My complaint, and response from SST

[hoodonit00]

I e-mailed SST about their 1/6th line. Some on here may be upset that I did, but for my own sanity I thought I had to. This is my mail and their response. Take it for what its worth.

Comments: I just wanted to voice my displeasure on how painfully slow
the 1/6 scale LOTR is moving along. How long has it been since there has
been any news of the next figure. For that matter, who knows if there
will be another figure. Seems like there are constant announcements on
Star Wars figures, obscure new licenses like Reservoir Dogs, and Shuan
Of The Dead, but nothing on 1/6 LOTR. If the line is dead I would think
you would have the decency to not string your customer fan base along.
If it is not dead than would it be to much to ask to get some kind of
news? Sincerely, disgruntled collecter.

Dear Scott,

Thank you for contacting our Customer Service Department.

I can advise that our 12-inch line of Lord of the Rings figures is not
closed and it still an active line. We hope to have new figures from
this line available for pre-order in the near future.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Best regards,

Jennifer Bigham
Customer Service

 

[pixletwin]

I hope you were joking that your own sanity required you to email them. But thanks all the same. Its good news that they aren't closing the line, I suppose.

 

[occulum]

jeez.. I can only imagine the number of these types of emails they have to deal with everyday....

 

[pixletwin]

Here is one good thing though: This shows how much better (and tactful) the LOTR folk are than the SW folk. :emperor

 

[galactiboy]

Yes, but this is a sign that the LOTR fans are beginning the descent into the darkside of collecting. First its a polite email (slaughtering sandpeople), then its all out whine-fests (killing younglings).

 

[hoodonit00]

I didnt know how else to put it. I don't want to offend anyone on this board who may think it is wrong to e-mail a company and rant. No, i'm not losing my sanity, but going back to when I first heard that SST was going to do this line I was very pumped. Coming from someone who never read the books, when FOTR came out I almost didn't see it. When I did though it was fantastic and opened my eyes to the Tolkien world. The trio of movies are and probably always will be my favorites. I'm a 39 year old collecter who wants all the figures yesterday, and I guess i'm just gettting impatient. Just seems like a line with this much potential would be getting more life pumped into it.

I hope you were joking that your own sanity required you to email them. But thanks all the same. Its good news that they aren't closing the line, I suppose.

 

[El Roranous]

OMG!

Poor customer service reps. I love those girls, they are always so nice and such a pleasure to deal with. It's a shame they have to deal with some crap sometimes.


My advice, quit taking this stuff so seriously man. They are dolls dude-DOLLS!

 

[ProgMatinee]

I think its fair to email them, I think you got an answer that was a lot more pleasant than the one you sent them (not that yours was overely rude or anything, it just seemed to lack pleasantry.)

I do wonder how much mail they get of this sort, but I bet its a lot less than the 1,000 emails and calls they get from people wondering why they weren't the first person to get their Obi-Wan.

 

[hoodonit00]

OMG!

Poor customer service reps. I love those girls, they are always so nice and such a pleasure to deal with. It's a shame they have to deal with some crap sometimes.


My advice, quit taking this stuff so seriously man. They are dolls dude-DOLLS!

Uh, yea I know they are dolls and I don't think I was rude at all. I'm just trying to fish for some answers. What lines do you collect? You never got anxious waiting for the next release? That's all i'm doing. If I knew that the line would continue to be this slow or slower, I would probably drop it. They know whether or not the line will continue, i'm just trying to get a little info.

 

[BadMoon]

T.O. Says Mo Lord of the Rings please.

 

[Fritz]

Dude, try collecting Premium Format LotR.

 

[El Roranous]

Uh, yea I know they are dolls and I don't think I was rude at all. I'm just trying to fish for some answers. What lines do you collect? You never got anxious waiting for the next release? That's all i'm doing. If I knew that the line would continue to be this slow or slower, I would probably drop it. They know whether or not the line will continue, i'm just trying to get a little info.

I just collect what I like. I don't get anxious about coming things because to be honest I don't like spending so much money.

I never get the dropping of a line comments. Why would you get rid of all your nice toys that you bought because you liked them just because a product line is not moving forward quickly? Just confusing to me.

 

[BadMoon]

T.O. Says No money to collect anymore. We lost the big game.

 

[hoodonit00]

Dude, try collecting Premium Format LotR.

Sorry to say, I don't have that kind of money to put into this hobby. If I could, believe me I would.

 

[Fritz]

Sorry to say, I don't have that kind of money to put into this hobby. If I could, believe me I would.

My point was that as slow as the 12" line is going, the PF stuff is even slower.

 

[ProgMatinee]

My point was that as slow as the 12" line is going, the PF stuff is even slower.

Not by much in terms of figures and if you add the retail value of the PFs vs the 1/6th its way in the PFs favor.

Lurtz
Frodo
Gandalf
-
Aragorn

vs

Aragorn
Legolas
Boromir
Faramir
-
Frodo
Sam

Star Wars on the other hand, the total MSRP of PF vs 1/6th are pretty close.

 

[hoodonit00]

My point was that as slow as the 12" line is going, the PF stuff is even slower.

Yea I guess after giving your post more thought, that line is moving slower. I feel your pain.

 

[RoboDad]

Uh, yea I know they are dolls and I don't think I was rude at all. I'm just trying to fish for some answers. What lines do you collect? You never got anxious waiting for the next release? That's all i'm doing. If I knew that the line would continue to be this slow or slower, I would probably drop it. They know whether or not the line will continue, i'm just trying to get a little info.

I don't mean to call you out, but this:

If the line is dead I would think you would have the decency to not string your customer fan base along. If it is not dead than would it be to much to ask to get some kind of news? Sincerely, disgruntled collecter.

Sounds at least a little rude to me.

But in answer to your question, I don't think most of us get anxious enough to write to Sideshow, more-or-less demanding news. We talk about it among ourselves, yes, but that's where it ends, at least for me.

 

[ProgMatinee]

A lot of posters here imagine any complainer as someone with a pitchfork at the gates of Sideshow Castle demanding to be let in.

I think there is a big jump between pissing and moaning here on the internet and actually sending it to SSC.

I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with taking it right to SSC, but you shouldn't do it as if you were doing it here, you have to exercise a little more professionalism.

 

[pixletwin]

Here is one good thing though: This shows how much better (and tactful) the LOTR folk are than the SW folk. :emperor

I would just like to point out that I was being sarcastic when I wrote this.