Toy Directory And Megatech International Toydirectory.com
Toy Directory org. Failed to help young child against its bad business practice member Megatech International

This complaint is about a large toy industry organization that doesn't appear to want to assist in a problem a father had brought to its attention regarding a child's birthday and Christmas being ruined. A big problem regarding one of its members. A problem where its member completely goes against the spirit of the toy organization's published/promoted member profile description and good general customer service conduct.

This complaint is about a simple call for help to an organization of toy manufacturers. An organization of manufacturers that makes items to make children happy. An organization at the top of the pile, helping their member manufacturers and retailers work together to make each child's toy and present special. An organization with major contacts with all its fee paying members.

This complaint is about a child that has a problem with a toy product. Shoddy products that didn't work, TWICE, and a manufacturer that seems to do everything against living up to its product description, its agreements and simple common sense, even through the BBB, and by ignoring the complaint.

This complaint is about taking the child's problem to the right place. A place that should easily be able to check its member directory and talk to the company. It's about an organization that should provide help and should want to help to ensure the quality of its membership is high and the organization of members is well regarded.

I feel it is a Ripoff that this organization has not contacted Megatech International regarding this young child's problem, letting them know they are flagrantly going against acceptable conduct. I do feel this organization is attempting to brush off and forget the child's problem.

This organization of manufacturers needs to understand that I took this problem directly to the MANUFACTURER. I didn't take it to the retailer. I took the problem to Megatech International, your member, the MANUFACTURER, for what anyone would expect to be apologetic, swift resolution that excels, to show the customer it cares deeply about the customer experience. That it cares about the products it provides its retailers. That it cares about the reputation it generates for a retailer and the reputation it generates at your association level and the toy industry in general.

The details of the terrible problem going on with Megatech International, an RC toy model manufacturer is listed here.
See complaint: #345723 at this link:
http://usacomplaints.com/
reports/0/345/RipOff0345723.htm

I had failed to solve the problem with Megatech themselves and failed even worse with the BBB (useless!), so I'm now using complaint. I decided to contact the Toy Directory, an organization of toy manufacturer members and retailers. I was sure they would solve the problem very quickly, especially when they show Megatech International as a fee paying member and have their phone number close at hand. I was sure they would not want to see a child go through the anniversary of their birthday and remain without the prior birthday present all because of their member's extremely bad business practices. I was sure the Toy Directory organization would not want this manufacturer bringing their association with many other members and the entire toy industry into disrepute.

I contacted the Toy Directory (see the letter I list after my complaint to the Toy Directory).

Megatech appears to be a Toy Directory organization member. Here are their details:
Megatech International Incorporated
8300 Tonnelle Ave
North Bergen, New Jersey, 07047
U.S.A.
Contacts: Owner President Peter Winston, VP. David Deans, Jon Lodato or John Lodato, Tony Williams

Although the Toy Directory organization isn't going above and beyond to help the situation, the fact that the Toy Directory organization should strive for reputable members happens to conflict with its lack of action. The Toy Directory organization should not be promoting manufacturer members that do not work to good business practices, conduct and honesty.

To the Toy Directory organization my issue is just another simple bad product issue from a Toy Directory organization promoted member using extremely bad business practices, and the issue I brought to Toy Directory organization is not directly worth their time.

Toy Directory organization likely values the effect a Product Safety issue can have on a child, but is not interested in the effect a bad product and bad company practices can have on a child. Not interested enough to help with the problem. Not interested, even though it's their member and they promote this member. A child with a birthday present that didn't work, its replacement failed on Christmas day (both duds right out of the box), a 90 day warranty eaten up when the child never even had a working product, compensation promised and then denied and compensation issued again but removed when the child goes through what was expected to be trustworthy mediation via the BBB (but wasn't) and totally ignored when taken for real mediation at complaint. A young child without a birthday present for 1 full year. Countless hours and thousands of dollars worth of administration to try make the problem right. Toy Directory organization is not really interested in how this, done by their member, affects a child. Not interested enough to really help.

Avoiding a customer that showed you a bad product isn't doing anything to increase product safety. Avoiding a customer that showed you very bad business practices and a very bad product by one of your members you continue to promote, Megatech International, isn't doing the industry any good, yourselves any good. It shows that Toy Directory organization is not really interested in its members good businesses practices and the use of them in the industry.

Dear Toy Directory organization,

We have communicated a few times. I have not received a reply to the last few e-mails.
Your responses haven't done enough to satisfy me that your organization 1/ Cares, and 2/ Is genuine and really believes in what you responded to me with.
I did want to believe, but to me your responses, even if they happen to be true, don't fit with what an organization in your position in the industry should do when a genuine call for help pops up on your desktop.

Here is what you sent as your first reply:

"I would like to suggest that you post the information you provided to us in the email below on our forums: forums. Toydirectory.com Once the information about your complaint is up, our staff may try to get involved."

Isolated, this looks like help, but I have issues with it. You know I've already gone to a lot of effort to produce the complaint and BBB documentation too. Whatever happened to the good old days when an organization was sent a letter and they worked from it. I sent my letter to the very place I wanted it. Your organization. It was received by you. Why on earth would I have to jump through a hoop and register, then duplicate the letter on what looks like a relatively low activity forum with 2 replies since June 14 (5.5 months ago) in very few postings, all for just a slim chance of you getting involved?

Here is what you sent in the second reply:

"I can see from your emails that this has clearly been a huge headache for you and that you have spent a lot of time and effort to resolve this.

We have been trying to contact Megatech for a number of years now, but all of our efforts have been unsuccessful. It is unfortunate, but we have not been able to contact this company for over 5 years now, and have not done any business with Megatech since according to our records. The reason why I suggested that you try to post your email on our forums, is that due to our inability to contact Megatech, the public method of communication via the open forum is only avenue that remains.

I regret to be unable to assist you more in this matter, but unfortunately, due to complete lack of communication between ourselves and Megatech we have absolutely no ability to have a say in the matter.

Thank you for alerting us to your situation, and once again I apologize for being unable to pursue this matter further. I do suggest that you use the public forums to alert all of its users to the situation.

Take care and I wish you the best of luck in resolving this matter.
"

Again, I'm torn about how genuine this is. You say this, but your website still shows Megatech International as your member.

Their listing:
http://www.toydirectory.com/ListMc.htm
MEGATECH
N. Bergen, NJ
201-662-8500
Megatech build it's business by good reputation.

Their member profile page:
http://www.toydirectory.com/Megatech/index.htm
MEGATECH

Megatech build it's business by good reputation. We are driven by superior customer service and unique high quality Hobby & Toy products. Megatech is a manufacturer that sells directly to distributors, upscale catalogers and specialty stores. Megatech's retail and wholesale pricing is extremely competitive. Megatech protects it's customers margins and wants them to make a good profit.

We design all our products and own all the tooling, patents & trademarks. Megatech offers the highest quality most unique items year after year.in order to offer the best service to our customers, Megatech works through it's hard working sales reps and directly through the President, Peter R Winston and his company's dedicated staff. "I personally have an open door policy to all our sales reps and our customers and welcome any comments or suggestions.

We listen to these comments and suggestions and have the ability to implement ideas or changes quickly. I take full responsibility for all our commitments to our customers and in making it up to them when there is problem. We believe in taking a hands on approach. I enjoy dealing with our customers and will spare no effort to make them happy. We do not copy or follow others." Megatech is a leader and makes the newest greatest products year after year.

MEGATECH primarily manufactures/wholesales products in the following categories:
Radio Controlled
To see a list of other manufacturers and wholesalers
who carry similar products, click on a link above.
8300 Tonnelle Ave N. Bergen NJ 07047
Tel: 201-662-8500
Fax: 201-662-1450
Toll Free: 888-MEGA-911

Note. This was copy and pasted, and it was entered into the Toy Directory system by Megatech. Toy Directory and myself are not responsible for the basic grammar.

So you (the Toy Directory) tell me you can't communicate with Megatech International and you call it "unfortunate" that you haven't been able to since 2002. Look at the member page you maintain above. You've had a bad time with Megatech International yourselves too you say, but look at how you promote this outfit to others. "I personally have an open door policy to all our sales reps and our customers and welcome any comments or suggestions.". You promote that they will respond to your call. Totally different than what you tell me. Also, I've NEVER had a problem getting through to them on the phone at the numbers you have listed on your Internet web page.

Look at these sentences you promote:

Megatech build it's business by good reputation. We are driven by superior customer service.

President, Peter R Winston and his company's dedicated staff. "I personally have an open door policy to all our sales reps and our customers and welcome any comments or suggestions. We listen to these comments and suggestions. I take full responsibility for all our commitments to our customers and in making it up to them there is problem. I enjoy dealing with our customers and will spare no effort to make them happy."

In these sentences, Megatech International President Peter Winston is talking about customers in the "dealer" sense.in my experience he treats the dealer's customers, the real customers, very differently, and the statements you promote are offensive to me the real Megatech International customer.

I asked you to remove the Megatech International member profile page in a timely manner to prove they are not members, but you have not done so. If they were not paying their annual dues it would not make sense to list them as members for very long after the expiration date. If fact it would be grossly unfair to other fee paying members to allow them a free ride. Here are the other members: http://www.toydirectory.com/alphbrws.htm
Another possible scenario is that you are retaining their name to boost the numbers/look of your membership. This leads to the question: How many of the membership profile pages are real current members? Is this Toy Directory actually hollow, with what looks from the outside to be lots of members, but in reality there are few/none there?

Toy Directory, this is very poor. I would hope you are supposed to be an organization representing member manufacturers. I would hope the collective manufacturers would all generate "GOOD" in the industry.By brushing us off (thereby defending Megatech International), your member, you bring down the value of your organization and the value of the other member manufacturers in it.By defending your member Megatech International by doing nothing for our dire situation, you are saying their bad ways are acceptable for members of your association of toy manufacturers. This removes any aura of trust in the Toy Directory organization and this in turn lowers our trust in other manufacturer associates of your toy manufacturer organization. I find it startling the Toy Directory choose to ignore the situation my young child is in.

I contacted Toy Directory to help assure my child wouldn't be without a birthday present for an entire year. Toy Directory unfortunately did allow this to happen, making no direct effort to try to ensure Megatech did not allow this to happen.

I expect you to revisit my issue, and to do much better than you have done for this situation that we took precious time and effort to outline to you recently in the letter we sent. I expect you to address Megatech International's conduct in this issue. As the anniversary of the child's birthday is gone, Christmas is the new target. Toy Directory, you can help.

The original letter I sent to Toy Directory:

November 5th

ToyDirectory.com Inc.
12340 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite 226
Los Angeles, CA 90025

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please forward this to the person (immediately available) in your organization that is interested in the quality of the members (or potential members) and has the ability to discuss issues with the highest level staff at those companies.

I have had a problem with a Toy / Hobby manufacturer / retailer for close to a year and I hope you will assist me with the problem.

The company is:

President: Peter Winston.

Megatech International Incorporated
8300 Tonnelle Ave
North Bergen, New Jersey, 07047
U.S.A.
Phone: 888-634 2911
Fax: 201-662 1450

The problem is about a purchase of a helium fill Megatech radio controlled RC Airship 1 and Area 51 Blimp combo as the main birthday present for my child, and the horrific problems with taking the Megatech blimp problems to the manufacturer.

The product failed on my child's mid Nov birthday. Birthday ruined. Mr. Lodato and I resolved a problem but discovered another. Megatech's Mr. Lodato made an agreement to compensate us. Megatech stalled the replacement shipment process, but I was eventually able to return the product. The process seemed stalled again. When phoned Megatech said it was in service and was not being shipped. A few days later it arrived on Christmas eve. When opened, it didn't work (it had been sealed double verified as working), and what wasn't working was obvious that it couldn't have worked.

In addition to that there was another major problem in it too. Christmas day ruined. To add even more, it wasn't a complete package, and in addition to that they hadn't sent the compensation. Megatech wouldn't reply to us, so I e-mailed again on January 8th. A head repair person phoned us to say our links with Mr. Lodato were removed, the compensation agreement was being removed and I was to pay shipping myself to return the product.

I suggested I would take the matter outside Megatech. The conversation then changed and he went to discuss it with Mr. Lodato. Mr. Lodato phoned later in the day, but announced it was a "recorded" conference with his team present. Mr. Lodato said the repair head's call was a mistake and Mr. Lodato in a lengthy call made increasing offers even though I had told him at the beginning of the call I didn't want to spend any time talking about it. The offers increased to an almost acceptable level, but the main thing was that I could not trust them.

From then on I decided I could only make agreements with Megatech by working through an independent mediator. I took them to the Trenton, New Jersey BBB for mediation, but Megatech did not work with us the customers. They knew how the BBB worked and bullied their new lesser, un-agreed upon resolution on us. They knew that by simply doing that it would gain them automatic acceptable BBB status. The BBB has to provide it if the manufacturer does anything, even if it doesn't seem right to the BBB assistants.

At this point I had a birthday child that had been without a birthday present for about 1/3 of a year. The child's birthday ruined. The child's Christmas day ruined. I'd been through problems with Megatech. I'd processed all the information through the BBB. All of this, generating something very bad and misleading to other consumers, "a GOOD BBB record" for Megatech. I'd improved how they looked One additional good statistic for them!

Obviously I wasn't pleased. I could give up like many people do after being beaten down by businesses that are members of associations (or not), or I could continue on and right this the best way I could.

After a lot of preparation at the end of June I placed my problem with Megatech on the complaint at usacomplaints.com
Here's the link to it, or you can search for "Megatech" at the usacomplaints.com web site. It is Report: #345723

Http://usacomplaints.com/reports/0/345/RipOff0345723.htm

This report is what you should read to understand the full details of the problem (what I'm writing to you is just a brief list, there is a lot more to it, warranty scam etc). I have tried to contact Megatech several times but they have totally ignored the complaint.

Complaint is not a nice place to be. Companies should not strive to be there, but Megatech is taking the option to weather it out. To stay put and try to ignore its problems. The complaint staff warn companies to stay away from complaint and solve any problems properly and immediately. There will always be those that try to ignore the warnings, but complaint is the consumer problem reporting service with the biggest impact. Little escapes its wrath.

I understand that your association represents the toy / hobby industry. I expect you do all you can to help toy companies to achieve the best they can for their customers. Your association strives to represent an association with the good toy companies of America. Your association becomes tarnished whenever it becomes associated with the bad businesses in America, and that isn't good, even when bad businesses may be paying you fees.

In the next few weeks it will be the anniversary of my child being without a birthday present.
Whether or not you represent Megatech, you serve the industry they are in. I and my child are in a terrible position because of this company in your industry. It is madness for the company to try to ignore the problem, especially when I have asked for the same general resolution throughout (bar a 1 day attempt to try budge them), but their idiotic attempt to ignore the problem has really impacted myself and my child and has since cost us time and thousands of dollars in administration (working with Megatech, the BBB and the complaint, and now you).

Once you understand the complaint it is easy to see that this company is not acting in the best interests of the customer. Their contact information is listed above, and you likely have access to it yourselves including the President's name Mr. Peter Winston. I think it is important for your association to contact Megatech to discuss my problem with regard to their reputation in the industry and their association with yourselves.

I do not want my child to be without a birthday present for an entire year. I'd like your membership association to ensure Megatech does not allow this to happen. I'd like to see something drastically different from Megatech (but still observed by a mediator AND yourselves).

Please reply immediately to let me know who will be handling this.

Company: Toy Directory And Megatech International Toydirectory.com
Country: USA
State: California
City: Los Angeles
Address: 12340 Santa Monica Blvd. Suite 226
Phone: 3109794330

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