Toybot Importz feedback

[drifand]

Some caution if you are in tcca and tfdu in Facebook groups. They have banned their ads.

Didn?t need Jedi instinct to predict.
Hope everyone got their purchases or else you know the drill.

[1AZRAEL1]

I haven't had issues with communication, and do get my stuff. So I'm not grabbing my torch and pitchfork

[Sinnertwin]

I haven't had issues with communication, and do get my stuff. So I'm not grabbing my torch and pitchfork

Put on the battle vest... cash me outside! How bout dat! Raaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!

[drifand]

I don?t want another pc episode but I advise everyone to trade with caution.
There will be upset supporters but I am sorry we all been down this road before and you know how it ends.
At this stage is up to the owners to address it.

I hope even if you had positive feedback. Is best to have an open mind to observe. That is all as is not in my best interest to protect or bash any retailers. Two popular transformers groups have taken action, is up to you to make your own call and judgement. As I said, you all know the drill. Those who stood up for pc, I just like to say does this look familiar? And are you going the same path? I would observe and act accordingly, that is all, all the best.

I only post because I have genuine concern for members in octa. I won?t be in this thread replying. This information came to me and I am passing on.

[Batfan007]

I'm cautiously waiting on my Omega Supreme pre-order (that was ordered months ago)

Still no sign of the the overdue Mirage and Thundercracker.
It makes me wonder how they source stuff when it's so many months after every other major and minor retailer in the world has long since had such products (im talking online).

Really hope I dont have to cancel further stuff, as I still have 2-3 orders that were made over six months ago for items due end of year.

Don't want to have to cancel and source another omega supreme, I really hope they post something in the next montha about if they are even still getting them as have not heard anything at all for ages.

Still no sign of the Planet X Grimlock (reissue) that arrived at other stores couple month back either.







Omega lists as due OCTOBER. Last status update was october with no change to that month, but october has been and gone and still no sign of it nor any further updates (list includes dozens of other items also due in october) .

December is the cut off for me, if nothing by then I don't think it would be unreasonable to ask for a refund.

At this point I don't think I will buy any more in stock items either (at least not this year), but will wait and see if they actually deliver the outstanding items, as it starts to feel like throwing money away when I end up buying the same toy twice (elsewhere) rather than miss out altogther and then spend several months chasing refunds etc. By the time I get something, and end up with a double - it's almost impossible to even give away the double as anyone who wants one got it like 3-6 months ago etc.

[1AZRAEL1]

Update in response to concerns raised in social media groups

From the outset, there appears to be concerns raised across some Facebook groups and online forums regarding the delivery of ordered items and response to queries raised directly with us.

First of all, we want to assure the public at large that there is no risk that any goods that you have ordered will not be delivered. We have had no circumstances where we have been unable to deliver any goods ordered and we don’t foresee circumstances where this will change.

We understand that a large number of our customers (past, present and potential) have likely been burned in the past by some local online websites. We have no intention of allowing TBI to go down the same path.

-A little bit more about us

TBI is a family run business with only two staff, Kylie and Stuart. We are not a large organisation and as such we are responsible for all aspects of operating the business from packaging, inventory management, email queries, etc. We both also work full time outside of TBI.

We established TBI as a business for the predominant purpose of bringing collectables to the community at the most affordable price we can offer. Stuart is very passionate about his collection and we are both enthusiastic about the business. The last thing we want to see are customers who are upset with the service that we are providing.

-Recent online comments

We have noticed recently that there has been a number of comments that have been made via online platforms or by direct email to us that are either misleading in their content or just plain upsetting and bullying. We have been the target of direct threats and smears that we would not wish upon anyone.

There has also been an exceptionally high number of emails that we have received, particularly from only a limited number of people. As an example, we sometimes receive up to 20 emails a day from some individuals alone making the same requests for information over and over. In almost all instances, the answers to these queries can be found via our help desk on the website or by checking the item listing pages for updated ETAs.
This is not meant to be an excuse for why it is taking a long time for people to receive a response. However, it is meant to highlight the reason why we cannot promptly respond to emails. We have acknowledged previously (see the news section of the website or our Facebook page) that we have had issues with responding to communications promptly however we are taking steps to remedy this as we will discuss below.

However, on 6 November 2019 there was a decision made by two Facebook groups to issue a “warning” about TBI. This came as a surprise to us and we were not contacted by the Admins of either group prior to this “warning” being issued. This has resulted in a number of abusive emails, a huge increase in email queries from customers, a large demand for refunds and a potential loss of customers. This was very disappointing.

We understand that previous local online retailers’ actions have caused a large distrust among the public about local online retailers. In this regard, it is unfortunate that we feel this “warning” was made. To clarify a few of the matters raised:

1. We have acknowledged criticisms that have been made against us and where appropriate, have taken steps to try and reduce any future concerns.

2. We have not breached any customer’s privacy and take our obligations under the Privacy Act very seriously.

3. The volume of the multiple enquiries appears to be misunderstood. We are not talking about a customer following up a couple times on a query over the course of time; we are talking about customers who send upwards of 20 emails a day, repetitively.

4. The feedback thread on OTCA (at 405 posts at the time of writing this), whilst detailing issues some members of that forum have raised, also includes a significant number of positive feedback comments.

We intend on discussing these matters with these Facebook groups to ensure that there are no misunderstandings.

-What we are doing to address concerns

The main cause of concern that we are hearing is a lack of communication. Whilst a lot of the queries can be addressed through our help desk or by looking at item pages for updated ETAs, we acknowledge that there are some queries we are not addressing in a timely manner. We have taken the following steps recently to try and address these concerns:

~The introduction of Zendesk and the implemented help desk, which gives users the tools to find answers such as where to find updated ETA's on Pre-Orders.

~The removal of the TBI Crate and “4 for free” shipping options; the lack of autonomy with this service created a backlog of inquiries, despite our best efforts to show in detail how to use the service.

~The creation of monthly public updates distributed through our Facebook page and group, published in the News and Updates section of the help desk with links made available also on Twitter. This will be further improved to include a mass email send out to those that have opted-in to receive marketing emails from us.

~Scaling back quantities of goods that we sell.

~Being more selective in what we offer.

~We are also looking into ways of adopting a Deposit Pre-Order system, which will hopefully help reduce any concerns about your money being tied up for extensive periods of time.

The removal of the TBI Crate is very disappointing for us and we suggest that those who have not viewed our news section on the website should do so to understand the reasons why this has happened. This action alone should significantly reduce the number of email queries we receive.

Furthermore, we have been actively seeking a retail location here in Bundaberg, especially after the success and support the locals have shown us when we attend markets and conventions. We hope that once established it will further reassure and reiterate the legitimacy of our long-term goals with TBI.

The majority of you know that we do not have the capacity to send correspondence to each individual who has a delayed item. This is why we constantly update our website with changed ETAs as well as providing stock and pre-order updates in our news section on the website. If there is an item’s ETA that has not been updated and has passed the estimated delivery date, we welcome any queries regarding such items. We are likely waiting on updates from our suppliers regarding delivery times.

As we source the vast majority of our goods from overseas, we have no control over the expected delivery dates of the goods we order. This is why we only ever state an “Estimated Arrival”. We try to be as accurate as possible and acknowledge that it must be frustrating when there are multiple changes made to estimated delivery dates.

We know we are not perfect and we can’t please everyone. Some queries may slip through the cracks and we miss them completely. It happens and for that we are truly sorry.

On a positive note, we have received a lot of supportive emails and messages over the last few days and we would like to thank all of you who continue to support TBI. Your faith in us is not misplaced. It is not always easy to ask for patience as we try and address communication concerns, but keep in mind we are dedicated to ensuring these issues are not ongoing.

-Kylie and Stuart Flynn

[GoktimusPrime]

We have had no circumstances where we have been unable to deliver any goods ordered and we don't foresee circumstances where this will change.

I know of at least two people who never had their ordered goods delivered, so this statement is untrue.
To TBI's credit, both people did receive full refunds, but just pointing out that there have been at least two instances where they were unable to deliver goods ordered.

And this does not include my MP Cordon which was never delivered, as that was the courier's fault, not TBI's (and TBI did refund me). In the cases I'm talking about the goods were simply never delivered at all.

[TAAUBlaster]

First of all, we want to assure the public at large that there is no risk that any goods that you have ordered will not be delivered. We have had no circumstances where we have been unable to deliver any goods ordered and we don’t foresee circumstances where this will change.

I call bull. I'd been waiting for almost a year for my order, which was originally released back in November last year. Their "supplier" continuously pushed back the release date further and further (the rare times I was able to get an answer out of them.) Despite my concern of the item obviously not being able to be sourced, they point blank refused to refund me. I ended up doing a credit card chargeback.

Got burned with TFIDU (though to his credit he was the only one to eventually refund me,) PC (lost a small fortune) and now TBI. So, I'm done. They sucked all the fun out of collecting modern lines for me. Sticking to vintage from now on. Fuck Australian online Transformer stores - none of them are getting another cent from me.

[Omega Metro]

I know of at least two people who never had their ordered goods delivered, so this statement is untrue.
To TBI's credit, both people did receive full refunds, but just pointing out that there have been at least two instances where they were unable to deliver goods ordered.

And this does not include my MP Cordon which was never delivered, as that was the courier's fault, not TBI's (and TBI did refund me). In the cases I'm talking about the goods were simply never delivered at all.

Agree. I have had a few items that they could not supply. I did get refunded though but was a lot of work to do so.

[ZoonMaster5000]

And I?m another except I didn?t get refunded. But I shall be remaining quiet on the matter until it?s resolved.