MSCL.com

Back in December "the word" was that AU had paid G-Whiz to produce the lunchboxes and that they would be completed in January. This had been confirmed with G-Whiz. Tonight Jason talked to G-Whiz and has relayed that "they were possibly going out this week from hong kong". Going out, I assume, to the AU warehouse. Hopefully AU will turn them around quickly.

I wish I could summon the optimism for a hearty "woo hoo," but I have a feeling that IF we ever end up getting the lunchboxes in our hands, it won't be until AU ships them with the phantom bonus discs. You know, to save money on shipping. The considerable lack of progress on the bonus disc is not encouraging. I would like to keep hope alive and say that maybe the bonus disc has been completed and AU, in their typical fashion, has simply failed to communicate any information to us. Here's hoping.

I told Dan that it was important for this to be posted here because the customers can then, collectively, ensure that AU does not sit on their hands with the lunchboxes, like they have done with everything else, including refunds.

I'm actually surprised that there have been no updates from AU about this. With everything that they have managed to fux0r up, this one seems like a gimme. I hope that they can find enough cash to mail all of them out.

Not meaning to sound like a dick, but you know how it goes with AU.

Maybe we need to start a customer based campaign to pressure AU into getting off their butts and (1) notifying customers about the merchandise that we have already paid for (2) letting us know what the status of the bonus disc is.

888 5 COMICS
916 450-0707
916 567-2490

For those of you who have infinite patience, won't get in trouble for making long distance calls at work, have free long distance on your cell phones, or just want to exercise your OCD a little with the redial button, consider calling AU and asking them the status of the bonus disc and lunch box. If you get a real person, ask why they haven't notified you about the items that you paid for LAST YEAR. If they give you any information (like estimated ship dates), ask them to put it in writing via email or fax. If you get their voicemail again, leave a message asking about the bonus materials. They need to know that we will not simply go away. Even if you cancelled you order, they had your money for months. I can't believe that they haven't completed the bonus disc yet. Wait, yes I can. Why? Because I expect nothing but the worse from AU.

I just realized something:

We are approaching the 1 year mark since many of us have paid for the item.

That fact inspires so many thoughts/comments, but I'm too tired of it all at the moment to go off on it.

That thought is what prompted my not so original idea. A few days ago, I realized that I preordered my DVDs last February (I do a lot of thinking in the shower), which made me get all irate and start thinking WTF? The fact that they got my first lump of money 11 months ago, almost to the day, yet I don't have the extras that I ended up paying $40 extra for (compared to the retail price at other stores), it makes me really mad, to put it mildly. Add to that the fact that they took the remaining money without my permission a month later and then proceeded it to fart it away over the next 10 months. Yup that just about brings us up to date. Grrr!

Yeah,

The fact that the AU fiasco has continued to the point of commerative anniversaries is just absurd. All of the MSCL'ers who, for what ever reason, have stuck with AU deserved at the very least a bucket of goodies for their fanatical patience. I don't think the lunch box and the bonus disc make up for all the hassle fans have been put through.

Stepping down from soap box,

Lance Man

I too forgot that it was almost a year. Insane.

The last time my comic book store had trouble ordering an item for me, it was a three month wait. Naturally, I asked about it.

The manufacturer contacted Diamond (distributor for comic book stores), who then passed the word along to my store that the item had been cancelled due to production problems and would be solicited again.

Later in the year, it was solicited again. I ordered, and had the item within three weeks.

Lesson: If a manufacturuer has major problems with a product, you cancel all solicitations across the board, and announce that item will be solicited again. Some companies will even take names and e-mail addresses to create a waiting list. That way, when the item is ready to ship, it's a matter of making an announcement, not backpedaling.

Ugh.

[/semi-coherent rant]

Gary