Posted by: @threash

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Not sure what's so bad about Mezco, they are currently my favorite toy company.

Terrible customer service is what is so bad about them.

Posted by: @tsi

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I have truly no idea what you're talking about.

Glad I'm not the only one! I'm more confused than a hungry baby in a topless bar!

Posted by: @threash

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Not sure what's so bad about Mezco, they are currently my favorite toy company.

Their customer service is among the worst I've ever seen. They aren't transparent about anything, their online payment platform is unreliable and costs people their nonrefundable deposits and reward points all the time, and they don't stand behind their product. Just look at KnightDamien's posts in this thread alone. It's nightmarish.

It's a thread, guys. Follow the comments.

@blankslate as soon as Dorkside resurfaces in another form we can have that discussion. And for the record, I wouldn't support them either.

I had a problem with my captain nemo figure breaking right out of the box, they immediately sent me a new figure no questions asked. That's been my only interaction with their customer service so far. The majority of their figures can just be bought from other retailers anyways.

Posted by: @threash

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Not sure what's so bad about Mezco, they are currently my favorite toy company.

For me personally it's their international shipping, it's way more expensive than their contemporaries and the way they go about it is also very confusing.

Like, a couple months ago I was looking to order some in-stock accessory sets, 3 in total, they wanted to charge individual $40+ shipping for each set rather than sending them all together.

I didn't buy them in the end, and it's annoying since local retailers don't stock Mezco's accessory sets.

Oh also, their point system is pretty useless since you can't use them on most of the things they sell.

Other than those things and how long it takes them to release things they're fine, their Conans are some of my favourite figures in my collection.

Posted by: @misfit

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@blankslate as soon as Dorkside resurfaces in another form we can have that discussion. And for the record, I wouldn't support them either.

That's fair enough. And you don't have to support DNA. That's fine. But we also don't need to be doing this. Especially using slanderous, defaming language like calling them "predatory". At some point, we need to stop beating this point into the ground. I mean, you brought them up in a thread that's not even about them, accusing them of things that just aren't based in the truth. Perception maybe, but certainly not the truth. At some point, the lack of support for them needs to be the way you demonstrate your protest. Not bashing them at every turn. 

Don't like Chik-Fila's virtues? Don't eat there.

Dont like Hobby Lobby's politics? Don't shop there. 

Don't approve of Premium DNA's past? Don't buy their product. 

See my point? Not drawing comparisons from DNA to those companies. Just the thoughts towards said entitites. At some juncture, it screams of grandstanding and virtue signaling, and less of a principled stance for your own sake. 

I'm sorry, last thing I'll say. Like I said, not looking to derail another thread. Moving on to the topic at hand.

My Solomon Kane will be here tomorrow from Mercari. Cannot wait. Your all's pics really forced my hand.  

I regret not getting Solomon Kane. Looks like he turned out fantasticly.

In the past, I've had a couple of positive experiences where they replaced broken figures.  But I've also had one of my worst experiences as a collector, where despite updating my payment method, they said it declined, cancelled my order & kindly informed me they were keeping my NRD.  I had also used rewards points, so I was out about $50 at that point.  I went back & forth with them through multiple emails, but never got a satisfactory result.  So yeah, I love their product, but I won't order another figure through them direct without exhausting any other option first.  All that said, I've still got a handful of pre-orders to work through that I'm not willing to lose my deposit on.  So I've still got to play the game.  But even still, I bought 2 of Solomon Kane & I'm glad I did it!  

I think I'm going to pre-order the Dick Tracy two pack, which will be my first Mezco. I had a Keaton Batman and canceled it because, by the time it was actually released, I was broke.

I'm a little annoyed that they packaged these two together and inflated the price point, but I can't turn down a comic Tracy of this quality. 

When do we actually think this thing will be released. It says Nov 2023, but I have to think that any time between 2025 will be a miracle. 

Posted by: @tsi

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😆

To paraphrase Fight Club, I am Jack's complete lack of self-control around any properties I like, even when they're made by the most predatory toy company around.

We've all been there.

 

🤣 Yeah, pretty much. The one thing I'll give Mezco is I'm more inclined to believe they're incompetent and ignorant rather than predatory. Like was said above, it feels more like they just don't care about the customer service side of the business, and don't want to have to do it, and wish the customers would just buy the product and then disappear. Like we're all just refrigerator lights that should only turn on when there's product to buy.

Posted by: @mistervoorhees

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King Conan looks terrific. Hopefully the cloaks turn out well, they've been the only thing I haven't liked with the previous Conan figures. Almost tempted to get two of it -- one for the Old Man Conan look and another for the regal King Conan look.

You didn't like the hooded cloak with the second Conan? I thought that one was actually quite nice, and displayed my Conan with it for a long time. I recently put it away and I'm actually thinking of taking it back out for my original Conan. But any cloak/cape that ISN'T wired, on a 100 dollar figure, can fuck off.

Posted by: @misfit

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@theknightdamien I think that's the most acceptable and best way to deal with Mezco - just buy their stuff from someone else. I don't feel like they're predatory and deceitful like a certain former retailer turned toy producer, but that they have no interest in the customer service side of their business and view us all as annoying flies, a means to an end. Just thank the gods the figure you wanted wasn't a Mezco exclusive.

And we do these things because Mezco can make some terrific figures. This Green Ranger they did is going to be very high on my best of list for 2023. I think he's going to have a place on my desk for a long time.

For sure. I do think there's a difference between someone like Mezco and someone like PDNA. Because I totally agree with you about Mezco just seeming to not be interested in the service end. Thing is, I still don't love rewarding that mentality by helping keep them in business by buying their products - even through a third party. It's still money going to Mezco, ultimately. But clearly my conviction there isn't strong enough because.. Conan.

I -DID- skip The Shadow, though, which I was pretty proud of myself about.

Also agree that, despite it all, when there aren't QC issues, Mezco makes very cool stuff. Solomon Kane, Eric Draven, even my stupid imperfect Conans, are some of my most prized toys and NOT just because they're some of the most expensive ones I have. In fact, I'd say that doesn't really factor in to how much I like any given toy. One of my other favorite figures is LotR Isildur, and I bought that dude 20 years ago or whatever for like $10.99.

So I guess that makes it easier to give them a pass. It also helps that, when I look around, it doesn't seem like serious issues with their figures are constant, ongoing problems. Different figures might have different problems here and there, and one figure might have bad QC on a particular part... but it's not like a Super7 thing where specific problems crop up constantly across all the figures the company produces and the company is just ignoring it and carrying on making the same mistake over and over. I don't think Mezco goes in KNOWING they're going to have a problem with a figure and just doing it anyway. I don't think so, at least.

As for the other conversation... it's just so silly. 'I don't want to get into this.. but here's my diatribe of me getting into it.. so what I really mean is that I don't want to be -challenged- on any of the bullshit I'm about to say while still giving myself the right to say it and get mad if anyone responds because I -clearly- said I didn't want to get into it.'  Fucking so transparent and pathetic. But whatever, I get it. Some people are going to simp for their friends even if those friends are liars and thieves. I don't think I would do the same, but it's hard to say because I've never been put in that position.

Whether it be DNA, Dorkside, Shocker -- a lot of the fallout and even the interactions with customers/fans is fairly public. These things didn't all happen behind closed doors and only one or two people 'have the facts.'  When someone lies publicly and is caught lying publicly (look at ToyGuru), then you can't really pretend it didn't happen just because it makes you feel better. I will say that if you sell product you don't have, and accept money for it when you KNOW you don't have it... you're a thief. And if you pretend not to be the owner of a company when you definitely own that company, you are a liar. And people can judge for themselves if scumbag fuckfaces that would do such things, whoever those people may be, deserve your support... whatever form that support might take.

I'm sure no one will respond to this because no one wanted to have this conversation again. I sure don't. Which is why I definitely didn't get into it and wasn't specifically called out by name to not DARE responding to more propaganda bullshit from a cheerleader. But really, I don't have more to say. It's all out there. I'm not the only one that knows about it and the information isn't hard to find. I encourage anyone, whether it be DNA, Mezco, Mattel, Hasbro, Boss Fight, Chicken Friend, Spero... whoever... to just make educated decisions about the companies they want to financially support and, in fact, the companies they want to have any kind of relationship with. Some are definitely better than others. Some are worse. A lot of them are kind of in between. I think Mezco is definitely an 'in between' sort've company.

By that I mean.. Mezco would have considerably more of my money if they were even a marginally better company. Ultimately, I do believe the company behind the product matters. For those that have never had a problem with Mezco - I envoy you. They make a lot of cool stuff that I'd love to give myself permission to go crazy on but.. just can't.

Posted by: @theknightdamien

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You didn't like the hooded cloak with the second Conan? I thought that one was actually quite nice, and displayed my Conan with it for a long time. I recently put it away and I'm actually thinking of taking it back out for my original Conan. But any cloak/cape that ISN'T wired, on a 100 dollar figure, can fuck off.

I actually forgot about that cloak. I was thinking of the fur one, the string on mine was really thick and long and just looked ugly.

@blankslate I did bring them up, but I also did it in a purposeful way to draw what I see as a distinction between Mezco and other businesses. They are just the first that came to mind. And I stand by my characterization of their business practices. It's fine if you don't agree.

Posted by: @theknightdamien

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Posted by: @misfit

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@theknightdamien I think that's the most acceptable and best way to deal with Mezco - just buy their stuff from someone else. I don't feel like they're predatory and deceitful like a certain former retailer turned toy producer, but that they have no interest in the customer service side of their business and view us all as annoying flies, a means to an end. Just thank the gods the figure you wanted wasn't a Mezco exclusive.

And we do these things because Mezco can make some terrific figures. This Green Ranger they did is going to be very high on my best of list for 2023. I think he's going to have a place on my desk for a long time.

For sure. I do think there's a difference between someone like Mezco and someone like PDNA. Because I totally agree with you about Mezco just seeming to not be interested in the service end. Thing is, I still don't love rewarding that mentality by helping keep them in business by buying their products - even through a third party. It's still money going to Mezco, ultimately. But clearly my conviction there isn't strong enough because.. Conan.

 

Totally. I don't like rewarding it either, it's more mental gymnastics to rationalize my purchasing decisions when they put something up that I really want, even though there will literally never be something on their site that I need. It's actually especially infuriating when company's have bad customer service because it's the easiest part of the job. Someone emails you a question - you respond! What a concept! And if you send out a damaged product, you make it right however you can. It just takes some degree of effort, but many businesses don't see value in it. Especially a company like Mezco that deals in somewhat limited wares which will sell out whether a majority of folks think they're nice or just a bunch of assholes.

@mistervoorhees Yeah, the fur one was not great. I don't think I've ever even taken it out of the plastic baggie or whatever it came in. I could tell from other peoples' pictures that it was not good. But then, I also never used any of the other fur elements, either.

@misfit I'm right there with you. Even borderline worthless customer service can be 'good' in the sense that you feel respected even while the CS person does basically nothing for you. Mezco doesn't even manage that. I can practically feel the disinterest through my screen when reading their emails. They might as well just get a teenager to drive to my house and roll their eyes at me while going 'okay and?' to whatever my problem is.

Jumping back to the King Conan figure... I do have one little bugbear. Why can't Conan ever get pants? This Conan is a KING, and still never bought pants? Conan is described as wearing pants plenty of times in the original stories. He wears pants in both Arnie films. He is often shown wearing pants in various comics. I get that the loincloth with bare legs thing is pretty iconic - but we have TWO figures like that already.
And One:12 is supposed to be about all that softgoods, right? And with this being their third use of the Conan body, seems like they could have tossed in a pair of pants.

I can't believe I'm saying this... but I kind've hope we get a 'pirate/reaver Conan' now with some baggy pirate pants. Just for variety's sake.