Hi-Metal R VF-1J Hikaru Armored Valkyrie Revival Version

[DewPoint]

The 2 times I used DHL I have had box damage that was bad enough that it extended to the item box inside. The boxes were crushed.  That, though, is among the worst I have seen from DHL. Unless I have no other choice, I will no longer DHL.  I will pay more for shipping or wait 2 to 3 more months for my items. 

[sh9000]

Sorry about your package @Anasazi37.  Hope everything gets sorted out.  Wow that package condition is just insane.  I'm getting another Armored Valkyrie but this time from Amiami shipped with surface parcel so I will see what condition it arrives in.

[Lolicon]

I'm not terribly concerned about the box condition as long as the toy is undamaged. 

[Radioguy]

6 hours ago, Lolicon said:

I'm not terribly concerned about the box condition as long as the toy is undamaged. 

I'd care about the price paid, at least. If you pay for new and undamaged boxes and get less, you should be offered a choice of a refund to some extent, an postage-paid exchange, or a full return.

[Anasazi37]

6 hours ago, Lolicon said:

I'm not terribly concerned about the box condition as long as the toy is undamaged. 

This is one time where I'm grateful for Bandai's plastic clamshell packaging inside the box.

13 minutes ago, Radioguy said:

I'd care about the price paid, at least. If you pay for new and undamaged boxes and get less, you should be offered a choice of a refund to some extent, an postage-paid exchange, or a full return.

I had to open the toy box to check if the valk was damaged, so on top of the crushed box it's now no longer sealed, which reduces its value even more. I'm in the camp of "DHL needs to offer something to compensate for the damage" because I did indeed pay for a MISB valk. If I wanted an opened one with a damaged box, I'd just get it through Mandarake. Whether I open my box and whoosh the VF-25F around my house in fighter mode in a mock battle with Vajra, with my wife rolling her eyes the entire time, is something I should get to choose to do on my own--not because of a shipping failure.

[fenrir72]

10 hours ago, DewPoint said:

The 2 times I used DHL I have had box damage that was bad enough that it extended to the item box inside. The boxes were crushed.  That, though, is among the worst I have seen from DHL. Unless I have no other choice, I will no longer DHL.  I will pay more for shipping or wait 2 to 3 more months for my items. 

DHL or the vendor? Never had an issue with my DHL delivers concerning box damage. As for Amazon, that's another story.

 

Fyi, my GBP shipped by DHL within a day from Japan from Hobbysearch. No damage at all.

Edited May 26, 2023 by fenrir72

[DewPoint]

They were both Amazon.Jp orders shipped by DHL.  DHL sends the boxes 10500+km to Kentucky, then at least another 7100+km to me.  While Amazon.Jp boxes are thinner than most, it was most certainly shipping damage.

[Lolicon]

Amazon Japan is definitely not the way to go if you want mint boxes...

[no3Ljm]

4 hours ago, Lolicon said:

Amazon Japan is definitely not the way to go if you want mint boxes...

I concur.

I only buy mooks/magazines from them. And those mooks always arrives with minor scruff and dents on the corners. They don't even shrink wrap the mooks. They just toss it as is on the nearest box size available and sometimes the closest bubble envelope size with no extra padded protection. So don't expect your collectible boxes without dents when you get them from AmazonJP.

[Radioguy]

I thought mooks came from Brooklyn?

[sh9000]

For anyone keeping track of HMR versions:  The HMR VF-1J Armored Valkyrie is version 1 of a generic DYRL VF-1J.  The HMR VF-1J TV Hikaru is version 1 of the TV VF-1J.  The HMR VF-1J Armored Valkyrie Revival is version 2 of the TV VF-1J.

The canopy is no longer blue.

[Lolicon]

11 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

I concur.

I only buy mooks/magazines from them. And those mooks always arrives with minor scruff and dents on the corners. They don't even shrink wrap the mooks. They just toss it as is on the nearest box size available and sometimes the closest bubble envelope size with no extra padded protection. So don't expect your collectible boxes without dents when you get them from AmazonJP.

I've already queued the montage of crushed boxes I've received in years past before so I won't repeat it here. 

[sh9000]

On 5/25/2023 at 1:34 PM, chingu77 said:

the tape seal on the box are double/retaped (not clean) looks like may be opened before... 

Your Armored Valkyrie Revival might have been double taped from a worker for reinspection.  I see this from time to time with other toys.  I don't like it as much but it happens.

[MKT]

I've been lucky with Amazon JP items so far. All the items have arrived in good condition. Although there was one whose flaps on one side of shipping box have split open, exposing the contents inside, the toy box itself was safe.

Even if Amazon JP have the worst shipping box from any JP retailers, I think it is still the best of any Amazon stores from other parts of world. For eg, Amazon US likes to shove stuff into envelopes only, and if you are lucky, you get a padded envelope. Naturally, the toy boxes arrive with significant wear & crush damage, and no amount of pre-alerting customer service on proper packing before shipping makes any difference. 

[sh9000]

@Anasazi37 and @chingu77 if you don't mind I'd like repost the descriptions and pics of the items in this thread to help people be more informed of the different stores and how items arrive.

https://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/49497-general-discussion-of-stores-store-policies-and-practices-shipping-and-handling-and-types-of-packaging/page/2/#comments

 

[Anasazi37]

5 hours ago, sh9000 said:

@Anasazi37 and @chingu77 if you don't mind I'd like repost the descriptions and pics of the items in this thread to help people be more informed of the different stores and how items arrive.

https://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/49497-general-discussion-of-stores-store-policies-and-practices-shipping-and-handling-and-types-of-packaging/page/2/#comments

 

I don't mind, but I'd be sure to mention that the extra care AE takes in packing is what saved my VF-25F from being completely destroyed. They bubble wrap every item and custom fit every shipping box so items don't slide around in transit. What happened to me is entirely DHL's fault.

[chingu77]

7 hours ago, sh9000 said:

@Anasazi37 and @chingu77 if you don't mind I'd like repost the descriptions and pics of the items in this thread to help people be more informed of the different stores and how items arrive.

https://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/topic/49497-general-discussion-of-stores-store-policies-and-practices-shipping-and-handling-and-types-of-packaging/page/2/#comments

 

I don't mind at all.

[seti88]

On 5/27/2023 at 8:56 PM, sh9000 said:

For anyone keeping track of HMR versions:  The HMR VF-1J Armored Valkyrie is version 1 of a generic DYRL VF-1J.  The HMR VF-1J TV Hikaru is version 1 of the TV VF-1J.  The HMR VF-1J Armored Valkyrie Revival is version 2 of the TV VF-1J.

The canopy is no longer blue.

Am sure this question will be asked over again somewhere sometime in the future. 😉

[ArchieNov]

You know, I'm wondering if all these damaged boxes in shipping are more of a handling issue by the shipping folks once it is in the US rather than that of the shipping company itself.

I don't live in the US, but I've had over a hundred packages shipped to me over the years via various shippers like EMS, DHL, UPS, Amazon JP, regular Airmail, etc, and my shipping boxes and contents are almost always in near perfect condition. No dents or crushed boxes.

Actually, the only time I recall I received a damaged shipping box was when I ordered something from an eBay seller based in the US.

Maybe the shipping handlers in the US just don't take proper care of the packages?

Edited May 29, 2023 by ArchieNov

[Slave IV]

54 minutes ago, ArchieNov said:

You know, I'm wondering if all these damaged boxes in shipping are more of a handling issue by the shipping folks once it is in the US rather than that of the shipping company itself.

I don't live in the US, but I've had over a hundred packages shipped to me over the years via various shippers like EMS, DHL, UPS, Amazon JP, regular Airmail, etc, and my shipping boxes and contents are almost always in near perfect condition. No dents or crushed boxes.

Actually, the only time I recall I received a damaged shipping box was when I ordered something from an eBay seller based in the US.

Maybe the shipping handlers in the US just don't take proper care of the packages?

It’s absolutely the people handling the shipping that are causing the damage. Shops can pack as well as they reasonably can but it’s not gonna matter when the shipping company just tosses them around and let’s them get crushed. 

[chingu77]

2 hours ago, Slave IV said:

It’s absolutely the people handling the shipping that are causing the damage. Shops can pack as well as they reasonably can but it’s not gonna matter when the shipping company just tosses them around and let’s them get crushed. 

The cardboard box my VF-1J came in was pristine and heavy duty

[Slave IV]

1 hour ago, chingu77 said:

The cardboard box my VF-1J came in was pristine and heavy duty

I missed that part about yours and it must be a mishap then because I get shipments from HG all the time and almost always use slow boat and they arrive with no issues. 

[DewPoint]

This is my most recent box I got from Amazon.com.  It came in 3 days late as Amazon moved it around their shipping network themselves before handing it off locally to USPS to deliver to my home.

 

 

Thankfully, no collectables inside.  Though, the item didn't work properly and needed to be exchanged.

Edited May 29, 2023 by DewPoint

[ArchieNov]

On 5/30/2023 at 2:04 AM, Slave IV said:

It’s absolutely the people handling the shipping that are causing the damage. Shops can pack as well as they reasonably can but it’s not gonna matter when the shipping company just tosses them around and let’s them get crushed. 

Actually, I was referring to the shipping company employees specifically in the US. Because I use the same shipping companies (e.g. DHL, UPS, EMS, etc) but my packages are almost never damaged. The one time I had a damaged package was when the shipping route passed through the US.

It kinda feels like the US shipping employees are less careful when handling packages compared to the shipping employees of the same company in other countries.

Edited June 1, 2023 by ArchieNov

[Slave IV]

1 hour ago, ArchieNov said:

Actually, I was referring to the shipping company employees specifically in the US. Because I use the same shipping companies (e.g. DHL, UPS, EMS, etc) but my packages are almost never damaged. The one time I had a damaged package was when the shipping route passed through the US.

It kinda feels like the US shipping employees are less careful when handling packages compared to the shipping employees of the same company in other countries.

Probably true.

[derex3592]

I've had dozens of packages shipped from Japan/China and inside the US to me way down here in TX. I have NEVER received a damaged package, so that theory doesn't really hold water does it?

 

 

[Big s]

I’ve lucked out and haven’t received any damaged collectibles, but I feel like the outer. Ices have taken extensive damage from shipping that it’s only a matter of time before it happens. I get the feeling that fedex and dhl and ups have no pride in their workers. When I get things stateside through standard mail the boxes are pretty nice. But there are plenty of videos and pictures of workers manhandling boxes at airports and distribution centers and even the people doing the deliveries. It’s not every worker though, but the bad apples may be spreading 

[MKT]

I can sort of understand if packages get mishandled every now & then.

But it is pretty hard to accept companies who don’t care enough to provide decent shipping packaging, knowing full well there would be potential abuses along the way.

For Amazon, they do at least acknowledge my packages showing up pretty beat in envelopes, & always compensate back in gift vouchers.

I have come to realise it is a very calculated move for them; what they save overall in logistical costs of not providing shipping boxes, more than makes up for the gift vouchers given to the percentage of people contacting them to complain. 

[Slave IV]

6 hours ago, Big s said:

I’ve lucked out and haven’t received any damaged collectibles, but I feel like the outer. Ices have taken extensive damage from shipping that it’s only a matter of time before it happens. I get the feeling that fedex and dhl and ups have no pride in their workers. When I get things stateside through standard mail the boxes are pretty nice. But there are plenty of videos and pictures of workers manhandling boxes at airports and distribution centers and even the people doing the deliveries. It’s not every worker though, but the bad apples may be spreading 

Yeah, it depends on who handles your local postage. I’ve had overall pretty good luck as well. 

[frankell05]

anybody want to sell just the vf-1j valk without the armored parts??

[ArchieNov]

16 hours ago, derex3592 said:

I've had dozens of packages shipped from Japan/China and inside the US to me way down here in TX. I have NEVER received a damaged package, so that theory doesn't really hold water does it?

 

 

I'm just basing it off all the complaints I see on here about mishandled packages. And it seems like all (or at least most) of those are coming from people in the US. It does seem prevalent enough for some of them that they said they will avoid using certain shippers in the future.

Of course I'm not saying that if it gets handled in the US, your package will surely be damaged. But it does seem to increase the chances based on feedback I have read on here and also my own personal experience.

[sh9000]

This is cool.

[jvmacross]

12 minutes ago, sh9000 said:

This is cool.

It is...nice find

[Froy]

Has somebody tried to mod the filler to cover the back of the neck? The chest armor hooks uses the same holes of the fillers.

I have spare fillers but just wanted to know if it somebody have tried before.