The Energon Pub

robotsindisguys wrote:Clearly misjudged the demand, that's for sure! Not KEWL! not to mention the fact that how is it that some people were able to place pre-orders and others still can not? It's CRAP!

They limited the presale because the website part of TRU is limited on how many total they're going to carry, plus it helps limit people from buying in bulk on different accounts and scalping it.

in the case of TRU.com, for some inexplicable reason they seem inclined to remove the pages for heavily ordered items after the initial flurry of orders are placed. Maybe they want to reduce the strain on the website by deleting the item page, hoping the folks will stop hammering the site looking for the items?

So glad I didn't preorder and drove to one of the stores to get it. This would drive me batty wondering.

So glad I put one on layaway at my local TRU when I saw it a few weeks ago. I didn't have the full $100 to cover it at the time and while I want MOP, I wasn't in a rush for it, but knowing how TRU usually works, I didn't want to chance missing it completely. There were only two on the shelf and when I went back the next morning to see if any more TF stuff (like the FOC Combaticons) had arrived, the other one was also gone, and I met someone else who had come looking for MOP and left disappointed.

Does someone have the item number for this?

bfett88 wrote:Does someone have the item number for this?

863856

Well screw TRU.com, I got one on the way via UPS from a friend!

This figure is nuts.

I talked to two different TRU's today, pretty sure one of the guys was a store manager, both were surprised the stores were getting stock before the pre-orders were filled and both said they were back-ordered, even for the stores. So... hopefully this'll be resolved soon....?

I have to say, some of the employees are clueless in Seattle though, not that it's surprising. I walked into one of the TRU's I mentioned above since it was on the drive home today and the girl I spoke to first was convinced the toy didn't exist because it wasn't on their website. Had to use my phone to pull up the number in this thread, but by that time the guy who I believe was the manager (didn't think to look at his tag, but he seemed to know the know-how and wasn't as baffled at the girl) had showed up. in a list of like 30 TRU's he pulled up on his computer he said only one had stock. Called them when I got home, they didn't. So either they sold out in the half hour it took to get home or their computer hadn't updated.

I'm just hoping TRU won't shaft all their pre-order holders. Still too early for them to (reasonably) cancel it, but I've never held much confidence in TRU's customer service rulings. Fingers crossed though.

So I've been pretty much checking the website every day to see if they would put the order page back up...constant disappointment. I went to a Toys-R-U store located about an hour from where I live to get my daughter a few things. I decided to check out the Transformers aisle and saw that they had 4 or 5 MP Thundercracker figures for $69.99, but no MP Optimus Prime. I figured on a long shot I'd ask one of the workers at the service counter if there were any in the back. One cashier said that all stock is put on the shelf and if it ain't out, they don't have any. One of the managers who I think was on her break asked which figure I was talking about. I told her and she said that she knew which one and mentioned that they had gotten MP Prime before the MP Thundercrackers even came in. She asked me to follow her to the shelf wear she scanned the tag then said she would be right back. Before she went to stock room, she asked me "how many do you want?" I smiled said just one, for myself. She brought out a case of two and said she would leave one at the counter for me while me and my daughter finished looking around. The manager said that it was a very popular figure and people who had ordered it online and wanted to pick up the figure in-store were upset about the whole situation...and from her tone, it seems that she has caught a lot of attitude. I was very appreciative and happy to finally get one. I wasn't pushy at all and I guess she was happy to help a collector like me. The best surprise is that she gave me a 20% discount of all the items I bought...not only did I get a case-fresh MP Optimus, it was only $79.99. I thought for sure I was gonna open that sucker up right up, but it looks so awesome in its package..I just can't do it yet, wanna savor it as is for now. Besides, I already have the Japanese version anyway. I have to admit that this figure looks even better in person, the colors really are more striking and the painted eyes make a huge difference. Anyway, just thought I'd share my MP Optimus story, good luck to those you still looking.

Got a sealed case at 25% off. Gotta love having TRU store managers as friends.

Thanks for sharing, cffincher! That's a nice VF in your avatar, too!

My MP Prime will be here Tuesday and I cannot wait!

Mine arrived today so the TRU.com nightmare is over. It is a FANTASTIC toy.

I just found MP Optimus and Thundercracker at my local TRU in NorCal and the prices are higher - WTF? I bought them anyway, might return them if I find a better price.

grymg wrote:I just found MP Optimus and Thundercracker at my local TRU in NorCal and the prices are higher - WTF? I bought them anyway, might return them if I find a better price.

I guess the SRP of $100 was really just a suggestion.

Not really going to be able to find them at a better price. TRU always raises their prices. Your only option is to use a coupon. (There's one currently active...) Other than that, they might lower the price for Christmas sales, but so far...what you see is what you get, unfortunately.

Gotta be honest, after having it in my possession, $120.00's too much. $250.00 for the import would've been ridiculous and brought on so much buyer's remorse that I probably would've quit the hobby.

He's not bad at $100.00 (which is what I paid), though flawed. Above that, ridiculous.

He has chrome chips on his bumper from his chest windows, he has paint chipping off because it's two different colors layered on top of one another, his die cast pieces have huge chunks of paint coming off... Yeah, I admit $100.00 for the set IS a good price, but for ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS, I'd like there to be little to no flaws. I don't think that's a ridiculous request.

Autobot032 wrote:Not really going to be able to find them at a better price. TRU always raises their prices. Your only option is to use a coupon. (There's one currently active...) Other than that, they might lower the price for Christmas sales, but so far...what you see is what you get, unfortunately.

Gotta be honest, after having it in my possession, $120.00's too much. $250.00 for the import would've been ridiculous and brought on so much buyer's remorse that I probably would've quit the hobby.

He's not bad at $100.00 (which is what I paid), though flawed. Above that, ridiculous.

He has chrome chips on his bumper from his chest windows, he has paint chipping off because it's two different colors layered on top of one another, his die cast pieces have huge chunks of paint coming off... Yeah, I admit $100.00 for the set IS a good price, but for ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS, I'd like there to be little to no flaws. I don't think that's a ridiculous request.

This is why I prefer to buy Tak's MP's. Was wondering about waiting for Has MP's, but after everything I went through importing Thundercracker recently only to discover that the quality was WAY worse that Tak's MP-11 it re-enforced my belief that the extra cost was worth it.

For me anyway.

Autobot032 wrote:Not really going to be able to find them at a better price. TRU always raises their prices. Your only option is to use a coupon. (There's one currently active...) Other than that, they might lower the price for Christmas sales, but so far...what you see is what you get, unfortunately.

Gotta be honest, after having it in my possession, $120.00's too much. $250.00 for the import would've been ridiculous and brought on so much buyer's remorse that I probably would've quit the hobby.

He's not bad at $100.00 (which is what I paid), though flawed. Above that, ridiculous.

He has chrome chips on his bumper from his chest windows, he has paint chipping off because it's two different colors layered on top of one another, his die cast pieces have huge chunks of paint coming off... Yeah, I admit $100.00 for the set IS a good price, but for ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS, I'd like there to be little to no flaws. I don't think that's a ridiculous request.

Sorry to hear about the flaws on your MP Prime. I finally decided to open mine today and found only a few minor paint blemishes on the back waist. The only other thing I noticed was that the ankles joints were too loose and needed to be tightened. I have both the Hasbro and Takara version and would say that the overall quality is the same. I actually prefer the color of the Hasbro version more, just looks so much more vibrant. I kinda wish Hasbro would re-release the G1 Optimus in this color scheme.

Arctorro wrote:

Autobot032 wrote:He has chrome chips on his bumper from his chest windows, he has paint chipping off because it's two different colors layered on top of one another, his die cast pieces have huge chunks of paint coming off... Yeah, I admit $100.00 for the set IS a good price, but for ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS, I'd like there to be little to no flaws. I don't think that's a ridiculous request.

This is why I prefer to buy Tak's MP's. Was wondering about waiting for Has MP's, but after everything I went through importing Thundercracker recently only to discover that the quality was WAY worse that Tak's MP-11 it re-enforced my belief that the extra cost was worth it.

For me anyway.

Actually, Takara versions aren't always QC-issue proof. The MP-10 Convoy I got had a stroke of black paint across the top of his right chest window, and the parts under his alt mode's headlights were under-painted (barely a mist coat of red.)

For the kind of money I paid (almost 270 USD), that kind of QC is atrocious. I don't know if this has anything to do with the fact that it's made in Vietnam instead of China, though.

I'd just like to get one at all.

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:

Arctorro wrote:

Autobot032 wrote:He has chrome chips on his bumper from his chest windows, he has paint chipping off because it's two different colors layered on top of one another, his die cast pieces have huge chunks of paint coming off... Yeah, I admit $100.00 for the set IS a good price, but for ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS, I'd like there to be little to no flaws. I don't think that's a ridiculous request.

This is why I prefer to buy Tak's MP's. Was wondering about waiting for Has MP's, but after everything I went through importing Thundercracker recently only to discover that the quality was WAY worse that Tak's MP-11 it re-enforced my belief that the extra cost was worth it.

For me anyway.

Actually, Takara versions aren't always QC-issue proof. The MP-10 Convoy I got had a stroke of black paint across the top of his right chest window, and the parts under his alt mode's headlights were under-painted (barely a mist coat of red.)

For the kind of money I paid (almost 270 USD), that kind of QC is atrocious. I don't know if this has anything to do with the fact that it's made in Vietnam instead of China, though.

Unfortunately I have been told by people who know a bit about production that to get a level of QC that we would deem acceptable we would have to pay SOC prices which are upwards of $300 before import costs

Archatron wrote:I'd just like to get one at all.

You and me both, brother.

Mightymegs wrote:

Archatron wrote:I'd just like to get one at all.

You and me both, brother.

Same here.

Havnt even seen the tag on the shelf at any TRU's here yet. hope they get them in soon. though with the dozen or so thundercrackers sitting on the shelf has me worried it wont be anytime soon.

A couple quick pics.

http://s1132.photobucket.com/albums/m57 ... 230003.jpg
http://s1132.photobucket.com/albums/m57 ... 230006.jpg

FortMacs wrote:

Mightymegs wrote:

Archatron wrote:I'd just like to get one at all.

You and me both, brother.

Same here.

Havnt even seen the tag on the shelf at any TRU's here yet. hope they get them in soon. though with the dozen or so thundercrackers sitting on the shelf has me worried it wont be anytime soon.

I fourth that notion. I'll admit I have a pre-order, but I'm growing rather weary. I can see TRU canceling it because they're stupid and can't seem to run their company and website as one and the same thing.

There's really no excuse for offering pre-orders and then not fulfilling them before or very soon after store releases.

Erailea wrote:There's really no excuse for offering pre-orders and then not fulfilling them before or very soon after store releases.

I couldn't agree more. I've actually been hunting him down at the 3 TRU's nearest me because I just have this feeling that they're going to cancel my preorder.

I sent TRU customer service an email yesterday about the preorder. I specifically asked about the shipping address because I am moving in a month and if it doesn't ship before then (or get cancelled) I wanted to know what I was supposed to do. They told me that I cannot change my shipping (not billing) address without cancelling my preorder which I told them in my inquiry that I did not want to do. So, needless to say I'm hoping it ships before the third week of November. Otherwise, my MP OP will be shipped to an old address where I no longer reside if he comes at all. I will talk with my apt complex and submit a forwarding address but you never know.

Anyway, it goes back to why I'm hunting him because this could all be avoided if I could find him first!