Preorders now open for Transformers Club Nightbeat and Seacons

[reillyd]

Preorders are up for the Transformers Club exclusive figures, but be prepared for a big shock if you intend to buy.

These items are scheduled to ship within 4 weeks of Sep 30, 2008
2008 Club Exclusive Nightbeat $48.00 1 $48.00
Total: $48.00
Shipping Options
FedEx International Priority -- $86.35
FedEx International Economy -- $82.74
Post Office Express Mail International -- $40.00 (includes signature required)



It costs more to ship a single item than the item is actually worse. Its blatant price-gouging, and its going to be cheaper for most people to buy off ebay and use actual shipping price than to use their member discounts.

[Zippo]

Prices don't see that bad when using Airmail.. Fed Ex has always been a super rip off. I got a tiny item in the post the other day from the USA and postage was $22. A lot more than it used to be for similar sized items.

[Krayt]

Where's the seacons price??

[iceburn]

US$119 member's price or US$159 non-member

[reillyd]

US$119 member's price or US$159 non-member

Minimum price for a member is 119.... plus 50 shipping, which comes out to 159 the same as the non-member price.


Is anyone interested in a group order? The shipping price goes up, but not as steeply as to ship just the one toy.

[iceburn]

Minimum price for a member is 119.... plus 50 shipping, which comes out to 159 the same as the non-member price.


Is anyone interested in a group order? The shipping price goes up, but not as steeply as to ship just the one toy.

reillyd....refer to these:

http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=1831

NSW Order: http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=1979

MELB Order: http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=1978

There's yet to be a Brisbane but you might wanna ask griffin.

[griffin]

And the QLD/others order: http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=1998

[reillyd]

Thanks for pointing this out Griffin. I see that they're also available at bigbadtoystore now, which might be an option for people if they're ordering other (non-exclusive) items from them.


I did get an email from Brian though, saying that the reason shipping is so expensive is that they've had a lot of mail fraud, and now will only ship via a method that has a signature.

[iceburn]

Minimum price for a member is 119.... plus 50 shipping, which comes out to 159 the same as the non-member price.


it's not the same for M and NM price as if you're a non-member that's $159 plus another shipping price which may end up pay US$209. Moreover, OTFC has stated that NM price will include membership for domestic buyers only. So to us overseas buyers, its still expensive.

[Zippo]

Minimum price for a member is 119.... plus 50 shipping, which comes out to 159 the same as the non-member price.


Is anyone interested in a group order? The shipping price goes up, but not as steeply as to ship just the one toy.

Psst, $119 + $50 = $169 not $159
And as pointed out, buying it at non member prices forces you to get a membership.

[iceburn]

hahaha...noted :P didn't see that..

[Tiby]

The shipping price is ridiculous, and the "fraud" excuse is just as bad. I have tried to pre-order Nightbeat and get Topspin as well, but they will not send them together. As it happens, I pre-ordered Nightbeat and forgot about Topspin so I went to change my order - now of course that cannot be done despite spending a year or whatever getting their ordering system up and running. I e-mail Brian and he says things have to be sent as per how you order on this magnificent system, and I am up for a 25% cancellation fee if I want to change my order less than 24 hours after I placed it!

Price-gouging: for sure. This has to be the worst system and ripoff I have ever seen for an online store, and after all, it is for a repaint of a crappy mould to start with!

My total shipping for the 2 figures will be over $70USD!!!! Anyone who has seen Topspin will know that he fits in a very small box, perhaps even a padded envelope, and they want $30USD for him with signature! As for Nightbeat, I expect the box will be just as small or padded out with useful extra AIR in the box to up the shipping price.

I know there is a lot of conspiracy stuff in my post, but I just can't believe how inflexible, blatantly over-priced and unhelpful this FAN CLUB is being. It is clearly an example of: "These fans will pay anything for whatever we make and put out. So, jack up the price! Oh, and of course add a healthy 'handling' margin into the shipping price".

I'll still get the figure, but this may be one of the last "exclusives" I get from them.

[Pulse]

You'd think after years of refining their system that they'd be able to listen to the fans & bring their charges down to respectable levels... (They must believe our wallets are bursting at the seams :rolleyes:)

[griffin]

Like a lot on ebay, they are one of those US businesses that use shipping labels that don't show how much the shipping amount actually is, so could easily be charging more than it costs them without anyway of proving it.

[Saintly]

we should ask if brian would be willing to give out a free international membership is the order is more than 5? :/

it sucks that we aussies get no freebie from them