A small rant about quality control

[pukunui]

You're absolutely right that a lot of big companies don't care. However, there are plenty of examples of big companies bowing to public pressure via social media campaigns and change.org petitions and the like. If enough of us got organized and kicked up enough of a stink in public about the discoloration, Hasbro might actually do something about it.

[hathorcat]

Its not "different" plastic - its simply that the heads and bodies are being manufactured separately - the batches are different hence the variety in colours - you only have to compare a Twilight Sparkle from wave 1 with a Twilight Sparkle from wave 8 to see how different colour batches can be. The change in "soft" in the material could be more plasticisers for the mould are required.

[pukunui]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the plastics are different. They certainly look and feel a bit different. The head plastic isn't as shiny as the body plastic, for one thing.

[Bag of Magic Food]

Let's say your complaint did go past the first stage. It would have to go through so many stupid meetings, and all it takes is one big wig who only cares about profit to kill off the whole thing. Not only that, but they would have to research a new way of actually developing the whole toy line. So even if they had 1000 complaints, they wouldn't redesign the production process.

Sure, but someday they'll redesign the line anyway to revitalize it as something new, and hopefully that time they'll take all the complaints into consideration and choose a process that makes the toys appeal to more collectors and not look like cheap garbage.

[hathorcat]

I'm sure I read somewhere that the plastics are different. They certainly look and feel a bit different. The head plastic isn't as shiny as the body plastic, for one thing.

I am pretty sure its the same plastic - there is no value in creating a completely different mix as you say. And the extra shine could be just a different mix on the plastic - as mentioned if there are more chemical softening agents in it or something.

I think the speculation has been different plastics because of the different textures and different colours - but adding different chemicals/pigments to the final mix can change the finished product a little from batch to batch. Also perhaps the bodies are being manufactured and finished in a different way from the heads?

[KtKat]

Its certainly different from batch to batch.  My wave 2 Cheerilee is a completely different color than the CMC set (raised leg)Cheerilee.

If Hasbro is custom mixing their pigments instead of ordering set colors from a supplier,  and producing the heads at separate times from the bodies I can see how this can happen and why they wouldn't really care at this price point.  Doesn't make it any less annoying though.  I wanted to buy a Glimmer Wings Daisy dreams but the head body and "saddle"  where the wings are set were each a different color and I just couldn't bring myself to take her home. 

[Gogobinsin]

Ok so the mismatch head/body thing can affect any pony in any country they're sold in but one thing I have noticed is that nearly all the ponies I have bought from here and the rest of Europe have been almost flawless (except for the mismatch) whereas every pony I have bought from the US have all had something wrong with them like, scuffs, hair different lengths, greasy feeling hair, marks in the plastic/dirt on the plastic and missing bits on the eyes and symbols. A lot of the things have been fixable so it doesn't bother me that much but that's not the point. Maybe I've just been really unlucky with every pony I've received from the US or the ones sent there are made in different factories or something?

[banditpony]

Let's say your complaint did go past the first stage. It would have to go through so many stupid meetings, and all it takes is one big wig who only cares about profit to kill off the whole thing. Not only that, but they would have to research a new way of actually developing the whole toy line. So even if they had 1000 complaints, they wouldn't redesign the production process.

Sure, but someday they'll redesign the line anyway to revitalize it as something new, and hopefully that time they'll take all the complaints into consideration and choose a process that makes the toys appeal to more collectors and not look like cheap garbage.

My comment was made because the OP said there was no changes made to the line as of now. (Used the term "exactly the same", and that he felt that his complaint was ignored). They also probably won't make their toys to appeal to collectors, their answer to that is the special fair ponies, and even /those/ ponies still are produced the same way.

[Binny]

Body mismatches have been the least of my problems. Off center eyes, messed up tail holes, dents, cross rooted hair, black stuff under the plastic. There's so many problems and not all of them can be seen from the box before you buy. 

[Diamond]

Gang there is a reason we call them Hasbroken and have for many, many years.  The mis-match is nothing new as is the quality control issue, not all the things you see when hunting for old ponies is due to sun fading.  Many times when they make them they make the heads in one room the bodies in another - they use a batch of plastic for each, say that batch makes oh 1,500 heads and only 1,000 bodies so you get say 1,000 ponies who match.  Then they make a new batch of color and they make more and use what is left of the heads with the new bodies, well chances are on some colors which can be harder then others to get the color just right on they do not match.  So you can easily see how it happens.

Some critters, like the G3 Brezzies did indeed have different plastics for there head compared to the body and they are almost impossible to find matched.  Normal ponies though use the same plastic for each half.   So that is not it.  It is die batch and the fact that a head takes less plastic then the body so that batch will make more. 

Simple really and sadly nothing new and nothing that is going to change anytime soon.  Does not make it right but sadly it where the world has gone in the pursuit of keeping prices down so folks who scream at how much things cost do not scream so loud. 

[NoDivision]

If I looked at all my toys too hard and noticed all the flaws it would do my head in. I mean even on my collector statues that retail upwards of $100 you're going to have little flaws here and there, nothing is perfect.

Factory errors in toys can be a bit annoying, but I don't let it bother me too much They're just toys, after all. If I'm going to invest time and effort into trying to change something in the world, I can think of far more worthwhile causes to put my energy into.

[achab1984]

I also have some that dont not match that best. It seems to be more of the purple and pink ponies. But when you think about the price then we cant say to much. I just thank the lord we have new ponies to buy!!!!! Hasbro does not have to make them!

[karrie91]

I've been kind of upset with quality lately too.  I actually emailed hasbro about it because I'm sick of mismatched bodies/heads and dents on my ponies. Not that they will be able to do anything about it. I was very polite in my email though. I guess an acknowledged response that my voiced opinion was taken into consideration will have to do.

[shabbychicdee]

 you got  ' Afternoon Picnic with Cheerilee'
did you contact the hasbro here or overseas cos iv never seen that set here in nz....still waiting for it.
that was pretty cool you got that and all but still their workmanship is still pretty cheap and nasty
iv had some real dozy's from here and overseas, twilight sparkle and feathermay are the worst iv seen
even the white g4 ponies still have the head body mis-colour, how bad is that huh

[pukunui]

you got  ' Afternoon Picnic with Cheerilee'

Yep.

did you contact the hasbro here or overseas cos iv never seen that set here in nz....still waiting for it.

I'm sure I've seen it in the shops. I think maybe the Toy World in Henderson (which is generally rather overpriced).

that was pretty cool you got that and all but still their workmanship is still pretty cheap and nasty
iv had some real dozy's from here and overseas, twilight sparkle and feathermay are the worst iv seen
even the white g4 ponies still have the head body mis-colour, how bad is that huh

Yes, I have never seen a Feathermay whose head and body were not awfully mismatched. Most Dewdrop Dazzles are also pretty badly mismatched (with her head being a nice bright blue but her body being a duller, greyer blue). I managed to find a second one that wasn't as bad. I may have to go looking for another Sunny Rays and maybe sell this one or give it back to my daughters. Lyra isn't so bad, though. She's about the same as most of the rest of mine. Only my Cheerilee and Lily Blossom are perfectly matched. The others all have a slight mismatch, but it's not as noticeable as with some.

And that's really what I'm complaining about here. I know we can't expect perfection, especially in something so cheap. I don't mind a slight mismatch. It's only when the mismatch is glaringly obvious that it bothers me, because that's more or less all I see when I look at the pony.

On a side note, if they use the same plastic for the head and body, then why is the head matte while the body is glossy?