REBOR general discussion

[DinoToyForum]

I moved the off topic (but welcome!) post by Mechaknifehead here: http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=3273.0

[stargatedalek]

But I actually can see how rude have many members been with him/her. Many overcriticized their models for flaws that even Safari and CollectA keep doing.

There is certainly an element of elitism that is difficult to ignore or even begin to describe, for that matter.  I have a feeling if dinosaur train toys were 100% accurate, most of the folks here would give their support...

Yes, many of these same flaws can be seen in models put forward by other companies, and they are also brought up when critiquing said other companies. REBOR were originally singled out not because they had flaws, but rather because they claimed said flaws did not exist. Later on they even admitted to deliberately flawing their models and yet still knowingly advertised them otherwise. When a company unwittingly makes an error that's one thing, it gets called out, everyone has a nice sigh (the length of which depending on how obvious this error was), maybe even a bit of a chuckle, and then things move on.

REBOR however not only made mistakes knowingly and advertised otherwise, but they then went on to rub this in everyone's faces. REBOR thought they would take advantage of the average layman's lack of paleontological knowledge and market their products as "accurate" and "based on the latest research". That's like claiming Jurassic park is "based on a true story" because dinosaurs really existed, and theme parks really exist.

They lied and then bragged about how they could do it if they felt like it, and that was just the beginning of their aggression. I've even been targeted personally by REBOR. I can't find the topic but at one point REBOR actually singled me out and accused me of "being arrogant" because I apologized to the staff because I felt that some of the hostility was my fault. Well I know I'm no saint, that's why I apologized, and apparently trying to accept responsibility was cause for them to single me out and tease me, accepting responsibility, why does that seem familiar to me in regards to REBOR... oh right the bit about lying. I let it slide at the time because yah, I know I can be, but after their last tirade which seemed to have also been directed at me initially (sorry again everyone), I get the feeling like a company rep has nothing better to do than target members on purpose, presumably trying to bait people into replying aggressively. Perhaps they are/were trying to systematically get the people in the most opposition to REBOR banned, I don't want to speculate any further.

To sum things up, the problem was never with REBOR's products, it was with their attitude and later on their actions. I'm actually rather fond of a few of their products, namely that acrocanthosaurus, even with inaccuracies. But should I feel inclined to buy products from a company who has visited our forum and then attempted to sabotage events for their own advertising? Who's voice has insulted people who I look up to, people who I consider as friends, and myself personally? Of course bloody well not!

@MechaKnifehead
Those are some seriously sweet customs mate! Sorry for insinuating you weren't legitimate, this is just a sensitive/suspicious time and given past plants it seemed rather suspicious for multiple new people to arrive in succession like that.

@Per-Topic
I have to agree with TJ_Terrorsaur that that would certainly be a cool model. Definitely has a very Chaos Effect feel to it. Sadly even if REBOR did make it though I wouldn't buy it, seeing it in my home would only make me upset...

[amargasaurus cazaui]

I've always found it funny how these REBOR arguments tend to have new members crawling out of the woodwork to defend them and insult this community as a whole (not just offending members themselves, the entire forum). Where were all these new members prior? How come they never introduce themselves or share their collection? They just come to these REBOR threads and add fuel to the fire. Just seems odd. This doesn't happen with this sort of frequency on any other topic debated on this forum, It's always REBOR. Once the dust settles, they seem to disappear.

I made note of this as well, and that the people who are doing this always select a name that gives no reference to anything dinosaur related, not that it is required, but there does seem to be a pattern there,You get the definite feeling it is a few or perhaps even two people with nothing better to do than play games

[Zelan]

So I have been following this forum for several years now and I really have a hard time seeing why multiple people (excluding the obvious plants) seem to think that forum members have been extremely rude right off the bat to REBOR. Sure some of the comments were nitpicky, but isn't this forum suppose to be the place to share these opinions? Whether you share said opinions are a whole different matter. I also agree that some of the comments sound like a broken record, but when the same inaccuracies show up time and again of course people will point them out.

It's also worth mentioning that they chose to present their very first model heavily implying it was highly accurate when it clearly wasn't, so some of the responses they got in my opinion were justified. If they had simply showed off their model and left it at that, I doubt some of the responses would have been nearly as harsh. REBOR also had multiple opportunities to correct their attitude problem but chose not to. Not to mention a company rep is not a regular forum member and should conduct themselves accordingly, not seen bickering with potential customers on a public forum.

I find members on this forum to be very civil for the vast majority of the time and the posts here are far and away better than some other forums I have been in the past. Maybe it's just that I have seen far more toxic forums (usually gaming ones) that I don't see the same happening here. I would say this is still one of the most welcoming and friendly forums I have been on despite recent events.

[Simon]

So I have been following this forum for several years now and I really have a hard time seeing why multiple people (excluding the obvious plants) seem to think that forum members have been extremely rude right off the bat to REBOR. Sure some of the comments were nitpicky, but isn't this forum suppose to be the place to share these opinions? Whether you share said opinions are a whole different matter. I also agree that some of the comments sound like a broken record, but when the same inaccuracies show up time and again of course people will point them out.

It's also worth mentioning that they chose to present their very first model heavily implying it was highly accurate when it clearly wasn't, so some of the responses they got in my opinion were justified. If they had simply showed off their model and left it at that, I doubt some of the responses would have been nearly as harsh. REBOR also had multiple opportunities to correct their attitude problem but chose not to. Not to mention a company rep is not a regular forum member and should conduct themselves accordingly, not seen bickering with potential customers on a public forum.

I find members on this forum to be very civil for the vast majority of the time and the posts here are far and away better than some other forums I have been in the past. Maybe it's just that I have seen far more toxic forums (usually gaming ones) that I don't see the same happening here. I would say this is still one of the most welcoming and friendly forums I have been on despite recent events.

You hit the nail on the head.  They also have had a highly annoying habit of using legions of "new users" who would pop up just to shill for them.  Probably a few alter-egos as well as friends of the company owners/workers.  Wading through the incessant, near-identical drivel from these shills over the past 6 months has been far more annoying than their somewhat naive chest-thumping initial posts.

I will second what Amargasaurus Cauzui has said and only add that, if I was still in the figure collecting business (which I am not having sold off my collection last year) I would absolutely refuse to buy anything from these people based on their behavior on this board.  Even if they had produced the most accurate sculpts anyone has ever seen (which they have not), I would not want to contribute a single red cent towards encouraging such behavior.

[ddidiodion]

For the record, I was not the one who insinuated you were sent here by REBOR. I was just making a general observation regarding the influx of new members when REBOR debates come up. There have been many.

That may be an indicator of the ridiculousness of the situation that browsers feel the need to comment on it. I'm sure if you google my handle there will be a few results, if that isn't enough to satisfy others that I'm not a "plant" then I hope that helps them dismiss the criticism without having to look it in the face. I never have had any desire to share my collection and recent events have reinforced that view.

And I'm sorry my handle didn't have a dinosaur reference, I went for... you know... my name.

[laticauda]

I must admit, I like the accurate (ish) toy/models from movies.  Of course, toys are meant to be played with, but I think that is why I didn't like the Chaos effect JP dinosaurs.  They were inaccurate to the movies, books, and real science. I know that they are just toys, and to simply try and enjoy them.   I like to think that I am more open minded, but when I saw the Magnificent, I went uggh, that's horrible.  So I guess, that just who I am. 

[Megalosaurus]

This is just an april's fool joke. Didn't you catch it?
But anyway. It will be cool to see that thing in the Freak line. But it needs to have bigger wings, and of curse a sauropod neck.

Well, of course. Just thought it was funny and relevant, so I shared it here.

Yes it is relevant. So thank you for sharing.
I think they take their bad experience with sense of humour.

[DinoLord]

When I first saw it on Facebook, I thought to myself, "Hasbro won't be very happy with this..." 

[tanystropheus]

Regarding new users, I would imagine that a lot of them are legit - The REBOR Facebook page seems to have amassed almost 20,000 fans (that's roughly 5 times the size of like-minded groups) and it is probable that individuals from RBR FB are now frequenting DTF.

[MechaKnifehead]

  I don't imagine this place is important enough for Rebor send actual plants, lol.  And I'm definitely one of the 20,000 likes on the FB page.  I liked it immediately upon the reveal of Savage.  Probably the coolest Ceratosaurus toy I've ever seen.  Not ashamed.

  And I can't wait for preorders of that Acro to go up.

[Shadowknight1]

When I first saw it on Facebook, I thought to myself, "Hasbro won't be very happy with this..." 

Hasbro's I couldd see maybe working as a real dinosaur somehow.  REBOR's mutant?  Not so much.  But I would still buy it because I enjoy bat**** crazy concepts.

[Yutyrannus]

So I have been following this forum for several years now and I really have a hard time seeing why multiple people (excluding the obvious plants) seem to think that forum members have been extremely rude right off the bat to REBOR. Sure some of the comments were nitpicky, but isn't this forum suppose to be the place to share these opinions? Whether you share said opinions are a whole different matter. I also agree that some of the comments sound like a broken record, but when the same inaccuracies show up time and again of course people will point them out.

It's also worth mentioning that they chose to present their very first model heavily implying it was highly accurate when it clearly wasn't, so some of the responses they got in my opinion were justified. If they had simply showed off their model and left it at that, I doubt some of the responses would have been nearly as harsh. REBOR also had multiple opportunities to correct their attitude problem but chose not to. Not to mention a company rep is not a regular forum member and should conduct themselves accordingly, not seen bickering with potential customers on a public forum.

I find members on this forum to be very civil for the vast majority of the time and the posts here are far and away better than some other forums I have been in the past. Maybe it's just that I have seen far more toxic forums (usually gaming ones) that I don't see the same happening here. I would say this is still one of the most welcoming and friendly forums I have been on despite recent events.

Thank you for saying that, I totally agree. In fact if it weren't for REBOR's (the member's) extreme rudeness, which really was unjustified (as you said, most members pointed out the errors in REBOR's first model, but most still intended to buy it and they were far from rude, they were simply giving constructive criticism so that REBOR could improve it's future models), I probably would still have bought the Ceratosaurus (despite the price, which is a little excessive in my opinion), I was looking forward to their oddities line, and I actually thought that the Acrocanthosaurus would be cool enough to buy as well. More specifically, it was their insults against Doug Watson, one of the sculptors that I most respect, that truly convinced me not to buy anything from the company, even though it was only the company's representative who did these things.

Also, as many have already said, what I and others on this forum who will no longer buy REBOR's figures are doing is not boycotting the company and we are not depriving ourselves of anything by not buying these figures. At least in my case, their representative's attitude was so off-putting that I no longer want any of their figures.

Anyway, I agree with TJ Terrorsaur, I agree that some of REBOR's (again the member, not the company) actions are appalling, however it has been three days since then and this thread has gone on for another seven pages in discussion of the subject. It's probably time we just forget about it and...

[Shadowknight1]

Yutyrannus, the WS and REBOR Acros aren't in the same pose.  Similar, but not the exact same.  That's actually the kind of comment that started the whole mess to begin with.

[Yutyrannus]

Yutyrannus, the WS and REBOR Acros aren't in the same pose.  Similar, but not the exact same.  That's actually the kind of comment that started the whole mess to begin with.

My apologies then, I'll remove it because I certainly do not want to start this again.

[Shadowknight1]

I do echo the sentiment "Keep calm and love dinosaurs" though.  That's what we're here for.  The dinosaurs!

[tanystropheus]

I do echo the sentiment "Keep calm and love dinosaurs" though.  That's what we're here for.  The dinosaurs!

That is definitely a philosophy to live by (in every sense of the word) 

[TJ_Terrorsaur]

....<_< >_>... -Clears throat- "Bless my soul Herc was on a roll." 
I'm going yo buy a Phil figure to put along side of that Acro now.

[joossa]

I find it interesting that some of you are saying you'll boycott or won't consider buying Rebor product until the rep apologizes. You really think that after the rep's experiences here, he/she will change his/her ways and an apology will really correct that level of one-dimensioned way of thinking and self righteousness? Come on people... it's one person representing the company. If you're really that offended for whatever reason(s) that came out of the recent *discussion*, then boycott the entire line indefinitely. Thinking a simple apology will remedy what has been done is borderline humors if you're offended enough to boycott to begin with. We got stuck with a less than ideal rep that lacks professionalism and this isn't the first time we dealt with something  like this. It'll be interesting to see how much of this is drama for the sake of drama and how many of you will stick with a boycott long term, especially after they come out with more models.

Also, in my opinion, some of you really need to reconsider how you deliver criticism. We're the collectors, consumers, and hobbyists and should be able to keep ourselves grounded in discussions when companies and producers come our way. Constructive criticism with perspective and intent to help is good. Going back even to the Y-Rex premier topic by Rebor (http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=2553.0), some posts show such nastiness and a total lack of civility right from the get-go. You'd think dino toy, figure, model, replica, etc. enthusiasts would be more willing to be enthusiastic and passionate to deliver opinions and critique in a constructive way to a company that clearly has lots of potential for future work. Also, in the case that triggered Rebor to post here about the feet size on the Acro, if the rep was clearly not getting it, why fuel the fire with such unnecessary attitudes? Just leave it for what it is, because there's sometimes no changing it, which goes to what I said about the apology.

In my opinion, both the Rebor rep and some of you are clearly at fault; and not just in this topic, but previous Rebor topics as well. The Rebor rep has his/her own ways of seeing (or not seeing) things and if he/she decides to come back, be aware of that, or what happened in this topic will just be repeated all over. Everyone should go back and see the faults of the rep and some of our own community members in how criticism was attempted to be delivered, discussed, and handled. And even if discussion was attempted in a civil manner, some people won't ever get it... so just walk away or take the higher ground. No need for it to sink down into an elementary school yard argument of "this one is better than yours", which loses realism and becomes an argument of passion. The rep wasn't even aware of the WS Acro, for goodness sake. At that point the argument should have just been dropped since there's no credibility.

I personally like the Rebor models a lot. I thought some of the rep's comments were ridiculous and some of the attitude was uncalled for, but at the end of the day, I'm not going to care so much about the rep as I am going to care about the product. I like the product and will continue to buy it because they look good on my shelf and I like them and that's what mostly matters to me in a figure manufacturer.

[Yutyrannus]

I do echo the sentiment "Keep calm and love dinosaurs" though.  That's what we're here for.  The dinosaurs!

That is definitely a philosophy to live by (in every sense of the word) 

Agreed .