Premium Magic Band preorders and "circular" customer support :(

IndianaMac · 19 Nov 19, 03:31 PM

Just a wee rant, to be honest.

Booked for August '20 thru TC, and pre-ordered our Magic Bands on MDE before the unfortunate events of the last couple of months.

Following the collapse, rebooked (POR rather than POFQ, a few days later) through Ocean Florida, thus leaving the Magic Band order in limbo.

Not a problem if they were solid colours, we'd just forget them; but they're the premium ones, therefore "bought and paid for" (and rotating, so not guaranteed to get the same designs again). Easy, we thought - let's contact Disney and ask that the bands be transferred to the new holiday... can't be difficult, can it?

So an initial call to MDE was greeted with a "can't help", followed by an email to guest mail at wdw, which was more or less fobbed-off and the buck passed to merchandise, who were duly called and promised to "see what they could do"... which was, not get back to us... so MrsIndiana, having a sense of humour loss, reluctantly reordered on our new holiday link (unsurprisingly, not getting the exact bands from the first order), and then a few weeks later we get another email from ShopDisney asking us to again contact their "great" team at MDE via 'phone (that's where we started a couple of months ago)... (Our original order now showing as old but active bands on MDE!).

Now to me, it ain't rocket science - if getting two sets of bands to POR is going to be confusing, fire the original set off to POFQ reception with a guest name and we'll happily wander over to collect... 'tis an excuse for beignets, after all.

But getting the message across? Honestly, face to face, Cast Members offer the best service, but as a corporate body/entity, the left hand really doesn't know what the right hand's doing.

**Mexy02** · 19 Nov 19, 05:17 PM

I feel your pain and it�s Frustrating but just a word of warning as well , if you order these well in advance they are shipped straight away and just sit at the resort , the battery starts to wear down in them from the so they could be over a year old by the time you get them . One of ours brand new wouldn�t work at all to open the room door etc . We ended up with a room credit to get a new one from a shop that worked . No that took some sorting out at the front desk !

Nimbus · 19 Nov 19, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by Mexy02

I feel your pain and it�s Frustrating but just a word of warning as well , if you order these well in advance they are shipped straight away and just sit at the resort , the battery starts to wear down in them from the so they could be over a year old by the time you get them . One of ours brand new wouldn�t work at all to open the room door etc .

If it wouldn't work to open the room door then that doesn't sound like a problem with the battery. Even if the battery is run down then the MagicBand should still be able to unlock the door. The tap-to-enter facility doesn't require a battery.

Last time we visited I took an old MagicBand that was 2 years old and it opened the door without any issues.

So it sounds like your MagicBand was simply defective rather than an issue with being left on the shelf for too long.

BTW, I didn't think the MagicBands were shipped until nearer the check-in date? If they were shipped straight away then the OP's MagicBands would be sitting on a shelf at POFQ right now.

Love*my*hols · 19 Nov 19, 06:18 PM

We ordered 1 premium and 4 ordinary ones .None at check-in so got $40 credit.

disneypars · 19 Nov 19, 07:55 PM

The "system" kept telling me to order mine when I was on holiday. When we went to the front desk and explained the situation the manager authorised a no strings attached purchase from the resort store. This was at Pop Century.

**Mexy02** · 19 Nov 19, 08:05 PM

Originally Posted by Nimbus

If it wouldn't work to open the room door then that doesn't sound like a problem with the battery. Even if the battery is run down then the MagicBand should still be able to unlock the door. The tap-to-enter facility doesn't require a battery.

Last time we visited I took an old MagicBand that was 2 years old and it opened the door without any issues.

So it sounds like your MagicBand was simply defective rather than an issue with being left on the shelf for too long.

BTW, I didn't think the MagicBands were shipped until nearer the check-in date? If they were shipped straight away then the OP's MagicBands would be sitting on a shelf at POFQ right now.

It wouldnt work on anything. The paid for magic bands are shipped as soon as you pay to resorts the same as they are posted out to customers in the USA in advance so yes they are sitting on a shelf effectively up to a year out.

Nimbus · 20 Nov 19, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Mexy02

It wouldnt work on anything.

Sounds like it was a dud even before they shipped it out. Not good.

Originally Posted by Mexy02

The paid for magic bands are shipped as soon as you pay to resorts the same as they are posted out to customers in the USA in advance so yes they are sitting on a shelf effectively up to a year out.

In which case, the OP doesn't have an issue. They can go to POFQ where they originally booked and pick up the bands from there because they would've already been shipped to their original resort. The bands should be sitting on a shelf there.

Or am I missing something?

IndianaMac · 20 Nov 19, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by Nimbus

Sounds like it was a dud even before they shipped it out. Not good.

In which case, the OP doesn't have an issue. They can go to POFQ where they originally booked and pick up the bands from there because they would've already been shipped to their original resort. The bands should be sitting on a shelf there.

Or am I missing something?

The latest email advising we go full circle to MDE is the bands "have been processed for your first stay"... not sure if that means they've been delivered there to wait on a shelf or not? But getting a straight answer is somewhat difficult!

If they have been shipped there, and are indeed sat in storage, simple solution is I wander over once checked in at POR and collect... as a couple of advertising rodents may say, simples.

But nowt's that simple with trans-Atlantic 'phone calls and emails to the oh-so-happy and jovial but ultimately a wee bit wishy-washy folk we've been dealing with thus-far!

Nimbus · 20 Nov 19, 06:47 PM

Originally Posted by IndianaMac

The latest email advising we go full circle to MDE is the bands "have been processed for your first stay"... not sure if that means they've been delivered there to wait on a shelf or not? But getting a straight answer is somewhat difficult!

If they have been shipped there, and are indeed sat in storage, simple solution is I wander over once checked in at POR and collect... as a couple of advertising rodents may say, simples.

But nowt's that simple with trans-Atlantic 'phone calls and emails to the oh-so-happy and jovial but ultimately a wee bit wishy-washy folk we've been dealing with thus-far!

It's crazy isn't it. If it's as Mexy02 says, you'd think Disney would tell you the same thing? It would take no more than a minute to explain: "The bands have been ordered, which means they've already gone to POFQ. If you want, you can pick them up from there". Simples, as you say.

It sounds like no one at Disney actually knows what has happened to them. Again, it sounds like Dibbers might know more than the supposed "experts".

Lola · 23 Nov 19, 01:02 PM

A similar situation here. I ordered a special magic band for our beach club hotel stay in Sept 2020. Now changed the booking to the DVC villas at the Beach Club. From this thread I think can just pick up my pre ordered band at reception as well as a solid colour one?

23 Nov 19, 01:02 PM	#10
	23 Nov 19, 01:02 PM Lola Imagineer
Lola Imagineer Join Date: Jan 05 Lola's Reviews Hotel Reviews: 1	A similar situation here. I ordered a special magic band for our beach club hotel stay in Sept 2020. Now changed the booking to the DVC villas at the Beach Club. From this thread I think can just pick up my pre ordered band at reception as well as a solid colour one?