Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Mattel, Inc.'s headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Mattel, Inc.

  333 Continental Blvd # M1-1426 El Segundo, CA 90245-5012

• 

  Mattel, Inc.

  P O Box 388 Webster, NY 14052

• 

  Mattel, Inc.

  2393 State Highway 53 Chippewa Falls, WI 54729-7502

• 

  Mattel, Inc.

  7 N Pickney St Madison, WI 53703-4208

• 

  Mattel, Inc.

  8300 Fairway Pl Middleton, WI 53562-2577

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/20/2023

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a new item but was sent a damaged return with another customers personal information attached. They simply Reboxed it. The products box was so shredded(thick plastic) that it cut me ( no blood but really hurt). *** was covered in former owners address breaking privacy laws and showing that they never inspected the return, it was not safe to just send back out. I was mocked on the phone and not Even offered an exchange for a new doll.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/22/2023

  We have spoken to the consumer and resolved her concerns.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/29/2023

   
  Complaint: 20887640
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Mattel failed to acknowledge that I was sent a dangerous item, considering they are behind fisher price and never admitted to breaking privacy laws by sending me FULL personal information on former owner of doll. Mattel agreed to exchange doll for full $100 then immediately put exact doll on sale to limit stock. The shipping label was never updated to show the new agreement off $100 for doll.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2023

  We've reached out to the consumer multiple times, and we have not been able to reach the consumer.  We've left several detailed responses to her concerns on voicemail and left our phone number. We have also reconfirmed the $100.00 refund in those detailed messages.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/27/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I wanted to order the Monster High Skullector The Nightmare Before Christmas Doll on the Creations.Mattel.com website, which was to be available precisely at 12PM Pacific Time on 10/27/2023. I got to the website and added the item to my cart and proceeded to the checkout 12:01pm Pacific time. i was then prompted to wait in a queue for nine minutes......During this time I was never told that I was waiting in line for a sold out item. The minute I added that item to the cart and proceeded to checkout, there should have been a product RESERVED for me. But no, the time the wait time ended I was notified that this product had been sold out. I want someone from management to tell me why they think it's okay to:1) Not have enough product in stock.2) To mislead customers in the checkout wait process into thinking that they will have a product reserved for them during the checkout in time for payment. I did as I was instructed.....I waited until the release time and jumped onto the website to get the product at the precise release time. I added the item to the cart and proceeded to the checkout and waited patiently for nine minutes....the minute I entered that wait queue, there should've been an item reserved for me to pay for.......because the minute I entered that queue, I received NO indication that the product was already sold out. You waste me time in the waiting queue for nothing.I want senior management or leadership to contact me and explain how they endorse such a bad business practice of misleading customers. I want a solution on how to get this product. Disrespecting and misleading customers is the wrong path for a business.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/02/2023

  We've reached out to the consumer and addressed their concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/20/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I along with hundreds of other Collectors for a product yesterday that was dropped for sale to the Exclusive Membership for a purchase of a Barbie Pink ****************** Doll for $ ****** the individual collectors all report the same thing the item was in secure basket cart and when tried to finish and check out that process was denied and while being in with the item in cart creations Mattel allowed **** and other corporations to claim our carts. Please look at Instagram for all the hundred of angry collectors as they were rip off and denied their membership benefits for exclusive purchase. The Company said that you had to be a member and it cost **** to join and it was all a lie. I have purchased many Barbies in my lifetime I am 65 years old and still collecting these dolls and never have I ever been treated with this To me it is fraud and I would like to see some kind of action or at the least they should have to return the **** that rip us off for much the all frustrated of trying to resolve this with the company with no resolve. I know this probably sounds silly to you but their are hundred of collectors that are heartbroken by this scam.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/23/2023

  We reached out to the consumer and addressed her concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/10/2023

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Mattel is unconcerned about customer concerns. They are difficult to reach and harder to deal with. My wife and I purchased NFT cards (a useless virtual card tou can do nothing with) between both we have enough to redeem a physical card which is all we wanted. Mattel refuses to combine accounts to redeem because then they will have to actually pay out something. I've spent so much money with them I've paid for this car hundreds of times over but my customer loyalty means nothing as long as I keep lining their pockets. This is not the first issue I (and many others) have had with Mattel's questionable consumer business practices. I'm not asking for something free, only what we rightfully earned through the process Mattel set up. I played the game, I lost because I'm the little guy and mattel is far to big for their shorts. I want the physical fast and furious nft car that we earned spending ALOT of money for.Former customer

  Business Response

  Date: 10/11/2023

  Our team has reached out to the consumer to let him know we are reviewing the account information he provided to us. We are in touch with the consumer via email to address and resolve his concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/08/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a Barbie ************ Wheel for my daughter from Mattel, a product that subsequently became part of a recall due to a malfunctioning gas pedal that could be a potential "injury hazard," according to the company. Recognizing the gravity of recalls, especially those tied to children's products, I proactively reached out for service to ensure my daughter's safety.My initial interaction with Mattel's designated service center, ********************, was discouraging. They acknowledged that the Barbie Camper was too large for them to adequately service. Seeking resolution, I connected with another service center, only to be informed they wouldnt service Power Wheels affected by this recall.Subsequent interactions with Mattel's customer support proved no better. After nearly three weeks of back-and-forths, a service technician finally arrived to replace the pedal on the Power Wheel. However, instead of rectifying the problem, the "solution" rendered the camper completely non-operational. To add to the frustration, there was no follow-up from Mattel post this service, an expected courtesy, particularly in recall scenarios. When I initiated contact to express my dissatisfaction, the representative could offer no immediate solution, asking instead for an additional 48-hour wait period.Such extended delays, coupled with an ineffective repair that worsened the products functionality, are not just distressing but also erode the trust consumers place in a brand. Given the extent of my efforts to obtain a resolution and the seriousness of the recall, I'm deeply dissatisfied with Mattel's handling of the issue.I am approaching the BBB in hopes of expediting a satisfactory resolution. I am prepared to escalate this to Mattel's corporate office to ensure both the safety and functionality are addressed. Safety recalls, particularly involving children's products, demand prompt, effective, and empathetic responses, which I believe I did not receive from Mattel.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/12/2023

  We have a team working on this issue for the consumer and we have notified him. We will provide an update when his concerns are resolved. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/06/2023

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  As with several of the other complaints here, my Barbie movie merchandise never arrive, no tracking info, etc. Order was placed July 30. My credit card was charged the same day. On August 25th I contacted Mattel through their website. A customer service agent responded that my order had been released to the warehouse and would be shipping soon. Still no tracking number. September 6 I contacted them again via the website. This time the customer service agent said they had no information regarding when my item would be shipped, but as they "process orders straightaway" there was no way to cancel the order. This is absurd. I called the customer service number on September 6. The customer service agent was unable to find any information or expected schedule for shipping. He said as a "courtesy" he would go above his authority levels and would issue a refund. The refund was processed, but not for the entire amount.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/12/2023

  We've reached out to the consumer and resolved her concerns. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/13/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/28/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  During July of 2023 I participated in a promotion via Mattel, specific to Hot Wheels product line. The promotion required purchase of over $20 of hot wheels from a specific retailer along with proof of purchase. The limit on claiming this promotion is 10 vehicles, I purchased over $60 of hot wheels from target during the promotion period. I sent in the (original) receipts from target with the purchase amounts which also indicate that the purchase items were hot wheels. I then filled out the claim form and submitted a request allowing a charge of $7 per vehicle (shipping per each promotional vehicle) on July 16th, 2023. Weeks later I received a notification that they (mattel) would not fulfill the order. They indicate that part of the product (package containing artwork, information on the vehicle, and protection for the vehicle be submitted for each of the toy cars purchased via Target for the promotion. I contacted Mattel and requested escalation since I had already provided proof of purchase, and question why myself or others should need to destroy the packaging of the product (which reduces value via the vehicle no longer being protected and sending in the card containing artwork and information). I was told I would be contacts in 24 hours, I was not. Days later a supervisor reached me saying that rules are rules, nothing could be done. Her name was ********, and identified herself as a general supervisor at Mattel. She could not indicate a valid reason for destroying and sending in the product packaging for the promotion other than claiming it was required for proof of purchase I have already provided proof of purchase for these items and should be provided with these vehicles. Mattel should not require promo participants/product owners to destroy an important piece of their purchase. She mentioned that this helps reduce fraud, however I noted that many people duplicate blisters. Mattel should provide me the vehicles, and a better method here.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/29/2023

  We reached out to the consumer and discussed the official posted rules of this promotion which required the blister cards to be submitted for the promotion. We are required to follow the rules of the promotion in order to be fair to all participants. We are passing the consumer's comments on to our team as we value the feedback of our consumers.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/30/2023

   
  Complaint: 20525797
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  The response fails to describe the presence of a valid business reason for requiring a portion of the product be submitted to participate in the promotion.  The company is asking customers to destroy part of the product in order to show "proof of purchase" when also requesting a receipt for the purchase.  Why is a receipt not adequate?  I can't think of any possible reason to require the cards as proof of purchase especially when they are commonly  opted and reproduced as part of "customs" or reproductions of existing product line.  

  The representative also identified that other promotions require the product cards to be submitted, however no valid reason was given other that "rules are rules".  Furthermore, the representative failed to acknowledge that I had participated in a similar promotion for a Porsche 993 GT3 just months ago in which I received 3 promotional vehicles without sending in the cards, and by simply submitting proof of purchase (receipts, the same as in the case per complaint).   This means that Mattel is either not truly requiring these cards (artwork, protection, and information for the hot wheels toy) or they are not consistently applying the stated rules to these promotions.  In *** case, there are other ways of validating proof of purchase for these items other than destroying valuable components of the product.  Mattel has a sophisticated way of transferring NFT's, redeemable crypto tokens, and facilitates crypto payments through it's website but cannot proclaimed a method to customers to participate in thsee promotions that doesn't require product damage?  This is unacceptable.  One form of proof of purchase should be adequate, or some other method of providing proof such as photos submitted to website, etc.  

   

  I am requesting the promotional vehicles again or the value for me to purchase them on the market ($100).  I made the purchases at the participating retailer (target) sent in proof of purchase (receipts), and successfully completed the application for the vehicles and authorized payment for shipping.  There is no reasonable purpose for the denial of my receiving the items.

  The BBB should look review this practice by Mattel since it is inconsistent, unreasonable, outdated, and required the customer to forfeit a portion of the value of the purchased product and insure extra costs)i.e. shipping charges for postage on all of the submitted cards (20 cards to redeem per 1 promotional vehicle) and the additional environmental waste (unnecessary extra postage and waste created by the process).

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Business Response

  Date: 09/06/2023

  We appreciate our collectors and value their feedback. We have reached out to the consumer again and provided the official rules of the promotion that he participated in. With regards to the blister cards/UPC codes, the rules state that blister cards from single packs of cars (the entire cardboard piece, but not the car or plastic window), or UPC codes from the multipacks matching the receipt totaling $20 (twenty dollars) before taxes should be included and they were not part of his submission. The rules of the promotion can be viewed below.

  *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/15/2023

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I placed an order for a hoodie online on July 30th. Mattel immediately charged my credit card, but the statement only said they had accepted my order. Although some products on the website are listed for pre-order, this item was not.Since there was no tracking number and nothing changed all week, I contacted Mattel Creations through their website on August 4th, the following Friday. I received only a blank email in reply.Since nothing changed, I tried again on Monday, August 7th. I did get a reply this time, on August 8th, saying they had "released my order to the warehouse" and going to "process it." I replied and said they still had given me no explanation of what they were doing or why my order was not sent. To this, I received a courteous reply saying they did not know when it would be sent.Since the purchase was not especially time sensitive or vital, I thought that would be fine until I saw on my credit card bill that they had already charged my card more than two weeks ago.When I called again today, August 14, which is 16 days since they charged my credit card, I was told that the order had been released to the warehouse and that once they had processed it, they would let me know and send me a tracking number. They refused to let me speak to a supervisor. They refused to refund my money. There's a person who goes by **************** in customer service who is courteous, but other than that, Mattel Creations has done nothing right here.I want my money back and do not want to wear a product from this company.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/18/2023

  We've reached out to the consumer and the concern is resolved.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/11/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  There have been multiple occasions where collector dolls have been shipped with very poor quality control. Other occasions where orders have not been properly fulfilled and I have been a victim of both. I ordered 2 draculaura freak du chic collector dolls, one never got shipped and the other arrived to me with missing parts (a hand). This is unacceptable considering that this is a higher valued item, the quality control should reflect such. The options they give you are usually unsatisfactory in resolving the issues. You either return the defective doll and get no guaranteed replacement which would be fine for normal products, but because this is a collectors item the only option you have after is purchasing the item 3rd party, in which they increase the price usually double if not more than what the item is worth when you should have gotten the item for retail price in the first place. They also don't give you the option for shipping the replacement part if that is something you would choose to do. The other issue is the fulfillment process, again I ordered 2 items and was only shipped 1, again this would be fine if they were able to rectify the issue but because this is a collectors item there is no guarantee that I will be shipped that item even though I purchased it. Causing me to again either get a refund and buy 3rd party when I should NEVER have had to, or by some miracle they have the sold out collector item in stock that they can ship me which probably also has a defect like the missing hand. We were told that a replacement doll would be sent for the missing hand AND another doll would be sent because I was missing one and they had more in reserve. I was LIED TO, I just got a refund recently for the missing doll. I DON'T WANT A REFUND I WANT THE ***** I PURCHASED FAIR AND SQUARE FROM THE DROP AND WITHOUT MISSING PARTS! Your company needs to get it together this is completely unacceptable.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/18/2023

  We've reached out to the consumer and addressed her concerns.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/08/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On July 19th 2023, I placed an order with Mattel Creations for a Barbie the Movie Bucket Hat. Mattel Creations has a statement on their website that shipments will be made within 3-5 business days. It is now August 8th, and my item still has not shipped. I have contacted **************** twice, the first time on July 30th and the second time yesterday, August 7th. Both times I received a response back saying that my "item was in the warehouse" and that I will "receive an email once it has shipped", and they requested I be patient. However, after receiving these emails, I've noticed that I'm far from the only person having this issue, with some customers alleging that they have orders from February that have not shipped. So while the customer service response was prompt and polite, I do not think this response from the company is good enough. I do not trust that I will actually receive my order. My desired resolution is for my item to be shipped, and for me to have actual confirmation that it has been shipped. I have 2 pre-orders with Mattel Creations that are not related to this complaint, and I do not want to have to repeat these complaints in the coming months.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/15/2023

  I've reached out to the consumer and provided the **** tracking number.  Delivery is expected this week via ****.  We will confirm delivery.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/15/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************