UPDATE: OK, I finally had time to think it through and figured out a legitimate reason for requesting all figures be sent back in, rather than simply refunding any orders made on Mattycollector upon request.

Let’s say a retailer ordered 100 Stay-Pufts off Mattycollector (by having their staff members each order 10 or whatever, I can’t remember if there was a limit). They could re-sell all 100 of those Stay-Pufts, then get 100 refunds for those orders. Then, each customer who bought a Stay-Puft also requests refunds, and so Mattel ends up refunding for 200 figures instead of 100.

So, I admit I missed something on this one. But I still wish they could make the process of returning the figures easier. (When I had to return my Wind Raider, they requested someone be there when they come to get the package. So you have to have someone home, or take it to work and have it picked up there, or risk leaving it out on your doorstep unattended.) /END UPDATE

Mattel is offering refunds for anyone who bought last year’s SDCC Stay-Puft, which has a QC problem in which the toys are turning yellow.

If you would like a refund, here’s what to do:

If You Purchased at MattyCollector.com for Pickup at SDCC
For orders that were placed during the voucher pre-sale and picked up at the MattyCollector.com booth at SDCC, please call 1-877-GO-MATTYor email MattyCollector.CS@digitalriver.com. Our agent will look up your original order and arrange for the product to be picked up at our expense and returned to our warehouse. When the product is received at our warehouse, a credit for the original purchase price will be issued on the card you used to place the order. No refunds will be issued without the defective product being returned to us.

If You Purchased at the MattyCollector.com SDCC Booth
For those customers who purchased the figure directly at the MattyCollector.com booth at SDCC, please call 1-877-GO-MATTYor email MattyCollector.CS@digitalriver.com. Our agent will create a ticket and arrange for the product to be picked up at our expense and returned to our warehouse. When the product is received at our warehouse, a check for the original purchase price will be issued and mailed to you at the address you provided to the agent. No refunds will be issued without the defective product being returned to us.

If You Purchased at MattyCollector.com During Our Post-SDCC Sale
For orders that were placed during the post-SDCC sale at MattyCollector.com and shipped directly to you, please call 1-877-GO-MATTYor email MattyCollector.CS@digitalriver.com. Our agent will look up your original order and arrange for the product to be picked up at our expense and returned to our warehouse. When the product is received at our warehouse, a credit for the original purchase price and shipping will be issued on the original card you used to place the order. No refunds will be issued without the defective product being returned to us.

Finally, we know how much you like the giant diorama package that came with the figure and we’re happy to leave it with you as a “thank you” for your business. If you choose to return your Stay Puft figure, you won’t need to return the diorama package to receive the refund.

Of course, proving that you bought a figure via an order that’s archived in Digital River’s system is not enough. You have to mail back the toy to get your refund.

This makes sense if you bought the item at SDCC, especially if you paid cash; you need to prove you bought one. But why would anyone who bought one online or pre-ordered via the voucher system have to mail it back? Aren’t those orders still archived in Digital River’s system? (If not, let me know; my dudgeon is unwarranted if that’s the case. But every order I’ve made since 2008 is still in my order history.)

Mattel can’t fix or re-sell the defective figures, so why go through the time and expense of having them shipped back? I can think of only one reason: to make the process so annoying and time-consuming so as to discourage people from bothering.

You know, despite what some have said about me here and elsewhere, I really do try to give Mattel the benefit of the doubt. And maybe, just maybe, there are some financial or legal considerations here that I’m missing, and I invite anyone with insider knowledge to email me and explain it, on or off the record. But it seems to me what a responsible company would do in this situation is issue an automatic refund to anyone who has an order for Stay-Puft on file at Mattycollector.com, and forget about making them mail back the figure.

Am I just being crazy or ignorant here? Is that an unusual or unreasonable expectation for a situation like this?