Wolfchild

I did a search but couldn't seem to find as much info as I wanted.

How are they on preorders? Timeliness, or even getting the preorder filled at all. I just made 8 preorders with them using coupons - some are well-known films but some are a little more obscure, plus a couple of 3/13 Criterions. I believe I saved about $35, maybe a little more over what Amazon would have cost. But now I'm fretting over how reliable they are going to be.

$35 is meaningless if I get screwed over on a title I'm anxious to get and I have to reorder it at a higher price somewhere else. Say what you will about Amazon, but reliability is the word with them as far as I'm concerned...sure there may be trouble here and there but you can get it resolved easily.

Laser Movies

I just preordered 10 DVDs from them myself. Thought I would post in your thread because I have similar questions about them, and a few to add. I am giving them a try since their 25% off coupon makes them cheaper than Amazon, and Jaboom seems to be dead right now.

Does Twec ship preorders as titles are released or when your order is complete? I ask this since my preorders range from March 6, march 13, and March 20. Also do they have a customer service phone number?

deadlax

All my TWEC preorders have come in the monday before. They also ship items as they come available.

Startide

I've ordered preorders from them when the preorder date was only 2 weeks or so in the future, and those titles would ship as the preorder date arrived. SO, for those types of preorders, TWEC is has been just fine for me. For way longer term preorders, well, TWEC doesn't list them in their catalog.

It's the backorders that have me worried as I wouldn't want them waiting on backorder status too long or they might be cancelled.

DEC29111

I tried to order from TWEC when they first went online and found that (at that time) they were not stocking any DVD's in their local warehouse. Which made shipping items in a timely manor rough...
One time the product was not shipped for two weeks after the release date.
My second order the was shipped on time.. but the web site still showed the order as not even shipping.. when I had the product in my hands...

but it has been about four months since I ordered from them and maybe they have gotten things under control since then.

--David

mrglass

I preordered two video games from them in the past and got them a week after the stores received them.

But, like the glutton for punishment that I am, I continue to use them because of their coupons.

I placed an order last month for a cd and pre-ordered Sade Live. The music cd was shipped out the next day. The release date for Sade Live has come and gone, yet I still have no dvd. My order status still says "In Process." The bad thing is that I used an Amex PP which expired on the last day of February, so I don't think I'll ever get it. Silly me for thinking that they would ship a preorder out on time. But, I can't complain too much. The music cd would have cost me $14.69 at a B&M, but I got it for $10 shipped from twec.

From now on, I'll strictly use them for in-stock products.

Laser Movies

I received a phone call last night from Twec about my order that never happened to me before. They called to verify that I actually placed the order, and wanted to confirm my billing address because they encountered some sort of error with my credit card. I did get a chance to ask about their shipping policies, and they confirmed items are shipped when they are available. But from this response I hope it means not weeks later. It also looks like orders are cancelled after 30 days. I was able to get a phone number out of them if anyone needs to call. It was 1-800-226-3568 and press option 1.

Static Cling

I pre-ordered Glory:SE and it came within one or two days of the release date. Can't complain about TWEC.

Wolfchild

Looks like for the most part everyone has had positive experiences. My only nagging thing is, I preorder a LOT of DVDs, next week alone I have 20 coming and the week after I have 15 more....so there is a pretty good amount of room for them to have trouble obtaining more obscure titles.....

I'm sure TWEC is reliable 95% of the time but it's that last 5% of insecurity that made me post this thread. I'll be able to post my own results pretty soon though - I gave them a pretty good assortment of items to get for me in the next couple of weeks. BTW thanks LASERMOVIES for posting the phone #.....might come in handy.

Laser Movies

I just received an e-mail from Twec that they shipped 6 DVDs that I preordered. I have 4 more coming in the next two weeks. I can't complain about them so far.

Laser Movies

I received all 6 of my DVDs preordered a day before the official release date. For some reason one of them arrived FedEx even though I specified standard shipping through the mail. I must say that I am very satisfied with Twec.


What do consider as a obscure title?

Wolfchild

Probably not really that obscure, just that you might not see them in the Circuit City and Best Buy fliers....

I ordered Julien Donkey Boy, Gummo, Mona Lisa Criterion, Cook + Thief + Wife + Lover as well as some pretty mainstream DVDs like Bedazzled and Almost Famous. I'm sure they'll fill all of these orders okay though

Hal2000

TWEC has been very reliable for me; must have received 30 or so titles pre-ordered. Monday was typical when I received the two giant Hitchcock sets and The Contender. I paid about $109 each for the Hitchcocks, after a 25% coupon. Just for the heck of it, I called Coconuts, Record Town, and Saturday Matinee (all TWEC B&M) today, and no one is stocking these sets. $175 to special order! Yikes!

I am one great big happy camper!

naitram

Just thought I'd input that I pre-ordered the Best of Hitchcock #1 set two weeks ago with a coupon, and they have yet to ship it to me (as of 3/6/01). Pretty unacceptable, if you ask me. And I've ordered from them before. I probably won't be again, and I cancelled my order and will be buying it elsewhere.

Hal2000

Tough break, sorry to read your story. Perhaps they had so many orders that they could not fill them all, especially considering their B&M's do not appear to be stocking it (at least near Chicago). I also wonder if they fill popular titles like this on a first-in, first-out basis. I ordered my sets on January 30!

tor_greg

I ordered both of the Hitchcock sets from them because they had a 20% off coupon which saved me a bunch. Still haven't gotten a shipping confirmation.

Wolfchild

I thought I'd post my results as of right now for my 3/13 preorders, as it isn't looking too good. I saved about $50-60 by ordering all of the rest of this month's preorders from TWEC instead of Amazon, but quite frankly right now I wish I would have just spent the extra $$ at Amazon. Here is what their website status shows for my 3/13 preorders:

Avalon Shipped
Reversal Of Fortune Shipped
The Rock Criterion Backordered
The Legend of Drunken Master Shipped
Reform School Girls Backordered
Almost Famous In Process
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover Backordered
Smilla's Sense Of Snow Shipped
Ben Hur Shipped
The Ice Storm Backordered
Tuff Turf Backordered
Mona Lisa Criterion In Process
Bedazzled Shipped
The Wonder Boys Shipped

Five out of fourteen are backordered = not cool. I'll eat my words if they ship them pretty soon, but the thing is, with these orders having been made two weeks ago, if they're on backorder for two weeks more they'll be cancelled, leaving me to pay full price for the titles elsewhere. I can live with a delay but their 30-day cancellation period sucks.

It might be exciting having the FedEx truck pull up to give me DVDs, but I'm going back to Amazon where at least if there is a problem I can get it straightened out and they won't just cancel my order.

bradm20

I received Almost Famous from Twec today. The release date is 3/13 so I was surprised it arrived so early.

Laser Movies

I'm one out of two this week with Twec. They shipped my order of Avalon, but the Rock CC is listed as backordered.

Gil Jawetz

I've been waiting for my preorded Rear Window from them for a week now. Anyone else order tis from TWEC?

Hal2000

Received mine today. I am becoming more conviced as I read posts from others having poor luck with TWEC that the earlier you place your pre-order, the better chance you will have to get your order filled. I placed mine on 1/30!

Rainman15

I received my DVD of Ben Hur yesterday, 3/12. I pre-ordered it about 3 weeks ago.

Wolfchild

I agree, that's probably what's happened is my preorders were not in quite early enough. However, it was still two weeks before release, not just a day or two. And isn't there a thing where you can't order more than 30 days in advance? Although your 3/13 preorder was from 1/30 so maybe that isn't true? Just wondering.

In any case, I still think it's BS if they don't get these to me before the orders are cancelled. They're supposed to be the web front for all these B&M outfits, surely somewhere they have my DVD. I have some further off preorders so I'll see how they do, but I don't think I'll be ordering from these people anymore.

I went ahead and reordered everything on the backordered list from Amazon last night, and everything says "Shipping Soon" this morning. I'll pay a little more for some real realiability. If I get the titles from TWEC I guess they'll just go up for trade or to Ebay.

BLUEVELVET

Hello Buskerdog, I also placed an order for "Rear Window" (on 3/4/01), and still haven't received a shipping confirmation yet. I tis showing that it is back in stock, so hopefully we'll be getting them soon....I hope.

BV

Gil Jawetz

I'm a bit concerned. They won't respond to my emails or anything. The stupid thing is that they shipped the first half of my order a month ago and that was fine. I want to watch Rear Window this weekend but that is starting to look unlikely.