Thank you for suggestions. Never used HLJ before, just AmiAmi but I've heard good things about HLJ.

They have a tendency to over-book preorders and not restock once an item sells out, especially if it's really popular. Talk to Den-O if you want some serious horror stories.

Still, I've been using them for about a decade now and the worst I've had happen is a preorder or two got dropped.

Not around here most likely, HLJ does have its problems. They never happened to me personally, been using HLJ for over a year now, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. HLJ tends to „oversell“ pre-orders so it can happen that your order can't be fulfilled. And they don't tell you if it happens, because if it happens the item is already released, only you won't get one in that case. It happened to a good amount of people on this site, it seems this only happens with Tokusatsu-items, but you should be aware that this can happen.

I personally still use HLJ because stuff tends to sell out at other sites too fast for me to grab them and as I said, I never had any problems with them myself.

Also, every site has its flaws, that's what we have to deal with. AmiAmi has lousy customer service, NY either sells out faster than you can look and after that raise the prices like they want, HLJ tends to not fulfill orders. And both AmiAmi and NY won't let you cancel pre-orders. It's pick your poison or pick one up on the aftermarket.

I say this because I think you should know what you're dealing with. But in your current situation where you are not even sure if you want it, I would say put a pre-order up on HLJ, because that gives you the flexibility you need.

Poor Den-O has the worst luck I've seen in a long time.

One of the problems with HLJ is even if you cancel an order, sometimes they still bill you for it. And they can get very pissy if you don't pay up. It's even worse of you have a billing agreement and money just disappears.

I used to pre-order with HLJ pretty regularly and on occasion I still do when it's an absolute final resort. Like how Amiami has inconsistently been listing Drive TK figures and I'm stuck with HLJ. But I would never ever ever recommend them to anyone for anything. They are the aboslute biggest joke of the online retailer community.

In any case on more than one occasion with HLJ I've pre-ordered items only to have the orders completely disappear from my account. With no notice given, seemingly cancelled. So I'll order the item elsewhere and once I get it in hand I tend to get notices of payment being due from HLJ for things I didn't have on order any longer but have reappeared on my account. They delete pre-orders from my account about as often as I place them in all honesty. Yet when I explain these issues I get berated by whoever happens to be on the other end at the time.

I've had quantities changed on my pre-orders more than once and they've attempted to bill me for multiples of figures over and over. I set everything to Private Warehouse these days and yet very often I get billed for shipping for individual items. They've mailed orders to out of date addresses for me before meaning they were lost forever and I've never gotten my refunds for said incidents either.

I've also been flat out accused by their customer service people of lying about all of these issues as well despite having e-mail documentation of all of it.

I've only had preorder issues with HLJ before but on the day Kiwami was released, HLJ actually had Kiwami IN STOCK in the morning for a short period. On a whim, I ordered another Kiwami which was not fulfilled. So not only are they not fulfilling preorders, they aren't even fulfilling orders when an item says In Stock on their website.

I've never been burned by HLJ before, but I only use them for Transformer preorders (only Bandai/toku items I've purchased from them are D-Arts Charizard, a DX Chogokin, and two Monsterarts they had discounted during a post-Christmas sale).

When they start screwing around with Transformer preorders, I'll be done with them. The horror stories from those that have been dicked around by them are too bad and too consistent to make them worth my while if/when I start experiencing similar stuff.

CDJapan is a good place for figuarts as well, they may not have every single figuarts you can imagine, but they always tend to get the stuff in stock and always fullfill your pre-orders, and some times they'll still even have left over figuarts for good prices.

I got my Zangetsu like a month after he was released and got him all for around 43 bucks with shipping. Kiwami and Hibiki is still on their site for around the retail prices as of right now.

I just got my first pre-order from HLJ and it was a pretty smooth process, so I haven't been screwed over by them quite yet. I feel like the problems arise once you become a loyal customer.

Since NY was my only chance to pre-order Drive, I can try to pre-order him on Big Bad Toy Store. How good is BBTS with pre-orders since I haven't bought anything from that site in years.

Pretty good but they take forever to fulfill japans import figures now.

BBTS is usually a bit pricier, too, aren't they?

I remember, before Bluefin cleared the previous legal quagmire & was able to bring them over, that BBTS would put up listings for the earlier Showa Ultra-Acts but either wouldn't be able to fulfill them or took forever to get any stock in (and how much they acquired, I've no idea).

I don't remember hearing of similar issues (at least on the "inability to acquire any" end of things) with any Gaim Figuarts they put listings up for, but I wasn't paying much attention either.

I remember Gaim & Baron w/their first release bonuses did reopen at AmiAmi sometime before they were released, so Drive could open up again too. BBTS could serve as an "if all else fails" backup option while you keep your eyes open for other avenues.

Generally speaking yes, but it also depends on whether it's an exclusive or regular retail release. Their prices for regular retail releases are more or less the normal price, but exclusives are significantly marked up. I'd say they're fine to use for retail releases as a backup, but I would never use them for an exclusive.

BBTS takes forever to fulfill ANY preorders. Period. I've never had any luck with them. I might be impatient, but I've never even gotten to the point where I can have experienced their service- good or not. I always look elsewhere before my orders come in. Case a point: NECA Hong Kong Brawl Gipsy Danger. It was supposed to be out last month and they've still got the grey prototype as the thumbnail image. I just went to TRU instead.

Yeah, BBTS is very slow with preorders, I wouldn't recommend them for that. To answer Guyver Spawn's question above, you'll probably be able to get Drive faster and for roughly the same price if you just get him on Mandarake after he's released.

That only seems to be when BBTS has to import like the rest of us. Way I see it: BBTS is a last resort for this kinda thing.

So is the American Tamshii Web Shop ever going to be updated? The site has been the same for the past month or two. I wonder if the American webshop is dead?

Thanks for all the heads up info on HLJ everyone. Helps out alot!

lol

I forgot that even existed.

Just got a mail from NY that said Duke Lemon Energy is in stock with a payment request. So we might get a visit from the crazy Professor soon!

Wait, what?!

*checks email*

DAMN IT. Good thing I only have two figures next month, I'm zeroing out from all the releases this month...

Is it really in stock already?

*also checks email*

Oh damn, it's all part of a bigger order I made....problem is I don't get paid until the 21st and the deadline is the 22nd D: I'LL BE CUTTING IT CLOSE!

I'm not sure if it's really in stock, the item page still says 25th. But it's unusual for them to send out mails saying "In stock, pay us" isnt it? Usually they ask for payment like 2 weeks befor the item comes out. So maybe they screwed up? Wait and see, if I get a shipping note I'll let you know.

Man, I was really hoping for a threepeat too. If that happens I'm back to square one, bested once again by a German in a nice hat and a blue dude with an excellent beard.

I paid months ago, but my account still has it listed as simply "pre-order paid" and I've had no shipping or packing email. Strange.

Actually, that's the two weeks notice email that payment is due. I know because I got the same email.

It's not the two week payment email. Granted, they may have sent this one out in error, but all of the two week emails I've received in the past specifically stated: Both the emails I received last night said this, however: As I said, probably an error, but it was enough to get the blood pumping for a minute this morning. :lol

Goooood, it wasn't just me confused by the wording. :lol

I completely forgot about Duke and now I'm concerned over what to do. Does NY let you change shipping options? Because I believe I had EMS set, which means it'll get sent here to my apartment... while I'm not home. And their asinine holiday rules means they'll only hold a package for two days and that won't be enough assuming EMS gets it here as fast as it has been. But if I could make it go home or pick a slower one...

I received the reminder notice email last night on Duke & SIC Leangle Jack, no in stock/payment request for me.

My actual order on their site still indicates an expected arrival date of Dec. 25 too... Weird.

Is EMS usually still pretty fast around the holidays? I know going SAL or whatever the slowest option may be is a bad idea so don't really want to just change that (realized from earlier the time of year it is heh). But if I ship it back home with usual EMS speed... assuming their stock isn't delayed... I could probably fit a Figuart in my luggage...

I already pay off Duke a while ago. I guess they will start shipping out soon along with the Yomi Ryugen set soon. I choose Eco - SAL Registered to ship out my item, so I will likely get mine around the last week of the year or the first week of January.

So I'm assuming because nobody's brought it up again that it was just a typo and Duke hasn't actually been released yet?

Either way, I probably should just go pay it...

Duke's release date according to Bandai is the 17th http://p-bandai.jp/tamashiiwebshoute...em-1000090556/ so yeah not out for another week

Glad I'm paying it off this week...

Bleh, last time I checked it just said "December"...

And greeeeat now I'm back to worrying about where it's shipped then. >_< Who knows when NY will get their stock, but if its within days of that... I'll be out of the town it's being shipped to and stupid policies and ugh...

I double-checked my email and turns out it did say Duke was in stock, though I didn't have to pay until the 22nd. I still have SIC Leangle Jack as part of this month's order and that's not in stock yet or going to be soon, but just in case I paid anyways.

They updated the date by the end of November, as I recall.

I never got my e-mail on Duke yet :(. I did bought Hibiki when I was in New York City and I love it. I would put him on my favorite figures of 2014 since everything about him is amazing. I never notice any bad paint on mine since all of the weapons are nicely detail and painted. Hibiki himself is very beautiful to look at when holding him and putting him on display.

I can't seem to find pics that convince me either way so I gotta ask: was the Lord Baron shown a while ago a posable figure or a Zero statue?

Happy to report that my latest batch of Tamashii items for once seems to be QC issue free. A general inspection of Buujin Gaim, Femme, Den-O Wing Form, Side Machine (as well as Broly & Ultraman King) has for once left me happy about my purchases.