Disneystore UK Rant

[berrygood]

I'm just jealous that so many of you live so close to disney stores to start with, my nearest is Lakeside or Romford but I dont drive so am more likely to visit the stores in London. In fact every time I've visited the store in Covent Garden I've found the cast members to be super helpful even when they dont have a big selection of pins. That said the Oxford Street store tends to be too busy to trade and finding the pins there can be a real bind! But earthbound is right we do all need to be making more of an effort to trade and to ask to see the pins when we are in store else they will take our pins away again

 

[Stitch2814]

I think so as I joined the group to follow news etc for mousemeets and didnt see the link saying they were sold out...http://www.mousemeets.co.uk/ thats the link to the site and youll see a Buy now button so Im assuming some are still available.

 

[Martin B]

I haven't actually bought my ticket yet, will do it when I get paid.

My girlfriend asked the question and I am wondering is it actually worth the £40 for the two of us?

Regards,

Martin

 

[Stitch2814]

going off from what they had last year in Manchester the £10 ticket got a private showing of Snow White in the Odeon which would of cost you £7 on a normal day, plus other disney orientated activities (I cant remember what they were) but Im travelling from Irleand and is basically going for the 48 hour pin trading hehe Id say it be worth it though.

 

[Martin B]

I posted this on another forum a few days ago ranting about the rules regards pin trading and how they implemented here in the UK.

Does anybody else find that the Disney Stores are very inconsistent with the rules they implement regards Pin Trading?

I keep finding that I am getting a bit of a bum deal with these inconsistencies!!

I went to one particular disney store on Monday to see if they had the Briar Rose pin. It wasn't on display so I asked a CM and they referred me to another cast member who 'deals with the pins', apparently on Saturday morning one individual came in and purchased all of the LE Briar Rose pins and all of the core Minnie pins. Correct me if I am wrong but, according to the Disney Store guide to pin trading aka 'Pinformation' a customer is not allowed to buy more than 2 of any design of LE pin in any one day, yet they admitted that one man purchased the lot (Minnie and Sleeping Beauty)

However a few weeks ago in a different store when the Jack Pumpkin King pin came out I tried to purchase 3 (one to keep, one to trade, one for a friend) however I was told then that I could not buy more than two in a day and was handed the pinformation sheet. So I only purchased two, and seeing as I don't have a Disney Store on my front door, I wasn't sure wether I could guarantee getting one or not when I next visited.

Regards actual trading, the same store also said that I could only trade two pins at a time in general. Not two per lanyard which it states. Although I already have the CM hidden mickey name badge set, they had three on there which I thought would be good traders. Then again though in most of the other stores I have been to they almost beg me to trade with them as they have nothing but core UK pins on them and in one Midlands store I ended up trading about 8!

I hope that makes sense, but I don't want to name stores in case I offend somebody or somebody who reads this is a culprit of my rant. However does anybody else feel that there are so many inconsistencies between stores. Also, on final point, does anybody else feel that some staff are very enthusiastic about pin trading but others are so rude and inconsiderate and almost laugh at our hobby?

Thanks,

Martin

Does anybody else have similar problems?

I have literally just been in to the Bullring store about five minutes ago and I was refused! I managed to trade two pins and went to trade a third and was told that I could not. They had two lanyards for me to choose from and I was going to trade two from each as the rules stipulate. I tried to tell them that I was entitled to trade two from each and so they got the manager. The manager that said her colleague was correct and each customer can only trade two in store per day regardless of how many lanyards there are. I am shocked that even the manager can not get her facts correct.

Thankfully, I wasn't desperate for the other pins but it was frustrating. I managed to get the Minnie sitting core pin and the Stitch hidden Mickey alphabet pin which I was very pleased with!! Oh well.

The other pins I wanted were the Mickey sitting core pin and a Donald pin I hadn't seen before.

Please let me know if you experience any similar difficulties. I called guest services the other day regards my treatment in a different store I hadn't been to before. Should I ring/email them again?

Rant over, Happy Pin Trading!!

Martin

 

[Vala]

I haven't traded often, but when I traded the cast members were extremely enthusiastic and if I had wanted I could have pretty much traded for the whole lanyard.
Thing is I am German, you notice I am a tourist, and I brought good US stuff that the UK people don't normally see on lanyards. So they got excited when I showed up.

It seems the lanyard rule gets interpreted differently from CM to CM. I had it happen that even in Disneyland California a CM at the central Pin Station in DTD refused to trade with me because I had already traded two with his co-worker!

But regarding the limits yes, I have never seen them enforced in any store. Honestly speaking I was thinking they were for online shopping only? And the limit for core pins (unless I am mistaken Minnie is a core pin) is 25 on the website anyway.
I did receive a package from my friends in the UK with the new releases. They were able to get 3 Pumpkin King pins and 5 Tink on the Moon at the Covent Garden Disney Store too, and it was one of them showing up alone, so you couldn't even sell "two persons in the party got three pins."

If you want to complain I would write, not ring. I've experienced from the US store that calls get brushed off. If you write you have better chances of success.

 

[earthbound]

It really is hit & miss!! Depends on the store & the CM, I've bought 3 of the same pin before, no problem! I have also traded 4 pins from one lanyard before no problem. The observation here is that the CM's do not want traders clearing them out of what they determine & to quote from above "decent traders".

The rule (as per ODPT.com) quite clearly states a maximum of 2 pins can be traded with each Cast Member - this is where it fails! IF the CM has both lanyards then they can quite correctly refuse, in their eyes you've had your quota & I have seen a CM wearing 2 lanyards in the Romford store.
However one CM refusing because you have already traded with a colleague is wrong - I would have kindly reminded them of the rules. By the way DLP CM's have a copy of the rules on their lanyard just in case of query!!

 

[Vala]

Tried, but they wouldn't budge. Plus my room mate was around, and she hadn't traded. So we decided to do the simple route... she traded and gave the pins to me once we had left the store.

That's nothing I normally do, but seeing I should have been allowed to trade we figured it was justified.

 

[Martin B]

I would have kindly reminded them of the rules.

Like I said though, the manager actually came over and insisted her colleague was correct. If the manager says that then what can I do?

I've just put the Pinformation sheet in my bag so that next time I can pull it out.

Thing is I am German, you notice I am a tourist, and I brought good US stuff that the UK people don't normally see on lanyards. So they got excited when I showed up.

Yes at the Solihull store I took in some more unusual and US/DLRP pins that I had previously traded for or bought off line and they likewise would have traded the whole lanyards worth with me, they were going 'trade that one' and 'If you swap that one, I'll trade for it in my break' etc. At the end of the day I am taking all my trades to DLRP and the cast member lanyards will get whatever I have regardless of DLRP or UK, they have to trade.

For the first time ever I also saw somebody else looking at and deciding to buy a pin! They picked up the Jack Pumpkin LE! Wow!

Martin

 

[Ponyo]

I can defo see why the inconsistency can be frustrating i myself have been lucky with the rules Romford store seems to follow them to the letter (at least when i go) you can buy two of the same LEs a day, which i do feel is fair since they seem only get a small number come in for LE a time such as i know Romford only got 12 for the Briar Rose pin so for how many of us use that one store (not to mention how many others who are not on this forum) that it would sell out far to fast (This comes from my bitter disappointment of waiting till Monday to pick up the beauty and beast pin which was out recently only to find out it sold out on day one lol)
However when i do trade i do always get that vague expression of shock or annoyance lol but I’m slowly getting used to it lol

I have a question about the mousemeet i'm considering going however i don’t really have a backlog of traders to trade with do they have little stalls set up to buy pins and other Disney gear? as i don't want to go and not pick up any new pins lol

 

[Stitch2814]

I was able to trade for 20 (4 complete sets) of the name badge pins from the oldham store before I moved to ireland as the CM knew I would come back every day for them as I was getting a set for 3 other people as well as my own so I basically cleared out the oldham store. I know the CM shouldnt of done that but they were very friendly and like I said knew Id be back everyday XD so saved me the trips hehe

Ive never encountered the 2 lanyards to 1 CM as at the Trafford centre store and Arndale its always 1 CM who has both Lanyards (as you have to ask for them so they bring both) and Ive traded off both lanyards at the same with max of 2 per lanyard so I guess it depends on the store.. Id certainly not want to visit that store you go Martin as Id probably cause a scene lol

 

[Masamune]

LOL, I love your honesty Danny.


@ Ponyo - There was one stall at the last Mousemeets which had a great selection of Disney merchandise, including a few pins, but there were no stalls that were JUST selling pins. The other big stall that was there had mainly WDCC/Disney Traditions, so all that stuff was pretty expensive.

BTW, I love your username. *Is a big Studio Ghibli fan*

 

[Ponyo]

Lol Cheers along with Pixar no other studio has such a great run of movies one after the other, and i loved the film Ponyo as it just makes me filled with childlike joy lol
and thanks for the info as long as i have fun chatting with fellow Disney fans and come away with even just one new pin i will be happy indeed and lets not even start with the WDCC as I will be broke in a matter of hours if i start that dark spiral of money despair =)

 

[Stitch2814]

hehehe got to be honest, and you know me Im always honest and say what I think XD

 

[moo_moo_uk]

hi mashead.the york store used to have a massive pin display,but when i went the other week they only had a small amount.i asked the cast members and they said they had limited space due to christmas items.they have a box behind the counter with a large selection of pins,they also keep the lanyards under the counter,so it pays to ask.there are a couple of cast members who work there who are really into pin trading.there was a blonde haired american girl who was very happy to chat about pins,not sure if shes still there as i havent seen her recently, the other is one of the managers with long brown hair,i cant remember the names.hope this helps

The american woman still workes there she is very nice and friendly, she collects robinhood pins i just wish that the disney store would enfersise the fact they sell pins i.e enough pins on display and landyards

 

[Martin B]

I think Earthbound's idea is the best I've heard yet. Each store should have their own 'Pin trading station'.

Martin