Mattel’s Barbie Hello Dreamhouse was supposed to bring Christmas joy to the children. Instead the app-connected and voice-controlled doll left many people scratching their head looking for reparations.
The toy was designed to allow children to control functions like opening doors, controlling its elevator, turning lights on using voice commands. But on Sunday, Christmas morning, when children started to play with their new Christmas gifts, some dolls started to display a message reading “Error Code 18” when trying to use the toy.
Even after the news was picked up by mainstream media, the problem is still unresolved, with users moaning and complaining about how the toy has ruined their Christmas morning.
One Twitter wrote on Twitter,
“Santa brought a Hello Dreamhouse, but all we’re getting is an error code,” while yet another wrote, “#hellodreamhouse error code 18 is spoiling Christmas morning. Can you help? No info in directions for this one! #help.”
According to the Hello Dreamhouse instruction manual, the “Error Code 18” signifies a wireless network issue. Even when the users move the doll closer to a router or modem for stronger signals, as instructed by the manual, it still didn’t resolve the issue.
ToyTalk, the manufacturer behind the product, released the following statement to users:
“Today, a small number of users are experiencing service issues due to the extremely high volume of demand we’ve seen with the Barbie Hello Dreamhouse. Our engineers have identified and resolved many of these issues; however, intermittent problems may still exist as we continue to increase capacity. If you’re still experiencing issues, we recommend that you power cycle the Barbie Hello Dreamhouse by turning the Dreamhouse off for 15 seconds and then powering it back on.”
It is unclear on how many people were affected by the glitch, but the company did email the buyers for an apology,
“We’re very sorry for any trouble this may have caused you and your family, and we thank you for your patience and understanding. Happy Holidays, The ToyTalk Team.”
Were you affected by the unfortunate problem in the toy? Let us know in the comments’ section below!
