some of their employees are a bit more fluent in english, some not so much

Erg! Thank you Ted...
DINO come home!!!

A plan so genius, it could never fail...

Good luck with whatever route you take, Mr. Kopper.

Sort of like your avatar?

good luck getting this sorted. i've only purchased from them twice, but it would suck to see something cool up there, just dangling out of grasp...

I usually e-mail the international@ address, rather than the store e-mail.

They can speak English (or use a translator) good enough.

Yeah but what if that dangling item is allowed to be in reach and he flakes again? Not to be a jerk but can you blame Mandarake? He openly admitted to flaking numerous times! They're a business. I'm sure they don't appreciate- or prefer a non paying customer over someone who would own up to their own purchase and actually pay them. I've got nothing against Ted but frankly I'm really surprised the traction and sympathy this thread is getting. It's selfish. I guess it should not surprise me though- self indulgent flaking is the probably common here and people who do it think it applies to the real world as well. Good for Mandarake (but I still hate how they bid on every vintage toy)

^^^Thank you Daniel! I found the email, and I'll try it
Dino, come home!

quoted again, for great justice

Definitely man, no gripes.

But it should also be noted that the flakes were few and far in between, and followed up with a friendly email, "Sorry I can't purchase anymore" or something of the ilk, and they'd let me off the hook. But what sort of sticks to mind is how Mandarake let go of a "good" customer, and most importantly, my money. A HUGE part of my collection has come from their mail order. I'd say 30-40% of my toys were from them. Whoever was at the front desks at Nakano, Grandchaos, and Fukouka should have known my address by heart! The amount of business I've given them FAR outweighs the times I've flaked. So, if they're keeping track of how many times you've not paid, surely they also keep track of the amount of times you have been paying too right? I don't get it. Are they pissed that they have to take the item off the shelf, bring it to the front desk, then the buyer backs out. So what, just take the item and place it back on the shelf in the showroom. Is it a Japanese etiquette thing? A foreigner abusing their shop? Here we call it flaking, anywhere else it's called an order cancellation. There's definitely a east/west culture thing going on. I know about their store policy on non-paying... but I guess it's the consumerism and materialism of American society has made me unsympathetic towards it. This sort of thing happens all the time outside of Mandarake, and in the west in general. Order something from Amazon, I don't want it anymore, cancel my order/return it, get a refund, no questions asked usually. Do the Japanese take that sort of thing personally? I know Secret Base doesn't take kindly to non-payers too.

So yeah, I haven't purchased from Mandarake in almost a year now. I check every now and then just to see what I'm missing. But like a few have mentioned, I've saved A LOT of cash. And it helps that my shelves are almost full anyways.

All in all, I get it. I'm also a buying/selling member here on the bst, and believe me I know flakes, giving and receiving. You know it's bad and against your morals, but sometimes you just do it. Like cutting in line, or not paying for parking, or trade flipping (jk jk ) . It's easier to flake when it's an impulse buy and that's generally the reason why my flakes happen; poor decisions.

the difference, sadly, is that mandarake is a pawn shop.

When you say you're going to buy something, they expect you to buy it. Fancy that. Must be the cultural divide.

i actually like the invoice method. imagine if it was the checkout way. pay in full upfront, id be fucked

Not sure i follow ya psilo, for me or them? either way you know how the saying goes, there's no justice, just us.

Again, I have no idea what you mean...

Edited for spelling mistake. (I know some of you saw it;)

Or they would be... when the guy runs to the showcase, only to find out that someone already bought the toy that you just paid for.

Yeah, what's up with those sold-out e-mails? If they expect us to pay for everything we buy, shouldn't they have the toys they say we can buy?

No totally, 100% agree with you. But I guess that's the tragic downside. I didn't consciously think of the repercussions of buying a toy online. It makes it all too easy, and yet all too easy to say "I don't want it anymore." But I get what you mean, it could be anyone and everyone and it could be rampant; mine is just one case. Imagine if it was one of my Galtans barely missed it and sold out, only to be not bought! But what if it sells out anyway? If the first buyer flakes, assuming a popular toy, then the next person will take it eventually. Doubt there was only one person after it. Glad to still have made someone's day a surprise by seeing a sold out toy online, only to be available again up for grabs. Happened to me once . Though I really hope you don't think that I took someone's grail, because that's far from the case, like I said few and far between... You are allowed "allowances," and I used all of mine before I went two too many...

In spite of that Japanese dude that walked into Nakano looking for a black Zollmen Bobongo that day I snubbed him, I'm glad I had the backbone to back out in those instances. It's a sad fate, but you can't think always think of the could have's. I looked at my options and it was far easier to endure than having the wallet ached feeling of regret. Collecting is fun. I wonder if I'm banned for life? Can't wait to actually visit the stores in person one day.

Impulse buys were the best; the basis of my collecting. Going with your gut to find cool shit.
Come to think, I've made a ton silly purchases from Mandarake, including some of my favorites. Bittersweet it's no more really.

GERMS why the beef with the rulers of time?

The few times i've had problems i've emailed that international address and the response in english has been very quick.
I was over-charged postage a few times, so i just paid it and then argued my case for a partial refund. Both times they agreed and refunded.
One time my parcel was 3 weeks late and they started to go through the procedure for a claim, but then the figure turned-up anyway, so i dropped the claim.

I've always found Mandarake efficient and helpful. I buy a lot of stuff from them.
It sucks you've been banned but rules are rules and the Japanese do love their rules!

Maybe wait a while and send them a polite email pointing out what a regular customer you were and you're sorry for messing them about. It could work.

I've had the same thing happen to me with a buying service. I gave them a shitload of business. I never flaked on payments (I'd even sometimes bother them to send me invoices- imagine that) but one mistake using their yahoo id cost me and I was dropped. I was upset, but I eventually realized the control I wanted towards bidding wasn't to my liking and never was going to be. I could not be happier with my new service, so it turned out to be the best thing for me. Point is, I don't think prior history matters much when they have policies. What we do as customers effects their whole system, so they can't really make exceptions.

Again I probably sound like I'm singing you out Ted, but I'm talking about this problem in general ok? I have to agree to disagree on that whole western "order cancellation" statement. I don't agree with it being good for any business. If you get something defective, or the business is at fault by shipping delays (within their control), or sells you something out of stock- yeah the consumer has a legitimate reason for a refund/ and or cancellation. But to have a laissez faire attitude (not just you- in general) about purchases with constant mind changes...I don't think that system is a very good practice, and doesn't really work in a niche market such as japanese toys does it? It's indicative of western culture for sure- because of rampant consumerism, big box store culture, and the fact that you have numerous options waiting via other stores if one doesn't do exactly what you want. I've never believed that statement about the customer always being right

I too am banned from Mandarake, however the circumstances are interesting.
I've placed over 100 orders with the various Mandarake stores. A certain amount of days after they send the invoice, a reminder email is sent.
I have received the reminder email several times, but always paid no later than that point.

Realizing i could not place a new order one day i emailed them, they replied i had been banned for non payment of a $60 item. I did place the order and had not paid yet but also never received a reminder. They have not returned my email since.

I'm pretty sure the real reason for my ban was that i flipped a Coco Croc just purchased from Mandarake on Ebay, the week prior ( yes i know, dick move )
So i may be paranoid, but i believe they do have their finger on the pulse.

Also its true what goes around comes around, as they now apparently have made a good profit of my works



To add to the irony, i bought both of these figures to paint originally from Mandarake...

Maybe they just wanted the toy ruining madness to stop!

I respect Mandarake with every new post made!

Possibly
I suspect their motives are mostly monetary.

I respect them also, and am not bitter, however you look at it they are the ultimate "Flippers"

Most businesses are motivated by money, that is true.

@ted- I didn't mean to suggest that you took someone's grail. I was joking, since I think some of the stores don't sync their physical stock with the online stock. So when you buy something, they literally have to run and check the showcase to make sure it's still there before they invoice you. I think that's the real reason they send invoices, rather than requiring payment up front.

Thanks for the help and suggestions everyone! Dino bird was delivered yesterday---yay! After sending out an email to Mandarake too . Seems like it took much longer this time, so I was worried... I have to say that although Mandarake never replies to my email, so far they've always come through with the toys I've purchased. Prices for things do range greatly over time though, and sometimes it doesn't make any sense. I just missed out on a Buta PINK PINK PINK whale, so I'm still smarting over that, but the price for the prehistoric whale was surprisingly low! I don't have any complaints with Mandarake, and it's a good way to buy directly and not have to pay service deputy fees, but it can be quite addictive!

P.S. If you adopted the pink whale, I am quite quite quite jelly!
not to mention the glowie Thundermask too!

I've gotten around it like 4 times already. Different everything every time. Never failed me.

WTF! Are you sure that's not an older sold out item? Figures the one Butanohana toy I'm really looking for completely went under the radar the one day I didn't look, if it indeed actually is not just an older sold out item.