Alliecat's Rainbow Highs (Nov. 17)

[Alliecat]

Today was a good example of "why I don't need to start collecting another line of dolls".  I thought the Rainbow Highs were cute, and although I didn't intend to get more than a couple, I HAD to get the one with the butterflies, right....?
Well...
I was looking forward to her arrival.  Most of the reviews I saw of these dolls were good, although I saw some quality control issues mentioned.
Boy, have these dolls got quality control issues 

The box looks really nice.




It's all designed to make everything look very cool and shiny and buy-me-please, inside the box.  Top points for the visual hook.  However, the packaging is truly awful.  It's worse than Pullip packaging, because it has all the tabs and tape in common, and little ties, but it has MORE little ties, MORE plastic inside EVERYTHING, and everything that could POSSIBLY be plastic-tied to something else, IS.



Plastic inside the skirt.



Plastic inside the shirt, to make the hood stand up in the box.  Which it isn't really a hood, it's a couple of ... pieces, that velcro together atop the head.  Around the hair.  I mean, I guess it's innovative, when a doll has that much hair...



Plastic inside the SOCKS.



I have NEVER seen anything like this... little plastic ties are ROOTED in her scalp!!!, and on top of them, are little plastic circles.  OK, they want to keep the ties from getting tangled in the hair, I guess, but why does the doll need ties rooted in her scalp to attach her to the backing in yet another place??







Some stains on the boots... plus some airbrushy-looking over-run or bleed or whatever you want to call it, from the paint job.
They are very hard to get off and require a hair dryer, although maybe not quite as bad as Pullip shoes because at least she doesn't have breakable ankles.



Cracks on the leg seams likely wouldn't stand up to strenuous play.  These bodies looked sturdy, in the photos.



Out of the box, one leg wouldn't bend at all.  Some surgery to remove a plastic piece didn't do the trick either.  The lower leg is a little crooked.  They don't bend far anyway, not quite 90 degrees, but after some digging around the joint with a dental pick, I got it to bend.
The clothes appear to be extremely difficult to get off.  The jacket is so stiff she can't move much, and I'll have to pull her hands off to get it on & off.  I pulled out one hand for a quick look, and you CAN, but I don't know how many such operations they will stand before the little peg breaks.



Unbelieveably, the shoes are not properly painted.
How do you miss this, putting the doll in the box??  Let alone making it.  Whoever boxes them probably doesn't paint them, and whoever that was, must've decided not to call attention to the flaw if they saw it -- just bung it in a box and forget about it.
I'm not sure it would've showed, buying in a store, and who would think to look, anyway.  This one came from Amazon, so no preview.

Oh -- and, her hair is CRISPY.




>sigh<
So yeah, I'm disappointed.  They're so cute, but, this just looks like a really hurriedly-thrown-together mass-produced cheap toy that is absolutely NOT worth the prices I've seen on eBay -- or even $60 at ToysRUs.  I don't know if the newer "wave" has addressed some of these issues.  I thought I'd like "Emi Vanda" as well -- actually I had my eye on her first but Poppy was on sale -- but now I don't know if I'll take a chance on another.  Poor Poppy should have a sister.
Which brings me to what to do with her...  I once saw a report on Amazon's glut of returned packages; they landfill a lot of things, which is a horrible waste, because not all of it is even defective.  Given the disastrous packaging, she'll never go back in the box properly to return.  If I get a replacement, will there be the same issues?  Or different ones?  Obviously nobody's going to check over a replacement before sending it.  
Cue the soppy sentimentality, but I'd feel bad if she just got garbaged.  I can maybe paint the shoe.  She's a plastic toy but I feel sorry for her, dangit.



(oh, and, not sure if it's because of the puffy jacket or whether that's the actual placement on the stand, but her feet are a couple of mm above the stand

[davidd]

I have not looked at a lot of reviews for these figures, but they seem to be popular, and I have never seen as many flaws listed as you mention, and illustrate, here.

Those shoes are definitely cool... or would be, if they had finished painting them! That's kind of an obvious mistake.

I once purchased a Monster High figure that had two left hands - I know, she's a monster, but still, that was not part of the character design. It was one of the later issue figures when MH quality had taken a serious dive. Looks like RH is in decline before they even get started.

Bratz dolls usually have their heads stapled in to the package like this. I have found Bratz dolls to be the most frustrating to de-box, but it appears that Rainbow High may just edge them out in that regard.

Perhaps if you diplomatically and unemotionally point out all the unex-pected flaws, Amazon will send you another without requiring a return.

Because... yeah... I'd probably feel sorry for her, too.

[Elfy]

We’ve got a few of these, but they’re more Lejays thing than mine. I think they’re kind of cute, and they do come with an extra outfit, which I haven’t seen with others of that kind.

[Lejays17]

I feel for you with the unboxing - I take the kitchen scissors & Elfys Swiss Army knife to the boxes, and it’s still incredibly hard to get all the plastic bits out.

In terms of tge crispy hair, they do say on their website to wash all the styling gunk out before playing. I haven’t done that with any of ours, mostly lazy, but it also doesn’t bother me all that much.

I’ll have to look over the shoes, but I can’t think that there are any with glaring non-painted bits.

I’m sorry that she has so many issues - if you can’t return her, is there a local playgroup etc that she could be rehomed to?

[Alliecat]

Perhaps if you diplomatically and unemotionally point out all the unex-pected flaws, Amazon will send you another without requiring a return.

LOL. You've not returned anything to them, right? It's all automated... I had a quick look and you just click the box on the item to return it and pick a reason. There's no room for dialogue.
Think I'll try going after the company on their FB. Maybe they could at least send me some shoes?

Do Bratz have ties rooted in their scalps?? That is so nutz I just can't even.
I'll have to look up, or maybe inquire on FB, what to wash the gunk out with. Just warm water, or shampoo/detergent?

Oh, AND!!!!... It doesn't show in photos but I have a pretty good eye for colour and I'd swear the lower legs are slightly different shades.

[davidd]

I have not returned anything to Amazon in a very long time, no. It makes sense that with the volume they handle, the process has been streamlined.

Yes, Bratz dolls have ties rooted (or harpooned) in to their scalps. And yes, it is nutz!

[DeadlyNova]

I'm sorry you had so many issues! I've got two of these dolls, but I bought them VERY early in their release, and they didn't have any defects that I can think of. I imagine they probably have pushed them out much more quickly since then due to demand. I've had a lot of dolls that have ties rooted into the scalp, and it's always a huge pain, because I'm always scared I will accidentally cut their hair trying to cut them out. At least here you didn't have to worry about that? ^^ Not a huge silver lining though, I suppose.

I think these dolls are very cute and for their original prices HERE, which is about 28 USD, I think they are very nice, especially for playline dolls. I would never pay the prices you've said, though, for these. My biggest desire with these dolls is honestly that they would release their clothing separately, because there are many great pieces I'd love to use with my Pullips(their jackets and shirts especially) but I don't want to buy the dolls for them to get clothes, obviously.

I hope you can figure out what to do with her, I think with a hair wash she would be very nice, even if it's just to sit and look pretty on a shelf. ^^

[fishy]

Monarch... Butterfly... shoes?!

Oh man, those look great!

It's been a great year for monarchs. I've seen WAY more of them recently. I hope they're bouncing back. Not too many for a couple years. They're so pretty!

[Elfy]

I'm sorry you had so many issues! I've got two of these dolls, but I bought them VERY early in their release, and they didn't have any defects that I can think of. I imagine they probably have pushed them out much more quickly since then due to demand. I've had a lot of dolls that have ties rooted into the scalp, and it's always a huge pain, because I'm always scared I will accidentally cut their hair trying to cut them out. At least here you didn't have to worry about that? ^^ Not a huge silver lining though, I suppose.

I think these dolls are very cute and for their original prices HERE, which is about 28 USD, I think they are very nice, especially for playline dolls. I would never pay the prices you've said, though, for these. My biggest desire with these dolls is honestly that they would release their clothing separately, because there are many great pieces I'd love to use with my Pullips(their jackets and shirts especially) but I don't want to buy the dolls for them to get clothes, obviously.

I hope you can figure out what to do with her, I think with a hair wash she would be very nice, even if it's just to sit and look pretty on a shelf. ^^

We like that they come with 2 outfits. That way we can use some of their clothes with the Pullips. Evie is currently wearing Jade’s trakkies, and they are very Evie.

[Alliecat]

Yes, Bratz dolls have ties rooted (or harpooned) in to their scalps. And yes, it is nutz!

I've had a lot of dolls that have ties rooted into the scalp, and it's always a huge pain, because I'm always scared I will accidentally cut their hair trying to cut them out. At least here you didn't have to worry about that?

I've never seen that. Then again, I haven't bought any playline dolls other than Glori and Lea... I wonder who thought that was a good idea though, given how many other points they are attached by -- they don't need to be attached by their scalps!!!

It's been a great year for monarchs. I've seen WAY more of them recently. I hope they're bouncing back. Not too many for a couple years. They're so pretty!

The population does fluctuate, and has been down. It would be great news if this year's migration is bigger. I hatched 100 successfully. Were the ones you saw, through the summer, or are you seeing fall migrants?

That way we can use some of their clothes with the Pullips.

I'm being very lazy by not going and getting some Barbie clothes to see if they fit her. I'm surprised to hear this because she looks way chunkier.



I mean, look at that face... "please let me stay..."

[Elfy]

They’re all a very cheerful bunch, and will fit in well with your crew, besides Samantha is probably still missing Red.

[fishy]

It's been a great year for monarchs.  I've seen WAY more of them recently.  I hope they're bouncing back.  Not too many for a couple years. They're so pretty!

The population does fluctuate, and has been down.  It would be great news if this year's migration is bigger.  I hatched 100 successfully.  Were the ones you saw, through the summer, or are you seeing fall migrants?

I've been seeing most of the monarch butterflies lately.  More than in one year than I can ever recall.

It always makes me happy to see them. They're so uplifting.

[Alliecat]

I've been seeing most of the monarch butterflies lately.  More than in one year than I can ever recall.
It always makes me happy to see them.  They're so uplifting.

YAY.  That is really good news.  I hope the report from the wintering site, where the population is measured in hectares of roosting butterflies, will also be "up".
Watching them soar up toward the sun on their first flight, you can see why folklore casts them as the souls of the dead.


Well...  I found a phone number for MGAE.  They have a warranty, currently an extended holiday one, so I called, and they gave me an e-mail address & instructions.  I sent a photo of the receipt and the shoes, and this week Poppy received a new pair.  Yay!
They are much better quality than the ones she came with -- ALL the painting is better.  Makes you wonder if there's a stash of "good" replacement parts while the factory's turning out poorly-quality-controlled mass- & rush-produced stuff.  So, at least based on this ex-perience, they are responsive to customer problems.
Today I finally got round to soaking the 'crunch' out of her hair.

[davidd]

The new shoes look lovely! And how nice of MGAE to respond so promptly and professionally.

Poppy R looks so cute wrapped up in her robe (or towel) after her bath!

[dargosmydaddy]

Glad this has a happy ending!

She looks like she had a fun spa day