The Energon Pub

[Blurrz]

Don't even complain about gas prices, we ALL HAVE THE PROBLEM.

For example, I live in Alberta, where about 1/5 of the world's oil reserves are. And still, residents have to pay about $1.30 per litre

Anyways, I wish I could help.. but I'm not fluent with the whole shipping thing.

[Autobot032]

I've got Barricade, Bumblebee, Jazz, Megatron, Optimus Prime, Stealth Bumblebee, Salvage. All sealed and brand new.

All for sale. Any takers?

$15.57 a piece for the Deluxes.
$47.37 for the Leaders.

Leaders plus Deluxes...talk to me, and we'll figure out a deal.

EDIT: Both premium Bumblebees, and the Barricade have sold. The rest is still available.

[Sentry Prime]

I don't know how many of you guys are familiar with Australia, but I now live in a small town called Kyabram, who's local toy store has 4 - count em - 4 TF figures last time I went in...I asked the owner of the store about the Australian release date for the animated line, and he didn't actually know there WAS a new transformers line, he'd only just recently gotten around to seeing the movie!!

I do love the hunt...or I would if there was actually anything to hunt for, especially with petrol @ $1.50 per litre here...add to that the last figure I brought cost me $62.00 for Voyager Ratchet :S

[Megatron's Lapdog]

Check 'em out:::::::::::











Aren't they pretty? These could be yours if the price is right! Let me know...

[videriant]

Please note I'm not against helping out fellows overseas out. We do have it pretty good with the availability of bots. I just wanted to you guys to realize that shipping overseas is a bigger hassle then it seems at first. I regularly send shipments to a friend in England and so far I haven't had custom issues yet but one time a packaged got waterlogged and it became my responsiblity as the sender to file the complaint (except the USPS complaint system was always down) and correspond with the receiver of the package to take his damaged package to the post office. Except the royal mail was telling him different things then the US post service was telling me. We finally said screw it since it was just a $10 figure and the other five figures were okay.

[Autobot032]

Check 'em out:::::::::::Aren't they pretty? These could be yours if the price is right! Let me know...

Seriously folks, they're worth the money. Well, not 2-Pack Megatron, because he sucks balls like...well...a ball sucker. Anywho...

the rest are the bees knees.

Please note I'm not against helping out fellows overseas out. We do have it pretty good with the availability of bots. I just wanted to you guys to realize that shipping overseas is a bigger hassle then it seems at first. I regularly send shipments to a friend in England and so far I haven't had custom issues yet but one time a packaged got waterlogged and it became my responsiblity as the sender to file the complaint (except the USPS complaint system was always down) and correspond with the receiver of the package to take his damaged package to the post office. Except the royal mail was telling him different things then the US post service was telling me. We finally said screw it since it was just a $10 figure and the other five figures were okay.

While it can be a daunting task, it doesn't always need to be. I think if both the buyer and seller are willing to work together and figure it out, it'll go smoothly.

I sold a couple of figures to a UK based fan, and there wasn't a single hiccup in the entire process.

[Iron Prime]

$8.25 a gallon.....You might as well bend over for the Oil companies and go "Thank you sir, may I have another!!!" Didn't we go to war with Iraq to get more oil(I'm sorry, depose Saddam? cough cough)?

At the risk of accidentally turning this in to one of those horrible 'political threads', I feel the need to point out that the entire MiddleEast supplies only like 10-11% of our(USA) oil. If memory serves we get a larger supply of oil from the likes of Canada, Venezuela, and - of course - the USA.

Back on topic:
I'd love to help folks out, but usually I only find one or so of a figure. I hate to be selfish but if I can only find one I'm getting it for me!
And I don't want to grab 5 of something and get stuck with it either. I did try to post on a board once, but by the time I got a response and got back to the store the fig was gone.

[Sentry Prime]

And I don't want to grab 5 of something and get stuck with it either. ..

That's what eBay's for!!

[Megatron's Lapdog]

Or, you could keep the receipt and return the figs that you don't need, or can't get rid of for your money back. I've done that before lol.

[Iron Prime]

Or, you could keep the receipt and return the figs that you don't need, or can't get rid of for your money back. I've done that before lol.

That works fine for places like Wal-Mart - but Target has become a returning pirate - regardless of receipts.... Very frustrating.

[Autobot032]

Or, you could keep the receipt and return the figs that you don't need, or can't get rid of for your money back. I've done that before lol.

That works fine for places like Wal-Mart - but Target has become a returning pirate - regardless of receipts.... Very frustrating.

This is true. My girlfriend works at Target, and she had to work in Customer Service several times and said the return policy has been overhauled.

They're cracking down on all returns, legit or otherwise. Some stores even demand to see some ID even though you have your receipt.

I had to return a couple of Titaniums once, both on separate receipts, and the woman scanned them incorrectly and wasn't going to give me my full refund and said I'd have to deal with the difference lost.

...I of course called for a manager. They corrected it immediately and told her basically "Who do you think you are?" now...a stunt like that is not only welcomed, they'll give you a pat on the back.

And if you think toys/collectibles are difficult to return...try getting a refund out of them for a TV. (The stupid thing was broken! I still had to go through 20 minutes worth of waiting to get my refund!)

Wal-Mart might be the scum of the Earth, but at least you can return something (especially if it's legit.)

[videriant]

Luckily, my Target hasn't cracked down yet. I had buyer's remorse on all the $7 deluxes I bought. Didn't really need an extra payload/dreadwing/camshaft/barricade and they didn't hassle me on the return.

While it can be a daunting task, it doesn't always need to be. I think if both the buyer and seller are willing to work together and figure it out, it'll go smoothly.

I sold a couple of figures to a UK based fan, and there wasn't a single hiccup in the entire process.

Trust me Autobot032, it has to happen to you for you to understand. The first shipment I sent to the UK was 1st class. Took three weeks to show up. Priority from now on, check. Shipments 2 & 3 went fine and I was wondering to myself why more people don't help our brothers overseas out. Then the next priority shipment took two and a half week be delivered, showed up with water damage, and this is what we were told.

USPS (to me)
1) Sender needs to file an investigation report to determine if there is a valid claim or not
2) Sorry, but investigation report system is down.
3) The receiver of the item needs to bring it to his post office so they make their report and send it to the USPS. The other post office will hold on to the item.
4) Once a package leaves the US, it is the responsibility of the other mail carrier.
5) Once all this is done, if the investigation report determines that a claim is valid, then a claims report can be opened. Each step may take a couple of months (investigation & claim)
6) Sorry, but the investigation report system is still down.

Royal Mail (to my friend)
1) We can't accept this damage package without a claim report. You have to get that from the USPS first since it was sent from the US.

Only one out of the seven bots were damaged so we just gave it up, he paid me for the damaged one, and the replacement one I sent. He was lucky that I had an extra big daddy. I'm still sending him stuff. Just dropped him off a $400 shipment today actually. Yoink. But for international shipping, if you do it regularly and it happens one in 20 times it'll still be a hassle. This potential hassle is the same reason that a lot of ebay-ers don't bother with shipping internationally.

I guess we know why FedEx and UPS are so expensive. They have to cover their backs more then the US Post Service.

[Megatron's Lapdog]

Yeah, I don't normally accept international bidders on my auctions, but will for a few(especially the valuable ones). I've shipped to Canada, France, Japan, Australia, Brazil, and even to an APO/FPO address in Iraq and haven't had a problem yet fortunately. Certainly I'm waiting for that first one lol.

[videriant]

With ebay you can cover yourself by saying insurance is optional. If it's not high value I don't think most people will choose to buy insurance. Selling across the board is trickier because most people don't think about discussing what'll happen if the shipment is lost/damaged.

On another note, does anybody know how the post office handles damage for collectible items that can be worth more then retail? Say one of our British friend really wanted that Cybertron Mudflap and paid $100 for it when it originally retailed at $20 and it gets lost in the mail. What and who would the insurance company reimburse if:

1) If it just came with the typicall international priority insurance amount of $20
2) If insurance was purchased at $20
3) If insurance was purchased at $100

And if the following happened, what is the sellers' responsiblity to the buyer (by ebay laws?) for reimbursing purchase cost, shipping cost, and insurance cost?
1) Post office doesn't pay jack.
2) Post office pays $20
3) Post office pays $100

[Megatron's Lapdog]

Usually, if I sell an item for over $100, I require insurance to make sure nothing bad happens. Unfortunately, the post office would only reimburse up to $100 for most items if it was lost. I feel that no matter what happens, the seller is responsible to reimburse the buyer in full if they don't receive anything. If you're out the money and/or product, that's not the buyer's fault(not really the seller's fault either, but the risk is yours and is pretty much spelled out in black and white in E-bay's policies). I'm sure that a lot of sellers wouldn't do this, but I would, because my feedback and customer service is very important to me(gotta keep that Powerseller rating).

[videriant]

I was just using an unreasonably high price for the above example. With the repaint coming out, I'd pay $80 for a mudflap, tops. . . =)

What I'm wondering now is why we're the only ones still active in this thread. I think it's time to let it die a quick death.

[Megatron's Lapdog]

lol no doubt...I'm still offering to scalp Animated 'bots for people though if they want them. Let me know, or they go on E-bay

[Sentry Prime]

Thanks guys for taking the time to respond ('specially Meg's lapdog!! ) - good to see that the community is willing to help one another

Anyone know if Hasbro has any plans to do a leader class Lugnut??

[Iron Prime]

Thanks guys for taking the time to respond ('specially Meg's lapdog!! ) - good to see that the community is willing to help one another

Anyone know if Hasbro has any plans to do a leader class Lugnut??

Nothing announced - lots of wishful thinking on the boards though...

[Autobot032]

Thanks guys for taking the time to respond ('specially Meg's lapdog!! ) - good to see that the community is willing to help one another

Anyone know if Hasbro has any plans to do a leader class Lugnut??

Nothing announced - lots of wishful thinking on the boards though...

Actually Hasbro said they have no plans of making Lugnut in a Leader Class, so that to me, means not a chance.

[Megatron's Lapdog]

Thanks guys for taking the time to respond ('specially Meg's lapdog!! ) - good to see that the community is willing to help one another

Anyone know if Hasbro has any plans to do a leader class Lugnut??

My pleasure to help you, I shipped your stuff out today. I wish they'd make a leader class Lugnut, but I'll settle for the Ultra Magnus, because he is straight pimpin'. Now I want to see what the Omega Supreme looks like.....

[Sentry Prime]

Well, there is that spoiler clip on youtube that shows Omega Supreme

I just wish they would do a Leader sized Lugnut simply because, while I will eagerly lap up whatever Hasbro throws us in the TFA series - I do wish they would factor the relative sizes of the character BEFORE deciding what class to make em!!!

I don't really like the extra turrents & Buzzsaw on Leader-class Bulkhead (tho that headmaster gimmick is TOTAL OWNAGE!) - but I plan on buying Bulky in Leader sized just because he <b>is</b> bigger than the other TFs! Given that Bulkhead & Lugnut seem to square off at about the same size, it doesn't make sense to me NOT to do a Leader-class Lugnut

[Sledge]

I don't think Leader class figures sell as well as smaller sizes (pretty obvious when you think about it), so Hasbro aren't going to churn out a load of stuff that won't sell.

[videriant]

Here's an update. My friend in the UK just got the package I sent him last week and they slapped him with a $150 import tax. I sent him over $400 worth of stuff so that's about a 35% premium. Ouch. Luckily, combined shipping was cheap so the total cost to him was just 10% over UK retail.

Notes about the package:
1) I marked it as gift
2) I marked the value as $400. I don't know if they check more for higher prices.
3) I insured it for $400. If not the price, the insurance might have been what raised flags, I don't know.
4) It weighed 17lbs. Maybe they checked the heavier package.

Just things to keep in mind if you're planning on buying and selling internationally.

[MagnusPrimal]

Don't even complain about gas prices, we ALL HAVE THE PROBLEM.

For example, I live in Alberta, where about 1/5 of the world's oil reserves are. And still, residents have to pay about $1.30 per litre

Anyways, I wish I could help.. but I'm not fluent with the whole shipping thing.

Yes we all have that problem.

For some of us, it has removed quite a bit of lustre from 'the hunt.' We'd rather just shop online and pay the shipping. That's mostly what I'll be doing. I can hit Target and WM sometimes on my lunch at work, so I'll do that too.

However, I used to take the family out every weekend and hunt for toys, eat out, just kill time. No more. Gas is too expensive, and the hunt was never my favorite part anyway.