"I am a microwave doll," read the packaging. "Put me in the microwave for tons of fun!" Once placed in the microwave, it sparked, caught fire, exploded, and ruined the microwave. Despite some children's delight, this ran contrary to expectations set by the commercials that had propelled the toy into over a million homes for Christmas. Lawsuits rolled in the by hundred before merging into a single class-action suit. The company Hot n Cold Fun LLC immediately declared bankruptcy, and creditors followed the chain of ownership to Heisspiel Gmbh in Germany.

Six months of legal discovery and criminal investigation revealed that one line employee in the Vietnamese factory had been responsible for adding the metal bits that made them so dangerous. Action brought against the employee failed when he proved that he had been so directed by a manager that had apparently sabotaged the entire manufacturing run. The manager in question, Manuel Caliente, had disappeared completely.

During this time, Heisspiel had closed its doors, apparently without any other business enterprises. The class-action suit again had no target. Seeking restitution, the courts followed the trail of ownership to Kenya, where they discovered an anonymous and impenetrable company, Fun For Whom Inc.