darkSpyro

First off, thanks for viewing this rant. I'd just like to discuss my experience this year and how poorly I felt Activision handled it.

I expected to get the Red Dune Bug figure (since I got the Chop Chop and Cynder from previous years) but alas that wasn't the case. The woman at first told me they didn't have it, but I knew that was a lie because I saw them (she even gave somebody one in front of me as she was saying they didn't have any). Not only that, but she as well as this one other woman, were INCREDIBLY rude. She told me if I wanted one I would need to buy it on ebay and don't come back because they weren't going to give me one and things wouldn't change (keep in mind this was the second time visiting the booth on a DIFFERENT day).

Well, I ended up speaking to somebody I've seen in interviews before. I don't know who it was but I think he works for Activision or Vicarious Visions. He was nice, but told me it wasn't up to him but up to somebody else working at the booths.

What really annoys me is I saw people with multiples (I know Skylanders Dad got at least two because I saw him there). It was frustrating that I couldn't even get one. Do I feel entitled to one? Well, they advertised it as a TOY FAIR exclusive, not a TOY FAIR PRESS / SELECT BUYERS exclusive, so yes I do feel like I deserved one for my nephew.

Thanks for viewing this rant. I'm going to file a complaint with them although I don't think it'll do any good.

That does suck, but I could have my own rant that the Toy Fair isn't in my city. At least you had a shot at it. I have zero chance.

He wasn't mad because he didn't get free stuff, he was mad about the way he was treated and I think rightly so.

Who knows? Maybe your not the only one that didn't get one.

Yeah, it was the way the women acted. They were so nasty, not just to me, but this other woman who wanted the Dune Bug for her son. It was a horrible experience. I'll still continue to recommend the Skylanders game to friends and family because the way they acted has nothing to do with the series, but they really should hire people that can communicate better.

Oh, I know I'm not the only one that didn't get it. They mainly gave them out to press and buyers that had appointments, but they never stated that prior and it says Toy Fair exclusive, not press exclusive.

Only hearing one side of the story, it's not easy to really comment on this - but let's be honest... if they had given you one, you wouldn't have ranted on their behavior. You threw out the entire "I have the previous years!" and keep harping on the idea that "they didn't say for press/retailers only!" and you've ranted about the fact that some people got two while you couldn't even get one.

And you want us to believe that you're only upset about the way you were supposedly treated?

whoa, I never said I wasn't upset that I didn't get it, obviously I am, but that doesn't excuse there behavior. We'll see what happens with the report. I doubt anything will come of it, but I had nothing to lose at this point.


Uncle Bob has some what of a good point. Even after the bad service, if they had decided to give me one, that would have been enough to shut me up and I wouldn't have even commented on it, but that's beside the point.

Bottom line, I do want the figure, but the service was also poor.

Hey uncle bob! Guess what? SHUT UP! He's stating how poorly treated he was than other people who got duplicates. It's bad service.

Quote: eruptshake137

Hey uncle bob! Guess what? SHUT UP! He's stating how poorly treated he was than other people who got duplicates. It's bad service.

I bet it shows up on his youTube channel for a giveaway.

It does.

Did the person behind you get one?

Quote: eruptshake137

It does.

Well then I really wouldn't call that a duplicate.

Also, appeared like they tried to snag some for others, but were met with the same:
"To the few people who asked us to get you one at the Toy Fair, I am sorry but we were not able to get any more. They only had a limited amount per appointment."

I saw several people get them, but mainly people who had appointments and the press I guess. I spoke with one guy that was just a regular buyer like me who somehow managed to talk them into giving him one.

Toy Fair isn't about service and isn't about getting free swag. It's a trade show. It's a business trip. It's work.

If you want compensation for your work, talk to your employer.

Quote: UncleBob

Toy Fair isn't about service and isn't about getting free swag. It's a trade show. It's a business trip. It's work.

If you want compensation for your work, talk to your employer.

True, but if they were fast and loose with figures last year and the tone was much different this year I can see people getting a bit malcontent about it. That's why this thread was properly labeled a rant; I don't think he needs an introduction of the purpose of the event.

Just because something has always been someway in the past, doesn't mean it's always going to be that way in the future and one shouldn't assume that.

A has been pointed out, most the Toy Fair promos end up on eBay anyway... so, really, what's the purpose of them giving them away to everyone anyway?

Quote: UncleBob

Just because something has always been someway in the past, doesn't mean it's always going to be that way in the future and one shouldn't assume that.

A has been pointed out, most the Toy Fair promos end up on eBay anyway... so, really, what's the purpose of them giving them away to everyone anyway?

Great--run for office and change the entitlement programs in place

Well, I for one have no pitty for you. I would have to pay over $300 to get a toy fair variant, Ive never gotten one. Because im not that privileged. So just be happy you got cynder and chop chop the previous years. Sorry if I sound rude. But many of us feel the same way. I cant afford to spend half my pay checks on toys.

Quote: Tupelo

Well, I for one have no pitty for you. I would have to pay over $300 to get a toy fair variant, Ive never gotten one. Because im not that privileged. So just be happy you got cynder and chop chop the previous years. Sorry if I sound rude. But many of us feel the same way. I cant afford to spend half my pay checks on toys.

Wow....just Wow ....people opinions on here just blow me away....that's like saying I didn't get a good enuff job and I started collecting something I can't afford... Lol

Quote: UncleBob

Toy Fair isn't about service and isn't about getting free swag. It's a trade show. It's a business trip. It's work.

If you want compensation for your work, talk to your employer.

TOY FAIR is on the same scale as COMIC CON as far as FREE stuff goes. Its about the only reason to go to this unless your in the industry....

Asian Guy Gamer didn't even attend Toy Fair and they sent him one in the mail. Seems pretty random as to who they decided to give them out to.

Quote: SkylanderDrew

Quote: UncleBob

Toy Fair isn't about service and isn't about getting free swag. It's a trade show. It's a business trip. It's work.

If you want compensation for your work, talk to your employer.

TOY FAIR is on the same scale as COMIC CON as far as FREE stuff goes. Its about the only reason to go to this unless your in the industry....

Umm... It's a trade show. You're not supposed to go unless you're in the industry. It's not a fan convention.

Quote: ToxicFate

Asian Guy Gamer didn't even attend Toy Fair and they sent him one in the mail. Seems pretty random as to who they decided to give them out to.

They give them to people that can get them exposure. People with a lot of followers on facebook, youtube, etc. Like AsianGuyGamer, Skylander Dad, Etc.

Promotional figures are given out for... promotion.

Isn't the toy fair FOR people on the industry specifically? It's my understanding that you have to be in the "industry" to go. So It isn't for people to go just to collect freebies. It's a great perk though.

Yeah, somewhere around here, I posted the link to the official website talking about who gets in.

Quote: DAWNOFWAR

Quote: Tupelo

Well, I for one have no pitty for you. I would have to pay over $300 to get a toy fair variant, Ive never gotten one. Because im not that privileged. So just be happy you got cynder and chop chop the previous years. Sorry if I sound rude. But many of us feel the same way. I cant afford to spend half my pay checks on toys.

Wow....just Wow ....people opinions on here just blow me away....that's like saying I didn't get a good enuff job and I started collecting something I can't afford... Lol

It's not like saying that at all. Its like saying there are less fortunate people in the world. I have bought every skylander so far. I'm not poor. I just cant justify paying that much for a variant. I can pay around $100 and be ok with it. And dont harp on me because of my opinion. Others were stating their opinions so I stated mine. Not every one thinks the same way.

My friends father got Chrome Spyro, they're so lucky xD

Quote: UncleBob

Toy Fair isn't about service and isn't about getting free swag. It's a trade show. It's a business trip. It's work.

If you want compensation for your work, talk to your employer.

I have to say this is a true statement. They know there are people there for the sole purpose of obtaining swag (free promotional items) for resale. In the case of the special Skylanders, they know a ton of people will try to get one for the sole purpose of turning it around on EBay for a huge profit. That may not be you (OP), but it is out there. They probably get hammered from Day 1 for those figures. I'm pretty sure, at this point, the booth employees are instructed to only hand them out to major retailers or media (or other specific media). If that isn't you, you might get lucky if they have a bunch or you get an especially nice employee. I have a feeling her frustration was showing, she probably gets asked 500 times a day for those figures. If your name tag doesn't say "Target", "Walmart" or some other media source they recognize, sorry dude.

I'm sorry, but you know where a significant number of figures are going to go. People in the past have scavenged them. There are probably 100 of them on EBay right now. Thank the scalpers and swag-a-holics for your situation.

Quote: UncleBob

Quote: SkylanderDrew

Quote: UncleBob

Toy Fair isn't about service and isn't about getting free swag. It's a trade show. It's a business trip. It's work.

If you want compensation for your work, talk to your employer.

TOY FAIR is on the same scale as COMIC CON as far as FREE stuff goes. Its about the only reason to go to this unless your in the industry....

Umm... It's a trade show. You're not supposed to go unless you're in the industry. It's not a fan convention.

EXACTLY. It isn't open to the public, and you can't get tickets without industry credentials. Some people can swing it, if they are convincing in their case about their blog or Mom & Pop store, but not always. It is for the media and retailers for publicity and sales.

Comic Con is open to the public. It is for the fans.

E3 is also for the media/retailers. The difference there is they have a "public" day, usually at the end. By that point they pack up the really interesting new stuff that isn't ready for public consumption, all the big wigs have already left and the really good swag is put away. What you see at E3 on "public" day is far different from the media days.

I keep seeing the Toy Fair Dune Bugs on ebay in pairs. Everyone who got 2 are just selling them

I don't think they didn't give them out just to avoid eBay sellers, I think they just wanted to give them out to the Press and whoever can get them exposure, which makes sense I guess, but why call it a Toy Fair exclusive? It should be called Toy Fair Press exclusive or something like that.

If we take a look at the Employee Skylanders, they label them as Employee which I assume is for all Activision employees, and then for the Gold Fire Kraken they label it as DEV exclusive, which is for the Development team and not EVERY employee I would assume. If they labeled it Employee and some employees were left out, they would feel the same way I did.

Just my two cents.

Quote: KrazyBoomer

I keep seeing the Toy Fair Dune Bugs on ebay in pairs. Everyone who got 2 are just selling them

Got to look at the glass half full. If everybody who got the Toy Fair Dune Bug kept them, there would be none on eBay, and no way for any of us to obtain one. Granted, it'll cost a pretty penny, but the ability to obtain one exists. And the larger the number on eBay, the lower the price.

They don't do it just to avoid EBayers, but they are aware of it. Give people an inch and they will take a mile. They have a limited number of them, and they want to make sure they go to where it will maximize interest from the people that will help them sell more. If they hand them out to anyone then you will have people take advantage of it, often multiple times for more EBay auctions - and that defeats the purpose of it.

I have a feeling they simply had to put limits on it. The first couple years it was a novelty, they wanted people to take a few moments and see what Skylanders was, swag makes people stop and look. But now, it is well known those figures are rare and exclusive, and will fetch $150+ easily, so they get lots of people dropping by just for EBay fodder. I would expect them to limit it even more going forward.

And it is "Toy Fair Exclusive". Just because not everyone gets one does not make it not so. They don't have to clarify who gets them on the label.

As far as the woman, well as I said she probably spends her day having people beg for them. If her job is to generate interest in her company and if every Tom, Dick and Harry comes up asking for a free Skylander, you would be less than chipper as well. If I were working at a booth and had some guy walk up and just ask for free stuff, I'd blow them off too. Now, if you were to come up and ask her about her products and details, as well as their brand and future plans and had a pass that indicated you weren't just some random guy, she might toss you one. It is all in your approach, they are under no obligation to give them out to everyone, and "We are out" is a quicker, easier answer. They may have still had some, but the ones they had to give to general audiences ran out - the ones left over might have been designated for the big hitters.