Are there any disadvantages to Flex Pay?

[subzro]

Since they're allowing you to choose the date of your payment you may get your statue later than people who pay when the statue releases. Unless of course you call them when a statue is being released and tell them to force the payment. Then you'll get yours processed the same as the others.

You will not get your NRD back and they will take a fee for processing back the payments, but yes you get the rest of the money back.

Exactly, it's a great option.

I've only done this about 6 times, and it does make thing easier over all.

Sometimes you get them earlier than people that pay in full. If they get an order in a few days before a flex payment date they will try to get all the flex orders out 1st instead of pushing them to the next month. I have had that happen a few times.

I have canceled 4 figures and two statues in the past several months and got my NRD back or moved every time. If a figure is really delayed (and they always are) they will give you your NRD back. If they don't give it back there is a good chance they will move it to another figure. This will not happen all the time but I have been lucky i guess.

I flex a few things and most I pay when it comes in. It's a nice option for crazy expensive things like the batmobile.

 

[SimFeliz]

IMO Flex Pay is a tool that SSC uses to makes SUCKERS think they can afford something more easily than maybe they really can.

I personally hate subscription payments to stuff. They milk the flexibility out of your monthly budget $10, $30, $50 at a time.

If you're good with your money and objective with what you buy then its probably harmless, but if you're one of the many I see around here telling yourself "now I can afford 3 $200 figures a month because they're only $50 each for 4 months a time" then you're only fooling yourself.

Also, I see people saying they put their Flex Pays on a credit card. Unless you're paying off your CC every month, you are paying interest on something you don't even have in your possession. Just something to chew on there.

Buy what you can afford. If you don't have the cash on hand to buy an item in full, IMO you shouldn't be leveraging to buy this stuff. That's crazy.

I couldn't disagree more. I like flex pay because I'm the type of person that if I'm saving for something that is unimportant (in the scheme of things) I'm likely to use the money for something else I want. This way It's paid and I don't have the temptation to use it on something else. I use a direct debit credit card so I'm not using money that isn't mine and of course I never over commit myself and put too much on flex that I can't handle. Another good point, being an international customer often flex has helped me to pay less by getting in a most of the payments while the exchange rate has been good. So, no, Flex isn't just for suckers who can't manage their money. I'm even kicking myself now because I was going to put the HT 89 Batmobile on flex while our dollar was higher than the US. I kept putting it off and now now our dollar has dropped quite a bit.

 

[Solarsailor]

I mostly flex and pay it off early if my final date is after the release date.

Putting away $60 a month is nothing. You can even put a few statues on order if you can afford it.

The best part is SS never release anything on time so you end up ahead in the end anyway.

 

[Darth Snoopy]

IMO Flex Pay is a tool that SSC uses to makes SUCKERS think they can afford something more easily than maybe they really can.

You can make your point without being insulting.

I personally hate subscription payments to stuff. They milk the flexibility out of your monthly budget $10, $30, $50 at a time.

If you're good with your money and objective with what you buy then its probably harmless, but if you're one of the many I see around here telling yourself "now I can afford 3 $200 figures a month because they're only $50 each for 4 months a time" then you're only fooling yourself.

Also, I see people saying they put their Flex Pays on a credit card. Unless you're paying off your CC every month, you are paying interest on something you don't even have in your possession. Just something to chew on there.

Buy what you can afford. If you don't have the cash on hand to buy an item in full, IMO you shouldn't be leveraging to buy this stuff. That's crazy.

It sounds to me like you're speaking from experience. I use a debit card that's strictly used for my collectible purchases so I don't pay interest and it's money that's going towards my collection anyway.

I couldn't disagree more. I like flex pay because I'm the type of person that if I'm saving for something that is unimportant (in the scheme of things) I'm likely to use the money for something else I want. This way It's paid and I don't have the temptation to use it on something else. I use a direct debit credit card so I'm not using money that isn't mine and of course I never over commit myself and put too much on flex that I can't handle. Another good point, being an international customer often flex has helped me to pay less by getting in a most of the payments while the exchange rate has been good. So, no, Flex isn't just for suckers who can't manage their money. I'm even kicking myself now because I was going to put the HT 89 Batmobile on flex while our dollar was higher than the US. I kept putting it off and now now our dollar has dropped quite a bit.

Well said.

 

[Bmutha]

I put my last couple orders on FlexPay, but the payments haven't started yet (gladiator hulk and MoS). I went this route becuase I have a feeling that the Canadian dollar will continue to drop, and I want to get in payments sooner rather than later to avoid being hit hard by exchange rate.

I wish I could just phone SS and tell them to put a permanent note on my account that says no matter what my final FlexPay date is, charge the final payment upon release of the statue. Then I would never have to worry about having to wait (in case I forgot to phone or something).

 

[grphyx1]

With everything being constantly delayed you do have the option to call and tell them to charge you the day it comes in, even if your final flexpay is after your monthly date.

I put my last couple orders on FlexPay, but the payments haven't started yet (gladiator hulk and MoS). I went this route becuase I have a feeling that the Canadian dollar will continue to drop, and I want to get in payments sooner rather than later to avoid being hit hard by exchange rate.

I wish I could just phone SS and tell them to put a permanent note on my account that says no matter what my final FlexPay date is, charge the final payment upon release of the statue. Then I would never have to worry about having to wait (in case I forgot to phone or something).

 

[grphyx1]

oh one of the disadvantages I see is... if you pre-ordered quite a few items the same time and with delays and what nots all the final payments come due around the same time.

 

[Custo]

I flex multiple things when they have similar release dates. Much easier for me and it avoids $1500 in purchases all at once. I pay off my credit card every month, so interest doesn't worry me. Its a viable option for a lot of people.

 

[Hidden Jitsu]

I think Flexi pay is a great idea.
As with me i find it hard to save money so i just spend it.
But with flexi pay it just comes out of my money every month.
Also you don't really feel it that way as i just put it down as another bill to pay.
I often order 2 at a time if there is something out there i like.
Also sideshow are very good when helping out with money.
I was paying off 1 statue and another was starting on the same payment day which i forgot about.
So i basically spent all the money i had left.
Told them and they just changed it to the month later.

See i could not justify spending $400/$700.00 straight out on a statue unless it was very limited and 100% perfect.
As lets face it the statues are not perfect.
But with flexi pay it is just small amount's every month.

Only thing i hat is import taxes.

 

[wanderlai]

I like flexpay because it slips by the wife that way. Its also helps when everything starts getting delayed and crammed into one month. If you have several high priced statues hitting all at once it can get scary trying to explain that to the wife...lol

 

[Solarsailor]

I like flexpay because it slips by the wife that way. Its also helps when everything starts getting delayed and crammed into one month. If you have several high priced statues hitting all at once it can get scary trying to explain that to the wife...lol

Listen to this man.

 

[I and I]

We always used the flex option mostly because a year ago, we were still both students. We dont buy that much so flex was a great way to spread it out.
Now, because I alone am a student, were considering full payments.

Downsides to flex:
- they charge before telling you its delayed
- you get the later (we could never get them to charge before our final flex)
- hassle with full refund if the payments were too long ago due to constant delays
- getting later often results in having no more replacements

 

[Blackthornone]

I like flexpay because it slips by the wife that way. Its also helps when everything starts getting delayed and crammed into one month. If you have several high priced statues hitting all at once it can get scary trying to explain that to the wife...lol

That is the only reason to use Flex Pay now.
FlexPay used to mean an extra month to pay for it, which was helpful sometimes. Now FlexPay has to be paid at about the same time as full payment. With full payment, the money stays in your bank account earning interest for you, while with Flex Pay your money is in SS account earning interest for them.

Flex Pay actually costs you more because you lose interest, and is a hassle in terms of returns and such. Now, if FlexPay allowed the payments the be FLEXIBLE, like they used to be, by allowing you more time to pay so as not to miss out, I would like that.

 

[rofa]

Is it also possible to cancel one preorder and use the funds,you allready paid,for something else instead of getting the refund?

 

[Bmutha]

We always used the flex option mostly because a year ago, we were still both students. We dont buy that much so flex was a great way to spread it out.
Now, because I alone am a student, were considering full payments.

Downsides to flex:
- they charge before telling you its delayed
- you get the later (we could never get them to charge before our final flex)
- hassle with full refund if the payments were too long ago due to constant delays
- getting later often results in having no more replacements

Many other people have said it's no problem to get Sideshow to charge the last payment when the item is ready to ship (assuming your final flex was scheduled for after that). I hope that is the case because I have a couple flex items right now.

 

[Bmutha]

Is it also possible to cancel one preorder and use the funds,you allready paid,for something else instead of getting the refund?

I just tried doing this a couple days ago, and they told me they can't transfer flex payments to another order. If you cancel a flex pay item, they can only refund the payments you have already made.

 

[Snadinator]

I am contemplating never using flex pay again. It most certainly isn't flexible as SSC would have you think. The idea of cancellation fees that increase for every payment made is for the birds. A scam. They collect this + the NRD and then charge someone else full price. Either way, they generally sell all their stock. It is in their best interest for you to take flex and cancel later on.

You can't change from Flex to one-time payment (paying the rest on shipping day).

You can only move the payment date within the month once per order.

I can't just pay off my flex pay early.

I find it unacceptable that the client is so limited but they delay flex payments whenever they want. I don't care if the statue is delayed. I would prefer they kept the payments on schedule. This way the financial plan does not deviate and I do not end up having 3-4 flex orders get pushed so far off schedule they end up stacking with 3-4 other flex orders and making me broke as **** for those overlapping months.


I am contemplating opening a savings acount just for my hobby and it will be much more flexible than SSC's offerings.

 

[Bmutha]

You can pay it off early if you want

Its just whenever SS gets them in their warehouse. Say your flex payment is the 5th and they get them on the 10th your waiting till the 5th of the next month before yours is processed. You can call them up and pay it off when you see others are getting their notices.

Since they're allowing you to choose the date of your payment you may get your statue later than people who pay when the statue releases. Unless of course you call them when a statue is being released and tell them to force the payment. Then you'll get yours processed the same as the others.

We always used the flex option mostly because a year ago, we were still both students. We dont buy that much so flex was a great way to spread it out.
Now, because I alone am a student, were considering full payments.

Downsides to flex:
- they charge before telling you its delayed
- you get the later (we could never get them to charge before our final flex)
- hassle with full refund if the payments were too long ago due to constant delays
- getting later often results in having no more replacements

You can only move the payment date within the month once per order.

I can't just pay off my flex pay early.

So...I'm confused. Can you or can you not phone Sideshow and get your final payment moved up to coincide with the shipping date (if it is scheduled to ship before your final flex)? Seems like most people say you can, but others say you can't...

 

[CAhobbit]

So...I'm confused. Can you or can you not phone Sideshow and get your final payment moved up to coincide with the shipping date (if it is scheduled to ship before your final flex)? Seems like most people say you can, but others say you can't...

It depends on the product/stock that will be available at the time it starts shipping out. The best way to find out if one can pay sooner is by calling or emailing (a few days/weeks before an item starts shipping) to find out if paying off your last (or last few) payments is possible.

-SideshowAlex

 

[Bmutha]

It depends on the product/stock that will be available at the time it starts shipping out. The best way to find out if one can pay sooner is by calling or emailing (a few days/weeks before an item starts shipping) to find out if paying off your last (or last few) payments is possible.

-SideshowAlex

Thanks! So, it's basically case by case then.