Some bad and disturbing news about DS service in Greece

[tahra]

That is the reason I never changed any of mine - hence I have a dragon with no wings and microsails without the microhull..

[bonniebeth]

Imagine asking an order like yours every week. George was told that these weekly small orders asked for a couple of accessories each time... so imagine have someone calling and asking each week for two feathers, three swords and five helmets, and then calling again to change it, or add one more...or remove one, or change quantity... this done on a weekly basis!!!

Yes, and this is what is meant by abusing the privilege of ordering from DS. We're talking about something rather extreme here, someone showing absolutely no consideration for the fact that the people filling these orders might get irritated and feel they are wasting their time.

Just the normal ordering of a few parts or a lot of parts a few times a year or maybe once a month shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't worry about it, as long as you are using common sense and showing consideration when placing orders. I think they understand when you find out the balloon isn't available, changing your mind about the ballon strings, for example. But to keep repeatedly calling it back and adding more things and changing it is another matter.

[Hadoque]

On the second order, I called after two hours to ask and add one more item, just one, and the person in charge of our orders in Playmobil Hellas said ''this time its ok, but please be sure what you need of next time and place it all together with no alterations, or wait and put this item in your next order, because the office in Germany,'' (from where all our orders are beign processed, packed and send to us) ''got furious as they had to process the whole order form from the beginning for just one extra item.''

There must be an exceptional matter of lightspeed involved with the way DS-Greece works, IHMO. 

Here in Belgium (and I think with most european DS-services, except Germany itself), once one has emailed/faxed/posted his or her parts-order, it takes some time (usually 1 or 2 days at least) before one's order is processed at the local DS (depending if there are weekends or not, busy times or not, etc).

The local DS-department is linked to the database-system in Germany, and they first check availability of the parts one has ordered. If some parts are unavailable, usually the local DS-department will contact the person placing the order about this by phone or email. When they do so, one has f.e. the chance to add some parts instead of the unavailable ones.

Then the local DS-departement forwards the order to the main DS-department in Germany. Once the order is processed there, making changes is no longer possible. But usually you get enough time in between to make a few alterations. Off course, it is not very recommendable to do so.

[Wolf Knight]

There must be an exceptional matter of lightspeed involved with the way DS-Greece works, IHMO. 

Yeah I was surprised at that too... I suspect it was not that busy a season for them, since it was in the mid of summer, and anyway, playmobil hellas only checks if the spare parts asked are included in sets that are or were only available in greece. We cannot ask for items included in sets that were never available in greece.  So I suppose, it does not take long to go through the set numbers in the list we send them and then send it immidiatelly to Germany. They call back to say that this and that are not in our database (set database, mind you, as they dont have a spare parts/accessories database) so they can't place the order for the specific parts, and then they send it off pretty quick. Germany replies with availability and prices in two days time and the process goes on...

[tahra]

Well, I'm waiting for over 5 weeks... I REALLY don't understand why don't they make a proper webstore and stop treating the rest of the world as second (I'm being nice) rate customers... Bah. Gonna shut up now, since I said this like a gazillion times by now anyways.

[Wolf Knight]

Well, I'm waiting for over 5 weeks... I REALLY don't understand why don't they make a proper webstore and stop treating the rest of the world as second (I'm being nice) rate customers... Bah. Gonna shut up now, since I said this like a gazillion times by now anyways.

  Yes and the answer is, once more, dealing with huge spare parts orders is not their main marketing strategy. Spare parts are for kids who loose a small part and get sad...they get happy again when they can order what tiny accessory was lost.... Playmobil still has to learn that it also must be for big kids who want big quantities 

[Giorginetto]

George did they tell you this was BECAUSE of this person or is that one of the arguments? It seems too big a decision for just ONE trouble maker.

Tonquello you have raised an important question. First i cant tell you how happy i am they accepted my 28 windows order , however they wouldnt process the 100 klickies, amimals, agriculture items etc i wanted to order, a order in excess of 1500 parts. For all these i have to wait till February now !!!

[Hadoque]

For all these i have to wait till February now !!!

That is when the most busy period for DS-services goes to a more "relaxed" status again.

Starting near the end of September, they have the busiest time of the year with processing all kinds of orders for regular catalogue sets (a lot of major theme-renewals are being released starting in August) and Add-On ones.
People are returning from hollidays abroad and are then ordering the new stuff, and also becausing of wintertime approaching (kids playing indoors again), and for all kinds of Holliday-related toypresents, like Saint-Martin ("Sint-Maarten"/"Sankt Martin" in Netherlands, Belgium, Germany) and Saint Nicolaus ("Sinterklaas in Belgium & Netherlands, "Sankt Nikolaus" in Germany), Christmas (with Santaclaus" in US) and New Year...

[Giorginetto]

Your points make perfect sense Hadoque . I am strill angry  that other's irresponsible behavior having a direct impact on my medieval diorama so to feel better i am going to playmobil straight after wrok today to buy some ' stuff '

[mike1003]

Mmm this is very interesting news and I'm so sorry to hear about the trouble your having in Greece. but I must wonder about this - what is classed as a small order? I've seen some of the posts on the forum of orders being pages and pages long and in comparison I place very small orders averidging £100 - £300 that I might place 4 or 5 times a year depending on what I'm working on. I've also had to change my orders on many occasions. I send Pm an email with my order and then they email me back with unavailable parts, and if it's half of an item I cancel the rest either by email or by phone when I pay.

I've never had any trouble with PM UK the ladies I chat with know me as a regular customer and we have a laugh. But it does worry me hearing all this. I would gladly be restricted to say 4 orders a year if it meant we could still order parts.

no worries, they usually very very nice at the UK DS.. the also shipped me a few missing parts from my last order to another country as iam left in the meantime. they very helpfull aswell, usually get an estimate on the same day..  the german one isnt that good. takes ages to get a reply that i had to go over the head of the head of the DS to get it sorted! lol