I agree. I can see why SS reps don't bother coming on here, they just get blasted and attacked. Brutal. I have enjoyed getting info we have of late even if it hasn't always been good news. Better than being left in the dark. People need to chill out.
Does it really matter what reps come on here? They just cut and past the same cookie cutter responses that explain nothing and always try to justify their tactics. It adds nothing of value, your talking to a corporate machine; what do you expect?
I've been posting on these forums for years talking about SS QC and ethics slowly going down hill. I made as much noise about it as I could and I was attacked by pretty much everyone for it. The ignorant folks that never wanted to listen or hear it now are silent since getting a taste. Even your most hard core SS fans here are now admitting SS is changing for the worse. I called it years ago, the responses I get now (like the one above) are "ya ya you were right, just stop rubbing it in our faces".
I will always call people or companies out on their BS, simple as that. If they keep doing it, then I have no reason to stop. I don't understand what people are so afraid of. It's very easy for collectors to get SS and other companies to change. But it seems some are happy with accepting sub-par over priced statutes for fear of not being able to have characters they like. If SS is sending you QC riddled pieces, SEND THEM BACK FOR REFUNDS. Don't accept their petty $25-$50 credits on $600-$1000 statues, are you crazy. Most companies profit margins are double what it costs them to manufacture each piece. Accepting pocket change for horrible quality just go's to show some collectors twisted ways of thinking. SS is still laughing all the way to the bank, you haven't sent them any sort of message other than you can be bought off and silenced quite cheaply.
How many times has SSAlex said adding or removing a feature that customers ask for doesn't increase or decrease the cost of a piece at all. They hear collectors screams, yet don't do anything, because it benefits them. Then we have collectors on here that say "oh well, they took this away, I don't like the piece....but I'm still gonna order it" WTF??
I think if some collectors were given the opportunity they would snort the polystone their statues are made with. Actually, can't even do that now since more and more SS statues are being made from even cheaper fiberglass. Yet the prices don't change even though they're getting made cheaper. This joker bust could have been made with acrylic eyes and the price wouldn't have changed, SS has confirmed this. Yet they aren't, why? because their profit margins increase the less they have to spend. They don't care about the end product and how it looks. They know collector-addicts will eat it up anyway. This isn't really a surprise after seeing people literally kill each other on Black Friday just to save $20 on a $200 TV.
Honestly folks, wake the hell up. Look at the quality almost any other company out there is capable of and compare it with SS's. SS is not even in the same business it seems. If they send you something that isn't quality, send it back. If they change something without telling you after it was advertised a certain way, cancel it!
Simple as that, collectively customers can get any company to sing whatever song they want to hear. So do it!
Chris