New shipper UPS RUINED MY SITH ANAKIN!

[Batty]

No, they won't allow pick-ups.

And its a bit of a drive for you anyway... I grew up in Long Beach (Belmont Shores) so I know the route well.

I think they also have some kind of zombie problem... so no visitors.

 

[galactiboy]

I still think that the major problem isn't the shippers, its the crap job Sideshow is doing with the outer packaging. Sure you are always gonna get the occassional smashed box... but by only having a (very) slightly mailer you increase the chances of a damaged box dramatically. I would much prefer if they would use better packaging methods... when my Symbiote Spiderman arrive he was in a much larger box and arrived in pristine condition.

 

[LOTRFan]

It is probably unfair to blame this solely on the shipping carrier, you didn't see the box when it left the werehouse.

 

[Wor-Gar]

I may ask for the extra packing now, if its not a huge amount more.

But I'm definitely going back to FedEx.

 

[Wor-Gar]

It is probably unfair to blame this solely on the shipping carrier, you didn't see the box when it left the werehouse.

True, but I've received about a dozen things from Sideshow over the years thru FedEx and all were perfect.

My first time with UPS and this happens.

What would you do?

 

[LOTRFan]

True, but I've received about a dozen things from Sideshow over the years thru FedEx and all were perfect.

My first time with UPS and this happens.

What would you do?

The exact same thing! Doesn't mean we are right though, I guess I am just saying that we/I always jump right on the carrier, and never consider that things may not leave the werehouse like we think they do.

*Lights torch* :maul

 

[TheObsoleteMan]

I've never understood why they don't use larger boxes and bubble wrap to ship their figures. All of the other online retailers I've ever used do that for the same cost of shipping.

 

[TOE]

Remember hearing a rumor some time back that maybe they would offer this type of packing for an additional charge, not sure if there will be anything come of that though.

additional charge??? for a bigger box?? that sux @$$. I hope this rumor is not true.

 

[hairlesswookiee]

ouch!!! well, stuff happens and im sure SS has extra boxes made for this kind of problem. just contact them and all will be fixed. you'd think with the new SW boxes that were designed to be display quality, that they would pack with intention of insuring they arrive in pristine quality.

 

[Wor-Gar]

OK, here's the scoop from Erin at SS:

Yes, they will send a new box, but it will be a week before the Returns Dept can deal with it. They are behind because of SDCC.

Yes, they will do "extra packaging" but it costs $8 more and it means your figure will be one of the last one's to be shipped out as they set it aside to be packaged for you.

The FedEx deal is: FedEx will no longer reimburse SS for damaged items if they are NOT signed for.... Thus, SS will not replace damaged items for their customers if they are not signed for. This is why SS has moved to UPS, which will still honor reimbursement even if the package is left at the doorstep.

Finally, as you all have said, FedEx and UPS have a long history of poorly delivered goods in equal amounts, but it seems to be determined by where you live. In my case, living close to SS, perhaps I just have better luck with FedEx. Or maybe LOTRFan is right, and I will switch back to FedEx and my next delivery from them will be worse than this one. We'll see.

Anyway, there you go... as most of you will be receiving yours in the next few days, this information may become more relevant.

 

[JGouse0498]

Glad to hear everything's going to be straightened out for you, Wor-Gar. And thanks for the detailed explanation of why SSC switched to UPS.

So now are you gonna crack Vader out of his mangled box and get some pics up for us?!?!?!?!

 

[pordey2]

additional charge??? for a bigger box?? that sux @$$. I hope this rumor is not true.

It would be a good option. Your shipping is dirt cheap anyway...

 

[gdb]

I've been telling people for years that UPS really sucks for the home user. Companies use it because it's so friendly for b-to-b users. But home users are so often treated poorly.

All UPS had to do was pick up your package in T.O. and drive to the sorting facility and deliver to you in L.A. but somewhere along the line UPS crushed it.

A friend of mine worked at a sorting facility in New York and he told the worst stories of random vandalism as there is no accountability at UPS.

Anyway, sorry to hear about your Anakin.

 

[JGouse0498]

It would be a good option. Your shipping is dirt cheap anyway...

It's not that great of an option. I live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and FedEx shipping on a figure for me is around $6. So I'll have to pay more than double that and wait until the very end just so Sideshow can take what should be standard precautions when packaging my order?!?!?!

I've said it many times, and I'll say it again. Sideshow has some great staff members and great products, but their customer service is severely lacking in some areas and I wish they'd get it straightened out already. So far, I've been lucky and nothing's been damaged so badly (although my Anakin box was dinged up a little bit on arrival).

 

[Wor-Gar]

Glad to hear everything's going to be straightened out for you, Wor-Gar. And thanks for the detailed explanation of why SSC switched to UPS.

So now are you gonna crack Vader out of his mangled box and get some pics up for us?!?!?!?!

Well, I want to, but I think I might just get the whole thing replaced. Anakin looks pretty shaken up inside the bent box -- belt's off and crooked, tunic is pinched, leg's tweaked in unnatural ways, etc...

I don't really want to take him out, undress him, then have to redress him to ship him back to SS. Although I do want to add Sith-ikin to my collection of Star Wars nude pix.

And I appreciate all the eager support from everyone who also wants to see those pix. You sick puppies.

 

[LOTRFan]

I've said it many times, and I'll say it again. Sideshow has some great staff members and great products, but their customer service is severely lacking in some areas and I wish they'd get it straightened out already. So far, I've been lucky and nothing's been damaged so badly (although my Anakin box was dinged up a little bit on arrival).

I am curious how they could better themselves in your eyes? Just giving the option of double boxing seems good enough, what could be different? If we are blaming the carrier than how does that fall on Sideshow? I am not attempting to start a war here, but in my experience it is actually their customer service that is leaps above.

 

[pjam]

That's ugly! The same thing happened with my first Anakin. I called SS Customer Service and talked to the wonderful Aimee. She sent me a brand new box and I requested to have all my figures double boxed from now on. It does mean a delay in shipping, but I don't mind as long as my figures arrive safely.

I do the same, all shippers packed in outer box!

 

[JGouse0498]

I am curious how they could better themselves in your eyes? Just giving the option of double boxing seems good enough, what could be different? If we are blaming the carrier than how does that fall on Sideshow? I am not attempting to start a war here, but in my experience it is actually their customer service that is leaps above.

Well, first of all, I never blamed the carrier, so that's not an issue for me to address.

But it's obvious that the current packaging is thinner than it should be. Sideshow's response is to offer the "option" of double boxing and at a higher cost than the actual shipping rate??

Do you not see a problem there???

How can they better themselves in this matter? Simple.

Start using better packaging as a standard practice for this figure line and don't charge many of us more than we're already paying for shipping. If they do need to add a bit to the shipping, OK...that's understandable because of materials.

But why should someone pay $6.00 for shipping but then have to pay an additional $8.00 just to make sure nothing gets damaged?? That's a 133% markup on your original shipping cost!!

We're already paying $50 on average for these items, and many of us keep the boxes for display and storage. Heck, that's one of the reasons Sideshow designed these new boxes.

So, yeah, I think there is room for substantial improvement in this area.

 

[LOTRFan]

How can they better themselves in this matter? Simple.

Start using better packaging as a standard practice for this figure line and don't charge many of us more than we're already paying for shipping. If they do need to add a bit to the shipping, OK...that's understandable because of materials.

But why should someone pay $6.00 for shipping but then have to pay an additional $8.00 just to make sure nothing gets damaged?? That's a 133% markup on your original shipping cost!!

We're already paying $50 on average for these items, and many of us keep the boxes for display and storage. Heck, that's one of the reasons Sideshow designed these new boxes.

So, yeah, I think there is room for substantial improvement in this area.

Fair enough, but the vast majority of these are not being received like the pics posted in this thread.

Isn't this just another you can't please them all discussion? There are far more gripes about the costs of the figures than anything else, so raising costs doesn't seem to be a real option - or at least not and avoiding the "did you just pay ..." threads. I think taking the 5-10 damaged boxes is a much better choice. Not only that, but when you say that SS customer service is lacking, it seems misplaced, Wor Gar called within what is presumably minutes of receiving his figure and is already being promised a replacement. I would say that is pretty top-notch.

 

[Darth Loki]

Thought I'd chime in here since I've worked at UPS and I've done packing and receiving so I see it coming and going.

While working at UPS (all lovely 9 days of it), I realized why so many packages are damaged and it all has to do with how packages are loaded on a truck. I unloaded trucks at a sorting hub and all we did was make some space, then just pull the 10 foot wall of packages down to load on the conveyer belt. Some fell nicely, others not so nicely. Sometimes you'd have packages falling on top of each other, which really looks like the case here. Mostly lighter packages were placed at the top of the truck so they have farther to fall. I can honestly tell you that no sticker you put on a package means anything, This Way Up, Fragile, Breakable, Live Animals, it doesn't matter.

Thus the responsibility falls on the shipper to properly package and protect. The 12" packaging we get now is a joke. The outer box should be at least 1" lager in every aspect and packed with either peanuts (packing not salted), or bubble wrap. Any impact on the current style gets absorbed by the actuall product, where as the packing material would absorb most of the common bumps and lumps without damaging your precious box.

Thirdly, after many years of receiving packages, no company is any better than the other. I've seen boxes from both UPS and Fed Ex that look like they were used in the World Cup, complete with foot prints. Neither one of them are great but what other options do we have.

I completely understand why SS is now using UPS for all shipments under $100 as it is in your best interest. Remember, if you change your delivery service back to Fed Ex, you will have a hard time getting anything from SS now that Fed Ex is not insuring those packages. It is a crap move by Fed Ex, most likely done because too many small claims were being made (almost all are their fault anyway), but a very consumer conscience move by SS.

I don't know if there is a way but we should really try to ask SS to add 1 cubic inch to the size of the outer box for the 12" figures for more protection. It would add barely nothing to the shipping and the weight differential wouldn't even be noticealbe. Oh and SS, Diamond Containers makes the best boxes!