VBD2 is closed. Please go to https://vbd3.co.uk instead.

Just curious how many of you have received your deliveries from the Matchbox "Grizzly" collection. I contacted them today only to find out that packing and shipping is backed up. They have not even shipped my items yet. They let me know they would send me a tracking number once they ship. Going on 3 weeks plus now and they have yet to even pack my items. I realize the volume they deal with must be overwhelming at times but 3+ weeks to ship items that are paid for next day? I have got to give it to Rockertron Toys for how fast they ship after their large Ebay auctions, I usually receive my items in 4-5 days in the USA from Graham and his auctions.

It looks like a case of..."If you can't stand the heat, get out of the Kitchen".

For someone like VECTIS, to do what they do, you should be able to cope with any auction with large amounts of models, including all the after sales business like packing and posting etc, they are the experts and specialists in this field so if they can't do it who can?

Ghosty.

I've been to Vectis a few times and had a couple of tours round the facility. It's bloody huge! On an industrial estate and comprising several units. The shear amount of items passing through the process is mind boggling. Even if they had no more submissions, they could probably run a minimum of 1 years auctions with the stock they have. They employ around 40 staff. The end to end process from a van load of toys coming in, to the parcels being shipped is run like a military operation.

I'm not "bigging up" Vectis, Those that know me know I've had a lot of run ins with them over 30 odd years. Just trying to give an over view of the scale of the operation.

Those fortunate enough to live in the UK are advised to collect their items from Vectis at the numerous major toy fairs that they attend. This saves postage costs, and means you can check your parcels contents for damage/correct contents in front of them. This can save a lot of bother. I've had my lots sent to Australia on one occasion, whilst I got the Australian bidders lot (sound familiar Mick?) All costs for this error (postage customs duty etc.) were reimbursed without quibble.

Hi all I had the good fortune to go to Vectis the Grizzly sale there is nothing like seeing a box & model in your hand. Its a bit of a job if you live aboard & you just have to put up with the speed that they can send them out. Graham is one of the good guys as soon as you have paid for his auctions he starts to pack them he has been doing it a long time & very organised. One of the auctioneers should me some of the future auctions, 100s of pallets of toys already to be sorted, photographed, listed ect. You will just have to bear with them you will get them one day Pete

Vectis is a huge site and a big operation. Always find it odd though, such a large auctioneer, yet sometimes there can be only five or six people bidding in the room!!! Last time I was there, I got talking to one of the guys who goes out to pick up collections. He was saying they've enough stuff booked in for the next two years!!! They might employ around 40 people, but only around 4 or 5 are involved with the dispatching. They're the same girls who collect the items for you when you go collect. Considering the average run of 3 or 4 auctions in one week, that can easily be 3000/4000 individual lots to be collated, multiple lots to some buyers, getting disrupted to go get my stuff when I collect, they also have to handle goods in too, etc etc... And their packaging is usually exceptional, (overkill comes to mind on the last lot I had posted to me). It an awful lot of work. They're just someone you have to be patient with.

Or maybe you can arrange with someone here in the UK to collect for you & ship onwards???

shockwavetrading wrote:Vectis is a huge site and a big operation. Always find it odd though, such a large auctioneer, yet sometimes there can be only five or six people bidding in the room!!! Last time I was there, I got talking to one of the guys who goes out to pick up collections. He was saying they've enough stuff booked in for the next two years!!! They might employ around 40 people, but only around 4 or 5 are involved with the dispatching. They're the same girls who collect the items for you when you go collect. Considering the average run of 3 or 4 auctions in one week, that can easily be 3000/4000 individual lots to be collated, multiple lots to some buyers, getting disrupted to go get my stuff when I collect, they also have to handle goods in too, etc etc... And their packaging is usually exceptional, (overkill comes to mind on the last lot I had posted to me). It an awful lot of work. They're just someone you have to be patient with.

Or maybe you can arrange with someone here in the UK to collect for you & ship onwards???

Very understanding of the whole process, it's just frustrating when you win a lot in the auction and have to wait & wait & wait for the goods to arrive. Miss out on that instant gratification you get when your at an auction and walk home with the goods that night. I feel for what they must have to go through with bidding taking place at the auction and though several web sites. It would be a nightmare to just gather all the lots won for one bidder if they had gone through several different sites. I would agree that the packing is top notch, maybe a little bit bordering on the "overkill" side but then again we all want our goods in the condition that we bid on them in. The last lots that I won from Vectis was for two separate cars. Each one had a form fitting box created for the car & box, those two cars were then combined and another form fitting box created for them, this was all then carefully wrapped and inserted into another box which was then dispatched to me. All in all I never have had a complaint with Vectis and am quite happy with the services provided. I guess I just hate waiting for that elusive model to show up at my door step.

Vectis' packing/packaging is one of the best so well worth a wait!
The trick is to only pay your invoice after 7days (not because i say so) after the buzz has subsided.Make a connection with a specific dispatch clerk and u will have no package delays after payment.
The checking(manifest/invoices) & packing process at Vectis is huge & tedious and entails acute concentration but do allow & accept a tiny percentage of errors in good spirits.
numi

My package from the Grizzly auction arrived toward the end of September here in Ohio. As Numi suggested, it was packaged up like Fort Knox to ensure safe passage.

Greg, here in Ohio as well, Canton area. Hopefully next week.

Yeah!!!! I got my tracking number today. Hoping to have my models by early next week.