Rightstuf Customer Service: Issues & Problems

[honis7]

Originally Posted by Endymion0000

Well, technically the customer still paid to return the item. They used gas when driving back to the store to return it. You didn't drive to their home to retrieve it.

I do believe they should supply a label for returns of damaged products but not arbitrary returns. Problem is they have to deal with finicky Anime customers who call something damaged because there's a slight mark that you have to hold the case under a light at 72.8 degree angle to see, so they don't want to foot the bill for those repeated returns.

I mean I guess you could make that case, but it's a lot easier to swallow a couple dollars worth of gas and getting it solved in minutes versus the cost of shipping an item back and waiting weeks to get the item back.

I agree customers can be picky, especially if somethings going to be in a collection or displayed you want it to be perfect. Which is why I think they could implement some kind of system where if customers have an issue maybe once or twice a year, send them a return label and fix the problem.

Whereas the ones who have a problem every time they order something or very frequently, flag those accounts and keep a log attached to the account like "hey this item they returned in case ##### was perfectly fine, found no issue with it" or "item returned in case ##### was returned and had legitimate defects" to help further identify customers who just got very unlucky and got a couple of defective products in a row and the people taking advantage by sending back perfectly good items because they just didn't want it and want to make an excuse so they don't have to pay for return shipping.

I know it's a stretch that anything like this will happen, but it just bugs me that they have good returning customers and the off chance they get an item like me that is legitimately defective the response is just

[InuYashaCrusade]

Companies should not force the customer to pay return shipping if it isn't the customers fault. Defects and damages are 100% on the company, in my opinion, and the return shipping should fall on them. Bad business practice right there.

The only thing RightStuf has going for them is the packaging, that's it.

[Hek_qwerr]

Originally Posted by pikagreg

It is a weird flex but Rightstuf ALWAYS puts return shipping on the customer even if it is a defect. Media Mail is a cheap service but it does suck that they didn't offer it to you when you went to ship your item. It is kind of dumb but their CS outside of that has always been good to me and their packaging still makes it worth it since things are fine 99% of the time.

this is not true i returned my bleach blu ray set 2 and my girlfriends squid girl box set due to damages and was never charged for return. they created return labels for me on both occasions

[honis7]

Originally Posted by Hek_qwerr

this is not true i returned my bleach blu ray set 2 and my girlfriends squid girl box set due to damages and was never charged for return. they created return labels for me on both occasions

How long ago did this happen? Maybe they went through a management/ownership change that could have changed the policy

[Hek_qwerr]

Originally Posted by honis7

How long ago did this happen? Maybe they went through a management/ownership change that could have changed the policy

looking at my orders

bleach
1/12/17

squid girl
7/9/18

[honis7]

Originally Posted by Hek_qwerr

looking at my orders

bleach
1/12/17

squid girl
7/9/18

I see, in any case it did not happen to me. I was not offered a return label. The inconsistency in following their own policy is not a great look for them either

[EricDent1]

Unless the item was one of those "Blind Box" items that are sometimes damaged (and it warns you they might be damaged), I have never had ANY issues with my RightStufAnime orders (I order something from them every year during their holiday sale).

In fact I asked over on their forums (I think they are gone now) about an Aria plushie.
They said they didn't have anything like that available in the USA, but offered a stress-relief (squishy) toy of President Aria for FREE.

They have had the same management (Shawn Kleckner) since the start.

[honis7]

Originally Posted by EricDent1

Unless the item was one of those "Blind Box" items that are sometimes damaged (and it warns you they might be damaged), I have never had ANY issues with my RightStufAnime orders (I order something from them every year during their holiday sale).

In fact I asked over on their forums (I think they are gone now) about an Aria plushie.
They said they didn't have anything like that available in the USA, but offered a stress-relief (squishy) toy of President Aria for FREE.

They have had the same management (Shawn Kleckner) since the start.

Nope not a blind box, just a regular bluray purchase. I didn't even realize they had forums, good to know

[One-Eye]

In my personal experience I think I've had 4 damaged items from RS in total. The most recent was the Ninja Scroll BD back in 1/2016. The video was corrupted and I sent pictures of my tv screen. There was some back and forth on emails, but they sent me out a new disc and I didn't have to send in my old one.

However, back in 2013 one of my NGE mangas came with some front cover damage. I had to pay to return that and get an exchange. It was a 3 in 1 omnibus and probably the weight influenced this. However, its always annoying to hear from companies that they are sending a replacement with free shipping as though this somehow makes it better when you are still out your cost of returning the defective copy. How about not shipping me a damaged copy in the first place?

Other stuff was a damaged cd which I didn't bother contacting them about and a damaged LE set (2011?) that again they sent a replacement without me having to send in my damaged copy.

I can totally understand a company trying to cut down on fraud and other shenanigans, but I also think if someone has been a long time customer and purchased thousands of dollars in merchandise over the years some leeway should be taken into account.

[TThomas]

Isn't "Paypal pays return shipping" avaiable in the US?

[different]

Yep, I always use PayPal when buying from Rightstuf now.

I buy a lot of manga and they're way more prone to damage than Blu-ray sets so I return stuff at least once a month. I've had to pay for return shipping on every single one of them.

[Kyle15]

"Most places require the buyer pay return shipping" is patently false and hyperbolic.

When the buyer pays is always contextual with EVERY shop I've EVER used for defective item returns/exchanges, indie or 'big corporate.'

If you simply don't want the item; honey that's on you.
If the item is messed-up; that's complimentary on the seller
If the seller damaged the item; need I elaborate on this one?

Since RightStuf wants to charge buyers for RightStuf's problems and give them ridiculous runarounds over things they could take steps to eliminate, then they can be my guest. I'll just take my business elsewhere and others can do the same.

I haven't ruled them out completely but they are on slightly thin ice with me after the Utena set, and the one time I needed to cancel a pre-ordered item and they rudely demanded a "detailed explanation as to your financial situation." lmao please dear

[honis7]

Originally Posted by TThomas

Isn't "Paypal pays return shipping" avaiable in the US?

I didn't realize this even existed! I generally use paypal whenever its offered (especially on RightStuf) due to buyer protection and I don't trust online stores with my card info. I mean RightStuf is still in the wrong but this makes me less paranoid about ordering from them now.

[darkness2918]

I haven’t had any issues where I’ve needed to deal with RS CA except for canceling a pre order but it sucks if it’s gotten worse over the years.

[One-Eye]

Originally Posted by Kyle15

I haven't ruled them out completely but they are on slightly thin ice with me after the Utena set, and the one time I needed to cancel a pre-ordered item and they rudely demanded a "detailed explanation as to your financial situation." lmao please dear

Whaa?! That is fudged up. The craziest thing I had from one of their customer reps was when I had a problem with one of my orders and they weren't paying attention to what I was saying forcing me to teach them some basic math. Seriously, the quality of reps changed just as they were moving to the new web store. Still your experience was just plain rude on their part.

[Akira Takamedo]

This isn’t really a problem or a complaint per se, but a few weeks back I had to give them a call because I wanted to ask something about my order, and all I can say is I’m so glad I was alone in my car when I did because I was cringing through their entire recorded prompt.

Come on Right Stuf, not everybody that buys anime off your website is a hyperactive teenage girl from 2005.

[themp3000]

Originally Posted by Akira Takamedo

This isn’t really a problem or a complaint per se, but a few weeks back I had to give them a call because I wanted to ask something about my order, and all I can say is I’m so glad I was alone in my car when I did because I was cringing through their entire recorded prompt.

Come on Right Stuf, not everybody that buys anime off your website is a hyperactive teenage girl from 2005.

To be fair, 2005 is probably when they got their last phone call.

[Akira Takamedo]

Originally Posted by themp3000

To be fair, 2005 is probably when they got their last phone call.

Haha, true enough. I wanted to see if I could upgrade my shipping and it was more direct just to call. But yeah, that was so unbelievably cringy.

[The Collector FX]

At least it wasn't like my experience with Roberts Anime Corner.

Several months back I placed an order for multiple DVD's where the total came to a tick over $95. Got a confirmation email a couple days later that the order was received and being packed.

Took two weeks to finally get it in the mail, only to find out via the receipt in the shipment box that five of the DVD's I ordered were placed on "back-order" even though he charged me for them anyway. Now here's the real crummy part; the DVD's that were placed on back order and charged me for are Out of Print....which was the sole reason I bought those particular DVD's from his website.

So not only did he basically steal $40 from me (because I only $50 worth in the package) by assuming that I wouldn't know that those "back order" DVD's would NEVER be fulfilled and waited to tell me via a f***ing summary receipt when I got the package, but he also intentionally lied in the order confirmation email that clearly gave me a summary of all the DVD's that were confirmed to be in the package. (I still have that email)

Suffice to say, I'm never buying anime from that f***er ever again...

[Naiera]

Deny the credit card payment.