The Amazon / Amazon JP New/Restocked/Shipped/Preorder Items Thread

Discussion in 'Transformers Toy Discussion' started by Smashs, Dec 16, 2012.

  1. chuckdawg1999

    chuckdawg1999 Well-Known Member

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    Did everyone get a Hound who wanted one off AJ?
     
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  2. Cool Hand Lube

    Cool Hand Lube Well-Known Member

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    Patience is the watchword, they trickled a few batches out today and seemingly every day this week.

    Or just wait another couple of weeks and everyone will have them available.
     
  3. GizmoTron

    GizmoTron Roobaticon Commander

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    Mine did as well, box was slightly damaged.

    I feel if you are a MISB collector, you either can shop Amazon.com to get Amazon's speed and prices, or you can buy from a retailer who will insure you receive a mint package. But you can't have both.
     
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  4. iacon45

    iacon45 Missing: One Custom Title

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    My Brunt came in a bubble mailer too. The box was dented on the side but the figure inside was fine. Strangely, the Funko Ducktales figures I ordered came separately and in a box. Go figure.
     
  5. chuckdawg1999

    chuckdawg1999 Well-Known Member

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    I think someone mentioned that if you mark your order as a gift they'll pack it better
     
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  6. HunterGreen2005

    HunterGreen2005 In-Stock

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    I think the mighty Funko Nation raised enough of a ruckus during the great Pops returns galore of '15 to much of Amazon's chagin and margins, that something was actually done, and still echos to this day in the Amazon.

    Does that actually work?
     
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  7. chuckdawg1999

    chuckdawg1999 Well-Known Member

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    Never tried it
     
  8. betsuni

    betsuni I'm just here for the robots

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    I marked an order as a gift because it was. They still stuffed it into a bubble mailer. Granted this was a book (which luckily was not dinged), but they didn't do anything different for me. So your mileage may vary.
     
  9. engledogg

    engledogg Well-Known Member

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    Amazon's choice of packaging for shipping toys is abysmal.

    Every figure I've ordered that was shipped by itself (despite me choosing the "group my items in as few shipments as possible" option for orders with multiple items) was shipped in a bubble mailer. And in most cases, each was damaged in some way. And when I say damaged, I mean damaged. Not the wear and tear you would expect to see on something found on a store shelf - I'm talking "bubble ripped off" damage.

    And it's not just individually-shipped items; orders with multiple items have been crammed into a bubble mailer (this happened with my last order - three Botbots 5-packs, all bent up, of course).

    Multiple calls to customer service practically begging them not to send collector-oriented items/toys in bubble mailers and having to return several items (and having their replacements also shipped in bubble mailers, naturally) has really put me off from ordering from Amazon. The replacements received ranged from slightly less damaged than the original to just as damaged as the one I just returned. I suppose I could have exchanged the replacements, but figured, "Why bother? The replacement for the replacement is just going to arrive damaged anyway. I'll just accept these as-is and hope I find one in better condition later on."

    This thinking might have made more sense before TRU went belly-up, Wal-Mart decided it wasn't going to carry anything other than Studio Series and Siege Deluxe figures, and no Target store within 50 miles of me.

    Of course, I realize none of this is Amazon's fault, but I thought that the void left by TRU would have caused Amazon to step up their game. I guess they thought the opposite.

    The rep I spoke to when I received a damaged Titans Return Repugnus tried to be empathetic, especially when I pointed out that the item wasn't cheap and Amazon was the only place to order it it as it was their exclusive (with no more in stock at the time).

    The rep understood that while most people couldn't care less about packaging, that it might be something collectors care about and that they would "pass on the customer feedback".

    I have two of the larger Bumblebee Blitzwing and Dropkick Nitro figures arriving tomorrow. Hopefully, they were big enough to warrant being packaged in a box, lol.

    MIKE
    engledogg
     
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2019
  10. Rookbartley

    Rookbartley Well-Known Member

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    I ordered one each of Dropkick and Blitzwing and they arrived together in a box. When I ordered a Dropkick individually a few weeks back, he came in the padded mailer. I’m sure yours will be boxed since you have multiples. Hopefully so, anyway!
     
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  11. engledogg

    engledogg Well-Known Member

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    Blitzwing and Dropkick arrived today in a comically large shipping box.

    But, to their credit, they did put some air pillows inside and it wasn't a bubble mailer, so I guess that's progress, lol.

    MIKE
    engledogg
     
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  12. Metroplex[IH]

    Metroplex[IH] Well-Known Member

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    I wonder who the "they" is. Like, are there packing policies that are used company-wide or throughout each distribution center? Or region? Or is it like the shift manager decides? Or is it an individual employee?

    I'm just wondering.
     
  13. Nevermore

    Nevermore It's self-perpetuating a parahumanoidarianised!

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    There is a standard packaging recommendation for each item given by the system (decided by a separate department that measures the item's dimension) which can be overridden by the employee. Generally, everything that's to the advantage of Amazon (i.e. avoiding comically large boxes for tiny items) is encouraged, which includes SIOC ("shipping in own container", i.e. using the item's own packaging as the shipping box with no additional packaging materials). Depending on the employee, common sense may or may not be applied.
     
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  14. Metroplex[IH]

    Metroplex[IH] Well-Known Member

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    I keep forgetting we have an expert in the house!
     
  15. GizmoTron

    GizmoTron Roobaticon Commander

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    You guys also have to remember that depending on the situation, Amazon employees at these warehouses are expected at most to barely take a couple minutes to get single items packed up to be shipped out to make those two day shipping deadlines, so while it would be nice it is rather impractical for something like just an action figure to be given the extra time for consideration about whether or not the item being ordered is just going to have its box thrown away or will be something that will be displayed on a collector's shelf in pristine MISB condition.
     
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  16. Metroplex[IH]

    Metroplex[IH] Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, I’ve long given up the idea of getting pristine boxes from Amazon. I only care about the product inside.
     
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  17. Cuete

    Cuete Well-Known Member

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    Yeah screw the boxes lol. We are not living in the world of the 80s or even 90s or early 2000s anymore when your only option was going to the retail stores and having to take wtv was there, we have options now. If you want MISB then order from bbts or any online store that guarantees it, if you order from amazon then accept wtv condition the box comes in, as long as the inside product is intact. Or go try to find it at retail and pick the best one they have, thats if they have it in stock. Employees at the warehouses must be under a lot of pressure to get the stuff shipped out as fast as possible, if they take longer to make sure the boxes are mint for every product that comes in we will complain why its taking so long, if they rush things to make sure we get our order on time we will complain why it was rushed and not taken the proper care and time to make sure it was well packaged lol, you cant win. In todays society we have grown spoiled and complain about every little thing, we are never happy.
     
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  18. engledogg

    engledogg Well-Known Member

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    The thing is, though, this is a semi-recent development. I'm not quite sure when it kicked in (check that - July 2018), but in years past, I don't recall ever receiving anything that should have been sent in a box in a bubble mailer. Did warehouse protocol change that drastically between then and now? If so, for what reason? The only thing that makes sense is lower costs.

    As far as everything being fine as long as the inside product is intact...I wouldn't buy a damaged box of 99-cent macaroni if the outer package were compromised (even if the contents were still okay), so why would I accept the same standard for a $20 action figure? And for more expensive items, I sure as heck wouldn't buy a tv if the outer box was damaged. You're sort of paying for both the packaging and product as a package deal.

    Of course, one can shop at other places, but for items that are exclusive to Amazon...you're sorta out of luck.

    MIKE
    engledogg
     
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  19. GizmoTron

    GizmoTron Roobaticon Commander

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    Packaging complaints for items mailed out by Amazon go back years. Frankly they've never had and probably never will have the best reputation with the collector crowd when it comes to receiving something mint. It's not an epidemic or anything, but just the price of doing business. Amazon sends out millions of packages every week, and while really they do try not to, sooner or later you end up with an item in a bubble mailer that maybe should have been better shipped in a box with better packing material.

    It could always be worse, though. A dented box is still better than receiving an empty bubble mailer (which can and does in fact happen).


    There's still a difference, though. You're comparing a toy, that no matter how much it costs is meant to be played with, to food where badly dented or torn packages shouldn't be bought or sold for health and safety reasons, or a TV which is an electronic appliance where even cosmetic defects could essentially have an impact on the function of the TV.

    I mean I get what you're saying, but Transformers are just like many items that even if Amazon received on a palette with a little dent in the box already, as long as everything was primarily intact they'd still list it and send it out as new because the reality is the item is perfectly fine.

    The other reality, however, is that if you're not satisfied with the item once received, that's what they have a return policy for. And I think all things considered, Amazon's customer service is actually pretty good and understanding about these things.
     
  20. engledogg

    engledogg Well-Known Member

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    For returns, I'm sure they're great. For exchanges, not so much.

    After much deliberation, I decided to send something back that was damaged because it was shipped unprotected in a bubble mailer, exchanging it for a replacement.

    I should also point out that the number of returns/exchanges I've made to Amazon in my 20 years as a customer could be counted on one hand, so I'm not a habitual complainer/returner. And all of these negative experiences have occurred within the last year.

    When I was speaking to the customer rep to set up the exchange, I asked if the replacement could be sent in a box if possible and despite the multiple reassurances by the rep that, yes, the replacement would be shipped in a box, guess what happened? Yep, a bubble mailer. And the replacement was damaged as well. At that point, I figured, "screw it" and held on to it and hoped to find one locally (which never happened).

    Thinking back, though, I don't know if a customer rep even has the authority to guarantee such a thing or could even communicate/coordinate with the warehouse to make it happen, but it was still a disappointment.

    Also, to the folks that actually watch this thread for deals/in stock alerts, I apologize for complaining about this stuff on here.

    MIKE
    engledogg
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2019