Takara Masterpiece MP-25 Tracks

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Originally Posted by Trent

HLJ = Never a problem

NY = been screwed around more than once.

So I'm willing to pay a little more.

Also, I'm not a fan of the stand. But it keeps up the tradition of getting a stand with every TF that has a flight capable alt mode.

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except for Skywarp exclusively without. lol

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Originally Posted by Sharky

that is one nice looking transformer

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Yep, and I'm looking forward to having him in flight mode above the other car bots, using his new shiny stand.

Very disappointed with NY. I've pre-ordered from them numerous times and they refused to help me out when my MP UM came with a hole in the box. Which was their fault for not packing it in the box properly.

I'm also not comfortable paying upfront 6 months ahead but not willing to take a gamble with the postage cost with HLJ.

Great price from PC so i shall go with them.

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Originally Posted by Trent

HLJ = Never a problem

NY = been screwed around more than once.

So I'm willing to pay a little more.

Also, I'm not a fan of the stand. But it keeps up the tradition of getting a stand with every TF that has a flight capable alt mode.

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Thanks for the feedback. I've got a number of Masterpiece pre orders with NY but due to the long lead time with these things I have yet to receive anything from them yet. I've found their responses to my inquiries pretty prompt and decent though.

I think I'll leave it on with HLJ. At least I can compare the service since I've never purchased anything from them either.

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Originally Posted by drifand

good feedback > regarding NY shipping

The down side of hlj is you are stuck if the rates are crap by that time.
All calculated risk, its my first time ordering from premium collect.
I cannot says its guaranteed, but Tracks isn't a big deal breaker for me if they stuff up. I am taking the gamble to see how it pens out.

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I transfer yen into my Paypal balance when the rates are good - to combat if they tank before release. That way by the time it comes to pay for HLJ, I'm paying in Yen directly, and at a (usually) better rate. Its still a gamble if the yen rate gets better again before release, but then I just add more to my Paypal balance anyway at the better rate. With the amount of stuff coming out this year (and future masterpieces) it's handy to have a little extra available anyway. And honestly, the way the AUD is going these days - my feeling is there's probably not going to be much in the way of major beneficial fluctuation in Yen or USD in the future.

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Originally Posted by TAAUBlaster

I transfer yen into my Paypal balance when the rates are good - to combat if they tank before release. That way by the time it comes to pay for HLJ, I'm paying in Yen directly, and at a (usually) better rate. Its still a gamble if the yen rate gets better again before release, but then I just add more to my Paypal balance anyway at the better rate. With the amount of stuff coming out this year (and future masterpieces) it's handy to have a little extra available anyway. And honestly, the way the AUD is going these days - my feeling is there's probably not going to be much in the way of major beneficial fluctuation in Yen or USD in the future.

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Just out of curiosity, what's been your experience with exchange rates doing that? Whenever I pay via credit card through paypal in AUD, the exchange rates Paypal gives have been shocking, like what I'd get trying to exchange money over the counter at a bank (for example: Yen was at approx 93-94 per RBA, Paypal gave me 89).

Doing what you're doing, do you get a better exchange rate than you would on a transaction through paypal? or is it the same as what I experience above? (but you obviously get that security of having locked in your exchange rate)

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Originally Posted by Cleon

Just out of curiosity, what's been your experience with exchange rates doing that? Whenever I pay via credit card through paypal in AUD, the exchange rates Paypal gives have been shocking, like what I'd get trying to exchange money over the counter at a bank (for example: Yen was at approx 93-94 per RBA, Paypal gave me 89).

Doing what you're doing, do you get a better exchange rate than you would on a transaction through paypal? or is it the same as what I experience above? (but you obviously get that security of having locked in your exchange rate)

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Usually, I'll add funds to my AUD balance from my linked bank account and then do the currency conversion inside Paypal from my AUD balance. I've always found the rates pretty good. For example today, Paypal is converting at 89 yen to the AUD (whereas ANZ is only converting at 87 yen to buy cash over the counter.) Even though Paypal might not always be on top, their rates are usually pretty good in my experience.
The other thing is, you can't use things like the RBA website or XE to gauge foreign exchange rates. Their rates are a "market rate" which is always higher than a purchase rate. So no matter how you buy, the purchase rate will always be a little bit lower than the RBA or XE sites.

I think with credit card payments, Paypal gets 2 fees from you. The exchange rate fee (which is factored into their rate) and their credit card fee. But I'm not 100% sure on that.

So any complains from the close ups?

I am okay with it, I think my only complain is the stand brought up the shipping cost way up which I won't be using anyway.

I think it looks magnificent, as good as it could be. I'd add "within the constraints of transformation" but frankly, it looks so good that's it's as if there were no constraints. I think i'll be accepting offers on my Henkei Tracks soon :p

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Originally Posted by TAAUBlaster

Usually, I'll add funds to my AUD balance from my linked bank account and then do the currency conversion inside Paypal from my AUD balance. I've always found the rates pretty good. For example today, Paypal is converting at 89 yen to the AUD (whereas ANZ is only converting at 87 yen to buy cash over the counter.) Even though Paypal might not always be on top, their rates are usually pretty good in my experience.
The other thing is, you can't use things like the RBA website or XE to gauge foreign exchange rates. Their rates are a "market rate" which is always higher than a purchase rate. So no matter how you buy, the purchase rate will always be a little bit lower than the RBA or XE sites.

I think with credit card payments, Paypal gets 2 fees from you. The exchange rate fee (which is factored into their rate) and their credit card fee. But I'm not 100% sure on that.

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Ah I see. Fair enough. Not sure if this would change what you're doing (and I'm not sure if you're already across this), but from my experience 28 degrees mastercard card is very good with exchange rates (using my example above, I got 92.something when I pre-ordered Tracks through Paypal using the card, no fee involved from either company), in case there's something you want now and want a better exchange rate/save your cash reserves :)