They were one of the year’s hottest Christmas gifts, but a Victoria family says their son’s Hatchimal might have ended up being more naughty than nice.
Sarah and Nik Galego bought the highly sought-after interactive "pet" for their six-year-old son Fred for Christmas.
But when the Hatchimal emerged from its egg, the couple says they were surprised to hear the toy say something they think sounded like “f--k me.”
“It was doing its hatching process and it fell asleep, and we both looked at each other and we’re like, that’s not what it’s saying, is it?” said Sarah.
“That’s exactly what it sounds like,” said Nik.
It wasn’t just a one-off. Several days later, the same sounds were still coming from the Hatchimal.
“He’s six. He has no concept of those words, thankfully. If he was a bit older, we might be more offended about it,” said Sarah.
Hatchimal instructional videos show kids can teach the furry creatures to talk by pressing on their bellies, but that’s not supposed to happen until after it's hatched and is in its “toddler” phase.
The parents tweeted to Hatchimal creator Spin Master Toys and said they were told to direct message the company their concerns about the seemingly foul-mouthed line.
Nik said he sent the message Monday, but has yet to hear back from the company.
In a statement to CTV News, Spin Master said each toy speaks its own unique language made up of random sounds, but insisted the Galego’s toy couldn’t be saying anything inappropriate.
The family said they won’t return the Hatchimal because their son has become attached to the toy, which he’s named “Avery.”
Aside from the one line, Sarah said they have been happy with the purchase.
“It’s good at teaching him responsibility. It’s been really cool watching him take care of it,” said Sarah. “I found our little flaws with the Hatchimal pretty hilarious. We’re not going to return it or file any complaints with it. It’s pretty funny.”
The fast-selling toys have been in the news for other reasons in recent weeks.
Frustrated parents have sent tweets to Spin Master saying their kids’ Hatchimals wouldn’t come out of their shells even after hours of waiting.
Others lamented the fact that right before Christmas, the toy with a suggested retail price of $89.95 was being sold on sites like Craigslist for as much as $400.
