Kapow!

[Baron B of Triple B]

Money isn't an issue, it's just making sure the money is in the right place at the right time of the month. Once I've had my start of the month splurge I put the rest in savings to save me frittering it. It takes a couple of days notice to the bank to put it back so either longer to pay the invoice or better notice of when it'll be out is ideal.

[Pinwig]

I think they've gone about that preorder change the wrong way. Their problem is that preorders are so cheap people use it as a way to reserve an item and decide later if they actually want it or not. Instead of asking for payment up to a month in advance, which may then extend if items are delayed, they should just put the preorder price up to something that shows proper commitment. This new system means you might as well pay full whack in the first place.

[Baron B of Triple B]

I think they wanted to avoid putting too much pressure on customers before they know what they'll be paying at the end or even really what they're paying for because very often the orders are placed on the back of a grey test shot.

Asking customers to pay £130 up front when they've no real idea what they'll be getting won't work but at the same time they need an idea of how much stock to order.

[Pinwig]

But what you're saying is giving customers the option to opt out if the end result is something they don't like the look of, which is the problem Kapow are trying to eliminate. Besides, the grey prototype thing is only really an argument against 3P where the item may not ever appear. But in those instances you'd get a refund. If you're not sure you want something or not, the reviews are usually up before stock sells out. All I'm saying is that if the deposit was 25 or 33 percent instead of 10 they'd have a far more accurate prediction of how many preorders will be fully paid.

[Baron B of Triple B]

Mar 7, 2016 21:28:53 GMT Pinwig said:

But what you're saying is giving customers the option to opt out if the end result is something they don't like the look of, which is the problem Kapow are trying to eliminate. Besides, the grey prototype thing is only really an argument against 3P where the item may not ever appear. But in those instances you'd get a refund. If you're not sure you want something or not, the reviews are usually up before stock sells out. All I'm saying is that if the deposit was 25 or 33 percent instead of 10 they'd have a far more accurate prediction of how many preorders will be fully paid.

I missed the pre-orders for the MP11 mold of MP Thundercracker and Kapows retail stock sold out in an afternoon. I also pre-ordered MP Shockwave before there were any proper pics of it, just those grainy colour and grey ones with the Japanese text all over them, because I knew the pre-order stock would sell out and there's no guarantee there's enough retail stock in.

I ordered Hot Rod when the initial pics came out then cancelled after seeing the retail shots. If you're asking people to pay 30% straight off the bat then you're likely to scare people off. A 2 invoice system might work better for them. 10% on pre-order, 50% of anticipated final cost X number of days before it's due in (when people will have a better idea of overall package and retail pics) and final invoice sent out at the start of the month it's due in stock.

There's never going to be 1 way that works best for every single person but personally I'd b happy with even 10%-20% deposit and invoice sent at the start of the month. It allows people to prepare rather than panic when they get an invoice 3 weeks into the month that they've forgotten about and can no longer afford. I'm lucky that the amount of money I earn allows me to almost throw money away but most people aren't so you need to give them as much of a chance as possible and I think invoices on or close to payday is a good start.

[Pinwig]

Chaps, does anyone have experience of how the pre-order deposit options work with Kapow? specifically - if you pay a deposit on an item and they then increase the price of the item, do you eventually pay the balance at the price you originally saw, or the newer price?

I'm just curious. I put a deposit on Ginrai when he was £60 to be sure I'd get one, but I see he is now £70 on there.

[Philip Ayres]

Generally price it was originally unless it goes down.

Not surprised its gone up TBH. The price they were asking was Japanese retail and it'll cost them a quid or two on that to get it to them

[blueshift]

Yeah that was a crazy good deal!

[Pinwig]

Ta. The important thing is having the figure secured; I just wondered. My deposit stuff for the first wave was really really messy to resolve with them eventually and I ended up overpaying for Blaster by a tenner because of it. I wasn't going to use them again for deposits, but the £60 price was too good to ignore.

[Philip Ayres]

Anyone had an invoice for their Legends Blurr and/or Scourge yet?

Seeing the boxed pictures has reminded me I still owe money on them

[Kingoji]

fingers crossed they have them at the weekend!

[Philip Ayres]

Not due out till the weekend after. Ditto Unite Computron.

[Dezzeh]

Had my Computron invoice, not the Legends yet. I am not upset that I haven't had it before TFN tbh. That is probably why they are delayed.

[Philip Ayres]

[Baron B of Triple B]

Which translates as 'They were late arriving so we're waiting til payday now so none of you forget to pay'.

[The Doctor]

Many people are not paid on the 1st.

-Ralph

[Baron B of Triple B]

The majority must be paid between the last weekend of the month and the 1st? Any job I've had, other than agency work, has been between those dates.

[The Doctor]

Many Social Care jobs are paid mid-month. I've known many folk in banking who are paid mid-month.

I haven't been paid on the 1st for any job I can recall.

And of course folk on sickness benefits such as ESA are paid fortnightly.

-Ralph

[Baron B of Triple B]

That's quite a strange one. I've never known anyone who's been paid mid-month. I assumed that's why Kapow changed their pre-order policy recently as well.

[The Doctor]

Well I must have been hallucinating through most of my career then.

-Ralph

[Philip Ayres]

Or are an exception. I've always been paid month end, or close to it.

[Baron B of Triple B]

Aug 30, 2016 20:46:07 GMT The Doctor said:

Well I must have been hallucinating through most of my career then.

-Ralph

I wasn't doubting you, I was just commenting that it's strange for me have the complete mirror opposite experience from you with nothing in between. You've never been paid end of the month, I always have. I don't know why that's got your back up.

[The Doctor]

Aug 30, 2016 20:47:26 GMT Philip Ayres said:

Or are an exception. I've always been paid month end, or close to it.

A few years back I was am Employment Advisor and part of my job was to help folk move from sickness benefits to paid work with as little gap in pay from the both as possible when looking at their start dates. I found that dates for pay varied all over the place which made that part of the job somewhat challenging!

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

Aug 30, 2016 20:48:49 GMT Baron B of Triple B said:

Aug 30, 2016 20:46:07 GMT The Doctor said:

Well I must have been hallucinating through most of my career then.

-Ralph

I wasn't doubting you, I was just commenting that it's strange for me have the complete mirror opposite experience from you with nothing in between. You've never been paid end of the month, I always have. I don't know why that's got your back up.

Didn't say my back was up. Don't put words in my mouth please.

-Ralph

[Baron B of Triple B]

Why were you making out as though I was calling you a liar then? Nowhere had I said you were making it up or that you'd imagined it, or hallucinated as you put it, but was saying I'd wrongly assumed from my experience that it was the case .

[Philip Ayres]

Kapow 9th anniversary sale

www.kapowtoys.co.uk/sale.html?limit=all

In particular

Autobot Heroes £120 www.kapowtoys.co.uk/brand-new-transformers-platinum-autobot-heroes-5-pack.html

£70 Devastator

£60 G2 Superion & G2 Menasor

[Bogatan]

Delta Magnus £105 too.

Late to the discussion but I've only ever been paid weekly or four weekly that I can clearly remember, a few seasonal jobs have been monthly and one other I can't remember at all.

[blueshift]

You tease, no Devastator at all! I guess it sold out quick?

[browny87]

had a look through nothing I'm itching for at a price that makes me go unmissable bargain I'm afraid although those platinum dinobots are tempting

[Philip Ayres]

Or I misread something else

It's been a long pain filled day ....