ANOVOS issues (ANOVOS ONLY discussion)

[Cryrid]

What gets me is to be told time and time again for several years that "the product is on track", and that it has "finished production" and would ship soon, etc.

And that was back in 2018.

There is no way they could be that far off the mark unless they were blatantly lying through their teeth the entire time. It's either gross negligence to the point where they never once bothered to check on production despite what they were telling customers, or they were deliberately and maliciously lying to string us all along for long enough that we'd miss our window for pursuing charge backs.

 

[DancerRonin]

I still remember when they announced the armor was in a container and they were waiting on the ship to arrive. Personally I’m convinced the armor was but the Mouse demanded that armor for Galaxy’s edge.

 

[masterX244]

I still remember when they announced the armor was in a container and they were waiting on the ship to arrive. Personally I’m convinced the armor was but the Mouse demanded that armor for Galaxy’s edge.

lets hope that the second lawsuit extracts information on that...

 

[JetSetWilly]

Blatant lying seems to be an accepted form of communication these days

 

[ggriffaw]

There is no way they could be that far off the mark unless they were blatantly lying through their teeth the entire time. It's either gross negligence to the point where they never once bothered to check on production despite what they were telling customers, or they were deliberately and maliciously lying to string us all along for long enough that we'd miss our window for pursuing charge backs.

The chargeback period for most credit cards is just a month or two. Even if you tried to file a chargeback claim the first day beyond the original estimate, it would be too late with most credit cards. I'm not saying they weren't lying, but I don't think that was the reason. I think a few people have gotten chargebacks long after the original order date, but it appears to be unusual.

 

[Kal Argos]

Blatant lying seems to be an accepted form of communication these days

Anovos: What I told was true, from a certain point view.

Customer: A certain point of view?

 

[darthjones]

I still remember when they announced the armor was in a container and they were waiting on the ship to arrive. Personally I’m convinced the armor was but the Mouse demanded that armor for Galaxy’s edge.

Interesting. All of those Force Awakens troopers made for Galaxy's Edge - what was the "push" that got that to happen? Yeah, I'm sure Disney said, "do this or die" but they had to pull out all stops and produce them whatever the cost. So Anovos experienced what it took to finish something en masse. Is that the point where they realized they can't do it? Why not continue? If they had to make 200, why not 205? Why not 250? Why not 500?

Why did they stop?

Why did they go in thinking that finishing a costume is the same as finishing a helmet or a prop?

Ridiculous.

Company should be called "Deer in Headlights LLC," not Anovos.

And the high school tactic of ghosting when you don't want to date anymore - or pay bills.

 

[Pepperbone]

Interesting. All of those Force Awakens troopers made for Galaxy's Edge - what was the "push" that got that to happen? Yeah, I'm sure Disney said, "do this or die" but they had to pull out all stops and produce them whatever the cost. So Anovos experienced what it took to finish something en masse. Is that the point where they realized they can't do it? Why not continue? If they had to make 200, why not 205? Why not 250? Why not 500?

Why did they stop?

Why did they go in thinking that finishing a costume is the same as finishing a helmet or a prop?

Ridiculous.

Company should be called "Deer in Headlights LLC," not Anovos.

And the high school tactic of ghosting when you don't want to date anymore - or pay bills.

I'm gonna guess it's because D didn't pay the retail price that any of us were willing to pay. They probably paid prime $$$ for them, so Anovos were able to spend more on fabrication, and commissioned a team in LA to produce them presto. That's just my guess.

 

[ggriffaw]

Why did they go in thinking that finishing a costume is the same as finishing a helmet or a prop?

Anovos delivered many OT Stormtrooper kits and some FO TK kits for 501st members. Anovos also produced several full size completed FO TK statues.

Considering they also didn't deliver quite a few helmets and other props, I don't think the issue with delivering the FO TK armor kit preorders was that it is a full costume.

 

[darthjones]

Anovos delivered many OT Stormtrooper kits and some FO TK kits for 501st members. Anovos also produced several full size completed FO TK statues.

Considering they also didn't deliver quite a few helmets and other props, I don't think the issue with delivering the FO TK armor kit preorders was that it is a full costume.

Yes, but that is not partial success.

A percentage of us being out thousands of dollars is total failure.

That they ever sent out anything doesn't matter.

 

[ggriffaw]

Why did they go in thinking that finishing a costume is the same as finishing a helmet or a prop?

Your statement implied Anovos failed to deliver on the FO TK costume because making a costume is much harder than a helmet. Anovos delivered many helmets and failed to deliver many helmets. Anovos delivered many armor costumes and failed to deliver many armor costumes. Anovos delivered many soft good items and failed to deliver many soft good items. The type of item wasn't the problem. For some reason they had issues producing any kind of item for a while.

 

[Lee]

Anovos delivered many OT Stormtrooper kits and some FO TK kits for 501st members. Anovos also produced several full size completed FO TK statues.

Considering they also didn't deliver quite a few helmets and other props, I don't think the issue with delivering the FO TK armor kit preorders was that it is a full costume.

Maybe not. But the FOTK kits seemed to be the beginning of the downward slope for Anovos.
Since being announced in 2016, if you believe the updates, they had issues with forming the pieces, issues with the bucks breaking, issues with making new metal bucks, issues with getting plastic to form on the new bucks, I lost count but if I get time I could go back through the old emails with excuses.
I was fortunate enough to get mine in June 2019, about the same time as galaxy’s edge got theirs. Still never got the helmet or gaskets and I’ve written them off.
I think that making these kits went over budget, so they borrowed money from the Kylo kit fund. That went over budget and they borrowed from another. Before they knew it, everything is over budget and there is no more money left. So they announce more pre orders and the cycle starts again.
For what it’s worth, I’m sure they started with good intentions and lots of enthusiasm and never intended to go this way. But good intentions and enthusiasm can only keep annoyed customers quiet for a while.
There really is no way back for these guys now.
And for what it’s worth, the new FOTK kits are pretty average. Extremely flimsy and thin pulls. For 501st mine required painting even though they said it wouldn’t due to the filling of seams. The forearms are all wrong etc etc.
If I could go back to 2016 when I originally pre ordered, I’d have just bought Jimmi’s kit and saved myself a lot of hassle.

 

[AJTaliesen]

Does bankruptcy nullify NDAs? Because I'd love for someone involved to write a book detailing the truth of what happened. I'd buy it.

I wouldn't pre order it, but... I'd buy it when it came out.

 

[Halliwax]

I wouldn't pre order it, but... I'd buy it when it came out.

Lol!!

 

[r2019g]

Does bankruptcy nullify NDAs? Because I'd love for someone involved to write a book detailing the truth of what happened. I'd buy it.

I wouldn't pre order it, but... I'd buy it when it came out.

 

[ggriffaw]

I don't understand why Anovos didn't send helmets to any of the people that ordered the FO TK kit with helmet. They produced the standard line FO TLJ helmet. I bought one on ebay even though I ordered the kit with helmet because I don't expect to ever receive the kit or helmet from Anovos.

 

[Lee]

I don't understand why Anovos didn't send helmets to any of the people that ordered the FO TK kit with helmet. They produced the standard line FO TLJ helmet. I bought one on ebay even though I ordered the kit with helmet because I don't expect to ever receive the kit or helmet from Anovos.

I guess it’s money.
People have paid for the helmets and kits already. Anovos had the money. They then sent out the helmets that they had made to galaxy’s edge and various retailers. So they get paid again.
Also, when the armour was originally announced, it was TFA armour and helmets, so a lot of people, including myself pre ordered a TLJ helmet too. It was only later on, they changed it to TLJ armour that they changed the helmets that they supplied. Although it doesn’t matter as they haven’t supplied anyone with anything.

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

Yeah. I have/had (not sure, it's been over a year since I checked in) an arrangement with someone on the FISD to swap his SE TFA FOTK for the SE TLJ FOTK I eventually received with my costume. He had gotten his bucket back when they first went out, then TLJ came out and he preferred that look. I have so many of the non-ANOVOS peripheral pieces -- the boots, the Phasma-style boot armor, a TFA groin piece to replace the TLJ one the kit would come with, the shorts for the material that shows around the hips, shoulder bell brackets, backing stickers and fabric for the chest slots, SE-44C blaster, F-11D Heavy blaster rifle, machined aluminum thigh holster bracket, gloves, underbelt material, front waist box neoprene mat material, et cetera, et cetera.

I just need the armor and helmet, guys...

 

[ggriffaw]

I just need the armor and helmet, guys...

I doubt any of us will receive the armor or helmet from Anovos at this point. They aren't even sending out emails trying to sell Star Trek items much any more. I wonder if anyone is actually working there at this point.

 

[blewis17]

I think Anovos will go out with a wimper. No big revelations, no "mia cupla" explanations, no sudden refund to order holders, no press announcement from Disney, no attorney making a public statement on the courthouse steps, no YouTube interviews with the founders, no miraculous "we just got an anonymous investor and we are infused with cash!", no sudden order deliveries out of the blue, no warehouse liquidation at public auction. Nothing. I was fortunate to have received my Anovos goods without loss of $$$, but I sympathize with all of those here (and elsewhere) that trusted this company and were serially lied to and robbed.

P.S. I am surprised they manufactured and delivered their recent run of ghostbuster proton packs. That still blows my mind.