The Energon Pub

What is your preferred way of shopping online, especially when it comes to preorders. I prefer pay now because I can buy something when I have the cash. For example I preordered all three upcoming Masterpiece toys from RobotKingdom as soon as they went up. I have them paid and just waiting for them to arrive in December. I had the spare cash to do so then so I ordered them. I recently found out that I will have large dental bills in November then of course we have Christmas in December. I wouldn't have had spare cash to spend on those three Transformers. I would also only use pay now with a reputable site like RobotKingdom. They have never steered me wrong.

So, my question to the fan base, what do you prefer, pay now or pay later?

Definitely pay later. I don't like shelling out cash for something months (and sometimes YEARS) in advance of having anything to actually show for it. That's why I do BBTS when possible.

Regarding Christmas time and all that, I don't see your logic. If money will be short in November/December but you don't pay for the preorders now, then that exact same amount of money you're spending right now should be available in November/December. Money doesn't magically vanish just because time passes. You have to actually spend it.

If you take the money for the preorders and factor it into your November/December budget, then it shouldn't matter. If you can afford it now, then you'll be able to afford it in a few months.

I'll give you an extreme example. I ordered a commissioned piece from a TF customizer (not naming any names) and they informed me the figure would cost $400 total, would take 5~6 months to complete and I would need to pay $200 up front and then $200 once complete. I agreed to the terms and sent payment via PayPal. That was back at the end of 2010. I have yet to receive the custom. It is now September of 2012. That $200 is gone and I have nothing to show for it. That is precisely the same as paying up front for a preorder and why I don't like it. The more time that passes, especially if the release of the preorder gets delayed (which seems to happen all too often in this hobby, not just with third parties and such, but also with Has/Tak themselves), the more you begin to feel like that money was wasted.

And of course, what's best about preorders without paying up front, if I decide to change my mind because of delays, final product pics are a disappointment, or something I'd rather be spending my money on comes along, all I have to do is cancel the preorder and there's no refund to be processed/to wait on because no money ever changed hands.

xyl360 wrote:Definitely pay later. I don't like shelling out cash for something months (and sometimes YEARS) in advance of having anything to actually show for it. That's why I do BBTS when possible.

Regarding Christmas time and all that, I don't see your logic. If money will be short in November/December but you don't pay for the preorders now, then that exact same amount of money you're spending right now should be available in November/December. Money doesn't magically vanish just because time passes. You have to actually spend it.

If you take the money for the preorders and factor it into your November/December budget, then it shouldn't matter. If you can afford it now, then you'll be able to afford it in a few months.

I'll give you an extreme example. I ordered a commissioned piece from a TF customizer (not naming any names) and they informed me the figure would cost $400 total, would take 5~6 months to complete and I would need to pay $200 up front and then $200 once complete. I agreed to the terms and sent payment via PayPal. That was back at the end of 2010. I have yet to receive the custom. It is now September of 2012. That $200 is gone and I have nothing to show for it. That is precisely the same as paying up front for a preorder and why I don't like it. The more time that passes, especially if the release of the preorder gets delayed (which seems to happen all too often in this hobby, not just with third parties and such, but also with Has/Tak themselves), the more you begin to feel like that money was wasted.

And of course, what's best about preorders without paying up front, if I decide to change my mind because of delays, final product pics are a disappointment, or something I'd rather be spending my money on comes along, all I have to do is cancel the preorder and there's no refund to be processed/to wait on because no money ever changed hands.

Very good points and it sucks about your custom. Like I said, I would only pay upfront with a reputable place such as RobotKingdom. I do get what you mean though.

Trikeboy wrote:

xyl360 wrote:*very long quote from me *

Very good points and it sucks about your custom. Like I said, I would only pay upfront with a reputable place such as RobotKingdom. I do get what you mean though.

Yep, but I had the same situation with BBTS. I didn't pay up front, but certain preorders took far longer than they were initially estimated. Not BBTS' fault of course, it was the manufacturer, but after so much additional time had passed, new things were coming up, both in stock and new preorders, which I was far more interested in. I weighed that against my now diminished desire for the initially preordered products and decided to cancel them. I could have still afforded them along with all the new stuff I was looking at, but the frustration of waiting got to me and I decided I might as well just save that money and kill the preorders, so I did.

I will say this though. If you're on a tight budget, then pay now is definitely the way to go. No one knows what the future holds and when those preorders come in and hit your credit card or bank account, you've gotta have the funds to cover it. You don't want to end up overdrawn or in debt over toys. It's just not worth it.

I prefer to pay up front. Every time I try to set money aside for something I get hit with unexpected expenses. I'd rather pay for it as soon as possible and not give fate the chance to give me the finger.

Pay later.

I get the points for paying upfront - some 3rd party companies need the cash to actually put something into production so i get why they do it, but i try to avoid having the money leave my account to sit in someone elses when it isn't necessary to do so. BBTS have lots of faults, but not charging until an item actually arrives is their big virtue (along with the sainted POL) and that's why they tend to get my orders.

Case in point: Green Giant. I paid UPFRONT at Kapow in the vain hope that my order would be one of those first ones to come through late July AND that i would avoid an eye-watering Customs charge on what would be a big fat target for the bastards in the UK Border Force. Hasn't worked out so well in that had I kept the pre-order I had with BBTS I would have kept the money for another two months AND had my Giant by now. win some, lose a lot.

If BBTS can charge when an Item becomes available I really don't see how other estores can justify not doing the same thing. It's OUR money afterall.

I'd rather pay later, I don't pre-order very often so keeping track of what money is going where isn't hard but sadly I don't have that option with Kapow.