Letter of Complaint to TRU Online

[BigTransformerTrev]

I penned this letter this morning and have sent if off:





Hello,
I wanted to know why your product "Masterpiece Soundwave" was not available for international shipping for the short time it was available in your online store?

Many Australians like myself were hanging out to purchase this item that had been seen on your website several weeks before he reappeared on the 18th of July. At the time of his first showing, there was NO indication he would not be available for international shipping. Hence anger and disappointment when the product became available on the 18th and after placing him in the checkout we were told 'Does not ship internationally'. Your site boasts that it ships to 68 different countries, yet it seems that now this is limited to only a select few toy.

By the time myself personally was able to contact an American friend and obtain permission to have the product sent to their address your site had, with incredible speed, sold out of the 'Masterpiece Soundwave'. And within hours dozens were showing up on ebay priced at $270 and above.

Essentially you've given a big thumbs up to the scalpers and a big middle finger salute to your loyal international customers. Especially those such as myself who have accounts with you and have been shopping with your store since it started internationally shipping a year or so ago.

I am aware that 'Masterpiece Soundwave' will be released at TRU in Australia, but since your stores are few and far between, those like myself who live a 5 hour drive away from the nearest one have little hope of picking one of these rare figures up.

So my questions to you are three-fold:

1. Why was 'Masterpiece Soundwave' not available for international shipping?
2. Will you be getting significant numbers of this product in again that can be purchased online?
3. If/when released in Australia, will 'Masterpiece Soundwave' be available in large enough quantities that everyone who wants one will have a chance of getting one?

Thanking you,
Trevor Hopkins



I'll let people know what the response is. If I do not recieve an adequate one I will try and take my/our complaint further up the chain.

[jazzcomp]

Goodluck!

[Deonasis]

Tough questions Trev. I doubt it was a mistake, more like an internal decision or policy that will not be revealed in the pr response..

[Hursticon]

Whatever the response Trev, I hope you at least get one mate.

[SMHFConvoy]

Take out the "one finger salute", it's offensive and you want them to respond. Other than that you should get a response as American retailers are better at customer enquiries than Australian retailers.

[BigTransformerTrev]

Whatever the response Trev, I hope you at least get one mate.

Well you are supposed to fairly quickly get an automated confirmation email that they have recieved it - and I've yet to recieve that (not that any of us can seem to recieve anything from them )

Take out the "one finger salute", it's offensive and you want them to respond.

I've already sent it and frankly it's their attitude to their Aussie customers that has been offensive. I could have been a lot more graphic and rude, so overall I feel I have restrained myself - and I stated that they have essentially given the salute in question to us, I'm not giving it to them. I was careful to not get personal, vulgar or insulting, but felt that they needed to know how their customers percieve their actions and a 'we are miffed' did not seem to reflect how irritated many of us are. Especially since if we want to get SW now he is currently on ebay either only able to be bidded on or around $300 from scalpers

But your point is taken SMHFConvoy, and I encourage you and others to write emails of complaint yourselves as well. Perhaps with enough of us it may prompt them to make a change in policy

[SMHFConvoy]

See I can't call Vodafone without being rude. The automated menu and when you finally get through to a person I just turn into a jerk and I get no where.

Fortunately I no longer use Vodafone.

TRU USA might dismiss your letter because of that one line. "One fingered salute", is angry and just sounds like venting, when you're actually after information, an explanation.

However, you are dealing with a US retailer and they actually do respond to customer enquiries in a timely manner.

[DELTAprime]

Did they allow international shipments of Acid Storm?

I had trouble getting some Star Wars TVC figures off Amazon. I could order about half the figures I wanted but the other half wouldn't ship to Australia. Really stupid when you consider that in many instances it was two toys out of the exact same wave but only one can be shipped here.

EDIT: and yes they where all figures being sold by Amazon not a 3rd party using Amazon.

[ohmic12]

Good on for you for writing the letter as that is how most of us feel has happened esp waiting on the pc trying to get it that night

unfortunately i predict the ebay part they will just say that it is beyond their control just as it happens to high demand music or sporting events

will be interested in how their PR dept will try and spin it or if it was a genuine mistake on their part

[1AZRAEL1]

While I agree with you ohmic12, even ticketing companies are working to curb scalpers buying tickets and selling them at higher prices. Just not very hard lol.

Really what needs to happen is toys r us sitting down with fans to work out a way of a win win situation.

I can dream though