Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Pre-Order Good or Bad?

Collapse
X
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Pre-Order Good or Bad?

    As consumers we have always been a little against the idea of pre-ordering anything. As business owners we aren't 100% sure if pre-ordering is good or bad. In regards to Cars merchandise we can see some good reasons to consider ordering something Cars/Planes related before it is out.

    Pros-
    Don't have to run to every retail store in 50 mile radius just to find the items you want
    Some places/items have limited quantities, assures you will get the item

    Cons-
    No instant gratification, have to wait for merchandise to come
    Ties up funds that could be otherwise used

    Okay.... that is our short list of Pros vs Cons, but we are curious to see what everyone else thinks.

    Earl and Steffanie


  • #2
    Great topic, Earl and Steffanie... there are a lot of pros and cons... I much prefer your business model as opposed to others who accept payment well in advance of an unreleased item but understand that there may be times when payment in advance will allow you to order more of an item and not have to worry about funding it.

    Pros:
    Would not have had Super Chase Cars Flash, Long Ge, Memo Rojas Jr, and Russian Racer if I would not have been able to order cases.
    Don't have to run to retail stores in 100 to 150 mile radius to find items that may or may not be in stock.
    Saves time and gas.
    Don't have to worry about an item - I know that it's coming - with my limited retail stores (Meijer, Kmart, Walmart), I may not ever see an item... had Aldi not gotten in the singles D case Cars, I would have gotten most of what I needed for myself but not been able to help others.

    Cons:
    May not be able to go on Cars runs with others or meet others while on Cars runs... I enjoy meeting others who share a love of Cars.
    Ties up funds that could be otherwise used - for a couple of weeks this is not a big deal... if it's over 30 days it is a big deal... I pay for my license plates before I receive them in the mail.
    The case you order may end up not being the same assortment that Mattel ships... if you're wanting a particular item out of the case and then Mattel doesn't include that item, you've wasted your money... (Kmart online Cars sales are often very problematic).
    No instant gratification is usually not a problem for me (even though I make arrangements to get many new items without waiting for them to appear in local stores); PCD members come to the site wanting to see new Cars and learn about how to get them.



    Depending on Mattel distribution, you may find something at a store before Mattel releases it to the retailer where you've placed your pre-order... I can see this impacting a business - I know JMDL Toys ordered many cases that retailers were not ordering back in 2012... You may have placed an order for merchandise that ended up not coming to you because Walmart wanted it (2013 singles case A)... you may have gotten cases after the big box stores got them and collectors purchased them - if you get cases after many of your customers already have the new Cars, that hurts your business - a business that cared about your customers back when retail stores did not.

    If Cars case assortments were better set to allow people to split cases, it would be better for both the retailer and the customer.... The last Retro Hot Wheels case (B) would have split nicely among 3 people - each would have gotten 1 each of 1 new car and there would have been 1 leftover car... Years ago cases of 3 packs and launchers and deluxe split nicely between 2 people - Cars singles cases don't split well... Deluxe cases may or may not split well... Cars2 launcher cases did not split well at all... not everyone needs 2 of each launcher... not all of us open 1 and keep 1 carded.


    By the time I factor in my gas, time, and driving, I will almost always save money by ordering merchandise from JMDL Toys as opposed to driving to Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Dayton, Cincinnati, or Louisville in search of Cars that may or may not be there.

    If you decide to set up pre-ordering, depending on how you set up it and what the item is, I will support it... I will probably order a case containing a Super Chase that I won't see in a retail store... I won't order the retail store version of the same case without the Super Chase in advance... I appreciate how you have supported our Cars community and PCD and will continue to support you.


    And not wanting to hijack your topic... I have a goal to have a custom PCD racer created... I'd like to use some of them for prizes but would like to use many of them to make a little money for the site... If I have a set of 50 created, payment has to be made up front - do I borrow money to have the customs created? My wife would not approve... Would PCD members be willing to pay for the custom racer up front? eBay sellers don't ship merchandise until the customer has paid for it.

    Thank you, JMDL Toys, for your support of PCD and the Cars community.

    Chris


    I am cac1959... I am a Cars-a-holic... and a proud supporter of Nathan's Playroom

    Comment


    • #3
      I second everything that Chris has said. My only thought as a consumer would be this:
      Knowing that a pre-order helps the business by funding the purchase and by giving them a heads up about how many they will need to order, and knowing that other than guaranteeing I will get a case when they could otherwise run out (case P), I don't have a whole lot of push to pre-order vs waiting to see if I find it, then order if I don't.
      It would be nice to see a small discount for pre-ordering. That would give me more incentive to pre-order, and would let the retailer have their benefits that they get.
      Eli

      Comment


      • #4
        I would agree in the main with everything said prior but i have the other factor of extra shipping and customs to deal with. Its a balancing act between getting a case so I know Im getting the cars I want and using time. money and petrol to see if they are local.

        The Rip Clutchgoneski fiasco in the UK (Hardly ever seen in stores, stories of staff grabbing him to sell abound) would make me consider getting case H but if hes the only one i want in there, does it make financial sense to do so?

        Quandary indeed.

        As for the custom PCD car, dependent upon price I would be interested Chris. HTH.

        Comment


        • #5
          I'll keep it short..lol

          An upcoming case I would probably not pre-order, I like the hunt! (Even though the hunting has not been good in my parts lately!)
          An upcoming exclusive, like the Star Wars cars or the Convoy Brothers are something I would totally pre-order! (And already did with the Convoy Bros.)

          Comment


          • #6
            with mattels distribution history i don't like the pre-order option
            you may be selling cases that show up late or not at all

            Comment


            • #7
              My own view of pre-order with anything, if the vendor takes payment before being ready to ship or at least a confirmed shipping date, then I walk away. Heard the excuse of "back order" or "delayed" too many times.

              Comment


              • #8
                Never once had a pleasurable experience pre-ordering. Either ended up paying too much, stuff came late or damaged. I'd much rather buy off the shelf myself.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Ultimately its up to you to make a decision if pre-order will help your business grow. There are some great points made above, for and against.
                  It looks like you would want payment at the time of the pre-order in which case I'd like to expand on a point carslover and Enzo made;

                  Mattel can be quite unreliable at times and have been known to cancel cases or delay them. If buyers have paid for a pre-order via Paypal and the 45 days is coming up then most will file a dispute for protection unless you give a refund(and that could be while the package is in transit as the buyer never knows for certain that delivery will happen). It will bring a negative element to the relationship. With international shipping taking up to 4 weeks there is not much room for delays or back orders or postal service delays, strikes, customs, etc and I know you have a lot of international customers.

                  I'm unlikely to use a pre-order system with payment upfront. If payment was required when the stock was in hand then I would be more than happy to use pre-order. To stop people backing out you could take payment details but not process them until stock arrives.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Chris,

                    Forgot to comment on your question. I don't see why members won't pay up front for your PCD customs. There's a big difference between a business selling cars for profit and members helping each other and this site out. As the saying goes Business is Business - there are no friends, favours etc in business.

                    But by being a collector and member of this site and others, a pre-arranged trust and bond has already been established between all(hopefully). If I want one of your customs and you require money up front before making it then I have no problem with that. The same trust is relied upon for trading.

                    I think you'll find most members will be happy to pay up front for the custom car if they want one - I'm interested by the way, any idea on price yet?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I will Pre-Order if you can deliver the mentioned goods but i will be angry if you charged my card and the item is back-order or delayed.

                      Of course to encourage Pre-Order maybe the seller should throw in a sweetener such as discount or voucher for future purchase!
                      That is what the gaming industries are often doing by providing exclusive content or discount
                      Some of the Pre-Order only charge your card / account when the seller ships the item, example Amazon
                      Maybe JMDL could do something like that..

                      Dear cac1959,
                      I would pre-order a custom car if i know what am i receiving

                      Originally posted by Scavenger View Post
                      I'll keep it short..lol

                      An upcoming case I would probably not pre-order, I like the hunt! (Even though the hunting has not been good in my parts lately!)
                      An upcoming exclusive, like the Star Wars cars or the Convoy Brothers are something I would totally pre-order! (And already did with the Convoy Bros.)
                      Where can i Pre-Order the Brothers?
                      Last edited by wintermelon; 04-06-2013, 02:20 AM.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Pre-ordering the first few waves of a new line can be a waste of money because they are pretty easy to find at retail. The stores usually order way too many. The last few waves of a line don't always make it to retail. Last case of Cars 1 Cars before Cars 2 cars started, the last few deluxes that were only released internationally, and Case P for the Porto Corsa cards were good examples. If you know a line is ending soon, go ahead and preorder those last few cases.

                        signature courtesy of BomBom77
                        http://www.pixarcarsdiecast.com/foru...ars-for-trades

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by cac1959 View Post
                          Great topic, Earl and Steffanie... there are a lot of pros and cons... I much prefer your business model as opposed to others who accept payment well in advance of an unreleased item but understand that there may be times when payment in advance will allow you to order more of an item and not have to worry about funding it.

                          Pros:
                          Would not have had Super Chase Cars Flash, Long Ge, Memo Rojas Jr, and Russian Racer if I would not have been able to order cases.
                          Don't have to run to retail stores in 100 to 150 mile radius to find items that may or may not be in stock.
                          Saves time and gas.
                          Don't have to worry about an item - I know that it's coming - with my limited retail stores (Meijer, Kmart, Walmart), I may not ever see an item... had Aldi not gotten in the singles D case Cars, I would have gotten most of what I needed for myself but not been able to help others.

                          Cons:
                          May not be able to go on Cars runs with others or meet others while on Cars runs... I enjoy meeting others who share a love of Cars.
                          Ties up funds that could be otherwise used - for a couple of weeks this is not a big deal... if it's over 30 days it is a big deal... I pay for my license plates before I receive them in the mail.
                          The case you order may end up not being the same assortment that Mattel ships... if you're wanting a particular item out of the case and then Mattel doesn't include that item, you've wasted your money... (Kmart online Cars sales are often very problematic).
                          No instant gratification is usually not a problem for me (even though I make arrangements to get many new items without waiting for them to appear in local stores); PCD members come to the site wanting to see new Cars and learn about how to get them.



                          Depending on Mattel distribution, you may find something at a store before Mattel releases it to the retailer where you've placed your pre-order... I can see this impacting a business - I know JMDL Toys ordered many cases that retailers were not ordering back in 2012... You may have placed an order for merchandise that ended up not coming to you because Walmart wanted it (2013 singles case A)... you may have gotten cases after the big box stores got them and collectors purchased them - if you get cases after many of your customers already have the new Cars, that hurts your business - a business that cared about your customers back when retail stores did not.

                          If Cars case assortments were better set to allow people to split cases, it would be better for both the retailer and the customer.... The last Retro Hot Wheels case (B) would have split nicely among 3 people - each would have gotten 1 each of 1 new car and there would have been 1 leftover car... Years ago cases of 3 packs and launchers and deluxe split nicely between 2 people - Cars singles cases don't split well... Deluxe cases may or may not split well... Cars2 launcher cases did not split well at all... not everyone needs 2 of each launcher... not all of us open 1 and keep 1 carded.


                          By the time I factor in my gas, time, and driving, I will almost always save money by ordering merchandise from JMDL Toys as opposed to driving to Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Dayton, Cincinnati, or Louisville in search of Cars that may or may not be there.

                          If you decide to set up pre-ordering, depending on how you set up it and what the item is, I will support it... I will probably order a case containing a Super Chase that I won't see in a retail store... I won't order the retail store version of the same case without the Super Chase in advance... I appreciate how you have supported our Cars community and PCD and will continue to support you.


                          And not wanting to hijack your topic... I have a goal to have a custom PCD racer created... I'd like to use some of them for prizes but would like to use many of them to make a little money for the site... If I have a set of 50 created, payment has to be made up front - do I borrow money to have the customs created? My wife would not approve... Would PCD members be willing to pay for the custom racer up front? eBay sellers don't ship merchandise until the customer has paid for it.

                          Thank you, JMDL Toys, for your support of PCD and the Cars community.

                          Chris
                          how much are the PCD cars going to cost?
                          this may determine how many members might be able to pay up front.
                          if able i would pay before they are made.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I have no problem with pre-ordering cases or single Cars.
                            I would totally by a custom Car too.
                            To me preordering just assures me what I am looking for.
                            I know I will probably preorder a case with super chase if I have the option.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I have no problem paying up front for a PCD.com car so we can get this done.

                              signature courtesy of BomBom77
                              http://www.pixarcarsdiecast.com/foru...ars-for-trades

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X