A friend wrote this: "Funny enough: a British company, Games Workshop, recently had an accidental premature release of a model (someone showed off the model with their own paint scheme). Instead of sending a company like the Pinkertons, Games Workshop publicly gave a thumbs up on the person's paint job, sent copies of the new model to some other folks, and sent a press release admitting their shipping teams made a mistake and went ahead and announced the new model to the world!"

Sending hired agents to intimidate and threaten a paying customer is next level slime and villainy. I stopped buying Hasbro products quite some time ago, but this cements it into a permanent ban. What a horrible, awful company.

"The company that brought you G.I. Joe and Transformers now presents: The Lawsuit Lawyer! With Backstabbing Action!"

Hasbro doesn't care about their customers and shame on those who defend this corporation. You are the problem. Another great video Michael. 👍

I can't imagine a Pinkerton, or any other private security organization showing up and trying to tell me they're going to enter my home and take something out of it that I had bought and paid for. They're very fortunate that this person was amicable. It could have been a very different headline.

Every time I think Hasbro can't get worse, they become exponentially more evil.

Hasbro: Where Fans come… to the front door to meet our private investigators

Hasbro: “ call the Pinkertons a major crime has been committed “.

Jesus Christ I can't believe people would still defend a company after they hire investigators to harass a customer. It's not the customers fault AT ALL that Hasbro/Mattel fouled up on their end. No company has any right to do this for any reason let alone to cover up THEIR OWN shitty mistakes. To hell with these companies.. they're disgusting.

My mom use to work with victims of domestic violence. And often, many of those victims would justify the abuse with statements such as "Deep down, I know he loves me.", and "It was my fault because..." etc. She would always pose this question, and I never forgot the principle, "If this is how he treats you, and you say he loves and cares about you, then please: Tell me how he would treat you....if he hated you! If the answer to that question resembles ANYTHING like the abuse you are enduring right now, that is an abusive relationship.... on the most dangerous level!" So with these companies treating the customers like dirt with defective products, gaslighting their own customers/fanbases, etc. Again, to paraphrase 'If this is how they treat the customers, who they claim to love, then I would hate to see how they would act if they despised their customers!' Oh wait...we don't have to wonder.

I have left this company behind and wondered how long it would take others. Thank you for putting a voice to how so many of us feel. I hope that companies like Valaverse can find and keep their footing so our hobbies don't end up with a choice of two companies that couldn't care less for us.

By that point, I would be like "F@ck it, lets go to court." The PR would hurt them more and help boost the KZfaqr's channel, plus if he can prove he bought the items legitimately, it would support his case. If this became mainstream news, there is no way they would want people to know they are sending goons to customers houses for a mistake they made.

Hello from the Transformers fandom. Did you know that EVERY new transformers toy is stolen from Hasbro’s Asian manufacturing plants and leaked online months before Hasbro announces them… and Hasbro does absolutely nothing about it?

These giant corporations are NOT our friends, but you have been shouting this loud and clear for years sir.

I'd like to think that Mattel and Hasbro were once respectable companies, especially during the 70s when I was growing up. When you eliminate the competition, you become arrogant and less caring because they know people are still going to buy their garbage. I used to love getting Hot Wheels and Matchbox Superfast cars in the 70s because of the variety of models, of fantasy and real life. Now that Mattel has their claws on Matchbox, the magic, no pun intended, is gone. Thank goodness for eBay. Good work guys. Keep producing trash. On the positive side, another excellent video sir.

I had no idea the Pinkertons still existed. I guess this situation is a warning when buying Hasbro products, especially online.

Hi Michael hi lara. You’ve done a lot to help me not defend companies any more. Wow hasbro, hired goons? Was snidely whiplash busy?

Thanks for making this video. If a Pinkerton agent showed up at my house claiming to represent Hasbro and ask for some Magic cards I paid for, I don’t know if I’d laugh at them first or tell the to GTFO my lawn… 😂😅😂

Personally I would like to see a video of you meticulously going over everything that is horribly wrong with that Indy figure, it’s just so dissatisfying. I’m genuinely intrigued by your opinions on it

I was a college D&D enthusiast when Magic: The Gathering was new. Fortunately, I got out of it early and even sold off a few cards at profit. But I could see the writing on the wall that Wizards of the Coast was going to eclipse TSR Hobbies and likely absorb D&D. Presently, as a published historian who has studied labor events, I can tell you that the Pinkertons (and WOTC) have greatly overstepped their bounds. Since the bad old days, there have been laws emplaced to keep private investigators from operating like police officers. Also, the persons affected by this incident have the right to sue because the 4th Amendment protects Americans from "unreasonable searches under the law." This definitely qualifies as unreasonable because a) there was no crime committed by the consumer b) there was no search warrant and c) therefore no police sanction for this ill-advised operation. Even though the guy and his wife don't want to pursue this case, I guarantee that lawyers would jump at a chance to represent them on principle. Keep the faith, Michael!

I don't know what's sadder - the shocking behaviour towards people or that I'm not suprised they are capable of this

When I was a kid the Kenner Star Wars toys I got had a little card inside that said "We Really Do Care". Man, how times have changed. What thugs.

Jack boot thugs sent by Hasbro to a KZfaqrs home to threaten and intimidate. UNREAL. What if that KZfaqr had decided to use his second amendment rights? What if he defended his home? Dead pinkertons? Dead KZfaqr? All because of Hasbro and some trading cards. This whole situation is MIND BLOWING

This is crazy. I think it’s funny, and funny in the same way as you said in your previous video, “laughing, trying not to cry”, yourself and a few other channels have been saying this has been abuse and bullying the collector and people called you crazy, but you were right the whole time

" It’s possible, they say, that someone, somewhere in the distribution chain accidentally mistook March of the Machine product for March of the Machine: The Aftermath product." This is insane.

More proof of how out of touch companies are. Companies are definitely not our friends, nor do they care about the fandom. We consumers should band together and send a message, but I’m starting to think collecting is a mental illness that we collectors have.

Well played Hasbro, this will get the fans onside!

Thank you Michael for this video. You are a good person and you care, with the heart on the right place.

Reminds me of how my friend who owns an independent card game company got harassed and intimidated for over a year into giving up his trademark for a specific word so hasbro could use it for wizards of the coast. Made him almost kill himself. I remember actually talking to Michael about this at a toy convention in South Carolina and he got pretty pissed about it. Hope you remember me, Michael!

Here's a challenge I did for myself...what if I sold it all? All my legends, transformers, Rangers, Multiverse, DCUC, and everything else not 3rd party/independent. I ended up with tables and shelves of the BEST collectibles money can buy. People my advice is just let go, you deserve better. Thank you for your views and point of view, I hope this pushes some over the edge too.

Showing up at somebody's house trying to rob them is a good way to get yourself hurt.

Thanks for calling these scumbags out,Retro. You’re absolutely 100% correct about how wrong it is for them to send armed “investigators” goons to someones home. It’s criminal, they’re distribution is at fault and the costumer got attacked.

I ordered this figure last year on Amazon, apparently on the day of release I got a spam email from them saying that it was cancelled even after I ordered it on the day it went up,but instead of getting upset I genuinely thought Hasbro didnt get my money at least.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned over the years regarding companies is that sometimes the companies we grew up loving no longer exist in our adulthood. The fantastic people who worked there back then, who made those companies and their products great, are gone. These companies are just empty husks of their former selves. It’s really shown with Hasbro since Goldner passed away and all those employees got laid off.

“You are not welcome here. You are trespassing. Leave my property immediately” close door.

Michael I hope this video goes viral. The community should know the details and not just hand wave this away. I don't expect Marvel and Star Wars fans to boycott the crack they need but maybe they could buy less figures.

Michaels like the Robin Hood of the toy collecting community and Hasbro is the Sheriff of Nottingham.

As a DnD player, Hasboro looks at their customers as walking wallet. They feel they are entitled to your cash at that. Completely have have lost any value for their customers.

3 words: class action lawsuit....no one threatens me in my own home without proper search and siezure warrant from a federal judge. I beg them to come to my house and try that....I guarantee they won't leave happy as I will be defending myself from being threatened.

As they say: "Stop giving your money to people who hate you." Toys, cards, comics, movies etc. They have all become irreversibly corporatized. It's time to let them fall. Support Independents with your money. Put forward for the future, for the next generation. #YourHeroesAreDead

Not real law enforcement, trespassing. Cowabunga time it is 👌👌👌

That's disgusting behavior from Hasbro

I can’t stress enough that this is why customers needs to hold these companies/corporations accountable for every crappy immoral thing that they do. If not, then you’ll get more situations like this, which is disgusting and a sure fire way of damaging their trust & reputation. We cannot continue to allow the retail market to turn into the wild west with Hasbro and ms y others basically turning into Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen.

I mean. Why did they cooperate? They’re not law enforcement. I would have laughed, and shut the door. ESPECIALLY if they were items I paid my hard earned money for. I’m not buying they’re stuff anymore. That’s CRAZY.

Hasbro sending in famed union busters The Pinkertons to stop a fan having cards early is like the wildest story to read this week. We need to stop bringing back the worst elements of the 1920s in a fit of nostalgia :p

I really wish I had bought some Magic cards and these guys showed up threatening to try to send me to jail. I would have had a field day and hoped they tried robbing me as that would have made a good lawsuit.

A little crazy that hasbro needs kickstarters to ship out things people actually want, struggles to supply stores with their products, and will do anything they can to save a buck or two when making products for us to buy. But apparently they got the money in the budget not to increase the quality of their products, but to send a mercenary group to a persons home because of THEIR mistake.

This happened in the United States where the right to bear arms is enshrined in the Constitution? Why didn't he just produce a firearm and politely ask the Pinkertons to leave while calling local law enforcement

Is this 100 years ago, when corporate private thugs can go and administer 'justice' against anyone they want? It sure seems that way.

Unfortunately ... No corporation is ever anyone's friend. And if you look at companies as individual people psychologically, research has shown them to be sociopaths. Though, while I know that about every company in the U.S., I had no idea Hasbro was THIS bad.

Crazy day I am shocked by this news but i am sure surprise they aren't going after youtubers who show other products before they are released

I heard about what happened yesterday. I'm out! No more Hasbro

Thank you, I’ll be unfollowing any channel that doesn’t come out against this crap. I appreciate you and the 3POA crew as you guys seem to be the only ones who call this crap out.

Great Video Michael, Hasbro is done and it’s a lot of fun watching them implode. I haven’t purchased a Hasbro product for quite some time.

I got mockingly laughed at recently on a post for saying Hasbro was doing more and more of late to make us despise them, but there will inevitably always be shills with willing blinders. No matter what walk of life I choose to maintain personal standards and what I throw my money at, and while I can't always control giving money to things I find lacking, I don't have to give a dime to these people if I really, really don't want to. Someday they'll have to contend with that reality the more people feel like us about it.

That youtuber need to file a lawsuit against Hasbro you need a warrant to search a person house no one and i mean no one search my house or anybody home with out a search warrant we have rights nobody give your rights to no one nor to crooked cops , the government much less a bad company like Hasbro

i walked away from wotc years ago when i felt Magic was going the way of 90s sports cards. i dont miss it i returned to my live of collecting videogames and playing other older tabletop games.

Robocop taught us everything we need to know about heartless conglomerates

Pinkerton are welcome to walk freely in my home if they can get through locked doors and buckshot.

I was a toy collector for a long time. Never a serious, collector mind you; I was more of a "collecting certain things I liked" kind of collector. Anyway, about 2 years ago, I had to sell roughly 93% - 95% of my collection just to make ends meet, but I kept my favorites; primarily my childhood TMNT figures from the 80's and 90s (I know how Michael feels about the Playmates Party Wagon, but don't worry, I forgive him!). Well, to tell the truth, the experience wasn't as sad as I thought it would be. Rather, it was kind of liberating. It's a hard feeling to describe, but at that moment I kind of remembered why I got into this hobby in the first place. It isn't about how expensive the toy is, or how rare, or articulated, or detailed it is. It's not about any of that nonsense. It's about those Saturday mornings in front of a TV with a spoonful of your favorite cereal in one hand, and your favorite action figure in the other, even if it was missing all of its accessories. It's about the adventures your toys took YOU on, no matter how wild or "non-cannon" those journeys were. It's about the power of imagination, and using everything from the mud-puddle in the backyard, to a simple cardboard box as a play-set, because Santa couldn't fit the real thing in his bag. It's about believing you can use the Force, Transform, have the Power, or even be Cool but Rude, and manage to defeat the most evil villains in the universe. But most importantly of all, it's about Fun. I'm sharing this because I feel that many collectors need to be reminded that this hobby is not about blind loyalty to a big company. It's about something much more important. Something pure and innocent. A feeling that no one can take from you. The simple joy of a favorite childhood toy.

When both companies started using the soft rubbery plastic on their 3.34 and 6 inch figures, which has been several years ago. I stopped buying newer toys.

Fantastic video. Exactly my take

I agree Michael, that’s why I walked away from collecting all together. Since last summer Ive actually started selling stuff off. I mean yeah I’ll keep some stuff, but this hobby has become why too toxic.

This is disgusting. I can tell you exactly how it happened. The set he was supposed to get was "Magic the Gathering: March of the Machines," and the set they sent him was "Magic the Gathering: March of the Machines: Aftermath," and they're scheduled for release one month apart. But the galaxy brains at Hasbro/WOTC never imagined a scenario where two products, with almost the exact same name, being supplied to distributors at roughly the same time, would get mixed up.

Sounds like the Pinkerton agents violated that KZfaqr’s constitutional rights and human rights. That KZfaqr should hire a experienced lawyer and sue them and Hasbro (both companies are secretly working for the Chinese government) (both companies do business in China with the CCP) sounds like that KZfaqr deserves financial compensation for inflicted damage physical and psychological and emotional harm…..that should be a several hundred billion euros lawsuit.

I know we've argued in the past in the comments section of other videos, but I am so glad you are talking about this. Thank you for bringing this to the action figure community when nobody else seems to care about it or be talking about it. I've drawn my line in the sand with Hasbro as well over this event, and it feels good to finally not be alone in my commitment.

Huh. Sounds like a good way for Hasbro thugs to wind up with a few extra holes, if you ask me.

It feels very illegal what Hasbro did and I kinda wonder if they are being so kind after the fact because it was potentially illegal. Sadly I dont think the customer would press charges if it were since he seems to forgive them for whatever reason.

I bet this Hasbro sending in the Pinkertons to raid the KZfaqr's house story is going to be seen on "Unsolved Mysteries."

You don't have to convince me. Look at all the yellowing that is happening to their figures... *Transformers* *cough*

I hope you do a mini-documentary about how despicable this big corporations are. I know you have done two videos on the topic already... but those were fantastic and I think it's time for another one.

I was thinking the same thing about hasbro Micheal. im done too

He ordered March of the Machines, they sent him March of the Machines: Aftermath, a supplemental set releasing less than a month after the first one. A distributor making that mistake was all but guaranteed to happen. Hasbro straight up robbed the guy and had NO legal grounds for what they did. He should sue both the Pinkertons and Hasbro and I will never being giving Hasbro another dime. This was eternally the last straw. They can burn and I'll bring the marshmallows.

This is a really frightening precedent for Hasbro to set. There are children toy reviewers on KZfaq. Is Hasbro seriously going to send mercenaries to a child's home just because they received a new iteration of Optimus Prime a week before street date?

Anyone else hear 'Pinkertons' and immediately assume they were dressed like they were hunting Billy the Kid?

I'm so glad that I haven't given WotC a penny of my money, and I never will. I'm happy playing 2nd Edition AD&D that I bought when TSR was still around.

Great video as usual Mike! ✌️ Don't know why but I haven't seen any of your videos for quite a while. Been busy with my own life, but I had no idea this went down. But I can't say that I'm too surprised. The only thing that I can say that's wrong here is the KZfaqr that got rated should have sued the pants off the pinkerton's and Hasbro for what went down. That's the reason why they do what they do because no one pushes back. I don't collect that much anymore. Probably only two things I do occasionally collect are Star Wars and G1 related transformer material. But even that's becoming less and less because I don't like what's out there. When I do buy anything Star Wars related, usually I always buy it second or third hand. The last hours thing I bought was a carded dark times Darth Vader with the intention of re-carding it on a Kenner style backboard because I don't like Disney Star Wars. And I think most of the new Transformers that they've been producing are cheap Chinese crap. Excuse me for saying that. But that's what I think of it. Most of the stuff that I do buy that's transformer-related is third party KOs from China. One of the things I started to do maybe about 10 years ago started working on making my own action figures because I wasn't finding anything that I liked. So I started building it myself. The next thing on my table is a machine to help me do the painting, and a injection mold machine that can make some of the parts that I want. I'm to the point where I want to make my own stuff and say the hell with what's being produced I got a feeling that's going to happen in time at some point. Some people say they don't have the money to do that kind of setup, but you know the funny thing is I got a feeling that's going to be the next step because if you stop and you think about it, you can collectively spend $500 to $1,000 on various action figures without blinking an eye, but not willing to actually put that money toward a machine that actually will produce the same product. I'm not sure why that is But I wouldn't be surprised sometime soon that somebody, or more people like me will start doing what I've been doing in terms of making their own stuff rather than buying it. That's why I take away from this.

We have to start our OWN AMERICAN TOY INDUSTRIES. Michael you can spear head that. Create a domain, hire the best artisans (they have to take a low pay) and let the fans build that empire.

Always glad to hear your voice of reason in the world of insanity

Hasbro is unrecognizable as the company I enjoyed in the 80’s, 90’s, even into the early 2000s. They now produce a worse product at higher price with less imagination than pretty much all other manufacturers while caring nothing for the fans and collectors.

Having looked at various articles on this subject, it looks as though Pinkerton clearly exceeded the limits of the law and the party in question should immediately consult an attorney and/or file criminal and civil charges against the agency and Hasbro. Conversely, the aforesaid should be prepared to explain how he obtained materials as yet unreleased prompting this excessive action.

If this is true the KZfaqr can tell them to piss off they are not law enforcement and have no power to arrest or detain anyone they also don’t have the power to serve warrants or seize anything. I’m in law enforcement and the KZfaqr needs to file charges on them for criminal trespass and terroristic threats.

Florida man giggles while cleaning guns.

The thing is….. since toys and collectibles are actually not required for life, you can actually boycott the companies. If it was Pepsi for instance, they make so many products it would be extremely difficult to do so. I swore off Hasbro and Mattel about a year ago and haven’t looked back.

Until Hasbro publicly apologizes and FIRES the TOP LEVEL peoples responsible for this, I will not be buying their products.

I was raised in the rural countryside. My parents raised me with the idea that you never open the door to your home to someone you don't know or aren't expecting. No exceptions. If they have a legal right to enter, they will. If they're bad actors, 99% of the time they will be dissuaded. Even if it is a mom and her kids in a broken down car, you do not open that door. You can call anyone they need through the door.

This deserves a budlight style "MANCOTT"!

This incident is insane. There is real world conflicts going on in the world and Hasbro are worried about trading cards. I get protecting their intellectual property but this is up there with the worst way to go about it. Either give the guy free product or brush it off like Michael said. Most other ways would generate good publicity.

Companies are not your friends

Dealt with this co-dependent BS with Mattel in 2011. Walked away when Mattel Tried to attach an emotional hose to me with DCUC, and I got no problem walking away from Marvel Legends and GIJOE Classified. Sending private investigators to a person's home over toys is just WRONG. If someone PAID for these cards they are theirs to OWN. If Hasbro wants to find out what happened with these cards then they need to investigate which one of THEIR employees LEAKED the merchandise before the release date. Yeah, I'm DONE with Hasbro. Put up with a lot of crap from them. Like repaints, ridiculous price hikes, more repaints, and declining QC, but this is the straw that breaks the camel's back. If Hasbro can't show customers like us respect, then I need to stop spending my money with them.

Back when I was a kid playing with my transformers, id have never thought id hate that compnay and that they would become...whatever the hell corporate evil they've become, thanks for bringing this to light and on happier note..the "they went full Streets of Rage" line had me rolling. 😂

😳 Holy heck! Thank you for covering the insanity but I am with you Michael! I am DoNE 🍽️ and will no longer buy from big corporations. Eliminate the fuel (Money) and watch as these sociopaths and blind sheep they call employees go into panic mode. The “evil” is in toy companies and we should be ashamed of our selves to continue buying from Hasbro and Mattel. Dismantle big corporations now!

Truly a great video sir loved every minute of this I’m not a hasbro but here lately they had gotten alot of my money but since hearing about this and it’s being true I’m really taking a hard look at myself and my money this is a hammer to the face great video thank you again 💥🔥👍

12:24 This is exactly the problem with the corporatocracy we live in today - they all run the same MBA playbook. Gone are the days when the heads of companies are workers who rose up through the ranks as assemblers, builders, designers, engineers, etc. They have all been replaced by glorified bean counters with MBAs who know nothing about the products, the customers, or the production processes, and don't care about them either. They just sit in their offices looking at charts and play armchair QB over businesses as though every business were the same. That's why I can't bring myself to go back to work after having been laid off. It's soul crushing.

They dont have money to pay people to do proper quality control on their products, but they sure seem to have it to pay hired thugs to threaten their customers. 🙄 These "big"brands are dead to me.

I really like that bubble analogy!

This is not a Hasbro issue but rather a Mattel one. Months ago I ordered the Frog Monger MOTU Origins figure from Mattel Creations. Now, we are almost in May and I still haven’t received my item nor have any of my emails to Mattel been answered. Complete disregard for their customers in my opinion.

Been hearing about this one all day. Pinkerton? What is this the Old West?!

Somewhere George Orwell has that "I-told-ya-so" look on his face.

2nd amendment is a real thing. This couldve ended horribly. This is just pathetic.