TRU MP Soundwave & A/Storm prices and codes

[nexusnixx]

But buying from robot kingdom will it be encouraging these retailers to sell higher. After all it retails at $119USD but they are selling at USD$199

[kup]

But buying from robot kingdom will it be encouraging these retailers to sell higher. After all it retails at $119USD but they are selling at USD$199

That may not be scalping but it is price gauging.

[kaiden]

yeah RK are notorious for price gouging. I've always hated that practice from online retailers.

[GoktimusPrime]

I'd have no problem w/ a 1 toy per customer policy.

I know we had this debate before. But if an item/toy is "really" wanted, people line up, take a leave from work or ask a "very good friend" who is available to buy it for you.

Take leave from work to buy a toy... yeah... that's totally not unprofessional at all. </sarcasm> And if I can get a toy myself I'd rather do that before imposing myself on others.

Of course, you can call and find out how many are available, choose to drive if you think there'll be some left when you arrive there. I call and ask how many they have and drove there, unfortunately, everyone else reserved over the phone and the fact that I arrived there before any of the callers doesn't make a difference. Even if I have the money before everyone else.

Here's what happened. On the day Optimus Prime came out I called TRU Parramatta to see if they had any in stock. In the few minutes it took for them to check the stock, the toy was sold out. Forget the time it took to get there, the toy was sold out within the duration of one phone call! So the next day I wasn't going to take that chance again so I called TRU Castle Hill and got them to reserve it.

Also, understand that after work I have to pick up my daughter from preschool. Do you seriously expect me to drag a tired and hungry preschooler all around Sydney to every TRU branch in a mad dash to catch each one before they closed just in an effort to get one toy before they close?? By time I got home it'd be past her bed time, and she wouldn't have even had dinner yet. Like I said, I have both work and family obligations... so being able to make a phone reservation makes things much easier for me.

And I totally fail to see what your ethical objection is in the first place. It's a matter of first come first serve. What does it matter if the person who beat you got the toy over the phone or got the toy off the shelf? Either way, someone else got to that toy before you did. Nobody's stopping you from making a phone reservation too when you call ahead. If you choose not to then you choose to accept the risk that the toy may not be there by time you get there. My personal obligations don't afford me the time to take such a risk, so I'd rather make the reservation.

Let me put it this way... if I took your suggestion I could chuck a sickie and go to the shop at 9am and buy the toy straight away. Or I could still go to work and call at 9am and reserve the toy. Either way I would still get the toy at 09:00. The end result is the same, so what difference does it make??? I find the idea of taking a paid day off work (and lying to your employer about being sick when you're not) just to buy a toy to be much more ethically questionable than reserving a toy over the phone (which I fail to see the ethical objection to).

Unfortunately, this is the reality with limited and high demand items.

^Precisely. This is not something I would normally do. In fact, MP Optimus Prime is the only time I've ever done it, and I might do it for MP Acid Storm too.

99.99999999% of the time I buy what I can find on shelves when I physically go into stores. Which I already do spend a lot of time doing since, as you know, I really do not like shopping online.

[Kazza]

I'm pretty certain they won't do any kind of phone reservation for MP Soundwave and Acid Storm. When Optimus prime was in stock at northlands, i rang at 9am and asked for a reservation and that i'll be 45mins away before i can pick it up and they informed me that no reservations can be made. Might just be the northland TRU. Luckily i did get my hands on one from that TRU.

[jazzcomp]

Take leave from work to buy a toy... yeah... that's totally not unprofessional at all. </sarcasm> And if I can get a toy myself I'd rather do that before imposing myself on others.

Yeah, professionalism is required for buying toys

Also, understand that after work I have to pick up my daughter from preschool. Like I said, I have both work and family obligations... so being able to make a phone reservation makes things much easier for me.
My personal obligations don't afford me the time to take such a risk, I'd so I'd rather make the reservation.

Our individual situations do not provide an excuse to buying any item.

And I totally fail to see what your ethical objection is in the first place. It's a matter of first come first serve. What does it matter if the person who beat you got the toy over the phone or got the toy off the shelf?Either way, someone else got to that toy before you did. Nobody's stopping you from making a phone reservation too when you call ahead. If you choose not to then you choose to accept the risk that the toy may not be there by time you get there.

First call doesn't equal first come. That's how simple it is.

Let me put it this way... if I took your suggestion I could chuck a sickie and go to the shop at 9am and buy the toy straight away. Or I could still go to work and call at 9am and reserve the toy. Either way I would still get the toy at 09:00. The end result is the same, so what difference does it make??? I find the idea of taking a paid day off work (and lying to your employer about being sick when you're not) just to buy a toy to be much more ethically questionable than reserving a toy over the phone (which I fail to see the ethical objection to).

Who says ethics is involved? The end result is the same but the effort isn't the same.

^Precisely. This is not something I would normally do. In fact, MP Optimus Prime is the only time I've ever done it, and I might do it for MP Acid Storm too.

99.99999999% of the time I buy what I can find on shelves when I physically go into stores. Which I already do spend a lot of time doing since, as you know, I really do not like shopping online.

This is what people do - sample pics below
http://ggurls.com/images/stories/line-for-jordans.jpg
http://static0.demotix.com/sites/def...os/1606114.jpg
http://foundryintheforest.files.word...2/imag0458.jpg

I know it's not a concept you are familiar with.

If you really wanted something, you go to great lengths to acquire it or pay the premium. This is what scalpers hope for. They make the effort so that you will pay for the premium because you can't afford a sickie or can't be bothered to exert that extra effort because of personal circumstances.

[XMan]

I have to say I agree with jazzcomp.

I think if they're confident the toy will sell, there is no need for reservations.

I find it highly unfair for someone to reserve one over the phone only to come in at their leisure days later when it's convenient for them to do so, over someone who has made time to be there present in the store ready to buy immediately.

I can understand what you mean GoktimusPrime, as you intended to be there on same the day as you made the reservation, but you'd be the minority.

It should always be first 'in' best served, not first call imho.

[drifand]

I will do what ever it takes to get one, whether is reserve by phone or at the store if they don't reserve.

Will solve all issues if they brought in enough.

[Trent]

Yeah, professionalism is required for buying toys

Remind me never to give you a job

Our individual situations do not provide an excuse to buying any item.

No, but they do dictate the circumstances under which you can buy said item. And besides, no excuse is needed. What would you do in his situation? Just resign yourself to the fact that you're probably gonna miss out? No, I think you'd be making phonecalls

Who says ethics is involved? The end result is the same but the effort isn't the same.

Because you put more effort into obtaining an item, then you are more entitled to it? You must HATE people that buy online then

Oh and many people do actually try to live their everyday lives as ethically as they can. While you may be comfortable lying to your employer and having a day off to buy a toy (which technically is fraud. And most companies if they catch you out will treat it as such), you can't expect everyone else to be the same.

This is what people do - sample pics below
http://ggurls.com/images/stories/line-for-jordans.jpg
http://static0.demotix.com/sites/def...os/1606114.jpg
http://foundryintheforest.files.word...2/imag0458.jpg

I know it's not a concept you are familiar with.

Pffft. Screw that for a joke. Anyone that would rather line up like that for god knows how long rather than make a few phonecalls has got rocks in their head. Plain and simple.

If you really wanted something, you go to great lengths to acquire it or pay the premium. This is what scalpers hope for. They make the effort so that you will pay for the premium because you can't afford a sickie or can't be bothered to exert that extra effort because of personal circumstances.

No, you don't have to go to great lengths. Have you ever heard the expression "work smarter, not harder"? Well this is a perfect example. Making a phonecall is defeinately smarter than driving all around the region burning time and petrol.

I have to say I agree with jazzcomp.

I think if they're confident the toy will sell, there is no need for reservations.

I find it highly unfair for someone to reserve one over the phone only to come in at their leisure days later when it's convenient for them to do so, over someone who has made time to be there present in the store ready to buy immediately.

I can understand what you mean GoktimusPrime, as you intended to be there on same the day as you made the reservation, but you'd be the minority.

It should always be first 'in' best served, not first call imho.

But it has nothing to do with how confident they are that an item will sell. It's about convenience and customer service. And how is it unfair when that exact same service is available to everyone? And they generally only hold for 48 hours anyway. So if they don't rock up to collect it, thenit's back on the shelf.



Here's a question: have either of you ever rang up and made a reservation for dinner at a restaurant? Or do you simply rock up and hope for a seat? Because that is EXACTLY the same thing.

[Seraphim Prime]

Yeah, professionalism is required for buying toys

No. But professionalism is required when working a full time professional job.

Our individual situations do not provide an excuse to buying any item.

First call doesn't equal first come. That's how simple it is.

This is what people do - sample pics below
http://ggurls.com/images/stories/line-for-jordans.jpg
http://static0.demotix.com/sites/def...os/1606114.jpg
http://foundryintheforest.files.word...2/imag0458.jpg

I know it's not a concept you are familiar with.

These cases above are all instances of items that are made available at a particular date and time, like a book launch or game launch. If an item is advertised as a limited run item, available on a particular date at a particular date and time, with a public no reservations policy, then that's the rules we play by.

The Masterpiece are a more general release item (although limited in it's production run). We don't have a specified release date, so I personally am not going to take a week or so off work in the chance that a toy might turn up.

If I ring a store and offer to definitely come in later if they are willing to hold it for me, then it's up to them if they're willing to do it. If they say yes, great. If they say no, then them's the breaks.

If you really wanted something, you go to great lengths to acquire it or pay the premium. This is what scalpers hope for. They make the effort so that you will pay for the premium because you can't afford a sickie or can't be bothered to exert that extra effort because of personal circumstances.

Scalpers are not a service to collectors as you want to claim. They're opportunistic scum who bu up large number of limited quantity items to drive down supply, drive up demand, and make personal profit from deny items to others.