Here We Go Again: Frozen Doll Disaster, Round 2?

[Erica]

Good god, Disney, get your crap together . I received my Anna this morning, but Elsa's tracking hasn't updated since "A shipping label has been created". I just called customer service, and while the woman was nice, the only thing she basically said was they'd look into it and give me a call back in one to two business days. I understand that they're handling large volumes of orders, but I can't help thinking that someone in the DS warehouse needs to get their head out of their butt and start paying attention to their job.

Thats exactly what they told me the first time I called. The second time I called they told me they'd ship me a new doll.

 

[Crimson Ribbon]

Thats exactly what they told me the first time I called. The second time I called they told me they'd ship me a new doll.

I'll probably end up calling again tomorrow. I'll be bull if they try and refund me the cost of Elsa.

Granted I am a hell of a lot more excited about Anna, because I don't particularly like Coronation Elsa, but I'm collecting everything Elsa and I want her for my collection. The only comfort I have is that I had no trouble with my Snow Queen Elsa, and she means a lot more to me than the other dolls.

 

[Maleficent913]

This sucks on so many levels for everyone. I hope that those of you waiting for the dolls to arrive, don't have to suffer much longer. I am still debating on whether or not I will shell out eBay price for them. Ce la vie!

 

[Thimble]

I ordered both girls in the same order, and Anna arrived yesterday and Elsa arrived today. So if you get one without the other don't fret! They don't always stay together since each doll has an individual shipper box. Also keep in mind the farther you are from the warehouse (tn), the longer it will take to arrive.

 

[starry_solo]

On phone with DS.com now

 

[Erica]

There are so many people in this situation. They can't possibly have enough replacement dolls to give to everyone. They probably only hold back 100 right? What they need to do is check their warehouse. There's probably a whole bunch of dolls floating around waiting to be shipped out!

 

[Chernabog666]

It's also tough talking to someone who keeps referring to their manager as their fairy godmother... >__>

How Bloody Ridiculous!!!
This is An Outrage!!!

 

[starry_solo]

There are so many people in this situation. They can't possibly have enough replacement dolls to give to everyone. They probably only hold back 100 right? What they need to do is check their warehouse. There's probably a whole bunch of dolls floating around waiting to be shipped out!

It seems to me that once they print the labels, they shouldn't send out emails saying that they shipped until UPS PICKS THEM UP!

P.S. On hold second time with DS.com, first time the music stopped and I got disconnected!

EDIT: So, i called again this afternoon (second time) and after waiting for 20 minutes, I spoke with a CM who told me to wait til tomorrow for an update for Anna but who gave me a tracking # for Elsa! Said tracking # shows that it wasn't generated until I had called on Sunday (basically I have called daily since Sunday) and it didn't depart Memphis until AFTER I called yesterday afternoon.

Now I wait til tomorrow to find out the fate of Anna. They said USPS couldn't provide them information until AFTER it was delivered. They also acknowledged that when they tried to track it themselves, it showed as "tracking number not found!"

 

[starry_solo]

P.S. I expect them to hold back 10% of available inventory for problems but that might be too high of an expectation. 10% = 400 dolls (since 1000 were for the rest of the world). 100 dolls would be only 2.5% of inventory for problems.

 

[Addicted to Alice Pins]

It seems to me that once they print the labels, they shouldn't send out emails saying that they shipped until UPS PICKS THEM UP!

Printing the labels probably automatically generates the emails. But I completely agree: If you haven't actually shipped the item, I don't want to receive an email saying you have. At the very least, it induces a lot of unnecessary stress if there is just a backlog and your package doesn't get picked up/sent to UPS right away. And at the worst, it gives you a false sense of security that your item is on its way, when there is a chance it has been mishandled and you won't know until it's too late to do much about it. Finish one order before you start the next!!!! (It's a warehouse for a huge corporation. They can be "finishing" as many dozens of orders simultaneously as they can handle. But FINISH!)

 

[Erica]

It seems to me that once they print the labels, they shouldn't send out emails saying that they shipped until UPS PICKS THEM UP!

P.S. On hold second time with DS.com, first time the music stopped and I got disconnected!

EDIT: So, i called again this afternoon (second time) and after waiting for 20 minutes, I spoke with a CM who told me to wait til tomorrow for an update for Anna but who gave me a tracking # for Elsa! Said tracking # shows that it wasn't generated until I had called on Sunday (basically I have called daily since Sunday) and it didn't depart Memphis until AFTER I called yesterday afternoon.

Now I wait til tomorrow to find out the fate of Anna. They said USPS couldn't provide them information until AFTER it was delivered. They also acknowledged that when they tried to track it themselves, it showed as "tracking number not found!"

I totally agree with them not sending out "blast off" emails before UPS picks them up. Anything can happen in the warehouse, as we can tell from all the shipping issues we're having.

So you have tracking info for Elsa now? Like the UPS site is showing green? If so, great!! At least you know one of the dolls will get to you!

 

[Maleficent913]

I am crossing my fingers for you Li!

 

[starry_solo]

I am crossing my fingers for you Li!

Thanks Janelle! And yes, I have tracking for 1 doll which is via UPS (not USPS like they said it was going to be). I tried to explain to the CM about UPS Mail Innovations where UPS ground takes it through CA and then delivers to the local post office for delivery to my PO Box but the CM didn't seem to understand why I wanted a UPS tracking #

And yes, the UPS tracking # shows it is green, it departed the warehouse!

 

[Polaris]

Thanks Janelle! And yes, I have tracking for 1 doll which is via UPS (not USPS like they said it was going to be). I tried to explain to the CM about UPS Mail Innovations where UPS ground takes it through CA and then delivers to the local post office for delivery to my PO Box but the CM didn't seem to understand why I wanted a UPS tracking #

And yes, the UPS tracking # shows it is green, it departed the warehouse!

Gosh Li I feel so bad for you, it is like this with every release. Sorry I havent been following your situation in too much detail so far but where are you at at the moment? Your Anna's tracking has been working from the start and is on the way to you now but your Elsa one is the one that had problems but they managed to track you down another one and they are sending that one out? So does that mean both are now on their way to you? I do hope so because to be honest I think you really deserve a break from all this drama with the Disney Store shipping!

 

[starry_solo]

Gosh Li I feel so bad for you, it is like this with every release. Sorry I havent been following your situation in too much detail so far but where are you at at the moment? Your Anna's tracking has been working from the start and is on the way to you now but your Elsa one is the one that had problems but they managed to track you down another one and they are sending that one out? So does that mean both are now on their way to you? I do hope so because to be honest I think you really deserve a break from all this drama with the Disney Store shipping!

Nope, unfortunately not. Anna's tracking (a USPS DC #) never worked since they gave it to me. When I called them on Sunday to complain about no tracking # for Elsa, I also asked them to look into why the Anna DC # wasn't working. Which they said to give it 3 business days to start working

(in the back of my head, I'm like, yeah, I'll call you TOMORROW!)

So, I call again on Monday and they said, maybe it hasn't been scanned, they will look into it. They are still looking into Elsa's tracking # and put in a request for the # (from the warehouse).

I call Tuesday. They start an investigation since they didn't get any information from the warehouse.

I call Wednesday (today). They see the notes that an investigation has started. The CM clicks on the tracking # for Anna and says that it's odd, it says "not found" (um, that's what I told you guys on SUNDAY!) So, they're trying to track it down. According to the "notes" it says that USPS was contacted and was told that it wouldn't be updated until DELIVERY. Umm, nope, that's not how it's supposed to work.

I explain to the CM about UPS (United Parcel Service) Innovations, which works with USPS (United States Postal Service) to deliver packages to P.O. Boxes (UPS AND USPS have been working together for at least 10 years on this issue, to deliver UPS mail to P.O. boxes!)

CM then says, hey, there's a different tracking # for Elsa (yay!) and clicks on it and IT WORKS! He tells me to expect delivery of Elsa by March 25th. I ask for the tracking #. I get it - it starts with a 1Z like all UPS tracking numbers seem to.

(NOTE: I have a few friends that work for UPS and they tell me they can't find me a tracking number with the USPS DC #, even though the information is all generated at the same time and prints out on the same label [with one scan/tracking # for UPS and one scan/DC # for USPS).)

So, as of now, I have an Elsa coming to me but she weighs 4.40 pounds. Is that correct? What are the weights of Anna and Elsa (individually)?

 

[Addicted to Alice Pins]

Anna is 4.7 and Elsa is 4.4, so that is correct. And I will say, Anna does feel like she weighs a ton. All that heavy-gauge felt in her cape, I guess.

 

[bookhugger]

wow.

 

[jennisney]

I hope you get your dolls Li xxx

 

[Selithiel]

I ordered both girls in the same order, and Anna arrived yesterday and Elsa arrived today. So if you get one without the other don't fret! They don't always stay together since each doll has an individual shipper box. Also keep in mind the farther you are from the warehouse (tn), the longer it will take to arrive.

I'm going to be getting my online order on separate days as well - Elsa arrives tomorrow and Anna arrives Friday.

 

[lordofanime]

Fun fact (which I learned from reading either Polaris's or Shivatopia's posts): They *do* have a modest stash of extra dolls to use as replacements, should any be lost or damaged in transit. Not sure how many or what percentage, etc, so that's why it's important to get your "claim" in early. Once they run out of replacements, the ONLY thing they can do is issue a refund. And while that's technically "fair," it really doesn't help you if you want the doll and have to resort to eBay or elsewhere.

I'm sorry to hear that your doll was lost, but I am glad they are correcting the problem!

I think that they do that with every item.

I remember calling a few days before christmas to tell them that the Elsa mug that I ordered was damaged (her mouth wasn't printed, lol) and that they no longer sell the item online. The guy told me that they do in fact have some in the warehouse and he insisted on shipping it to me UPS next day even though I told him that he needn't do that.

Honestly.. I personally think that Disney has a good Customer service, granted they do have some hiccups, but in the end of the day, they seem like professionally trained representatives.
I think the main problem was that these dolls fell on the same week that Frozen's Blu-Ray was released. As one of the representative was telling me, they've been getting calls all morning about costumers, dolls, and other merchandise. I feel terrible for them, and it's probably strenuous and unexpected to deal with this many customers.

 

[rabbitunderground]

i hope everything works out for you! ; u;

i'm kind of torn. they are people and people make mistakes and/or don't know the situation but do their best to help.

at the same time, it seems like their system is a little whacky. and it's really unnerving when things like this happen, because people put in the work of ordering the doll at a late time and of course, if it comes damaged or doesn't come at all, it's just like... ":c...................................................."

but yeah, keeping calling them so they don't forget about you. :c

 

[sheldoal]

Fun fact (which I learned from reading either Polaris's or Shivatopia's posts): They *do* have a modest stash of extra dolls to use as replacements, should any be lost or damaged in transit. Not sure how many or what percentage, etc, so that's why it's important to get your "claim" in early. Once they run out of replacements, the ONLY thing they can do is issue a refund. And while that's technically "fair," it really doesn't help you if you want the doll and have to resort to eBay or elsewhere.

I'm sorry to hear that your doll was lost, but I am glad they are correcting the problem!

It is true about the stash. I preordered Ariel in July 2013. There was a mix-up, and she and my Bluray/liths were sent to wrong place. It was shipped USPS. The CM let slip that she checked, and there were available Ariels they could use to replace mine. As I recall, I said I was worried because these dolls sold out on preorder. That is when she looked it up.

Luckily, she found out where mine was and had it sent to me. I don't remember if it was rerouted or what. So, anyway, they do keep a few, but whether or not you are the lucky one who receives one of them is up in air.

 

[OlafOlaf]

It's also tough talking to someone who keeps referring to their manager as their fairy godmother... >__>

omg so true! They always want to throw sprinkles in your face when you talk to DS or even mail them.

"We're so sorry for the inconvenience, our imaginary snowman is traveling to some Disney city this week and he will let us know by way of some magical emails what the current situation is. For now, have some sprinkles and **** in your face! We hope it'll blind you about how screwed up our customer service is. HAVE A MAGICAL DAY, what is your favourite princess, mine is Aurora! *sprinkle sprinkle*

 

[Addicted to Alice Pins]

The people who staff Disney Customer Service are perfectly lovely. They're just trying to earn a living like the rest of us, and they are as helpful as they can be. That said, they are merely the representatives (to the general public) of the company, which needs to get its systems sorted out better! The folks who answer the phone have no control over policies, procedures, inventory, etc. It's important to separate those folks from the Powers That Be who *do* control the aspects that many of us become disgruntled with. Since the calls are recorded, I've told plenty of them that, for the record, while I'm certainly not angry with THEM, their higher-ups can hear me say, "Your company screwed up this time and it's not acceptable!!!"

 

[sheldoal]

You could not pay me enough to do that job, especially during LE releases. It has to be hell. I would love to be fly on the wall when some of them get together--wherever they do that--and vent about crazy customers. Hahahaha.