Credit Card decline = order cancelled PZ related

[Patient Zero]

email from sideshow:

Due to the extremely limited size of this item’s edition there will be no courtesy decline window, which allows customers time to replace declined forms of payment or update expiration dates. Please make sure to have your funds for this order available on the date range given here and in the upcoming processing notification e-mail. Any orders that decline at the time of processing, for any reason, will be immediately cancelled and offered to the next customer on the wait list. We urge you to check your account and verify your order information including your credit card number and expiration date.

Everyone who has a PZ on order should have gotten this email. I for one think this is an unfair policy and could catch some people off guard for various reasons. I started this thread to discuss the policy and hopefully sideshow will listen and or shed some light on this.

There are multiple reasons a credit card could get declined. And it seems unfair to lose your order for something that is out of your control. Sour Grape people who did not get an order in, please try to contain your joy on hopes that people get declined.

discuss..

 

[Shai]

yep kinda unfair..but at least they warn you first.

 

[MadCow]

WOW! Good thing I updated my card last night...

 

[jbinny]

It's a bull^^^^ policy, especially with the problems that people have been going through with cards being declined after dealing with shady online shops.

 

[ozzfan84]

The biggest issue with this is that even with a high cc limit and no balance, there is always a chance of credit card charges being declined due to a mixup or "security" reason.

Sometimes, credit card companies will mistakingly decline legitimate charges due to their fraud prevention measures, and the customer will have to call the credit card company to have the hold taken off. This could happen even if the customer has had other charges from the same company for years. That's why it's called a "mistake." This is no problem on the customer's part, but now we have to worry about these kinds of things which are out of our control... even though we already secured an order.

 

[Kibishii]

I already posted on this in the PZ forum, but this is a horrible policy and I seriously cannot think of a single customer service reason to do this. I even called and asked if I could go ahead and pay for the thing now, or over the phone when we get the charge soon notice, and they said no. Huh? I can't pay for it now and make sure it works and instead of risking some silly, random issue happening?

I have never had an issue with the credit card I have on file with Sideshow, and it has a high limit, but accidents DO happen and it is not unknown for credit card companies to decline certain purchases for seemingly random 'security' issues. I once had my CTA Visa decline a purchase at Home Depot when buying a lawn mower when it had a 0 balance; called Visa from Home Depot and they explained that the card hadn't been used in a few months and the declined for security reasons. Fixed it, bought my mower, and went home. Under Sideshow's goofy policy, Home Depot should have told me, "Nope, your card goofed so no mower for you."

Point is, crap happens and I cannot understand WHY Sideshow would do this other than to try and make the Patient Zero PF even more of a frustration and major cause of dissent among Sideshow fans.

Sideshow should either let people pay in advance of the charge or give us AT LEAST a day to fix an issue should it arrise. This is really poor customer support.

 

[jbinny]

Just overnight your payment via money order or personal check. Problem solved.

 

[Agent0028]

I don't have PZ on order, but I don't like this policy at all.

 

[SimFeliz]

Just overnight your payment via money order or personal check. Problem solved.

Not when your international.

 

[Patient Zero]

Also, under account management/credit card policy, sideshow does state this clause. I am unsure if they just added it recently, but it IS there on the website:

"The courtesy time for payment replacement may not be offered on items that feature an extremely limited edition. In these situations, the item’s arrival and processing notifications will convey that no courtesy payment replacement window is available. We recommend that customers review their notifications carefully and prepare their funds accordingly!"

https://www.sideshowtoy.com/helpdesk/?p=47&KeepThis=true&

I am just supplying info, and hope someone from sideshow can chime in within the next week.

 

[theguru1]

Just overnight your payment via money order or personal check. Problem solved.

The main reason I got a credit card was due to the costs of money orders and postage of it. So no, that isn't a solution.


I wonder how long that policy has been in place and if its been activated before. One would think if someone did miss out due to it, we would have heard about it, so it maybe new.

Even so, it does seem a bit hard, unless Sideshow can be sure that the only reason for the decline was due to the buying not having the funds ready. But since I'm sure all one knows is its been declined and that can be for reasons totally beyond anyone's control, it sounds like a sure fire way to really piss off some loyal customers.

 

[ozzfan84]

Also, under account management/credit card policy, sideshow does state this clause. I am unsure if they just added it recently, but it IS there on the website:

"... We recommend that customers review their notifications carefully and prepare their funds accordingly!"

The problem with this is that no one here is worried about having funds prepared accordingly. We are all worried about the silly things that could sometimes happen with the imperfect world of credit cards.

 

[kain4521]

Write to SS and ask them to change the policy on PZ to at least give us a chance if there is a problem with our cards.

 

[ozzfan84]

Everyone needs to write in and express frustration on this.

This isn't about having funds available; this is about there being another chance of losing out on this figure due to strange cc occurances like fraud prevention. It was hard enough to get an order in for this one... I'd hate to lose it now at the last second due to reasons beyond my control.

 

[mr.thrifty]

Everyone needs to write in and express frustration on this.

This isn't about having funds available; this is about there being another chance of losing out on this figure due to strange cc occurances like fraud prevention. It was hard enough to get an order in for this one... I'd hate to lose it now at the last second due to reasons beyond my control.

what, like servers craping out? or the newly found out waitlist conversion protocol?

welcome to the club.

 

[Kibishii]

Everyone needs to write in and express frustration on this.

Write to SS and ask them to change the policy on PZ to at least give us a chance if there is a problem with our cards.

Honestly, this is the only thing to do. It really is a stupid policy that does not make any sense. Accidents that are completely out of our control DO happen and if Sideshow is going to keep this policy, I see ALOT of people flooding their offices with personal checks.

A perfect analogy: I don't see Sideshow coming out and saying, "If our website accidentally crashes due to factors outside of our control, you should stop buying from us." But they do say, "If your credit card declines for factors outside of your control, we won't sell to you." Huh?

 

[ozzfan84]

I don't understand what they are trying to solve by offering this kind of policy.

If this is what they want to do, they need to at least offer a chance to provide more than one credit card, or the opportunity to call early and pay in advance.

Everyone here just wants to pay for their item. This policy seems to be weeding out people for more ridiculous reasons at the last minute.

 

[Bloodsport]

Sheeez, this is how I miss the Cobra Commander man. DAmn

 

[Darth Madden]

the newly found out waitlist conversion protocol?

What is the problem with that?

 

[mr.thrifty]

it's not done in the order ALL orders are placed. flex and reg. pay each have their own allotment of items. hence a person who ordered flex style at a later time than someone who ordered a reg. payment order can get theirs converted sooner/first.