The Energon Pub

News Credits: 9 · Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:04 am

I just received the following reply to my email:

Hasbro wrote:This range is due to be released in 2012 in the UK although we do not have a specific release date. Please contact us again next year when we will be able to provide you with further information.
May we thank you for contacting Hasbro and if we can be of any further assistance, either now or in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

News Credits: 36 · Mon Oct 17, 2011 11:14 am

Mate, you should know far better than to ask them anything!!

2012 wouldn't surprise me tho', after all, the cartoon is screening now and if they're not careful, they'll catch the x-mas trade....

This s after all, the same company that told me they didn't know what MP-Grimlock was, except TRU knew that Hasbro UK were supplying it to them when I asked them a day later. I really do despair :BANG_HEAD:

News Credits: 4 · Mon Oct 17, 2011 1:57 pm

I'm pretty sure all correspondence with Hasbro UK must be filtered through the same unhelpful call-centre that appears on TV all the time, translated into at least 3 other languages (badly, via internet), and then dictated to a 3 year-old with a half-chewed crayon before they get it. Its the same on the return trip, but the kid gets a new crayon.

Anyway, aren't Kapow getting them in soon-ish? I'm tempted to just pre-order the cool ones from there...which makes it...Skyquake at least.

News Credits: 1 · Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:53 pm

Hasbro UK = #-o

News Credits: 9 · Tue Oct 18, 2011 5:34 am

Pretender Skywarp wrote:Mate, you should know far better than to ask them anything!!

Apart from the thirst for knowledge (and therefore power!) I thought if we keep pestering them they might get their fat lazy incompetent arses into gear and sort out the distribution.

Hope springs eternal.

craggy wrote:Anyway, aren't Kapow getting them in soon-ish? I'm tempted to just pre-order the cool ones from there...which makes it...Skyquake at least.

Yes, but at slightly higher than high street prices. Besides, I have a stack of Argos vouchers I'd love to use to get free TFs!

News Credits: 36 · Tue Oct 18, 2011 6:04 am

You are an eternal optimist, or maybe just a glutton for punishment? I haven't decided yet!

I have dug out our last rant about them, for your amusement;

viewtopic.php?t=67014

Tue Oct 18, 2011 6:28 am

Has the Uk Market really gotten so small and unimportant that Big Stateside Hasbro doesn't notice just how crappy Hasbro UK are when it comes to anything to do with boys toys? - they are as clueless about Star Wars as they are about TFs and I'm pretty tired of having to import pretty much anything decent just to ensure I actually get it.

Knowing what was going to come over and when would save me a shedload and it's just basic good business in an age where communication isn't waiting on carrier-pigeon to pass the good word from the Colonies anymore.......

News Credits: 36 · Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:11 am

Motorthing wrote:Has the Uk Market really gotten so small and unimportant that Big Stateside Hasbro doesn't notice just how crappy Hasbro UK are when it comes to anything to do with boys toys? - they are as clueless about Star Wars as they are about TFs and I'm pretty tired of having to import pretty much anything decent just to ensure I actually get it.

Knowing what was going to come over and when would save me a shedload and it's just basic good business in an age where communication isn't waiting on carrier-pigeon to pass the good word from the Colonies anymore.......

I think that communication is the biggest issue, especially when this topic rears it's head. I don't collect anything else and am intrigued about your experiences with the SW franchis and it's UK distribution. My liittle girl has become interested in the new My Little Pony range and I wonder if that will give me similar problems?

I just don't get why it's so difficult, assuming that the commisioning of the condensed and translated Euro Bio's is done months in advance, they MUST KNOW what stocknis coming to Europe.

A simple press release such as "We've just had confirmation that Multi-Lingual packaging has been confirmed for figure X, look for it in stores this winter", put out to a site like this would not be difficult, surely.

I reckon about half of my imported figures could have been UK sourced, if H'UK had actually released their distribution schedule. It speaks volume that a Kapow toys dropped DOTM, mostly due to lack of info from Hasbro.

I genuinely can't work out if it's, laziness, incompetence or that Hasbro US have the reigns held so tightly that they can't do anything. I'm reluctant to believe the latter as us Brits ( and European fans) seem to be the only ones with these issues. I would be interested to hear from fans in other Hasbro controlled markets.

Even when they do something special like the WFC-Starscream, they don't bloody tell anyone about it! :BANG_HEAD:

Tue Oct 18, 2011 7:50 am

In general the way Hasbro UK deals with TFs looks like a shining example of competence and expertise when compared to how they mishandle Star Wars stuff - that should tell you all you need to know.

I only collect the Vintage SW line and it's been a total clusterf*** from the beginning, so much so that even though those figures are finally out of the grasp of TRU as their "exclusive" and are supposedly in other UK retailers I have still to see any beyond the same tired first two waves in London - so I've just stopped. I can't be arsed with them anymore. Especially when they are as near as dammit £10 a pop.

TFs....well you would have had to pick me up off the floor the first time I saw that initial burst of MP Grimlock in TRU. This comming after I've bought the stateside version AND the original Takara release too. Likewise Rodimus. So at least we get some of the good stuff here - it would just be nice to know in advance and be able to save a few quid.

And you are totally right on the lead time for the packaging - it must indeed take a while to get the badly butchered EuroAchtung!! boxes together so it must be possible for a heads-up from HasUK to let us all know what is on the way and what isn't.

I'm not expecting much change though. If it isn't board games I don't think they give much of a flying one for it...... :BANG_HEAD:

News Credits: 6188 · Tue Oct 18, 2011 8:31 am

Pretender Skywarp wrote:Even when they do something special like the WFC-Starscream, they don't bloody tell anyone about it!

..wait, what?

Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:02 am

I can't see why as an international compnay Hasbro can't ship the same waves of toys it sells in the USA to the UK within 2 months of release. Yes there are import taxes etc, but as they sell the items for $10 in the USA and £10 in the uk (approx $15) they are already making a profit.

Last few weeks we got firewotsit prime (to me he looks like a cheesy snack) in toysrus.

I doubt i'll ever see a laserbeak, darksteel or any of the leadfoots bar legends at a UK store.

News Credits: 36 · Tue Oct 18, 2011 9:08 am

Va'al wrote:
Pretender Skywarp wrote:Even when they do something special like the WFC-Starscream, they don't bloody tell anyone about it!

..wait, what?

Ask and ye shall receive.

News Credits: 9 · Wed Oct 19, 2011 6:05 am

It's not just the li'l old UK that Hasbro have forgotten about - it's the whole of Europe. My GF was in Germany the other week on business and she found herself looking in toy shops for me. She didn't see any TFs. Europe is a fairly large land mass and fairly well populated. Forgetting it means losing a large market.

Pretender Skywarp wrote:You are an eternal optimist, or maybe just a glutton for punishment? I haven't decided yet!

I have dug out our last rant about them, for your amusement;

viewtopic.php?t=67014

Thanks, like I really need reminding of past frustrations!

News Credits: 15 · Wed Oct 19, 2011 7:06 am

Hasbro UK is a sweet little old lady set up in a shed with a 10 year old PC and wifi that is "borrowed" from an unsecured source in a neighbours house. She's told nothing and hence knows nothing but bless her she tries her best. Be nice to Hasbro UK this winter, send her some hot chicken soup.

Wed Oct 19, 2011 4:14 pm

Ravage XK wrote:Hasbro UK is a sweet little old lady set up in a shed with a 10 year old PC and wifi that is "borrowed" from an unsecured source in a neighbours house. She's told nothing and hence knows nothing but bless her she tries her best. Be nice to Hasbro UK this winter, send her some hot chicken soup.

If only that were true, I don't tend to want to take out my murderous nerd-rage on old ladies but I would quite happily take several chansaws to the unheated, dilapidated and woodworm-ridden garden-shed that is Hasbro Uk.

And I'll bet they smell funny too......

Just saw about 12 MP Roddy's in the TRU on the Old Kent Road (by far and away the countrY's most useless TRU) how come we suddenly have a glut of them and all the Grimlocks have disappeared?

News Credits: 7 · Thu Oct 20, 2011 1:19 am

Motorthing wrote:Just saw about 12 MP Roddy's in the TRU on the Old Kent Road (by far and away the countrY's most useless TRU) how come we suddenly have a glut of them and all the Grimlocks have disappeared?

I'll go out on a limb and say it's because TRU have bulk cleared their Grimlocks and we'll next be seeing them in Home Bargains for £15. Maybe.