Deposits on Exclusive Pre-Orders: Sideshow's New Policy?

[newe82]

I don't mind paying a deposit, but they are going to have to shorten up the distribution time frame. Giving a deposit and then waiting 10 months is asking a bit much. With a deposit the turn around time should be less than a month. Make um, market them, and ship them. Forget this year long wait crap. Also give specific time frames for shipping. Example: week of December 20th instead of Q4 2010, or later.

 

[atl_falcon_fan]

Thanks, for the info. I appreciate it.

You're welcome, I mean unless its a must exclusive, like say the Gambit or Ms. Marvel with different heads, then you would probably want/need to buy the exclusive right from sideshow.

 

[hairlesswookiee]

I have bought a few statues from darkfigures, had no problems here. If it's a piece that only has a print or something like that for the exclusive you're probably better off to just get it from a bbts or darkfigures and save around $30.00. I mean sideshow gives you roughly 5 cents on the dollar reward point wise, however you buy two for example from darkfigures,bbts,etc and you will have saved perhaps close to $60.00 on two statues anyway so it would be close to a wash.

Yeah several of the dealers now offer a Reward Point system now. I don't mind the "deposit" as long as it's reflective of the item I'm ordering. Here's what I mean: They give us some real nice and pretty Prototype pics that get us all stoked and ready to pre-order. Well, IMO that's what I"m ordering. Months later they update their Production pics before getting ready to ship out. If there is a drastic enough difference in the overall paint applications I feel this is SS' fault, not mine. Therefore I don't think this is fair that I lose my deposit because they aren't delivering what was originally promised.

If I need to cancel because of reasons that are my own (too much coming at once, not enough $$, changed my mind) then yes it's fair that SS keeps the deposit since I took up a pre-order slot that another willing customer could've taken.

 

[thenammagazine]

I don't mind paying a deposit, but they are going to have to shorten up the distribution time frame. Giving a deposit and then waiting 10 months is asking a bit much. With a deposit the turn around time should be less than a month. Make um, market them, and ship them. Forget this year long wait crap. Also give specific time frames for shipping. Example: week of December 20th instead of Q4 2010, or later.

You don't have the slightest clue about how it works do ya?

 

[Blackthornone]

I don't like it.

Photos of items are posted 1 day before Sideshow puts it up for ordering. You don't have much time to decide if you should order it and work it into your budget. So many marvel pieces coming, it is hard not to have a change of mind later on. Also the delivery of the item is months away and it is hard to tell how your financial situation will be then. Maybe in 5 months something happens or you have too many statues on order, and you have to cancel one or two of them. Then you lose money!

Exactly. You never know what will be coming along in a given time period. If they would tell people ALL of the things that they were shipping in a given quarter BEFORE they made any items available for preorder, then it would be different. It sure would make ordering simple then. If they did THAT, I could only order and never cancel anything, but alas,you never know what is coming out next, and so you never know what orders you will really be able to keep al the time, which inevitably leads to cancellations. With so much stuff coming out, you can't buy everything, so you need to know what is coming out. For these reasons and more, this is a bad policy to charge deposits on preorders for mere PFs or comiquettes. If the piece is more than $1,000, then a deposit makes sense.

 

[firefly2121]

What Sideshow has done is to force us to buy now...The Beast Exclusive has an ES of 200, now do I really want this piece? Sure, I like Beast as much as the next guy. Also, Beast will probably come out 2Q or 3Q (just in time for SDCC)...But now do I want to risk that gamble of $28 for him?..What if Cyclops PF, Stormtrooper PF, etc. become available for pre-order shortly after Beast, NOW money becomes a factor, because these will all get released around the same time...Now why should I be punished for this if I can't swing for them all? Yeah, I know there are some ballers here that can buy everything, but Im a regular joe that can get the majority of what I want, but not everything...So IMO, Sideshow is punishing us for this...I feel that Sideshow should charge a cancellation fee, however, 30-45 days before release...So we can have the time to see what we can keep and what we can afford.


I guess Im going to buy the regular editions at other companies...unless it something like duel heads or a piece Im 100% on...

 

[newe82]

You don't have the slightest clue about how it works do ya?

You can't tell me they can't come up with the prototype, send it out for production which very well could take 6 months to produce. Don't show the product until your ready to go to market. It is not like they change the prototype after getting reviews. The 10 month turnaround is fine if they are not collecting deposits, but a lot can happen in ten months and product becomes stail before it is even shipped. Part of the joy of purchasing is getting that instant satisfaction of knowing the product is on it's way. Giving any company $30 and waiting ten months for a product that may or may not look like the prototype is not something I would prefer to do. But that is just my opinion, I am obviously not as brilliant as you. If I was I would have the extra time to post 20K responses.

 

[NASEDO]

I like the new policy, I think they should also announce the edition size after the piece is sold out or 30 days after shipping. Not before.

 

[thenammagazine]

You can't tell me they can't come up with the prototype, send it out for production which very well could take 6 months to produce. Don't show the product until your ready to go to market. It is not like they change the prototype after getting reviews. The 10 month turnaround is fine if they are not collecting deposits, but a lot can happen in ten months and product becomes stail before it is even shipped. Part of the joy of purchasing is getting that instant satisfaction of knowing the product is on it's way. Giving any company $30 and waiting ten months for a product that may or may not look like the prototype is not something I would prefer to do. But that is just my opinion, I am obviously not as brilliant as you. If I was I would have the extra time to post 20K responses.

Actually, I can. First off, less than a month is ridiculous. It takes just about that long to pack it up and cargo it here from Asia, get it cleared through customs and get it to Sideshow proper. That's not even including licensor approval of a prototype which can take weeks alone and sometimes much longer depending on what tweaks are requested and how long the company takes to get back to Sideshow. Sometimes, as is common with LFL, they'll turn down a complete headsculpt and request another. These things aren't banged out overnight either. Imagine if it's a PF or comiquette and they request the pose get changed? Then there's the whole process of approving production samples and what not and correcting any potential errors before production begins full swing. You don't have to be as brilliant as I am to have a clue, you just gotta ask, vs. posting like you know it all and it's as simple as snapping your fingers.

 

[kl241]

Children have been conceived and born in less time than it takes for Sideshow to give birth to their figures.

 

[thenammagazine]

Children have been conceived and born in less time than it takes for Sideshow to give birth to their figures.

Yes, and while they might empty your wallet too, at least you don't have the 3am wake-up calls and "diapers of death" to deal with.

 

[kl241]

No just the "factory paint of doom."

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

all in all, I think this'll be a mess when statues start popping up early or get delayed into other statues releasing

 

[thenammagazine]

all in all, I think this'll be a mess when statues start popping up early or get delayed into other statues releasing

Seeing as how most everything gets delayed to SDCC and Christmas, consider it a mess.

 

[Ktjn]

About time, good bye "safety order" people and the like. Now your SS EXs will retain their value

LOL < at noobs thinking that this is about managing finances.

My finances are fine and I can order whatever I want. the production quality is what I am concerned about. But you guys don't look that far ahead do you?

No, it's exactly about finances. i think this is a redundant debate though. If it's about quality (factory errors), SS refunds you. People abused a good thing, and this is what happens.

BUT, I do think SS should give at least two courtesy cancels. I mean, there are going to be at times unseen cercumstances where someone has to cancel due to a matter that is out of their hands.

 

[thenammagazine]

About time, good bye "safety order" people and the like. Now your SS EXs will retain their value



No, it's exactly about finances. i think this is a redundant debate though. If it's about quality (factory errors), SS refunds you. People abused a good thing, and this is what happens.

BUT, I do think SS should give at least two courtesy cancels. I mean, there are going to be at times unseen cercumstances where someone has to cancel due to a matter that is out of their hands.

Except that you pay the shipping (both initial and final return), so it's not a full refund. I shouldn't be expected to cover shipping x2 on a product that failed to match the quality of the prototype. A situation that I have no knowledge about until it's opened in front of me.

 

[jasa73]

If they are also going to announce ES as well I am all for that as well.

Well, as we've seen with Optimus Prime, their ES announcements mean absolutely nothing...they can change those at a drop of a dime.

 

[KBA]

Sucks that this privileged was taken away from direct ordering customers. Until Sideshow offers shipping to Canada other than through UPS, it doesn't really affect me to be honest.

 

[Ktjn]

Except that you pay the shipping (both initial and final return), so it's not a full refund. I shouldn't be expected to cover shipping x2 on a product that failed to match the quality of the prototype. A situation that I have no knowledge about until it's opened in front of me.

Well, thats the thing. If you get google or lazy eyes (example), that should entitle for a optional full refund, including shipping.

 

[thenammagazine]

Well, thats the thing. If you get google or lazy eyes (example), that should entitle for a optional full refund, including shipping.

Should and will are two different things. From an earlier post with a Q&A, it looks like we'll be responsible for covering the shipping.