PSA: Careful with Pin Subscription Boxes

[a4matte]

--Editing to be more vague - unless I'm allowed to actually post the name of the specific box because they admitted in email that their pins are not authentic unless you pay for the upper level box--

Saw this on Reddit and a few Facebook groups - be careful with those 3rd party Disney Pin Subscription box services. Turns out one has been shipping out scrappers and fakes. Their site says the pins ARE authentic. When contacted about this by a customer they were told that they DO offer Authentic, park-purchased pins... but only in their more expensive box option.

Isn't there an email address to report this type of stuff directly to Disney?

I'll gladly post more info or the link the the reddit post about this if allowed.

 

[bookhugger]

I don't think we are allowed to "call out" people here.

 

[a4matte]

I don't think we are allowed to "call out" people here.

Not sure what the rules are for this one since it's NOT an ebay seller or specific individual person. It's a subscription box service that is saying on their website they're sending you authentic pins but are actually sending you fakes and scrappers.

 

[a4matte]

I don't think we are allowed to "call out" people here.

Played it safe and made the post more vague
You guys can find the Reddit post about this in the DisneyPinSwap subreddit.

 

[Disneychildwithin]

I'm not familiar with this subscription box but I appreciate the warning.

 

[timeerkat]

Saw this on Facebook. From what I understand, their response to someone's inquiry about receiving fakes was that they claim the lower boxes are "tradeable" at the parks, not necessarily legit pins. "Tradeable" is a term that is really only used by someone who KNOWS their pins are not legit but can get away with it since they know Disney has to take them regardless. Otherwise they would use the terms "authentic" or "official." So they are fully aware that they are selling fakes in these boxes and don't care.

I tend to think that they are buying lots of fakes and scrappers for cheap on ebay and parting them out in the boxes. They claim that the ones they get for the sub boxes are traded for in the park, but if you are getting the volume of pins needed for running a sub box service you either have very many people trading at the parks, are at the parks yourself for large amounts of time, or are not getting them through trading. Plus they'd need a large volume of pins in the first place to trade for those pins. So even if they are sending pins that they traded for, chances are they're buying lots of fake pins to use as traders in the parks (after all, why trade perfectly good pins for pins that you know are fakes?). Either way it's contributing not an insignificant amount to the problem.

 

[dancecats]

Thank you for the general warning. As always, my personal advice is to use common sense and remember that if something seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Unfortunately, for reasons too numerous to go into, we do not allow the 'calling out' of anyone on DPF. If you are interested in additional details, please PM the OP.

Somewhere in the back of my brain, I seem to remember that Disney either does or did have an email to report instances like this. Unfortunately, I can't remember it to save my life. Maybe ... @starry_solo @Ksnuggles @pretty Omi @docfish2u ... might remember the email addy? If not ... maybe try contacting Disney's legal department? Chances are, if Disney decided it's of interest to pursue, it'll end up there anyway ... .

 

[Ksnuggles]

yes they have a fraud email account.. let me see if I can find it.

 

[Ksnuggles]

Please feel free to use our email address (tips@disneyantipiracy.com) or
our Antipiracy voice mail hotline, 818-560-3300, if you want to provide
more information about the suspected infringement or to report a
suspected infringement in the future.

Very truly yours,
Antipiracy Group, Corporate Legal
The Walt Disney Company
500 South Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-0527

This is the info I have.