on the company's Facebook page when there is an issue that needs resolving. I wouldn't post other people's pictures of the broken ornament on Facebook though. I'd also write an email to Hallmark and let them know that it's a wide spread issue and not just a few Powder ornaments that are broken.
I would think surely they must know, right? Like considering the broken leg is already glued back in place, that would mean somebody in the factory (?) would have had to glue her leg back on. If they're pre-glued like this I'm sure Hallmark know already. Which makes this even worse.
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Mine arrived that way and I've yet to see a photo of one that isn't broken leg. So definitely a factory issue
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The only other ones I've seen also have a break in that spot. That's a shame, I was really looking forward to this release.
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Oh noooo :( I was looking forward to this one, I can't believe all of them are broken?!? Having them all arrive broken would be one thing, but the leg being glued back on IN THE BOX... I'm speechless O_O I hope they get this sorted out ASAP and everyone affected gets refunds!
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I remember one of the artist I following on FB showing this as well. Seems like Hallmark flopped bigtime on these.
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That sucks. I was planning on trying to get hold of Powder as she's a nostalgic pony for me, but if she's turning up in stores damaged...it seems like a waste of time and money :/
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Is it actually broken or just poorly designed in two pieces?
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I would be upset too. Does the store you bought her from let you check the ornaments before you buy them to make sure they're not broken? My store used to let me do that especially if it was an ornament that had really delicate pieces
I heard that Hallmark delayed the release of some ornaments due to quality control issues this year. Maybe Powder slipped through and Hallmark doesn't realize so many are broken? I would definitely complain to the local store and cooperate Hallmark. I've had pretty good luck complaining on the company's Facebook page when there is an issue that needs resolving. I wouldn't post other people's pictures of the broken ornament on Facebook though. I'd also write an email to Hallmark and let them know that it's a wide spread issue and not just a few Powder ornaments that are broken.
I would think surely they must know, right? Like considering the broken leg is already glued back in place, that would mean somebody in the factory (?) would have had to glue her leg back on. If they're pre-glued like this I'm sure Hallmark know already. Which makes this even worse.
I must not have been fully awake yet when I read the post. So it's not just broken but someone had glued the broken part back on the ornament and shipped it out anyway? That's unacceptable for any company especially one that is supposed to have such high quality things.
I hope everyone that got a broken Powder gets a refund.
I was thinking about getting her also but now I won't consider it until this issue is fixed.
Ponyfan
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Oh no!!! I hadn't checked on mine, it's with my mother right now as she has to pick them up (I don't have a store nearby). I've worked for Hallmark for 6 years but as a vendor and not retail so I don't know enough about how those ornaments are packaged but it breaks my heart to see this. They've gotten so cheap since it switched from molded plastic to just wrapping them in tissue.
If you can't have it replaced at this store, or even if you can and just want to escalate, here's the corporate contact page: https://corporate.hallmark.com/contact/contact-hallmark/
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They were all like that at my store and I believe I read somewhere that it had something to do with the mould. I suspect the store would take them back but a replacement may not be an option when they are all like that. I wish more time was taken on the mould. Even a bit of clay/plaster/paint over where they attach the bottom leg not a part of the mould would make it appear better although it would fix the angle issue.
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When I saw in the post that she had been glued back together, I had assumed that someone else had purchased her, she was broken, and that person glued her back together before returning her, and then you bought that one. If you think she came directly from the factory like this, like, a factory employee glued her before wrapping her up to ship out rather than putting a new, unbroken one in the box, then that is a whole new level of appalling!! I'm actually pretty speechless beyond that... :blink:
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Is it actually broken or just poorly designed in two pieces?
I have not opened mine yet as it is at my parents house. However, that being said, if everyone is finding the exact same thing, this sounds more like it was a poor design. The ornament was more than likely designed in multiple parts that were then glued together, which creates the line/seam mark. (Especially because everyone is finding the same thing, and also because from your pictures it appears to be a molded piece).
In regards to the Hallmark website images or the ornament box, more than likely, the pictures were of a prototype and/or are probably Photoshopped. Boxes have to be printed way in advance of production, and this is true with many things where the box image may not perfectly match the actual product. If you look closely at the picture on the Hallmark website or even the box (but more obvious on the website) that Powder is shown with a sort of shiny/glistening paint where the real ones are more of a flat matte color.
If the ornament was actually broken during shipping/stocking, you would find the piece loose in the box. I have had new ornaments that were broken inside the box and the parts are just laying loose in the box.
While this is not the comment any of us want to hear, the reality is she can just be turned the other way so the seam is not showing as much.
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I rang my mom and she confirmed mine is the same :(
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How sad- I was just reading on Hallmark.com that this ornament has a weird broken looking back leg- and that ALL of the ponies are like this. I did check here to see what the issue was- and boy is it ugly.
Seems like something that could be fixed with a apoxie sculpt and a complete repaint but... what a pain.
The weird leg seems so odd. They have all kinds of detailed tiny ornaments- they could have come up with a better solution than this couldn't they?
AT the very least they should show what the leg looks like in the promo image. People should see what they are getting...
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Yes, they are all like that. I got mine home, saw the weird leg and then took it back the same day. Then the employee and I quickly realized they were all like that. Even the display one. I wonder if there was an issue with the mold and this is how the factory decided to “fix” it. It is disappointing, especially since this was a pony I was particularly looking forward to. But I am still keeping mine since I have a full set.
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gosh :( i say everyone should take them back, there should be a product recall.
thats really bad they let that pass QC
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Wow, wtf? That looks awful.
Looked up some previous MLP hallmark ornaments, and none of the ones I found had two-part molds? Also her prototype appears to be one piece: https://www.mlpmerch.com/2021/04/hallmark-2021-keepsake-ornament.html (https://www.mlpmerch.com/2021/04/hallmark-2021-keepsake-ornament.html)
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Completely unacceptable. I was really looking forward to getting her...
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That's so weird. I saw this ornament on display last weekend, and I swear I didn't notice anything off about her. I picked her up and hinted at an early Christmas present to my husband, and he even glanced at her too. Neither of us saw anything amiss.
I do admit, I'm not the most observant person at times (straight up bought a broken ornament at Disney last year and didn't even realize it until my sister pointed it out), but this seems pretty obvious. I wish the store was nearby so I could go take a double look and confirm. But I really think I would have noticed something like that.
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All six at the store I went to were like this, some worse than others. I chose the two that were the least wonky, but I'm not happy with the quality on this one at all. All of the previous years' ornaments are so beautifully made. This mistake could have been remedied before going into production.
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This is crazy, I laid eyes on her for the first time in a hallmark this past weekend. I looked at the display model and I told my fiancé “oh her hind leg’s a little wonky, this is probably the one they chose for display because she was too wonky to sell!“ After reading this thread I think it’s the opposite, they chose her because she was the least wonky because her leg hadn’t completely cracked off yet!
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Does she at least look okay from the other side? If the seam isn't too noticeable from the other side then I don't care too much as far as displaying goes, but it sucks that that's what you get for the price. It's weird they can't, like, sculpt a basic pony properly. Like they've done several times before. And also hundreds of times with other intricate characters and objects. :blink: Baffling..
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So disappointing. I get these for my birthday in July and look forward to adding to the Christmas tree. I don't really want a junky looking ornament but I really love the ponies.
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Oh wow how sad! I wanted to add to my MLP ornament collection for this year and I am so sorry you experienced this. Hallmark *knows* better, I used to work for them! The QC on this has gone downhill, it seems like. Every year the quality is less...such a shame. :( I hope you are able to get a refund!
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I'm so sorry this happened. These ornaments are not cheap, I considered buying her myself and don't think I will now. I'd definitely return and have others photos ready to show them everyone is getting a broken one. They really should of never sent them out this way. I'll have to see if the display ornament in my store is broken. If it is I'll take a photo of it if that helps. It's just sad to see this be let go and shipped out :(
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:yikes: :yikes: :yikes:
That is so sad! I don't have all the ponies, admittedly, but she would have been so pretty to add to the ones I do have. That is especially sad to know the factory should have seen these issues before shipping and decided to ship anyway.
Quality control for ponies has been suspect for a long time, and this does not work to instill more confidence for future endeavors. :sad: