Opinions about an order cancellation 0

[isiTrue]

Opinions about an order cancellation

I placed a pre-order at nycollectorcave.com for a 1:500 variant of "All-New Wolverine #19 Mattina Venomized B&W variant" for a very good price.  Order was accepted.  A few weeks later, I received a refund from Paypal with a note from them included, stating "Unfortunately this has been turned into a 1/1000 variant for the next issue of wolverine and we will not be receiving it. Sorry for the inconvenience."   

I checked online and couldn't find any reference to it being a 1:1000 variant.  Odd, I thought.  Did they cancel my order because they just realized that they could get more for the book?  

So, I contacted them about it being turned into a 1:1000 variant and asked for a link to the info.

Their response:  "It's actually a 1/500 variant not 1/1000. I've attached a picture showing you that it's 1/500 from my order form."

What?  Obviously something doesn't add up, but I responded with:  "Then I'm confused.  So my order was cancelled by mistake?"

Their response: "Yes, your order was canceled because we won't be able to get this book in.  The refund was sent.  Sorry."

 

Looks fishy to me.  I mean, if you made a pricing error, just be upfront about it and tell me.  Don't make up BS while insulting my intelligence.

What do you guys think?

[telerites]

Who knows but at least you were refunded and left whole.  

 

I do wonder sometimes what a customer would do if they were sent a higher priced item by mistake and how readily they would contact the seller to let them know, not implying anything or trying to twist the thread.  

I just worry more about being scammed and losing my payment or having payment data compromised in some way.  Neither are hassles I relish. Being told an item is not available, while it may be disappointing, is not something I fret over as long as my payment is refunded.  

[rjrjr]

1 hour ago, isiTrue said:

Opinions about an order cancellation

I placed a pre-order at nycollectorcave.com for a 1:500 variant of "All-New Wolverine #19 Mattina Venomized B&W variant" for a very good price.  Order was accepted.  A few weeks later, I received a refund from Paypal with a note from them included, stating "Unfortunately this has been turned into a 1/1000 variant for the next issue of wolverine and we will not be receiving it. Sorry for the inconvenience."   

I checked online and couldn't find any reference to it being a 1:1000 variant.  Odd, I thought.  Did they cancel my order because they just realized that they could get more for the book?  

So, I contacted them about it being turned into a 1:1000 variant and asked for a link to the info.

Their response:  "It's actually a 1/500 variant not 1/1000. I've attached a picture showing you that it's 1/500 from my order form."

What?  Obviously something doesn't add up, but I responded with:  "Then I'm confused.  So my order was cancelled by mistake?"

Their response: "Yes, your order was canceled because we won't be able to get this book in.  The refund was sent.  Sorry."

 

Looks fishy to me.  I mean, if you made a pricing error, just be upfront about it and tell me.  Don't make up BS while insulting my intelligence.

What do you guys think?

Sounds like they didn't get enough orders to cover the copy you wanted.  This happens all the time at DCBService, another online comic book retailer.  These retailers cannot produce these books out of thin air and the only way this will stop frustrating collectors such as your self is if Marvel quits offering these ridiculous ratio'd variants.  I'm sure these retailers don't like this anymore than you do.

As for the response, my guess is the employee sending the email didn't know.

Edited March 31, 2017 by rjrjr

[isiTrue]

36 minutes ago, telerites said:

Who knows but at least you were refunded and left whole.  

 

I do wonder sometimes what a customer would do if they were sent a higher priced item by mistake and how readily they would contact the seller to let them know, not implying anything or trying to twist the thread.  

I just worry more about being scammed and losing my payment or having payment data compromised in some way.  Neither are hassles I relish. Being told an item is not available, while it may be disappointing, is not something I fret over as long as my payment is refunded.  

If I receive something I didn't order, I contact the seller.  In the case of it being more valuable, not letting them know is the same as theft in my book.  Especially if it's a fellow collector or small business.  

However, even if it were the biggest comic shop franchise in the world, it's still theft.  Rationalizing it away is a slippery slope for one's integrity.  That's how I see it.

As for the item not being available, if that's all there was to it, I wouldn't have made this post.   Their responses didn't make sense.

20 minutes ago, rjrjr said:

Sounds like they didn't get enough orders to cover the copy you wanted.  This happens all the time at DCBService, another online comic book retailer.  These retailers cannot produce these books out of thin air and the only way this will stop frustrating collectors such as your self is if Marvel quits offering these ridiculous ratio'd variants.  I'm sure these retailers don't like this anymore than you do.

As for the response, my guess is the employee sending the email didn't know.

Then why have it listed and available for purchase on the site to begin with?  Clearly they knew that they'd have to purchase 500 copies for this one variant.

The employee didn't know, yet stated that it turned into a 1:1000 variant...?  That's what's so strange.

I agree about the current ratio variant practice.  They're really overdoing it at this point and need to slow down.  Making a 1:500+ incentive once in a while to mix things up is okay, but not like this.

Edited March 31, 2017 by isiTrue

[Bird]

Once when buying some art from Tim Townsend, it was 5 or so Bachalo pages, I was pleased to find a few extra pages in there. I think there may have been one page and a double page spread. So I emailed Tim and said thanks for the extra pages and if you don't know what I am talking about then I got some extra art by mistake. I was saddened to hear it was not a bonus but indeed an error.

The 1:1000 / 1:500 thing is a bit fishy but likely just erroneous. But I would think twice about such a situation when placing future orders...if it was on the level then why did they sell a book the were not sure they could obtain. So best case your orders are more wishes/suggestions to protect the retailer from overbuying.

[Artboy99]

my understanding is the only way a dealer will get that 1:500 variant is if they order that many copies of the regular book. So they have to order 500 copies of the regular book to get the 1:500 variant.

If they didn't get a total of 500 orders of the regular edition of the book from customers + what they order for the store they won't get the 1:500 variant and therefore can not sell it to you. Seems completely legit to me and that is why you were refunded.

Edited March 31, 2017 by Artboy99

[shadroch]

It's the initial response that is strange. A straight forward response would have been better.

[thehumantorch]

23 minutes ago, Artboy99 said:

my understanding is the only way a dealer will get that 1:500 variant is if they order that many copies of the regular book. So they have to order 500 copies of the regular book to get the 1:500 variant.

If they didn't get a total of 500 orders of the regular edition of the book from customers + what they order for the store they won't get the 1:500 variant and therefore can not sell it to you. Seems completely legit to me and that is why you were refunded.

Agreed except that the original excuse they gave for not fulfilling the order wasn't truthful/accurate.

I'd end up writing this off as a mistake but might not use this dealer again

[rjrjr]

39 minutes ago, Artboy99 said:

my understanding is the only way a dealer will get that 1:500 variant is if they order that many copies of the regular book. So they have to order 500 copies of the regular book to get the 1:500 variant.

If they didn't get a total of 500 orders of the regular edition of the book from customers + what they order for the store they won't get the 1:500 variant and therefore can not sell it to you. Seems completely legit to me and that is why you were refunded.

Exactly!

[rjrjr]

1 hour ago, Bird said:

Once when buying some art from Tim Townsend, it was 5 or so Bachalo pages, I was pleased to find a few extra pages in there. I think there may have been one page and a double page spread. So I emailed Tim and said thanks for the extra pages and if you don't know what I am talking about then I got some extra art by mistake. I was saddened to hear it was not a bonus but indeed an error.

The 1:1000 / 1:500 thing is a bit fishy but likely just erroneous. But I would think twice about such a situation when placing future orders...if it was on the level then why did they sell a book the were not sure they could obtain. So best case your orders are more wishes/suggestions to protect the retailer from overbuying.

Unfortunately, that is the position that Marvel is putting retailers in with these ridiculous ratio'd variants.  I know of no retailer that does not want to sell the comics, but what can they do if they are unable to qualify for the books?  They do the best they can by listing the variant for sale and hope they can get enough pre-orders to achieve the required ratio number to fill orders.  They refund the money if they are unable to fulfill.

I'm guessing the price was not 500 x $3.99 = $1995.00.  Unless you are willing to fork over that kind of money, getting these high ratio'd variants via pre-order is a gamble on just about any online retailer's site.  DCBService is about as big a retailer as  you can get and they charge quite a bit for these variants and they have problems filling orders.

I think the misinformation from the retailer is unfortunate, but they did refund  your money.  And I completely understand your frustration.  I've been there more than once trying to pre-order a comic I really wanted, only to find out the publisher had a ridiculous condition that needed to be met by the retailer to get it.

Ire should be directed at the publishers for pumping out these variants based on orders or orders of other comics, not the retailers who are doing the best they can.  Here's an idea, how about letting the retailer order the covers they can sell instead of artificially limiting some of these covers?  There are not many retailers left bumping up orders to meet the demand of these things anymore.  Again, Marvel conditioned them to quit bumping their orders, so what does Marvel expect?

Edited April 1, 2017 by rjrjr

[01TheDude]

I am not a fan of the whole 1:500 variant situation in general but I get that some people like that type of stuff. To each their own. The whole setup seems fishy to me. Anyway- the communication from the employees was the main problem. That can happen for a lot of reasons--- rogue employees with the wrong information or even managers not clearly defining how to handle a current situation-- hard to say for sure. I would not dismiss them completely as a place to purchase from based on one incident. If it becomes a trend-- then yeah, they deserve to lose a customer. Poorly managed places lose customers all the time.

 

[oakman29]

4 hours ago, isiTrue said:

Opinions about an order cancellation

I placed a pre-order at nycollectorcave.com for a 1:500 variant of "All-New Wolverine #19 Mattina Venomized B&W variant" for a very good price.  Order was accepted.  A few weeks later, I received a refund from Paypal with a note from them included, stating "Unfortunately this has been turned into a 1/1000 variant for the next issue of wolverine and we will not be receiving it. Sorry for the inconvenience."   

I checked online and couldn't find any reference to it being a 1:1000 variant.  Odd, I thought.  Did they cancel my order because they just realized that they could get more for the book?  

So, I contacted them about it being turned into a 1:1000 variant and asked for a link to the info.

Their response:  "It's actually a 1/500 variant not 1/1000. I've attached a picture showing you that it's 1/500 from my order form."

What?  Obviously something doesn't add up, but I responded with:  "Then I'm confused.  So my order was cancelled by mistake?"

Their response: "Yes, your order was canceled because we won't be able to get this book in.  The refund was sent.  Sorry."

 

Looks fishy to me.  I mean, if you made a pricing error, just be upfront about it and tell me.  Don't make up BS while insulting my intelligence.

What do you guys think?

Truth?

Don't spend big money on a stupid variant that won't be worth anything in a few months.

[Bird]

11 hours ago, rjrjr said:

Unfortunately, that is the position that Marvel is putting retailers in with these ridiculous ratio'd variants.  I know of no retailer that does not want to sell the comics, but what can they do if they are unable to qualify for the books?  They do the best they can by listing the variant for sale and hope they can get enough pre-orders to achieve the required ratio number to fill orders.  They refund the money if they are unable to fulfill.

I'm guessing the price was not 500 x $3.99 = $1995.00.  Unless you are willing to fork over that kind of money, getting these high ratio'd variants via pre-order is a gamble on just about any online retailer's site.  DCBService is about as big a retailer as  you can get and they charge quite a bit for these variants and they have problems filling orders.

I think the misinformation from the retailer is unfortunate, but they did refund  your money.  And I completely understand your frustration.  I've been there more than once trying to pre-order a comic I really wanted, only to find out the publisher had a ridiculous condition that needed to be met by the retailer to get it.

Ire should be directed at the publishers for pumping out these variants based on orders or orders of other comics, not the retailers who are doing the best they can.  Here's an idea, how about letting the retailer order the covers they can sell instead of artificially limiting some of these covers?  There are not many retailers left bumping up orders to meet the demand of these things anymore.  Again, Marvel conditioned them to quit bumping their orders, so what does Marvel expect?

I don't see this as a retailer doing their best. The retailer can buy it by ordering the comics, can pass, or can hedge their bets and try to sell it without knowing if they can obtain it. A retailer doing their best would choose one of the first two options, depending on their store and judgment. Hedging their bets is hardly doing their best; it may be the best method of profit but it is the worst method of customer service; you do not mislead me as your customer or I go elsewhere. A retailer who is honest with me about the chances of me obtaining that variant gets my business, not one who knowingly misleads me.

[ygogolak]

11 hours ago, oakman29 said:

Truth?

Don't spend big money on a stupid variant that won't be worth anything in a few months.

Where's the truth part?

[thirdgreenham]

10 minutes ago, ygogolak said:

 

11 hours ago, oakman29 said:

Truth?

Don't spend big money on a stupid variant that won't be worth anything in a few months.

 

Where's the truth part?

 

 

I believe it's the line after he said "Truth?"

However, I think this was poorly worded by oakman29, as this is more likely to be summed up as his opinion.

It's unfortunate because we were all expecting to see the truth here.  I mean, that's what we paid for and it was never delivered.  The bigger problem is actually the larger keyboard manufacturers.  They're the ones putting keyboards into the hands of people and enabling folks to type anything they want.  It's a shame, really.  

[ThothAmon]

23 minutes ago, ygogolak said:

Where's the truth part?

In the eye of the beholder.

[oakman29]

1 hour ago, thirdgreenham said:

I believe it's the line after he said "Truth?"

However, I think this was poorly worded by oakman29, as this is more likely to be summed up as his opinion.

It's unfortunate because we were all expecting to see the truth here.  I mean, that's what we paid for and it was never delivered.  The bigger problem is actually the larger keyboard manufacturers.  They're the ones putting keyboards into the hands of people and enabling folks to type anything they want.  It's a shame, really.  

Brilliant!  

[Bird]

14 minutes ago, oakman29 said:

Brilliant!  

Yes, it started out routine and then took a turn towards genius!

[Buzzetta]

16 hours ago, telerites said:

Who knows but at least you were refunded and left whole.  

 

I do wonder sometimes what a customer would do if they were sent a higher priced item by mistake and how readily they would contact the seller to let them know, not implying anything or trying to twist the thread.  

I just worry more about being scammed and losing my payment or having payment data compromised in some way.  Neither are hassles I relish. Being told an item is not available, while it may be disappointing, is not something I fret over as long as my payment is refunded.  

I was sent a higher price item once.  It was for items that were worth a few thousand in place of the item I bought which was worth a few hundred.  I created two topics here because I had the name of the recipient in the invoice, other boardies contacted me and gave me his contact information and I sent it out to him.

There are quite a few of us that will do the right thing and believe in the cosmic comic gods of karma. 

[telerites]

2 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

I was sent a higher price item once.  It was for items that were worth a few thousand in place of the item I bought which was worth a few hundred.  I created two topics here because I had the name of the recipient in the invoice, other boardies contacted me and gave me his contact information and I sent it out to him.

There are quite a few of us that will do the right thing and believe in the cosmic comic gods of karma. 

Oh I agree, Buzz, and like I said there was no implication intended.  It has happened to me as well and yes I notified the seller immediately and returned the incorrect item.  It is good to see honest folks around and mistakes do happen.