Mattel has a program for Hot Wheels collectors called the Hot Wheels Red Line Club. The way it works is people pay $9.99 a year for the “opportunity” to periodically buy special Red Line Club exclusive diecast vehicles. Some of these vehicles are limited in number and others are not. The limited diecast vehicles usually sell out within a few minutes of going live on the Mattel website.
The Red Line Club can be extremely aggravating
Not being able to purchase something you should be able to purchase can be extremely frustrating. I can’t count how many times I’ve tried to buy a Red Line Club vehicle and while waiting in queue to pay for it, the toy vehicle is removed from my cart and a notice appears on the screen stating the item is sold out.
So much for the opportunity to buy an exclusive Red Line Club diecast vehicle.
Does anyone else smell a bot?
To get around this opportunity problem, some members of the Red Line Club use bot software created specifically for the Mattel website. It enables them to go through the entire checkout process much more quickly. They configure the bot before something goes live so that once it does, the bot is able to hit the server and buy the Red Line Club diecast vehicle very quickly. I think it uses worm holes and warp bubbles.
The bot made especially for the Mattel Creations website is $79.99.
Mattel has a strict no-bot policy, but I don’t think they can actually enforce it. People still seem to be able to use the bot to purchase the Red Line Club diecast vehicles.
Mattel first creates a problem and then sells the fix
To assist collectors with purchasing the Red Line Club diecast vehicles they want, Mattel is doing something about it. Are they going to make enough Red Like Club vehicles for members? No, that would be silly. Instead, they are going to allow members to upgrade their membership. This upgrade is called the Red Line Club Overdrive.
From the Mattel website:
The RLC Overdrive membership upgrade allows fans to automatically purchase every 2024 RLC exclusive die-cast drop. This is the easy, stress-free way to get RLC exclusive cars. Members will be notified of each drop in advance and have the ability to skip any car they do not want to purchase.
The cost of the Red Line Club Overdrive upgrade is $99 a year.
This new upgrade Mattel is offering is a scam. The problem is they are selling too many memberships or not making enough toy cars for their members. Every member already pays $9.99 a year for the opportunity to buy exclusive Red Line Club diecast vehicles. Having to pay an additional $99 per year to actually get the opportunity is a cash grab. Mattel could just make enough diecast vehicles to satisfy demand. At the very least, they should make enough so every member can buy one.
In conclusion
If I actually cared about buying each and every Red Line Club diecast vehicle, I think I’d rather just buy the bot. That seems less of a scam than what Mattel is doing. It’s not only cheaper to buy the bot, it’s a one-time purchase. You don’t have to pay for it every year.
I have no plans to do that because my interest in Hot Wheels has been plummeting as of late. This is especially true with the Red Line Club. Of all the 2023 offerings, the only one that I definitely wanted was the first one, the 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra R Membership Car.
The rest of the 2023 Red Line Club vehicles I didn’t care about. In fact, I was already planning on not renewing my membership for 2024. The Red Line Club Overdrive scam just seals it.
My diecast focus as of late has been more on Auto World vehicles. The quality of Auto World 1/64 diecast exceeds even the Hot Wheels Premium series.
