The Little Toy Company feedback

[Ark-Ivor]

Well, at 8:05 pm today (2019-09-20 or 20-09-2019 or 09-20-2019 depending on how you read dates), I received shipping notices that included MP-17+, MP-36+, MPM-06, MPM-07, LG EX Repug/Grotes, LG EX Big Powered, SS-18, SS-20, SS-36, WFC-S7, WFC-S8, WFC-S9, WFC-S11 & WFC-S13, along with the other items they'd already sent me, so not really a shipping notice or confirmation of shipping for any particular item.

But no shipping notification for MP-37, which was the one I just bought and paid for the shipping to cover ALL my in-stock orders.

As usual, I'll have to wait and see what actually arrives... No MP-37 and the countdown to chargeback begins again, especially given how explicit I was in my message that it's postage was to cover all their shipping...

Strange that they managed to ship it out at 8:05pm WST on a Friday night, don't you think? I can't think of any parcel delivery service that makes pick-ups that late. Yeah, I know, "Order Shipped" only means they've logged a pick-up request with the shipping company and had a tracking number generated, two in this case... or maybe three, very hard to tell from the notifications.

Also no response to my direct communications, however, by now that's only to be expected.

Update: I did also received a separate shipping notice for MP-37, a minute earlier, which Microsoft Mail had decided was spam and sent to the junk folder before I even saw it. So, so far all overdue items are apparently being shipped.

[Ark-Ivor]

Another Update:

On 2019-09-20 TLTC informed me that my orders had been sent.
It was 2019-09-24 (4 days) before Australia Post approved the shipping information.
It is now 2019-10-08 (18 days since TLTC claimed to have sent my parcels) and they have neither been scanned into Australia Posts custody nor been delivered.
I have contacted Australia Post and they have confirmed that the parcels have never been scanned by Australia Post, they say that this is virtually impossible if they have indeed been received by them. Which leaves me no choice but to assume that TLTC never sent the parcels.
Just in case the virually impossible has happened, as suggested by Australia Post, I have contacted Adam Leech and requested that he start a tracking enquiry - which can only be started by the person/company who sent the parcel, not the person waiting on it... I have little faith that he will undertake this action in a timely fashion.
If I have not received news of my two parcels before 9 am on the 21st of October 2019, I will be commencing the chargebacks, as I warned them I would back on the 15th of September.

I do strongly advise against anyone dealing with or making purchased from the highly unprofessional company, "TheLittleToyCompany".

I have nothing against Family Businesses, but they need to understand that using the word "family" to describe themselves only means they have no unrelated employees, it does not negate the fact that first and foremost it is a business and must be operated as such in a professional manner.

[The Letter M]

Strange that they managed to ship it out at 8:05pm WST on a Friday night, don't you think? I can't think of any parcel delivery service that makes pick-ups that late. Yeah, I know, "Order Shipped" only means they've logged a pick-up request with the shipping company and had a tracking number generated, two in this case... or maybe three, very hard to tell from the notifications.

If it's sent via AustPost, you can drop parcels for sending at Parcel Lockers. Obviously based on your next post, something ain't right, but that's a plausible explanation for the time.

[Omega Metro]

I had a similar situation a few months back where the parcel tracking had been activated but no scan events. Aust Post basically wrote it off and told me to contact LTC which said they would look into it. 2 weeks later, it started scanning and recieved it.
On a unrelated matter, I thought I’d give them another chance and did an order last month for supposedly in stock items. 2 weeks went by without any shipping email. Contacted them. No reply. Opened a PayPal case and got refunded. Their excuse was it was a preorder but nothing on the listing said it was a preorder. Never again.

[Ark-Ivor]

I had a similar situation a few months back where the parcel tracking had been activated but no scan events. Aust Post basically wrote it off and told me to contact LTC which said they would look into it. 2 weeks later, it started scanning and received it.

A partially similar thing is occurring here.
And another update

2019-10-08 (after my previous update) The Little Toy Company opened an investigation with Australia Post as to the whereabouts of one of the two parcels… The one that to the best of my knowledge contains only MP-36 (Artfire), hereafter called "Parcel 1". No attempt was made to track the other package, assumed to contain the bulk of my outstanding orders, worth $1184, hereafter called "Parcel 2".
2019-10-10 I contacted TLTC specifically requesting that they start an investigation on Parcel 2 as well.
2019-10-14 The Australia Post site suddenly had a "Submit an enquiry" box on it, it might have been there before but I was too busy fuming to notice it (stupid, stupid me, if it was), so I started my own two enquiries with Australia Post as to the locations of both Parcels 1 & 2.
2019-10-14 (continued) I received another shipping notification from TLTC stating that SS-20 (Bumblebee Vol 2) was suddenly also in Parcel 1, this is strange since I had assumed from their earlier shipping notifications that it was in Parcel 2.
2019-10-16 Parcel 1 is scanned in Melbourne, the delivery date is set to 2019-10-23. Irritatingly on Australia Posts tracking site, this indicates that both parcels in the consignment were scanned, you have to browse further to find that it's actually only one that has been scanned.
2019-10-17 ~6:30am Receive result from the Australia Post investigations I opened: Parcel 1 (as for the 16th); Parcel 2, contact the sender and get them to open an enquiry.
~9am I accept the findings for Parcel 1, but query them for Parcel 2.
~9:30am I received a phone call from Australia Post. The Australia Post guy was very helpful. He explained that:

• "Shipping information received by Australia Post" means they have received an order for a Shipping Ticket from the sender.
• "Shipping information approved by Australia Post" means the senders payment has been confirmed and they have downloaded/received the Shipping Ticket.
• Until the parcel is "Item processed at facility {insert facility name here}" it is not in the custody of Australia Post.

There are only two reasons the third Tracking item doesn't show up on items for which tracking/signature have been purchased:

• "A" - The sender never delivered the parcel into Australia Posts Custody. And
• "B" - The sender failed to correctly attach an address and the Shipping Ticket.

Just in case "B" had occurred he checked their registry for parcels without an address or shipping ticket (Lost & Found/Dead Letter Office, type of thing). All parcels and letters that arrive here are opened in an effort to locate a recipients address or senders details, and in the case of parcels, their contents are catalogued in a database that he was able to search for me. He was able to quote Transformers, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Starscream, Megatron, Ironhide, Shockwave as common names previously uploaded to the database for items that had been previously diverted to Lost & Found - since Parcel 2 should contain Transformers including 2 Bumblebee's, an Ironhide, a Megatron and an Optimus Prime, it should have shown up.
Apparently there are no parcels of any size, or arrival date, containing Transformers in Australia Post's Lost & Found/Dead Letter Office as of 9:30am on the 17th of October 2019.
He also informed me that the postage paid by TLTC for Parcel 2 put it in Australia Posts 6~7kg category, which, by my estimations, tracks with Parcel 2 containing $1184 worth of Transformers, although I haven't been able to confirm the shipping weights for a few of them, so I can't be sure.
He suggested that "A" was the most likely explanation and recommended that I contact the Sender… again.

Given that the only communications I've received from TLTC since the 24th of September have been evidentially fallacious shipping notifications, I'm feeling pretty confident I'll receive no response again, but I did as he suggested.
I have also reported TLTC/Adam Leech to the ACCC, even though I already know how little good that will do. If they even have an ABN, it's not on their website or communications as it should be, meaning they're barely even an actual business.
I am sorely tempted to start chargebacks on the 21st of October (next Monday) as I warned them I would, however, I now think I should wait at least until Parcel 1 arrives (sometime next week before or on the 23rd). My reasoning is:

• I - Even though the shipping notices were blatantly false, they do serve to extend the 3-month VISA chargeback deadline.
• II - I'm not vindictive, I don't want to force TLTC to refund me for items they actually supplied, despite the nasty way they have treated me as a customer, and extorted my orders for additional postage fees.
• III - I am still ridiculously hoping they'll actually supply me with the items I've ordered and paid for, because it'll be even more of a hassle trying to find them again from other places for even slightly similar prices.

Again: I must strongly advise against anyone dealing with or making purchases from the highly unprofessional company, "TheLittleToyCompany", its eBay store "Action Figure Warehouse" or its proprietor Adam Leech.

[Tober]

I have also reported TLTC/Adam Leech to the ACCC, even though I already know how little good that will do. If they even have an ABN, it's not on their website or communications as it should be, meaning they're barely even an actual business.

http://www.abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View/45423201785

You might have more luck with Consumer Affairs Victoria

[Tranceblade]

Sounds like the consignment numbers were issued ("Shipping information accepted"), but he never actually sent them. So yes you are within your rights to receive a follow up on it from him.

[Ark-Ivor]

I followed up and unsurprisingly received absolutely no response.

I was very surprised when the two parcels arrived on the 22nd of October and did, in fact, contain everything outstanding that I had ordered. As far as the final delivery was concerned, my worries were partially Australia Posts fault. They treated both parcels, each with its own tracking number, as a single consignment and only bothered to scan the small parcels code.

This does not change the facts though.
1. Against their own shipping policy, without any request from me, they shipped out a partial order, thus spending the $15 postage that was intended to cover the entire shipping of my outstanding orders, not just the partial. Again, this was against their policy which stated that additional shipping fees had to be paid to them before they would ship out a partial order.
2. They did not inform me that additional shipping fees were required, and then argumentatively accused me of not having paid any shipping fees for my order and of not understanding their shipping system. (I will admit that in the near month it took them to finally reply, my own communications did become more argumentative, but I'm the customer, as the business, their communications should have remained civil at all times.)
3. Even after I paid extra postage, and they provided me with tracking details, they did not actually hand the parcels over to Australia Post for delivery for another three weeks.
4. Their petty vengeance against my warning that I would be beginning chargebacks on October the 21st. I received no responses from them to any enquiry I made as to the tracking of the parcels. One week before final delivery I received an additional shipping notification, followed a day later by the items finally being scanned by Australia Post. Which, although unstated, in my mind indicates that despite all communications with them and the nearly three months overdue nature of my order, they deliberately put off sending my orders until right before the date I stated I would be beginning chargebacks.
5. Again, their woefully inadequate customer communications, ignoring questions asked, answering questions that were never asked, omitting details asked for, misreporting parcel contents in shipping notices, etc...

Since I did, eventually, receive my outstanding orders, it would be churlish of me to take my ACCC complaint further.
I still strongly object to their extortion of additional shipping costs. Since it was their error, they should have covered it. However, as stated, they immediately accused me of not understanding their shipping system and rudely re-informed me of how it worked, effectively making any argument that I might mount against this unprovable and thus removing any fault and financial responsibility from themselves.

I advise the following if you absolutely have no other choice than to deal with them:
Placing your order(s)
1. Don't expect items that are NOT specifically listed on their website as "Pre-Order" or "Coming-Soon" to actually be "In-Stock".
2. Don't expect items that you've pre-ordered to arrive In-Stock at the time they estimate.
3. Take a screengrab of the page of each item you order prior to finalising your order, keep a copy of all communications from and to them (especially when using their online communication form, which lacks a "send a copy to my email address" feature) and be ready to use this as evidence to make a chargeback ten days prior to the three month period expires.
Communications
1. Don't expect any courtesy, customer support, or indeed any response to any query from them, certainly, don't expect them to reply to any communications within their stated 3 business days.
2. Assume that English is not their first language when making enquiries, I don't know this to be the case, but they certainly seem determined to misunderstand queries they don't want to answer.
3. Keep your enquiry as simple as possible, using no words that a reasonably intelligent eight-year-old could not understand in short concise sentences.
4. In order to ensure they actually answer each question you place, do not make more than one enquiry within any communication
5. Do not make an enquiry that is related to multiple items (i.e. will any part of my order be coming into stock soon, or which items are in stock.
6. Do not make more than one enquiry a week.
Shipping
1. Don't expect them to ship items within their stated 3 business days of their having been paid for.
2. Take shipping notifications with a grain-of-salt until Australia Post actually scans them.
3. If you have multiple orders with them with multiple parcels, don't expect their shipping notifications tracking number(s) to be any indication of what's in which parcel.
4. Only delay making chargebacks if your order has been scanned by Australia post.

While I still must strongly advise against anyone dealing with or making purchases from "TheLittleToyCompany", its eBay store "Action Figure Warehouse" or its proprietor Adam Leech, observe the above advice and you shouldn't, at least, lose your money or sanity.