I'm starting to think I got the only good copies of some of these toys, particularly Voyager Megatron and Blackarachnia, given the number of complaints I've been reading. The only actual QC problem I've encountered is that my copy of Deluxe Prowl doesn't have any grey paint on the face/mouth area; not enough of a problem to even bother with the effort taking it back. There are some joints that I'd like to see a little tighter on some figures, but they're within normal range of tolerances and I'm not seeing any of the "this figure won't stand up at all and it's got weird paint all over it!" problems that I'm hearing a lot of.

 

Umm, yeah. I got a Animated Starscream that just wasn't assembled...

 

On my Voyager Bulkhead, out of the box, I thought the wrecking-ball mechanism was broken when I realized that if I pushed any harder on the lever, I was going to snap it off. Shortly after, I just yanked the wrecking ball out and it's been working since. Short story shorter: It was packaged with the mechanism jammed.

 

Here's some of my QC issues:

Ratchet - Line of red paint in the white area.

Bulkhead - Black paint blotches all over the back end. Had to exchange it for one that wasn't as bad but still had some marks on it. Also, the new one's head wasn't attached. Had to use my wife's clear nail polish to secure the head's ball joint better.

Lockdown - Four paint chips on his chest area.

Starscream - His legs refuse to stay on and when they do, they spin around all loose.

Lugnut - Left side of cockpit won't stay closed unless you really press in hard.

Other than those, my other Animated figs have been pretty good. I love my Grimlock. He's easily my favorite. He has two minor paint app issues, but nothing dramatic. His limbs are all pretty solid. BB, Blackarachnia, Prowl and Megs are all good. Considering what others are going through, I feel pretty lucky mine aren't worse.

 

So not only do they look really cheap like crappy dollar store KO's, they actually are cheap like crappy dollar store KO's! Hilarious! Totally freakin hilarious!!!  

Transformers:Animated  

 

WOW i must be the only other person to not have any problems with these figures. my only noticeable disappointment was my blitzwing not having and ice missle. I use fb jazz missle for that. no real problems with any of my figs. and they can all stand up without doing the splits. hmm

 

I wouldn't be so quick to make that conclusion.

 

Wow, all of my figures, both pre-release and legit retail, have all been great. The Prowl I got for my daughter has maybe 1/32" of gold paint missing from the tip of his crest in robot mode. I've modded some bits to make them better, but the joint/paint quality on all of mine has been superb. I'm either REALLY lucky or this isn't the giant issue it's being made out to be.

 

Not real keen on the Two_pack Megatron...... his leg joints just seem too loose!

 

Just ignore him.

 

I have 8 Animated figures so far, with no paint ot QC issues....not all of the figures are defective 

 

First figure I bought - Lockdown.

Right leg pops off at the hip at a sneeze. And the sliding legs joints are amazingly stiff. Like as in "oh shit Im about to break this" tight.

Not a good start...

EDIT: Check that, it's bloody hand just snapped clean off...

 

Yeesh, maybe some of you guys just need gentler hands....

Sorry to hear about all the QC problems, but my figures are pretty much awesome. A few loose ball joints here and there, but nothing that a little superglue won't fix. And paint apps are good, save a little gold spilled on prowl's black forehead, but very minor.

 

Only problems I've had are sloppy paint apps on Lockdown and Voyager Prime. Joints are fine. I'm dreading my future purchases now for these quality reasons, and the Grimlock I'm getting in the next week.
Worry.

And Noisemaze, I though you were done with Animated? So stop antagonising those who aren't as narrow minded and as annoying as you, please?

 

Okay, an update on my above post. I took Prowl and Screamer back to get a refund, but caved at the last moment (I REALLY want a working Prowl) and exchanged them instead for new ones. Perhaps I should have opened the damn things in the car park, but I was on a lunch break. Anyway, my new Screamer now has a thumb! But his left lower foot doesn’t open all the way, and his head doesn’t move on its ball joint AT ALL. Prowl appears to be fine in terms of paint apps and joints, though the peg that keeps his chest attached to his spine in robot mode seems too big to fit in the required hole. Not a major issue as he poses for display fine without it, but technically a QC failure. The same goes for the Screamer flaws: Irritating but not a killer for display purposes.

I could take them back again, but I seeing as I currently have working, transformable, version of both toys, I think I’ll cut my losses, lest their replacements be even worse.

So technically speaking, that’s a four out of four failure rate.

Originally, I’d planned only to get Prowl and Grimlock, but the picks and early glowing reviews of this line coaxed me into being a little more open minded. Now I daren’t take the risk. I’ll still probably chance a Grimlock, and maybe Jazz, but I’m certainly not going to casually pick up these T/F’s on a whim.
It’s a shame, because I can see the potential of this line and, now that he’s working, Prowl is just a diamond of Pure Win coated in Awesome Sauce. But I just can’t be bothered to buy figures that I’ll probably have to take back to the store and change…

 

well, i fixed Bulkhead by shaving plastic off that tab in 2 places and fits fine now (along with filled in that stripe so now its actually black) and i was smiling at him, glad he was perfect, and then realize-half his headlights are gold, the other half yellow-orangeish color. oy

 

On Starscream (the only Animated figure I have) I haven't had anything much. His back panels fall off sometimes, one of his arm panels partly detached, and his legs have occasionally popped off. However, I believe that this is simply due to me pushing them beyond their limits.

There's a few dots of missing paint on his nose, but they're on the bottom, and it's probably due to being shoved in and out of his waist during transformation, anyway.

Interestingly, up until I read this thread, I didn't realise his head could move any direction other than up or down. Upon experimenting, I found it could.  

 

WOW, I had no idea this line had some many bad eggs. I pre-ordered everything from HTS and if I get a defect they will be getting a phone call. If it is something minor I will just deal with it but if they have parts missing or part popping or snaping off that's different. The only one that I have not pre-ordered from HTS is Magnus that is because I have 200+ getting charged soon.

 

ok, so whats with the cheaopy feeling plastic on all of these? Hold Ratchet versus any movie deluxe and youll feel it. The animated figures feel like if you drop them, theyll shatter, where the movie figures plastic has some give. I just dont get it, they feel like knockoffs.

 

I just bought Starscream and his hands fall apart too easily. I was never a fan of the plastic tab/pin that secures his fingers and thumbs. This should have been a metal pin. Also poor paint applications on his face.