Just how safe is pre-ordering figs on eBay MONTHS in advance?
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MikeBrown30
Super Freak
I've pre-ordered from ABC on Ebay before and I got my item within a week/week and a half of it being released.
Jamal
Super Freak
ABC are reliable, i ordered many of them months ahead
tigerfeet
Super Freak
Yeah the same, ABC is my first port of call.....I also find StudioSunny to be reliable as well but would only use those two. 
I did pre order on Ebay back in the days once ... It was the Vader from Medicom. It was a pain in the bottom till I finally got the fig in my Hands. A lot of mails and a lot of stress. I will never pre order on ebay again.
I will always 'try' to avoid buying from the U.S...too unreliable...
That's probably because you're not from the US! The shipping is probably terrible!I stick to US companies because the shipping is cheaper and I want to help US companies due to the economy.
creecher
Such is Life - Ned Kelly
I've dealt with Goodshipped and ABC and there are many more, can't say I've heard of Secret Compass, but once you spend time looking at various auctions, tracking them, and following up on feedback people leave, you soon realise that these ebay vendors are really just on line retailers.
No no no. The fact that they have so many sales and still hold a high rating, plus they have been doing this for years doesn't guarantee that your transaction will go smoothly. It's like that with any long distance transaction. The language barrier, overseas customs and the peoples' ways of life can be a barrier, but mostly able to be overcome, should you even need to navigate that course. These blokes want to keep and build a good reputation.
As when first using ebay. There is trepidation. When shipping from an overseas country, there is trepidation. The unknown. Fear. Loosing money, items, what could be, what could happen. Are you prepared? Can you feel comfortable relying on trust? On the trust of a stranger? Most times never a problem. Problems are rare. Problems, no matter how small, are amplified by distance and time. Any small problem is as big of a hassle as a big problem. That's the problem.
Trust isn't security, and it's not what you're paying for. If you want security then you're not getting any. Not from ebay. They turn a blind eye to their own rules. Ebay rules aren't necessarily laws to live by. Really these guys are safe. Doesn't mean hard times can't hit them and wipe them out at any moment. Much of their business will have been taken away by Sideshow. Some things are out of everybodies hands. Pay for insurance if you think it will ease your mind any.
There retailer/vendors want to sell and ship the items to you as soon as they can. It's the company producing the items that cause the 'pre-order to delivery' date to blow out. If not for Sideshow taking on distribution, and these manufacturing companies trusting in Sideshow to do it, then buying from exactly these sellers is what you'd all be looking at. It's what you have to look at when Sideshow aren't stocking certain items. Still, you're lucky enough to have many other avenues such as T2, BBTS, Razors Edge, Alter Ego and the like.
Pre-ordering is safe. As safe as how comfortable you feel about it. Most would have the experience that they wonder how many transactions are they going to have before one is a bummer. Same as any where.
uscmhicks
Super Freak
I've had problems but I still do it. I'm an idiot I guess.
I always feel like there going to sell out and to ship from the US is always more expensive plus I usually get hit with customs tax too.
I always use abc express , they answer emails and supply updates as to when thigns are shipping. If I ever need an update I send them and email and quote the paypal reciept for the item.
It is in no way the safest way to buy these things but so far ( touch wood ) its been reliable for me personally and I feel comfortable using them.
I always feel like there going to sell out and to ship from the US is always more expensive plus I usually get hit with customs tax too.
I always use abc express , they answer emails and supply updates as to when thigns are shipping. If I ever need an update I send them and email and quote the paypal reciept for the item.
It is in no way the safest way to buy these things but so far ( touch wood ) its been reliable for me personally and I feel comfortable using them.
Superboy76
Just a little freaky
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I have never pre-ordered from ABC but I would recommend against it. I was burned!
uscmhicks
Super Freak
by abc , or do you mean by someone else on ebay ?.
I kind of don't understand how you have never pre ordered but you was burned . Did you buy an in stock item ?.
creecher
Such is Life - Ned Kelly
It was them damned Hot Toys. 
Karatka
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I can throw in another recommendation for ABC Express; I've used them since 2006 for 9 Predators now, and never had any problems. For putting money up front, I get my figures faster and cheaper overall... seems like a fair deal. Even when I decided to cancel a pre-order (for the P1, after SS' exclusive was announced) they were very helpful.
greyrabbit
Super Freak
I'm waiting on Dutch through powerfultoy. This is the first time I've paid in full for a pre-order through ebay. I'm just trusting their feedback, which is 100% from 879 sales so far. Has anyone else dealt with this seller?
Sometimes I get a bit worried about having paid so far in advance, though for the price I got it for ($127 + $30 insured postage) it seemed a good option at the time.
I bought MGS Snake (was in stock) many years ago from ABC express. After wating about 4 weeks for it to arrive, I made contact with them and was told that it was "lost" in post, but they sent a replacement right away.
Sometimes I get a bit worried about having paid so far in advance, though for the price I got it for ($127 + $30 insured postage) it seemed a good option at the time.
I bought MGS Snake (was in stock) many years ago from ABC express. After wating about 4 weeks for it to arrive, I made contact with them and was told that it was "lost" in post, but they sent a replacement right away.
Mooncat
Super Freak
If possible pre-order through Sideshow for HT figures no issues there, may not be as fast but its by far the safest, failing them toys2.net, after that ebay
toys2.net arent cheap for international postage nor are they great for customer service, but thats my 1st to 3rd choices for pre-orders
toys2.net arent cheap for international postage nor are they great for customer service, but thats my 1st to 3rd choices for pre-orders
I got both my HT Batmen from Goodshipped. The shipping was really fast for both and without fail Leo answered my emails on the same day I sent them. I wouldn't normally trust ebay sellers, but I was very pleased with his service and saved a lot of dough by ordering direct from China.
nicky
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I pre-prdered Billy and Dutch from them too but the day I won the auction, HT withdrew the Dutch pics so I told them I wasnt gonna pay till the new pics were released. For me buying Billy was dependant on Dutch and I didnt wanna pay $170 for a fig that wasnt as decsribed in the listing if Dutch's sculpt was gonna change.
They refused to mutally back out of the transaction (they'd have got their fees back anyway) and filed a non-paying bidder dispute against me. I've now ordered Dutch from cornerstorecomics (he's the same price). I did think about paying up for my original order of Billy with powerfultoy recently but I'm now thinking powerfultoy might stiff me in retaliation for not paying up the first time and for still not paying up for Dutch.
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