Zavvi - Retailer chat [Europe]

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**Retailer charges cards when items ship

Per update received at HDN, starting with August 4,2014 releases, Zavvi will ship in boxes again.

[email protected]

Possible contact #s:

- 08442 640702
- 01606 336169
- 08442 439088

Thanks yeslek!

Current packaging is a cardboard mailer with the steelbook usually wrapped in either a layer of bubble wrap or foam

Spoiler: Past Packaging Updates

Update 9/5/2013:

https://www.hidefninja.com/forums/showpost.php?p=753977&postcount=1732

Current packaging-thanks dv8mad:

Spoiler

Previous packaging:

Spoiler

3/20/2013 Comparison of Play's old packaging to Zavvi's new packaging-thanks Zesty!

14/03/2013 By Wreck:
I now have confirmation that I can announce ... for all those worried about future packaging from Zavvi. My Play contact has been working with zavvi as well on this mission for better packaging. Between the 3 of us and the future comments from this community after its in place I'm sure it will be go over well.

View attachment 29368
from the pick line .........
foam inside

Spoiler

1/19/2013 Member Nyvo tweeted Zaavi about packaging concerns. They said they may be looking into alternate packaging methods.

http://www.zavvi.co.uk​

Zavvi shipping international list:
Zavvi UK

Box update1- 1/7/2014

Spoiler

https://www.hidefninja.com/forums/showpost.php?p=872703&postcount=2421

Box update 2-1/17//2014-we're told they have boxes again.

 

[Steeler]

I can really relate to those frustrations. I guess there would need to be some epic EU policy in place before Zavvi would let us change the address. I realise that there are people here who've got hardly any complaints about Zavvi. Well, good for them. I'm not complaining just because I enjoy it. I'd rather see Zavvi change for the better. If that happens, and Zavvi finally are able to solve some of their problems, I'll be the first to thank them for it. But something's going to have to change pretty quickly, before people decide to do something else with their time and money.

 

[Slim]

If anything you have saturated the market with mediocre titles

This needs to be in big bold letters and is my biggest concern. Zavvi is biting off way more than they can chew right now and I have a feeling they could end up bankurpt like HMV.

Zavvi is releasing some movies you would never think should be made into a steelbook or even deserve the steelbook treatment (in terms of popularity) such as The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, Byzantanium ect.

The final concern is the art work and quality on most of Zavvi steels is abysmal.

 

[psychoscot]

Zavvi releasing any old tat as an exclusive & hoping they sell out-apart from Frozen (a new Disney title in 3d) & Thor the Dark world I really can't see that any of the Zavvi pre-books are any good

Sorry mate but the Thor 2 steel is an utter disgrace! and has seen a substantial number of cancellations, not to mention quite a few emails and complaint comments on their social network sites! £25 for a cheap matte steel? This has been such a disaster that Marvel are mentioning it as often as they can to try and shift some units.

I agree with the majority of your comments. Luckily so far I have had no problem with the packaging "yet" but in most other regards I agree with the comments made. They have become the Steelbook McDonalds! selling fairly poor quality products that are far from "collectable" On arrival you think oh cool, but a week later they are forgotten about.

I got into collecting based on the original Play/HMV released steelbooks. While Zavvi do sell non exclusives that are of quality "Kick Ass 2 etc" they have yet to release a Zavvi exclusive that comes even remotely close to those early releases. They think what they sell is OK? Well it's 100% not. They need to cut back drastically on the titles and start selling far better quality products before they end up having to sell off all their steels cheap because customers in large numbers are starting to look elsewhere.

I to have been seriously stung on price by them only to see it a week later with money off. I am now fairly reluctant to pre order anything with them if the price is above £20 for fear a week after release it will be far cheaper.

 

[ChrisIW]

I agree with Slim. Far too often we see poorly chosen films, poor choice of artwork, or a combination of the two. This is surely the best place to see what their customers think - particularly as a decent percentage of their steelbook buyers frequent this site, and yet Zavvi appears oblivious to what we actually want.

 

[SimonLDT]

Zavvi have always been very poor in terms of customer service and being a good, honest reliable retailer.

However, I did think they might have turned a corner once they took over the UK steelbook market but they haven't. They've actually got worse, which is a real shame because the opportunity was there for the taking.

 

[tristar6]

Still no answer from zavvi about my no numbered city of god copy!
I send them pictures they requested. Bad Service!

 

[howiesteed]

First time I e congratulated the French this is how packaging should be take note zavvi

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[stephen3001]

Frustration free packaging is great. Amazon.de use this a lot as well. Someone should inform Amazon.ca about it's existence though and Zavvi should certainly take note.

 

[Zephyr]

Well I got Nightmare before Christmas and Se7en today...in double bubble envelope.
Nightmare before Christmas has a dent on the back and a bump on the spine and Se7en is a little bent as well.
It's not like they can replace Nightmare before Christmas... don't know what I'm going to do now...

I've contacted them about a Nightmare before Christmas and they offered me a partial refund. So I guess I will just accept that...only have to figure out if I have to reply to their emailadress or the message centre in my account...
I'll just try and find out..

 

[bigwednesday0]

I ordered Point Break when it first dropped to £5.99 and i still have not received it yet.
Not happy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Leshita]

First time I e congratulated the French this is how packaging should be take note zavvi

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I dislike Amazon's Steelbook packaging, prefer Zavvi's.
I have only ever received a couple of damaged ones from Zavvi out of many many orders whereas with Amazon's packaging many times the Steelbooks become loose inside and gets worn out in terms of the shrinkwrap and sometimes worse. I guess it doesn't matter for those who open their Steelbooks but I need my shrinkwrap to be pristine too, in which Zavvi does a better job with their tighter, more form-fitted packaging.

 

[tonybsg]

Today I received Pan's Labyrinth from Zavvi Outlet in a double jiffy.

This was the result:



Send them a message asking for a replacement, let's see how this goes.

 

[toonminator]

with Amazon's packaging many times the Steelbooks become loose inside and gets worn out in terms of the shrinkwrap and sometimes worse.

The ideal situation would be those boxes of Amazon + Zavvi's styrofoam layer around the steelbook to prevent the shrinkwrap from tearing

 

[digitalbabe]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, theman!

 

[SaberTooth]

Zavvi website needs a Wishlist like amazon :movie:

 

[hiratafabio]

Great letter there, themanfromunkle!

Vote with your wallet.

That's what I did. I cancelled all my pre-orders from Zavvi. For me, prices are getting too high and I can't cope with them with lots of releases scheduled for the same day.

Also, when I received my Jungle Book (spine slash) and Rambo (paint chips and slashes) steels damaged, it was a hassle to get them to understand what happened.

 

[RickB84]

great letter, have you got a reply yet?

 

[number33]

Great letter!
The website needs major improvement, too many hassle just to cancel one item.
Can't believe they change their packaging into an even worse kind after all the complaints about how the old one not being secure enough. Seeing how reluctant Zavvi to send replacement for damaged item, they really should improve their packaging.
As an international customer, I'd rather pay more for the shipping if they can provide much more secure packaging, rather than have it cheap but often find them arrived with damages.

 

[Bobthesub]

I agree with a lot of the points raised here, I dont want to sound like another 'zavvi basher' but they annoyed me once too often with their pricing, the price reductions so soon after release date and the severity of the reductions making it a real slap in the face for anyone that preorders something only to find it a fiver cheaper within a few weeks, and half price within a month or so. I can appreciate a price reduction months down the line, or a special offer but to slash prices when preordered copies have only just hit the doormat is frustrating to say the least.

'Sold out' is a status that has no meaning whatsoever from zavvi, Ive seen far too many exclusives sell out only to rise like a phoenix from the flames and return for sale. I dont buy for a second that these copies are cancelled preorders or returned items, some maybe but it happens far too often, and some of these back in stock titles stay in stock for weeks afterwards...thats one hell of a lot of returned/cancelled items!...and lets not forget the 'last chance to buy' emails about the jungle book....yaknow, that one thats STILL in stock even after numerous fire sales...Zavvi, the boys that cried wolf!

The quality of zavvis exclusive varies wildly, we were all wowed by early offerings like Roger Rabbit and Finding Nemo, lovely steelbooks for reasonable money...but then prices increase, now I can take price increases, especially on Disney titles that are always expensive anyhow, but if prices increase, steelbook quality, finishes, and overall 'wow factor' have to be maintained, it seems lately that as prices go up....quality and wow factor go down. If Im paying a premium price I expect a premium product far more often with my purchases from zavvi, ive had less of a feeling of happiness of owning something and more a feeling of being short changed. This is the main reason I cancelled the Toy Story films, 3 steelbooks that were top of my wishlist when Disney/Pixar films were starting to come out from zavvi, yet a week before release I asked myself why am I on the verge of spending £60 on 3 steelbooks that probably wont look all that great in hand and could potentially cost me £45 or less next week going by the zavvi track record of price reductions...even more so that the 3 film amaray boxset cost me £15

Ive voted with my wallet in the last month or so, over Christmas I decimated my preorders, it went from 3 pages, to 4 items, and Im still not sure if Im gonna buy all 4 of the items left...why? rising prices and lowering appeal, being burned once too often by zavvis overeager price slashes, and an overall feeling of 'meh' when I see many of the new announcements. Id much rather see quality over quantity, less steels will mean less unsold steels which will mean less fire sales and less annoyed customers who seem to see everything they buy in the sales a week later! I am happy to pay a premium for quality....but I wont pay high prices for average products


You can have too much of a good thing.....

 

[Gamesgaryjp]

I know the feeling when they drop prices. Both transformers were reduced to 10.99 the release week! Amazon wouldve refunded me the money but zavvi theres no chance.