Reviews on Riot Merch: Beware Damaged Boxes!
Hello, fellow Rioters, today I review Riot's shipping processes.
The TL;DR: This is a post to raise awareness and hold Riot accountable for their products and shipping procedures. As it stands, there's no official place to leave reviews (like on ebay). Just add your own personal experiences, good or bad, for others to see so they know what to expect when ordering. Thanks :)
PRODUCT: 100/100. Gorgeous Katarina statue. Well done! SHIPPING: 0/100. No fucks given to a product I paid good money for.
My Katarina Unlocked box arrived with damage to the top corner of the box, the plastic seal was broken, and the lid (also damaged) was already open when I opened the cardboard shipping container. Upon further inspection, the plastic casing around the Katarina figure was warped where the box had taken damage, making it impossible to close the box.
I emailed the support page and promptly got a reply: "While decorative, the boxes are designed primarily to protect the contents. While we do not make replacements for the boxes or guarantee they will not be undamaged on delivery, as they exist to protect the figurine, if for any reason you aren't satisfied with your order, you can return it for a refund within 45 days of the purchase. Ultimately, you will be responsible for return postage..."
While I understand that the protection of the statue is the primary purpose of the box, any damage to the product, whether it is the box or the statue itself, greatly reduces the value of a collectable item. For example, an original Star Wars figure in mint condition, still inside a mint box, is worth far more than a mint condition figure with a battered, opened box. When a collector buys a new product, they expect it to arrive in new condition not play russian roulette. I've had several statues shipped from Japan with no damage at all, and yet Riot's product can't even make it across the border. So I disagree that it is okay to send a customer a damaged box or blame the shipping company for it. There is nothing I can do on my end to ensure the product's safety. The responsibility is on Riot's end. And it's pretty obvious, after taking one glance at the packaging, that they have made no effort to ensure the product's safety:
#1. The Edge Crush Test of Riot's shipping box is 26 whereas the minimum standard recommended ECT is 32. (Note: Three Amazon boxes arrived at my house along with the Katarina statue. The Amazon boxes (ECT 32) were in perfect condition. Riot's (ECT 26) was damaged. The minimum ECT recommended by UPS is 32. ) https://www.theboxery.com/ect.asp https://www.ups.com/content/ca/en/resources/ship/packaging/guidelines/how_to.html
#2. "Choose a box that's slightly larger than the item you're sending so you can cushion the item with packing material on all sides. Make sure your box is in good condition and sturdy enough to survive the trip. Pack the item with bubble wrap, peanuts, foam, or paper so there's no room for your item to move around in the package. Tip: If you're shipping very fragile items, like glassware, we strongly recommend you use something more secure than paper to pack your items." All Riot had was a bit of paper lying over the top. There was no bubble wrap or peanuts, and nothing at all protecting the other five sides of the box. http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/questions/pack.html
It appears to me, with one look at the forums, that Riot has had many issues with shipping damaged products in the past. Broken Thresh arms and people complaining that multiple items have arrived in damaged boxes... But those are old statues. And Riot still hasn't improved its shipping procedures? This is called gross negligence (a conscious and voluntary disregard of the need to use reasonable care, which is likely to cause foreseeable grave injury or harm to persons, property, or both). Broken Thresh Statue: http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/help-support/OVq9oJo1-cant-return-damaged-item Another Broken Thresh Statue: http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/miscellaneous/OJ4F8lGH-do-not-buy-the-thresh-statue-from-the-riot-store Two Broken Threshes At Once: https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/2op21b/riot_merch_store_thresh_statue_broken/ Multiple Breakages: http://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/help-support/dNOYvXvr-damaged-merch
Instead of fixing the issues, Riot has posted a rather interesting disclosure on their merchandise pages claiming no responsibility for damaged boxes: "This product comes in a custom designed box. Please note that the box is for the protection of the product during transportation only and is not replaceable if damaged. " This must happen a lot, and that is unacceptable. No wonder there's a disclaimer next to every item because the only protection Riot sends these items with is their prayers and a bit of tissue paper (which I assume we're supposed to use to cry on after receiving our damaged items).
So if you only care about the actual product, you're fine. But if you're a collector, you're taking a huge risk.