Special Edition Frustration (Schleich)

[Saarlooswolfhound]

I realize Schleich isn't very popular here but I wanted to share my experience for other collectors who may buy from Schleich US in the future...

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.



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.



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:registered:"

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,
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.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

For anyone interested...

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.

[EpicRaptorMan]

I'm kind of on Schleich's side on this one. If the item was packaged reasonably the flawed antler is one thing. Especially since in a living organisms, there's always going to be variation of imperfection. I don't see a huge deal with this flaw.

I would think differently if there was no protective padding at all and the blame would then fall on to the courier.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

These figures were only packaged inside plastic bags inside a box. No paper, no peanuts or bubble wrap to cushion anything. I only ordered 4 things: the reindeer, SE tiger  SE calf, and the postosuchus. I don't see how the weight from just those 4 would warp an antler this way, which makes me think that it was like this before shipping. I dom't have an issue with variation, I am one of a few collectors who don't mind it in well loved models... but brand new? And so far, unfixable?

But thank you for your input, I do appreciate you sharing your viewpoint.

[AnimalToyForum]

I'm kind of on Schleich's side on this one. If the item was packaged reasonably the flawed antler is one thing. Especially since in a living organisms, there's always going to be variation of imperfection. I don't see a huge deal with this flaw.

I would think differently if there was no protective padding at all and the blame would then fall on to the courier.

The antler is clearly and obviously warped, the product is defective, and @Saarlooswolfhound was right to be unhappy. Schleich did the right thing to refund it...in the end. Who did they think they were kidding, they should be embarrassed by their first responses which were tantamount to gaslighting!

[EpicRaptorMan]

I'm kind of on Schleich's side on this one. If the item was packaged reasonably the flawed antler is one thing. Especially since in a living organisms, there's always going to be variation of imperfection. I don't see a huge deal with this flaw.

I would think differently if there was no protective padding at all and the blame would then fall on to the courier.

The antler is clearly and obviously warped, the product is defective, and @Saarlooswolfhound was right to be unhappy. Schleich did the right thing to refund it...in the end. Who did they think they were kidding, they should be embarrassed by their first responses which were tantamount to gaslighting!

Hardly. 99% of customers who would see that reindeer on the shelves would think nothing of it. They provided a rational reason and even gave a 20% discount which is much more generous than what some companies would do; assuming they respond at all.

As a matter of fact, if a real-life comparison photo was not shown (from multiple angles) then this minor defect would not be "clearly" nor "obviously" as you put it.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

I don't want to argue over this, as its been resolved.

However, I would say that yes 99% of customers don't care. But this isn't supposed to be the average sale. This is a special edition which is marketed as a collector's item. So that in and of itself should indicate that it should be the item presented as it is marketed. NOT damaged or malformed. If it was a leg that preventex it from standing properly, any one here in this forum would reasonably be upset about it because it is im effect damaged/altered in a way that makes it malformed. Besides the fact, I sent additional photos with comparisons to my other THREE versions of figure. Each one's sculpt is identical, except this one. I just didn't want to bog down the topic. The issue I took with the whole thing is that 1) I couldnt fix it myself without physically altering the antler (hot water trick didn't work); I would have to physically cut and replace the antler to the proper position, thus undercutting the value of the model as original. And 2) they straight up told me that my image shown above (first photo) looked NORMAL/IDENTICAL to their advertising image.

This is the exact spliced image they sent me. That, to me, is NOT a matching photo.


Look at the medial antler tips in both photos. They don't align as they should. This would be acceptable if I bought a used toy, but this was supposed to be new.

I would have had no choice but to respect their decision whatever it may have been, but I felt the need to express that to a consumer, let alone one of what is supposed to be a specialty item such as this one, it is insulting to receive such a product when expecting what was advertized. Just because "most companies wouldn't" have given a refund doesn't mean that that is an appropriate response.

But again, I don't want this to turn into an argument. I know that there isn't much love lost here, and I only shared here to warn people in case they encounter a similar issue with theirs. Perhaps they changed the type of plastic?

[JimoAi]

Not relating to this but I'm really frustrated at how crappy the materials for the sea animals has been. It feels awful to the touch and I get they're supposed to make them suitable for water play, it just isn't right

[Saarlooswolfhound]

It is an odd material isn't it? Its even difficult to describe but I am not a fan of it either.

[EpicRaptorMan]

Regardless, I'm glad you got the refund. I can be picky with an ungulate's antlers/horns as well. For example, when I got the CollectA Chiru I specifically sent a message to HappyHenToys when I made my purchase that they ensured the horns remain straight. No problems there.

[JimoAi]

It is an odd material isn't it? Its even difficult to describe but I am not a fan of it either.

yep. Decided to ditch my Schleich sharks and orca because of that. I wonder how long before it breaks down

[AnimalToyForum]

I'm kind of on Schleich's side on this one. If the item was packaged reasonably the flawed antler is one thing. Especially since in a living organisms, there's always going to be variation of imperfection. I don't see a huge deal with this flaw.

I would think differently if there was no protective padding at all and the blame would then fall on to the courier.

The antler is clearly and obviously warped, the product is defective, and @Saarlooswolfhound was right to be unhappy. Schleich did the right thing to refund it...in the end. Who did they think they were kidding, they should be embarrassed by their first responses which were tantamount to gaslighting!

Hardly. 99% of customers who would see that reindeer on the shelves would think nothing of it. They provided a rational reason and even gave a 20% discount which is much more generous than what some companies would do; assuming they respond at all.

As a matter of fact, if a real-life comparison photo was not shown (from multiple angles) then this minor defect would not be "clearly" nor "obviously" as you put it.

I stand by what I said. At the risk of belabouring the point...

Schleich replied: "The antlers look normal". But they don't. They are objectively and quantifiably different to what they should be. The medial tine of the right antler overlaps and is lower than the left tine, but it is obvious they should be symmetrical. The stock photo shows they should be symmetrical, but this is clear with or without the stock reference.

Then, the 'rational reason' they gave was "differences may exist between the actual item and the representation in photos due to various factors like lighting, angles, or perspective during photography". Essentially blaming Sarloos' photography. But none of those reasons apply because the actual problem is simple: the antler is distorted. They weren't giving a valid reason, because they weren't acknowledging the actual problem, they were making a non sequitur excuse. Schleich were simultaneously dismissing the problem whilst saying how very much they cared about taking the problem seriously.

We can agree to disagree over the subjective matter of whether this kind of variation between the product and the stock image is acceptable or not, but that's a separate topic.

 

[stargatedalek]

Even if that damage is likely repairable with warm water, it is still damage. And Schleich are dodging accountability for poor shipping or packaging practices.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Thank you Dr. Admin and Stargatedalek!