https://www.instagram.com/p/Cevx4pDOLFt/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= (https://www.instagram.com/p/Cevx4pDOLFt/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)
At least we get to look at it. I will never see one in person though.
Gosh darn exclusives!
Quote from: marsattacks666 on June 13, 2022, 11:14:12 PM
Gosh darn exclusives!
I bet they eventually release it to the masses, probably different packaging.
Who's under that makeup? It's not Louis Nye.
Quote from: EDITOR MFTV on June 13, 2022, 11:46:29 PM
I bet they eventually release it to the masses, probably different packaging.
I think so too, just not in the Creature Crumble Crackers box etc.
I wanted the Creature Crumble box! >:( Oh well, it will probably be released in some other form.
Quote from: Mike Scott on June 14, 2022, 12:41:40 AM
Who's under that makeup? It's not Louis Nye.
This is the RZ Zombo.
Im pretty sure Bill Moseley is playing him.
I was fortunate (or so I thought) to score a Zombo figure from a ten minute flash sale on The NECA Store website back in July. When it finally arrived, I noticed one of the hands was detached in the box. No big deal, right? I'll just pop it back on. Well, that didn't work. It's like the plastic socket is reamed out. On top of that, the torso is super loose. I own over twenty of these retro cloth figures and none of them are wobbly at the torso like this one. At $65 shipped, I wasn't very pleased.
I knew these were sold out, but I e-mailed NECA and asked for instructions on returning it for a full refund. There was nothing listed on the packing slip about returns. It took a few weeks (and three attempts), but they finally responded the other day requesting I send photos of the problem. I asked what exactly they expected me to photograph - a disconnected hand? They then curtly told me to send the figure back at my own cost if I expected a refund. Not cute, NECA. I'm done buying directly from this company. Their customer service person ignores most messages and they avoid responsibility when something goes south.
Quote from: Farley Flavors on September 16, 2022, 06:36:36 PM
I knew these were sold out, but I e-mailed NECA and asked for instructions on returning it for a full refund.
They seem desirable. Even with the problems, I'll bet you could get your money back by selling it on eBay.
True. I should probably try that sooner rather than later in case a standard version without the cracker box slipcover is released.
I'm just annoyed by the lack of basic service from NECA... and judging by the social media/Reddit posts I've come across, it ain't just me. I guess I can understand them brushing off a customer who asks for help with a Target or Wal-Mart purchase that came with two left hands. But when they received an incorrect or damaged item ordered from your own store front, don't expect your customers to pay to fix the issue.
UPDATE: After calling them out on their poor service, NECA finally provided a return label - with the caveat that they would issue a refund for the figure after "evaluating it's state and the history of your order". I asked what that meant exactly. They told me they'll need to prove that I didn't damage the figure myself before a refund could be finalized. Unbelievable. How do they even judge something like that? It's my word against theirs, which makes me cautious about sending anything back (probably what they intended). Avoid dealing directly with this company. Too many unnecessary headaches.
I'm sorry to bump this thread again, but I just wanted to vent somewhere. Feel free to ignore.
I now have better insight into NECA's point of view. A few weeks after I pre-ordered the figure, I was facing an imminent and unexpected move. I wasn't sure I'd even be at my current address before the figure was delivered. Since I'd read this company is virtually useless when it comes to updating shipping addresses for existing orders (so many horror stories), I asked them if they could cancel the order for me. They ignored the message for over a week before sending a shipping notice. Thankfully, I got to stay put and any delivery problem ended up being a non-issue.
It seems after I told NECA the figure was defective, they must have presumed I was trying to commit return fraud based on the earlier cancellation request? That's total rubbish, but it appears to be where we're at. Anyway, all I asked was for them to confirm they would issue a full refund after I sent the figure back and it passed their arbitrary "inspection" process. They deliberately avoided the question, which was raising a major red flag with me. After I asked them a third time, they responded with: Any further communication about this issue will be ignored. I told them that was rude and unwarranted. They implied I was being difficult and acting suspicious by not trusting them, then proceeded to call me out for the previous cancellation attempt. They said they had just revoked my return label (so glad I hadn't already dropped it off). I was instructed to keep the item and that they had issued a $14.99 shipping refund as a solution since I was not willing to provide photos - which was untrue.
So I was annoyed. So I called them up. So I managed to get the guy on the phone. He immediately started in on me: "You've sent way too many message already and have pushed this issue further than ANY customer we've dealt with all year. You do realize this, correct? Yet you keep on pushing it. From our end, the matter is closed." I was gobsmacked, but told him the matter would be closed when they fixed the issue - not just refund the shipping charges. And for the record, I counted 14 e-mails sent over the course of a month. Some were duplicates after my original message was ignored - and half of them were brief ones sent this morning after unsuccessfully going back and forth attempting to get a simple answer out of this company.
This guy told me my e-mails were "circumspect" and accused me of arguing. Why? Because I repeatedly asked them to confirm a full refund would be given once the figure passed "inspection"? For that, they treat me like I'm attempting fraud? I'm well aware that none of this is even worth the fifty dollars I might hope to get back, but it was the point of the thing. This person would not be reasoned with (believe me, I spent fifteen minutes trying). He said another return label was out of the question and no full refund or exchange would be granted. He told me to file a dispute if I wanted my money back - which I did after finally hanging up out of sheer disgust. Ugh... I've never disputed a charge before now. Regardless of the outcome, I was so offended that I canceled my NECA pre-orders (over $300 worth) once I got home. Yikes. :(
Sell the thing on eBay.
This is some of the worst Customer service I have ever seen. I get better customer service from retailers that make less profit from items they resell. I bought a remote control Dalek with a defective "ear light" that had a broken plastic holder it clipped into. I contacted WhoNA (the website I bought it from) and not only did they send me a replacement right away after a few pictures were sent, they told me to keep the broken one.
Moral of the story is, I stopped buying from competitors and started buying exclusively through them.
Quote from: Mike Scott on September 24, 2022, 07:54:32 AM
Sell the thing on eBay.
The truth is that I rarely use eBay and have never sold anything on there. I'm sure getting set up and printing postage is easier than it looks, but I've avoided it up until now. In the end, I'd rather NECA not have the final word after the way they handled things... even if I need to pay to send it back for the dispute to be resolved. I know it's not worth the headache, but being treated that way is not excusable.
Quote from: John Pertwee on September 24, 2022, 11:48:09 AMThis is some of the worst Customer service I have ever seen. I get better customer service from retailers that make less profit from items they resell.
Not to mention they're not just the retailer, they're also the manufacturer! NECA could not get away with pulling this on customers who purchased from one of their storefronts on Amazon, Walmart, etc. There is at least some purchase protection when going that route. You don't have to deal with the being told your refund is dependent on passing an arbitrary screening process to "prove" you didn't break it yourself - or be called suspicious or a nuisance for asking why they avoid basic questions.
Sucks you've had problems directly from NECA. You'd think they'd let you return the figure for a refund. What's 1 figure to them? Now I could see them taking a long time to reply - most companies have terrible customer service now days - what ever happened to "How can we help you?" But to finally answer, and then complain that you had to email them several times BEFORE they finally answered. Yeah, that's just bad customer service. And to suggest you broke the figure - why?
Send the item back. If they don't send a full refund, then they need to make you whole - either refund the money or provide you with the figure.
Quote from: MonsterBaker666 on September 24, 2022, 03:04:03 PMYou'd think they'd let you return the figure for a refund. What's 1 figure to them?
From their official stance, that's what they offered. Yet the "
we need to prove you didn't break it first" caveat was a detail they flat-out refused to elaborate on. I asked if the item would be shipped back to me if a full refund was not issued. They basically said "
If you're telling the truth, then you have nothing to worry about." That didn't answer the question. When I "pushed back" and said that didn't exactly instill goodwill in customers, they canceled the return label and then froze me out over the phone. He even claimed a full refund was impossible after the partial shipping refund (which I never agreed to) had been issued. That's nonsense
I must have at least 200 NECA figures surrounding me at the moment - yet I'm now tempted to rent a table at the next local toy show and unload the lot of them. Maybe I'll think better of it, but that's how I'm feeling at the moment.
Quote from: MonsterBaker666 on September 24, 2022, 03:04:03 PMBut to finally answer, and then complain that you had to email them several times BEFORE they finally answered. Yeah, that's just bad customer service.
For sure. To hear this person basically tell me
"You do realize you're the most difficult case we've dealt with all year? Let that sink in. You've pushed this beyond the limit... and yet you're still pushing it." made my blood boil. This after being ignored for days and having to respond to his short, snippy replies. Not one message I sent was unreasonable or disrespectful like that. The guy's voice reminded me of Mr. Van Driessen from Beavis & Butthead, which I guess didn't help matters.
Frustrating and unacceptable, but don't forget why you bought the other figures. You loved them. Don't let this mar the enjoyment those other figures have given you over the years.
Is there a member here that works for NECA? I hope so, and that they see this.
Even if I choose to no longer support their products (I assume NECA makes most of their money through wholesale orders, so it's no skin off their nose), I still admire the skill that goes into the creation of these collectibles. Particularly the sculpting of Trevor Grove, who I first discovered from his work with Tweeterhead. Truly an amazing talent and it's no surprise NECA recruited him to do so many of their head sculpts. It's the work of artists like that who really elevated this brand in recent years.
As for the company itself, I've noticed there seems to be an underlying arrogant attitude toward a lot of their customers. That's most evident in how NECA publicly handles complaints. I've observed Randy Falk (the head of product development) unjustly block almost anyone on Twitter who throws the slightest criticism in their direction. If you aren't kissing the ring, you don't seem to matter.
UPDATE: The "customer service" person from NECA responded to my PayPal case. He attached a screenshot of our e-mails (I'd already provided my own when filing) - but sneakily left out the rude ones that make him look bad. He also claimed I refused to "get off the phone until we were firm in stating we needed to end this back and forth". He was firm, alright. Firm about stonewalling and telling me to open a dispute if I didn't like defective merchandise.
The real kicker: He offered five bucks to close the case and told me to pour nail polish into the sockets if I was still having problems. The guy has chutzpah, I'll give him that.