The Energon Pub

I've been buying Transformers Masterpiece from Japan since like forever but today I got a call from this "lady" from Fed Ex named Stephanie who says that they will not give me my MP Grapples (for which I spent €250) because they don't have European CE certification.

I explain this "lady" that according to EU regulations:

1) Firstly only toys intended for resale (which these are not) require a CE stamp
2) Even if these were intended for resale high-priced collectibles that are intended for end-users aged 14 and above AND which have no electronics do NOT require a CE stamp.

The "lady" replies that she doesn't care what I say - the only thing that matters is what she says and this means that they will be keeping my toys.

I asked the "lady" if she could at least have the package sent back to Japan to which she replied that this was "not possible".

Has anyone found themselves in this situation? How do I deal with this "lady"?

First of all, pretty weird: just as I was about to reply the word got censored.

Secondly, this lady may not know everything there is to know about certification and how they're applied. If I were you, if you have her name, go over her head and take it up with Customer Service.

What was the censored word?

Can you call back and speak to someone else? Sounds like she's just a bitch.

Every time I call them they send my call to her as she is "taking care" of my parcel.

I think the censored word is pretty easy to guess - it's what the quotes around "lady" are for. Yeah, I know it might be a bit exaggerate and not very nice but it's my birthday, I saved for months to be able to buy Grapple and I am p***ed!!!

Oberon22 wrote:Every time I call them they send my call to her as she is "taking care" of my parcel.

I think the censored word is pretty easy to guess - it's what the quotes around "lady" are for. Yeah, I know it might be a bit exaggerate and not very nice but it's my birthday, I saved for months to be able to buy Grapple and I am p***ed!!!

*sighs* She may be assigned to your case, but that doesn't mean you're stuck with her. Demand to speak with her superior, it's your right as a customer.

Oberon22 wrote:I think the censored word is pretty easy to guess - it's what the quotes around "lady" are for.

Gotcha. I'm a little slow this morning. And yeah, censored or not, there's no need for it.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Oberon22 wrote:Every time I call them they send my call to her as she is "taking care" of my parcel.

I think the censored word is pretty easy to guess - it's what the quotes around "lady" are for. Yeah, I know it might be a bit exaggerate and not very nice but it's my birthday, I saved for months to be able to buy Grapple and I am p***ed!!!

*sighs* She may be assigned to your case, but that doesn't mean you're stuck with her. Demand to speak with her superior, it's your right as a customer.

This. Demand to speak to her superior as she is not providing any helpful lcustomer care. If they still refuse, then say you want to lodge a complaint against her for poor customer care. That should get you bumped upstairs.


As for the actual issue, is she demanding money? A payment fee to release the parcel, or is she just flat out refusing to do anything with the parcel? Because if it's the former, my first instinct is to scream scam. Also query how she knows it has no CE stamp on it. Have they opened the parcel and checked the contents? Because they shouldn't be doing that either.

There is a 20% VAT fee (like $50/€50) but they always charge that. If it was just the fee I would pay it. I asked HLJ for help and basically they said that they don't care and wished me good luck stating the rules which I found earlier myself (that high-priced collectibles intended for people over 14 years do not require a CE stamp).

I asked to talk to a supervisor and also said I would be making a formal complaint with Fed Ex but she started laughing, said "good day" and hung up on me.

Oberon22 wrote:There is a 20% VAT fee (like $50/€50) but they always charge that. If it was just the fee I would pay it. I asked HLJ for help and basically they said that they don't care and wished me good luck stating the rules which I found earlier myself (that high-priced collectibles intended for people over 14 years do not require a CE stamp).

I asked to talk to a supervisor and also said I would be making a formal complaint with Fed Ex but she started laughing, said "good day" and hung up on me.

Go to the FedEx branch personally and clear things up. Going about by phone will get you nowhere. Also get the skinny directly on those arcane Euro rules. That's what you get when you let nameless bureaucrats gum up the system (especially your economic system)

Oberon22 wrote:There is a 20% VAT fee (like $50/€50) but they always charge that. If it was just the fee I would pay it. I asked HLJ for help and basically they said that they don't care and wished me good luck stating the rules which I found earlier myself (that high-priced collectibles intended for people over 14 years do not require a CE stamp).

I asked to talk to a supervisor and also said I would be making a formal complaint with Fed Ex but she started laughing, said "good day" and hung up on me.

The bitch! If you don't visit them in person, call the main helpline, but don't state initially about your case, try to get through to someone other than her in their complaints department. Once you're in with someone else, then report her.


Or as said before, if possible, go visit them in person. It's alot more difficult to ignore someone when they turn up on your doorstep. And take some proof about the CE rules. Like a print out from an official source or something. Hope you can get this sorted.

I got my Grapple finally. I just printed a CE Declaration of Conformity myself and gave it to this "nice lady".

But the trouble didn't end there. She said she found it suspect that a toy would cost that much money and she called for the customs inspection officials to open not just the shipping box but the box containing the toy itself and even took Grapple out of the plastic shell!

Luckily she opened the one box that was dinged and the other is still MISB (I collect MISB) and I would have opened one anyway.

Anyhow, I will stop here since I will end up saying very very inappropriate things about this amazing human being otherwise and I think I am giving the impression I am a very angry person since every time I post on the boards it's to complain about someone or something. LOL

Why do some people seem to take pleasure in making others' lives miserable? Anyhow,thanks to all for the suggestions and help. You people are awesome!

Glad you got it sorted. And i won't comment further or it will get un pg rated.

Oberon22 wrote:I got my Grapple finally. I just printed a CE Declaration of Conformity myself and gave it to this "nice lady".

But the trouble didn't end there. She said she found it suspect that a toy would cost that much money and she called for the customs inspection officials to open not just the shipping box but the box containing the toy itself and even took Grapple out of the plastic shell!

Luckily she opened the one box that was dinged and the other is still MISB (I collect MISB) and I would have opened one anyway.

Anyhow, I will stop here since I will end up saying very very inappropriate things about this amazing human being otherwise and I think I am giving the impression I am a very angry person since every time I post on the boards it's to complain about someone or something. LOL

Why do some people seem to take pleasure in making others' lives miserable? Anyhow,thanks to all for the suggestions and help. You people are awesome!

What the ....? Glad it all got sorted but this is crazy! That woman was .... ok I need to stop right here, but will say that I have not read your other posts as I'm new to the boards here but in this case YOU ARE NOT giving the impression of being an angry person as it is justified in this case.

Good that you got him, but geez ... does she know you some how? Have you pissed off a relative of hers?

I don't have a clue who she is. She was hostile and mean spirited from the very start. I hope I don't have to deal with her again.

To be honest, i would still file a formal complaint against her. People like that don't deserve to have jobs like that.

Insurgent wrote:To be honest, i would still file a formal complaint against her. People like that don't deserve to have jobs like that.

I'd go with this as well. Go over her head, who knows how many others are being forced to jump through hoops and treated disrespectfully.

Oberon22 wrote:I got my Grapple finally. I just printed a CE Declaration of Conformity myself and gave it to this "nice lady".

But the trouble didn't end there. She said she found it suspect that a toy would cost that much money and she called for the customs inspection officials to open not just the shipping box but the box containing the toy itself and even took Grapple out of the plastic shell!

Luckily she opened the one box that was dinged and the other is still MISB (I collect MISB) and I would have opened one anyway.

Anyhow, I will stop here since I will end up saying very very inappropriate things about this amazing human being otherwise and I think I am giving the impression I am a very angry person since every time I post on the boards it's to complain about someone or something. LOL

Why do some people seem to take pleasure in making others' lives miserable? Anyhow,thanks to all for the suggestions and help. You people are awesome!

The faceless power tripping bureaucrat of the EU! No wonder the Brits got out! Whether you like to admit it or not, that's what you get when "unelected" paper pushers rule. It inhibits commerce! This beeotch maybe from FedEx (a private entity) but she is working under that same mindset of regs regs and more regs!

Glad it's all sorted, but what they did was uncalled for, even if you were planning on doing the same thing in the end for different reasons.

I'd agree on filing a complaint, especially if you had no problems of similar nature with importing goods whatsoever. As an extra push (it may look like backstabbing, really), look into consumer warning programs on TV and have your story recorded. Don't think of it of punishing FedEx, but more like warning others that the same thing may happen to them.

What country are you from by the way? I know first-hand the Dutch are pretty hung up on following rules and protocol; one time, the hospital sent me a notification that an appointment of mine was moved up... by 5 minutes. Waste of a tree I tell you.

Thanks guys!

I think I will just let it go. Not looking to get even with her or anything. Just happy I got Grapple. It would be cool if I could get the toys from Nippon-Yasan since they ship from France and I would avoid customs altogether but every time I gave them a chance (well, just twice really) they sent me very badly dented boxes. When I look at my Delta Magnus box I still cry It's like someone sit on it. (To be fair I never contacted them to report the problem - just saying for fairness' sake)

PS: I am from Malta. Actually I had this happening 2 more times (not some lady going crazy over the toys being "unsafe" for children but custom officers tearing the boxes saying they found it suspicious that the toys were so expensive) - Ultra Magnus - again here I was lucky because they opened the bad box and Star Saber for which I was quite unlucky that time since they opened the GOOD box It happened only with those 3 and I have all the MPs including the repaints like Road Rage. I am only missing the Beast Wars ones and some recolors (Grimlock, Rodimus and most of the MP10 repaints, Silverstreak and Bluestreak).

Gosh, ignorance! They need to surf net abit!

Gosh, ignorance! They need to surf net abit!

Oberon22 wrote:custom officers tearing the boxes saying they found it suspicious that the toys were so expensive)

Can you possibly have them declared Adult Collectibles in the future? Technically it's true, I can't imagine many kids in general going for Masterpiece figures due to the cost (unless they're spoiled)

Wow she sounds so dumb I bet she can only wear slip on shoes.

I shudder at the idea that Customs might mall someone's rated toy in a plastic case being returned to them. or destroy a Lucky Draw's packaging.

It's one of the main reasons I try to buy from the UK for expensive items.

FED Ex has an atrocious reputation though. They have left people parcel's out in the rain and had them all ruined. or they have dropped people's Electronic goods over their fence smashing them. or they have smashed White goods up so bad they are unusable and then claimed they won't pay the insurance cost as they only insure for loss not for damage. (something to watch out for especially on cheap carriers).

Maybe Customs insurance for damage done by customs needs to be a thing.

You won't believe the stuff customs did to me. Right now my Dirge was sent back to the sender and my replacement Tracks has been held for over a month!