I read your editorial Jay and while I agree that Mattel has had issues with MOTUC, if you did some research you would find that some of your suggestions have already been addressed by Mattel. Below are the points which I disagree with.
Mattel has said for a while now that the prices in 2013 were going up. The figures are more expensive than anything at retail, but you have to consider the production runs for MOTUC compared to retail lines is much smaller which makes for higher prices per unit. The $20 price set by Mattel was back at the end of 2008, nearly 4 years ago. Do you remember what you were paying for 6" or 3.75" action figures in 2008 as compared to today? I'm sure it was close to 25% less on MSRP, the same increase we have seen for MOTUC.
If you compare MOTUC to a similar line, the online GI Joe figure subscription service, they are rumored to cost more than the MOTUC figures and that's for 3.75" figures.
This has been the same model Mattel has used for subscriptions in 2010, 2011, and 2012 and people didn't seem to have a problem with it then. Scott, AKA Toyguru, explained that the Mattel legal department was the holdup for allowing him to announce the entire years worth of figures this far in advance. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but I truly believe this is out of Scott's hands. I don't know what he would have to gain from withholding that information if he were allowed to announce it. I agree that it would definitely help subscription sales, but it just isn't going to happen.
You can go online to MattyCollector right now and order the following items:
He-man
Skeletor
Hordak
King Hiss
She-Ra
Battle Cat
Panthor
Swiftwind
Castle Grayskull stands
Snake Mountain stands
Sy-Klone
Demo-Man
Bubble Power She-Ra
Wind Raider
They have carried all of the figures in bold above in their essentials shop for several months now (MattyCollector.com Essentials Shop)
If you pay attention to their monthly sales, there are quite often 1-2 reissues of previous months' figures available to purchase. Many of the figures can be purchased through eBay for close to their original prices also. I have to ask, why do you feel you should be able to purchase most of the previous figures on their website at any given time? Do you know of any other action figure lines, at retail or online, where you have this type of availability? Yes retail lines get refreshes and reissued figures with newer assortments, but I don't know of any that make 3-4 years worth of figures available to purchase whenever you like. I think this is an unrealistic expectation for Mattel.