Online TF shopping - where is the best place to spend your bucks?

[5FDP]

Been using RK for years and never had a problem. Only ever needed to contact them once, which was for my error, and received a response from Daniel within 30 mins.

I do hate the way the main page of an item says Available now, but the item is actually a pre-order. That's what I hate the most. PLus they don't have a postage calculator so you can't see how much the postage is until after they email you.

I agree with your first point to an extent (in most cases I'm ordering something that has not yet been released therefore I already know it will be a preorder), however they do give you postage costs prior to sending you the confirmation email or making a payment. It is displayed on-screen (see below).

[SharkyMcShark]

From my experience

The Good

RobotKingdom
In my experience the best if you live in Australia. Not that prohibitively expensive either for the figures or shipping, and the fastest shipping option usually arrives within the same week.


The Bad

BigBadToyStore
Really really really don't bother with this unless you can get it elsewhere. Really. They have notorious zealous markups on popular items (a lot of which aren't necessarily rare or shortpacked). Being based in America the shipping is either colossally slow or prohibitively expensive.

ToyArena
Same as BidBadToyStore more or less.


The Ugly

TFSource
Shady business practises abounds! Don't preorder from them, because they'll list a figure as coming in ASAP (I'm assuming to get preorders) and once they break this deadline they'll keep setting the figure release date back and back and back, which doesn't really matter to them because by this time they've already got your money.

[rocman12]

I use bbts, I know I pay more, but I've never had a problem and their customer service is great. Plus I don't paying for preorders until they arrive and the pile of loot system is great!

[Trent]

You CAN use the pile of loot system with in stock items at BBTS. you just have to pay by credit card and not paypal. And they are my preferred online shop because of that. If you are buying stuff that is readily available elsewhere and by using the POL shipping isn't to bad. The big positive I have with them is their service. I have had a few issues with online stores in my time and BBTS is way up the top in terms of customer service and that is worth a few extra dollars in my mind. It is not the only online source of my TFs, but it is my main source.

Have also used Toy Arena, RK, TFSource and Chimungmung and all have been good.

[seespotrun]

I prefer BBTS marginally over TFSource because BBTS will let you cancel a preorder if you're having second thoughts, while TFSource won't. Both charge basically the same price, so that plus their respective combined shipping features means all my orders go to BBTS instead.

RobotKingdom usually have cheaper prices than BBTS or TFSource. They also ship from Hong Kong rather than the US, so it should be cheaper and faster. The tradeoff is that you don't get combined shipping on multiple orders, or any ability to cancel an order. I've bought from them once in the past and had no problems, but more people seem to have had problems with RK than BBTS or TFSource.

[BigTransformerTrev]

I'm not surprised to see in this poll it was almost even between ebay and BBTS. I've predominately been using BBTS but have been swinging back to ebay to pick up the odd G1 toy (Fizzle & Krok). Got Kreon Microchangers ordered with both (the first wave of 6 from ebay and the gestalt sets from bbts).

One thing that does annoy me about ebay, is that even when logged in as an Aussie, you still get all those products with 'free delivery' on them, when usually it is not free delivery to here. I got burned a couple of years ago when ordering a G1 Gnaw as suddenly I got slugged as well for this highly overpriced shipping, and I knew where I could obtain one here that would have been cheaper. Luckily the guy let me change the order, and I haven't made the mistake since.

[liegeprime]

I prefer BBTS even if I had to pay higher, I havent lost any shipment or item yet. My items are well packed and the POL system works well for me as at times the items i have there have been sitting for half a year hehehe


Ebay, Ive only been burned once on an Overlord - but this was early on - 2006. I was quite new in ebay I didnt even have a paypal account and I was paying for stuff by bank transfer and can only buy locally. After that Overlord scam I set up a whole new account and discovered paypal. I owe most of my G1 and g1 reissue collection from ebay.. but yeah It's hard coz i was sniping early morning ending ones just so I can get it cheap. Lost a lot of sleep those days.

I have used RK only 3 times. The fourth time I cancelled my order completely coz they effed up my order - Generations rumble frenzy - they had put "in stock" in their website but 10 days after ive placed my order and charged I receive an email saying they cannot fill the order. So, I cancelled the rest cos those were all collateral order and this item was the main reason Im getting from them but 10 days after notice is just not on - clearly something happened within those 10 days and my order wasnt on their priority that suddenly they dont have stock for mine when clearly it says "in stock" on the time I placed my order - up to a few days after that. Im still annoyed to this day of that.


I also bought a couple of times from Kapow Toys for UK, but on the 4th time they messed my order by sending wrong items and their postage program is really poor so I stopped getting stuff from them after that. Although Ive scored a couple of Euro released Tfs from them cheap at times - like Actionmaster Thundercracker for less that $30. They charge in Sterling pounds so gotta watch that otherwise if one does not notice you'd think they're selling stuff cheap but - on conversion - yikes!


Haven't used Toy arena or the rest.

[Deonasis]

BBTS has 3 main points of difference but this is a trade-off because they can be expensive.
-The are known to have the best customer service
-You can cancel preorders with no charge
-You are charged once just before the order ships instead of when you place the order.

E.g.
I would recommend them for big ticket purchases where if a +$150 figure arrives not as described you are not left high and dry with a +$150 pile of crap.

If you can afford them go with BBTS or you are taking a gamble.

[SofaMan]

I've bought stuff a couple of times through Plamoya now. I don't know if I'd say they were the best, but they certainly rate a mention. They seem to have relatively scarce items in stock regularly, and rotating discounts that change every few days. Some items are prohibitively expensive (since they seem to base of market prices rather than an RRP), but if you just go for the discounted items they're pretty good.

[Waxpython]

I like all of them except big bad toystore, tf source

my reasons

big bad toystore - your really not getting anything special and your paying extra customer service is good but so is everything if you open a dispute with paypal.

tf source - oh boy those guys really like to mark up pre orders, not let me cancel them ,and not reply to emails yeah great.