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Who do I need to talk to in order to let them know that ordering from a website, then having to attend a convention only to confirm an order, then having to wait until after the show for Mattel to ship out that product is a poor way of handling the distribution of a product?

Perhaps I am reading this wrong but

"In order to receive your presale purchase, during regular convention center hours, you will need to stop by Mattel Booth #2945 to “check in” and confirm your presale purchase — just like last year. You will need to show your Comic-Con badge, your ID, and order confirmation — and the name must match on all. Then, Mattel will ship your order to you after the event ends."

reads like a very bad idea on someone's part. And apparently, someone has let this happen for two years now?

If you can only acquire the product by attending the show, why have it on the website for order? If you can order through the website, why make it mandatory to attend the show?

If the item isn't even on hand at the show, why bother with the whole confirmation process at the show in the first place?

Even I were attending the show, I'd find this ridiculous. Surely I am not the only one who does.

You'll read this as if I'm angry, I assure you, it's more annoyance than anything because it's just a toy. But logic would make me think that more people would buy the product if there wasn't a massively expensive trip to San Diego in the marketing formula. A trip that's essentially pointless to the effort of getting the product in the hands of the customer.

I've read a theory that this is some sort anti scalper tactic but that can't be right, scalpers are still going to buy them, right? Still going to sell them on the secondary market. Now the people who actually want to own the set will simply pay even because of the inflated demand due to this weird sales practice, right?

So, that can't be the reasoning, can it, anti scalping?

That's… a fairly good point. Odd. When they did the Iron song you could pre-purchase it etc. all the bells and whistles. But they the stock in layaway to be picked up at the Convention. Cause its not a convention exclusive if you don't get it at the Convention. It seems like they could literally remove the SDCC requirement and just sell the set.

It stops scalpers from getting more then one I would guess. By pre ordering you have to give a name etc. They can track if someone is attempting to get multiples. At the con, from what I remember you could just re-wait in line to get it again and again and again and again until it ran out on day one. There are too many people and shift changes to keep track of who got one already.

"If the item isn't even on hand at the show, why bother with the whole confirmation process at the show in the first place?"

I would assume this is to make sure they don't run out of the item, but I could be wrong. But you have brought up interesting points here.

If agree with you lisha but they do it by name and sdcc ID number. You have a cap, normally it's 3. People who go to these events just for reselling exsclusive are buying alot more then just MCX exsclusive.

Yeah not saying it will work :D. We have been complaining about scalpers on here but really for SDCC it does not matter much to me since I cannot go anyway. I am tired of the walmart scalpers that hoarded all the teela's.

I could be wrong, but I believe Mattel still sells stuff at the show. When they started doing presales, it was an attempt to cut down the line at their booth. I haven't gone to SDCC in a few years, but I think they were doing presales and also had their booth one the show floor selling stuff.