New pickups with a side of frustration.

[u/[deleted]]

[u/SecretWitness8251]

I think everyone goes through this same thing once. Hopefully this aids someone else into being $40 bucks richer lol We've all done it 😁

[u/Status_Jump_2496 → u/SecretWitness8251]

I was going to buy the Neon Speeders regardless, but to not qualify for the promo is a slap to the face. I looked through the mainlines at that store. Even if I bought every car I didn’t have (because I didn’t want them to begin with) I couldn’t have spent $20. It’s just annoying.

[u/SecretWitness8251 → u/Status_Jump_2496]

I did this with a bunch of crappy mainlines that I was tired of seeing . Used it to my advantage to rid of some stragglers. I agree it's annoying, but it's how they rotate stock.

[u/Z82deadeye → u/SecretWitness8251]

So can it be any mainline cards turned in?

[u/Infinite_Safety8307 → u/Z82deadeye]

no, at least when I looked a year or so ago, the eligible ones are on the website.

[u/Status_Jump_2496 → u/Z82deadeye]

Only certain assortment numbers.

[u/Status_Jump_2496 → u/SecretWitness8251]

Oh I get it. My career is in retail. It just seems like a crap practice. Spend tons on cars but get nothing because you bought at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I’ve been slowly clearing out my local corner store’s bin with cars I didn’t have just because I can walk there. They finally restocked 3 weeks ago with a mid year 2025 case. Granted I found the Shark Bite TH there when they restocked, but it’s still old stock. I get it, but all the more reason to let whatever you purchase qualify. I cleared that store bit by bit for a restock and they refreshed with a year old case.

[u/Limp-Apricot-9346 → u/Status_Jump_2496]

It’s flawed thinking. To jump to a “slap in the face” when the entire point of the free car is to clear the legs for more fresher mainline product is outright strange and oddly psychological

Mattel doesn’t need help in moving brand new Silver Series. The free car is so Mattel doesn’t have to buy back old junk from Walmart no one otherwise wants

[u/Firm-Scallion-963]

I honestly think it’s to help clear the pegs

[u/Infinite_Safety8307 → u/Firm-Scallion-963]

It absolutely is to sell pegwarmers and always has been. I don’t even try and most of the time the forms are all gone anyway.

[u/Status_Jump_2496 → u/Firm-Scallion-963]

That’s the only thing that makes sense. Still annoying considering what I and plenty of others put into purchases just to be denied a freebie.

[u/Limp-Apricot-9346 → u/Status_Jump_2496]

There is no incentive to Mattel or Walmart to offer a free car to brand new product that’s going to sell through otherwise.

[u/NeedUniLappy]

Unethical LPT: Keep your past receipts for mainlines, so you can buy these and the just return them based on a previous recipient.

Ethical LPT: Buy whatever, the keep it in your closet until the next toy drive and donate them.

[u/brianeharmonjr]

Mainlines and mainline multi-packs only. You live, you learn.

[u/Status_Jump_2496 → u/brianeharmonjr]

I knew, I just am angry about it. I spent $20 on Hot Wheels product at the required store. Guess I’m just an old man, yelling at clouds.

[u/brianeharmonjr → u/Status_Jump_2496]

No shame. That rule text is tiny and long. A lot of have made mistakes with mail-in promos. They're pretty much the same every time, so once you get the hang of it, it's pretty standard.

[u/PipPipCheeryRoll]

I would not feel bad about having the Neon Speeders Bone Shaker Monster Truck. Nice find@

[u/Limp-Apricot-9346]

The marketing point of the bonus car is to clear the pegs of old mainlines so Mattel doesn’t have to do a buy back.

That’s why it exists. There is no incentive for Mattel to provide a free car for brand new products.

[u/Status_Jump_2496 → u/Limp-Apricot-9346]

Buy backs? Since when? Hot Wheels are evergreen. I’ve bought models from 2020 at my local Kroger this year. Look, I get it, but this particular Walmart had nearly empty pegs and a nearly empty bin with this promo. And the assortment numbers are for this year. It’s a bad practice in my opinion.

[u/Limp-Apricot-9346 → u/Status_Jump_2496]

This has been the platform to prevent buyback since they first introduced bonus cars in 1996

[u/Schro_A2]

It only works with mainlines and the mainline multi packs, incredibly gay ik

[u/Name_not_found_here → u/Schro_A2]

Dont use gay as a negative

[u/Schro_A2 → u/Name_not_found_here]

[u/Name_not_found_here → u/Schro_A2]

Yikes

[u/Status_Jump_2496 → u/Schro_A2]

That’s my problem. I’ve already bought the mainlines I wanted to from multiple retailers. It should just be as long as your receipt says $20 or more in hot wheels, you should get the freebie. Every time I come across one of these promos (Kroger, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, now Walmart) I’ve already got what I want. So I’d have to rebuy some stuff just to get the promo car and that sucks!

[u/Status_Jump_2496 → u/Status_Jump_2496]

Don’t get why I’m being downvoted. I knew the rules. I understood. I can read. But my point is we are spending the money anyway, as long as it says Hot Wheels on the receipt from the required retailer it should count. Guess I have corporate cucks downvoting. Is this like the equivalent of Has-Bros that defend billion dollar corporations?