MarloElaine

42 responses so far ↓

• 1 Eric Deibler // Aug 13, 2007 at 9:00 pm

  We just received ours in the mail (no replacement trains yet), and it was Butch, the tow truck. This is really rather fortunate for us as our son owns nearly all of the other available characters!

• 2 Elaine // Aug 15, 2007 at 12:49 am

  Thanks for the update, Eric! I’ve never heard of Butch, but my son probably has.

• 3 Jill // Aug 17, 2007 at 2:53 pm

  We received Toad about 2 weeks ago. Yesterday we received our postage refund check - $1.81. I was disappointed as it cost us $3.03 to send the four trains to RC2. I have no idea how they arrived at $1.81, as that won’t even cover the ounces the trains weigh without the padded envelope I sent them in included.

• 4 Elaine // Aug 18, 2007 at 12:18 am

  Thanks, Jill. I hope ours comes soon. We paid $5.25 to ship 4 trains via Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation.

• 5 Carolyn // Aug 20, 2007 at 8:17 am

  I received Deisel as our free gift and I really thought they would have sent more of a gift since I had to send back 5 trains, 3 signs, and the deluxe fire station. Also, I feel the refund check was disappointing, it cost me $8.23 to ship the toys back (regular ground rate, nothing fancy) and I only received a check for $5.30. When I called the company, it seemed they could care less that I was unhappy and when I asked how I could have mailed it back for $5.30, when it just fit in the box I sent it back in, they had no comment. I requested to talk to the manager but they were conviently out of the office.

• 6 Jeff // Aug 20, 2007 at 10:47 am

  I sent back 3 trains (James with tender and Old Slow Coach). I got Diesel about a week ago which of course my son already has. I was hoping for Toad. The shipping cost me about $5 and I also got a check for $1.81 a few days ago. I just got off the phone with RC2 and the lady was definitely not very helpful. She told me they estimated and I asked how you expect to ship multiple trains for $1.81. She said that’s why they included a free train because they knew there might be a difference in the shipping costs. So I said, “Oh really, I thought the free train had something to do with all the lead paint my son has been sucking on.”. She actually laughed at that one. I don’t intend to sound harsh, I know it’s not her fault but they really come off acting like they don’t care on the phone. You think $1.81 and a duplicate train is worth the effort I’ve had to put into this? I asked when we’ll get the replacements and she said it’s taking longer than expected. It’s been 7 weeks since we shipped the trains and everyday my son keeps asking for his favorite train (James). I keep telling him we’ll get him soon. I feel so bad for him. Anyways, she thought I was done with the refund question but I told her I wanted an answer. She’s “researching” it and said it will take a few days to get back to me. I’ll let you know if I hear anything but I’m not holding my breath.

• 7 Thomas & Friends Shipping Reimbursement Received at MarloElaine // Aug 21, 2007 at 12:47 am

  […] that we were not refunded the full amount, but after reading some of the comments on our other Thomas & Friends recall articles, it seems like we were lucky. Many people are very upset about the way RC2 is […]

• 8 Elaine // Aug 21, 2007 at 12:55 am

  Thanks for sharing, Carolyn and Jeff. We received a $4.60 refund check and wrote about it here: http://marloelaine.com/2007/08/21/thomas-friends-shipping-reimbursement-received/

• 9 Brian // Aug 21, 2007 at 9:50 am

  I got a $1.13 postage refund check for sending two cars with minimal packaging weight at a cost of $1.81. A 1-ounce non-flat package sent by USPS first class mail costs $1.13 ($0.17 per additional ounce). A coal tender weighs 1.5 ounces. So apparently you have to ship your trains to them inside a big helium baloon. But be careful! If the balloon floats, RC2 will bill you for the negative weight postage. It’s an obvious attempt to cheat. RC2 does not deserve our patronage.

• 10 Emily // Aug 24, 2007 at 11:45 am

  I received a check for $1.47. I mailed back James and a little red caboose. Unfortunately or fortunately, I don’t recall how much I paid to send them back. About two weeks ago, I received Diesel in the mail but no replacement trains yet. I would give up on RC2 if my son didn’t love Thomas so much.

• 11 Teo // Aug 28, 2007 at 10:50 pm

  Slightly long story: When we first heard about the recall in June, I called the 800 number to find out more details. The person I talked to was quite polite and helpful. She said that they would ship all replacement items for each customer together when all became available. So, we decided to send one package with James plus two tenders - one from the returned James and one from an electric James - as the little guy was desperate to get these ASAP, and we figured these are at least in production as you can buy them in stores. We sent another package, same address but his name instead of mine, with a bunch of oddball stuff like the holiday caboose and signs that we didn’t care as much about and figured may be very much delayed.

  We shipped each lot in a USPS Priority Mail videocassette box with delivery confirmation, $5.25 each. A few weeks ago, we got two Olivers. Supposedly he’s a “2006 only” engine, and we didn’t already have one, so that was good. Plus we were able to trade the other Oliver for a Jack, so that worked out fine too.

  On the other hand, for all the crying on the day we sent the boxes to “The Works” and all the questions since then, we’ve hardly come out even. I’d love to end our relationship with RC2, both for their poor handling of this affair and for the fact that the toys are really a pretty poor value for their price, but unfortunately we’re in too deep now and it’s not so likely that a three-year-old will understand the fine points of voting with your pocketbook.

  On an unrelated Thomas subject, I’ve got a story about a Thomas birthday cake - the one with the windup engine - that I’d be glad to post if anybody’s interested.

• 12 Jeff // Aug 29, 2007 at 12:05 am

  I promised I would follow up if I heard anything. I was supposed to get a call back regarding my refund check. After 5 days of no contact from RC2 I called again (I’m very persistent). Again the phone rep acted totally clueless that people are upset over the difference in postage. She acted annoyed at my calling about this subject. I asked to speak to a manager and she put me through to a lady named Sara. She was actually very nice and polite and took the time to talk to me for almost 10 minutes. At least she sounded sincere. She said they were only following USPS standard rates and gave me this website to check out: http://postcalc.usps.gov. Here you can put in your information to get your postage.

  She said that they are using the weight information for the return package (trains they will ship to me) to determine how much I should get back. She said my 3 trains weigh about 0.4 pounds. This site gives the rates for a First Class Package:

  http://postcalc.usps.gov/Popups/pop_up25.htm

  Apparently those of us getting 1.81 are being given a rate for packages not over 5 ounces. I’ll have to check the weight of my return package. I have no idea why it cost many of us much more to ship the same package. I only used a padded envelope, I’m not sure RC2 is accounting for packaging themselves when calculating the “under 5 ounces”.

  She also pointed out that I got a “free” train as compensation. Gee, that makes the whole little “lead” issue and the fact that I paid a few bucks extra for shipping well worth it all now doesn’t it. My son has been asking for “Nen” (James) daily and it is just killing me!

  Hope this helps some of you other frustrated parents out there.

• 13 Brian // Aug 29, 2007 at 7:57 am

  I suggest to Teo and others in the same predicament to shop on eBay for used trains. Fewer dollars flow to RC2. Or to China. Less waste and consumption of resources.

• 14 Jill // Aug 30, 2007 at 2:50 pm

  Long post ahead… we are sick of buying these trains at retail cost too, especially after this incident. Lately we’ve found better deals on them though. If you have a Toys R Us in your area, they just clearanced out all of their VHS Thomas videos, many of which have a bonus train attached to the package.

  (Which is itself a cheaper way to get the wooden Thomas trains - buy them attached to a DVD. The DVD/train sets run about $10-12 at Target, Meijer, etc - and the trains are $15-20 at Toys R Us.)

  Anyway - the VHS/train combos at Toys R Us are on clearance for $3.99, and TRU also has a special sale taking an extra 20% off all clearance items. So, that’s $3.18 apiece for trains - plus you’re getting a free video. We picked up a gold Thomas, silver Percy, and bronze Diesel this way — ironically, TRU is selling the 6oth anniversary set of these 3 boxed together for $24.99.

  Also on clearance there is the “Adventures of Percy” set, which has 3 Percy trains, one painted with coal dust, one covered in chocolate, and one covered in snow. Originally $29, on clearance for $10, with extra 20% — $8. That’s a deal. And how much of that money can RC2 really be getting off clearance items?

  Another cheaper place to buy them is at Michael’s craft stores. They stock most of the Thomas Wooden Railway line, & every week there is a 40% off one item coupon in the newspaper, so the trains are almost half off.

  But the Toys R Us sale is about the best pricewise we’ve seen lately. Now I wish I had shipped all of our trains in separately as some of you did, so at least we’d have a couple bonus trains to make up for this shipping fiasco.

• 15 Darrell // Sep 10, 2007 at 4:18 pm

  We just received an e-mail with a link to the order status page on their web site… our trains will not be shipped until October 16th! This is ridiculous. After reimbursing us 3.17 (of the $10+ we spent shipping the trains) and sending us a free gift that we already had, this is the final straw for me. Any more trains we buy will be Brio, or will be second hand from eBay. RC2 doesn’t get another dime from us.

• 16 Carolyn // Sep 11, 2007 at 9:01 am

  I received an email too that stated my order will ship on October 16th. I didn’t buy any of the Thomas trains in the first place (they were all gifts), but I will definately not buy any in the future after the whole shipping reimbursment disappointment.

• 17 Jeff // Sep 11, 2007 at 2:05 pm

  Another update: we received our replacement trains last week. I think it took exactly 9 weeks. There was no shipping cost on the envelope, just some sort of “POSTAGE PAID” label. The package contained the trains, an apology letter, and a packing slip. So basically this is esentially the same size/weight as the package I shipped to them and it cost me about 4 bucks (I double checked the receipt).

  The packing slip listed the trains (James with tender and Old Slow Coach) and a total weight of items at 0.42 pounds which is 6.72 ounces. I’ll be generous and assume that the weight on this slip includes the weight of the envelope, the letter, and the slip (although I serious doubt it takes this into account). So using the exact website that the RC2 support manager gave me (see above) they are coming up short even without accounting for the extras. I was reimbursed at the “NOT OVER 5 OUNCES” rate yet their own return package falls into the “NOT OVER 7 OUNCES” rate.

  True, we’re talking less than a half buck, but it’s the principle of this whole situation that disturbs me. First they weren’t going to reimburse postage. Then they do so but at the cheapest rate, and then they actually pay less than the cheapest rate they quoted! I have the proof here on my packing slip.

  RC2 seriously needs some help in the customer service and PR areas. They should be bending over backwards to satisfy the families that were affected by this recall. They are obviously trying to do it on the cheap.

• 18 Mary // Sep 12, 2007 at 9:05 pm

  I think I must have scored on the recall gift. First off, I sent my trains back the day after the recall list was put up. I thought it was weird that all my sons friends were getting postage checks and free gifts. I called and I had to go to the supervisor b/c they couldn’t even find my recall items. I was sent the Sodor Power Trucks (Cherry Picker and Spotlight)…a $20 item. They called this morning to ask what I had to send in so they could replace it. I guess I could have lied and said everything, but I’m honest and told them about the 3 trains and stop signs I actually did send in. For all the hassle I probably could have lied about an extra train and been forgiven!

• 19 RC2 Thomas & Friends Recall Update at MarloElaine // Sep 17, 2007 at 12:20 am

  […] so much to all of our readers who have shared their Thomas & Friends Recall experiences with us. Unfortunately, most of them have been negative. Many people are vowing to stop purchasing […]

• 20 Meg McGarry // Sep 18, 2007 at 9:24 am

  I also received the Sodor Power Crew (2-car set) as my gift. Sweet! (Except, we already have it! Oh well..) My turn around time was about three weeks, so it must just be the luck of the draw. *shrug*

  I don’t care. I think RC2 is in cohoots with the devil and I don’t really care to give them anymore of my money anyway. Souless “you-know-whats”!

• 21 Suzy // Sep 19, 2007 at 12:18 pm

  I just called and they told me October 16. I sent in my trains they day after the recall. I am furious. I suggest we all contact local and national media with how RC2 is handling the recall. I will never buy a train from RC2 again.

• 22 Jill // Sep 27, 2007 at 7:43 am

  You are not going to believe this. RC2 announced today that MORE trains are recalled… and TOAD is one of them. Toad was our free gift for returning the FIRST set of recalled trains. What the heck??

  http://recalls.rc2.com/recalls_Wood_0907.html

• 23 Jane // Sep 27, 2007 at 12:28 pm

  I read that!! I can’t believe I now need to send another train in when I still have not gotten my first 8 back.

• 24 brook // Sep 27, 2007 at 3:41 pm

  i also got toad, about a month ago, and today it was recalled, when i emailed the company…complete irate that the free gift for having to send back lead paint vehicles was a lead painted vehicle, all i got back was this:

  Please look at the bottom of the Toad your child received. This is an affected item ONLY if the bottom code is 16560W00.

  FOR REAL? Like I didn’t check. Freakin’ losers. I’m so over Thomas the Train. (now only if I could convince my sons that they are too.) hmmmm…

• 25 Jill // Sep 28, 2007 at 9:33 am

  Today’s Chicago Tribune has a follow-up on this:

  http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-fri_recallsep28,0,1464873.story

  Company officials said in a statement that the Toad toys were made in 2006 by Hansheng Wood Products, the same Chinese manufacturer that was linked to the June recall. RC2 has since cut ties with that company.

  “Unfortunately, the discovery that certain Toad vehicles could be potentially unsafe was made in August, after Toads had been sent as bonus gifts to some families,” the statement said.

  The company estimates that “no more than 2,000″ of the 146,000 bonus gifts are subject to recall.

  Consumers who received Toad vehicles are instructed to send them to the company, and they will be sent a replacement and another free gift.

  —–

  They knew in AUGUST that Toad had lead. Why did they wait until the end of September to announce this?

• 26 Brian // Sep 28, 2007 at 10:04 am

  It seems that the only way this can get worse is if they continue to play their postage refund shenanigans despite all the complaints from the first recall. I advise using minimal packaging to send back the items so that you cut your losses.

• 27 Brian // Sep 28, 2007 at 10:12 am

  I just had a brilliant idea. To qualify for the lower letter rate from the Postal Service, you should pulverize the toys with a sledge hammer so they can be sent in a flat envelope. The added bonuses are (1) catharsis and (2) that they get the lead back in easily digestible powder form. (In jest, of course.)

• 28 Jill // Oct 9, 2007 at 3:33 pm

  Well, we sent back Toad. I logged in today to http://recalls.rc2.com/ (with your reference number, you can see when your new train will ship.)

  It said that our new Toad will ship on 11/20 (!) along with a free “Sodor Weather Tracker.”

  I looked that up (Amazon link is above) and was excited to see it was a set with trains, tracks, and trees. Thinking perhaps, those of us that got another lead train after sending back lead trains would possibly be getting a little more this time to make up for that… But after a bit more Googling the actual set the Weather Tracker is from is called “Storm on Sodor.” So I’m thinking this is just another train.

• 29 Mary Brown // Oct 9, 2007 at 6:39 pm

  Jill, not only is it NOT a set…it is not even an engine! Check this out on ebay..it is the Sodor Weather Tracker. CHINCY!
  Ebay link

• 30 Christina // Nov 19, 2007 at 2:31 pm

  I’ve been reading all the stories regarding this recall. We sent in the Ice Cream Factory, and we received the Scrub n’ Shine as a replacement. I wish that they had said before that they were going to replace our factory with a car wash. My son really liked the factory. Of yeah, we also got Toad as a replacement, only to have to send him back. I am really sad that we as parents who spend a great deal of money on toys, have to be subjected to such low quality in a product.

• 31 Elaine // Nov 19, 2007 at 9:12 pm

  Sorry to hear that Christina. We received the same 4 items we sent in. We are not putting any RC2 items (or any other toys made in China) on our children’s Christmas wish lists this year.

• 32 Brian // Dec 4, 2007 at 11:40 am

  RC2 just sent me an email saying that the replacement trains (including the replacement free gift toad) will ship on the 10th, and they sent me a $10 promo code for the website. They’re sending us the sodor weather tracker as the free gift this time, we got Toad for sending in the baggage car last time.

  I have a theory that in order to really max out on this, you should return each and every recalled piece as a separate recall request. If someone tries this out let me know. It does seem really lame that people who sent in hundreds of dollars in merchandise got the same gift that we got for sending in one train.

  I wish we had known about the Thomas legos before my son got hooked on the wooden trains…

• 33 Elaine // Dec 5, 2007 at 12:46 am

  Thanks for commenting, Brian.

  My son loves anything train related: the Thomas legos, Wooden Railway, AND Take Alongs. He’s slowly starting to lose interest in them, using the lego pieces to build rockets instead!

  Still, I do regret sending in the 4 recalled items together instead of individually. At least we would have received 4 gifts. We weren’t even offered the $10 promo code you mentioned.

• 34 Brian // Dec 6, 2007 at 9:46 am

  Taking the Ebay hint from an earlier poster, I just got the down by the docks set for $28 + $12 shipping, which is roughly 33% of retail price ($130) at my local toys r us.

  I looked at a few other auctions, and if you buy larger lots or sets of trains you can get really good deals. There new trains in original boxes too, I saw a brand-new-in-box Bill and Ben, a $20 item, for $4.50 + $5.00 shipping and no one even bid on it.

  Good Luck!

• 35 josh // Dec 6, 2007 at 12:55 pm

  We too received the Sodor Power Crew as gift from the first round of recalls sent back. This was awesome b/c my son did not have this set, and it is higher priced.

  Looks like they are sending us the Sodor Weather Tracker as the next free gift…isn’t this a piece that only comes with a larger set? Maybe someone has already answered this.

  I too as a father am looking at ways to stop buying stuff from China or wherever the recalled toys are coming from. It ends up sounding like familiar American Xenophobia but what can you do?

• 36 Lou // Dec 6, 2007 at 4:22 pm

  As did most of you, I was becoming increasing frustrated with the handling of the recall and the delay in receiving the new items. My 3 year old son overheard my rather boisterous phone call with the support center at RC2. After the call, and out of the mouths of babes comes the following “Dad, don’t be too upset, it takes time for these trains to get a new coat of paint when Sir Topham Hatt sends them off for a fresh coat.” My son’s comments made me smile but also made me think of all the little ones that had to send “their trains back for a fresh coat of paint”. RC2 had a way to build back the trust of the consumers and from the way it sounds, they haven’t really done a good job at all. I am just not sure that they(RC2) gets it.

• 37 Leonard // Dec 9, 2007 at 10:28 pm

  We still have not received our replacement James engine yet, nor have we received the free gift or shipping. Even though we sent in into them in July. I have been in contact with the recall company several times and apparently they keep sending it to the wrong address in the wrong province. I am glad to hear that some people are actually receiving theirs. Checking the status of the order using the reference number they provided indicated that the gift will ship at the end of December and the James replacement won’t ship until Feb 2008… Has anyone else had this experience? Although, I have noticed that the the date for the free gift keeps changing- getting pushed back a few days at a time. So I will not be surprised if we do not get it until the new year some time.

  Has anyone else had problems with efficiency and the recall company?

• 38 Jill // Dec 13, 2007 at 4:49 pm

  Earlier this week we received a new Toad, to replace our recalled Toad, plus the Sodor Weather Tracker. I was surprised to see the Sodor Weather Tracker come in retail packaging, as yes, it is part of the “Storm on Sodor” play set.

  Other than that - just the same old form letter thanking you for buying their products, etc. etc. No response to the very lengthy personal letter I wrote to them and sent in with my recalled Toad.

• 39 Gina // Dec 21, 2007 at 5:26 pm

  At first recall I did actually send in 5 packages, each had around 3-4 trains/signs in them. I received 5 postage checks & I think I go back what I paid for shipping them. I then received 5 SCRUFFEYs as my FREE gift for each of the 5 packages. So we ended up with 5 of the same train and we already had one! (good thing I sell on ebay). Then it took WEEEEEEKS to actually get my original trains back. Overall except for getting the exact same train 5 times & taking so long it was a so-so adventure. I then had to send in some items from the SECOND recall and actually got a different train. The turn around on these was VERY quick. If there wasn’t money to be made on EBay in the selling of Thomas I certainly would just end it all. I will NOT however buy Thomas New. IT is a WASTE of money. China doesn’t need those dollars but I will send them to parents/other person’s selling their personal thomas items on Ebay…at least it’s staying in the US.

• 40 Cecilia B // Jan 3, 2008 at 11:59 pm

  I sent back a few things on the first recall ( stop sign, and two carts) in priority postage delivery. After a way long time they sent me a cheque reimbursement for postage and they actually paid me the full amount which was $11.20. second recall has been shipped as far as I know but may not arrive til the end of January. (so they say in their letter) this is such a was of time sending these things back and expecting a return anytime soon.

• 41 Theresa // Jan 10, 2008 at 12:22 pm

  so I don’t understand…shouldn’t we be getting back what we sent them?
  I sent it the deluxe fire station…about 6 trains and a whole wack of signs and bases…am I expecting to get a dinky train back and some pathetic postage cheque. Did any one here send in the fire station? It is my sons most favourite and he was so brave letting me send it away…for a 3 year old..yeah I said brave. HE is a Thomas fanatic!
  Theresa

• 42 Elaine // Jan 10, 2008 at 3:30 pm

  Theresa, RC2 is supposed to send you lead-free replacements of EVERY item you returned as well as one free gift and a shipping reimbursement. It took many, many months, but we finally received everything that was promised to us. Hope your son doesn’t have to wait as long as ours did.

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