The Energon Pub

Lockdown91 wrote:

new argos catalogue is out soon, so i think its best to wait and just see

Does anyone know the date of when it should be out? and Electron I think you're right, it's just best to wait and see!

well the flyers we got in our saturday mirror, are for an end of catalogue sale which ends 23rd of july, so soon hopefully

As an update to my first post, I asked them:

Mykltron wrote:I have a further question: why is England and Europe so far behind the rest of the world? America and Australia already have sightings of Power Core Combiners and Leader Class Starscream. Generations appeared in the States about a month ago!

They replied:

Hasbro UK wrote:Thank you for your recent email to Hasbro UK Ltd regarding our products.

With reference to the comments you made with regards to the range, these have been noted and will be forwarded to our Marketing Department. We would like to thank you once again for taking the time to write to us as we welcome our customers' comments and suggestions, as they are invaluable for future improvements. However we can confirm that our ranges change country to country and this can include both the products that we release and the dates that we release them.

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.

Well that explains it all! Brilliant. All clear for you guys?

Mykltron wrote:Thank you for your reply, but it doesn't even attempt to answer my question. Can you please explain WHY Europe gets Transformers *so much later* than the US? It's not as if shipping them takes a long time like it did 500 hundred years ago. We got the first wave of Revenge Of The Fallen toys at the same time as everywhere else but then later releases in that line have *still* not shown up here. Why is this? It's ridiculous and we, the British Transformers collectors, are *very* frustrated by it. Please explain why we have to wait so long.

Interestingly I was looking at the packaging for my Euro release "Drift" and there were two addresses listed. One for Hasbro UK and another UK based office, billed as "Hasbro Europe" depending on how far you get, I might put pen to paper.....

I fall into a couple of categories; both dissapointed fan and angry parent of an upset kid. The internet has made the world a smaller place. Hasbro have to accept that we know these toys exist and wish to purchase them.

Thanks for the update Mykltron, maybe if enough UK collectors send emails to them asking why we havent recieved half of the toys they advertise, then maybe they'll do something about it in the future, do you hae the link where you sent your emails? or was it by post?

and it's not like they don't even advertise the NEST line either, with each of my NEST deluxes came a poster thing and on both sides of it were advertisements for all of the NEST line, dirge, mindwipe, recon ironhide, bludgeon the lot, and i can't remember, but somewhere on it it probably says something along the lines of "collect them all" and i fail to see how we collectors, or even kids, can collect them and buy them if they don't even sell half of them over here!

Mykltron wrote:It's not as if shipping them takes a long time like it did 500 hundred years ago. We got the first wave of Revenge Of The Fallen toys at the same time as everywhere else but then later releases in that line have *still* not shown up here.

Exactly, they shipped out the deluxes, but not the voyagers it doesn't make sense why they would do that.

Also, i re-checked my tesco today and they have the same 3 voyagers left, but interestingly they must of had extra NEST deluxes because there was the lockdown, brawn and ratchet set there again, but all of the boxes ontop of the shelves that said transformers voyager and leaders have all gone, theyve not been put out, theyve just been taken from atop the shelf and theyre just gone :S

Pretender Skywarp wrote:Interestingly I was looking at the packaging for my Euro release "Drift" and there were two addresses listed. One for Hasbro UK and another UK based office, billed as "Hasbro Europe" depending on how far you get, I might put pen to paper.....

Why wait? Look at what Lockdown91 said:

Lockdown91 wrote:Thanks for the update Mykltron, maybe if enough UK collectors send emails to them asking why we havent recieved half of the toys they advertise, then maybe they'll do something about it in the future, do you hae the link where you sent your emails? or was it by post?

I was going to suggest that as well. So if other people send them emails maybe they will realise that they're being crap. GO AHEAD: SEND THEM AN EMAIL ASKING WHY WE DON'T GET THE SAME STUFF AND WHY WE HAVE TO WAIT SO LONG! PLEASE! Here's the address:

CONSUMER_AFFAIRS@HASBRO.CO.UK

Frustratingly, H'UK seem to be nothing more than a glorifried distribution/customer service centre;

Pretender Skywarp wrote:Hello,

Will Hasbro be bringing the "Transformers Masterpiece Grimlock" figure to the UK and Europe?

Many thanks,

Steve.

They responded with;

Habro UK wrote:
Thank you for your email.
Unfortunately we do not have the information on file, at present, in regards to the release of this product.

May we apologise for not being able to help you on this occasion. 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.

Kind Regards,

Katharine
ASK HASBRO
Hasbro UK Ltd
00800 22427276

What am as joe customer or harrassed-parent supposed to deduce from this? I can only assume no concrete decision has been made, the whole response id very "cut and paste".

I might email TRU-UK and see what they say....

Yeah, they seem pretty in the dark. They haven't responded to my last email. If any Americans are reading this could they try asking why we're so far behind over here? We can't email Hasbro USA cos we just get redirected to H'UK.

Fired this off via the TRU-UK website this morning;

Pretender Skywarp wrote:Hi,

Toys R Us has a long history of carrying "Transformers" products which are exclusive to your stores.

Will you be bringing the "Transformers Masterpiece Grimlock" figure, which is TRU exclusive in the USA, to your UK branches?

Thanks,

Steve.

We shall see Galvatron. we shall see....

Hmm well i've sent them an email a couple of days ago and ive been waiting for a reply before i post on here again but theyve not sent me one :S

but it looks like the only way we'll get any of the NEST voyager molds is through the HFTD line, as long as they actually get released here, i just hope they don't skip half of the line like they have with the NEST voyagers

but we know there will be a voyager bludgeon redeco (banzaitron), a long haul redeco (payload), and now a recon ironhide redeco (http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/ ... led/19147/) so theres three new molds that hopefully come to england finally, only one left would be mindwipe, interestingly i saw skystalker in my local asda :S so theyve released the scout partner of mindwipe but not mindwipe himself, hasbro UK sucks!

also on a side note, i know that some of the NEST deluxes have been seen, lockdown, strike mission sideswipe, deluxe ratchet and brawn, but has anyone seen the red rampage or evac about? have they been released here?

Masterpiece Grimlock Confirmed for the UK!!!

A couple of posts ago I sent this to TRU-UK;

Pretender Skywarp wrote:
Hi,

Toys R Us has a long history of carrying "Transformers" products which are exclusive to your stores.

Will you be bringing the "Transformers Masterpiece Grimlock" figure, which is TRU exclusive in the USA, to your UK branches?

Thanks,

Steve.

Today they responded with this;

TRU/UK wrote:
Dear Mr Stuart,

Thank you for your recent e-mail.

I can confirm that we will be stocking this item, however it will not be until later this year.

I hope that this is of help to you. Should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

Kind regards,

Oliver Watters
Toys R Us Direct

Now, the real question is why do TRU know that they are stocking this, but Hasbro-UK don't know that they are selling it to them

Pretender Skywarp wrote:Now, the real question is why do TRU know that they are stocking this, but Hasbro-UK don't know that they are selling it to them

Maybe TRU decided to bypass Hasbro UK and try working with people that know their arse from their elbow?

Ravage XK wrote:

Pretender Skywarp wrote:Now, the real question is why do TRU know that they are stocking this, but Hasbro-UK don't know that they are selling it to them

Maybe TRU decided to bypass Hasbro UK and try working with people that know their arse from their elbow?

Hah, true, but TRU regularly import US TRU exclusives (same with Star Wars line as well) because I've seen many figures and sets in TRU that I never see anywhere else. Obviously the international TRU bases are closer to each other than the Hasbro bases! (Same for Forbidden Planet and Entertainer, actually, but I suspect they import from the source, buying stock-loads!)

(By the way, Ravage XK; Maidstone? I know someone who lives there! )

EDIT: Grimlock in the UK? Already seen him in the London Forbidden Planet and I'm sure I've seen him in a TRU as well!

Ok, now they are positively taking the pi$$ and I will give serious consideration to never buying another UK sourced TF product again;

Following my exchange with TRU, I sent;

Pretender Skywarp wrote:
Dear Hasbro,

As a long time fan of the Transformers Franchise, I often look to try to purchase new products whenever they are available.

I am very interested in the Masterpiece Grimlock figure, but you were unable to answer my query. I have since contacted a leading UK toy retailer who have confirmed they will be carrying the item want. How do they know they are carrying it, but you don’t know that you are supplying it to them?

The state of Transformers distribution in the UK is very poor, we get incomplete lines, and missing waves. It is often easier for UK fans to import the equivalent Takara product or US sourced items form Ebay sellers. Often at a similar price to the RRP.

Why is the UK market treated so poorly?

Regards,

Steve.

They responded with (and I kid you not);

Hasbro UK wrote:
Dear Steve,

Thank you for your recent email to Hasbro UK Ltd regarding our products.

With reference to the comments you made with regards to the item, these have been noted and will be forwarded to our Marketing Department. We would like to thank you once again for taking the time to write to us as we welcome our customers' comments and suggestions, as they are invaluable for future improvements.

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.

Kind Regards,
Katharine
ASK HASBRO
Hasbro UK Ltd
00800 22427276

Pretty much a word-for-word cut and paste of what they sent to Mykltron a few emails ago. To say that I am fuming about being treated with such contempt by a company that I am TRYING TO GIVE MY MONEY TO IN A RECESSION, is a fudging understatement

They have not attemtpted to enagage the consumer in any reasonable dialogue and have blatantly put this issue in the "too difficult" box.

You don't want anything to do with me Hasbro UK, well guess what? The feelings mutual. Takara, Ebay sellers and UK-based importers will be seeing most of my businees from now on. I will avoid you wherever possible[-(

Swiftknife24 wrote:
(By the way, Ravage XK; Maidstone? I know someone who lives there! )

Really? Thats wierd cos I know a few too!!

*sigh*
I guess it's back to good old importing.

Ravage XK wrote:

Swiftknife24 wrote:
(By the way, Ravage XK; Maidstone? I know someone who lives there! )

Really? Thats wierd cos I know a few too!!

Haha, I point out because I live up North!

A while back I sent the following email to Hasbro:

Mykltron wrote:Thank you for your reply, but it doesn't even attempt to answer my question. Can you please explain WHY Europe gets Transformers *so much later* than the US? It's not as if shipping them takes a long time like it did 500 hundred years ago. We got the first wave of Revenge Of The Fallen toys at the same time as everywhere else but then later releases in that line have *still* not shown up here. Why is this? It's ridiculous and we, the British Transformers collectors, are *very* frustrated by it. Please explain why we have to wait so long.

The update: no f-ing reply.

Pretender Skywarp wrote:Ok, now they are positively taking the pi$$ and I will give serious consideration to never buying another UK sourced TF product again;

Following my exchange with TRU, I sent;

Pretender Skywarp wrote:
Dear Hasbro,

As a long time fan of the Transformers Franchise, I often look to try to purchase new products whenever they are available.

I am very interested in the Masterpiece Grimlock figure, but you were unable to answer my query. I have since contacted a leading UK toy retailer who have confirmed they will be carrying the item want. How do they know they are carrying it, but you don’t know that you are supplying it to them?

The state of Transformers distribution in the UK is very poor, we get incomplete lines, and missing waves. It is often easier for UK fans to import the equivalent Takara product or US sourced items form Ebay sellers. Often at a similar price to the RRP.

Why is the UK market treated so poorly?

Regards,

Steve.

They responded with (and I kid you not);

Hasbro UK wrote:
Dear Steve,

Thank you for your recent email to Hasbro UK Ltd regarding our products.

With reference to the comments you made with regards to the item, these have been noted and will be forwarded to our Marketing Department. We would like to thank you once again for taking the time to write to us as we welcome our customers' comments and suggestions, as they are invaluable for future improvements.

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.

Kind Regards,
Katharine
ASK HASBRO
Hasbro UK Ltd
00800 22427276

Pretty much a word-for-word cut and paste of what they sent to Mykltron a few emails ago. To say that I am fuming about being treated with such contempt by a company that I am TRYING TO GIVE MY MONEY TO IN A RECESSION, is a fudging understatement

They have not attemtpted to enagage the consumer in any reasonable dialogue and have blatantly put this issue in the "too difficult" box.

You don't want anything to do with me Hasbro UK, well guess what? The feelings mutual. Takara, Ebay sellers and UK-based importers will be seeing most of my businees from now on. I will avoid you wherever possible[-(

They often 'pass the comment to the marketing department'. I think they mean 'dustbin'.

Here's an idea: LET'S ALL TRY PHONING THEM!

According to the reply sent to Pretender Skywarp their phone number is 00800 22427276 although I'm suspicious about the number of zeros at the beginning. Let's give it a shot!

Found some names to ask for too, I'll be interested to see how far I could actually get...

http://www.toynews-online.biz/news/3203 ... management

Hasbro uk/europe has always advertised products which they have not solf, during the ehad master and pretender days they always just threw in the us posters and advertisements thus teasing you with swoop shockwave, fort max etc.


its cheaper to have the same posters put in the packaging in china/vietnam than to create whole new ones for a subline ina different market.

Some tiems its easier just to use people like 3darths and kapow toys to fill the gaps.

I appreciate the problem, I still have gaps in some of my lines and i got a rather large collection for a UK collector.

Just got the new argos catalog, this is what's listed:
-Power core combiners,5 pack and 2 pack
-Battle hooks leader prime
-Voyagers, pic shows long haul
-Scouts, pic shows red ransack, forgot his name
-Not sure about generations, but it's possible that they are under the 'deluxe' category, the pic shows battle blades bumblebee

EDIT: cannon BB repaint, not battle blades. Also,legends ravage and rampage are listed, along with battle ops bb.

The deluxe listing at Argos is very vague. I think you'll be lucky to find anything aside from ROTF stuff unfortunately.

Pretender Skywarp wrote:The deluxe listing at Argos is very vague. I think you'll be lucky to find anything aside from ROTF stuff unfortunately.

That's all that my two stores have. I'm going to try phoning them. I've been forgetting but I'm too tired to do anything truly important today!

Saw (and bought) Drift and Thrust in Smyths in Cardiff today - looks like Generations are slowly making their way to shops.

My plan is to try and get the first few waves in UK shops before resorting to BBTS/Ebay for the later stuff - yes Hasbro UK are crap, but there's nothing quite as exciting as finding the figures in store.

Primacron's Little Helper wrote:My plan is to try and get the first few waves in UK shops before resorting to BBTS/Ebay for the later stuff - yes Hasbro UK are crap, but there's nothing quite as exciting as finding the figures in store.

My local TRU has had the same ROTF stuff sitting on the shelves for about 6mths, no joke.

They even recently re-stocked on Wave 1 Animated voyagers

I don't collect Aniamted or movie-verse, bar a few key exclusives, but do have my finger on the pulse enough to know what is what. Thank god for importers.

Yeah the TRU near me is just as bad - it's still got the early Universe Ultras - Powerglide and Silverbolt, they've must have been out for almost 2 years now.

Maybe no-one's ever explained to the managers of UK toyshops (and in particular TRU), how you get different figures in different waves, it seems to me that the early waves sell well so they order more, not realising that if they just waited a bit for the later waves they'd get repeat customers.

Slightly off topic, Drift is awesome!!!