I don't get all these "what's the point of sending it back", "it's not worth the hassle to send it back", "I'm keeping just in case there's never a new ED-209"? Huh?
If someone here has the opportunity to send it back for a refund, ****ing do it! Who would want to keep something in their collection that is visibly damaged and deteriorating before their very eyes? Does somehow owning an ED-209 just override that? I don't get that at all. If I had this guy, I couldn't even bear to look at it, let alone keep it boxed up someplace. I'd try and take full advantage of the company or distributor taking it back. Even if it was a regular dealer, I'd still try. That's the risk they take selling these things, even if it isn't their fault.
When I had the scratches on my Batmobile, yeah, Sideshow sort of made it a hassle to send it back to them. They'd try and talk you out of it by phone call, measly partial credits, etc. But after it was all said and done, you ship that sucker back and get your money back, there is a moment of relief. Sideshow ended up reimbursing me fully (price and shipping) and I went through the ordeal twice before getting the perfect, undamaged Batmobile. With ED-209 though, it doesn't sound like a "perfect" version is even possible. I wouldn't take the cracks or deterioration sitting down. I'd try anything to get it off my hands and get my money back. I couldn't risk keeping such an eye sore when this is inevitable,
Besides. If people just take it and accept what they've got, Hot Toys will continue to pull the same shenanigans. If you put pressure on your seller (be it Sideshow the distributor, an online retail store, an ebay seller, etc.), that will make them go up the totem pole to Hot Toys, putting pressure on them.
