Damaged Comic Con Box July 2016 update

So I ran the video for the July Comic Con Box with the Detective #424 inside. Sadly, my box came in mangled. I contacted Midtown Comics, the company that provides fulfillment on the boxes. Here is what I have gotten from them. 
Thankfully I have a forum where I can discuss things like this. With 1.6 million page views last year from over 230,000 unique visitors, and this year being bigger than last already, I get a lot of people to see some cool stuff. As I love subscription boxes, I often share the unboxing videos with the readers. So here is the pictures of what I got in.

During the video I mentioned that the box and the contents were damaged. I sent an email to Midtown comics, who does the customer service and fulfillment of Wizard’s Comic Com Box. They asked me to send them pictures (no bigger than 1 MB) of the box and the damaged comic. Which I did. Now, 1 MB pictures are not large and do not show a lot of detail but I complied all the same. They responded by saying they cannot see the damage. Here are the pictures I sent them, now highlighted, let me know what you think. Comic Con Box runs $30 a month and I mainly do them to get the comics.

For $30, would you accept this?

52 thoughts on “Damaged Comic Con Box July 2016 update”

  2. Tony my box came in damaged also. I was upset when I saw it. I am canceling my subscription. thanks for letting us know their response.

    1. I sent over the photos again, along with the link to this post and a link to the original youtube video where I showed off the damage to the box the day I got it. I would suggest you contact them as well, since your box came damaged.

    1. I do enjoy the boxes and would hate to cancel, but if they do not fix the issue I will move on to Horror Block or something else.
      I do hear great things about Blindbox variants though.

      2. Nerd Block never even asked for pictures or anything. Just bluntly stated they do not accept returns. I’ve been pondering Blindbox, but between Comic Con which has been a home run for me so far and double doses of Corps, Smugglers and Legion my wife just may kick me out. I quit Loot Crate a while back. There’s just too many of them out there.

    2. I once got in a damaged Lootcrate, and they just shipped me out another no hassle. This thing with Comic Con Box is a nightmare.

      1. I had a similar experience with loot crate. One of my figures came broken and I emailed them and they sent me a new one right away.

        1. I have had two issues with Lootcrate. One a damaged box and he other a box that did not arrive. Both times Lootcrate just sent out another box with no problems.

    1. Dang it. And for purposes of showing what I actually sent. I kept the images in the size that they requested.
      Sent from my iPhone
      >

  5. My latest Legion of Collectors box came in mangled. And I had a recent Jack White sub came in missing the 45. Called both companies and replacements were sent w no problem. It’s really not that hard to do CS properly.
    If they asked me for such small pictures, I would’ve uploaded them somewhere on the web and sent them a link instead.

  6. I have had pretty similar customer service issues with them in the past. Sending wrong printings than what I ordered, damage, etc. And they’ve never been helpful enough to replace anything. Once they straight out told me they can’t do anything to help rectify the situation. Sorry.
    Sucks to lose out on something you enjoy but I don’t think they will change unless enough customers cancel their subs.

    1. Wow that does suck Sean. Hoping airing it out in this forum and sending them the link along with my monthly and yearly readership stats will help them see that you can’t have poor customer service.

  8. If I wanted the book for my own collection I would be fine with it. If I was planning on getting rid of it I would want a replacement. The pictures of the box alone should be enough to warrant a replacement. I get all of my Marvel comics through the subscription service. Compared to the ones I receive that book looks pristine.

    1. I have not sold any of the comic con box variants and they all sit in my collection. I just can’t accept how bad the book is and put it in my collection.

  10. I’m normally an individual that accept some damaged shipments and in most cases the shipper is more than ready to work things out. That being the case from my perspective the core cause in every case is the actual individuals handing the packages throughout this delivery process.

    1. Loss and shrinkage (not that kind) is part of something that is built into every business model. Their way of dealing with it is to just not replace anything and that is not acceptable n

      1. Yup, that’s the very reason I boycott MyComicShop.. when the first inquiry about damage is just a big ‘ol eff off.. yeah, I’m done with you forever.

  11. UPS = bad, but Midtown does not have the best packaging in the world. Being such a big mail order business and dealing in comics you would think that they would understand the need to use the best packaging possible. I like that Mile High created their own shipping box (which has now been copied, more or less) even though they take FOREVER to ship.

  12. I order a majority of my comics through midtown and most of the time about 30% of my order arrives with some damage. That being said, I’ve tried TFAW, Mycomicshop (who banned me for returning too many damaged orders) and comicxposure with pretty much the same result. The problem with midtown is if you want to return your damaged books, they make you eat the shipping cost and since I live in CA it generally isn’t worth the hassle.

  14. I live out in the sticks, so my only option most of the time is to buy my comics online. I have recieved at least 4 boxes from midtown in damaged condition. After the second one, I called customer service to complain, and they told me I didn’t even have to open the box. If it looked damaged and I wasn’t happy, I could just send it back without opening it no questions asked, so thats what I did. I requested they ship me the same order again, and I got my box a few days later in good shape, with all my comics inside minty fresh. So now if I get a damaged box, I usually just send it right back, I don’t even check the contents.

  15. Yes, Midtown is usually very good about returns and I’ve had no complaints. These sub boxes for some reason seem to cause a stir though. Luckily, it’s not seeming the Comic Con variant, either yours nor the virgin alternate, are getting much attention. With Marvel I had a box not show and it took forever to correct. I actually received the next box before the missing one was replaced. I’m fairly certain I am secretly excluded from their Twitter prizes because of the social media tirade I went on. Whether keeping it or selling it, I’d be ticked off. Shouldn’t make a difference.
    I’ve personally been starting to take some issue with the statement that many of these boxes “contain at least $50 worth” of items. The Women of Power box was weak if you ask me. The concept art for the Spider Gwen shirt was far better than the final product that looking absolutely nothing like the concepts. Squirrel Girl isn’t my thing either. So unless they put a serious premium on those patches and pins, I seriously question the actual value these boxes present.
    Marvel Year One had better amaze, that’s all I’m sayin.

      1. She gawn.
        Both of her. Should have held on a little longer though it seems.
        After market value aside, no funko outside of Hulkbuster in my opinion accounts for the bulk of a $50 retail value.

  17. I have all of my comics shipped by mail. The closest comic shop to my house is at least an hour away and it doesn’t send out Previews for subscription nor does it mail out orders so I use a comic shop that’s 2 1/2 hours away and they cater to me like I’m a king… they absolutely rock! They love taking my money and I love giving it to them! My comics arrive promptly and 99% of the time undamaged! The 1% that do arrive damaged…I blame on the USPS! This is a small price to pay for living in the sticks(which I love) and not having drive a couple of hours on my day off to pick up my comics!

    1. I understand where you are coming from on that. I can accept some things to have a little wear and tear. This is not one of those cases.

      1. I don’t blame you! You have every right to expect to get your moneys worth! I have a hard time believing they couldn’t see that your box and its contents were mangled! Often times, those who are most blind are the ones that refuse to see! Keep fighting the good fight Anthony and we’ll keep reading! C.H.U. rocks the house!!!

  18. I have not had any problems with Midtown or Mycomicshop.com . Only one or two small ones with TFAW, the clue to ordering from them is do not just order 2 or 3 comics because they will ship them in a flimsy cardboard envelope. The only subscription box I have ordered is Blindbox, and they ship very secure no problems with them except for one month the package was lost in delivery.

  19. I get my books from Midtown as well. They put an AWFUL lot of faith in the protective properties of a brown paper bag…
    As for value of the MCC boxes I’m beginning to agree they’ve faded. Biggest weakness? The comics. Zero interest in the variants they include and they have no after market value which kills every box. If they did cool variants we might want / could sell it would measurably fix those boxes.

    1. The comics do ok on the after market. To be honest part of the fun of them is doing the videos with my son. He loves doing them. But aside from that the last two months have been week with the Marvel variants. The DC variants I think have been really good.
      Sent from my iPhone
      >

  20. The last time I received the Comiccon box the comic arrived damaged. I sent pics as well.They told me they would send a replacement….three weeks later nothing. I emailed again. They told me they would send out a replacement…. three weeks later, still noting. I emailed again and told them I was getting frustrated… They told me they would send out a replacement. Just shy of two weeks later I did receive the replacement…More damaged that the first one. Did I mention that was the last time I ordered from them.

  21. After seeing the box, I expected to see pictures of a mangled comic. From what I can see in the pictures, they’re very minor concerns. The book is still probably an 8.5 or 9.0. If they promised a 9.8 comic in every box, I’d say you have a right to expect a refund/exchange but I suspect that’s not what they promised.
    Honestly, I don’t see “high grade only” comic fans as the primary market for these box services. Many regular collectors (including myself) would be happy to have a book like this in their collection. If these services lose a few 9.6/9.8 hunters as subscribers, I don’t think it’ll break them and it would probably save them in customer relations headaches.

    2. I think it has a lot to do about quality control and good customer service. If I order a subscription box I am not expecting a guaranteed 9.8 but I am expecting it to be in the same shape as a comic bought brand new off the shelves the day of release. The comics should arrive at the very least a 9.2 or better. If the box they are shipped in isn’t sturdy enough to handle the mail system during transit there are obviously issues that need to be addressed. Accidents do happen and if a handful get mangled that is one thing, but it seems more than that are arriving beat up. Even if it is just a handful they shouldn’t just blow people off or handle the situation at a crawl. Just my opinion.

  22. Yes, Midtown gave me the same “We can not see the damage” answer when I sent pictures from my damaged order with a spot and spine crease. This is a standard excuse given so to hope the customer gives in and accepts the damaged merchandise.

    1. They actually did this to me on the signed Monstress #1 that I got from them. When I sent them a high resolution scan of the book they said it fits their criteria for NM

      1. Well, you could always call your card company and tell them the situation stating you want a refund. It may be a bit of a hassle and time consuming for the value within the box though. Been a while so I forget if Comiccon Box uses Paypal. If they do, Paypal may have some buyers protection. Not sure on that one.

  23. This is why I stopped ordering from Midtown Comics. I’ve mentioned this same practice here a few times before. They advertise their books as Near Mint, and even give lower prices for lower grades on the website, but when they ship you sub-par books or they get damaged in transit, they no longer take responsibility. I send them photos where the damage is obvious and evident, even at the file size they specify, yet they claim they cannot see the damage. When I add arrows to the photos and send yet another detailed response, they then tell me I will need to mail the books back at My Own Expense because they will not offer a shipping refund for orders where the damage is not obvious or that the grade is Near Mint but that I am being overly picky. I guess by Midtown’s standards, they round-up from F/VF to NM.
    Of course, Mile High Comics is even worse. I usually avoid them like the plague, but every now and then they reel me in with a good deal on some books I need/want, and the last few times I’ve gotten burned, big time. Mile High has a horrible reputation in the first place, but now they can’t even be trusted when it comes to grading. They’ve sent me NM books that don’t even look VG. Water Damage, Spine Splits, Writing on the Cover, 15+ spine creases… ridiculous damage! When you point it out to them, they say they will make good on it by sending you replacement copies. The process takes about 2 months to finally get the replacements from them… and they’re garbage all over again. I’ve told them, if I were mailing these in for them to buy books off of me, there is no way they would give me the NM price for them, so why are they charging their customers for NM books and then sending books that they obviously do not consider to be NM. I think they have a lot of lower-grade copies of books that just Are Not Selling, so they are putting a NM sticker on them and shipping them out and hoping the person doesn’t know how to grade comics or just doesn’t care enough to pursue replacements (especially with the amount of time, effort, and constant poking it takes to get them to act on it).
    It’s a shame that 2 of the biggest, most well-known comic book retailers out there are such garbage these days. And still you have people ordering from them in droves based on their name & advertising alone.

    1. Yeah, Mile high is a bit of a Quagmire. I think books they have had for years truly did go into storage as NM and when they heat up 20 years later they are sold as when they first got put away..Problem is Mile High rarely puts away standard, non key books with backing boards…or at least that was the practice years back when many of their books first went into storage. It may have changed but I somehow doubt it. Just because the books was NM way back when it doesn’t mean it is now. They just don’t get that or simply don’t care.. and that is why far too many times I get a VF/VF- that was advertised as a NM. Mile High is very hit or miss… When I decide to order from them I just take into account that the grading will most likely be very relaxed and if it is still worth it I will place the order. If it isn’t worth the risk I will just pass.

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