eFx Collectibles Announce THE AVENGERS Limited Edition Replicas
- Thread starter nlschutd
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Good deal :thumbsup
LACrimeGuy
Well-Known Member
So any word, rumor or coded message on the remaining Avengers replicas?
LACrimeGuy
LACrimeGuy
DFanatic
Active Member
Guy at another forum posted this:
This was posted a few days ago. Considering that the month (year) is almost over I guess they are back in limbo until 2014. Right now, I just want to know when the Thor Helmet is shipping. As for the other props, I kind of gave up on them... it just would be waaaaaaaay too long until we actually have an Iron Man helmet and Cap's shield in hand (I'm talking years, here).
LACrimeGuy
Well-Known Member
Another 2-3 Avengers movies, plus the stand alone characters movies will come out and EFX will still be working on the replicas from the first one. I've never seen a more backwards company. It's not like they are making thousands and thousands of pieces for the next several years. It's always a limited run usually 1,000 pieces or so and most of it ends up being made in China. You would think they were developing some sort of anti-apocalyptic zombie vaccine that takes a few years to perfect.
Thanks for the update.
LACrimeGuy
I think they are probably facing what most companies like them face. Less consumer discretionary cash to purchase such props, back ups in China with production and rapidly raising cost, more import fees and taxes and longer shipping times, inspections etc, and worst of all, a parent licensee (Disney) that is known to change its mind and stalls out the final products for approval in a bureaucracy that makes the government look efficient.
Those are all tough factors to overcome. Give them a break guys, all the products they have produced to this point have been fantastic. I wish they could get more out quickly and that is a very good sign of the good products EFX makes.
Those are all tough factors to overcome. Give them a break guys, all the products they have produced to this point have been fantastic. I wish they could get more out quickly and that is a very good sign of the good products EFX makes.
DFanatic
Active Member
You are right, these are all things we have to take into consideration however the criticism is still warranted. All companies out there face the problems you mentioned and yet, they still manage to keep up with schedule and have good customer service. You know, man... It upsets me to see all the criticism that eFx gets, it really does. They are one of the few (if not the ONLY) companies out there putting out quality replicas. Their products are amazing and as far as I know, they don't often have problems with quality control. The Thor Hammer I got was perfect, not a flaw and it's now the best thing in my collection. I want them to succeed and they could have it much better if they were to improve in some aspects, mainly in the customer service area.
This lack of communication is ridiculous and inexcusable. All they need is one guy, replying to e-mails and phone calls and posting updates on the website (which btw, also needs to be improved) every once in a while. That's it! This alone would take them a looooong way forward. Look at how many people don't order from them because of their bad rep. For exemple, there's this poor guy at the sideshowfreaks forums still waiting for them to charge the second payment on his purchase (now, 42 days late), he messaged them 6 times by email and phone... no response. Dude is never ordering from them again, I guarantee it.
Come on, I know they read these forums: eFx, please hire someone and improve your customer service . We want you guys to succeed.
Personally, I like the communication and building of a relationship with the customer base but that tends to work in a companies favor when they have control of the factors surrounding the issues of producing the product. But when you factor in so many issues I noted above that are out of their control, trying to provide an answer that you don't have total control of, can backfire if/when the unexpected happens and the customer expects something else. More over, Barnum's axiom, "You can please all of the people all of the time" can come into play where it may be better to take a tact of silence over trying to pull the masses to your side when something does not happen as your customers expect. Public relations means knowing the product, the issues of production, the customer, the market, trends, company interest and tying all that together all of the time to your customers. It can be one of the toughest positions in a company. Frankly, finding a person that has that skill, knowledge and ability to do so in an articulate manner is a tough slot to fill. So I understand why they don't. I wish they could fill that position and open up to the customer base but understand it can be a minefield of a job to handle for most companies.
Fly4v
Sr Member
Delay works to my advantage. I just hope the final cost of the shield is not too high.
I also hope they do a new run of SHIELD badges next year.
LACrimeGuy
Well-Known Member
Well said!!! I was thinking the same exact thing, with just a lot more foul language.
Thank you,
LACrimeGuy
Thank you,
LACrimeGuy
lovelyandy
Sr Member
Their props might be the best in the business but it takes more than that to satisfy a customer.
When i do finally get my Thor helmet it's going to be forever tainted by their terrible customer service.
'Hey where'd you get your Thor Helmet'
Oh..... EFX, never buy from them, it was well over a year past it's expected release date and in that time they ignored all but one of my emails and sent out one auto email saying 'hey guys, these things happen'
I'm sure other companies have to deal with these issues but they do it with a bit more class.
If they haven't got the money to make 1000 Thor helmets they shouldn't do it, we've basically invested in their company and they're not even keeping us up to date.
At what point would it be conceivable to ask for my $250 deposit back? a year after the expected release date? I think that's fair.
When i do finally get my Thor helmet it's going to be forever tainted by their terrible customer service.
'Hey where'd you get your Thor Helmet'
Oh..... EFX, never buy from them, it was well over a year past it's expected release date and in that time they ignored all but one of my emails and sent out one auto email saying 'hey guys, these things happen'
I'm sure other companies have to deal with these issues but they do it with a bit more class.
If they haven't got the money to make 1000 Thor helmets they shouldn't do it, we've basically invested in their company and they're not even keeping us up to date.
At what point would it be conceivable to ask for my $250 deposit back? a year after the expected release date? I think that's fair.
DFanatic
Active Member
I'm sorry, man but I feel you are over complicating a simple issue. Customer service is a job that any Joe that can use a computer can do... indeed one of the easiest positions to fill in a company. eFx just need someone that can look at a screen and tell me where is my confirmation e-mail for the product I ordered, where is my shipping notice, how do I get a replacement for a damaged item, why haven't I been charged yet and so on.
Production delays and other issues can be handled like other companies do: "Sorry, we do not have any news right now, but we will keep you updated on the status of the item your pre-order as soon as we have more information". That's all we need to hear, really. That's what sideshow does. I'm waiting for a bust that is now a year late but I take comfort in knowing I can speak to someone at any time of the day and they will be there to answer my questions, to cancel my item if chose to do so, to refund a payment and so on.
I look at the posts on eFx facebook page and it's just sad. They just won't reply to people, at all.
eFx customer service is bad and they should feel bad.
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DFanatic
Active Member
Not even 1000 helmets... only 250. You know, I remember when that whole ordeal with the Tie-fighter happened... YEARS without ANY information. People kept trying to cancel and get refunds but eFx just wouldn't answer back. In the end they had to file credit card claims against the company and hope they could get their deposits back after such a long time.
"I'm sorry, man but I feel you are over complicating a simple issue"
There are some functions that can be handled simply. But saying there is a delay without giving a reason just frustrates customers more. Telling the truth sometimes causes people to not have confidence and drop their orders. Companies have found that silence can be THE best strategy to keep their sales in a better position and keeping a company in business.
As for the more complicated issues, look no further than Matty's Hoverboard debacle of marketing to see what can go wrong when you have a person that has to tow the company lies while trying to answer to the public at large. Then getting caught in their fallacies and trying to argue a bad point that just makes matters worse.
Or Master Replicas trying to appease the masses with information only to find that truly, you can't please all of the people all of the time and those who feel passionately about the product can make things turn into a public relations nightmare.
Or Paramount just crashing on their fandom base to enforce their own brand fo public relations resulting in it killing a large portion of their most strongest fans.
Honesty is a big part of PR, common sense, knowing the product, understanding what and when it is best to say something and being able to create a true relationship only happens when you have someone that knows the product, company positions, what should be said and the customers themselves. mediation and negotiation skills are a must to avoid pitfalls and with all that, it still can be a problem. I have watched it happen over and over again in over 30 years of geekdom/fandom. I just graduated with multiple degrees which included business law and mediation with numerous case studies on such. The fact of the matter is, the inner workings of a company like EFX is complicated and opening up some of that information to the public does involve certain risk and may not be in their best interest to do so. Could EFX do a better job? Absolutely, but with limited resources and needing the right person to further outside communications, I understand why they may not take those directions and tact.
There are some functions that can be handled simply. But saying there is a delay without giving a reason just frustrates customers more. Telling the truth sometimes causes people to not have confidence and drop their orders. Companies have found that silence can be THE best strategy to keep their sales in a better position and keeping a company in business.
As for the more complicated issues, look no further than Matty's Hoverboard debacle of marketing to see what can go wrong when you have a person that has to tow the company lies while trying to answer to the public at large. Then getting caught in their fallacies and trying to argue a bad point that just makes matters worse.
Or Master Replicas trying to appease the masses with information only to find that truly, you can't please all of the people all of the time and those who feel passionately about the product can make things turn into a public relations nightmare.
Or Paramount just crashing on their fandom base to enforce their own brand fo public relations resulting in it killing a large portion of their most strongest fans.
Honesty is a big part of PR, common sense, knowing the product, understanding what and when it is best to say something and being able to create a true relationship only happens when you have someone that knows the product, company positions, what should be said and the customers themselves. mediation and negotiation skills are a must to avoid pitfalls and with all that, it still can be a problem. I have watched it happen over and over again in over 30 years of geekdom/fandom. I just graduated with multiple degrees which included business law and mediation with numerous case studies on such. The fact of the matter is, the inner workings of a company like EFX is complicated and opening up some of that information to the public does involve certain risk and may not be in their best interest to do so. Could EFX do a better job? Absolutely, but with limited resources and needing the right person to further outside communications, I understand why they may not take those directions and tact.
Any chance they may do a Dark World Mjolnir? All they would have needed to do is redesign the handle. If I had been them, I would have had that in the works. They have sold all the Avengers hammers, then could have doubled (at least) their sales by providing a different handle for the hammerhead they already have. They could have had that ready for prime selling during the movie's release.
lovelyandy
Sr Member
Im not expecting a detailed lay out of what's happening month by month, but you'd think every 1,2,3 or even every quarter just a short email.
Unfortunately we are having to push back the expected release date. Just something to tell me that they are in fact taking their side of it seriously.
An unfinished helmet sculpt could be sitting in some guys basement because he just can't be bothered finishing it for all I know of EFX.
Not helped by the fact that their website is total ugly amateur hour.
Unfortunately we are having to push back the expected release date. Just something to tell me that they are in fact taking their side of it seriously.
An unfinished helmet sculpt could be sitting in some guys basement because he just can't be bothered finishing it for all I know of EFX.
Not helped by the fact that their website is total ugly amateur hour.
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