Special Edition Frustration

Alright, there is a little bit of a story here. I really enjoyed the first SE of Schleich's reindeer; it was festive, fun, and another way to celebrate Christmas for myself. When they announced the next green one, I was a little less enthused but bought one and came to enjoy it anyhow (I just don't like the MyLittlePony-esque 2022 stamp on its hip now). Then they announced yet another
.. in gold. At first I thought I could pass on this; in general I don't really like the color gold let alone sparkles. I felt this wasn't really striking enough for me to add to the herd. But then, Christmas rolled around and my Mom asked if there anything special I would like in animal figures. I settled on getting a few SEs from Schleich: the blue tiger, spring calf, and the new reindeer.

But then it arrived and my joy was quickly quelled.

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Brand new inside of its packaging, it's right antler (your left) warped in shipping. I gave it a few days to see if it would reform normally in a warm house... no luck. I tried a heat setting trick to fix it... no dice.

So, the next step I took was to contact Schleich and see if I could get a replacement. I included comparison photos such as this one.

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And this was the reply.

"Hello Paige,

We got an update from the appropriate team. They not seeing anything damaging to the item. The antlers look normal, therefore we are not able to send a replacement for this.

Here is the 20% discount code you can use REDACTED for compensation.

If we can assist with anything in the meantime, please don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you

schleich"

I couldn't fathom HOW they couldn't see the issue. I replied with another angle of the antler issue and asked them if they truly didn't see a problem with it?

The response from another team member.

"Dear Paige,

Thank you for bringing this to our attention regarding the golden reindeer's antlers. We genuinely appreciate your feedback.

I understand your concern about the appearance of the right antler as it appears in the picture. Please know that occasionally, differences may exist between the actual item and the representation in photos due to various factors like lighting, angles, or perspective during photography.

Upon checking our records and the product itself, we've verified that the reindeer's antlers match the depiction available on our website. Here is an image for your reference:

*stock photo of a completely normal reindeer side by side with my warped one*

However, your satisfaction is of utmost importance to us. If there's anything else we can do or if you have further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. We're committed to ensuring you have a positive experience with our products.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Warm regards,
Gliza
schleich"

I am a bit frustrated by this as to me, my product is clearly damaged and they apparently are not offering a replacement or refund. I would like a reindeer with properly formed antlers, but will not be purchasing one from Schleich US directly.

Huh...that is a very frustrating response from them alright, it's nearly more of a case of them not wanting to see it? As opposed to not seeing it because that is very obviously listing over to one side against the other.
I looked at the online pics too and yeah yours definitely looks defective, though it nearly looks like the molding process as opposed to warping as, is it just me but is his head slightly tilted oddly too?

I also have quite a bit of frustration with Schleich nowadays. I ordered the new Fjord mare and the Friesian stallion, and when they arrived, the Fjord was loose in the box. No bag, no packaging, nothing. The Friesian came in a sealed bag, so I don't think the Fjord was supposed to come unpackaged. The Fjord sustained several marks and scrapes which aren't awful, but not great. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I've definitely seen they're quality gone down. I've never ordered from their website directly as they don't ship to my country so I can't say what they're posting is like, but some of the horse models alone leave a lot to be desired.

This year's horse models aren't too bad, but Schleich quality control is awful now. I've gotten several brand new models from them that have been damaged or poorly painted(including set exclusives). It's pretty sad tbh.

Yeah going back maybe 2-3 years ago they were truly awful, what I'd call the modern era anyway...

They are offering you a 20% discount on a future purchase, right? So, they are giving you the opportunity to spend even more money on their products, risking receiving another defective item and an endless array of 20% discounts. This is how the story of a successful brand unfolds, one that earned much of its reputation in the past for the good quality of its products. They will likely pay a high price in the future, but business decisions are often made with short-term results in mind. I'm sorry about the situation.

Are you handy enough to fix it yourself? Maybe you can cut of the antler and adjust it so you can glue it back on in a better position? Then a little apoxie clay and gold paint?
I know, I know, not something you would like to do with a brand new figure. But right now it doesn't give you joy at all.  
Neither does the response of Schleich. They clearly don't care.

It's very disappointing to get a figure that isn't right. It's made even worse if the company doesn't acknowledge the problem.

Unfortunately, the standards of animal model manufacturers aren't as high as that of collectors. I don't collect so many new models, but marks and scratches such as shown by Ponies and Paints are not uncommon. Not just in Schleich models, but also in other brands. Especially toob figures are treated badly - they are thrown into a toob without any protection, often resulting in scratches.

I'd think that in theory, the warping should be fixable. You said that hot water didn't help. Is that because the antlers warp back after a while? It's a common problem. I sometimes cut a piece of cardboard that I place between the warped bits and then leave it there. Unfortunately, it takes many months, perhaps years before the warped bits stay into their new shape.

Did you buy it directly from Schleich? In the UK, when you buy a faulty product, you contact the seller, who should replace it/refund it. If you didn't buy it from Schleich directly, it may be another route you could try.

I'm so sorry, that's so frustrating!! I had the same problem with a horse from Breyer. They were in fact willing to replace, though (I just opted not to because in the end I would lose my discount to purchase another and it ended up being repairable). Nevertheless, having something arrive already in need of repairs sucks a lot of the delight from it, and so much more so when the company refuses to acknowledge it. I understand they are mass produced toys, but . . . to just talk to you like you're dumb or lying rather than saying something like the damage is not significant enough to replace or something?? Maybe if they acknowledge it at all, they would be expected to replace, so they're just *eyes closed*.

I hope you can find a way to finagle his antlers in place, or can find a replacement that isn't too pricey.

I've only ordered directly from Schleich once and it was a boxed set, so luckily I didn't have that issue. I'm sorry they didn't resolve it. It doesn't help that Schleich figures are more and more delicate every year so they're very likely to scratch. Often if I get a Schleich figure wrapped in plastic it still scratches!

Safari made a mistake once and didn't include a whale I purchased in the box but when I messaged them they immediately sent me another one!

Thank you everyone. :)

For me, I understand that small things happen amd scuffs etc. are to be expected. To me though, this is more than a scuff, its faulty. It was either shipped faulty or became that way during transit. Its a little infuriating that they won't even concede that that is NOT how it should look! And the 20% off discount is just insulting to me (a ploy to get me to spend even more.... why would I want to do that?). I looked into getting another but they are inflated prices on ebay etc. The only consolation is that I could swe the product before I bought it. So for now, I am going to try and see if I can get the antler to correct itself with time and persistance or possibly wait and see if I can find one elsewhere.

But this seals the deal for me, I don't think I will be buying from them anymore if this is how they address concerns.

I'd also like to add that I bought the Safari Okapi and Edmontosaurus a few weeks ago. They arrived with some problems (the dino had some scuffing to its crest and the okapi had a white scratch and some small red paint drips on the presentation side). I messaged them about it. They asked for photos. I sent those. They then promptly offered a return label to send the faulty items back for "further research into it" and sent replacements. A MUCH better buying experience to say the least.

Update: I reached out to Schleich to address the condition that the Fjord came in, and they responded, telling me that they would reach out to the appropriate team and get back to me with an answer. However, that was a week ago, and they still have not gotten back to me. I'm hoping that they won't just ghost me(it's happened before, sadly).

It took them a little over a week for their "team" to get back to me originally.

I waited about a week to let me frustration settle before I responded to them. I explained that this was going to be a holiday piece for a blog that their fans and other collectors would read. I explained I have been a fan and collector foe almost 30 years. That I have all 3 of the previous renditions if this model and not one has had this issue. etc. I asked for a replacement for the model so I could write my article with a proper version of their product, or a refund. Took a few days, but I got this:

"Hello Paige,
 
Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by the disparity between the figure received and the advertised model.
 
To address your concerns, a full refund for the Holiday reindeer has been processed. You should see the refunded amount credited to your account shortly.
 
We deeply appreciate your patience and understanding. Should you have any further questions or require additional assistance, please feel free to reach out. Your satisfaction is of utmost importance to us.
 
Best regards,
schleich"

Guess a pandering apology and a refund is better than ignore me completely. But they still did not "
*say outright* that it was damaged or flawed. 

Really sad to see how Schleich has changed over the years. I still like to purchase their figures every year but I get put off more and more, especially when things like this happen. I'm very fortunate that I get to work at a toy store where I can hand-pick models that come in to avoid getting a faulty product. Can you only purchase special editions on their website? I think the only special editions I own have come from forum members or eBay.

I hope Safari continues with their good track record because I have never felt ignored by them. Yes I've had mistakes over the years happen but they have always fixed it immediately! They shipped me a new whale when they forgot to include it in my package, and even sent me a refund to my friend when she mentioned a figure she got was damaged. Sure they aren't perfect but at least they own up to their mistakes.

Their loyalty program is also very generous. Always have sales and Bernie Bucks are great. They even have a VIP status that I just received that gives you free shipping for life. I hope I can continue to support them for many years to come.

Paige, you're showing personality and determination. I wished I was like this when I was your age. I should have avoided problems that are still deep scars in my life.
They appologized and they will refund you. That's not perfect but at least it is something acceptable, I guess.

Thank you both.

I have always had a very positive experience shopping with Safari directly. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], I don't know about that... I just didn't appreciate being told what I waz seeing was "correct" when it obviously was not. 

For reference, this is the photo they tried to tell me that my item looked like a "match" to theirs. I mean... c'mon! 
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All you have to do is look at the medial/center antler tips!

What is impressive in this process is the standoff that Schleich decided to engage in when it was evident that reason was on your side and it is not a super expensive product to justify it from them. Something similar happened to me with an electronic article not long ago. Everything worked beautifully the first two times I reported a defect in the article. The third time, the situation was exactly the same as the previous two, and it was clear that they tried to create a narrative to deny me the same support as before. The support team even lied in the letter countering my complaint. I didn't give up either, but the most I achieved was an acceptable solution, not ideal like in the two previous complaints. With my current age, I believe we should proceed this way and be persistent if we know that reason is on our side. However, as I mentioned before, I didn't act this way when I was your age, and at the first setback, I simply gave up.

I am happy that your persistence paid off even though Schleich should have refunded you immediately.

I'm really glad Schleich finally listened to you. I'm fed up with them. I bought the Fjord mare(again) and gelding, but from a German seller on Amazon that packages their models properly(with bubble wrap and such), as I don't trust Schleich to package their stuff properly anymore(and the customer service on Amazon is far better than Schleich nowadays).

Good for you! Victory!

Glad you were refunded Paige.

For people who work at those companies and are not collectors of the items - I can understand why they couldn't see the differences with the antlers. Some people just lack observation skills.
And for a seasoned collector - who knows how things are 'meant' to be it can be very frustrating.

If this ever happens again - no matter where you are purchasing from - I think your point would be easier accepted if you did side by side diagrams of the perfect model pic and your model pic - eg marking off the size differences between the plastic tips, drawing a curve line up the side etc.
This way it will make it impossible for those 'blind' people not to see the glaring differences.

That also shows good preparation and presentation of your case. There is no room for misjudgement there.


Good for you to keep going at it!
It's your money that you exchanged in faith for a good product - so you have every right to keep at them until you are satisfied.
And that attitude transfers over to every aspect of life.


Consumer rights (in the UK) have everything written down by law -  What is Section 23 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 faulty goods?
Section 23: Right to repair or replacement

This section details a consumer's right to insist on repair or replacement of faulty goods, the cost of which must be borne by the trader. This includes the trader bearing any costs involved in the removal of an installed item and reinstallation of a replacement.

does America have the same legislation to protect consumers?

I don't remember the laws surrounding consumer protection here, but I do know that most companies here are fairly nice about refunds/replacements and will often offer them just avoid lawsuits and bad reviews.