Hasbro clamping down on buying from U.S. direct?

Hi,

This came up on another board that I check. A poster received this response from a largish-scale eBay seller when asking about Star Wars and Marvel Legends type figures. I thought it might also have implications for the people here.

That's if its true. It's important to note this is only one response from one seller and they may not even have the facts straight from Hasbro. It's difficult to tell. I just know that Playmates started doing something similar last year with big online retailers such as BBTS.

In any case, here's the troubling text verbatim...

<snip />

***************

Sadly, Hasbro is no longer allowing US sellers to ship their product
overseas so you will not be able to see any of our Hasbro product
going forward. If you want us to send you Hasbro product, you have to
visit the US Ebay site to view our Hasbro offerings, then have your
item shipped to a friend in the US. I understand that this is a very
unreasonable expectation, but sadly, it is the only solution we are
left with. As you can imagine, we are pretty upset about it as it
represents about 20% of our total sales. You will find other sellers
who have decided to simply ignore this rule at their own risk. Hasbro
has threatened to pull the account of anyone attempting to sell
overseas. We can not risk our account being pulled so we have had
decided to abide by their policy. We are urging them to reconsider and
are trying to find a legal way around the policy.

***************

-awe

No links, names, screenshots?
Anything to distinguish this from random scaremongering?:confused:

interesting, if true I can see a lot of online stores having issue with this, BBTS, TF Source to name a few.
I am not going to worry about it though untill we hear something concrete from Hasbro. If true it may also be restricted to just those lines.

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Originally Posted by UltraMarginal

interesting, if true I can see a lot of online stores having issue with this, BBTS, TF Source to name a few.
I am not going to worry about it though untill we hear something concrete from Hasbro. If true it may also be restricted to just those lines.

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Agreed, until places like BBTS etc start saying this, I'm not going to worry.

Maybe Griffin can ask at the Melbourne toyfair this weekend?

I think it's bloody dodgy though, if no retailer wants to stock these figures, does that mean we can't get them easily?

There's absolutely no advantage to Hasbro doing this, so if it's true, it's both surprising and short-sighted. However, I can think of no conceivable reason why they would. In all the 10+ years I've been collecting, I've been outside the US, and I've never known Hasbro to implement such a policy. It seems very unlikely.

What is true in my experience is that some sellers, particularly in the US, don't want to go through the perceived "hassle" of selling something overseas. The way to deal with that on eBay is just to say you won't ship abroad, but some people say they will then change their minds afterwards. Even though this seller - if they are a seller and this isn't just random scaremongering - says about 20% of their sales are overseas, it seems more likely they've decided they don't want to ship to the guy for some other reason and are trying to pass the buck along.

Honestly, there would be a worldwide fan outcry if this were an official Hasbro policy. BBTS and the other online stores that ship worldwide would oppose it and Hasbro would pretty much be forced to back down.

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Originally Posted by CBratron

No links, names, screenshots?
Anything to distinguish this from random scaremongering?:confused:

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There weren't any in the original post, and when I asked if he minded me reposting over here he did say as long as I made sure that I communicated this info is far from official and tenuous at best.

Not trying to scaremonger. Just wanted to increase the likelihood that we could get some more info or at least have a placeholder for discussion if this does turn out to be more than one seller spinning a yarn.

Transformers at least appear to be more favoured at retail in this country. At least that's how it seems to me as the casual collector when comparing with some of Hasbro's other lines.

Lego has done it. So won't surprise me if others follow.

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Originally Posted by Omega Metro

Lego has done it. So won't surprise me if others follow.

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Playmates does it as well.

It really doesn't matter, as long as Hasbro Australia lifts it's game & allows us to buy toys directly from them, just like the yanks can with hasbrotoyshop.com

It would be stupid (but not unlikely) for Hasbro and Mattel to follow the lead of Lego, because they profit from their "exclusive" rights to importing and distributing of their brands to the Major Retailers.
So instead of lowering the prices to match other countries, and being more reliable with their products (to prevent us from resorting to import), they'd prefer to prevent us from importing, even if it meant preventing us from buying products that they don't even import into the country.

It's not like we choose to import to spite them... it's because we have no alternatives on some items (availability), and need to save money on others (excessive wholesale pricing here).

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Originally Posted by Zommael

Honestly, there would be a worldwide fan outcry if this were an official Hasbro policy. BBTS and the other online stores that ship worldwide would oppose it and Hasbro would pretty much be forced to back down.

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No there wouldn't. It'd be Australia and NZ-wide at best. If hasbro really wanted to enforce it, I am sure the threat of pulling their products from BBTS would be more than enough to make BBTS and co back down.

It would suck though as the main reason I buy online is due to the lack of availability over here. Sure paying our prices when compared to O/S sucks, but the main problem is that I see the same toys on shelves for YEARS.

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Originally Posted by Tetsuwan Convoy

No there wouldn't. It'd be Australia and NZ-wide at best. If hasbro really wanted to enforce it, I am sure the threat of pulling their products from BBTS would be more than enough to make BBTS and co back down.

It would suck though as the main reason I buy online is due to the lack of availability over here. Sure paying our prices when compared to O/S sucks, but the main problem is that I see the same toys on shelves for YEARS.

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Yes, there would. Don't forget, the UK and Europe get shafted on distribution and prices every bit as much as we do ever here. That's not anecdotal evidence; I lived over there and had firsthand experience of it. It isn't always the same items but it is just as bad. The UK and parts of Europe also have a much larger market made up of grey market and secondhand importers, some of whom on occasion use stores like BBTS essentially as wholesalers, because they don't have the same protectionist import taxes we have here. This move would drive those small and medium size businesses out of business, and would be sure to raise a stink with them.

I have no idea what proportion of BBTS, or any other online retailer's, sales are made up of overseas customers, but given the amount ordered by the European stores and the fact that pretty much every member of boards like this orders direct from them, I'd say it isn't insignificant. I also think you're underestimating the amount of pull BBTS specifically has with Hasbro; look at the number of exclusive and shared exclusive items they get on a regular basis. Their online order was high enough to entice Hasbro to produce the entire Dark Energon series after Walmart got cold feet. They aren't a small retailer, and they would definitely raise a stink about a mandate that would cut into their market share as this would. Enough to get Hasbro to back down? Maybe not, but then there are the other online stores. Easy enough for Hasbro to bully a small store that sells only through eBay, but a bit more difficult for the really popular stores with their own websites.

There's also the fact that it would be ineffectual at that level; Robotkingdom, for instance, are Hong Kong based, so it would be up to Hasbro Asia to do something. Plus, when have you ever known Hasbro US (or any American toy company, other than PLaymates apparently - Lego are not American) to give a slag about what's happening in the rest of the world?

It's a move that's anti-fan, anti-retailer, and ultimately boneheadedly anti-Hasbro. But if it does go through, it'd be enough for me to throw up my hands, buy Fortress Maximus, and retire to live out the rest of my days in peace with my completed collection. But it isn't going to happen.

I'd actually understand it more if we actually GOT most of the products here in Australia. If so, this totally bites. But I won't worry too much unless it's confirmed.

Did they employ someone from harmony gold?
Good grief.

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Originally Posted by drifand

Did they employ someone from harmony gold?
Good grief.

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Possibly. But I think that, if true, then someone at Hasbro has been wondering why all those TFP and DOTM toys are still shelfwarming and have thought, "It must be because of all those Generations TFs they're importing. If we stop them, then all those Optimii and Bumblebees will fly off the shelves!"

Note that the original message was to an Italian, and eBay sellers almost-universally won't ship to Italy because of its dodgy postal service.

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Originally Posted by Sky Shadow

Note that the original message was to an Italian, and eBay sellers almost-universally won't ship to Italy because of its dodgy postal service.

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That makes so much more sense when it's not taken out of context.

The Italy information seems to confirm my initial instincts.

However, I have emailed Big Bad Toy Store to ask if they know anything about it. I'm not going to give the full email but I asked the following questions:

1. Is there any truth to the rumour that Hasbro is asking US retailers not to ship outside the US and threatening such retailers with withholding supply?

2. If the rumour is true, does BBTS intend to comply?

3. If BBTS will be unable to ship outside the US after a certain point, will items in the Pile of Loot that have been bought and paid for still be able to be shipped outside the US, and if not, will they be refunded?

I'm hoping the response will be "first we've heard of it"!

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Originally Posted by griffin

It's not like we choose to import to spite them... it's because we have no alternatives on some items (availability), and need to save money on others (excessive wholesale pricing here).

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I buy from BBTS not because of price but because I can't get Generations here.

If Hasbro Australia was to not only work out a way to get us EVERY US Generations release but also Takara's MP line like Hasbro HK I would not buy from BBTS and HLJ out of the principle that I want to help employ Australian retail workers not American and Japanese internet site workers.

Eh, I doubt this would affect BBTS as much as you think it should if it were even true(I really doubt it). If any of brought the latest wave of Generations Deluxes and still have the packaging, please check to see if there's a sticker on the back and if there is one(all of mine had one), take a guess at where BBTS sourced their supply of the wave(or at least part of it) from.

I did notice the other day that there was a bunch of TMNT toys on BBTS marked "ships to US only". Just sayin'

I had a response from BBTS.

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Hello <Zommael>,
Thank you for the information and I will be sure to explore this further with the appropriate department(s). At this time we are still shipping Hasbro products accordingly and you need not be too concerned. If there are further restrictions our website listing(s) will surely be updated accordingly.

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(I removed my real name to protect my privacy a bit)

So basically it's just a rumour, they're looking into it, and don't panic. Not quite the "Hah! I'd like to see 'em try!" I was hoping for, but also not a confirmation that it's going to happen any time soon.

I'd suggest this has more to do with the Italian postal service than Hasbro at the moment.

Well if it does come true... I will be buying a lot of Takara stuff :p

I think that just about settles it on the b$

OK, so lets think about worst case scenario for a second. If we did have to find another supplier cause Hasbro stopped the big guys from shipping outside America who would we go to?

My first instinct is not Takara as Generations figures can be pricy, I personally would pay $25au for a Hasbro Generations Deluxe locally but not ~$35au on the internet for a Takara Deluxe.

That leaves Hasbro HK. Hasbro HK's supplied retailers price after shipping is about the same as buying from Big W or Kmart (if they actually have the same figure). Would people be willing to spend that much again on Transformers? I think there are a lot of fans here that have gotten used to paying $13 per Deluxe and wouldn't be willing to spend the extra to either get the toy locally let alone from HK.

Personally, I'm not putting too much faith in this. The wording of the original message does not seem structured in such a way that it appears to be from the desk of a department head who would be making such a large announcement with such ramifications.

But then I said the same when some internet video cropped up, with a barely understandable faux-internet reporter who was more pretty than eloquent, talking about how Optimus was going to ride Grimlock. And geez was I wrong there :p

Happy for them to do that, it'll push many collectors towards 3rd party products that offer better designs and these days, better quality products as well.
I'll also be happy to get Takara stuff if required.
So if this is true... Make mine Takara!!!!! :)

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Originally Posted by BigTransformerTrev

Personally, I'm not putting too much faith in this.

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But... but, it's posted on the internet. The internet would never lie to you :rolleyes:

*runs off to Google the meaning of life*

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Originally Posted by 5FDP

But... but, it's posted on the internet. The internet would never lie to you :rolleyes:

*runs off to Google the meaning of life*

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42:D

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Originally Posted by Omega Metro

Lego has done it. So won't surprise me if others follow.

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Yes, but Lego also releases most of their product line here. And Lego have actually dropped their prices here by a few bucks a set. Hasbro doesn't release (or lower their prices), so they'd be shooting themselves in the face, not the foot, it'd be so stupid