4.15.2008

Fathead and poor customer service

Several months back (like September), we purchased a Fathead for our play room redecoration project. It was a Purdue football helment and fit in nicely in our football themed room, painted in Old Gold (Purdue's official shade of gold).

We got the product, layed it flat, painted the room, and waited two months to put it up so that the paint dried right. We put it up, and while we had some problems with it, overall it stayed up with some minor peeling. After a month or so, it came tumbling down and we could not re-attach it to the wall.

We are busy people, so it took us a while to contact Fathead about it. I was quite surprised at their response. They said they were sorry for the defective product, but that we were outside the 60 day warranty window. They would however be more than happy to sell us a Fathead at 25% off retail price.

I was stunned. Fathead doesn't have a product if it doesn't do the only thing it is supposed to do - STICK TO THE WALL.

I had planned on buying other Fatheads - for starters Detroit Red Wings for my bedroom and Star Wars figures for the kids' Lego room. Clearly, if Fathead doesn't think that their product will work for more than 60 days, and if they won't take care of "defective products" (their words), it doesn't make sense for me to drop $100 on each of these Fatheads.

With the cost of one replacement product and shipping Fathead had the opportunity to sell us more Fatheads. Not to mention the viral marketing opportunity lost by people now not asking "Cool where did you get THAT?"

Are you intentionally chasing away your customers?

25 comments:

Unknown said...

James please send me an email address at brianstevenson@fathead.com to further discuss your experience with our product. thanks.

Anonymous said...

I purchased a Fathead in May of 2008 for my husband's birthday. It had some minor peeling for the last couple of months but I just rubbed it back on the wall. Yesterday the whole entire helmet of the Dallas Cowboys came tumbling down in our game room. I am extremely disappointed that they don't even last a year! We followed the instructions and it still doesn't work. To think I almost purchased 3 of them for Christmas this year YIKES sure glad I didn't especially since all they will offer is 25% off a replacement one.

Anonymous said...

I have had almost the EXACT same experience as Stephanie... ours is a Wisconsin Badgers Helmet purchased as Christmas helmet... would NOT stay on wall no matter what... just as Stephanie indicated, they said it was "out of 60 day period". END OF STORY! oh of course unless we'd like to purchase another one @ 25% off... why would I spend what would total close to $200 when I'm all finished to get another product they won't stand behind? We too were going to purchase additional fatheads but with that kind of service.. forget it. We actually have several people waiting to find out how this all turns out with Fathead ... they won't order from them if Fathead won't stand behind their product... a CUstomer Service mgr. is supposed to call but I can imagine how that will go... sounds like they have a canned speech about it. & FYI I also learned that if they do replace it .. the replacement one does not have ANY warranty so you are S.O.L if that one falls off wall as well... Terrible, terrible customer service and support of an expensive product .. they are losing LOTS of customers .. & should be! VERY DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER... maybe they should spend less on their commercials and more on their existing customers & product!!!

Unknown said...

ahhh maybee it is just the helmets that stink ( all these problems are with helmets

andrew z said...

Andrew z

I have the same problem as james. I have left 3 messages since christmas of 2008. I have yet to get a return phone call. I purchased 2 fatheads and neither one of them stick. I had to go out and buy double sided tape.these are defective items. They know this . Now a days you would consider that their customer service would be exceptional.But like evryone else they are ripping us off.

Anonymous said...

I had the same problem. However, When mine fell off the wall 2 days later, the grill on the helmet ripped. I was determined to put it back up. So I did, and I used Elmers rubber cement. Lets hope this works. So far, its not even peeling up. They say not to put it on texture walls. I dont know anyone with flat walls...not on the west coast at least. I think the concept is awesome, but the product is very poorly made. I was thinking of getting Tom Brady and Randy Moss to complete my loft, However with these kind of comments and the cost of these items, I think Ill pass. Ill just pray mine doesnt fall down.

Anonymous said...

Did the rubber cement work? I have a very similar story except that we bought our Star Wars Fathead before Christmas and have just gotten around to remodeling the kids rooms. So my 60 day window is way gone! Let me know if there is anything that works to keep them up. I was thinking of trying wallpaper paste next.

Anonymous said...

Same story.....first time I placed my 2 fatheads on wall......both fell within 3 hours.......clean wall, freshly painted about 3 years ago......customer service says "thäts too bad.....its over 60 days

Small Business Answering service said...

I also heard the same experience as you had.. That is really disappointing.. and as a result, they've lost a customer and generated bad word of mouth.

Anonymous said...

I have bought 4 Fathead products and have had success with only one,

I know how to install them, and even light clean the walls prior to install. The walls are smooth and the paint cured and proper.

Invariably 1 edge will peel after install and will constantly have to be re-stuck.

Eventually one might, the whole thing will come tumbling down into a pile which is impossible to untangle. If you can untangle it, it will never stick right again.

The warranty is 60 days. Past that, Fathead will give you a 25% discount - which is very amusing as at sale time they will send me emails offering 25-30% off anyway.

The customer service people are insulting, blame you and their offer is "absurd"

It is an awesome product idea, that undortunately, does not work. DO NOT BUY FATHEADS

Outsource Call Center said...

Oh' that's really bad! In my opinion, Good customer service is necessary. I believe that treating the customer so politely makes them so comfortable and satisfied with your services.

-fern-

Anonymous said...

I wish I would have researched this product before spending $80. I bought an Oregon Football Helment for my son for Christmas. We are both so disappointed in this product as it stayed on the wall just under 60 days. Would not recommend this product.

Anonymous said...

I just bought a Yankee logo, and I put it on a nice, flat, clean wall that was painted 16 months ago. the FatHead stuck fine ...but then 5 hours later, the sides started to peel. I now have to go into the room everyday and flatten it back down. PS: I see people spending $200?? They only cost $20 here in Modell's Sporting Goods in NY.

Angela said...

I ordered a fathead from them on the 30th of June, I have to receive my order. It is now the 14th day of July. They billed me immediately, and I got a tracking number with my order. I clicked on the link to track it, and it says invalid tracking. I called to inquire about it. They are giving me the run a ran. Said something about being out of boxes. I asked for a refund on my shipping. She didn't want to do that at the time. She said she would have it shipped overnight to me with no additional cost. Unfortunately, I still haven't received that and it has been 4 days later. I then tried the chat on fathead.com, the rep. gave me an additional 25% off with free shipping. She said that she would have it shipped overnight and she would send me the tracking number by e-mail. I still haven't received the tracking number and my credit card still hasn't been credited. I call them back. It shows it has been shipped, but they can't give me a tracking number for it. I am suppose to hear back sometime today. I noticed their website doesn't allow for customer reviews about customer service or quality of service but only reviews for the products. After reading the reviews here, I am considering just telling them to forget this. I can't paint my own damn mural!!

Anonymous said...

I will admit that I had no idea this product wouldn't stick to a textured wall considering most walls are textured, but whatever. My son's Clay Mathews fathead came of the wall in less than a day. I was not about to give up. So I ran to my local Home Dept and asked them what I could do. They suggested a wall paper /border paste. If you want to be able to move this thing, you won't be able to but at least it will stay on the wall. I did this last night and it's still on the wall. I will post again if this is the trick for keeping these big suckers on the wall as I was as frustrated as all of you. Not sure why they would make a product that has so many places where they won't stick?

Anonymous said...

Wow...same sticking problem here in Minnesota. It took 6 months for the 1st one to completely fall down, then another 3-4 before the 2nd one fell down. We are out $200 and I won't even waste my time with the horrible customer service (who are very "snarky" with me on e-mail) to have them tell me they'll just give me 25% off my replacements. I have a feeling there are a LOT of folks like us out here!

Anonymous said...

I had the same problem, with a Dwayne Wade fathead my son saved up for months to purchase. Fell off after two days, Fathead gave me the runaround. I didn't know about 60-day window. I managed to stick it up again, and it has fallen twice since, (and I used that little scraper thing almost every night to keep it stuck up). This last time it all stuck to itself, my son cried for a half hour. Terrible. Do not buy one of these!

Byron said...

I purchased two Fathead items. I purchased a large New Orleans Saints Helmet, and Drew Brees image, as a Christmas gift for my son. Two days later, the Saints Helmet had fallen, and created a problem with my wife and I to pull it apart. Just Saturday Jan. 28, 2012, Drew Brees fell. This is the second instance of a faulty product. I contacted Fathead when the helmet had fallen, and the representative gave several excuses, saying that the product don't attract to textured walls. The representative also suggested that I should use adhesive glue to keep the image up on the wall. I advise anyone not to buy this product. The advertisement make it seems as it is not a decal. I spent over $160 for a decal. I will not purchase a Fathead product.

Anonymous said...

I purchase my Oklahoma Sooners helment only a couple of months ago and last week the top portion of it began to peel. I jumped online hoping to find a fix for it. I dont' know what else to do. We purchased 2 sets and everything else is sticking just fine (and looks very incredible). HELP!

The Domesticated Princess said...

My son bought two of the Fathead jr's with his own money. Tonight, we hung them, and within an hour, we had to pull them off because they both kept peeling, and we were afraid they'd fall in the middle of the night and be ruined. Searching for a solution, I found this site. I am beyond frustrated because I never thought they wouldn't stick to textured walls simply because every interior house wall I've ever seen that isn't wallpapered is textured. I plan to let everyone I know hear how awful this product is.

Unknown said...

I have a jumbo Tim Duncan fathead. Got it a month ago. Put it up on Easter. It fell off the wall East night. I was lucky to get it untangled from itself. I flattened the hell out of it trying to get it on the wall. It stuck 3 days. It is peeling so darn bad. It's awful. I have it taped up with painter's tape. Sad. It was well over $100 bucks and it is now an eyesore. I am doing the same as one poster said, I am going to use wall paper paste on it. I had the same idea, wasn't sure it would work. She says it works, I'm going the same route. Headed to lowes or HD today or tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

They don't stick to walls with any texture.. The internet is ripe with complaints about this.. Don't buy unless you have a completely smooth wall.. or you're going to eventually come home and find your 100 dollars in a ball stuck together and worthless. Given that 99% of homes have textured walls.. it's pretty obvious why they don't make this more clear before you buy.

Anonymous said...

I seem to have the same problem as everyone else. I waited 4 months, after painting, to put up our Wisconsin Badger fatheads. Bucky Badger was huge and fell down in the night and the to make matters worse it stuck to itself. Was unable to salvage. All the other items have been peeling off. We have tacks or tape holding them up. I purchased Green Bay Clay Mathews at the same time and have yet to put up Clay Mathews as I don't want it to fall down. The other GB items have also curled and are being held up with tape or tacks.

I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone.

Anonymous said...

So I purchased a Patrick Willis Flathead on Amazon for my son's room but did not read the details in the item description until I received the package. I always read installation instructions, so it wasn't til I receive it that I realized it wasn't suitable for textured walls--I considered someone's suggestion to use spray adhesives but we are renting and I did not want to damage the wall. Then I had the idea to use Command strips. I carefully cut around the edges (not removing it from the backing) and placed the command strips around the edges. Worked great and now I can take it down and reapply if we move.

Anonymous said...

Fast tack spray on glue from home depot...just dont plan on taking it off