Should I Cancel My Current Orders with Prime 1?

[komodo112]

For the record, I think Prime 1 makes the best licensed statues over all, but if we're talking customer service, their company is definitely the worst.

I pulled the trigger on Green Lantern and made the order on their website on July 19. I see Sideshow will be selling it soon and I feel far more comfortable purchasing from them (And the shipping will be cheaper). I contact P1 on the 20th asking to cancel and get a refund.

Their reply felt like such BS stating their systems can't issue a refund.

I reply stating their company should be able to do it since the transaction was 24 hours (if I missed the mark it couldn't have been by much.)

Same BS Reply abut their systems and but they put in bold font that my order was ALMOST 48 hours ago.

I'm writing this because I'm not sure if I'm taking things too seriously or maybe there is a clash of cultures here. However, I am in customer service. I try my absolute best to help my customers. If I interact with one that made several purchases in the past, I try to provide a courtesy. Also, I'm empathetic if I can't fully assist my customer.

Prime 1's Service showed NONE OF THAT. I also read horror stories stating if a customer had a broken statue, their reply basically says "Just glue it back together"

Here is my question:

Should I:

A. Cancel Green Lantern?

B. Cancel all my orders on the P1 Website? (This includes Godzilla and Mechagodzilla)

C. I am taking it too personally and should keep the order

Thanks.

[dannygarrett09]

Do what makes you happy at the end of the day you may be pleased not to keep them or regret it but try and think is it worth to keep them down the line and will they benefit you.

[solidgadium]

If their policy states you’re within the time to cancel do it and talk to your bank…should be an easy thing to make happen. I order a lot of things direct from them as some third party vendors don’t carry the bonus parts (except for Sideshow) but yes they are a pain if something is wrong. You can twist sideshow’s arm if they get difficult so that’s a plus. But if I can buy it through Sideshow that’s the way to go. I was going to order Green Lantern, Sinestro and Punchline with them direct but not anymore.

[ukshaun]

@komodo112
Prime 1 customer service is dire. I know, as i have dealt with them.

My Reika 1/4 scale piece arrived, and not only was one eye decal iffy, there was 10+ small areas where there was no paint on the hair, caused probably by factory painters rushing. Prime 1's response, they could not see an issue with the left eye decal placement, and told me to fix the paint issue myself.

To be fair to Prime 1, they did offer the option of returning the piece for a refund. I declined, as shipping would have been expensive, and attempting to claim back the UK import charge never works out, such is the difficult process involved.

I sent Reika's portrait off to have the eye's and hair repainted by a pro company in South Korea. Once the portrait was back to me, i let Prime 1 know and showed them photo's. All they could reply was, that they were happy i was now happy with the piece. No offer of points of anything. Prime 1 CS sucks!

I currently have a Prime 1 piece on pre_order. I pre_ordered via Sideshow. I would never pre_order directly with Prime 1 again.

[Silas Loki]

In my opinion, the purchase experience is part (a BIG part) of this hobby.

I mean, you pay your deposit, wait two years (+) pay the final balance, wait and unbox. In that process flow, a lot can change / go wrong.

Your responsibility to yourself, is to ensure this process is (at least) as smooth and trouble free as possible. Dealing with A-holes can really tarnish a statue acquisition experience - and turn what should be a personal highlight (I mean, it's your hobby) into a nightmare.

If Prime1 has a notoriously bad track record of creating nightmares - and let's face it, there's no "if" about it, they do - then the answer is, run a mile, and keep running. Don't reward idiocy on their part by entrusting them with your dollars. Let you wallet speak, and preserve your happiness.

[Hannibal10]

If you're in the US, I don't see why you'd order a P1 statue through Sideshow. Sideshow is a middleman and even though SS had great customer service, they're still at the will of P1. If P1 doesn't want to send any replacement parts to SS, then SS can't help you anymore than P1 can. As for shipping, I find that economy shipping from P1 is usually cheaper than Sideshow these days (to NY). Plus when ordering through Sideshow, you pay sales tax as well unless you're in Delaware.

I really see no benefit to introducing a middleman (Sideshow) when it comes to Prime 1 if you're in the US. And for the record, any time I've had an issue with a P1 piece, whether it be through SS or P1, I've had it resolved.

But if you're worried about a bad customer service experience with P1 and therefore plan to go through SS, I don't think that matters because as I mentioned before, SS can only help in whatever way P1 is allowing them to.

[Blade3327]

Originally Posted by Hannibal10

If you're in the US, I don't see why you'd order a P1 statue through Sideshow. Sideshow is a middleman and even though SS had great customer service, they're still at the will of P1. If P1 doesn't want to send any replacement parts to SS, then SS can't help you anymore than P1 can. As for shipping, I find that economy shipping from P1 is usually cheaper than Sideshow these days (to NY). Plus when ordering through Sideshow, you pay sales tax as well unless you're in Delaware.

I really see no benefit to introducing a middleman (Sideshow) when it comes to Prime 1 if you're in the US. And for the record, any time I've had an issue with a P1 piece, whether it be through SS or P1, I've had it resolved.

But if you're worried about a bad customer service experience with P1 and therefore plan to go through SS, I don't think that matters because as I mentioned before, SS can only help in whatever way P1 is allowing them to.

I disagree. I see no benefit to ordering from Prime 1 if you're in the US.

Sideshow wouldn't require their customers to pay return shipping on a defective statue in order to get a refund. The only scenario in which their response would depend on Prime 1 is if there are no replacement parts left. Otherwise, the middleman's policies are the ones the customer goes by. And Sideshow's policies are infinitely better.

God forbid there's a problem with a P1 piece and exchange is not possible. You're then stuck with either an $80 credit or having to pay international shipping on massive boxes.

[komodo112]

Originally Posted by ukshaun

@komodo112
Prime 1 customer service is dire. I know, as i have dealt with them.

My Reika 1/4 scale piece arrived, and not only was one eye decal iffy, there was 10+ small areas where there was no paint on the hair, caused probably by factory painters rushing. Prime 1's response, they could not see an issue with the left eye decal placement, and told me to fix the paint issue myself.

To be fair to Prime 1, they did offer the option of returning the piece for a refund. I declined, as shipping would have been expensive, and attempting to claim back the UK import charge never works out, such is the difficult process involved.

I sent Reika's portrait off to have the eye's and hair repainted by a pro company in South Korea. Once the portrait was back to me, i let Prime 1 know and showed them photo's. All they could reply was, that they were happy i was now happy with the piece. No offer of points of anything. Prime 1 CS sucks!

I currently have a Prime 1 piece on pre_order. I pre_ordered via Sideshow. I would never pre_order directly with Prime 1 again.

Appreciate the feedback. Sorry to read about that experience you went through. Sounds like hell and I'd have been fuming getting that "Nothing wrong with it" response.

I wrote back requesting to cancel Green Lantern. Still tempted to cancel my other orders but both of those are nearly paid off. Not sure its worth going through the process of ordering again. Just really hoping there's no defects. I really don't want to deal with P1's Service ever again.

Even if I didn't get the refund, if they provided some understanding or empathy I'd have kept my order. These guys obviously don't care and I really don't want to deal with them if something went wrong.

Regardless, this is the absolute last time I order from them directly

Originally Posted by Hannibal10

If you're in the US, I don't see why you'd order a P1 statue through Sideshow. Sideshow is a middleman and even though SS had great customer service, they're still at the will of P1. If P1 doesn't want to send any replacement parts to SS, then SS can't help you anymore than P1 can. As for shipping, I find that economy shipping from P1 is usually cheaper than Sideshow these days (to NY). Plus when ordering through Sideshow, you pay sales tax as well unless you're in Delaware.

I really see no benefit to introducing a middleman (Sideshow) when it comes to Prime 1 if you're in the US. And for the record, any time I've had an issue with a P1 piece, whether it be through SS or P1, I've had it resolved.

But if you're worried about a bad customer service experience with P1 and therefore plan to go through SS, I don't think that matters because as I mentioned before, SS can only help in whatever way P1 is allowing them to.

They're solid benefits for a US Resident ordering from Sideshow:

- Cheaper Shipping Charges

- These are big expensive statues, shipping them back is far easier via Sideshow

- Sideshow at least tries to help. P1 doesn't look like they gave a rat's

[Cmac]

Originally Posted by komodo112

They're solid benefits for a US Resident ordering from Sideshow:

- Cheaper Shipping Charges

- These are big expensive statues, shipping them back is far easier via Sideshow

- Sideshow at least tries to help. P1 doesn't look like they gave a rat's

I can say with certainty that the shipping charges from Sideshow compared with Prime 1 economy are definitely not cheaper to the east coast of the U.S. Prime 1 economy also bypasses state sales tax as well as customs tax that FedEx has been automatically adding lately.

I do agree that return shipping to a U.S. retailer is much easier as is dealing with somebody whose native language is English.

My personal experience with Prime 1 customer service has been mediocre. I had them recalculate the shipping charges on Nightwing and they refunded the difference. On the other hand, I was awaiting for Huntress to ship during the above CS interaction. A week after I spoke with CS, I get an email saying they were sold out and offered to put me on the wait list for the fabric cape or get a refund plus 2,000 points. I was freaking annoyed since I could've purchased her from a US distributor but was waiting on their shipment. It left me running around looking for one.

[csutkakoma]

P1 CS is the absolute worse IMO.