EU Wharehouse closing?

[Bubbles]

Yeah I know its cheating , I worked out the tax etc on Zangief via SSC and decided it was too much so cancelled the preorder and ordered with a dealer direct. I saved a lot of cash on this one compared to Play, FB prices.

 

[-jay-]

Yeah I know its cheating , I worked out the tax etc on Zangief via SSC and decided it was too much so cancelled the preorder and ordered with a dealer direct. I saved a lot of cash on this one compared to Play, FB prices.

I bet you did play are a bunch of robbers on most of their stuff.

 

[Bubbles]

It was £130 cheaper than Plays price.

 

[-jay-]

It was £130 cheaper than Plays price.

Great saving man and it's a great piece as well.

 

[robomorph]

Well after going through the first batch of arrivals from Sideshow shipped via Fedex into the UK, I'm sad to report that my fears are all confirmed. The rates Sideshow have secured with the courier ARE very favourable, granted, but the final sums to the customer are still more expensive than shipping via a UK warehouse. That's true with every single item I've purchased from them. So the new system is certainly not cheaper.

Worse still - and as I predicted - the wear and tear inflicted on parcels by Fedex is much more severe than that suffered during the old Parcelforce system. Every package I have received through Fedex has handling damages, whereas I can't remember the last time a Parcelforce-shipped item had damages.

These pictures say it all, I think:

Shipped via Parcelforce:

Shipped via Fedex (pic taken after I'd beaten out the stoved-in corners):

Making damages like this inevitable:

And for a new product costing $100's, that is just not acceptable. Granted there are no breakages or internal damages to the statues (and that might be all that counts to some people), but to THIS buyer, I expect to receive items that I have paid a lot of money for to arrive entirely intact and undamaged - and that includes the inner boxes too. No manufacturer should send out goods that are likely to arrive looking tatty and second-hand.

Cinemaquette manage it, Code 3 manage it - why not Sideshow, who make the highest quality props/replicas on the market?

I'll say it again - these things need to be better packaged! Either with heavier grade cardboard, sturdier boxes, more damage insulation or whatever. They should at least offer the option of double-boxing for customers who don't want items arriving beaten up and water-damaged. The new international shipping system is just too tough for current packaging standards to withstand.

I'll write to Sideshow directly with my concerns, but I think that I too will have to join the long list of people who will be cancelling the majority of their pre-orders thanks to this new shipping system.

 

[-jay-]

Jesus have they been playing soccer with that box? shocking!!

 

[Bubbles]

I'd put in a claim for compensation and tell them the damage to the inner box through their abuse has de-valued the item as people want mint boxes. It's insured so give it a go even if they only refund you a bit it will help.

 

[toystales]

I have tried putting in claims with FedEx before for damaged boxes. But my claims were rejected because the items inside weren't damage. And to return the item to SSC will mean paying more for an already expensive item. So, I just took the hits.

 

[ecekat]

omg!where did they put it??in the wash machine.i think we should write an email to ss telling them about all these problems

 

[Bubbles]

I've a few Ex's on order with Sideshow, I think i'm reaching the point of saying to hell with it and getting them all via dealers.

 

[Bubbles]

omg!where did they put it??in the wash machine.i think we should write an email to ss telling them about all these problems

Good idea and i'm guessing they'll get straight on it like they did when the paint started falling off everything.

 

[ecekat]

I've a few Ex's on order with Sideshow, I think i'm reaching the point of saying to hell with it and getting them all via dealers.

find me a dealer who sells exclusives in eu and i will pay you 10 euros per month bud

 

[Bubbles]

find me a dealer who sells exclusives in eu and i will pay you 10 euros per month bud

Depends who you know my friend depends who you know.

Oops my bad, the dealers in the US.

 

[Trilogy]

For a courier to believe delivering goods in the condition shown by robomorph is acceptable, is nothing more than outrageous.
As I've said in the past, the quality of service provided by FedEx is far from adequate.

 

[Alice Adrenochrome]

Well after going through the first batch of arrivals from Sideshow shipped via Fedex into the UK, I'm sad to report that my fears are all confirmed. The rates Sideshow have secured with the courier ARE very favourable, granted, but the final sums to the customer are still more expensive than shipping via a UK warehouse. That's true with every single item I've purchased from them. So the new system is certainly not cheaper.

Worse still - and as I predicted - the wear and tear inflicted on parcels by Fedex is much more severe than that suffered during the old Parcelforce system. Every package I have received through Fedex has handling damages, whereas I can't remember the last time a Parcelforce-shipped item had damages.

These pictures say it all, I think:

Shipped via Parcelforce:

Shipped via Fedex (pic taken after I'd beaten out the stoved-in corners):

Making damages like this inevitable:

And for a new product costing $100's, that is just not acceptable. Granted there are no breakages or internal damages to the statues (and that might be all that counts to some people), but to THIS buyer, I expect to receive items that I have paid a lot of money for to arrive entirely intact and undamaged - and that includes the inner boxes too. No manufacturer should send out goods that are likely to arrive looking tatty and second-hand.

Cinemaquette manage it, Code 3 manage it - why not Sideshow, who make the highest quality props/replicas on the market?

I'll say it again - these things need to be better packaged! Either with heavier grade cardboard, sturdier boxes, more damage insulation or whatever. They should at least offer the option of double-boxing for customers who don't want items arriving beaten up and water-damaged. The new international shipping system is just too tough for current packaging standards to withstand.

I'll write to Sideshow directly with my concerns, but I think that I too will have to join the long list of people who will be cancelling the majority of their pre-orders thanks to this new shipping system.

Very sorry to hear this. I perfectly agree with you, I also like my boxes to be in good shape. Let's face it, if you're in a shop where you can inspect the items, THAT box would stay on the shelf. It'll probably end up in the sales section.


About the more favorable shipping costs: as far as I'm concerned, the FedEx advancement fee is part of the shipping cost. So, if you take in account that FedEx always charges an advancement fee of minimum 10€ ($13) for every shipment - at least here in Belgium they do - you can't seriously believe that the shipping costs have gone down. On the contrary, when compared to the shipping costs as charged when the items where still coming from the EU warehouse, they have gone up. And thus far, SSC has turned down every request for combined shipping, which means that I have to pay that advancement fee for each and every shipment.
Besides, the shipping quotes for 12" figures I got a month ago differ substantial from the ones I got last week: $25 vs $39!!!

I don't see how Sideshow still can boast about their negotiation skills.

From their EU site:

Sideshow Collectibles is now directly shipping to the European Union from our U.S. warehouse. We have negotiated with our carriers to give you faster shipping, better package tracking, less damaged boxes and competitive pricing.

I would send that negotiator back to school.

I'll write to Sideshow directly with my concerns

Very good initiative. I've done so too. And I've canceled orders. I believe that's the only thing I can do that has some effect.

 

[Alice Adrenochrome]

What are the alternatives to FedEx when ordering from SSC? And, has anyone from the EU tried it before?

 

[robomorph]

"Sideshow Collectibles is now directly shipping to the European Union from our U.S. warehouse. We have negotiated with our carriers to give you faster shipping, better package tracking, less damaged boxes and competitive pricing."

 

[robomorph]

Thanks for the messages, guys - it's good to know that others share my concerns. I appreciate that not everybody is bothered about having the display boxes arrive undamaged, but for the $$'s we spend, it ought at least to be an option to have them arrive that way. As it stands, Euro customers are doomed to tatty, sodden and punctured product. It shouldn't be that way.

 

[theguru1]

Shipped via Fedex (pic taken after I'd beaten out the stoved-in corners):

Bloody hell, what on earth did they do to that box..... talk about pushing the limits of the protective abilities of styrofoam.

Now you say the statue inside is undamaged, but the reason any box like that would be left on the shelf, is because one could never be totally sure that no damage did occur.

It may all look fine now, but what if some very small hairline crack or internal damage was done that currently can't be seen, but in 12 months time, something breaks or flakes off.


Since SS have arranged these new rates, I'll be getting my first item in around 3 weeks time, the Evil Queen PF. Now my shipping quote (down to Australia) is way cheaper then the past, $47USD, so it will now be interesting to see if that ends up being the actual cost and what condition the box ends up in.

 

[Alice Adrenochrome]

...
Now you say the statue inside is undamaged, but the reason any box like that would be left on the shelf, is because one could never be totally sure that no damage did occur.

It may all look fine now, but what if some very small hairline crack or internal damage was done that currently can't be seen, but in 12 months time, something breaks or flakes off.

Exactly. To see the damage such a crack does over time is very sobering. Guaranty elapsed, stuck with a damaged item. Waist of money.

Since SS have arranged these new rates, I'll be getting my first item in around 3 weeks time, the Evil Queen PF. Now my shipping quote (down to Australia) is way cheaper then the past, $47USD, so it will now be interesting to see if that ends up being the actual cost and what condition the box ends up in.

Do you international guys have to pay the FedEx advancement fee? If so, don't forget to add that to the shipping total.
According to SSC, the advancement fee "is approximately 1% - 2% of total shipment", but so, far I was always charged the same amount ($13), no matter what the sum of the total shipment was. And on top of that, the $13 is more than 1%-2%. So I recon FedEx works with a fixed price, at least up to an amount after which an effectual calculation is worth the while. Sideshow doesn't mention that on their 'everything is ok' site, do they?



I'm planning to send the information of every FedEx invoice i received to their EU department, so they have a solid illustration of what their new shipping policy means for the European collectors. I bet they'll understand better why people cancel their items if everybody would do so.