I wanted to thank everyone for participating in this thread. We have read through the posts up until page 24ish and have extracted the common questions to answer. Hopefully the post window will allow for the length of the reply!
Please keep in mind that if you are looking for direct answers it is wise to e-mail us directly. Many of the threads in forums contain posts that are not relevant to the main thread topic and cumbersome to review. It is more efficient for collectors to ask us directly. Do not assume that we have seen your questions and chosen to ignore you, when in reality we didn't know that you posted a question on page 31 of thread #300 in one of the ten various forum categories!
1.If the paint applications do not match the prototype, can I get the Non-refundable Deposit (NRD) back and shipping covered in a refund? Yes, you can. Our Return Policy has always covered any situations where a client requested a full refund (item cost plus original shipping costs and we will arrange for the return) after receipt of the item due to a manufacturer’s defect or major inconsistencies between the prototype solicited during pre-order and the final production item, whether it be paint applications, included features / accessories or changes in edition sizes. Return policy: https://www.sideshowtoy.com/helpdesk/?p=106
Keep in mind that minor differences are not considered a manufacturing flaw as all of our items are molded, assembled, painted, dressed and boxed by hand. In cases where Sideshow believes there is not a manufacturer’s defect but the complaint is a question of one’s personal taste, we offer the client exchange options.
* If clients wish to cancel online due to a manufacturer’s defect prior receipt of the product, based on updated production photos to Sideshow’s online gallery, they will need to notify Customer Service of the online cancellation via e-mail including the order number, product name, and reason for canceling. Otherwise, online cancellations of NRD products will not have their NRD returned and FlexPay plans will be assessed cancellation fees.
2.What if there is an edition change like the Optimus Prime statue, will we get our Non-refundable Deposit (NRD) back if we cancel? Yes. In reality, edition size changes are few in comparison to the hundreds of products that we make, as well as distribute, each year. In some cases, the original manufacturer of a distributed item makes changes to their product before delivery, which Sideshow has no control over but people assume we do. However, in the case of Optimus Prime, all collectors who pre-ordered this item were contacted about the edition size change and offered to cancel their pre-order and receive their Non-refundable deposit back immediately. Less than a handful of people chose to actually cancel their piece due to the edition size change.
3. Can you change from full payment to flex payment without losing your Non-refundable Deposit (NRD)? Yes. Clients have always had this option to switch from a full payment option to a FlexPayment plan and the NRD can be transferred. You can do this on items without an NRD also but if you cancel the FlexPay, you will be assessed cancellation fees as per that plans terms and conditions.
4. Do you have to pay both Non-refundable Deposit (NRD) and cancellation fees upon cancellation of a FLEXPAY plan? No. You would be charged just the NRD and not cancellation fees.
5. If the item ships earlier than the posted specific ship month on the product page and we need to cancel it do we get the Non-refundable Deposit (NRD) back? In most cases, no. Due to many factors not with our immediate control, ship time frames cannot be configured to a specific week or month at the initial offering of the pre-order. Currently, we update the shipping quarter (3 month span) to a specific month online usually a few months prior to receiving the item. We also alert our newsletter members of these updates. We are in the process of trying to narrow down the delivery window and hope to update our collectors through the newsletter soon!
Currently, if a collector’s item comes into our warehouse early (30-60 days prior to posted arrival month), we notify the collector via e-mail and offer an option to pay for and receive the item early. If they do not like that option, then we offer a delayed processing date which falls within the final month originally posted for receipt and processing. In these cases, we are also flexible in moving full payments to flex payment plans as well as delaying Flex Pay plans that may overlap other plans due to shipping schedules. This way we can help the collector avoid having to pay for multiple items within the same month.
If an item is delayed due to production issues by more than three months, we generally will refund NRD and waive FlexPay cancellation fees.
6. Are you taking Non-Refundable Deposits (NRDs) for everything now? No. However, we are currently evaluating application of Non-Refundable Deposits on low edition, Sideshow Exclusive product pre-orders. Keep in mind that we have been requesting non-refundable deposits on items $500 and up. We also have been offering FlexPay plans on almost all items $200 and up, which carry cancellation fees similar to the current Non-Refundable Deposit policy.
7. Why are you requiring Non-Refundable Deposits (NRDs) now? We feel that the addition of Non-Refundable Deposits to some of our products will allow serious collectors the opportunity to purchase these low, limited edition, exclusive items for their collections, rather than being hindered by the unrealistic pre-orders of speculators, resellers, or people whose wants outstrip their financial capabilities. The wait list option will be available to those people who want to reserve an option to purchase, if that product becomes available, without the need to pay a NRD right away. The regular editions also will not have an NRD requirement at this time, so anyone interested in the Beast statue can certainly place a pre-order for the regular.
8. I am concerned about the size and scale of the item I am ordering prior to paying a NRD? We will provide the height, width and depth of a product with the pre-order. In cases where we can, we will provide a picture of the item with another from the series. In the next 60 days we will be adding size comparison features that will also help the collectors, who are concerned about scale, make a more informed decision. Until that time, collectors will need to make decisions based on the information provided. Our Return policy, will allow them to return the item for a refund if they are unhappy with how it fits into their collection. In this case, it would not be a defect thus the client would have to cover the return shipping fees.
9. I am concerned about the sporadic final quality of your items. Will I get my NRD back it the item is of poor final quality? Our Return Policy covers return of items due to a manufacturer defect and damages. Please reference question #1 for detailed information. Sideshow is always concerned about quality. We take constructive collector feedback to heart and implement changes to our products and policies whenever possible. We monitor the forums when we can but encourage people to e-mail us directly with feedback to our Customer Service department. We also encourage people to participate in our cancellation surveys and write in additional details, if needed.
10. Can your line list for the year be made available so I can plan my purchases? It is often difficult to do publish a list of characters we will be releasing within that calendar year due to fluctuating prototyping and production schedules, licensor approvals, marketing schedules, film & DVD releases and such, which may require us to resequence release dates. Therefore releasing a list of this nature would not be helpful for anyone. Through our newsletter and our Ask Sideshow Q & A features we try to release as much upcoming product information as we can to our collectors.
11. Your product information is not available until a day before the pre-order! How can I purchase like this? Actually, in many cases through our production blog, Ask Sideshow features and newsletter, we allow collectors to see pre-production photos or read information about upcoming products. We also release preview photo of the products a week before pre-orders begin and a full gallery and purchasing details three days prior to the pre-order. In a majority of cases, pre-orders have taken up to four days after launch to sell through allowing clients plenty of time to review the information to make purchasing decisions.
12. What about a courtesy waiver of fee for good clients? We are not with out a heart. In many cases we give people courtesy refunds of NRDs and cancellation fees based on their circumstances and ordering history with us. However, everything is documented, so Customer Service is aware if you have requested exceptions in the past. They will know if this is the 1) fourth time the same grandma passed away 2) requesting a promo item for free and that you never asked for it before- this eighth time 3) You didn’t get our decline courtesy e-mail – even though you got every other e-mail we sent you and replied to the last decline e-mail? (Yes, these situations have happened!) If you require multiple courtesy waivers, we ask that you review your account and make more realistic pre-orders!
If you have any more direct questions, please address them to Customer Service via e-mail, phone or online chat (for international customer especially)!!! See our contact info in my signature file below!
