Pin Trading - Crap pin from CM

[pixiewings71]

Where is the original OP?
Why no response to all of our replies?

As the mother of a recent DL CM who wore a lanyard, I am finding it difficult to believe you were duped or taken advantage of or that one pin had such a huge affect on your entire vacation. REALLY?

Perhaps the OP has not been able to make it back on. And yes, a pin can have such a huge effect on a vacation, my kids have been very heartbroken when they've had pins break. Not enough to "ruin" our times at DL but they have been very disappointed...and ftr, I did not contact Disney regarding broken pins, altho they were pins purchased or traded for within the parks. Maybe I should take them next month and try to get replacements.

Sunami's, earthquakes, Famine, disease, financial ruin, wars, tornado's, hurracaines, drought, Aids, car accidents, plane crashes, depression, suicide,starvation just to name a few.
For much of my adult life I have been a Chaplain and worked with tragedies that made my heart break.
Opps, should I add cheap Disney pins ???
I usually try to be sweet on these boards. Sometimes I just get angry.
Sorry

There are different reasons for people to be upset. The OP has every right to be upset here. Getting a bad pin is certainly not a tragedy, does that mean the OP can't be upset and ask here what she can do about it?

 

[bumbershoot]

There are different reasons for people to be upset. The OP has every right to be upset here. Getting a bad pin is certainly not a tragedy, does that mean the OP can't be upset and ask here what she can do about it?

I definitely agree with that one. Just because one's concern is lighter than it others' concerns doesn't invalidate the concerns.

The disappointment of getting a pin that is lower in value is one of the reasons I don't trade. Hubby made a trade that HE is happy with, but I am still upset about, when he traded an AP Dining pin for a Stitch pin. He looked up the value of the Stitch pin and it was a valuable one, but the AP Dining pins are limited in number and seem to be highly coveted, and to me it was worth far more than the $$ value of what he got.

I'm glad DS hasn't gotten into trading because he would be VERY disappointed if a pin broke like that. And he has a bizarrely long memory for a 4 year old; he traded with hubby last year, when he HATED the pin we bought him, and then asked for it back a full year later. OF course hubby had traded that pin for something else.

So I feel for the kiddo, but it is one of the reasons I'm glad I don't trade and DS doesn't trade, because of the possible disapointment that can happen.


I just hope the knowledge that having the squeeze-back thing doesn't mean it's not a Disney pin is helpful!

 

[evilprncess96]

I find it disappointing that people cannot discuss their unhappy moments as well as their happy moments on these boards without getting torn apart. I can see that a pin does not sound like a big deal when thinking of a total trip experience, however, what if that is the last part of your trip, or the one part of the trip that your child will remember. No most children will not realize the value of one pin over another, however, they will remember that their pin was broken/destroyed.

 

[austinosphere]

Where some see it as being "torn apart" others might see it as trying to get the person to put things in perspective. If we're a community, I would expect a wide range of replies, from "I can't believe you didn't deck her right there." which is always popular, to the "Really, over a pin?", and everything in between.

Sometimes complaint threads come in spurts, and after a while your gut reaction will bleed into your reply.

Let's all agree that what upsets us most is when our little ones get upset. It isn't always entirely rational. And sometimes small things can really taint our day, or even a whole trip. But it's unfortunate when it does so - and if each of us can't avoid these annoyances, at least we can do our best to not let them spoil things for us.

OP is fine of course and just says hey this is annoying. I think that at least my response isn't so much for OP, but from pent up feelings over the last 5 complaint threads I've read and didn't say anything in.

(My last! Back to work for me).

 

[Disney Dreams]

...The disappointment of getting a pin that is lower in value...

And that right there is the problem I think MANY run into when venturing into pin trading. Unless you are trading to start a college fund, forget about "value." Trade to get pins you/your kid/whoever likes. Forget about "worth." If you like it, trade for it. If you don't, keep the pin you have. It truly is that simple. And that's when it's fun and worry-free.

 

[BurnsideMommy]

Well, I'm *really* sorry I started this thread now.

We paid FAR more than $3000 for this vacation, and NO this one pin did not ruin it. Like I said, when he first got the pin I was suspicious and meant to ask another CM but forgot - because we were having fun. So no, it wasn't like I was dwelling on this pin.

What hurt was that this was the ONE souvenir that my son chose on this trip (I did buy them each a book one night as a surprise and have some Cmas goodies tucked away though). He got home, unpacked his bag and his one momento was busted. Tell me as an adult say you collected shot glasses and you brought one home and it was broken you wouldn't be sad? It's not like he's crying in the corner, and I'm not feeling entitled to anything from Disney. He was just upset, and I was slightly annoyed.

The value of the pin didn't matter so much to me, it was the fact that it was obviously such junk and not a real pin that it broke. If he gets some 'less' special pin by trading away a hidden mickey (done that), I don't care. He gets what he likes. The fact that he chose this pin to give to his brother was SO sweet to me, and then it broke. These are my son's pins, he likes to trade, we keep the special ones in the hotel room and pick out his 'traders' before we go into the parks. We just trade to get what he likes (mostly Buzz). Again, it's not the value, as long as it's a real Disney pin that's going to last and not fall apart in 24 hours.

I just was hoping maybe that the CM's could kind of glance over the pins before giving it to a guest. I was just thinking perhaps by saying something, maybe they'd give a quick reminder to those trading with guests? I mean they do have to take them off the lanyard to hand them to the guest. During that process they do see the pin. It was clear this was fake. I am NOT an expert in pin trading, I know nothing about it, yet I knew this was fishy. I don't expect the CM's to take Pin 101, but if they're dealing with guests, a quick glance would be helpful.

Also, I don't mean to say the CM literally ripped us off. I don't think she had any malicious intent going home all 'yaay I gave a 6 year old a fake'. I think she was just oblivious and we wound up with junk. I mean we got ripped off in our trade which happened with a CM, because of lack of education on both parts. Honestly, I just figured we were always safer trading with CM's than random folks in the park so we wouldn't get fakes and so I wouldn't have to spend days online reading up on how to spot fakes/how to trade/etc. This was supposed to just be an extra little fun activity for the kids in park.

Yes, I'm aware there are true tragedies in this world. My mother had a hemmoraghic brain stem stroke this year, my parents are divorcing, my nephew has had 2 open heart surgeries before age 5 and is autistic, my son has growth hormone deficiency, my dad has melanoma, and that's just in 'my' world, outside that there are national and global tragedies. This was just a minor irk in the scheme of things, but to a child part of keeping the Disney magic alive outside the parks are the memories, souvenirs and pictures of the trip. Having one of those be broken is major to a child, and they can't truly understand at that age the 'grand scheme' of suffering. However, he's not torn up over it, just dissapointed. Have you as an adult ever been upset over something minor in comparison to suffering? Ever been upset that you have a flat tire, were fat before your reunion, had a unexpected bill arrive, lost a pet, etc. It's human and normal to feel slightly upset over un-happy things temporarily.

I'm not a complainer. Heck, we had a CM leave a bottle of cleaning solution on the night stand in our room at the DLH last trip. We have 3 small kids who LOVE squirt bottles and if I hadn't seen it right away and grabbed it, could've been dangerous. I didn't run down and throw a fit, I went to the front desk, said it was left in our room and wanted to return it. Went on my merry way. I don't complain on these boards, I'm not feeling entitled to anything, don't want anyone in trouble, I just wanted to vent a little to folks I *thought* might understand, and see if there was anything I could or even should do. It would've been nice to have them replace my son's pin, but not expected at all. I see folks on here complain about how they didn't get an upgrade at check-in, and I don't share that sense of entitlement.

Pixiewings - thank you, that is very sweet to offer.

Again, I'm really sorry I shared this blip. Perhaps if I had posted a long trip report and burried this somehwere in the middle of all the happiness and fluff it would've been better received? I just don't have time to type out a huge trip report with all the details. We had a good trip, obvioulsy so since we decided to upgrade to AP's. We had a few minor things that were annoying or frustrating to us, but not enough to taint the entire vacation. This pin thing just annoyed me cause I thought I was going the 'safe' route by telling my son to only trade with CM's. That's it.

*sigh* I hate drama.

 

[Disney Dreams]

...What hurt was that this was the ONE souvenir that my son chose on this trip...He got home, unpacked his bag and his one momento was busted.

Can you see how presenting it that way is VERY different than how your initial post read? I can completely understand why he would be so disappointed given it is the only souvenir he pick himself. That stinks.

I just was hoping maybe that the CM's could kind of glance over the pins before giving it to a guest.

They look at them when they take them from a guest in a trade. This does not mean that in a busy moment, they don't take in a questionable pin by error.

It was clear this was fake. I am NOT an expert in pin trading, I know nothing about it, yet I knew this was fishy.

And this is where the trader has some responsibility as well. If you buy something at the Emporium and it has a stain, you would ask for another. If the pin looked "fishy," I have to ask why you allowed your boy to trade for it? I am not blaming you, I am just pointing out that while the CM may or may not have noticed in the midst of countless trades during her day, you did notice and still took it without questioning the CM about it.

Also, I don't mean to say the CM literally ripped us off.

...but you did say exactly that.

...I'm pretty sure we got ri
pped off by a CM....

I think that is what bothered some people in your initial post.

Honestly, I just figured we were always safer trading with CM's than random folks in the park...

You ARE safer trading with CMs. That does not mean they are perfect. What it DOES mean is that no one is TRYING to rip you off or intentionally trade you a fake. It's as safe as safe can be in such an activity

...I'm not feeling entitled to anything, don't want anyone in trouble, I just wanted to vent a little to folks I *thought* might understand, and see if there was anything I could or even should do.

Did you read my post (#14 in this thread) and follow my suggestions?

It would've been nice to have them replace my son's pin, but not expected at all.

Did you ask? Again, see my post (#14).

I am sorry you have so much sorrow you are dealing with in your life currently. Hopefully your Disney getaway was a little break from reality for a brief time for you. Good thoughts and pixie wishes to you and your family.

- Dreams (a fairly avid pin trader, who will only trade with CMs with the very rare exception)

 

[BurnsideMommy]

Well LOL, my initial post was a few minutes after finding out the pin was broken, so a bit more emotional than say a day or two later. Plus, when I typed that we had just got home from a 22 hour drive non-stop, no sleep, through a blizzard from Redding, CA all the way home. So ya, a little more touchy than usual and probably didn't word everything in print the way I meant it.

The 'ripped off by a CM' part should've read more like ripped off in a trade with a CM, but also not meaning SHE ripped us off, more that we in general got ripped off. I never for a moment believe she intentionally did it. I'm sure it was either a small child traded that pin with her or some jerk playing the system. She was just doing her job and being friendly. We just got screwed. I know what I said in the first post, I just didn't mean it literally the way it typed out. I tend to type the way I'd talk in person, and it's more of a 'we got screwed when we traded pins at the park with this CM', not a 'this mean CM ripped off a 6 year old'. It came out wrong, sorry.

I allowed him to trade for it because I did ask him 3 times if he was *sure* he wanted to trade for it. He was. I asked if he wanted to wait to find another CM, and he didn't. It was the only Mickey pin she had and we hadn't seen any other CM's with pins the entire trip. He wanted the Mickey pin for his brother. I figured it wouldn't do us any harm to have a fake pin providing that it wasn't such junk that it'd fall apart in a day or two. A good fake isn't going to hurt us, but if it crumbles, well, that's annoying. Part of the pin trading thing is that he gets complete control over what he choses. Unlike when we go into a store to chose a treat and he has to stay within a budget or chose something small, etc - with pin trading whatever he sees that he likes, he can trade for - that's something that you can very rarely do 'literally get what you want'. I just figured it was part of the magic of Disney letting him do something so 'grown up'. So he enjoys it, and it's never been a big deal to me.

I did read your #14 post. Honestly I really don't see any reason to spend time on the phone to Guest relations. It's a good idea and I thank you, I'm sure they'd be nice and helpful to please a guest as they typically do - even for the unreasonable guests! We saw one of those at the AP window throwing a irrational fit, and the CM's moved him to the front of the line! Both DH & I were wishing we were willing to throw a fit like that to get to the front of the line, instead we quietly waited in line for 40 minutes with 3 tiny kids in the cold night.

If my son brings it up again any time soon, I might call, but not likely as I really don't speak up 99% of the time, and even just posting this initial thread was a huge step outside the box for me, and getting jumped on has me all bothered. Stupid, I know, but I'm sensitive like that. Yes, it would be nice if they replaced it, but calling them to ask them would likely give me butterflys in my stomach. I know they get stupid complaints ALL the time and it wastes their time, so I don't want to be labeled a whiner. Which is why I don't expect a replacement at all. If I had thought to buy him a pin for Cmas, I would give it to him now, but I did not.

Anyways, here I am again running on no sleep and babbling. I guess I just wanted to vent initially.

I will say though, that we will still let him trade with CM's, but that if I suspect a fake, that we'll talk to him and tell him that we don't want to take chances that it might break later and find one that at least looks real to trade for. It's a hard, but good lesson to learn - I just wish he had traded more pins that trip so that it wasn't the only thing he had, that makes learning the lesson more painful. Luckily he's a pretty happy kiddo and made a Kinex sculpture thingy for his brother today instead.

 

[pixiewings71]

Well, I'm *really* sorry I started this thread now.

We paid FAR more than $3000 for this vacation, and NO this one pin did not ruin it. Like I said, when he first got the pin I was suspicious and meant to ask another CM but forgot - because we were having fun. So no, it wasn't like I was dwelling on this pin.

What hurt was that this was the ONE souvenir that my son chose on this trip (I did buy them each a book one night as a surprise and have some Cmas goodies tucked away though). He got home, unpacked his bag and his one momento was busted. Tell me as an adult say you collected shot glasses and you brought one home and it was broken you wouldn't be sad? It's not like he's crying in the corner, and I'm not feeling entitled to anything from Disney. He was just upset, and I was slightly annoyed.

The value of the pin didn't matter so much to me, it was the fact that it was obviously such junk and not a real pin that it broke. If he gets some 'less' special pin by trading away a hidden mickey (done that), I don't care. He gets what he likes. The fact that he chose this pin to give to his brother was SO sweet to me, and then it broke. These are my son's pins, he likes to trade, we keep the special ones in the hotel room and pick out his 'traders' before we go into the parks. We just trade to get what he likes (mostly Buzz). Again, it's not the value, as long as it's a real Disney pin that's going to last and not fall apart in 24 hours.

I just was hoping maybe that the CM's could kind of glance over the pins before giving it to a guest. I was just thinking perhaps by saying something, maybe they'd give a quick reminder to those trading with guests? I mean they do have to take them off the lanyard to hand them to the guest. During that process they do see the pin. It was clear this was fake. I am NOT an expert in pin trading, I know nothing about it, yet I knew this was fishy. I don't expect the CM's to take Pin 101, but if they're dealing with guests, a quick glance would be helpful.

Also, I don't mean to say the CM literally ripped us off. I don't think she had any malicious intent going home all 'yaay I gave a 6 year old a fake'. I think she was just oblivious and we wound up with junk. I mean we got ripped off in our trade which happened with a CM, because of lack of education on both parts. Honestly, I just figured we were always safer trading with CM's than random folks in the park so we wouldn't get fakes and so I wouldn't have to spend days online reading up on how to spot fakes/how to trade/etc. This was supposed to just be an extra little fun activity for the kids in park.

Yes, I'm aware there are true tragedies in this world. My mother had a hemmoraghic brain stem stroke this year, my parents are divorcing, my nephew has had 2 open heart surgeries before age 5 and is autistic, my son has growth hormone deficiency, my dad has melanoma, and that's just in 'my' world, outside that there are national and global tragedies. This was just a minor irk in the scheme of things, but to a child part of keeping the Disney magic alive outside the parks are the memories, souvenirs and pictures of the trip. Having one of those be broken is major to a child, and they can't truly understand at that age the 'grand scheme' of suffering. However, he's not torn up over it, just dissapointed. Have you as an adult ever been upset over something minor in comparison to suffering? Ever been upset that you have a flat tire, were fat before your reunion, had a unexpected bill arrive, lost a pet, etc. It's human and normal to feel slightly upset over un-happy things temporarily.

I'm not a complainer. Heck, we had a CM leave a bottle of cleaning solution on the night stand in our room at the DLH last trip. We have 3 small kids who LOVE squirt bottles and if I hadn't seen it right away and grabbed it, could've been dangerous. I didn't run down and throw a fit, I went to the front desk, said it was left in our room and wanted to return it. Went on my merry way. I don't complain on these boards, I'm not feeling entitled to anything, don't want anyone in trouble, I just wanted to vent a little to folks I *thought* might understand, and see if there was anything I could or even should do. It would've been nice to have them replace my son's pin, but not expected at all. I see folks on here complain about how they didn't get an upgrade at check-in, and I don't share that sense of entitlement.

Pixiewings - thank you, that is very sweet to offer.

Again, I'm really sorry I shared this blip. Perhaps if I had posted a long trip report and burried this somehwere in the middle of all the happiness and fluff it would've been better received? I just don't have time to type out a huge trip report with all the details. We had a good trip, obvioulsy so since we decided to upgrade to AP's. We had a few minor things that were annoying or frustrating to us, but not enough to taint the entire vacation. This pin thing just annoyed me cause I thought I was going the 'safe' route by telling my son to only trade with CM's. That's it.

*sigh* I hate drama.

Don't apologize for posting your feelings. You were exhausted and upset and you had every right to be that way!! I'm glad you made it home safely, glad you had a great trip and I was serious with my offer. I'm not sure what I've got for Buzz but I can see what I have if you'd like to give me some ideas.

 

[Leofoenget]

an official Disney pin should have the disney logo on the back. It was probably a Sedesma pin. If you go on ebay and do a Disney Pins search you can see them being sold in cheap Lots. I have never bought any but DS has treaded a few. It bugs me too.

 

[Sienna]

Let's not jump on the OP's back. This is a place where people can bring up anything at all, big concerns, little concerns, etc. In the overall scheme of things, it is a very minor concern, but the OP still had a question on how to handle it.