Unbelievable Sentai Filmworks Response to Replacement inquiry.

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This seems really strange tbh. I could never picture myself getting a reply with getting told to destroy the item, that acutally is already faulty. This doesn't really seem something a representative of a distributor would tell me.

I'm shocked as well, because yeah, it's just a chipboard, as you mention, just a piece of cardboard with some letters on it. All the times I've asked for replacements (idk 4-5 times?), they either tell me to give it away or throw it out. Mind you, I live in Denmark, but some of the replacements I've asked for was from the UK.

As you said yourself, you aren't really guaranteed that the representative actually has some replacements ready and boxed up. And why should this be a problem? - you had even offered them to pay for it, I really don't see the problem lol. What does Sentai get from this? - litterally nothing, right?

It's a damn expensive set, I have never used that amount of money on anything in the physical media world. But if I ever did, I want it to be in damn perfect condition!
Please keep us updated on the situation. Try posting here as well, I can see you have a user on the site.
I've spent just over £800 on the g&r lock&loaded boxset and it was extremely well packaged.
 
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I got yet another email this morning asking me to confirm whether I destroyed the sets or not. I would like to add I had given up last night and made my peace with it, people being on my side of this lunacy helped me feel sane again after dealing with this craziness.

Anyway yeah I got another email so I just replied that yes I had destroyed them. Without the evidence of doing so because I figured well maybe that was all that was needed. But no I got a quick replay with a screenshot of a prior exchange with an arrow pointing to the word pictures. I'm not making this **** up people, this is how condescending this has become.

So anyway I decided to unfortunately give them my mind alittle bit. Using examples why what they were asking was illogical along with a full rundown of how poorly they shipped this set etc etc. I'd been restrained this whole time but honestly I didn't care anymore, I wasn't going to do what he wanted so I just burnt the bridge, or I suspect I have.

I certainly won't be buying from Sentai's store again, at least not anything that comes in packaging that isn't a basic blu ray case.

What a weird and frustrating 24 hours this has been. I'm mostly annoyed by how illogical the request is rather than the replacements not being issued. It's amazing what companies can get away with and it's equally amazing just how important 4 empty cases is to Sentai Filmworks and the Japanese side of things. 1001 sets CANNOT HAPPEN, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE!! lol.
I'm not trying to be funny but it's the risk take when you import a release that's licensed for a specific region unless you go through an importer.
 
Perhaps an odd question at this point but what shape was the set in when it reached the proxy service? Since most services open packages to check for damage and/or repackage to lower the weight/footprint of the item(s) (and charge accordingly) one could argue the fault may be with the reshipper not packing it back up properly.
 
The fault could lie with the proxy as unknown has said. As they would of opened and then sorted their packaging on top of what was received. They wont of just seen it, then forwarded it on. So poor shipping could be the proxy and not what Sentai shipped it in.

I used to get Cels and used a proxy and i always paid for them to check it and return it if it was damaged etc. Only once i got customs with this proxy because my seller packed it massive then the proxy had to package on top of that.

As I said, which got ignored, Sentai aren’t loco. Some companies will ask for it to be damaged beyond repair, with proof, so they can send a full replacement. I think the fact you just said “oh yeah, they’re damaged” and had a hissy over their reply where they reconfirmed they asked for a photo makes you naive and support the reason they ask for photos in the first place as hey look, you LIED you decked them *eye roll*
 
There in lies the problem: it's not stocked by importers so unless he went the route of paying an inflated price for a copy from an eBay reseller which would have likely ended up the same way with a similar response in regards to a replacement (Pitney Bowes would half ass the repack and deny all liability for damages) the only other option was Sentai via a proxy.
 
Why are people providing excuses for Sentai? If Anime Limited or mvm did similar they would get torn to shreds. Bizarre behaviour by Sentai, I'm also baffled why a 30 year old show is treated like like the Crown Jewels.
But they did

Anime Limited with Your Lie In April replacement box scheme asked for people (or at the very least me, I don't know who else this applied to) to destroy the box, writing a unique code along the front of the box.

For Sentai Filmworks to simply ask Blaize to take a photograph of the boxes, in a similar broken down state rather than send them back is NOT unreasonable. They tired their hardest to get Blaize support and it sounds like a company rep went out of their way to box up all the replacements themselves and get a shipping label... All this had to be authorized by management what this one rep pushed for as they wanted Blaize to have the perfect set.

As for shipping, the last time I used Sentai is was shipped from a RightStuf address, the packaging of the original item would have (likely) been by TRSI
 
But how much was the Your Lie in April box compared to the $800 dollar set?
If a rep confirms they will send a replacement, what does the original price matter?

Sure there is always a risk that the replacement is more damaged than the original, but this is a risk everyone takes. Just the same as buying the set

Do I suspect that when Sentai said "Boxed up" they have actually used a box... yes. So should reduce the risk of damage again
 
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AL also has a replacement scheme for Your Name they hid on a forum and is very slowly taking an update because they don’t want people to claim because it would cost them a lot of money AND they will want us to send the discs back when they finally release the replacement
It wasn't hidden, it was posted on an open forum. I know as I've applied for the replacement scheme

If AL want my disk, fine, if they want me to damage it, also fine. Either way I'd expect a replacement if they said they would give a replacement... just like Sentai have said they will replace
 
It wasn't hidden, it was posted on an open forum. I know as I've applied for the replacement scheme

If AL want my disk, fine, if they want me to damage it, also fine. Either way I'd expect a replacement if they said they would give a replacement... just like Sentai have said they will replace
It is hidden in comparison to other ones and I know that’s why they only got like 200 cases compared to the 20,000 or so sold. This is a “normie” film putting it on a hardcore anime only fan is unacceptable and saying they are so stupid they won’t notice is just so so insulting and annoys the hell out of me
 
But they did

Anime Limited with Your Lie In April replacement box scheme asked for people (or at the very least me, I don't know who else this applied to) to destroy the box, writing a unique code along the front of the box.
That definitely wasn't what most experienced. From Your Lie in April Part 1 – Replacement Scheme – All the Anime:

What should I do with my ‘original’ copy of Part 1?
That’s ultimately your decision. We are not asking for anyone to send their original copy back but all we ask everyone is to please not give or sell it to anyone else. We don’t want others to be impacted by this, so perhaps you can use it as a display piece or similar.
 
I've actually heard of this type of response before; mainly regarding video game collector's editions.

The problem you have now though, is that you've stated the items have been destroyed, so if they sense you're unwilling to send evidence, they may assume other intentions and be less enthusiastic to offer support.
Regarding speculation about the forwarding service potentially contributing to the poor packaging, is it correct to assume that a number of similar complaints we've seen have been from US customers?

I will say though, replying with a screenshot pointing to where they instructed you to supply photo evidence sounds needlessly condescending and petty. Simply typing "As previously discussed, we also require photographic evidence they have been destroyed" would have sufficied and taken less time to send.
 
If you're 100% confident that @Jeremy Graves or @anime_andrew DID NOT ask for me and other people to do this, then you would have no issues with me tagging their name in this thread
That's not what I said. I said that most people weren't asked to destroy their YLiA, and that I am confident of. I certainly wasn't, and there was nobody on here that I saw mentioning that they were asked to destroy theirs around the time of the replacement either.
 
Even though I bought my YLIA second hand of the marketplace here AL kindly agreed to replace it for me. But I had to write a number they gave me in permanent marker on the box and send them a picture.
 
Boxes are worthless without the actual discs. They have no value on their own, sorry this is just plain stupid. But hey it's an American company so they can do no wrong can they. In not even going to get into how horrendously overpriced this set was, nice price gouging.
 
That's not what I said. I said that most people weren't asked to destroy their YLiA, and that I am confident of. I certainly wasn't, and there was nobody on here that I saw mentioning that they were asked to destroy theirs around the time of the replacement either.
I certainly wasn't told to destroy any of my stuff for the replacement scheme whatsoever. Granted I did order it from Shop AllTheAnime so maybe they knew it was genuine (they even sent it to my home address instead of my Uni address at the time which was bizarre). So yeah this is the first time I have heard someone being told to destroy their box for this scheme.
 
I certainly wasn't told to destroy any of my stuff for the replacement scheme whatsoever
Sorry about that, I guess I was lying and trying to give AL a bad name, Darn I failed :) Sorry for the hassle and saying bad things about @anime_andrew

I'll leave this thread after....

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As for how limited a product is, I dont think it should matter. I think a distributor should keep enough stock back to ensure they have enough sets to cover (at the very least) replacements from the preorder batch. When they send replacements (Especially of this value) it should be of their best interest to ship them securely using a tracked service. While not concrete, its the best way to go. I very much doubt they are close to clearing out their stock of these sets

As for value, again, I don't see why this matters. A company is providing a product. Sure maybe I'd expect a better service if I spent £500 vs £200. But I think Sentai are only asking this from customers so people dont start doing things like selling empty cases on Ebay for $?00+

As for your Eureka example, there are many companies who will send out replacement disks, or just ship the replacement disk attached to the packet.

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Either way, maybe I'm too trusting?

I'm going to leave this thread now... Enjoy
 
I've only had one instance of being able to get a replacement for a faulty/damaged product without having to return the original, but that was under exceptional circumstances, which are entertaining enough to share.

It was StudioCanal's blu-ray of When Marnie Was There, which was widely reported as being defective. Their replacement scheme required old discs to be sent to a distribution centre, but I was unable to even open my set - in case the police needed to fingerprint it for evidence.

At the time, a lot of packages sent to my house weren't being delivered and it got to the point where the police had become involved. The theory they were investigating, was that as some people attached to the post office knew that I was a reviewer and worked in the film industry, they were targeting my post hoping to score some movies.
On day, an opened Amazon order for my copy of When Marnie was There arrived in the mail box, hours after the post had already been - and all invoices were removed. It was at that point that we contacted the police and were advised to not touch the contents.

When the replacement scheme was announced, I sent an email to the address StudioCanal provided. While they were initially confused, the distribution centre and StudioCanal discussed the issue and agreed to send me a fixed disc, on the condition that I provide proof of purchase. Also luckily, the day after Mum mentioned in the post office that the police were involved, everything turned up the next day... not suspicious at all, but we'd had no problems since.
 
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