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Burrakooka
27th October 2016, 12:57 PM
Just got my first order via their website - BB7 Thundercracker. Really happy with it, hope to be ordering more soon.

Ordered on the 13th Oct, arrived on the 26th but had to pick it up today as the courier apparently couldn't make it up the driveway...

Order status remained 'Processing' on the website until the 24th when I got an email notification of 'Shipping'. Apparently they have added intermediary statuses now so people can see what's happening in between.

Tracking number was more or less useless as I only received it at the shipped notification, and there were no more steps till 'Delivered'. That will likely change with the added notifications as it has shipping steps going back to the 19th on the Singpost website - Auspost will accept the tracking ID as valid but it has no information.

In case it bothers anyone: once you create an account on the website you will receive an email verification back with your password in plain text.

Initial_G
5th December 2016, 02:48 PM
Have received two different orders from ToyBento now and the experience has been great. Items were packaged well.

I managed to get my first order shipped before he went on holidays and the item arrived in a few days.

There were a couple of email exchanges which were promptly replied. Ben recently went on 2 weeks leave and
customers were notified via facebook / email on existing orders that there would be a delay while he was on holidays for 2 weeks.

As soon as he was back my next order was shipped and once again arrived in a few days (from Singapore).

Both orders came via DHL, not bad for $10 shipping.

Very happy with Ben/ToyBento and will shop again, actually I'm tempted to order YM-05 KO Thrust, even with $10 shipping it works out cheaper than other retailers like TF_Direct who have free shipping (but with slightly inflated price)

Thurmus
5th December 2016, 08:07 PM
I have two orders in with them. One awaiting pre-order, the other is with their freight forwarder.

I have had contact about the orders and a question and they were really friendly and happy to help.

Omega Metro
8th December 2016, 01:00 PM
Been waiting a over week now since payment and still no sign of my item being shipped. They are either very busy.....or very slack.:(

1AZRAEL1
8th December 2016, 01:16 PM
Been waiting a over week now since payment and still no sign of my item being shipped. They are either very busy.....or very slack.:(

Sometimes in can take a short time to post. Give it time, it will come. And travel time is pretty quick though

Amalgamous
8th December 2016, 06:46 PM
Had the same thing, all comes form some sort of central warehouse, but once it was posted it arrived quickly and was very well packed.
I have gone back for more

Thurmus
8th December 2016, 06:57 PM
Ben said he has sent quite a lot of orders to his freight forwarder and he is still going. They will be busy considering the time of year. Just be patient.

Omega Metro
16th December 2016, 08:35 AM
Been waiting a over week now since payment and still no sign of my item being shipped. They are either very busy.....or very slack.:(

FINALLY got a shipping notice last night. 2 weeks after paying. :mad:

1AZRAEL1
16th December 2016, 09:31 AM
FINALLY got a shipping notice last night. 2 weeks after paying. :mad:

It can take a while through them, but it should arrive fairly quick. Shouldn't be so impatient

Omega Metro
16th December 2016, 09:55 AM
Shouldn't be so impatient

It's not a matter of being 'impatient'. 2 weeks is a ridiculous time to wait for an in stock item to be shipped.

1AZRAEL1
16th December 2016, 09:59 AM
It's not a matter of being 'impatient'. 2 weeks is a ridiculous time to wait for an in stock item to be shipped.

Matter of opinion I guess

Ozboticon
16th December 2016, 10:40 AM
It's not a matter of being 'impatient'. 2 weeks is a ridiculous time to wait for an in stock item to be shipped.

Try waiting 5 weeks ........... and counting

drifand
22nd December 2016, 12:03 PM
It's not a matter of being 'impatient'. 2 weeks is a ridiculous time to wait for an in stock item to be shipped.

He took a break went on holiday. I am going to stop here as perhaps he should over work himself since he is a robot.

Thurmus
22nd December 2016, 01:59 PM
I received my two orders in one last week. I have been in regular contact with Ben over the last few weeks as I wanted to try and merge my orders and get them sent as one which he did.

The following is what I experienced:

1. He has always got back to me within a day or so. Has always been up front and friendly.
2. He was away for the last two weeks of November which he did mention on his site.
3. He notified me on the 4th Dec that my order had been sent to the freight forwarder. On the 10th of Dec, I received this email:
Hi Cameron,

Your packages are enroute to you. They’ll probably reach you within this week.

I’m really terribly sorry about the delay :( There was a HUGE mess up at my forwarders, so it took much longer than usual (about 1-2 weeks delays as I wasn’t able to attend to it while I was overseas) :(

Let me work out something, and I’ll have some money refunded as part of compensation for the delays? :) The delay is really far below my service standards, and I do sincerely apologise for it :(

Best Regards,
Ben

4. He then proceeded to refund me the postage costs and an extra amount.
5. I received my order on the 16th of Dec and everything was in top shape.

I am very happy with Ben's communication and service. It is less than ideal when your freight forwarder stuffs up and remember it is very close to Christmas so there is a hell of a lot more posting going on.

I was hoping to get mine in time for Christmas and luckily did. If they didn't arrive I would have had to buy myself a couple of local presents for the kids to get me and pretend to be disappointed.

I would suggest shooting him an email to follow up if you have issues.

Omega Metro
22nd December 2016, 02:48 PM
He took a break went on holiday. I am going to stop here as perhaps he should over work himself since he is a robot.

Perhaps he shouldn't of taken a holiday at the busiest time of the year;)

Oh, and my order did finally arrive this week.....all creased and dented. But the outer cardboard box was pristine. So it was already damaged before it was packed. Still waiting on a reply from him.

drifand
22nd December 2016, 04:04 PM
Perhaps he shouldn't of taken a holiday at the busiest time of the year;)

Oh, and my order did finally arrive this week.....all creased and dented. But the outer cardboard box was pristine. So it was already damaged before it was packed. Still waiting on a reply from him.

He sure could where the rest of his family is on holiday. Just saying. Not that I side you or him for the matter. It's how each one feels what is more important in their lives. Let us know how he deals with dents etc.

drifand
22nd December 2016, 04:08 PM
Feedback a board member forwarded a parcel to my address from him.
Was given tracking and delivered. Inner box great condition , outer box as in postage had a minor dent.

OptimusNerd
31st January 2017, 03:36 PM
In January I received stellar service/communication from ToyBento. Packages received quicker than tracking info could be sent out. His stuff has been coming into Australia via DHL.

Received:
JB KO Oversized Bruticus (with Master Mech/Throne/Sword bundle)
XTB Eligos
KBB MP-10V(white)
A heap of carded TR gnaws/kickbacks

Also, late last year I received a defective (strange situation) MP-10 EVA KO, and Ben's working with me to get a replacement sorted.

griffin
21st April 2017, 10:22 PM
FINALLY got a shipping notice last night. 2 weeks after paying. :mad:

Mine took 2 weeks from payment to shipping notice as well... and even though they had a reason (one item was lost and they had to order more in), they didn't tell me about the delay until after the order was shipped... something that they should have told me as soon as they knew that they had a problem and had to hold my order until they could get more stock in.

OptimusNerd
23rd April 2017, 02:55 PM
I received another batch of stuff from Toybento this week.

Just in case it's not known how it/he operates, I'll explain my understanding here: Ben doesn't "stock" anything, he orders in your products from mainland suppliers, then he consolidates the packages into a single shipment for your order, then sends it to a forwarder that ships it to the final destination. So there can be a lead time of 1-2 weeks for him to get it, and then (in my experience) the orders are getting to me in Melbourne in just about a week from the time they are sent to the forwarder.

Ben's been good to me. I got a figure that had some obvious defects, and he immediately arranged to send me a replacement. He informed me that the supplier had rejected his claim for a refund based on photos I sent, but he was willing to eat the cost of the figure to do what's right for me, the customer.

drifand
24th April 2017, 10:35 AM
I think Ben is a good chap, My concern is once people over crap him with too much load he may suffer like TFI downunder.

He is very much a collector trying to make some profits here and there but I could see he had some issues with some customers already especially with lost parcels etc....

To me, he is an honest bloke and will go all out to rectify issues. I just hope people dont take advantage and abuse out of his good will.

OptimusNerd
25th April 2017, 01:43 PM
I think Ben is a good chap, My concern is once people over crap him with too much load...

I'm sorry, I can't get past over crap him with too much load... :D

CHILENO20
25th April 2017, 03:46 PM
I'm sorry, I can't get past over crap him with too much load... :D

Very poor choice of words :D:D:D

On a serious note, I've bought from ToyBento before myself and was satisfied with their service :)

Starganderfish
15th May 2017, 11:36 AM
Purchased a couple of Wei Jiang KO's from Toy Bento recently. Agree with others that the shipping process is kind of slow, but he provides regular updates as to where it is in the process and his website explicitly states that the cheapest shipping option can have delays. I was very happy with the final delivery, very well protected.
Also had to email a question and received a fast, pleasant and informative response in under a day.

Will definitely be ordering from him again!!

griffin
2nd June 2017, 07:32 PM
Okay... my first order with Toybento.

After a tipoff here about that site having Cyber Series toys and free shipping over US$150, I ordered the nine Cyber Series toys they had "in stock".

March 31st - placed the order and paid for it... selecting the free shipping option, which has the warning of "boxes may be wrecked - 5% chance of happening".
(that was a worry, but as long as the toys are okay, these toys are hard to find so I was willing to take my chances on maybe getting some crushed boxes.)

April 1st - emailed an update of order, saying "Dispatching to Forwarder" (which I thought meant it was now on its way to the shipping company)

April 18th - emailed an update of order, saying "Queued for International Shipping"
(how is that different to status in the April 1st message? - I thought it was already on its way)

April 18th (same day and time) - emailed an update of order, saying "Dispatching to Forwarder" and a note saying...


So sorry about the delay. One of your items was lost in transit, and I had to get the supplier to send again. It took about 2 weeks to resolve this. So sorry about the delay.So... the items aren't always actually on hand when "in stock" on the site, and may not be guaranteed to be in stock at their supplier.
But aside from that, I wasn't notified earlier, like when the first item was lost. I was only notified after the replacement had been received.

Okay... NOW it should be on its way.

May 17th (giving it four weeks to arrive) - I sent an email to ask if there was a tracking number, and why the website still listed my item as "Queued for International Shipping".

May 18th - reply, saying that there was a problem with the shipping company (DHL), that there was a problem with my address.

May 19th - a follow up email, saying that they can't send it to a PO Box, and needed a home address (for a signature).

May 22nd - I send my home address and get a reply the same day that it would be processed right away.

May 24th - I asked if DHL had ever asked for a home address, or just sat on the shipment waiting for someone to chase it up.
The reply said that they weren't notified by DHL, and that they acknowledge that it should have been followed up when a tracking number was never supplied.
An offer of a partial credit/refund of $20 was made. (on June 2nd when I let them know that the toys arrived, I asked if the credit could be given to a friend, as I wasn't likely to be ordering anything there for a while)

May 29th - the package arrived, and it was a sealed bag, with three crushed boxes inside. The website did warn that it could happen, so I wasn't surprised or annoyed.
You just have to be aware of it if you chose the cheaper shipping option, or are eligible for free shipping.

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/e510.jpg

The three boxes inside - I think these were sent to DHL from Toybento, and DHL grouped them up into the bag above, which made it easier for them to be crushed, as they didn't stack square inside the bag.
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/e511.jpg

Three of the nine boxes were slightly squished, but the toys inside were all okay.
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/e512.jpg

The entire order...
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/blog/e500.jpg

The store obviously has some issues (and are currently being upgraded to improve things), but they seem to be a small operation. And if they have something you need (like Asian exclusives), they certainly have a very affordable shipping option - if you aren't needing mint packaging in your collection. You might get mint packaging, but it is not guaranteed... particularly long-distance (international) shipping.

Dazza_22
22nd June 2017, 12:11 PM
I recently received my first order from Toybento and thought I would share what started as a negative experience but, thanks to his customer service, ended up as a positive experience.

When my order arrived (and I will add that it was well packaged) I had a major issue with it (I won't go into too much detail). I emailed Ben advising him of the issue and he gave me a prompt and detailed reply which outlined that the issue probably wasn't as big of an issue as I first thought. Ben took on board what I had said and offered a more than adequate resolution.

Overall it was an open and transparent interaction and I would like to commend Ben for his attitude and willingness to work with me to reach a solution that both of us are happy with.

In the end I am a happy customer who will recommend Toybento to others.

Holdobot
26th June 2017, 08:26 PM
Just got my first order. Everything was packed really well no damage. Very happy will be ordering again.

http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah243/holdobot/Transformers/20170626_181606_zps8qyxx1a4.jpg (http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/holdobot/media/Transformers/20170626_181606_zps8qyxx1a4.jpg.html)

drifand
28th June 2017, 11:04 AM
It appears he is actually looking into NO PROFIT providing the service.
I am not sure what he really means, but will be interested to know.

ChlorHex
3rd August 2017, 12:02 PM
Just FYI...
Just went to their site and they have apparently gone for a not for profit model of business.
The prices appear fairly similar to before but it's free shipping worldwide all around regardless of price.
Everything ships direct from China.
There's also mention of potential shipping delays and if issues arise for buyers to either pay or go direct to the manufacturer to resolve them.
Sounds like they had a lot of issues with product issues in the past and this effectively eradicates the hassle for them.

drifand
3rd August 2017, 03:42 PM
Just FYI...
Just went to their site and they have apparently gone for a not for profit model of business.
The prices appear fairly similar to before but it's free shipping worldwide all around regardless of price.
Everything ships direct from China.
There's also mention of potential shipping delays and if issues arise for buyers to either pay or go direct to the manufacturer to resolve them.
Sounds like they had a lot of issues with product issues in the past and this effectively eradicates the hassle for them.

According to Ben, He is not entertaining the defects part hence why is no profit and is low cost. I think is almost fair enough to warn you is a close point to PC's concept except PC is still for profit.

He is being clear that is going to be by boat and will take longer time, so do expect the same type of waiting times like PC < might be less, but this is YOUR decision at this point to take the waiting game.

As far as I know, Ben has been on the ball in regards to replying WHERE your items is, though he had issues with his FT phoenix as some may have known.

This is solely a personal decision on your part if you want cheap and waiting for items. By all means he isn't like PC, and he is contactable. I had never waited over a week for a response.

Batfan007
4th August 2017, 09:40 AM
According to Ben, He is not entertaining the defects part hence why is no profit and is low cost. I think is almost fair enough to warn you is a close point to PC's concept except PC is still for profit.

He is being clear that is going to be by boat and will take longer time, so do expect the same type of waiting times like PC < might be less, but this is YOUR decision at this point to take the waiting game.

As far as I know, Ben has been on the ball in regards to replying WHERE your items is, though he had issues with his FT phoenix as some may have known.

This is solely a personal decision on your part if you want cheap and waiting for items. By all means he isn't like PC, and he is contactable. I had never waited over a week for a response.



Longest response time I've had from Ben was two days.
Usually hear back from him in 12-24 hours when I have contacted him many times with Queries.

I have not emailed him when he was travelling or sick, I imagine a bit slower then. But he still responded to many customer inquiries even when he was sick as a dog not long after the site first started. :cool: