The Energon Pub

News Credits: 14 · by **robotmel** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 5:52 am

Arlekkin wrote:Well the design looks great... if I get it he'll be just a random cybertronian, no homages or anything...

Just logged on and was going to make a couple of suggestions, but I think Ive just answered my own question!
I was gonna say maybe one of IDWs cheeky Transformers artists may pencil in these new FansProject characters in the back ground, maybe in a large group shot mixed in with official characters?
But as they are not official Hasbro IP guess my hopes will be dashed yet again!
It would be nice though... Guido Im looking at you!

News Credits: 2 · by **PaxCybertron82** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 6:13 am

robotmel wrote:
Arlekkin wrote:Well the design looks great... if I get it he'll be just a random cybertronian, no homages or anything...

Just logged on and was going to make a couple of suggestions, but I think Ive just answered my own question!
I was gonna say maybe one of IDWs cheeky Transformers artists may pencil in these new FansProject characters in the back ground, maybe in a large group shot mixed in with official characters?
But as they are not official Hasbro IP guess my hopes will be dashed yet again!
It would be nice though... Guido Im looking at you!

Yeah, a Guido drawing would be all I'd need to be all over this guy.

News Credits: 14 · by **robotmel** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 6:50 am

craggy wrote: if you can wait til payday, I'll get in on that.

Noted sir, noted!

I wonder if its worth starting a thread for U.K. based fans to link up and buy in bulk what with International Shipping tending to be quite high?
Just reading through a few recent replies and thread it appears a few like minded folk are getting that sort of thing sorted!

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:03 am

Seriously, WTF?
Why is it cheaper for US residents to have something shipped from a CHINESE company?

News Credits: 119 · by **daimchoc** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:32 am

News Credits: 14 · by **robotmel** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:37 am

Dead Metal wrote:Seriously, WTF?
Why is it cheaper for US residents to have something shipped from a CHINESE company?

I know, I know... :-(

* * * EQUAL SHIPPING CHARGES FOR ALL * * *

News Credits: 5 · by **zodconvoy** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 10:24 am

robotmel wrote:
Dead Metal wrote:Seriously, WTF?
Why is it cheaper for US residents to have something shipped from a CHINESE company?

I know, I know...

* * * EQUAL SHIPPING CHARGES FOR ALL * * *

It seems like they'll be distributing from Canada, not China. All the order info automatically assumes the destination is Canadian until changed. They probably opened an office in Vancouver or something.

News Credits: 119 · by **daimchoc** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 10:45 am

First release is for the North American region (US/Canada). Subsequent releases should be available worldwide or at least by region.

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 12:04 pm

daimchoc wrote:First release is for the North American region (US/Canada). Subsequent releases should be available worldwide or at least by region.

No, this here is an exclusive first release limited to 800 pieces, subsequent versions will be different. I believe the second edition will have changes made, likely the colour. This is just their shipping costs, because if you look at it, they do offer international shipping.

zodconvoy wrote:
robotmel wrote:
Dead Metal wrote:Seriously, WTF?
Why is it cheaper for US residents to have something shipped from a CHINESE company?

I know, I know...

* * * EQUAL SHIPPING CHARGES FOR ALL * * *

It seems like they'll be distributing from Canada, not China. All the order info automatically assumes the destination is Canadian until changed. They probably opened an office in Vancouver or something.

Interesting and weird.

I wish tehy would offer normal shipping instead of a flat-rate, I mean this is the only product they have, WTF would I need a flat-rate for.

Damn, it pains me to do this, but fail FansProject, fail.

If this is how it's gonna be, I'm no-longer sure I want to be a part of the subscription service.

News Credits: 4 · by **craggy** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 1:14 pm

Dead Metal wrote:
daimchoc wrote:First release is for the North American region (US/Canada). Subsequent releases should be available worldwide or at least by region.

No, this here is an exclusive first release limited to 800 pieces, subsequent versions will be different. I believe the second edition will have changes made, likely the colour. This is just their shipping costs, because if you look at it, they do offer international shipping.

I'd assumed, with no prior information, purely speculating, that this release of 800 pieces was simply for those quickest on the draw. Whilst I don't rule out a subsequent repaint of the figure, in fact, I'll be downright surprised if it doesn't get repainted, I'd thought we'd see another run of it as is, at least.

A repaint...damn. Now I am thinking hard. Those colours are pretty cool, but I'm not too keen on the green windshield. Would rather a Turbomaster pink colour on this colourscheme. I wonder if they'd do a repaint in "evil" colours, since this one seems to be sort of a good guy. Or maybe, since he's blue and white, a repaint would be fire-y colours; orange and red? Grrr. My brain didn't need to think of that.

That new pic of Steel Core and Woody Harrelson looks pretty nice. Actually makes me want the Springer look-alike even more.

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 2:28 pm

Sent them an e-mail pretty much stating that if they don't fix the shipping they've lost me as a customer.

News Credits: 119 · by **daimchoc** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:28 pm

Dead Metal wrote:Sent them an e-mail pretty much stating that if they don't fix the shipping they've lost me as a customer.

FP's probably shaking in their boots now... :lol:

News Credits: 5 · by **RodimalToyota** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:54 pm

I don't mind the shipping, for once it's cheap to get to the U.S.
No more paying 30$ in shipping on a 20$ item.

Threatening them is the least productive way of solving a problem you have with shipping arrangements.

My guess is...

FP makes product in China. To push costs down, makes a deal with a 3rd Party (no pun) distributer, so that the majority of the items which I'm betting go to the US anyway, are closer.

I would factor in the shipping price from CN, to CA is in the cost of the item. Then you just pay shipping from CA. From a NON-US standpoint, that sucks, because CA ships out less international mail then the US, so prices are higher going to UK, AUS ect.

It's a toss up really, If the price is that bad for you, wait it out until someone gets it here.
At one Point Warbot defender was over 200$, now he's under 100$.
Wait it out, I say

limited numbers = over-inflated hype, and short turn around time.

News Credits: 4 · by **craggy** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:55 pm

yeah, don't think DM is in the US though, so, like everyone else in the rest of the world is getting shafted with nearly the same amount again on top of the figure's cost for shipping.

News Credits: 1 · by **Sodan-1** » Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:23 pm

The cost of shipping does kind of defecate all over the 'For fans' ethos of FansProject. It's for the fans so long as it's geographically convenient. No way it'd cost $50 to ship this to the UK, so that's either wasted money or they're pocketing the difference.

Didn't Venksta say that FansProject Core isn't run by FansProject themselves, like someone's offered to be their voice? There's a noticable improvement in grammar from FansProject.com to FansProjectCore.com.

20 quid says the guys from TFCC are running the show.

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 3:40 am

daimchoc wrote:
Dead Metal wrote:Sent them an e-mail pretty much stating that if they don't fix the shipping they've lost me as a customer.

FP's probably shaking in their boots now...

Unlikely.

I also didn't threaten them, I simply said that I can't justify these shipping costs, have no interest in ordering more than one, and that I have nobody near me I can spilt them with.

I am not paying 50 dollars shipping to have a 70 dollar toy shipped to me, and I won't be joining a subscription service that brings out a new toy or item every month and then expects that I pay 50 dollars on top of that subscription every month just to have the toys sent to me.

That's just not happening.

This is also the reason why I'm not a TFCC member, or will use their subscription service.

And another collection I was planning dies prematurely.

Seeing as how my account at that site is pretty much useless I'll cancel it soon.

by **Obakemono** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 3:28 pm

While I can see the point international fans are making about shipping, I must admit I'm surprised that no one is commenting on how smoothly this seems to be going. No crashed site. No sketchy CC checkout system. Even a order number so that you know where your at. And as I'm sure we've all read there have been people who placed it in their cart and waited hours if not days and still retuned their order #, that gives me massive hope for future even more limited releases (it won't turn into a race to see who can Cheak out fastest)

News Credits: 5 · by **zodconvoy** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 6:33 pm

Obakemono wrote:And as I'm sure we've all read there have been people who placed it in their cart and waited hours if not days and still retuned their order #

I'm still in that boat (with order #227!) until I see what's going down with my move. I want this but I'm not even %100 I can swing it or necessarily where to have it shipped to!

(And I'm sorry to everyone who has read that I'm moving a million time but it's kinda dominating my life right now!)

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 9:55 am

Yea, this is a NA company that just sells stuff in FPs name.

The international shipping is so high in order to offer flat-rate shipping.

Here's the e-mail I received back from them.

I know this sucks! The only way we can offer a decent fast trackable service and flat rate that considers all people around the world that can cover multiple pieces, we had to come up with a good average shipping price. We are shipping this first shipment from North America as well, so it's got a lot of extra costs attached to it.

I understand your frustration, and we will definitely work on a system that can accommodate interest such as yours. Believe me we do not want to make it hard for people to purchase our products especially when it is shipping costs which basically don't do anything except make the shipping companies money.

Thanks for the feedback and for taking the time to let us know how you feel. We are with you in this struggle and will try our best to get what's right for the community. This is the first run of shopping on our site, so we still have lots to refine and consider. It is difficult though as we have 1 location for shipping in North America and have to consider everybody all around the world. So it becomes a situation where to make 1 group of people happy it will make another group unhappy kind of scenario. So our job is cut out for us.

Thanks,

Fans Project Core Staff

So either forget about flatrate shipping or ship international orders from China.

News Credits: 402 · by **Mkall** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 10:31 am

Dead Metal wrote:Yea, this is a NA company that just sells stuff in FPs name.

The international shipping is so high in order to offer flat-rate shipping.

Here's the e-mail I received back from them.

...

So either forget about flatrate shipping or ship international orders from China.

Well I'll give them props for fast customer service, hopefully you're the norm and not the exception. Hopefully a better solution will make itself available for the European fans

News Credits: 767 · by **Dead Metal** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 1:48 pm

Unfortunately shipping from China right now is not an option. Although the manufacturer is located in China, they are a distributor who wholesales to larger companies and only have shipping setup with the dealers they distribute to.

Think of the Fans Project Core community as one of those dealers / distributors. We are just sanctioned by Fans Project to get exclusive releases and support the fans. Our operations are only located in North America and at this time no plans are in the works to do otherwise. We are working toward the future and your ideas are valued, but not feasible at this time.

Keeping your Steel Core in your shopping cart will not reserve you copy or guarantee that it will be available to you once they are sold out.

Thanks,

Fans Project Core Staff

Yup, deleting my account it's useless to me.

And it's dead.

News Credits: 3 · by **Kibble** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 2:35 pm

Obakemono wrote:While I can see the point international fans are making about shipping, I must admit I'm surprised that no one is commenting on how smoothly this seems to be going. No crashed site. No sketchy CC checkout system. Even a order number so that you know where your at. And as I'm sure we've all read there have been people who placed it in their cart and waited hours if not days and still retuned their order #, that gives me massive hope for future even more limited releases (it won't turn into a race to see who can Cheak out fastest)

You do realize they only did like 600 orders in 3 days...didn't know that was props-worthy.

News Credits: 1 · by **Sodan-1** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 5:03 pm

Dead Metal wrote:
Unfortunately shipping from China right now is not an option. Although the manufacturer is located in China, they are a distributor who wholesales to larger companies and only have shipping setup with the dealers they distribute to.

Think of the Fans Project Core community as one of those dealers / distributors. We are just sanctioned by Fans Project to get exclusive releases and support the fans. Our operations are only located in North America and at this time no plans are in the works to do otherwise. We are working toward the future and your ideas are valued, but not feasible at this time.

Keeping your Steel Core in your shopping cart will not reserve you copy or guarantee that it will be available to you once they are sold out.

Thanks,

Fans Project Core Staff

Yup, deleting my account it's useless to me.

And it's dead.

Yeah, it's a really crap situation to be in and it's one I share with you, but don't go quitting the game just because you died first. The membership doesn't cost you anything and they might get their act together in the future. Like the guy said, they're new to this and don't know what they're doing. (Maybe I'm paraphrasing.)

Yes they only have one product at the moment but I'm assuming many more will come. How about making a 'Pile of Loot' type system so people can make the most of the cost of shipping without paying for the same thing three times. Surely that's the logical thing to do.

On a related topic does anyone know what number of pre-orders they're on at the moment?

by **Arlekkin** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 6:34 pm

Well... I feel your pain DeadMetal...I'm from a European country which is barely seen on a map.... and I've tried to see if the online retailer I get most of FP's stuff will be carrying it... but all I got was a maybe :S