The Chosen Prime - customer service/replacement issue

Discussion in 'Transformers 3rd Party Discussion' started by Hellbot, Jul 27, 2021.

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  1. Hellbot

    Hellbot Well-Known Member

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    Appreciate the explanation (although not what I was after). Can I get a refund now? Or is my answer at the end there? You won't get reimbursed therefore you cannot refund me?
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2021
  2. Chosen Prime

    Chosen Prime Well-Known Member

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    Please pm me so I can look up your order.
     
  3. Hellbot

    Hellbot Well-Known Member

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    Sent.
     
  4. UtahRobotInDisguise

    UtahRobotInDisguise Herald of Utahcron

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    I’ve never expected refunds on any third party product, because the manufacturers basically all started as garage kit makers and bootleggers. Many 3p boxes now ever state that the product is “as-is” with no warranty. Replacement parts have always been my expectation. I have tons of Fanstoys that are held together with epoxy. Demanding refunds and airing dirty laundry online never sits well with me. Oh well. To each their own.
     
  5. solarstorm

    solarstorm Well-Known Member

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    I dunno. BBTS did a shitty job handling customer service for me, years ago. Told me they’d get me a replacement part for a figure from a five figure Generations set. TRU exclusive. Strung me along for months. Did not provide the part. Wound up offering me like $15 in store credit or that I could return the 5 figure set for a full refund. At that point, the set, which was a store exclusive, was selling for almost triple on eBay. So a refund wouldn’t make up for the cost of replacement.

    The choices were:

    Take 15 dollars and live with a figure missing an important vehicle mode panel.
    Or
    Lose 4/5 good figures from a set and get a refund.

    And be strung along for months, either way.

    I wouldn’t be praising BBTS for their customer outreach and parts replacement
     
  6. TFXProtector

    TFXProtector TFW2005 Supporter

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    BBTS has either replaced parts, replaced the figure in full, or given a refund (if it's bad enough) on 3rd party products. I realize not every online store is as big as BBTS, I'm just saying, they have and do. That said, these 3rd party companies are making good money and they've been around long enough that they can do the job properly and if they can't, the customer deserves a refund. That mindset you have is incredibly anti-consumer and if they're big enough to break the law and make money off of it, they're big enough to do right by the customer. Period. I don't give Hasbro a pass, I don't give current 3rd parties a pass.

    As for the retailer, this isn't his first go 'round with TCP on this matter. It's $400.00 and his item is incomplete. My same mindset about 3rd parties goes for retailers. There's such a thing as service after the sale and if you have a customer service area on your website and you're in business, then it's up to you as a retailer to make it right for your consumer. No, they didn't know the item was incomplete when they sold it, but they took a customer's money on the promise the item would be intact and complete. It's not their fault, and it's not the customers, but they are holding the customer's money and they have an obligation to fix it. If they can't, then they need to return the money. It's been months. It's $400.00. It's inexcusable to do this to a customer and makes me seriously rethink using TCP for a good long while. They're lucky he hasn't gone to his credit card company and started a chargeback. A lot of CCs would automatically jump to his defense and yank that money back and rightfully so.

    There's being patient (which he's been) and then there's being forced to be. I don't care what excuses TCP offers, if they're a business and they sold a defective product (even unknowingly) it's their place to make it right and eat the costs. It takes money to make money and sometimes you have to take your own money to make it right.

    Naw, I'm on Hellbot's side 100% on this issue. Other countries have really strict consumer laws, they're very fortunate they're located in the US. You're upset he aired "dirty" laundry, but it got a response, didn't it? Shouldn't have had to come to this. Ever. The fact that you can't see that is part of the reason we, as consumers, have such problems these days. I'm not anti-business, but my gosh, I'm not about to let a customer get steamrolled "just 'cause".

    That's incredibly odd. Wasn't that a shared exclusive with them and TRU? (Or was it the other set?) Either way, that part of time in Titans Return was handled horribly by Hasbro and retailers. We know it now, we didn't then, but it was a precursor to what we're experiencing now. I mean, wow, who knew that period in time would become the norm every day, now? Man, it sucks to find stuff these days. Ugh. Still, that's not like BBTS... I think it depends on who you get at customer service. Always ask for a manager, if possible.
     
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  7. payton34

    payton34 Well-Known Member

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    I am also waiting on a replacement part from TCP. I don’t necessarily mind waiting, as I know the process can be tedious. But at the same time, an email response every now & then would be nice, even if it’s just “hey sorry, we’re still waiting on it.” At least you know they’re still aware/still acknowledging your issue. First notified in May, last response was the middle of June.
     
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  8. TFXProtector

    TFXProtector TFW2005 Supporter

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    Maybe we really do pay extra over at BBTS for the better customer service... Huh. Guess I won't cringe at their prices much, anymore.
     
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  9. roBROmanceFTW

    roBROmanceFTW Well-Known Member

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    I try my best not to disparage or throw anyone under the bus, so based on my experiences these are my go-to e-tailers from most preferred to least preferred:

    1. The Chosen Prime
    2. Toy Dojo
    3. Big Bad Toy Store
    4. Ages 3 and Up
    5. Ebay
    ....
    ...............
    .......................
    TF Source
     
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  10. TFXProtector

    TFXProtector TFW2005 Supporter

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    Really? I'd give TFSource a spot above eBay, at least. Yikes.
     
  11. Hoffman

    Hoffman Well-Known Member

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    I think any respectable retailer should provide a refund for a defective product though, if that's what the customer wants. I mean, in many places they are legally obligated to.

    It absolutely sucks as a retailer to have to eat the loss on a defective product, but the customer should never be the one to bear the responsibility of a defective product. It's one of the risks of running business.
     
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  12. roBROmanceFTW

    roBROmanceFTW Well-Known Member

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    I believe this goes to show that all of our individual experiences with the numerous e-tailers vary by a wide margin, and our blinders tend to affect how we perceive said e-tailers. On Ebay, I have 2 go-to Chinese sellers who have yet to wrong me throughout the years: bababobo and beenkeend. Prices tend to be higher, but they always seem to have what I need or they will go out of their way to get what I am looking for.

    TF Source is great overall, but too many bad experiences on my end to justify going to them over bababobo or beenkeend. I tend to feel like I am playing Russian Roulette with TF Source's customer service.
     
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  13. daddytron

    daddytron Made of too much clear plastic

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    I have always found TCP to be great when it comes to getting replacement parts. Sometimes they have gotten me parts for figures I didn’t even buy from them. And they have been very upfront and matter of fact when it has been something they can’t get.

    It might be an unpopular opinion around here, but I would say the same regarding tfsource. They have also been great when I have had issues with purchases.

    I’m sure we all tired of hearing this used as an excuse, but I’m sure COVID has played a negative part in getting replacement parts as well. Shipping and logistics have been just messy across the board. Non tf-related example. I sold my house in June and bought a newer much nicer one. We junked nearly all of our furniture, which was all 10 years old or older, and bought all new stuff at the beginning of May. Paid cash in full up front the first week of May. I still have about six end tables, a coffee table, and a rug that haven’t come in yet. And pieces of our new bed have now been delayed until December. And this was even after we cancelled a few pieces we didn’t want to go without for that long and ordered elsewhere. I got shutters to replace some blinds. Paid for them at the beginning of June. They said it would be 6-8 weeks and I don’t have those yet either. Shipping delays and shortages are just off the chain right now.
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2021
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  14. roBROmanceFTW

    roBROmanceFTW Well-Known Member

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    You're definitely on to something, and it is not anecdotal. The global commodity chains have been sooo disrupted, from sourcing the raw material to delivery. We have various parts of the globe at different stages of recovery. We have people fearful of returning to work. We have communities completely decimated, and employers shuttering their doors indefinitely. It may take another year for our supply chains to completely stabilize. Ironically, I feel like this global slowdown has actually had an inverse effect on people's patience. Anecdotal: I notice more people get grumpy when they wait in line at the store, and more people driving aggressively. I certainly noticed more people giving me the bird if I am on the right lane and not driving at 80mph.
     
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  15. Hellbot

    Hellbot Well-Known Member

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    This thread wasn't to "air dirty laundry". My aim was to see if I needed to gain some perspective (which I have thanks to posts like those from @edgecrusher) or take my grievance with the retailer a step further. I wanted to gather information from those who have had more experience in the matter than I have. If I came off a bit harsh on TCP it's because I am frustrated. Believe me, posting a topic about it was one of the last things I wanted to do. That said, if you have a high tolerance for QC issues and have an abundance of experience with third party related aftersales difficulties, good for you. Assuming everyone should share your perspective however isn't helpful.
     
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  16. mikeszekely

    mikeszekely Not Pessimus Prime

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    I've never had an issue with TFSource's customer service. But I had to cancel a credit card after they got hacked, I got tired of them getting product in long after everyone else, and I dislike the way they jack up their prices after the other big US retailers sell out, so I've shifted most of my business to TCP or Toy Dojo.
     
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  17. daddytron

    daddytron Made of too much clear plastic

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    Absolutely, 100% with you on that. Between having to pay state sales tax on their stuff and and the insane price hikes they have made, they have been relegated to my last resort if everybody else is sold out of the thing I want. I was only saying that their customer service has been great every time I’ve needed some help from them. Just giving credit where it has been earned. It’s very rare that you see anybody say anything good about them on this site and that hasn’t been my experience.
     
  18. TFXProtector

    TFXProtector TFW2005 Supporter

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    Bingo! Thank you. That's how it should be. Period. If you can open a business, you can expect to take a loss here and there. You cannot screw your customers, even if unintentional (and this was clearly unintentional). It's $400.00 in some locales that's enough to go to court over. (I'm not saying anyone should. I'm just saying they could.)

    You're talking about specific sellers. I'm talking about eBay as a whole. It's less than pleasant and easy to deal with when things go wrong. PayPal won't help you, eBay won't help you, and you better hope you paid with an actual credit card because it's 50/50 as to whether or not your bank will help you. But, I get your point.

    Honestly, I'm quite happy with TFSource. They've done an excellent job with my orders since I've started using them on a regular basis. I couldn't believe how fast they got Fans Hobby Nightbeat in stock. (Sitting in my stack as we speak.) In general, yes, they're slow to get items in (roughly on par with BBTS) but once in a while they'll order store exclusives and sell 'em at Toy Dojo/TCP prices and it ends up saving you in the long run. The only thing I'll give a complaint about is their pricing in general. It's always above retail, their sales are no better than BBTS's, and when they get low on stock of an item they jack it up to make as much as they can before the well runs dry.
     
  19. payton34

    payton34 Well-Known Member

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    So, just to recap.

    - notified TCP in May about a replacement piece
    - sent a follow up email on 07/16 inquiring about it’s status - no response
    - sent a follow up email on 08/14 inquiring about it’s status - no response
    - sent another follow up email today (09/02) inquiring about it’s status.

    So 3 1/2 months after the initial inquiry, and all I get is silence. Why should I take a chance on ordering from them again if they can’t be bothered to respond to inquiries that involve replacement/defective parts to product that they advertise and sell?
     
  20. Dpuff

    Dpuff Aka buddy

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    Maybe @ them here. Seemed to work for the op. Also I wouldn't wait an entire month between attempts and after the first time not getting an email response id call them. This is part is for any company i buy from and get something defective. I dont dick around with emailing when there is a number to call. Especially if said company has ignored me for a month;) 
     
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