tzd, dead?

[PCEngineHell]

I doubt they will reply,that and what I said to them they obviously wont like to read. They had it coming anyway,they already fucked me over on the 3 auctions. I'm sure they  are expecting the 3 negatives from me. Ive been sitting on them while I think of something creative to say.

[MissaFX]

Wow, this is just aweful.  I'm glad I didn't do any business with them during the sale.

[CatBoy]

Quoted from tzd.com:

"Many people remember other great Turbo games not listed on our site. In a perfect world we'd still be selling new copies of Dracula X, Dungeon Explorer II, Cotton or Magical Chase"

And from RedFrog's auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/Turbo-Grafx-Duo-COTTON-NEW-SEALED_W0QQitemZ370014240840QQihZ024QQcategoryZ62053QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

"This auction is for a genuine factory sealed Fantastic Night Dreams COTTON for Turbo Grafx/Turbo Duo Systems. As Turbo Zone Direct (TZD), We are the only recognized distributor in the world with the largest stock of factory sealed Turbo Grafx games available!"

You know what that means people? We now live in a perfect world.

[shubibiman]

 

I don't know why but that's kinda what I expected when TZD announced they were selling off to someone else.

[Sinistron]

And if the bids don't reach insane heights they'll probably snipe their own auctions.   

[nat]

No doubt.

[NecroPhile]

Too bad TZD didn't sell to me, the only thing that I would've auctioned is the 800 copies of Power Golf.  I don't know how much stuff they had left, but I would've pulled the trigger if it wasn't more than $10,000 or so. 

Them keeping a few lone copies of a few titles doesn't bother me, since there wouldn't be a fair way to sell them anyway (outside of an auction).  What could they have done, listed a single copy for sale and then canceled the thirty orders that came after the first?  That would've pissed off a few people.

[nat]

That's exactly what they were doing (an auction).

But it was an in-house auction, so only actual Turbo players and fans had access to it as opposed to the scoundrels on eBay.

Remember a year or so ago when they started selling off those titles? They did the A's and the B's and basically said to e-mail or call Steve with your highest offer. In many cases they had more than one copy of the games left so they were able to satisfy a couple people at least. They listed what they were letting go in the "News" section on the front page. They stopped after the A's and B's, in retrospect, I think Michael was right when he said they held that stuff back because they knew they were going to sell soon and wanted some more of the heavy-hitters to help sell the stock. The original plan from what I gather was that they were going to continue with the "mini-auctions" until all that other stuff was sold through, but it never came to be.

I was able to score a brand new copy of Blazing Lazers during that initial mini-auction deal though.

[SignOfZeta]

You guys are crazy. As much I as respect the NEC/TTI/TZD legacy, the truth is that TZD hasn't had shit worth buying in a decade except for maybe an extension cable, or during that 1/8 of its existence when it had new Expresses and Duos (with no games) so while I'll probably mention it in my podcast this doesn't really effect me in the slightest.

If you wanted any of those rare games that TZD had 5 copies of, you should have bought the fuckers back during Clinton's first term. If some guy pays triple price for something you've been hemming and hawing over purchasing for over TWELVE FUCKING YEARS that just means you missed your boat.

I swear man...seriously...

[spenoza]

Truth of the matter is, the model of the old TZD was unsustainable. There was certainly little business value in the venture. It was probably more like a hobby for someone. It was inevitable it would peter out. And now that TZD has been sold, going the eBay auction route is probably really the only way to make it worth the time or the money.

I don't like these changes, but they couldn't be said to be unexpected or unreasonable. They get a wider audience and eBay inflated prices and shipping. For them it's a win-win. There's no way it could be a win-win for us, really.

[nat]

You guys are crazy.

Calm down, dude.

I already own all that shit. I'm thinking of people other than myself here. People who maybe didn't get into the console back when TZD was first around.

I'm also thinking of them supporting the price inflation happening on eBay surrounding Turbo stuff. TZD was like the one sanctuary that didn't fall victim to that stupid shit. And now they're just another asshole eBay store seller.

My ranting has nothing to do with me, or the fact that I need games from them (I don't), I'm thinking of other people and the community in general here.

spenoza brings up a good point-- it was inevitable. But that doesn't mean I can't be upset about it. It's sad.

[NecroPhile]

If you wanted any of those rare games that TZD had 5 copies of, you should have bought the fuckers back during Clinton's first term. If some guy pays triple price for something you've been hemming and hawing over purchasing for over TWELVE FUCKING YEARS that just means you missed your boat.

What was I thinking?  If only I had access to your genius back in the early 90s, I could have bought the entire Turbo library soon after everything was originally released.  I think I'll go out today and buy a dozen Wiis, every accessory, and a copy of every game - just in case I ever want to play one of 'em.  It's absolutely retarded to buy something later when you can just buy it now.

Truth of the matter is, the model of the old TZD was unsustainable.

True, it couldn't last forever.  I don't have a problem with the ebay route, as long as the descriptions are honest, there's no fraudulent combined shipping charges (a high price is irrelevant if it's known pre-bid), and they don't end the auctions early or bid the price up dishonestly.

[Sinistron]

If only I had access to your genius back in the early 90s, I could have bought the entire Turbo library soon after everything was originally released.

Right?  Especially with all that cash I was flaunting when I was sixteen... 

[SignOfZeta]

What was I thinking?  If only I had access to your genius back in the early 90s, I could have bought the entire Turbo library soon after everything was originally released.  I think I'll go out today and buy a dozen Wiis, every accessory, and a copy of every game - just in case I ever want to play one of 'em.  It's absolutely retarded to buy something later when you can just buy it now.

You know when the ad says, "Collect them all!". Did you know that you don't have to do that? You don't need Deep Blue or crappy ports of arcade games that have since been greatly surpassed.

The TG-16 is the only system in history to provide an official channel for software well over a decade after its death. They certainly didn't do this with the SNES, or the Genesis or even the PC Engine. Shit, nobody at NEC even knows what a PC Engine is anymore.

You had your chance. If you absolutely have to have a complete collection of TG-16 games, even the horrible ones, crappy covers and useless cardboard boxes and all, you'll just have to be richer. Rob a bank or something. TZD provided far more than anyone could ever ask...well, except you guys, I guess.

[Sinistron]

TZD provided far more than anyone could ever ask...

They never massaged my balls...   

[Carbon Tiger]

I feel sympathy for anyone trying to buy American games for this system on ebay. I managed not to get gouged too bad on the 4 USA games I own but for anyone trying to build a collection off of the USA only releases. I've done the math and its probably anywhere for 2x to 3x as much as their Japanese counter parts.

That's supply and demand I guess. Doesn't mean its fair or even a good reflection of true market value. Still I think I'm going to watch the ebay sales just to see how crazy it gets. If it doesn't get too nutty I might snag something but I doubt the prices will even stay sane.

I mean I consider Japangamestock.com to be a bit pricey vs. the three ebay stores I use for PCE stuff and even they have Exile going for $13.51.........so I'll guess we'll see.

[NecroPhile]

You know when the ad says, "Collect them all!". Did you know that you don't have to do that? You don't need Deep Blue or crappy ports of arcade games that have since been greatly surpassed.

Sit up straighter - you're missing the point.  Haven't you ever had a game grow on you that you previously disliked or ever wanted to replace a worn out or damaged game or accessory?  I liked knowing that TZD was there to supply a new A/V cable, controller, tap, etc. should the need arise.

TZD provided far more than anyone could ever ask...well, except you guys, I guess.

How long TZD was in business and how long these games have been available is irrelevant.  They provided desirable goods in a professional manner (for the most part), which is why many of us will miss them.

[Kitsunexus]

Question, is Power Golf really that bad? I understand that it's no Links or Wicked 13 or Hot Shots Golf, but still...

[NecroPhile]

Question, is Power Golf really that bad? I understand that it's no Links or Wicked 13 or Hot Shots Golf, but still...

See runinruder's review.  My feelings towards it are about the same, except I don't really care for any golf games.

[Kitsunexus]

Hmm so it's just meh. I kinda wanted to buy one, until it was revealed the new TZD were assholes.

Technically the old TZD weren't assholes for sitting on all that rare stuff though...they probably just didn't have enough of the games to actually list the items on their site.

[Sinistron]

Speaking at least for myself- there is nostalgia coming into play.  That nostalgia did not exist when the games were current, obviously- and so people wanting to collect titles for this old system at this late date makes absolute perfect sense.  In a world that has moved on- it is good to have a little taste of home- to cozy on up with my favorite system of old, and to play those crappy arcade ports and other subpar titles (along with absolute gems) in reassuring 16-bit (or 8-bit depending on your argument) audio.  Everyone has their own reasons for collecting these titles- and as I pointed out I couldn't afford all the games I wanted back in the day.  This also says nothing for the younger breed getting into Turbo-grafx and PC-engine who may want a slice of gaming from before their time.  Don't instantly slam others for being upset over a lost or bastardized avenue of service- makes you seem more like an upstart than anyone else here who's upset or frustrated.  Not everyone had enormous allowances in their youth to get everything they wanted or a fucking golden rattle.  Besides- hobbies are fucking timeless- shouldn't need me to tell you that.

[nat]

Well put.

[Kitsunexus]

I'm not slamming them, I'm just saying after reading some of these negative experiences, I don't think I would buy from them.

On the other hand, it's a few negatives in a sea of positives.

[MissaFX]

On the other hand, it's a few negatives in a sea of positives.

Yeah, but the negatives include TZD posting the contact information of many long term customers for any bot to steal.  That's what utterly turned me off from the company.  That needed to get fixed right away and the guy needed to apologise to the people who's info was given away.

[Kitsunexus]

Yeah, but the negatives include TZD posting the contact information of many long term customers for any bot to steal.  That's what utterly turned me off from the company.  That needed to get fixed right away and the guy needed to apologise to the people who's info was given away.

That bot would have actually had to click all the items in the list, and then click the "show" button. I know bots are advanced and all, but I sincerely doubt it would have that capability. It could have harvested them from the source code though, I never looked at that. 

[PCEngineHell]

Same with some others here. I already have the vast majority of games I want. I'm not big into collecting the US titles,and have most all of them I want. I am more interested in the Japanese titles TZD never sold. I think SignofZeta is showing a crappy attitude towards his fellow members here for unknown reasons,and his comments are ludicrous and borderline insulting. You cant seriously think all the members here were old enough to buy games for the system back in its heyday,or to know TZD was around,due to their age.

Some only had access to the games their local stores carried,and you obviously know how that went since most stores didn't carry games for the system.Some members here are in their very early 20ies,or not even 20 yet. They would have had no idea about TZD until they got older and discovered Al Gores internet more likely then not.

Like I said,my main gripe is the last deal they had,as it was sour,and the current situation which is harmful towards anyone wanting to get started on the system. Now the stock is in the hands of Redfrog,which seems to manage alot of negatives and netuals. If TZD honestly cared about the community,before selling out they should have posted another chance to sell the left over A+ titles to the community as a thank you,and without asking for the highest bid. The comment you made was correct,too many people will try to order,sure,but this happened with Forgotten Worlds and Lords of Thunder anyway .

Its simple,if they would have handled it better everything would have went smoothly.They were too quick to charge every credit card account coming in without thinking first. Also,I have  a feeling the real reason LOT and Forgotten Worlds "ran out" was due to interest of Redfrog or others in buying the company out and wanting A+ titles to be in stock. I am sure eventually we will see Redfrog sell these games.

Theoretically speaking, Steve prob yanked those goods so they could be sold with the company as a whole,and made them aware he was lying to customers about running out,and asked them to wait for a bit before putting them up for sale. Due to this I gather in a couple months time we will see them appear,on ebay as suddenly discovered stock. I also think they had alot more then they were letting on,cause otherwise there is no way they could have sold the non selling stock/company name otherwise. Lords of Thunder and Forgotten worlds are not enough to entice  a company to take on the remainder non-selling games. They would have had to have more then that.


At any rate,TZD is dead,the spirit of it was obviously dying for a long while now,and it should no longer be considered a existing company. RedFrog is the current owner of TZDs remainder stock,and names sake,thats all there is too it.They can tout they are TZD all they want,but thats just a lie. Its still Redfrog people running the show,sticking stuff on ebay,and doing ungodly shipping prices for first class mail. The only reason they are even currently touting the TZD name is because they think it will enlarge their sales with a new customer base,the one TZD had. I am sure eventually they will drop all that nonsense when they realize it is not working out for them. Give it about a year and the TZD name will probably fade away from usage.

[Carbon Tiger]

(watching auctions for laughs)

Yep and Ys III just jumped to $51 and we just reached nutty. I've never seen the American copy go beyond $30 before on Ebay and the Japanese copy goes for like $10 on average. I like to collect but is the idea of the game being sealed in plastic really worth the probably $100+ this thing is going to go for ?

Once you open it it's down to the average price of a 'used' copy. I just don't get it unless you resell it unopened during a period where no other cheaper copies are on sale. That game while not common comes up about every two months on ebay...the average person who wants to play the game isn't going to pay this much.

Makes me wonder about some of these 'bids'

[NecroPhile]

Yep and Ys III just jumped to $51 and we just reached nutty. I've never seen the American copy go beyond $30 before on Ebay and the Japanese copy goes for like $10 on average.

Fellow board member rag-time4 just sold his copy on ebay for $96.  I won't say that it's a good value, but that's what they're worth.

[PCEngineHell]

My correspondence with RedFrog. Should be noted they seemed to have forgotten I purchased 3 games from them a couple weeks ago,and had tons of communication swith them about the messed up shipping charges.

My first message to them about TZD issue. Please keep in mind,I have had prior dealings with Redfrog,am not happy about those obviously since I was charged $22.39 to ship 3 PS1 games,their rude replies,selling items not in their own hands under one location,and also the fact my name and email account along with my fellow members was posted freely on the net. My messages to them are obviously meant to put them on the spot,and can be considered rude in manner and wording.
My message 1:Dear redfrogusa,

"As Turbo Zone Direct (TZD), We are the only recognized distributor in the world with the largest stock of factory sealed Turbo Grafx games available!"

Awesome lol,well let me just state this. As a member of the largest/greatest TurboGrafx and PcEngine community in the world,pcengine-fx.com NEC console community, I can assure you our members are not going to be happy with the fact Steve at TZD held out good stock before you bought them out,only sold the sucky titles to us on the main web page, and finally sold everything to you so you could trow the good titles on ebay and keep the junk stock on the web page still. TZD as a reliable and fair Turbo seller died long ago. You shouldn't even bother with using the name anymore,it wont help boost sales. TZD doesn't exist any more,and also,Steve still owes my friends credit card $130+ in chargebacks for undelivered items,so I guess you do too now since you lay claim to the namesake.

Redfrogs replies to this:
He did not hold out good stock, he had very few titles available. I don't know how Steve could owe your friends money for chargebacks because the definition of a chargeback is that you received your money back without receiving product.

I appreciate your concern, and if you had an issue with him, it is extremely unprofessional to contact us with your issues about a company that we acquired and state that because you are a member of said website, TZD died a long time ago?

AND:

And another thing, a lot of the "stock" you are seeing was not all acquired from Steve. I worked pretty hard to acquire numerous titles from various sources, and we have more games from other sources than from the TZD Stock you are referring to. Just trying to set the record straight, but TTI never had ANY Working Designs stock like we have, just as an example.

MY response to these replies:

The charge back is in temporary status while the credit card company reviews it,and its from charges TZD, AS A COMPANY, made and didn't deliver the goods on back in NOV.TZD did have some Working Design titles in stock back when I was a frequent customer. I purchased Parasol Stars this way. TZD also sold non-TTI related items like imports too.Whenever they were able to get ahold of new stock they would sell it,Pc-Engine or otherwise. You should probably do your research before you send me any kinda replies. Yes TZD is dead. Your company,employees,company policy and style are all Redfrog driven,and don't resemble TZD before they went to shambles. All you own is the name of a company that went out in a pathetic sort of way. We also know Steve was not listing items for sale,due to hoping to have a large enough A+ stock to sale when they wanted to sell the company name and be done with it. No one in their right mind would have just bought a ton of Shadow of the Beast and Power Golfs.

Redfrog repllies again:

When a chargeback is made b the consumer, the money is refunded to the consumer. We have no part or knowledge of this transaction. We take over the company name and information. If you have any issues with games, we will be happy to assist you.

As far as you telling me to "do our research", you do not own pcengine-fx.com, nor do you have any right to speak on their behalf. Second, when TZD did sell these games, they had few in stock, and they disappeared from the website completely. We have archives for each website update, and Steve was not hording items like you say. You have no knowledge of what we plan on doing with the company, knowledge of us as the buyer, or anything else other than your own blanketed statement saying what you "think" is happening with everything.

I lived in California for a long time, I've been collecting TG stuff for a long time, and the company has their own plans with the website that are not strictly related to TG items exclusively. I don't appreciate you making assumptions on things you don't know at all.

MY reply:

I never once said I owned PCEnginefx,did I???? Can you even read? Is everything you say spat out before thinking about your answers? I clearly stated I am a member there,and now that it has been made clear to most all members there that RedFrog is the current owner of the name and stock,and people have seen how many negatives you have gotten in a month,each month,and how your ebay id will list stuff not even in your hands,thus creating different and outragious shipping charges on auctions. So far the majority members there are very displeased with your buying out TZD. The opinions stated are not positive,you'd be a fool to think they are. Its not just my own personal feelings being expressed.

AND:
Also,everyone knew Steve was holding back. He must not have informed you he was holding in-house auctions to TZD customers and randomly selling items not listed on the site. Seems you really do know alot less then you should.


Redfrogs reply to this:
You stated "we" at pcengine-fx.com are angry, ticked, insert adjective here. I would not suggest that we learn to read because I am paying attention to that site you realize. I don't have to post on there to see what people say, and you seem to have a personal vendetta against everyone. If you copied and pasted what YOU initially wrote us, no one would be on your side in any of these matters. You don't speak for the majority of the members, and again, we have not announced any plans for anything to you or anyone else. I honestly don't feel there is a need to considering the way I am being approached with this, but our ebay account? Unless you sell in volume like we do, you do not understand how difficult it is to keep up with the mass quantities daily. A retail store like GAmestop probably has a 94% positive rating in retail. They also deal on ebay, we have 99.3% with 13000+ positives not including the multiples of orders from the same people to make it 15000+ positive, but why you are angry for us listing 7 of our own games on eBay is beyond me.

AND:
If you think holding 4-5 of each game is "holding back" then I'm not sure you understand the costs of running a website. He kept 1-4 of most games, not even ALL games, and these would sell out quickly if he took the time to have someone design/scan/insert image description in a shopping cart and pay someone for it to be sold almost instantaneously, and peole would of course be mad that was up if there were not multiple copies of each.

I still don't see how you assume I don't know about certain things with TTI. I lived in California for 10 years. I've known Steve since right around his original TTI days. I still keep in contact with editors from Turbo Play Magazine daily. Heck, I've been to Steve's old warehouse and his garage a few times way before this was an option to purchase. I am a buyer for this company, and we plan on selling stuff to the public so people can ENJOY these games and they are not sitting in boxes, as well as change the pricing structure on many things for the TG fans. WHy you assume to berate us on things you do not know, I have no idea..

MY reply:
I can simply assure you that TZD stock hitting ebay and you using the TZD name in the auctions is not pleasing to any of the members as of yet. If you are really reading the threads you'd know this. If you cared about this community,you would have upfront addressed us,offered the Turbo community,not the ebay community,the games. Lemme guess,your also best buds with Victor Ireland too lol. He has a ebay account also. So that you know,your best friend Steve went out in bad style,and his Nov sale was a farce. Also,he already had scans of items sold prior. Steve couldn't have been looking for accuracy,he sold my friend Keranu,a mod there at Pcenginefx, a semi broken TV tuner. Its condition was mis represented.For all your disgust in me speaking out as a member on the Pcengine forums,you sure are doing alot of speaking for Steve and why he ran the business the way he did. For someone not liking people speaking for others that sure is like pot calling the kettle black.

AND:
Also,since you are paying sooo much attention to the threads there,I am sure you saw my prior post from the other day about how I was planning to post every message you and I have with each other if the other members wanted to see it. Maybe you should pay better attention.

Redfrogs reply:
Why would we offer members the games at non ebay prices? SO they can be sold on ebay anyway? You are being nonsensical here. We're selling a small handful on eBay to test the market for some stuff, that's it, nothing more. You are referring to deals that were not made through us, so nothing is being misrepresented. It sounds like you are just angry to be angry. If you have most of the US games like you state, you'll be happy to know there are no Japanese titles being sold on the site, so if that was your main interest, there is nothing like that here.

Also, on a further note, we do not have any stock of Lords of Thunder, or Forgotten Worlds. I'm sorry you had a bad deal with Steve beforehand, and yes, I know Victor Ireland sells on eBay, but this is their right and our right to do so. If you don't want any of the games, and only want Japanese stuff, and you haven't really purchased anything, I don't understand why you are complaining in the first place about all this.

MY reply to this:
I never stated I own most of the US games released. I do however own most of the ones I want. I also have zero interest in purchasing from your company again,using the TZD name or not. I am a prior customer of yours. My opinions of your company are based on my experience with it directly. You clearly forget things quickly,which would explain how you think its ok to have so many negatives and neutrals a months. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. You clearly see it as justified to sell things not in your hands,and that charging over $23 to ship 3 PS1 games is justified pricing. Think about this,with all your negative feedback,you currently have a severely worse customer service rate then TZD ever did,so how do you think we as a whole in the Turbo community would miss this and would love to risk our money with you,Redfrog. Yes,I am angry with your company. You overcharged me on a prior deal,placed my email and name on the net openly,and are not for the Turbo community.

THE END


That is everything currently. They make some good points,but alot comes off as obvious lies,and they have no true valid defense for when I stated they disregarded the actual Turbo community in favor of the ebay one. Given their response,and my prior dealing with them,its obviously I will never do any kinda purchase with "TZD" again. Everyone here has their own opinion son this. I did however speak to Redfrog on this matter as a member of this community,as I do care for it. Its quite clear so far that Redfrog did not purchase "TZD" in the best interest of the Turbo community,for the love of it,for its best interest,ect.

Anyone here who talks to me personally knows it,knows deep down I am a good guy,even if at times I can be very volatile,and hates to see his fellow members here screwed over by anyone,but in the end you will all have to judge for yourself who you want to deal with and who not,and for that matter openly speak out to make it clear you do not like where Redfrog has currently taken the TZD name. I highly suggest you also express your opinions to Redfrog. I do not think it will cause them to change their direction for the good obviously,but will make them well aware you as a community here will not put up with the garbage,as a community.

[MissaFX]

Looks like you even caught him lying and using red-herring arguments as well.  Sounds like a really classy seller

[SignOfZeta]

Bloody chunder. Do you do this to all the online shops? Fuck.

[PCEngineHell]

Bloody chunder. Do you do this to all the online shops? Fuck.

Does it concern you if I do or not You seem to be the only one here so far berating other members for not buying all the Turbo games they ever wanted back when they were originally released. My "major" concern is for my fellow members,along with my own from a prior dealing with them. Yours only seems to be to berate and belittle our members whenever you get the chance. You seem to care little about the situation or anyone else so why even continue to subject yourself to mine or anyone else's post on this subject? Why not find a subject you would rather enjoy talking about instead and post on its thread?

[PCEngineHell]

Looks like you even caught him lying and using red-herring arguments as well.  Sounds like a really classy seller

Exactly. I was hoping to drag out the conversation with them long enough to get them to get caught up in crap,lies,ect. That was the major goal. I obviously have no love for Redfrog,and for good reasons.

Sign of Zeta,while I have had prior bad dealings with sellers,I think if you want to actually weigh in my complaints,you should check my actual ebay feedback I leave for others. My complaints,when I make them,are pretty much valid ,and for good reason. There are plenty of people I have had great dealings with that I would def go to bat for,online,ebay, and otherwise,and I am always fast to say when someone has fixed a issue with me,like for instance,16-bit.

[NecroPhile]

My correspondence with RedFrog.

Wow.  I agree with Redfrog that much of your ranting is unprofessional.  Your past dealings with TZD are beyond the control of (and of no consequence to) the new owners, nor are they at fault if Steve held back stock.  I find it ironic that someone who's previously stated that TZD was just a store and of no major importance to the community would expect the new owners to cater solely to us and to shy away from profits.  It's totally unreasonable to expect any new owner to proceed in the same manner as the old owner, so why are you surprised by what has transpired?

It's too early for me to condemn Redfrog just yet.  Their negative and neutral feedback don't concern me, considering the high volume of mostly positive feedback.  I don't want anyone to get screwed either, but if you don't like the auction price, then don't bid.  I always get combined shipping quotes in writing before placing a bid, then I can let ebay fight out the charge if the seller over charges.

[nat]

Let me address a couple of "Redfrog"'s points....

Why would we offer members the games at non ebay prices? SO they can be sold on ebay anyway?

Because members of the community are buying games to PLAY, dumbfuck, not to re-sell on eBay at a markup. Members of the community have looked to TZD for years as a safehaven to source domestic titles from without getting involved in the gangrape that happens on eBay.

This is precisely the attitude that really turns me off to this new company without even having dealt with them.

This is further compounded by this comment:

We're selling a small handful on eBay to test the market for some stuff, that's it, nothing more.

[...]

as well as change the pricing structure on many things for the TG fans.

I think it's pretty clear what their intentions are.

I just hope I am proven wrong.

[PCEngineHell]

My correspondence with RedFrog.

Wow.  I agree with Redfrog that much of your ranting is unprofessional.  Your past dealings with TZD are beyond the control of (and of no consequence to) the new owners, nor are they at fault if Steve held back stock.  I find it ironic that someone who's previously stated that TZD was just a store and of no major importance to the community would expect the new owners to cater solely to us and to shy away from profits.  It's totally unreasonable to expect any new owner to proceed in the same manner as the old owner, so why are you surprised by what has transpired?

It's too early for me to condemn Redfrog just yet.  Their negative and neutral feedback don't concern me, considering the high volume of mostly positive feedback.  I don't want anyone to get screwed either, but if you don't like the auction price, then don't bid.  I always get combined shipping quotes in writing before placing a bid, then I can let ebay fight out the charge if the seller over charges.

They didn't honor their own combined shipping policy posted in 2 auctions I won,because they were selling items in other peoples hands not located at their store.This wasn't stated in their auctions. If you check their feedback really well you will see other accounts of this often. When I confronted them about this they refused to fix the issue and told me the extra $10 plus was for handling..... Alot of my opinion of them comes from MY OWN prior dealing with them from just a couple of weeks ago. I'm not the store,they are,so my goal was not to be professional,but to get answers from them as to what they had instore.Also,when a store takes over a different one,it usually means they have to repair any prior customer service issues.

 Its nearly impossible to start from scratch otherwise,unless you change the business over completely including the name,in this case being TZD. There is no exception to this honestly.  My hopes was that whoever purchased TZD would have been a caring member from here or someone who loved the Turbo community as a whole and the system,and wanted to keep things in order and deal with Turbo and PcEngine related items,new and used.

 I stated this already here,you must have missed that . This would have then made TZD actually become a positive force for the community.

[nat]

My hopes was that whoever purchased TZD would have been a caring member from here or someone who loved the Turbo community as a whole and the system,and wanted to keep things in order and deal with Turbo and PcEngine related items,new and used.

We (as members here) should all have chipped in and bought out TZD. They couldn't have had more than $10 grand of stock left, if that.

[PCEngineHell]

Let me address a couple of "Redfrog"'s points....

Why would we offer members the games at non ebay prices? SO they can be sold on ebay anyway?

Because members of the community are buying games to PLAY, dumbfuck, not to re-sell on eBay at a markup. Members of the community have looked to TZD for years as a safehaven to source domestic titles from without getting involved in the gangrape that happens on eBay.

This is precisely the attitude that really turns me off to this new company without even having dealt with them.

This is further compounded by this comment:

We're selling a small handful on eBay to test the market for some stuff, that's it, nothing more.

[...]

as well as change the pricing structure on many things for the TG fans.

I think it's pretty clear what their intentions are.

I just hope I am proven wrong.

Exactly,Redfrog is a ebay type business. Not a company out to get on a personal level with this community.
Its clear that when compared to the "old" TZD this "new" TZD  is going to be more like Telegames but in auction form with high prices. As Missa pointed out too,they got caught lying off and on in their replies. My guess is the ones who are going to disagree with what I did,and side with Redfrog are actually going to be the very few members here who dislike me on a personal level,and not because Redfrog is a great company with great intentions,because they are not.

I want to also note I made a slight oops on how much I had to pay them for shipping for the 3 PS1 games I won from them. The total mount to have the games shipped was $22.39. I won the 3 games all in the same time period and made payments for the 3 games via paypal pretty much at the same time. I had to pay for one separately due to the fact it was a item not actually in their hands they sold,and it wouldn't add in their check out system. Due to this one items shipping was $6.99. The other 2 games I had to pay $15.40 to have shipped to me by first class mail in a flat brown mailer with no layers of bubble wrap to protect them probably one can only guess,as that is how Philosoma was shipped to me and how some of their prior complaints have read.

I am sure anyone here can agree it doesn't take $15.40 to ship 2 PS1 games and that the third one I won should have been listed in actual auction details as not being in their hands and would have to be charged for and shipped separately. If I would have had this info,along with other knowledge,I would have never bid on anything of theirs. When I made this very clear to them they insisted it was justified and that the extra goes towards handling fees.

[CrackTiger]

Same with some others here. I already have the vast majority of games I want. I'm not big into collecting the US titles,and have most all of them I want. I am more interested in the Japanese titles TZD never sold. I think SignofZeta is showing a crappy attitude towards his fellow members here for unknown reasons,and his comments are ludicrous and borderline insulting. You cant seriously think all the members here were old enough to buy games for the system back in its heyday,or to know TZD was around,due to their age.

Some only had access to the games their local stores carried,and you obviously know how that went since most stores didn't carry games for the system.Some members here are in their very early 20ies,or not even 20 yet. They would have had no idea about TZD until they got older and discovered Al Gores internet more likely then not.

I was only in my teens when TZD came about, but I worked part time jobs to pay for my TG-16 habit. However, because of their evolving policies towards Canadian buyers, I was never able to purchase from them. Originally I had to deal with their "affiliate" who had severely jacked prices and limited selection and later they(TZD USA) insisted that I pay something like $50 to ship a single game.

Even Working Designs, who didn't distribute their games in Canada, was happy to sell to me directly through the mail and had very friendly and helpful customer service(the opposite of the communications I had for the most part with TZD over the years).

[turbofan1]

I never bought from TZD.I used there site one time,when i was needing a/c power adapter for my turbo duo.They didn`t have any,but gave the information i needed to get a replacement one from radio shack.That was about it.Cant really comment on these new people that took it over.That is A shitty thing that there doing,I guess selling the remaining stock on ebay.They cant be as bad as gamesquad.Selling A stand alone turbo grafx unit,with no back cover,A replacement a/c adapter,and A couple shitty games for like seventy dollars plus shipping.Or a duo-r with a Couple games for like five,six hundred dollars.I cant believe people actually buy from them.

[gekioh]

Man this really sucks now after reading this entire post im pissed that I actually bid on three of the sealed turbo games they have up there right now. I had no idea RedFrog is what used to be TZD. I did recently win that copy of Top Hunter on NEO GEO AES they had up though for a lot less than what it usually goes for on ebay. I always see it at like at least $100. I won it for $60. Shipping was a bitch though even for a aes cart. This will definetley be the last time I have any future dealings with them unless they cahange there ways.

[PCEngineHell]

I just checked my incoming mail and packages for the past week,and 2 of the 3 games I was waiting for by Redfrog that were supposed to be shipped together still have not arrived as of yet it seems. I am sending notice about it to them. Payment was made on Jan 3rd by paypal, so its been 13 days so far. Philosoma did arrive,packed poorly in a brown  mailer with a cracked case,but it arrived. Id send it back,but I wanted the game bad enough to keep it and replace the case with another one.

[gekioh]

well thats total bull shit man especially considering how much you paid for shipping. If my neo geo games in poor condition at all im going to be super pissed.

[Joe Redifer]

gekioh I demand you hurry up and get tired of Top Hunter and give it to me!  I won't even charge you to ship it to my house.

[BigT]

I've dealt with Red Frog and they are an OK, if mediocre company.

My biggest gripe is their inflated shipping, mandatory shipping insurance, and joke of combined shipping.

They charge $7.95 to ship an Xbox game with an additional mandatory $1.50 insurance (this is for crappy USPS shipping). Combined shipping just meant that each additional title ships for an additional $5.95... gee, thanks for the discount

But, I don't know what some people expect. Sealed Turbo games are a rare commodity, so I don't blame Red Frog for trying to make money... they are a business after all.  If you do not agree with their practices, just don't shop there... there's no sense in making it personal 

[gekioh]

we shall see my friend, we shall see! Of course I never thought I would get tired of spin masters and i did and ive only owned that one for four weeks now. Was surprised i got it so cheap though especially w/ all this talk going on about red frog. Now we'll just see how long it takes them to mail it to me. If i get tired of it would be willing to trade for a pulstar, blazing star, or either of the two shock troopers (conversion obvoiusly on the shock troopers.)

[gekioh]

you know Big T i would have to agree w/ you for the most part. Sealed turbo games or even the really good ones non sealed(used) are indeed a rare commodity these days. There will always be people willing to pay whatever it takes to get what they want(like me, hate to admit but its true-i have paid $50-60-even $70 more than a perticular game is worth just because i wanted it bad enough. I am happy that red frog is even selling that good stuff at all.

[Kitsunexus]

I'm going to email redfrog and tell him "I own your momma and I'm speaking on her behalf. "OH, that was good!".

[BigT]

Yeah, it seems like people forget that many of these games were $49.99 when they were available in stores in the early 90s (that's why I never picked up Magical Chase - couldn't justify $50 for a HuCard).  Demand for Turbo games isn't very high nowadays, but supply is very low... yet despite this, you can still find newly sealed games at or below original retail price...

If you want the games, you have to pay up.

[nat]

I'm going to email redfrog and tell him "I own your momma and I'm speaking on her behalf. "OH, that was good!".

You should do that and post the reply up here.