Spotted Online – Castle Grayskullgate
More Masters of the Universe Classics (Amazon.com search*) news as the fans shout down the reduction in the size of the upcoming Castle Grayskull playset. Thanks to a post by Poe Ghostal I spotted the fan-crafted image below:
I’m usually the last one to defend Mattel’s decisions, but this time around I think all of us have no right to complain about the changes in the playset size. As I pointed out last year (see “Castle Grayskull Pre-Orders Start Today”) the deal was written by Mattel in a way that they could change anything and we would all have to accept it.
Mattel’s original deal included:
If this item reaches the pre-order goal, there will be NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES, even if the design or features change. If you place a pre-order, you are committed to the purchase and will be billed when the item ships.
And even though Mattel’s original language did not allow for refunds or exchanges they have been allowing anyone to cancel pre-orders, so in this instance I think Mattel has done everything right. They changed the playset — as we were warned could happen — and then revised their deal to allow for cancellations.
And honestly, when I see the size of the playset I am not at all upset that it is a little smaller. I wish the levels and doors were better designed for the action figures, but ultimately the smaller size will make this easier to display.
Related articles
- Masters of the Universe Classics Filmation Subscription and Castle Grayskull Pre-Order Closes Today (battlegrip.com)
- Castle Grayskull Statue Packaging Artwork (battlegrip.com)
- Toy Fair 2013: Mattel Masters of the Universe Classics Instapics (actionfigurepics.com)
Are we thinking that Mattel intentionally mis-lead it’s customer base in order to meet it’s goal knowing full well they couldnt deliever on the promised product?
@Court – I would say “yes” IF Mattel wasn’t allowing people to cancel pre-orders.
Hmmm…..and here i thought the Voltron Lions scandal was bad hehe.
That’s a lot of hate in those forums.
Mattel could just cancel it alltogether and be done with it, if that would make the nay-sayer happy. Then collectors would be relegated to searching for overpriced used sets like GI Joe collectors did for the Skystriker.
I understand the frustration, but I think it’s really overblown. Frankly, if you’re not happy about it, cancel your order. Or better yet, do a kickstarter to manufacture the Greyskull you want, then maybe you’ll see how much trouble this all is and what the production costs are. Someone recently told me that both plastic and metal costs have gone up. 😉
@Court – I don’t think Mattel has intentionally done anything wrong here and I think they’re helping fans. Anyone can cancel a pre-order at the moment and I haven’t seen any “if you cancel we won’t make the playset” posts.
I have to side with Mattel this time. They’re doing the best they can (from what I can tell) to create one giant playset.
@Neal – Even paper costs more! And shipping!!!
Were this a fan-produced piece that had promised certain specification, I could be more understanding. As it is with the ability to cancel preorders, I think Mattel just did the numbers and is doing what they have to to get the product out on budget. They can’t be making much money off of these short runs with limited molds and colors. I’ve been amazed that they are willing to do some of these projects at all, particularly using molds that may never have another use.
I think this falls into the “You don’t know how difficult it is until you try it” category.
Although i do give them credit for allowing the refunds due to a less than promised item, i cannot for once consider that this is news to them.
This wasn’t some fan started Kickstarter and all the confusion with going into production when one has no experience in it. This is a toy company….that makes toys. Materials, production costs, overhead, bottom line are already understood.
I think the only thing Mattel wasnt ready for was the negative fan reaction to previous releases for making an inferior product, iregardless of price point. Hence their willingness to let folks off the hook this time around.