A very very unhappy Sideshow customer!!!

[EVILFACE]

Man, I could not understand a damn thing in your first post.

Did someones baby get taken?

 

[Firefly Flanatic]

Show, I can see both sides of this. I think there was a misunderstanding that got way out of hand. Just reading your post was kind of confusing to make out the details so I'm sure trying to go over all of this on the phone was confusing to the CS rep as well.

Just reading your replies you come across as being angry and I understand why you would be. I know you don't feel like you were coming across as angry on the phone but I think you may have without realizing it. I think if you wait until you've calmed down and try calling them back and re-explaining everything that happened they may reinstate your account if you send them the info they requested. You can usually find copy machines at CVS or Brooks or even the library if you don't have a scanner at your house.

I think Chicky's explanation was very reasonable in why things seemed suspicious and why they flagged the account. I think it was reasonable for them to ask for the information to be sent to them to verify that you were telling the truth and it wasn't a fraud situation. It makes me feel more confident in a company that is willing to do that to make sure no fraud is going on, especially where you hear of so much identity theft going on.

 

[Agent0028]

Did someones baby get taken?

I'm sorry I'm not posting something constructive here but that's just friggin' hilarious.

 

[Batty]

I'm sorry I'm not posting something constructive here but that's just friggin' hilarious.

Yeah, that was pretty funny.

 

[bluesparrow]

Man, I bet whichever Sideshow employee made the decision to only make 50 of those stupid Grey Hulk VS Dioramas get the dirtiest looks from their coworkers.

Unless it was Dusty.



Incidentally I don't get the whole "my wife collects and I collect and we both want one but we can't order 2" concept though. Do you guys not allow each other to look at your collections? You could probably save a lot of money if you just had the one collection. I mean, unless you're planning to get divorced some day. The twins I can understand, one'll probably move out eventually. But 2 of the same exact thing in the same household? Why? Not attacking, just curious. It'd even make sense if one got the exclusive, the other the regular. But do you guys really need two exclusives?

 

[JGouse0498]

Incidentally I don't get the whole "my wife collects and I collect and we both want one but we can't order 2" concept though. Do you guys not allow each other to look at your collections? You could probably save a lot of money if you just had the one collection. I mean, unless you're planning to get divorced some day. The twins I can understand, one'll probably move out eventually. But 2 of the same exact thing in the same household? Why? Not attacking, just curious. It'd even make sense if one got the exclusive, the other the regular. But do you guys really need two exclusives?

That was just an example that I could see applying to my wife and myself. I know she would want the whole deal, and I try to get the exclusive whenever possible. Granted, we've discussed it and worked out a solution.

The point is that we are two separate individuals, and just because we're married and live together shouldn't force us to choose which person is going to get the exclusive and which person is PROHIBITED BY SSC from getting one.

I can understand restricting quantities to one per person...but one per BILLING ADDRESS?! I've never thought that was a fair policy because there could be two collectors in the same house. What if one was an opener and the other person was strictly MIB??

SSC obviously keeps very close track on who orders what to prevent scalping, but restricting based on households is too much. Yeah, dropping that condition will lead to a slight increase in scalping, but at the same time it doesn't shut out customers who may be forced to turn to scalpers in the end.

For the record, this mostly ticks me off not because of my wife and I, but because I would've loved to have bought the Inclusive Edition Darth Maul for the little boy I know. I may end up getting a regular Maul and keeping that one, forgoing my Inclusive to give to him for Christmas.

But then is that fair to me that I needed to do that? No. He and I are two separate people who should both be able to have the same item from Sideshow.

 

[Mithrandier]

The CS department was great with me when I had problems...............

And occulum.....................your signature banner is dead on buddy..................

 

[show73]

The morning after and feeling less enraged.

One simple thing happened that caused this whole spiral. Dawn mistakenly thought my brother was saying he was in fact his mother. He clearly admitted that this was his moms account right from the first phone call.

He did not get a Gray Hulk VS. so he was obviously choked, he was offered a $75 credit which he was as happy as he could be with the situation. He gets an offer to get ahead of the line to get a PF Gray Hulk but decides he does not wan't it. This is where Dawn thinks that a 3rd person is involved.

A simple mistaken 3rd party is the entire problem here.

I have already given Sideshow my blessing to just cancel my account as I will just move my purchases to Gentle Giant.

Sorry my RANT was a mess to read but it actually made me feel a lot better as the night wore on. Being lied to just really gets to me.

Thanks to everyone I traded with on the board it was fun while it lasted.

 

[Fritz]

...I will just move my purchases to Gentle Giant...

*cough* Blackhole Stormtrooper Bust *cough*

 

[oxbeard]

The morning after and feeling less enraged.

One simple thing happened that caused this whole spiral. Dawn mistakenly thought my brother was saying he was in fact his mother. He clearly admitted that this was his moms account right from the first phone call.

He did not get a Gray Hulk VS. so he was obviously choked, he was offered a $75 credit which he was as happy as he could be with the situation. He gets an offer to get ahead of the line to get a PF Gray Hulk but decides he does not wan't it. This is where Dawn thinks that a 3rd person is involved.

A simple mistaken 3rd party is the entire problem here.

I have already given Sideshow my blessing to just cancel my account as I will just move my purchases to Gentle Giant.

Sorry my RANT was a mess to read but it actually made me feel a lot better as the night wore on. Being lied to just really gets to me.

Thanks to everyone I traded with on the board it was fun while it lasted.

I am glad you are feeling somewhat better today. It sounds however like you are planning to move on from the board as well. I hope I am wrong in this perception. We really will hate to see you go if that is the case and hope you reconsider.

 

[Alice Adrenochrome]

This is a very valuable thread. I love threads like this. But it's getting much to long, and the issue will most certainly not be solved here and now.

Thanks to Show73, Dusty and Chicky for taking a stand, and some board members for leaving a constructive contribution.

Freaks, keep on sharing your opinions and experiences, the good and the bad, because we al can learn from it. But do it in a civilized and responsible way.

 

[Firefly Flanatic]

The morning after and feeling less enraged.

One simple thing happened that caused this whole spiral. Dawn mistakenly thought my brother was saying he was in fact his mother. He clearly admitted that this was his moms account right from the first phone call.

He did not get a Gray Hulk VS. so he was obviously choked, he was offered a $75 credit which he was as happy as he could be with the situation. He gets an offer to get ahead of the line to get a PF Gray Hulk but decides he does not wan't it. This is where Dawn thinks that a 3rd person is involved.

A simple mistaken 3rd party is the entire problem here.

I have already given Sideshow my blessing to just cancel my account as I will just move my purchases to Gentle Giant.

Sorry my RANT was a mess to read but it actually made me feel a lot better as the night wore on. Being lied to just really gets to me.

Thanks to everyone I traded with on the board it was fun while it lasted.

I'm also hoping you don't leave the board over this. I feel bad about your situation and that it was all caused by a misunderstanding. When I had my issue with Sideshow I was so mad and annoyed at the time but I'm glad I didn't do anything rash. The service since then has been wonderful. Everyone has an off day and this all does seem like one huge misunderstanding. I can see how Sideshow may have wondered if some sort of fraud was going on and I can see why, as a loyal, long term customer that you didn't feel like you had to prove who you were. But, unfortunately, we live in a time were rampant fraud is going on.

Anyway, whether you decide to deal directly with Sideshow or not, I do hope you continue to be a member of the forum. Don't let this one incident ruin your enjoyment of these wonderful collectibles and your enthusiasm to share your experiences with others.

 

[Calle_Sandell]

I'm also under 18 and got my mothers permission to have it in her name etc...

And it have never been any problems.. but of course I haven't had to call SS, maby if I do they will cancel my account. so don't tell anyone!

But I did it once before, and then I had a pretty huge order coming.. like 7 SSW items.. and for some reason SS had a problem and sent me 2 of each item.. + shipping to Sweden. It was extremly expensive!!!!!!!!!! And when my mother and I complained to SS they said that it was my fault and that I had ordered without her permission. Both me and my mother tried to explain that it was them who had made the misstake. SS told me to send back the items I didn't want, and the said that they had ordered a truck to pick it up at my place. first time it didn't come and I had stayed home all day for nothing! I asked if I could send them the items but no! second time was exactly the same, the truck didn't come so I had wasted another day. I asked SS if I could send them the items. no I couldn't. third time was the same, and then SS said that I could send them the items and then they would refund me.

I't ended up me paying about 100$ (I got it back like 2 months later!) for the shipping and I had lost three days of school..

And then they closed my account!!!!

So I had to create a new account, so as long as nothing goes wrong I'm safe..(I hope)

 

[Chicky]

The morning after and feeling less enraged.

One simple thing happened that caused this whole spiral. Dawn mistakenly thought my brother was saying he was in fact his mother. He clearly admitted that this was his moms account right from the first phone call.

He did not get a Gray Hulk VS. so he was obviously choked, he was offered a $75 credit which he was as happy as he could be with the situation. He gets an offer to get ahead of the line to get a PF Gray Hulk but decides he does not wan't it. This is where Dawn thinks that a 3rd person is involved.

A simple mistaken 3rd party is the entire problem here.

I have already given Sideshow my blessing to just cancel my account as I will just move my purchases to Gentle Giant.

Sorry my RANT was a mess to read but it actually made me feel a lot better as the night wore on. Being lied to just really gets to me.

Thanks to everyone I traded with on the board it was fun while it lasted.

As I stated before, these things tend to happen, which is why we have very simple account rules in place that are meant to avoid messes such as the one posted by show73. Only one account per person. Account holders must use a credit card registered in their name as well as ship to themselves. We also can only discuss the account with the account holder. All of these help us to maintain account security and the final delivery of limited edition items to the appropriate parties.

We recently have had some very interesting credit card fraud cases where children have been using parents credit cards and setting up accounts in their names to order product. In one case the kid was 9 and the other case the kid was 39ish. In both instances when the parent found out they flipped out and of course it took us days to straighten everything out.


If a collector does not have a credit card to open an online account, we of course can open an account for them by phone. They can order by phone, e-mail or fax and then pay for their products by check or money order. We may require a small deposit if they want to place pre-orders. If you choose not to get a credit card or can not obtain one, this is a very good option to an online account. If the account is set for the person who is ultimately going to use it, then there should not be mis-communication issues.

The credit mentioned above was originally extended to the account holder, which obviously the son was not. When the account was canceled so was the credit. If that individual would like to open a phone account with us, we can certainly reinstate the credit into his name and own account.

Although we are disappointed that Show73 feels the need to close his account with us, we will respect his decision. We hope that he will have a more positive purchasing experience with Gentle Giant in the future.


Regards,
Chicky

 

[DarkArtist81]

I used to be (and sort of still am) in a customer service-type position, and I've never taken well to being shouted at. I end conversations when the yelling starts. I refuse to talk to somone who can't express themselves without abusive volume.

I agree Mikey... I work at a Dr's office and deal with this everyday... When someone starts yelling and threatening me... I always end the call.

 

[Chicky]

I'm also under 18 and got my mothers permission to have it in her name etc...

And it have never been any problems.. but of course I haven't had to call SS, maby if I do they will cancel my account. so don't tell anyone!

But I did it once before, and then I had a pretty huge order coming.. like 7 SSW items.. and for some reason SS had a problem and sent me 2 of each item.. + shipping to Sweden. It was extremly expensive!!!!!!!!!! And when my mother and I complained to SS they said that it was my fault and that I had ordered without her permission. Both me and my mother tried to explain that it was them who had made the misstake. SS told me to send back the items I didn't want, and the said that they had ordered a truck to pick it up at my place. first time it didn't come and I had stayed home all day for nothing! I asked if I could send them the items but no! second time was exactly the same, the truck didn't come so I had wasted another day. I asked SS if I could send them the items. no I couldn't. third time was the same, and then SS said that I could send them the items and then they would refund me.

I't ended up me paying about 100$ (I got it back like 2 months later!) for the shipping and I had lost three days of school..

And then they closed my account!!!!

So I had to create a new account, so as long as nothing goes wrong I'm safe..(I hope)

Calle,

If your parent lets you purchase from us using their account, then your parent must correspond with us directly if an issue arises. Anyone else answering to, responding about the account will obviously raise fraud concerns.

Although, I am not familar with your particular situation, I do apologize for any inconvenience that you experienced. If the shipping error was our mistake, we certainly did not want you to have to incur the expense to return the items to us, which is why we requested the delivery service to pick up. When we need to retrieve items from an international customer, we are at the mercy of local delivery companies within that region. It seems that your local servcie was very bad to have missed multiple appointments with you.

I am glad that your situation was in fact resolved!

Regards,
Chicky

 

[JSA]

Although we are disappointed that Show73 feels the need to close his account with us, we will respect his decision. We hope that he will have a more positive purchasing experience with Gentle Giant in the future.

Regards,
Chicky

Show73: If you aren't pleased with Sideshow's customer service, you should
know that GG's CS is far, Far, FAR less accomodating overall. The Blackhole
Stormtrooper bust was a total fiasco, and GG's e-mail notices and updates
are far less organized and structured than Sideshow's. With Sideshow at
least you can talk to real live people, and also get timely and positive e-mail
responses. Not so with GG from my experience. You'll almost certainly never
see representatives from GG take the time to PERSONALLY address issues such
as the ones you've raised, on any type of public forum or board.

(actually I think GG is run by droids and Ugnaughts)

Either way - good luck on your new GG collecting venture if that is what you choose! :chew

JS

 

[LordAzrael]

Also compare the customer treatment between Sideshow & Gentle Giant for Comic Con Exclusives......... no comparison - Sideshow wins hands-down!

I think Chicky has given a pretty good reason - as far you are concerned you, your mum, and your brother may all be the same - but Sideshow legally can't treat you as interchangable.

The reason people under 18 generally can't have accounts in their own name is contracts are unenforcable against them - and it can then cause all sorts of mischief.

 

[Agent0028]

We recently have had some very interesting credit card fraud cases where children have been using parents credit cards and setting up accounts in their names to order product[...] the kid was 39ish. In both instances when the parent found out they flipped out[...]

Man....that's just pathetic...

 

[Calle_Sandell]

Chicky, I just wanted to tell Show about my situation and it turned out fine, and I hoped his would also... But thank you for yor answer!!

This happened long ago and I have no hard feelings, these things happends.

The only thing was that if there had been a reward system I had lost all my "points", That would suck if you had lots of points and something like this happen.

BTW. When I turn 18 I'm planning on getting my own account, but say if the have started the reward system, is it possible to change an entire ccount from one person to another?