KimchiDVD - SteelBook Retailer Chat Thread

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Feel free to discuss shipping, customer service, availability, etc about this retailer here.

List of Kimchidvd.com Exclusives HERE


Frequently Asked Questions:

Q) What is the link to Kimchidvd?
A)Welcome to KIMCHI DVD
Q) I haven't mastered Korean yet - how can I read the site?!
A) Install Google translate on your browser:

Google Chrome HERE
Firefox HERE

Q) How do I register?
A) Turn on Google translate >> Login >> click on "If members to join ..." >> fill in EVERY box >>
click on this box to ensure your member ID is available:
rsz_button.jpg
>> Sign up!

You don't need to use Google Translate to register, provided you use the English registration link.
You need to enter both a Celluar phone (mobile) and Telephone number when registering/placing an order, however they can both be the same number (I don't have a home phone number, so always use my mobile number).
Numbers should be entered without a proceeding 0 and you do not need to enter your country code (KimchiDVD add it automatically to your parcel label).

So a UK phone (01452 123123) is specified like this:
Local Area Code : 1452 Phone Number : 123123

A UK mobile (07847 123123) is specified like this:
Local Area Code : 7847 Phone Number : 123123

If you have already registered, afterlogging in you can update your address/phone numbers here.

Q) Do they ship outside of Korea?
A) Yes, worldwide delivery, various shipping options available, for example to UK: (1 x steelbook)

K-Packet is tracked and one Steelbook to UK (with a weight of 450g - which is the typical weight for a lenticular) costs $10.81.
On average it takes around 7 days after dispatch to arrive in the UK - I always use K-Packet when placing orders and my orders have always arrived safely.

I'm not sure if it's insured or not (there's no mention) but assuming you pay via PayPal, their guarantee will cover you if you don't receive your order for some reason.

You can track your K-Packet order using this website, however tracking information isn't always accurate after leaving Korea (e.g. sometimes it doesn't update again before it's delivered, or even after if your postman doesn't bother getting a signature).

EMS $21.80 (Tracked, replacement will be issued where possible if lost)
TNT Premium $37.80 (Tracked, replacement will be issued where possible if lost)

Q) What form of packing do they use?
A) Cardboard Box, with enough bubblewrap to keep things safe, see below: (Thanks to SBC28 for pics)

A pretty sturdy box, which seemingly took some damage during shipping.
(These are pretty much always the same boxes.)
kimchipackaging01.jpg


Enough space for the item to "breathe", but snug enough to stop it from moving.
(That white thing is the invoice, which i choose to include, since i am in the USA.)
kimchipackaging02.jpg


6 layers of bubble wrap.
kimchipackaging03.jpg


Another shot of the bubble wrap, one sheet (4 layers) removed.
kimchipackaging04.jpg


One minty mint SB, all the way from Korea.

Q) Is the retailer custom's friendly? (i.e will they mark as gift, or low value).
A) Very friendly, you have various options to choose from:
rsz_customs-kimchi.jpg

Q) Will the retailer charges upon order or upon shipment
A) You will be charged upon order

Q) What payment do they accept?
A) Card or Paypal

Q) Customer Services any good?
A) Yes - overall a very good, reliable site to order from.

Cancellations: Send an email to [email protected], including the number of the order you wish to cancel. He'll get back to you as soon as he can.

Replacements: are issued if in stock, if not a refund will be offered.
Refunds: They are normally processed within a few days.
 
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Have to say that trying to order Le Grand Bleu today was a spectacularly frustrating experience. The site constantly crashed and then, despite me having a copy of the 1/4 slip in my basket from the moment it went live, said item proceeded to sell out regardless and was forcibly removed from my Cart.

Not really impressed with the set up or the order process, and considering the demand it should really be better,

Don't get me wrong the products look wonderful and the extras are top notch, but surely it is to be expected that such things will lead to high demand and the current site and checkout system can't cope.

It's pretty disappointing to have high hopes of getting this item only to be thwarted by the site itself, especially when other people use multiple accounts and snag a ton of copies which will no doubt end up on ebay etc.

Hopefully, as a smaller company, some of these wrinkles will be ironed out over time as the quality is not in question. Just wanted first time buyers to be aware of potential issues and disappointment.
 
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Congrats to all who managed to get a copy of Kimchi's latest exclusive, but really think its time that Kimchi invested into it's checkout system. Their work in bringing in exclusives and bespoke steelbook packaging ideas is being marred by the experience a customer has to go through in ordering a limited steelbook from their site.

I appreciate many think this adds to the excitement, but i only think this will be seen as a fun experience if you are lucky enough to put an order in. I also don't see any sense in limiting orders half way through a process ? If it is deemed unfair then why allow it to happen in the first place ?

I did manage to get an order in, but i really think the system needs to be sorted out before they do anymore of these exclusives or they will end up losing some credibility imo.
 
Congrats to all who managed to get a copy of Kimchi's latest exclusive, but really think its time that Kimchi invested into it's checkout system. Their work in bringing in exclusives and bespoke steelbook packaging ideas is being marred by the experience a customer has to go through in ordering a limited steelbook from.

It's true unfortunately. The site is plagued with bugs and problems. With the recent T2 orders, many of the PayPal payments weren't allocated against orders, and today the checkout system didn't run properly and only offered payment by wire transfer. There've been various other issues too, which have created a lot of admin work and headaches for Tony.

The odd thing is, I've been using the site for years and it's always been quite reliable. I think they made some tweaks recently, so maybe the code needs another look. Going forward it's certainly something they'll want to have working better, because their customer base is growing and it's just too time-consuming for them to have an inefficient and unreliable cart system.
 
I contacted kimchi yesterday because I got a letter from my customs office that the invoice for my T2 Steelbook is completely missing.....
How long does it usually take for him to answer?
 
Hi there
my Order of Le Grand Bleu is not completed via paypal and i get 2 Mails of Tony about that. I've send him 3 times an answer but nothing changed. What can i do otherwise?

Greetings
 
Usually, Tony will respond to customer inquiries within two days. However, being as busy as he is right now, it may take a bit longer.

I contacted kimchi yesterday because I got a letter from my customs office that the invoice for my T2 Steelbook is completely missing.....
How long does it usually take for him to answer?

Hi there
my Order of Le Grand Bleu is not completed via paypal and i get 2 Mails of Tony about that. I've send him 3 times an answer but nothing changed. What can i do otherwise?

Greetings
 
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I contacted kimchi yesterday because I got a letter from my customs office that the invoice for my T2 Steelbook is completely missing.....
How long does it usually take for him to answer?

Havn`t had that problem with Kimchi, but with other companies. I just printed out my payment info and send to customs. No problemo!
 
Relax.

They are very busy with these Exclusive releases, and will get to you when they can. Tony is one man, dealing with an obscene workload. A few times now, Choi mentioned Tony skipped a night of sleep to get things sorted out, and in excellent shape for his customers. You know they're a great company with great customer service, so rather than being upset about it, cut the guy some slack.

KimchiDVD has been a small but reliable retailer for a long, long time. They decided to start a line of exclusive steelbooks, and (albeit in a good way for them, and for us) **** hit the fan in terms of popularity, orders, inquiries via email, having to service new and old customers, manually sorting out payments per order number, upgrading their system to be able to deal with the insane amount of traffic their site is getting, and a whole bunch of other things. Naturally, Tony and his staff are going to need some more time to get back to you than they used to.

If you don't hear from him soon, just send in another email. You could also send Choi a private message with your order number included, and he can approach Tony for you or even help you out himself.

Had returned defective Steelbook by Registered post which has been received on 16th July but absolutely no reply from Tony and yet to receive refund.:angry:
 
I don't now if people are reading the shipping option rules

Small Packet $8.30 (Non tracked, if lost in post no replacement will be issued)
EMS $21.80 (Tracked, replacement will be issued where possible if lost)
TNT Premium $37.80 (Tracked, replacement will be issued where possible if lost)
 
I don't now if people are reading the shipping option rules

Small Packet $8.30 (Non tracked, if lost in post no replacement will be issued)
EMS $21.80 (Tracked, replacement will be issued where possible if lost)
TNT Premium $37.80 (Tracked, replacement will be issued where possible if lost)

Small packet shipping is not available anymore..it's k-packet now... Slightly more expensive, but trackable. Read the infos for the grand bleu steelbook, more infos about that there. ;-)
 
Your concerns are valid. However, they didn't have much time to make a smooth transition from small retailer to exclusive steelbook powerhouse, you know? I am certain there will be more staff as time goes by. I just think Tony might be concerned with the way his customers are handled, if he's not the one doing it.

Have you heard from them?

Sorry. This one man business model makes no sense to me when they selling lots of movies. How about hiring some partners to share the workload? What if he falls ill and is there any backup to run the show?
 
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Had returned defective Steelbook by Registered post which has been received on 16th July but absolutely no reply from Tony and yet to receive refund.:angry:

You have the worst of luck, no wonder you're upset and complaining all the time. ;)

---------- Post added at 04:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:06 PM ----------

Had returned defective Steelbook by Registered post which has been received on 16th July but absolutely no reply from Tony and yet to receive refund.:angry:



Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Blu-Ray SteelBook) (KimchiDVD Exclusive) [Korea]
I opened my copy and not impressed by the Steel at all due to the quality of finishing. The Skynet edition shines better and is more camera friendly in my opinion despite the lack of embossing.

:p
 
"Thank You Tony and KimchiDVD!"

I just had to return via USPS International Express at a cost of $61.85 USD, 5 mashed "The Last Stand" Hero Packs to Amazon.de.

The first shipment of three were mashed. Rather than put them in a proper box with packing, a single ply cardboard "wraparound" was used by Amazon.de's shipping department.

I explained in detail everything to them, they sent three replacements... IN THE SAME EXACT TYPE CARDBOARD WRAPAROUND, NO PACKING! Only two of the three were mashed.

I only wish ALL eTailers would provide the same professional care in packing and shipping and customer concern and service that Tony, his wonderful employees and KimchiDVD give.

For a few Tony's business model is "a recipe for disaster", for me it's a blessing.

Thank You Tony and KimchiDVD! :thumbs:
 
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