The Energon Pub

Oh man, this morning I checked my e-mail before leaving for work, and was quite happy. Finally! Then I get home, and check my e-mail again... and what the hell is this? Delayed? Possibly canceled if it doesn't ship within a certain number of days? This cannot be happening!

I was quite close to calling TRU.com myself to see if I could get a straight answer... but I figured I'd check here first, see if anyone else was in the same boat as me. Glad I did so. From the few people who did call, it sounds like that second e-mail was hopefully an error... Hopefully...

Anyway, my details if it is helpful in further putting together a coherant picture of things:

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My original confirmation e-mail is dated 24 September, 5:56 a.m., for an order of one Masterpiece Optimus Prime.

This morning at 12:36 a.m., I received the e-mail notifying me that the item was now in stock and the item should ship to me and arrive between 7 November and 12 November.

Then at 6:14 a.m. this morning, I received the, "Important delay notification about your order," e-mail, saying that the order was delayed and a new shipping date was not currently available, and that if the order does not ship prior to 23 November, it will be automatically canceled.

Right this moment, according to their website, the item is located in stock and I should receive it between 7 November and 12 November, just as the earlier e-mail this morning indicated.

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So I am cautiously optimistic, although that is tempered with a touch of fear. If the 12th passes and I still do not have it (or have even yet to receive a definite notification that the item has shipped and is in route to me) then I shall definitely be on the phone with them. I feel I've been quite patient, and do NOT want this canceled on me, and don't want to hastle with my local TRU (if they ever get it in) who hasn't even honored prices when I point out a descrepancy with the price on the tag on the very peg in the store that the product I was trying to buy (and which matches the item description on the tag) was hanging on. So I wouldn't be feeling very hopeful about going in with a print out of my preorder and trying to get them to honor that price.

Please, TRU.com, get this right!

I just called TRU customer service. The rep was really helpful and apologetic. She at first did not know why I received those conflicting emails, as it does show that it is "in stock". She thought it was because I ordered 2 of them, so only 1 was in stock. But then later said that's not the case after digging further into the computer database. She went on to say that their inventory has been experiencing major issues and showing lots of errors (maybe because of the hurricane since distribution center is in New Jersey) - but this should be fixed by tomorrow.

She did say that there are more coming in...it took a while for her to find it, but she said a shipment was arriving by Wednesday, November 14th and not to worry. This is a bit odd as she also told me that they receive shipments every Friday...which would mean it is either arriving on Friday, November 9th or November 16th. Maybe it is arriving on November 9th and shipping out on November 14th?!

Lastly, I asked if it did not arrive by November 23rd, can I make sure my order is not canceled. She said "yes, just call by November 22nd, and tell them not to cancel it."

So, my hope is that by November 15th or so, we'll all get an email saying that our orders are really shipping this time...

You and me both! Thanx for the info!!

RocketG35 wrote:I just called TRU customer service. The rep was really helpful and apologetic. She at first did not know why I received those conflicting emails, as it does show that it is "in stock". She thought it was because I ordered 2 of them, so only 1 was in stock. But then later said that's not the case after digging further into the computer database. She went on to say that their inventory has been experiencing major issues and showing lots of errors (maybe because of the hurricane since distribution center is in New Jersey) - but this should be fixed by tomorrow.

She did say that there are more coming in...it took a while for her to find it, but she said a shipment was arriving by Wednesday, November 14th and not to worry. This is a bit odd as she also told me that they receive shipments every Friday...which would mean it is either arriving on Friday, November 9th or November 16th. Maybe it is arriving on November 9th and shipping out on November 14th?!

Lastly, I asked if it did not arrive by November 23rd, can I make sure my order is not canceled. She said "yes, just call by November 22nd, and tell them not to cancel it."

So, my hope is that by November 15th or so, we'll all get an email saying that our orders are really shipping this time...

Thank you ... This is the sort of response I was hoping to hear. It seems like everyone calling has been panicking or getting reps who are just tired of dealing with this so they just give a short "piss off" type answer to get rid of the callers. This one actually sounds like she might have a clue as to what is going on or at least knew how to look into the matter. Given the massive storm they were hit with, I'm giving things a little slack and will continue to wait. If I approach the 23rd and haven't heard anything, then I'll call and worry.

Yah I'm not sure how much of what she said is true to be honest - but at least it definitely sounded like she dug through the computer to find me an answer. Initially no date showed up which confused her, and she kept searching and talking to me as she was going through the steps. Then a few minutes of discussion/searching, she said "Oh, this just popped up. It says 11/14 we're getting more in (or they will ship out - I can't remember)", so the fact that that appeared, gave me some hope.

I received the same conflicting emails. Not sure what to think at this point. I found one at retail last week (at $119 ) so if I don't get mine its no big deal, but I hope that you guys all get your orders filled before the automatic cancellation date.

Some people are getting shipping confirmations (with tracking info) tonight, so I'm assuming the "delay" was a mistake and that all of these will be shipped in the next few days. (it may take more than just 1 day to box and ship each order) so I recommend patience

Checked my order status online and it is still showing "Item located in stock". So go figure. Glad for all those that have been able to locate them in stores and avoid all the hassle of this. TRU's are in short order in my region, so these online orders are my only feasible option before resorting to eBay as anymore I can't afford to spare the fuel or time to drive everywhere searching in vain.

Bubbah wrote:Some people are getting shipping confirmations (with tracking info) tonight, so I'm assuming the "delay" was a mistake and that all of these will be shipped in the next few days. (it may take more than just 1 day to box and ship each order) so I recommend patience

To be fair, all the pre-order folks have been patient. Order made on or shortly after 9/23, Estimated Ship Date: October 15th. That date came and went with NO explanation or updates from TRU and now we get these e-mails over night that are offering conflicting messages. On top of that, brick and mortar stores are carrying these now (albeit at a higher price).

All that, yet I'm still holding out hope about MP-10 getting shipped to me...

Bubbah wrote:Some people are getting shipping confirmations (with tracking info) tonight, so I'm assuming the "delay" was a mistake and that all of these will be shipped in the next few days. (it may take more than just 1 day to box and ship each order) so I recommend patience

I hope people DO receive their preorders, but don't be surprised if it doesn't arrive by the date(s) listed and another email stating there's a delay comes along.

I'm just absolutely confused as to how TRU.com has flubbed this up so badly. It's obviously not Hasbro's fault. They produced them, they shipped them. It's now in TRU.com's hands. Whether they didn't anticipate the demand level, or didn't order right, or the stores got them and they neglected the online segment, I don't know, but this is all on the shoulders of the giraffer staff.

I hope they learn from this lesson.

Autobot032 wrote:I hope they learn from this lesson.

That's a good point. It seems like we're going to see one MP TRU exclusive release around this same time each year. Let's hope they fix this so we don't have to go through this maddening process again!

Oh I know, a lot of people have been patient ... But I've also seen a lot of people ready to go off the deep end haha. Believe me, I know it's been extremely frustrating, I've also got a preorder that I'm sitting on so I've been a little nervous as well. But now that we've gotten notification of them being in stock, it should be a positive thing. I'm sure it'll take a couple days to pack and ship all the preorders, especially considering aren't these shipping from the East Coast, like NJ if I remember? They did just get slammed with a minor storm so that might cause a little delay as well. Look, I know frustration is high, but we've all come this far, a few more days won't kill us

And I'm not saying everyone is over reacting, but honestly, some people really are. TRU did mess up, and communication/customer service knowledge was horrible, but in the end, I've got no doubt all the preorders will be filled for the price promised.

Rhinox23 wrote:

Autobot032 wrote:I hope they learn from this lesson.

That's a good point. It seems like we're going to see one MP TRU exclusive release around this same time each year. Let's hope they fix this so we don't have to go through this maddening process again!

Oh, it taught me one thing... Not to preorder with TRU. I've ordered in stock items and they came through just fine, if a little slow, but I really have no complaints on their in stock items. Their preorder system is wonky, at best, it seems. (At least for this item.) I'd like to see how other preorders have been handled at the .com... (Googling, I'm sure, will come up with some results.)

It also taught me that waiting all that time for a maybe on Sideswipe (the whole licensing thing), plus their online and in store stock levels being utter $#!73, I'm willing to lose the savings I'd have have from going Hasbro. Plus, not to mention, I'd have him NOW, rather than a lot, lot later. Impatience is one of my biggest flaws.

Bubbah wrote:Oh I know, a lot of people have been patient ... But I've also seen a lot of people ready to go off the deep end haha. Believe me, I know it's been extremely frustrating, I've also got a preorder that I'm sitting on so I've been a little nervous as well. But now that we've gotten notification of them being in stock, it should be a positive thing. I'm sure it'll take a couple days to pack and ship all the preorders, especially considering aren't these shipping from the East Coast, like NJ if I remember? They did just get slammed with a minor storm so that might cause a little delay as well. Look, I know frustration is high, but we've all come this far, a few more days won't kill us

And I'm not saying everyone is over reacting, but honestly, some people really are. TRU did mess up, and communication/customer service knowledge was horrible, but in the end, I've got no doubt all the preorders will be filled for the price promised.

If they really are coming from NJ, that explains some of what's going on now, but... this was a fiasco long before Superstorm Sandy caused such devastation. Not to mention, they have centers all over the country handling their orders. When I ordered HFTD Starscream from them, it came from Columbus, I believe. My prior order came from PA or Indiana, if I remember correctly. (It's been a long while, actually...)

Point is...allowing them to use NJ as an excuse for this royal !@#$ up is bad form. And I don't know if they will fulfill the orders, but they should. They made promises, they kept people waiting. Don't offer something if you can't follow through. It's one thing to have a raincheck situation, which can happen to any retailer, but that's when the items are actually in stock and just flat out sell out. This item never even came in stock, and they've already oversold it. That's...ridiculous.

I just have to wonder how people in the business of selling toys can't actually sell toys. I'm dumbfounded.

I managed to score one locally the other day!!!!!!! after about 2 weeks of visiting

Autobot032 wrote:

Bubbah wrote:Oh I know, a lot of people have been patient ... But I've also seen a lot of people ready to go off the deep end haha. Believe me, I know it's been extremely frustrating, I've also got a preorder that I'm sitting on so I've been a little nervous as well. But now that we've gotten notification of them being in stock, it should be a positive thing. I'm sure it'll take a couple days to pack and ship all the preorders, especially considering aren't these shipping from the East Coast, like NJ if I remember? They did just get slammed with a minor storm so that might cause a little delay as well. Look, I know frustration is high, but we've all come this far, a few more days won't kill us

And I'm not saying everyone is over reacting, but honestly, some people really are. TRU did mess up, and communication/customer service knowledge was horrible, but in the end, I've got no doubt all the preorders will be filled for the price promised.

If they really are coming from NJ, that explains some of what's going on now, but... this was a fiasco long before Superstorm Sandy caused such devastation. Not to mention, they have centers all over the country handling their orders. When I ordered HFTD Starscream from them, it came from Columbus, I believe. My prior order came from PA or Indiana, if I remember correctly. (It's been a long while, actually...)

Point is...allowing them to use NJ as an excuse for this royal !@#$ up is bad form. And I don't know if they will fulfill the orders, but they should. They made promises, they kept people waiting. Don't offer something if you can't follow through. It's one thing to have a raincheck situation, which can happen to any retailer, but that's when the items are actually in stock and just flat out sell out. This item never even came in stock, and they've already oversold it. That's...ridiculous.

I just have to wonder how people in the business of selling toys can't actually sell toys. I'm dumbfounded.

Oh I'm not trying to say the storm is an excuse for it all, just a possible cause for the delay with everyone getting notifications, then not having things shipped out today. The last few weeks have been an absolute dibacle, there is no denying or making excuses for it. People would be a lot more understanding if their customer service team actually had a clue what was going on and could offer answers or even *gasp* notify customers haha. I thought I heard somewhere this was their first time doing a preorder on a toy like this that didn't have a hard set release date (like movies or games), but I honestly don't know. This was a nightmare. Like you l've never had an issue ordering in stock items, but this was just stupid. And the lack of communication/knowledge is the worst part. But I'm still pretty confident, that everyone who has a preorder will get it ... Only time will tell though!

got an email with shipment confirmation. time to rest easy.

this is annoying. It's "in stock" and for sale on their website but I still haven't received shipping confirmation on my pre-order.

Customer service was nice, but useless. All they could say is the item was in their warehouse but they have no idea what's going on with my order or their website beyond that D;


edit: Within 5 minutes of getting off the phone with them, I got my shipping confirmation. Lol. Can't tell if calling helped or it's just a coincidence.

Erailea wrote:this is annoying. It's "in stock" and for sale on their website but I still haven't received shipping confirmation on my pre-order.

Customer service was nice, but useless. All they could say is the item was in their warehouse but they have no idea what's going on with my order or their website beyond that D;

That's a good point. If they're delayed on being able to fulfill preorders, why the F are they listing in as 'In Stock' for new purchases?

fordprefect294 wrote:

Erailea wrote:this is annoying. It's "in stock" and for sale on their website but I still haven't received shipping confirmation on my pre-order.

Customer service was nice, but useless. All they could say is the item was in their warehouse but they have no idea what's going on with my order or their website beyond that D;

That's a good point. If they're delayed on being able to fulfill preorders, why the F are they listing in as 'In Stock' for new purchases?

juuuust edited my last post xD I got my confirmation, almost literally, five minutes after I got off the phone with them.

Still don't understand why they'd put it on their website before fulfilling all the pre-orders though. Their servers are horrific at keeping track of numbers, based on the number of unfulfilled shipments & complaints I was hearing last year via their facebook page.

Here's to hoping that everyone who pre-ordered and orders gets their item!

Yeah if the new orders start shipping before my preorder, I will be one pissed SOB haha ... Hopefully this just means they got in more stock than preorders taken ... I've been extremely patient, and really hope to see a shipping notification soon.

I apologize in advance if this is read in 2 different threads but after a lengthy conversation with TRU.com CS and CS manager, this is what I found out about the “delayed” email and the all of a sudden availability of the item at $119.99. I tried to place an order for the “in stock” item that is currently showing online as of 1:17PM and having them honor my pre-order price of $99.99. The CS asked me for my order number to confirm pricing, after transferring my call to a manager to see if it can be done, according to their system, he said that it is in stock and that it will be shipped. I mentioned to him that I had received 2 emails, the one that said that my preorder was ready to ship and then another email stating that my item will be delayed. He did affirm that if I do proceed to placing an order today, the order will go on back order and that I am better off keeping the preorder (due to the 2 item limit) as the preorders will be fulfilled first before the “in stock” items showing on line now. I also asked, as the delayed email mentioned that if we do not receive the item by the 23rd it will be cancelled and another member was told that if they called by the 22nd that they could request the item not be cancelled, well the manager told me that it is computerized and the system will cancel them automatically and unfortunately CS could not override (not looking for a pissing contest, just saying what I was told) if anyone has heard otherwise, I would like to hear it…cheers.

SLUGSLINGER81 wrote:I also asked, as the delayed email mentioned that if we do not receive the item by the 23rd it will be cancelled and another member was told that if they called by the 22nd that they could request the item not be cancelled, well the manager told me that it is computerized and the system will cancel them automatically and unfortunately CS could not override

I am inclined to believe this

just place an order for $130 with tax... hmmm.. =/ dunno how i feel about this.

No shipping confirmation email yet. Just the original order confirm mail & delay notification email. I hope there is no "cut off" point and I am at the end of it. I will be furious & so will the others behind me. Giraffe slaughter time.

Yeah I have yet to receive anything other than the previous order confirmations and delay notifications either and my card still hasn't been charged. Order still shows as "in stock" when checked online. They should add a field to the account page labeled "customer status" and there should be a "confused" status you can select.