InArt: The Lord of the Rings - Gandalf 1:6

[dieguito_89]

Today I made a query to onesixthkit because I wanted to ask if they could give me an estimate of when my shipment of Inart Gandalf could more or less arrive to simply have an idea. There is no way to see that information on the website or in the order details. I asked him correctly and politely and this was his response:

Lun 13/11/2023 17:27
You may ask INART if they can tell you approximately when they will release what volumes, if you insist to get an answer
From now on, we will upgrade your order to the last batch if anyone keep asking for an update that we are not possible to provide, I already told you it’s not possible, you understand now?

It seemed very rude and unprofessional to me... that they threatened to leave my order for last for asking a question and that I am within my rights? sorry?... until now I was very happy with the site and it is the first time that I have contacted them with a question and I did not expect this type of answers... much less asking politely and always being a customer who does not causes problems

 

[dieguito_89]

Lo que parece es que no es la primera vez que les escribes por el mismo tema... Paciencia!

EN: It seems is not the first time that you are asking for the same topic...

Seriously mate, this is the first time I have contacted them to send a question. I simply asked to have an arrival orientation with all the politeness. I don't have to ask Inart... I have the pre order with them. This is all my interaction with onesixthkit:

 

[Giimli86]

Today I made a query to onesixthkit because I wanted to ask if they could give me an estimate of when my shipment of Inart Gandalf could more or less arrive to simply have an idea. There is no way to see that information on the website or in the order details. I asked him correctly and politely and this was his response:

Lun 13/11/2023 17:27
You may ask INART if they can tell you approximately when they will release what volumes, if you insist to get an answer
From now on, we will upgrade your order to the last batch if anyone keep asking for an update that we are not possible to provide, I already told you it’s not possible, you understand now?

It seemed very rude and unprofessional to me... that they threatened to leave my order for last for asking a question and that I am within my rights? sorry?... until now I was very happy with the site and it is the first time that I have contacted them with a question and I did not expect this type of answers... much less asking politely and always being a customer who does not causes problems

Maybe its not nice (but customer service is an ungrateful/soul killer job to do as people are really annoying/condescending/threatening/rude/or just plain stupid etc.), and because of the magnitude of this release he gets dozens and dozens of questions like yours every single day beside the other questions which are related to other releases.
He simply cant answer it because only Inart can tell this and Inart is really vague about saying anything about any topic to be honest.

You will get it for sure, there is a tiny portion of people who got theirs, majority is still waiting for it and many will wait for it even going into the next year most likely.

Just imagine as an example that you get as a reseller 200-300 orders for Inart Gandalf, yet you get 40-50 boxes every 4 weeks from Inart.
This means there will be people getting it 5-6 months later than the first batch.

Kit is right in that aspect that if you want a change then people need to contact and show Inart they are not okay with their release plan/speed/batch system.

 

[dieguito_89]

Maybe its not nice (but customer service is an ungrateful/soul killer job to do as people are really annoying/condescending/threatening/rude/or just plain stupid etc.), and because of the magnitude of this release he gets dozens and dozens of questions like yours every single day beside the other questions which are related to other releases.
He simply cant answer it because only Inart can tell this and Inart is really vague about saying anything about any topic to be honest.

You will get it for sure, there is a tiny portion of people who got theirs, majority is still waiting for it and many will wait for it even going into the next year most likely.

Just imagine as an example that you get as a reseller 200-300 orders for Inart Gandalf, yet you get 40-50 boxes every 4 weeks from Inart.
This means there will be people getting it 5-6 months later than the first batch.

Kit is right in that aspect that if you want a change then people need to contact and show Inart they are not okay with their release plan/speed/batch system.

I agree with that and I imagine there will be a lot of people who ask again and again and in just as bad ways. I am not a provider and I have no idea what Inart's procedure is. It is as simple as giving a small answer explaining it as you have done right now. Thank you very much for the information friend

 

[hoodonit00]

Maybe its not nice (but customer service is an ungrateful/soul killer job to do as people are really annoying/condescending/threatening/rude/or just plain stupid etc.), and because of the magnitude of this release he gets dozens and dozens of questions like yours every single day beside the other questions which are related to other releases.
He simply cant answer it because only Inart can tell this and Inart is really vague about saying anything about any topic to be honest.

You will get it for sure, there is a tiny portion of people who got theirs, majority is still waiting for it and many will wait for it even going into the next year most likely.

Just imagine as an example that you get as a reseller 200-300 orders for Inart Gandalf, yet you get 40-50 boxes every 4 weeks from Inart.
This means there will be people getting it 5-6 months later than the first batch.

Kit is right in that aspect that if you want a change then people need to contact and show Inart they are not okay with their release plan/speed/batch system.

And if InArt starts rushing then quality suffers.

 

[hoodonit00]

I agree with that and I imagine there will be a lot of people who ask again and again and in just as bad ways. I am not a provider and I have no idea what Inart's procedure is. It is as simple as giving a small answer explaining it as you have done right now. Thank you very much for the information friend

But it’s not one small answer, it’s dozens or hundreds of answers probably multiple times a week.

 

[dantes2501]

 

[Giimli86]

And if InArt starts rushing then quality suffers.

Thats up to Inart then to invest more in production line/factory/teaching people as they are getting more and more orders.
They have shown us so far the following upcoming figures: MJ, Paul Atreides, Batman Pattinson, Superman Cavill, HP, Aragorn, Thorin, Daenerys, Superman (Reeve), Joker Phoenix, Dumbledore and they said they plan 12-13 figures for next year.

If they dont want their current batch system to crumble even more, they will need to do something about it else they wont be able to produce even with their current release speed.

Speed doesnt neccessarily mean quality decrease if they have the right workforce and infrastructure for it. John explicitly said in one of the YT interviews that they invest almost all the money right back into production and they are thinking about expanding the number of their factories.

 

[Chopper Face]

I’m in KG’s first batch- nice!
Didn’t think I’d see this guy before 2024.

 

[Stryker2011]

Gandalf arrived today. He’s awesome. That being said, how the hell do you take the back of the head off? Is there a trick to this that I’m missing? Looking under the hair lines, I’m not seeing where there’s a gap.

 

[Wor-Gar]

Pretty cool that Kit got his 1st batch so long ago.

 

[Godfather1408]

Kit is incredible and the best in this hobby his service is amazing!

I can't blame him for his reply and I understand your concern but he did post on Facebook about getting constant messages. It must be frustrating there isn't a day that goes by where someone is asking on his page let alone PM's!

People need to get use to this batch thing if they want quality, Kit can't make them work faster he can only supply and without him we'd be screwed.

So I really can't say thank you enough to him. I've had horrendous experiences with other companies but never Kit.

 

[Bucky Underbelly]

(All very true and understandable as an emotional response to the situation! That said .... rather than getting upset with customers, I would humbly suggest maybe having a cut-and-paste reply? Maybe one that's a smidge more polite? Maybe something that's quick and informative that he can just copy and drop into a reply and not have to individually engage and get frustrated? I just want everybody to be happy!)

 

[Gipetto0812]

I don't get the need to know when I will get my order when it comes to reliable places like OSK or even SS. Maybe it's a financial thing for some that they want to make sure they have the money when the figure is ready? But even then, Kit typically gives plenty of time to pay off the invoice so even if you don't have the money right then and there, you have a couple weeks to get it together. That said, Kit gets hounded daily for all types of updates from multiples different products that he sells from both Facebook and email. Sure, OSK usually has manufacturer insight none of us are privy to, but that doesn't always mean he knows everything that's going on with each product he carries.

So, while yes, that response was definitely a little uncalled for, I would say don't get too emotional about it and try to understand it from his POV as well. Everyone has those moments where someone who really meant no harm does something to someone who's right on the edge and unfortunately takes all the heat for something that wasn't even really their making. I would say that was more than likely unfortunately the case here

 

[Rzeznikk]

Gandalf arrived today. He’s awesome. That being said, how the hell do you take the back of the head off? Is there a trick to this that I’m missing? Looking under the hair lines, I’m not seeing where there’s a gap.

Lift it up from the base of the skul in the back of the head. I didn't remove it completely. Just enough to get under with my fingers to move the eyes. Removing it completely would A. Risk hair being pulled off or B. Get the hair to look like a mess which would create extra futzing to get to look right again

 

[Rzeznikk]

As for those that are impatient with receiving their order I suggest when it comes to an InArt release you be at the ready to place your order AS SOON AS the preorders go live. Then you have a fighting chance to being in Batch 1. Anything later than that you'll probably have a wait ahead of you.

 

[spaceghost2000]

“We will email you when it’s ready” seems a perfectly polite copy&paste reply for an item with an unpredictable release date.

 

[RandomHero]

Kit has basically been begging people to stop asking him when their Gandalf will be in. For him to take that approach, I can only imagine the volume of questions that he must be getting, and therefore I don't blame him for the way he's handling it. He obviously can't give answers and it's not his fault InArt takes a long time to release their figures. Everyone just needs to chill out. If they ordered from Kit, they'll get it sooner or later.

 

[Bucky Underbelly]

Oh, I have zero doubt it's frustrating to keep getting the same question. But I also don't blame people for asking the question. They're excited! It's an amazing figure! I'm just saying it might be easier to just reply with a cut and paste of something generic like: "We appreciate your business. Thanks for your question. We'll let you know when receive your order from our supplier." Customer service can certainly suck, but if you're running a store, that's kind of part of the gig.

 

[ObiGlennKenobi]

Oh, I have zero doubt it's frustrating to keep getting the same question. But I also don't blame people for asking the question. They're excited! It's an amazing figure! I'm just saying it might be easier to just reply with a cut and paste of something generic like: "We appreciate your business. Thanks for your question. We'll let you know when receive your order from our supplier." Customer service can certainly suck, but if you're running a store, that's kind of part of the gig.

Exactly.
Customer service is huge.
Regardless of how many emails a company gets,you are offering a service to people.
A poor form response as in putting someone to the back of the line for asking a simple question to them is unjustified.
That Customer wouldn't know how many times a similar question is asked.
One poor response and then repeating it in here or elsewhere can spread like wildfire...and that can kill a business (Hello Toyswonderland).

Having said that, being from Australia,you either get figures last anyway and be patient with that fact,or you order from Hong Kong resellers at a mark up and get it earlier.

Cannot wait to see everyone's pics!!!