update expectations from online suppliers

[UltraMarginal]

I'm confused by the desperation for updates. I've never heard of people expecting regular updates from other international suppliers like we seem to expect updates from PC, TFI and other Australian suppliers. it's the same business. When they get the product in they ship it out as quickly as they can.

I get that waiting for your item to turn up when others have already received it is nerve-racking.

the geography of Australia means that if stuff ships one day and then the next it can get to one destination a lot quicker than another. This stands out a lot more than stuff being shipped from an overseas supplier as well. would people prefer that the local supplier hold on to everything until it's all packed and send it two weeks later all at once?

[Smint]

Agreed. It's not like we're paying premium prices either.

[llamatron]

Agreed, the behaviour of many is completely absurd.

In an ideal world, anyone that has a whinge on a company's facebook page about their product not shipping yet should get theirs held back another week - in situations where it's obvious that the item has just arrived in stock and is still being processed.

[Borgeman]

I agree. The only updates should be unforeseen delays for reason x, or goods damaged on arrival, or some noteworthy event that is out of the ordinary.

[Starscream77]

Ditto
The expectations are getting ridiculous, it's like waiting a week for a figure will end the world!
You are getting good figures at good prices so chill

[Deonasis]

So true. Have some patience and show a little flexibility with the deliveries people!

[Ralph Wiggum]

Yeah, any Australian based seller/supplier I consider are second tier stockists who receive a trickle of items over time. That includs PC, Figuresdirect and fellow forumers who mass purchase for others. So I expect a delay in receiving the item and accept that others in the same pre-order group may receive theirs first.

If you want an item first off the bat, order from Japan or US based stockists but expect to pay a premium. You get what you pay for.

[Raider]

Actually I'd say that PC is delivering a premium service in this regard. Anyone who follows their FB page would note that they regularly post pictures of the arrival of new stock and indicate that they will start shipping. Not many places even go that far.

I am totally biased though, I am in love with PC <3

[CoRDS]

ive been waiting for ft03t from TFI since i paid in full in december

i still have no figure . if i had ordered from ANY of the overseas places i would have had my order in december.

i get things extremely fast from overseas vendors the only one ive ever had issues with is the ones in .au

[Trent]

There' some generalisations happening from all sides here.

Yes it is dumb to whinge about how your toy hasn't been shipped yet when the supplier clearly hasn't got it in stock. It is also silly to expect daily updates from said shop. And you're an entitled brat if you whinge because person "X" got a shipping notice before you.

However, it is not unreasonable to enquire after the status of your order, when 3 weeks after purchasing an "in stock" item it has still not been posted. By now most people have caught on to the fact that when TFI say something is "in stock" it is really in stock with his supplier and may not get to him for several weeks. But it's highly annoying when you don't know this and he won't answer your emails. (And just to be clear, TFI is not the only Australian seller I have experienced this with. It's quite misleading)

The main difference between someone like PC/TFI and BBTS is that if you have an issue with BBTS, you email them, they answer (promptly) and you're happy. The Australian retailers actively encourage us to contact them through social media rather than email. Thus, our enquiries become public and others can jump on your thread and turn a simple question into a s#!t storm of epic proportions. So in a way I see this as a problem of their own making. While some people need a good slap upside the head for their man-babying, of course these things are going to happen when your major contact path is through a public social media site.

[Jetfire in the sky]

It's definitely a first world issue problem (does that sentence even work? :p)

The want for plastic crack has become so great that some of us have lost touch with reality, and I mean no offence to those who live in that realm, because it's not a bad place to be. :p

It seems that people want "it" yesterday and for free, patience is not a word that may understand. I won't go on a Grandpa rant here but, yeah, people need to chill the F out!

I like Trents points about (un)social media and direct e-mail, any solid business will e-mail you with any difficulties if they have your hard earned dollars in their account and can't come with the goods within the specified time frame, to deal with this on FB, Twitter or elsewhere is beyond unprofessional and should be a big indicator of how that business really feels about their customers.

P.S.
Trent, your sig :mad::rolleyes:;)
But Man-babying: Yes!! (This could end up in the campaign) ;)

[MayzaPrime]

I disagree that using social media is unprofessional... this is the way society is heading (like it or not) this forum is social media.

I do agree that this with the whole lack of patience being a problem. I haven't had a problem with any online store, and I am one of the people that hasnt had MP Ironhide shipped out yet but I don't mind as I have said in a previous post, it will get here when it gets here.:D

[Megatran]

Great thread. It's like a sacrificial thread. People can dump their 'I want it now!' or 'why haven't I got notification yet' grievances in this thread and leave the 'Retailer's new items' & 'Retailer's feedback' threads for what they were originally set up for.

[Raider]

That's a really good point. It is impossible to find any posts easily that PC make given the numerous posts of whinging/whining/complaining. I am not saying that it is unfounded, but if stores could have a dedicated page where only they are allowed to post and then a separate feedback thread that would be great.

[5FDP]

I say, good things come to those that wait.

[Smint]

Would be nice if they updated their website but it's true social media is now often used for things like this.

[DaptoDog]

Well said Trent. There is incessant complaining / questioning which is not cool. And there is calmly seeking an update for an order past its ETA by a reasonable amount of time. If something is posted on the website to land in December and it gets to mid January I'm going to ask the retailer for an update. I think that is reasonable. If the website is updated with a new ETA and / or I receive an email notification with a new ETA on my order (NY do this) then it would eliminate most of the unnecessary back and forth that takes place.

I also believe what feeds some of the angst is the fact that these pre orders are being prepaid up to 5 months in advance. It's only natural for people to get anxious.

[Jetfire in the sky]

I disagree that using social media is unprofessional... this is the way society is heading (like it or not) this forum is social media.

Maybe I'm just old fashioned, or old LOL :D:p

I do get what you are saying though and it is absolutely necessary for any current business to have a social media space and it is how things are and/or are going; but to use that as your only platform for group or individual communication is not on and absolutely unprofessional when your market is, and not restricted to, G1 guys who are after MP's of their favourite characters. Yes I know that a lot of MP collectors aren't 30 plus, but put it this way, if you had an issue with a big chain like Myer or whoever would you think the best way of initial communication was through a public forum like facebook? As the customer I'd be pretty F'n pissed off if it took me to that point to try and illicit a reaction from the retailer.

There is no doubt that chucking a tantrum in the online public marketing world of facebook or other platforms can get results, but to me that should be the last resort, public shaming went out a long time ago (in most countries), but it's quicker and easier to do it now for the lazy angry keyboard warriors who want results yesterday for no price, and to me this goes back to the premise of the thread.

As you have stated this forum is social media and the warnings/reviews that many have given to us all about certain e-tailers are invaluable. But as an individual trying to make first contact to an e-tailer or retailer about an item that hasn't been sent or not received this is definitely not the place for it. On the flip side the e-tailer solely using a particular platform of social media to try and inform their customers of a delay of non-delivery is also not on. That is not customer service, that is a lazy assumption that everyone reads your posts online wherever that may be.
We all have e-mails, they are as good as a mail box out the front of the house, if an e-tailer can't be assed to use that then they can GTFO imho.

Old man rant over ;):p

[UltraMarginal]

However, it is not unreasonable to enquire after the status of your order, when 3 weeks after purchasing an "in stock" item it has still not been posted. By now most people have caught on to the fact that when TFI say something is "in stock" it is really in stock with his supplier and may not get to him for several weeks. But it's highly annoying when you don't know this and he won't answer your emails. (And just to be clear, TFI is not the only Australian seller I have experienced this with. It's quite misleading)


This isn't really what I was talking about. I was more talking about the need for constant updates on a pre-ordered item that was pre-ordered a number of months prior, and has only just started to come out globally. what you've described above is retail misrepresentation which is an entirely different thing.

I'm talking about:
Where a local seller is packing and sending probably every day and some people are receiving items before others have been sent/notified that theirs is in the mail. when the expected date on the sellers website is a month long period as it was when the item was first listed for sale. When the delivery window has not been specified as anything more than that month, expecting updates telling you when your item will be shipped within that month is a bit much. a person has already waited for at least a month or more for an item after pre-order, another week or two knowing that it is due in a 3 to 4 week period doesn't warrant hassling a retailer for updates. I don't think. All it's going to do is slow them down sending parcels.

If a retailer sends out an email saying they are shipping item x over the following 2 weeks, it's not informative, that's already clear from the fact that people are starting to receive item x from them.
If the retailer sits down and figures out when they will be sending item x to each person who ordered it and sends every single person a personalised email, it's a huge waste of time. Especially when they would have to do this for their entire inventory if they did it for just one item.

It's unfortunate that some people seem to not be receiving notification until their package arrives, that may be an issue with an email server somewhere. or an actual lack of communication, either from the supplier or the courier company. It doesn't seem particularly common from what I've been reading. Even if a notification isn't received, it's a bit silly to have something sent to a location you may or may not be at to receive a parcel.

anyway, I didn't really intend to start a thread full of cranky, I just had to get that off my chest, maybe this is a good place for that. or I should have just made a vent in the vents thread.

[DELTAprime]

I just wish PC would update their expected arrival dates like BBTS do. It would be better than seeing a date that has been and gone.

[Megatran]

I say, good things come to those that wait.
Back in my younger days I waited & waited. No happy ending. :p

[Jetfire in the sky]

Back in my younger days I waited & waited. No happy ending. :p

I hope your end is a long way away Megs :)

Or are talking about a different kind of non-PG type of ending, hmmm ;):p

[Soviet Fox]

I'm talking about:

If a retailer sends out an email saying they are shipping item x over the following 2 weeks, it's not informative, that's already clear from the fact that people are starting to receive item x from them.
If the retailer sits down and figures out when they will be sending item x to each person who ordered it and sends every single person a personalised email, it's a huge waste of time. Especially when they would have to do this for their entire inventory if they did it for just one item.




I totally agree that an email in that situation is not informative. I have worked in parts order/distribution before and there is nothing worse than chasing your tail sending off notifications.
However when I was in that job we overhauled our service delivery charter to a very simple "tell them before they ask" premise.

For an example: If I was waiting for an item and only had a vague time frame. It's getting towards or past that time frame, I'm getting angry.

Now here is where we diverge,
Scenario 1) I make the phone call, they tell me they just started shipping today and I will see my item soon. I think "Bull#$@#, they only shipped it because I rang them"

Scenario 2) just as I am picking up my phone I see a new email "Just a quick group email to let you know we have received the item and will be shipping all orders over the next week starting today. Due to the high demand for this product we will be flat out, please allow 2 weeks for your item to arrive.


Just the fact that you are contacted by the supplier first will (in general) completely change the attitude of the customer.
Like it or not business/client relationships are symbiotic, both need each other to survive.

I always hated the entitled customer, and they will always exist, but it's just good business sense to eliminate as much potential conflict from your end.

In summary:

1/ Yes, people should calm down and let the business get on with their job

2/ Yes, the business should do everything in it's power to make the customer comfortable with their purchase. They are buying a product unseen from the screen of their computer and you can not calculate how much that customer is worth to you.

In terms of social media, the world is run today on social media and it can be the making or breaking of a small (Sometimes big) company.
Negative feedback campaigns have brought many big companies to the negotiating table after refusing any wrongdoing via personal email.

It's a positive thing for companies to employ social media as long as it incorporates a simple, record-able medium of private business to client communication.


................Or I'm completely wrong