Ironman 1/4th Maquette paint apps- widespread problems?

[mooose]

I won't buy another sideshow piece!

 

[woodsy]

Yes, that's exactly what I have been doing. The last new SS item I got was the Evil Queen PF, back in March 2010.

Since then, I've gotten old SSW items, UC items, Noble Collection and new Weta, like Bag End, have Smaug on order and will get Rivendell once it's done (since that's what collectors wanted and that's what they are making).

Given money and space issues, SS have to make something 100% perfect that I want for them to get a sale. Near enough is no longer good enough.

I guess it safe to say you don't hold Weta to the same standards you hold SS to then. Unless advertising a specific base material [real wood] only to change it to wood veneer to cut production costs, on an item that was over-priced in the 1st place, is your idea of 100%.
How about not mentioning this to collectors or even change to product description on their website until well after they began shipping them out.....is that your idea of 100%?
What about lying as to the real reason [cut costs/increase profit] they changed the base when they had to explain to collectors why the bases of their $430 statues were starting to lift or bubble. Sorry to burst your bubble, but concerns over warping/splitting wood or laws regulating the importation of real wood internationally are bogus...something you would know had you done any research.
And lastly, settling on a much cheaper-looking and much cheaper priced base material [polystone], significantly altering the overall look of the statue.....is that your idea of 100%? It certainly isn't mine, or anyone else's I suspect.

 

[Ricardofeitoza]

I spoke too soon about my Spidey!!!
Checking my Spider-man i just realized it is another one that needs replacement! Sideshow is really dropping the ball! Sideshow is failling with us collectors!

Gandalf PF i got a replacement EX head

Carnage i got a replacement for the removable arm as it had 2 different shades of red and small tendrils broken and clearly glued back! Cheap quality control!

2 Iron Man markVI with painting problems and one of them with light up problem. Still dealing with Sideshow
2 Hulk Comiquettes with problems on the base painting. I did not bother asking for replacements. That is my falt as doing with the situation like that Sideshow will never improve. I should have asked for 2 new bases.
Jack Sparrow PF. I have the black paint bleeding over thet white area of the eye. Another one i did not asked for a replacement but i should have!

 

[Ricardofeitoza]

English is not my first language( Portuguese is) and i have been living in canada for 5 years only but here is a copy of the e-mail i sent to Sideshow trying to express my feelings:

I received my Order:XXXXXXXX- Spider-man Comiquette. The statue has some unacceptable painting probems. I am attaching pictures of the painting problems on its face and the hand attached to the wall.
It looks like an 8 years old painted it. Sideshow has to improve its production line and Quality control as its under the acceptable with the last released pieces. I had problems with all my last 7 orders. A few of them i did not bother complaining as i could live with the problems but when it is on the face of the statue is bad. As an example I ordered 2 Hulk Comiquettes and both of them had painting problems on the base but i did not bother complaining about them as the bas is not so important in my opnion but these expensive pieces should not have this kind of problems. You guys at Sideshow Customer Service are always very good dealing with all of us loyal customers but you HAVE to communicate with the others areas(Production and quality control) and make them improve them as you are getting all the crap from the customers because of the poor job being done by them. A lot of people are dissatisfied with the way Sideshow have been releasing these last products and are loosing the faith on the company. Now when i receive a new Statue instead of the excitement of the situation i am having to worry it i am getting another problematic piece.
It was supposed to be a hobby and its becoming a headache lately. I am starting to thing about quiting it as a lot of other customers have done or are thinking about doing.
I would like a replacement for this statue.

Thanks in advance

 

[budafett]

Not even spiderman is immune to the terror!

 

[Webb]

English is not my first language( Portuguese is) and i have been living in canada for 5 years only but here is a copy of the e-mail i sent to Sideshow trying to express my feelings:

I received my Order:XXXXXXXX- Spider-man Comiquette. The statue has some unacceptable painting probems. I am attaching pictures of the painting problems on its face and the hand attached to the wall.
It looks like an 8 years old painted it. Sideshow has to improve its production line and Quality control as its under the acceptable with the last released pieces. I had problems with all my last 7 orders. A few of them i did not bother complaining as i could live with the problems but when it is on the face of the statue is bad. As an example I ordered 2 Hulk Comiquettes and both of them had painting problems on the base but i did not bother complaining about them as the bas is not so important in my opnion but these expensive pieces should not have this kind of problems. You guys at Sideshow Customer Service are always very good dealing with all of us loyal customers but you HAVE to communicate with the others areas(Production and quality control) and make them improve them as you are getting all the crap from the customers because of the poor job being done by them. A lot of people are dissatisfied with the way Sideshow have been releasing these last products and are loosing the faith on the company. Now when i receive a new Statue instead of the excitement of the situation i am having to worry it i am getting another problematic piece.
It was supposed to be a hobby and its becoming a headache lately. I am starting to thing about quiting it as a lot of other customers have done or are thinking about doing.
I would like a replacement for this statue.

Thanks in advance

Dude WTF ?

2 Iron Man Maquette
1 Gandalf PF
1 Spider Man Maquette

So you're in Canada,you have to send them back or destroy them ?

SideShow =

 

[Ricardofeitoza]

2 Iron Man Maquette - I am still waiting their contact back about these!
1 Gandalf PF - Only EX head needed to be shipped!
1 Spider Man Maquette - I sent the e-mail last night about it
1 Carnage - Just the removable arm needed to be replaced.

 

[Atheris]

Dude, just stop buying their crap...it isnt worth it. Its all going to end up junk anyway. I stopped buying their crap as of last week. Cancelled all my orderds last week and sent back my last two pieces for refunds...I dont regret it.

Chris

 

[Ricardofeitoza]

Dude, just stop buying their crap...it isnt worth it. Its all going to end up junk anyway. I stopped buying their crap as of last week. Cancelled all my orderds last week and sent back my last two pieces for refunds...I dont regret it.

Chris

I hear you my Neighbor! I am keeping my pre-orders and if they have unacceptable problems they are going back! I still have Neytiry, Kratos, Optimus prime, Gollum, Cyclops, Morgul lord. If they keep doing this they will lose a lot of money.
I am just gonna go back to just watch and enjoy movies as i did before of collecting Statues.

 

[jye318]

If only few of us stop buying ss stuff, it won't hurt them and some people is even happy about it, I hate the way they do and make this much money and as customer of us, we feel so bad to lay $500 for such bad paint job!

 

[toystales]

I hear you my Neighbor! I am keeping my pre-orders and if they have unacceptable problems they are going back! I still have Neytiry, Kratos, Optimus prime, Gollum, Cyvlops, Morgul lord. If they keep doing this they will losse a lot of money.
I am just gonna go back to just watch and enjoy movies as i did before of collecting Statues.

SSC won't lose money just because of these returns. They will just need to increase the prices of the next statues to cover these additional "overhead" costs!

That may explain why the retail cost of all their products have been creeping up up and away.

But love them or hate them, SSC is still one of the best in this industry. That is why we are still buying from them despite all our complaints and everything.

 

[theguru1]

I guess it safe to say you don't hold Weta to the same standards you hold SS to then. Unless advertising a specific base material [real wood] only to change it to wood veneer to cut production costs, on an item that was over-priced in the 1st place, is your idea of 100%.

Of course I expect Weta to do just as good, or are you saying that Sideshow have never shown something for pre-order and then shipped something different... how soon do updated pictures get posted on their site.

How about not mentioning this to collectors or even change to product description on their website until well after they began shipping them out.....is that your idea of 100%? What about lying as to the real reason [cut costs/increase profit] they changed the base when they had to explain to collectors why the bases of their $430 statues were starting to lift or bubble. Sorry to burst your bubble, but concerns over warping/splitting wood or laws regulating the importation of real wood internationally are bogus...something you would know had you done any research.

Yeah, good one, when where you last in China, how do you know for a fact Weta are lying. It's not like sideshow prices have gone up... O' wait a minute.
As for importation laws, I have done my research, they may not care in the US, but down here we do have very strict laws on importing various items and wood is one of them. The only bogus thing about, is your statement and lack of knowledge of local laws around the world.

And lastly, settling on a much cheaper-looking and much cheaper priced base material [polystone], significantly altering the overall look of the statue.....is that your idea of 100%? It certainly isn't mine, or anyone else's I suspect.

Yes, it was a mistake, and it blow up on them. If it was Sideshow, they would admit nothing, offer replacement or refund and wait for the next problem.

What did Weta do.....
- Constant direct communication (everyone that had an order or statue in hand has got a number of emails).
- Offer various solutions, full refund, replacement, keep what you have
- Ask what the collectors would like to see, consider all options and then ask again on exact prefer specifics
- Given the now cheaper production cost on the new base, all those who decide to keep their order, will get a part refund or charged less when it ships
- Or, if your still not happy and don't want it, you get a full refund if you already have.


What does SS do, they send out flawed, returned statues to those that make new orders.

 

[woodsy]

Of course I expect Weta to do just as good, or are you saying that Sideshow have never shown something for pre-order and then shipped something different... how soon do updated pictures get posted on their site.

Really? That's why you said only a 100% effort on the part of SS is good enough for you, right after talking about some of the wonderful Weta products you have on order including the John Howe Smaug statue...Weta's equivalent to the Titanic? And yes, SS has on occasion put item's on pre-order that are different from the final product...some are improvements [TOD Indy PF] and others are a disaster [Moria Orc PF], but the difference between you and I is when they do screw up I am more than willing to let them know how I feel. I don't put companies on a pedestal, nor do I expect any company to be perfect in order for me to puchase their products. Sorry Anthony, but you really lost all crediblity on this issue when inspite of everything Weta did wrong with the Smaug "fiasco" the only criticism you could bring yourself to admitting was this:

So it's not just down here then.

Really, Weta's biggest mistake was showing and using a solid wood base for the prototype in the first place, as basically, it was never going to happen for production.

Yeah, good one, when where you last in China, how do you know for a fact Weta are lying. It's not like sideshow prices have gone up... O' wait a minute.
As for importation laws, I have done my research, they may not care in the US, but down here we do have very strict laws on importing various items and wood is one of them. The only bogus thing about, is your statement and lack of knowledge of local laws around the world.

Well 1st off, having a grandfather who worked as a cabinet/furniture maker for 40+ years comes in handy. Though really, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know the warping/splitting claims were nonsense from day 1. There are alot of reasons why people invest thousands [if not 10's of thousands] on solid wood furniture, and having them warp or split before your very eyes aren't one of them.

And secondly, unlike you, I actually did do some research. I went to 5 official government websites to get my info, they included Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, and NZ and the results were all the same. And I specifically targeted the Australian and NZ websites because I know these two countries have the most stringent importation laws on the globe. Well guess what I found during my "bogus" search. I found that the laws and regulations governing the importation of wood veneers, particle boards [such as MDF] and solid wood are IDENTICAL. I know you've done so much research on this , but do you need me to spell this out for you? It means, it is no easier or more difficult, to import finished/processed solid wood bases than it is wood veneer/particle board bases.....because all of these materials are considered to be forestry/wood products.

Could you remind me again about how much research you did on this subject and about my "bogus" claims and knowledge? And can you do so without being a complete hypocrite or lying through your teeth this time.

Oh, I almost forgot. I actually contacted Tim from Weta over this issue as well, and while I cannot disclose the heart of our discussion [as per Tim's request, which I will not violate] I can tell you that the change of base had nothing to do with warping/splitting or importation concerns......perhaps you'ld like to question Tim's "bogus' lack of knowledge as well? After all, it does line up with mine.....just sayin"

Yes, it was a mistake, and it blow up on them. If it was Sideshow, they would admit nothing, offer replacement or refund and wait for the next problem.

What did Weta do.....
- Constant direct communication (everyone that had an order or statue in hand has got a number of emails).
- Offer various solutions, full refund, replacement, keep what you have
- Ask what the collectors would like to see, consider all options and then ask again on exact prefer specifics
- Given the now cheaper production cost on the new base, all those who decide to keep their order, will get a part refund or charged less when it ships
- Or, if your still not happy and don't want it, you get a full refund if you already have.


What does SS do, they send out flawed, returned statues to those that make new orders.

Now I'm not going to say SS would have handled things the way Weta has because you're right, SS would have provided a refund or exchange and that would have been the end of it. But if Weta really wanted to do the right thing they'd provide the solid wood bases they promised in the 1st place! Sure they've done a better job in communicating, but so what? At the end of the day you're all going to end up with wood veneer bases covered with unsightly bubbles where the veneer has lifted, or cheaper looking polystone bases that don't even remotely look as good as the ones collectors were supposed to receive. Yeah, Weta sure went all out to rectify this situation.

Like I said before, you talked about requiring 100% from SS. Well obviously you don't expect the same from Weta, not even close. Because you and I both know had this Smaug statue been a SS product, and had they pulled this kind of a stunt, you would have abandoned ship along time ago.....case closed.

 

[Atheris]

All comes down to one simple fact....all these companies suck

Chris

 

[theguru1]

And secondly, unlike you, I actually did do some research. I went to 5 official government websites to get my info, they included Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, and NZ and the results were all the same. And I specifically targeted the Australian and NZ websites because I know these two countries have the most stringent importation laws on the globe. Well guess what I found during my "bogus" search. I found that the laws and regulations governing the importation of wood veneers, particle boards [such as MDF] and solid wood are IDENTICAL.

Clearly various people have a different definition of IDENTICAL....

https://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/import/timber/low-risk/the_aqis_low_risk_wooden_and_related_articles_scheme_lrwra_scheme/part_b_low_risk_wooden_and_related_articles_scheme_treatment_standard

As you can see, the requirements for low risk of veneers is different.

 

[woodsy]

All comes down to one simple fact....all these companies suck

Chris

I wouldn't quite go that far, but no doubt they all certainly have their moments. Though considering I just received a mint cond. IM2 maquette from the Mistress during the SS Wishlist Giveaway, I'm not really in a position to say anything negative about SS at the moment.

Clearly various people have a different definition of IDENTICAL....

https://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/import/timber/low-risk/the_aqis_low_risk_wooden_and_related_articles_scheme_lrwra_scheme/part_b_low_risk_wooden_and_related_articles_scheme_treatment_standard

As you can see, the requirements for low risk of veneers is different.

Wow, after every arguement I put forth in my last post, this is the best [or should I say only] rebuttal you could come with? To say I'm underwhelmed at the moment is an understatement.

And yes, I'm well aware of that webpage, I've had it saved on my computer for about 5 month's now....but thanks for posting it as it did save me the time and effort of posting it myself. So basically, permits are required for both veneers and solid woods products. Both undergo a quarantine program and both must undergo standard manufacturing processes to mitigate [lessen] quarantine concerns. Does that about cover it?
You're right, clearly some people have a different understanding of the word IDENTICAL. Just as clearly some people have a different understanding of the term "100%".

Now did you want to point out the section of that webpage that states processed solid wood bases will not be permitted to enter Australia when all the government requirements are met because I'm having a very hard time finding it. I mean that was the primary focus of our debate, was it not? Or would you prefer to completely deflect the issue by discussing something as completely irrelevent as the definition of words like "identical" instead?

Oh, and I'm still waiting for you to tell me how if SS had pulled a stunt like this you would have kept your pre-order with them. Never mind, it's a rhetorical question......seeing as we both know the answer to that question.

 

[Kibishii]

You guys are...

now can we go back to beating on Ironman's quality control?

 

[budafett]

We went from Iron Man to wood?

 

[laudel7]

 

[budafett]

Whatever floats their boats...