Amazon exclusive Gen1 coloured Slog (as Sludge)

[griffin]

For anyone planning to get the SDCC Dinobot set and want the fifth Dinobot to complete the set, we have good news and bad news.

Good news is that it is now up on Amazon for pre-order for US$35 (which is very expensive for a Voyager figure in America, and not like Amazon to price-gouge on their exclusives).

Bad news though...
- it is an Amazon exclusive (which makes it harder to chase up if it doesn't get released here).
- it is almost 5 months away from release (December 15th), which is a long time for an Amazon pre-order.
- and for some reason it is the first time a Transformers toy sold by Amazon is not available for international shipping (hopefully that's just an error and will change as it does say in the written description that it ships to some countries outside of USA... otherwise some 3rd party dealers that Amazon fulfills at their cheap postage rate will sell it for a reasonable price).


It is also noted as being number 18 in the series of 30, so I wonder if the SDCC Dinobot set will be on the list to go with it.
.

[griffin]

I just read that Amazon have been losing money, despite massive revenues of almost US$20 Billion in just the second 3-month period of 2014 (yes, Billion dollars).

Even though the loss for that quarter was a massive US$126 Million, that's still less than 1% of their revenue. But they've been losing money for a while now, and the next quarter is estimated to be a loss that is three times as much... so maybe the cheap/free shipping and international sales might end, which has to be what is costing them money.
Maybe Slog not being available to us is a sign of things to come from Amazon... which would be a shame to lose such a great, cheap source of toys.


(to be honest, Amazon should be a very profitable entity considering the amount of stock they sell, and the commission they must be making from being an agent for other dealers)

[griffin]

After speaking to three different people at Amazon via live chat, it seems that the reason why Slog can't be ordered is that the supplier (Hasbro) dictates the availability of items that Amazon directly sells, and this item was restricted from most non-American countries, including Australia (but not all countries, otherwise it wouldn't have in the description, that it ships to "select Countries" outside the U.S.).

Unfortunately for non-American fans, Amazon doesn't list which countries are in their database filter with each item... so you only find out when you try to proceed to Checkout and it rejects your address.

I asked for them to pass on the suggestion to include some way of knowing before you cart items (like having a list in the description section), if they are eligible for your specific country.

I just hope that this isn't something Hasbro are now going to do with all their toys sold direct by Amazon, just to prevent non-Americans from being able to buy their products for half what they charge in non-American countries. (a very scalperish behaviour if it happens)

[TAAUBlaster]

Playmates do (were doing?) the same thing with TMNT toys. The Classics and the re-issues for example. Pretty much all of the online stores have big notes saying "Can't be shipped internationally." It's a stupid system, because we didn't even get half the releases to start with. I never even saw the Classics around here ever (although they did get released in Aus eventually.)

Its so stupid that companies are doing this. I basically stopped buying anything that was prodiced by Playmates as a result. Figured if they won't let me order what I want (and can't get locally), then stuff them.

Hopefully Hasbro isn't going to go down the same path.

[millhouse]

I don't think it's Hasbro "scalping", more a case of Hasbro offering Amazon a US exclusive, not an international exclusive.

[Paulbot]

I don't think it's Hasbro "scalping", more a case of Hasbro offering Amazon a US exclusive, not an international exclusive.

Good point. It could turn up at Toyworlds here. That's be cool.

[griffin]

The release date of this has been pushed back two weeks, now saying December 31st.

(amusingly, the estimated delivery date still relates to its 15th release, as my order still says between December 24th to 31st... so is supposed to get to me before it is released. )

Not that it might matter - if Amazon are no longer exporting toys these might not ship to us now.

[griffin]

People are now saying that it is on the way to them, and is in stock at Amazon... so is now officially released.

[Krayt]

Didn't get a shipping email, but mines on its way!

[FruitBuyer]

Can't wait for mine! I can't transform my Slog from the Dinobots Unleashed set because of some problems with the dinosaur neck so I've been eagerly anticipating this bad-boy to do so.