My issue is I can understand if the books were delayed, etc, and had to be shipped later. This is on the distributor, and I can accept that. Here, the order has not been shipped yet, TFAW just sent out the email that its processing, and we know that its going to take a few days. So if I can accept the delay, why cant they add books available to them in their warehouse from the last two weeks that were ordered preFOC. Even if they were postFOC, let me know if they can get it or not so that I can look elsewhere. This latter part is on TFAW - âthe system does not allow combiningâ - and adjust the shipping for the customer. Using this excuse as a technicality, and then in my case insinuating something else tees me off.
It will likely take more like 3 weeks once itâs processing for them to ship. That makes it even worse.
Complaining about it, and from the postings here, there are many, should help them improve their customer response. I mean they can clearly see if I was trying to scam them. It should be simple, any current order going out should have all the items currently or prior to, in the order. If not there should be some explanation/communication of why not. The shipping really eats into the savings/costs if the orders get separated out. I am really counting on them to improve - they are my first choice. May be the heatwave is frying my patience 
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You are absolutely correct. The notion that you would have some kind of elaborate, bizarre plan to somehow take advantage of their atrocious shipping delays is absurd. To intimate that you are the perpetrator of some kind of evil scheme is offensive and ridiculous. Did he accuse you of puncturing the tires on the trucks in order to prevent their books from arriving at their warehouse on time?
It wonât change unless we all speak up. Letting off some steam is very understandable when dealing with these issues. Everyone is pretty frustrated by this.
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Agreed.
He first gave me the âno combiningâ excuse. Then told me that I should opt for the 4week shipping schedule, WHICH I ALREADY HAD ! Then blamed the distributor for delays, books not available. When I pointed out that I had no problem with delays as long as I got the books, and pointed out the estimated shipping charges for the preorders were drastically higher, blamed the mail carrier. He could not (would not ?) understand how I was being penalized for separating the orders. Then insinuated that I was accusing them of withholding books to charge shipping for multiple orders ??? All I wanted was for them to adjust the shipping to reflect the issue with their ordering system issue, and not blow my budget. Heck, because Iâm just interested in the books, and not too concerned about the delays as long as I get the books, they could even combine them with the next shipment, but of course 'the system â will not allow this. I consider myself an understanding customer, but between not getting books, delays, added shipping charges, and then being accused of something I didnt say, I am pissed. And still, I hope TFAW improves !!!
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Iâm just going to assume, from all the talk here (and I imagine if this is a sample population, the issue is much much larger), these CS people are gonna be under a lot of stress. Dealing with situations they canât control, and have to be the face of the companyâŠI canât even imagine how to stay positive in that spot (takes a very special kind of person).
They also probably realize the main issues since they hear the same issues across all the different customers, yet still have no power to change anything. I feel for these guys.
I canât say what happened in your conversation so I canât comment on the accusations or what not.
Many companies will not combine orders. MCS, Midtown, Unknown, etcâŠmost of the larger companies will not combine orders and you have to pay shipping on each order. Iâve had multiple orders pending with many companies and Iâve never had them combine orders for me and refund shipping.
TFAWs system actually saves you a lot of money in shipping in that you can keep adding books over a period of time and only pay one shipping. Most other sites you pay shipping every time you add a book(s) for the day. So all in all you are paying a lot less overall in shipping with TFAW.
Delays suck. Nothing good to say about that.
As to books not processing, itâs because either there were damages or their order was shorted. They will try to get more copies, but thereâs no guarantee they will. So they canât guarantee you will eventually get them as they donât know. And they canât just hold your order arbitrarily open for weeks until they hear from Diamond/Lunar. So I understand their perspective there.
And just because a book didnât process, doesnât mean you wonât get it. Quite often they will get more copies and you will get them a few weeks down the road with a later order. Iâve gotten stuff a couple months later when they finally got replacements from Diamond. It will just process with your regular preorder for that week/month. You wonât pay extra for them to just ship the replacements if youâve got regular orders processing.
Anyways, hopefully that helps. Best of luck.
I feel for the guys too and the company, still want them to improve and be successful. I was not singling out the CS personally (here or on the chat), and have no hard feelings against them personally. No insults were hurled from me, just got upset with the insinuation, and ended the conversation when I realized it was going in the wrong direction. Not usually a complainer, chalk up some experiences to âthats lifeâ. This has been several times though, and the insinuation really got me.
Yeah I was speaking in general terms, not just about your issue. Just canât imagine the scale of issues they are having all compounding on top of one another.
My company is having a similar situation, just canât seem to catch a break. Having to deliver results but also short staffed, over worked, and with double the amount of business (which is a good thing). However, we have to try to make sure we deliver the same results with normal business vs. business now, regardless of the amount of employees we have.
I agree with ya, tough all around!
Iâve dealt with both Kyle and Spencer many times, and theyâve been nothing but overly cordial.
Iâm guessing there maybe was a bit of miscommunication or something lost in translation a bit.
It can happen especially if there was many messages going back and forth. I wouldnât read too much into it.
I get what you are saying, and agree for the most part.
- Here all the books ordered were for the same âsale dateâ, or prior- should be the same order right ?
- The order still hasnt shipped.
- Several posters here indicated that their orders had been posted, so I assume books came in.
- No problem with delays, understand damages, shorts, COVID, worker shortages, heat, etc. - just communicate so that I know the status, and can adjust. Am mostly patient and understanding.
Anyways just needed to blow off some steam ⊠I think I ranted too much. Hope all have a better experience ! and nothing but good wishes for TFAW.
Thanks for all the comments folks. Always felt that of the various forums, this one was the most supportive, down-to-earth, and encouraging one. Even the âheatedâ discussions are quite constructive and moderated well.
They do thousands of orders every week. They probably get in a few hundred thousand books every week between their 3 physical stores and top 2-3 online business in volume.
There is Iâm sure are 1000s of damages/shortages every week. A company that large isnât going to take the time email a thousand customers individually every week on every damage/shortage. Itâs just not feasible.
Iâm not sure I full understand your #1 though. Youâve made several posts, and some quite long, so I apologize if I missed something, buts itâs my understanding that your monthly order moved to in processing and some books didnât process. Correct? And that your concern is that when/if those books that didnât process, eventually do come in, that you will be charged a separate shipping charge, correct?
You wonât be. They will just ship with your next monthly order.
If missing book A comes in in say 2 weeks, it will just move to in processing and they will ship it with your next monthly order. You wonât pay a separate shipping charge.
Hope that helps and eases your concern. If Iâve misunderstood your concern, let me know.
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As an overseas customer and a newbie buying in tfaw, im kind of worried now. I dont buy regular books that my LCS can get. I signed up for tfaw to get books that my LCS had a hard time getting or not being ordered heavily.
No, you have it right, and you explained it better than the CS.
I would accept a general broadcast over an individual one, if thats more suitable for TFAW, as it seems like I am not the only one experiencing this issue. Communication is key !
The carryover to the next shipment though is an issue - if I dont have another order, this is another new shipping charge. If I have a small order, this balloons the shipping charge.
My last order was >$500 NOT including shipping and tax, not because I am big spender, but because several of my orders were backed up, and combined together. Sure I placed the order, so I am on the hook for it. I just didnt anticipate paying for it at one time; but thats on me.
For most of my books though, I do not expect to get backorders as these are usually the âhotâ books. including variants. I am a small speculator, more of a collector/reader - usually order based on my interests, and maybe an extra copy or two of a âhotâ book. I guess for me, when I see that a book has not shipped out on time, and when other customers/comic shop have theirs, I probably realize that I wont be able to get the book unless I shell out auction money for them. I ordered one copy of Black Widow 6 PreFOC, in Feb., way before I even knew it was a spec pick. Even after, kept it at one, just wanted the Adam Hughes cover. Still shows in my preorder list, told by TFAW that its still on backorder, and Iâm sure many TFAW customers have received their copies (one or more). I know that there is not going to be extra copies and Iâve probably lucked out. Should I buy one now at inflated prices, should I chance it and wait and maybe it goes down? For a small collector, its a dilemna. Still, I understand that sometimes crap happens, and dont get too bent out of shape - just comics right ? I actually went into the chat knowing what I was going to hear, was hoping to hear something encouraging and then felt blindsided by the insinuation. Just got to suck it up, and adjust to it I guess.
Appreciate your insights though. Hope the books come in and hope the next shipment is not a whopper !
Dont let me discourage you. They have been good to me for a long time. I think the COVID situation has affected all work places, though TFAW did better during the COVID year (2020) than now. Wish they would understand that the customer-retailer relationship is a two way street, and both parties have to make accommodations. Also, in my experience, if you are not too concerned about mailing time or perfect grade-quality books, price wise and selection wise they are better than most online retailers. You have to be on your game, but the CHU community has been very helpful to get to some if not all the variants + upcoming spec. My hope is that TFAW will pick up its act.
This was my experience on my last order.
If a book doesnât process, itâs due to damages/shortages. An email to you wouldnât change that. If it doesnât process, thatâs the reason.
Just because a book is âhotâ or a âvariantâ doesnât mean that they wonât get replacements. just this week they processed two 1:25 ratios for me that originally came out over a month ago that they were shorted. Both were ratio variants and going above ratio.
The only time that may come into play is a hot book may sell out at the distributor level faster.
A couple replacement books shouldnât âballoonâ your monthly order shipping. Depending on how many you order each month, it may not even affect your shipping at all. Even if your monthly order was 1 book, going from 1 to 3 books wonât change your shipping costs that much.
In theory whatever shipping cost was added to your next order for the replacement books, you wouldâve saved that on your last order being that many books less.
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