The Energon Pub

Anyone know which one is better for buying (BBTS VS TFSOURCE) THX!

They're both fine.

My go-to is BBTS, I've personally had better experiences there when there's been a problem with an item.

That said, for orders over $150 I often go to TF Source anyway for free shipping, and TF Source packs stuff much better so it's a great choice if you're an MISB collector.

BBTS. Top notch customer service, pretty fast shipping, usually work with you as much as possible.

TFsource has perks, nice ones, but you sometimes have to get on'em to get your stuff out the door. Their policies are a bit difficult to wrangle.

thx!friends

I've had mostly good experiences with both BBTS and TFSource. Customer service for both is accommodating and responsive. However, I once ordered a couple of used, loose figures from the Binaltech line from BBTS. They shipped them in a plain plastic bag, just tossed into the shipping box with everything else, and no bubble wrap or individual box to protect them. One of them got caught between the side of the shipping box and one of the other toy boxes inside, and the foot broke off during shipping. They offered to take it back or give me a credit. I took the credit and bought a replacement part on Ebay, but then later found out when converting to car mode that the top half of one car door was permanently bent outward. I should have just returned it when I noticed the broken foot. Finally, the descriptions of condition even among new items are inconsistent. One item I ordered was described as substandard, but the packaging looked perfectly fine. Another item was described as standard, but there were some visible tears and a crushed corner on the box. So take all descriptions of condition with a grain of salt.

I would also add that while packing is pretty good for both stores, TFSource's is better. They often put in styrofoam inserts and wrap everything in bubble wrap. For my orders, BBTS has just put some bubble wrap in and thrown it all into a big box with no styrofoam inserts, which means the box isn't as strong and can't stand up to as much abuse. Sometimes it doesn't matter, but sometimes it does. You'll find out when you get your stuff.

I have also ordered once from RobotKingdom, and their packaging was very good as well. But the shipping prices got too high so I haven't ordered from them since.

I've also bought one or two things from Aces Toy Store, and it went fine.

Personally, I am happy to order new items from any of these stores, but I will never order a used item from a store like this again. Individual collectors are better for buying used items.

I use both BBTS & TFsource in tandem, but most of my purchases go through TFsource.

As many have stated, TFsource has certain benefits over BBTS:

-Better Packaging
-Free shipping for orders over $150
-Source Points (freebies)

Unfortunately, the Source Points freebie options tend to be limited in variety, but I like to sell most of the freebies I get to offset my expenditures, so that's OK for me.

Another thing to note is that BBTS's 'Pile of Loot' preorder feature beats TFsource's 'Stack' preorder feature hands down. Because of this, I normally end up preordering most items at BBTS to guarantee availability, and once I've accumulated a number of BBTS preorders that are releasing at roughly the same time and add up to over $150, I'll place an actual order with TFsource for those items and cancel my BBTS preorders.

THX!

megatronus wrote:I use both BBTS & TFsource in tandem, but most of my purchases go through TFsource.

As many have stated, TFsource has certain benefits over BBTS:

-Better Packaging
-Free shipping for orders over $150
-Source Points (freebies)

Unfortunately, the Source Points freebie options tend to be limited in variety, but I like to sell most of the freebies I get to offset my expenditures, so that's OK for me.

Another thing to note is that BBTS's 'Pile of Loot' preorder feature beats TFsource's 'Stack' preorder feature hands down. Because of this, I normally end up preordering most items at BBTS to guarantee availability, and once I've accumulated a number of BBTS preorders that are releasing at roughly the same time and add up to over $150, I'll place an actual order with TFsource for those items and cancel my BBTS preorders.

I...don't know if I'd have posted that last part for all to see. I wouldn't blame BBTS for refusing service to you after that. Not trying to be mean, just being honest.

Autobot032 wrote:

megatronus wrote:I use both BBTS & TFsource in tandem, but most of my purchases go through TFsource.

As many have stated, TFsource has certain benefits over BBTS:

-Better Packaging
-Free shipping for orders over $150
-Source Points (freebies)

Unfortunately, the Source Points freebie options tend to be limited in variety, but I like to sell most of the freebies I get to offset my expenditures, so that's OK for me.

Another thing to note is that BBTS's 'Pile of Loot' preorder feature beats TFsource's 'Stack' preorder feature hands down. Because of this, I normally end up preordering most items at BBTS to guarantee availability, and once I've accumulated a number of BBTS preorders that are releasing at roughly the same time and add up to over $150, I'll place an actual order with TFsource for those items and cancel my BBTS preorders.

I...don't know if I'd have posted that last part for all to see. I wouldn't blame BBTS for refusing service to you after that. Not trying to be mean, just being honest.

You're free to speak your mind, I take no offense. But everything I do falls within BBTS' stated policies.

I should clarify: I spend plenty of money at BBTS between everything else I collect that's not TF-related, and even some TFs where BBTS wins on availability or price. I just find that, all else being equal, I'd rather go through TFsource for the free shipping, better packing, and freebies.

If BBTS truly had a problem with what I do, they could reign me in with perks or a stricter preorder policy. But they're the biggest game in town, and compete based on product selection and ease of use - including their no-hassle POL system. And so they have to honor that.