Exclusive: Golden Gun

[Star Wars Helmets]

So let me get this right, the SE version has buyers paying 200 bucks more, yet they dont get the "free" bullets given away with the cheaper version?

Wow thats pretty good way of pi$$ing off your customers Factory!!

thumbsdown:thumbsdown

Cheers

Jez

 

[Megamicrofish]

Glad I bought the LE

 

[LDR]

Odd decision.

 

[AimToMisbehave]

Here is a reply from the company on another forum about the issue.....

OK everybody... we seem to have several issue here. We will try to address them all
1) Reading the posts here we were under the impression that main issue was retailers choosing to sell items at less than MSRP's particularly the LE Golden Gun. Many people's question was 'why should I pre-order it directly from FE when I can buy it cheaper elsewhere?' Some people also felt aggrieved that they had pre-ordered directly and subsequently found items listed at a lower price with a 3rd party retailer. So adding the extra bullets are our way of addressing this problem for the LE Golden Gun. Of course we don't want retailers to discount below MSRP, but there is no legal way to force them to sell at any price. We don't want retailers to cut prices as these are all limited edition collectibles, specifically intended to be collectible and that require consumers to make a fairly large investment. Cost cutting and discounting before the item even ships cheapens that message a bit and erodes consumer confidence in their investment. But its the individual retailers right to choose. Our solution to this issue is to offer a product that is exclusive to us, either in its complete design or by adding something to it to differentiate it from the regular retail edition. The SE edition is already 100% exclusive to us. It's not available anywhere else and it is not being discounted. So by it's nature is already more desirable.The dual signed plaque is infinitely more valuable and scarce than the extra bullets.

2) We cannot logically offer the bullets directly for sale in the same form because it will completely destroy any value and exclusivity to point 1) . But also we have only been licensed to include them free as an accessory with another product . Negotiating and gaining permission to create a separate retail item out of them is a different process. Its all rather semantic, but that's how licensing works. We cannot do what we want, everything has to be approved. Sometimes things take a little time and sometimes we get a 'no'.

3) All the bullet replicas have been specifically designed and manufactured in 100% resin to try and ensure that they are not mistaken for real ammunition and to comply with any relevant regulations. But as we have said before we cannot comment on the vagueries or policies of individual customs agents or gov agencies.

4) The extra bullets are free to the consumer, but they have a cost to us and affect our unit price. The unit cost and the margins of the LE and the SE are vastly different so its not as simple from a business point of view to add them into everything. Also we feel that adding exactly the same item to the SE edition would be a bit of a 'cop out' . Its hardly very exclusive is it?

5) Should we have thought through adding exclusives to our direct products first? With hindsight probably yes. But we honestly and perhaps naively never expected retailers to cut prices on pre-order items that have not even been released yet. We have very low edition sizes, there have been no licensed Bond replicas in the marketplace for almost 10 years, and there is high demand.

6) The bullets are intended as a surprise gift to direct LE edition buyers. We have not stated that the SE will not come with any additional items and we have not stated that we have no further surprises lined up for the SE or indeed any other items....

 

[BlackMarketMagi]

Hmmm, I think I have a partial answer. A few weeks ago I contacted Factory Ent with a pricing question, basically they have the LE for sale at $450 and I found a dealer selling them for $380; a substantial difference of $70. I told them I prefer to buy direct but with such a $ difference it was hard to justify. I suggested maybe the should give a pre-order discount or bonus for buying direct and the loyal support. I think this is their solution. It's nice to see that they listen.

PS As I was writing this, the post above got written so confirms my thoughts.

 

[Jeyl]

Well, here they are. :confused

LINK

It's alright. Both in the movie and in the game Goldeneye 64, we only needed ONE BULLET to do the job.

 

[Star Wars Helmets]

Their logic is quite naive. The SE is $200 more than the LE - plus its exclusive to them, hence ZERO dealer discount - they get all the revenue.

So thats 400 SE's x $300 (the $200 SE/LE uplift and a lowest-possible $100 dealer discount) = $120,000. Even if you take Lee and Moore's sig costs out of that ($30k?) your still talking about around $90k net uplift the SE gives to them over the LE.

Bottom line is theyre making a LOT more profit on the SE's than the LE's and the only reason theyre giving the bullets away with the LE is because theyve been caught out with dealer discounts. Since the SE were also ordered directly with them they too should have the benefit of the extra "gift" - otherwise its just crass marketing.

As far as their other point - Great double negative. So FE aren't saying that theyre NOT giving the bullets with the SE - nor saying that they are. FE - cut out the marketting babble and just tell people what your going to do:rolleyes

Cheers

Jez

 

[Zombie Killer]

I don't really care how much money they make. All the power to them.

The whole thing rings hollow to me. The gave these out because people were complaining they could get the GG cheaper elsewhere and couldn't see the benifit of buying direct? How about, if there are any issues there is no middle man to deal with? Thats why i do it, and that piece of mind is worth the $50 to me. And then this " But we honestly and perhaps naively never expected retailers to cut prices on pre-order items that have not even been released yet." Seriously? I dont know of a business that doesn't do this. Buisness 101. Let me flip it, Why would anyone buy from other retailers if they could get it direct from FE for the same price?

And then "Also we feel that adding exactly the same item to the SE edition would be a bit of a 'cop out' . Its hardly very exclusive is it? "

It's the LE with a 1000 ES it's not supposed to be exclusive. I thought the SE with a 400 ES and $200 premium would be the "exclusive". Thats why i bought it.

"The bullets are intended as a surprise gift to direct LE edition buyers. We have not stated that the SE will not come with any additional items and we have not stated that we have no further surprises lined up for the SE or indeed any other items.... "

Now your playing word games. No you never said there wouldn't be any surprises for the SE buyers. What you said was the LE buyers were getting free gold bullets and the SE was not.

Lame excuses.

 

[TymerDC]

So let me get this right, the SE version has buyers paying 200 bucks more, yet they dont get the "free" bullets given away with the cheaper version? Wow thats pretty good way of pi$$ing off your customers Factory!! thumbsdown:thumbsdown Cheers
Jez

What would you rather have? The signatures or 5 gold colored plastic bullets? I'd rather have the signatures..that's what you've paid for. If you want resin bullets so bad then recast the bullet that comes with the gun and make your own. in my opinion I'd rather have the signatures since thats what you paid for. I can understand the disappointment seeing as you paid $200 more but let the LE buyers keep the bullets...you'll still have the signatures.

 

[Star Wars Helmets]

What would you rather have? The signatures or 5 gold colored plastic bullets? I'd rather have the signatures..that's what you've paid for. If you want resin bullets so bad then recast the bullet that comes with the gun and make your own. in my opinion I'd rather have the signatures since thats what you paid for. I can understand the disappointment seeing as you paid $200 more but let the LE buyers keep the bullets...you'll still have the signatures.

Its not a quesiton of "you either have the sigs or you have the bullets". Factory is saying that it wants to reward peole who bought DIRECT from them - but only those who bought the cheaper LE.

IMO they should extend the offer to EVERYONE who bought direct from them (ie both the LE and SE's) - after all their profits are greater on the SE's anyway.

Cheers

Jez

 

[Zombie Killer]

.....the fix for this is NOT to recast FE's property.

 

[Jeyl]

Its not a quesiton of "you either have the sigs or you have the bullets". Factory is saying that it wants to reward peole who bought DIRECT from them - but only those who bought the cheaper LE.

I concur. The whole point of the limited edition and the signature edition is that the LE is just the replica where the SE has something that the LE doesn't have, and that's the signatures. It goes against everything that I've seen established when it comes to LEs and SEs.

If the bullets had been available from the beginning, you better believe that it would have been included with both editions, because not including them with the SE wouldn't make it a complete package.

 

[Jeyl]

.....the fix for this is NOT to recast FE's property.

What is that supposed to mean? I don't get it.

 

[Zombie Killer]

What is that supposed to mean? I don't get it.

TymerDC posted "If you want resin bullets so bad then recast the bullet that comes with the gun and make your own."

 

[AJK001]

I can't beleive the BS over 5 plastic bullets, but then this is the RPF where everyone complains about everything. :lol

 

[Star Wars Helmets]

I can't beleive the BS over 5 plastic bullets, but then this is the RPF where everyone complains about everything. :lol

Its pretty frustrating when you pay $200 extra for something (a whole hunk of which is pure profit for the manufacturer) and then you feel you get stiffed by some cheap-a$$ marketing ploy.

Cheers

Jez

 

[Megamicrofish]

Its pretty frustrating when you pay $200 extra for something (a whole hunk of which is pure profit for the manufacturer) and then you feel you get stiffed by some cheap-a$$ marketing ploy.

Cheers

Jez

But I paid an extra $60 for those bullets :lol

 

[AJK001]

Its pretty frustrating when you pay $200 extra for something (a whole hunk of which is pure profit for the manufacturer) and then you feel you get stiffed by some cheap-a$$ marketing ploy.

Cheers

Jez

You didn't pay an extra $200 extra for nothing. The extra $200 is for 2 very rare sigs. You are getting something the LE people are not. Maybe they should complain about you getting something extra for $200 more.

 

[Star Wars Helmets]

You didn't pay an extra $200 extra for nothing. The extra $200 is for 2 very rare sigs. You are getting something the LE people are not. Maybe they should complain about you getting something extra for $200 more.

Thats illogical, why would someone complain that someone paid more and got more? :unsure

Its ok if you dont agree but a number of SE buyers are annoyed when they paid $200 extra and yet have been overlooked. From our perspective its crappy customer service and will influence certainly my decision as to whether I buy from them again. Their marketing response then tried to excuse it through distortion, evasion and dumb excuses.

Like I said its fine if your prerogative not to agree, just as it is mine to think FE's handled this in a rather shabby way.

Cheers

Jez

 

[TymerDC]

Maybe I can explain it better as I understand it. FE had several complaints from customers who pre-ordered the LE gun DIRECT from them .Then their customers found out vendors were taking pre-orders of the LE guns at a discount. This is FE's way of rewarding the LE buyers who bought from them direct and paid the extra money rather than go to a vendor for a discount. Also vendors can't guarantee you'd get a gun even if you pre-ordered it because of the limited supplies of guns having to be distributed to all the vendors wanting guns. The SE Guns were never meant to go to vendors so the only way you'd get an SE Gun was to order it direct from FE. These extra bullets won't be available from a vendor either. Now I understand the point of some who bought the SE gun and won't get any bullets but I don't think FE is making a helluva lot more money on the SE gun..most or all of that is going to Moore and Lee for the signatures. I'd wait and see before anyone jumps the gun..so to speak. I'd also look at the plastic bullets on their website...they don't even say "007" on them. Remember that although you paid more for the SE Gun there will only be 400 of them which is a pretty small edition. So what if there will be 1000 or so owners of guns with extra plastic bullets......your SE gun will still be more collectible. I honestly don't see this worth griping about....just my opinion of course.