Collectors Den 

I pre-ordered my Captain Rex helmet. Paid in full and haven't heard a thing back.
I have tried to contact him via;
Email, Facebook (including messenger), Ebay and the website (which is now gone).
Un-Collectors Den has essentially stolen my money.
Has upset my young son who wanted to play clone wars with me.

When Obi Wan said "you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." I suppose this was the Den he was talking about - I should have been cautious.

In all seriousness, this really is unacceptable. Looking at these other reviews on here it makes me wonder why pre-orders (like mine) have continued to be taken and not fulfilled. Where does that money go?!

I think this is daylight robbery!
If this was a high-street shop I would take trading standards into the premises.
If I see Gareth again at an event I will at least get answers personally. But I'd settle for my money back - at which time I will remove this review.

No wonder there is no contact number ANYWHERE - was this premeditated from this scumbag?

DO NOT PREORDER FROM THIS DEN OF THIEVES

PreOrdered and fully paid for George Lucas in stormtrooper armour about 3 years ago, apart from a Facebook post from Gareth bemoaning Hasbro unfulfilling his orders (not specific) around a year ago, and despite numerous attempts to contact by email, on website & message in collector's groups, initially for updates on status, later for refund, heard zero back and then his site shuts down with no redirection instructions. I understand he's had personal issues, bereavement etc, but 3 years with no contact or refund is unacceptable, smacks of scam artist for me, especially seeing how many unfulfilled customers are now coming out. Avoid like the plague if by some miracle buisness reopens.

I preordered some figures back in November 2023, paid in full at a cost of £155. Website stated preorders would be fulfilled in December 2023, I received zero updates and have been chasing ever since with only 1 response to say that they were seeing the neca sales team at a spring fair in Feb, again chased for no updates to be given, now website is shut down and their emails are now just bouncing back. Hoping to catch them at a local comicon next week for some answers!! Very very poor service

Extremely poor customer services, tried to contact via email and messenger on website. I even received confirmation via message/email that wrong figure was sent to me, then nothing happened. I received the last message asked me to wait for response... 30/1/24, there is still no update. I don't think the shop has intention to correct the order and I can see many negative feedback comments and I'm not surprised... it's rather disappointing as I ordered a couple times with this shop in the past without issues.

If I could have put zero stars I would have. Been extremely concerned with lack of communication the last couple of years. When I've had issues with my orders I've had to publicily call him out to get his attention only to then receive sarcastic emails and bad attitude. Had comments removed on his company Facebook page when I've asked questions regarding orders. Reading horror stories of people not getting their goods. And now the website has been removed. Tried contacting on all channels but no response. I had 1 pre-order left that I have been waiting on but I've now decided to go to small claims and try and claim my money back. Lost all faith in the guy running it. Avoid like the plague and avoid the ebay page that's still open too.

Always gave Gareth the benefit of the doubt. However no communication is being offered and now his website is down. I've made contact via all platforms possible and had no response.

Have now raised a claim through small claims.

Please steer clear of his ebay which is still up and running. I'm owed nearly £500.

Same situation as a lot of people, spent nearly 1K on Hot Toys figures that he put on PayPal payment plans. No communication (lost count of how many emails I have sent) zero response from this thief. I hope that somebody deals with this fellow, he deserves all that's coming to him.

You know I rarely leave negative feedback as it’s bad for business but when I have been very respectful, never been rude to Gareth I trusted him when I finally got a hold of him about my preorder which is a year overdue he told me March 11th I assume now that was a stalling tack tick because he has lied, why do I know that before March 11th, because the website no longer exists. I had an idea this would the case as he has not been on social media in a while spilling out his long posts trying to get people to feel sorry for him This man has constantly blamed his supplier whilst all other website have had this figure in stock. I’m done with him, I assume he’s filling for bankruptcy at some point. The one decent thing he has done so far is close down the website so no other poor person will fall victim to his lies. I am out £500 but I will be dong my best to retrieve as much as I can. First process small claims court.

Thanks Gareth, I even offered to help if I could then you do me like this.

Ordered two hot toys figures paid up fully but no response to emails Facebook messages etc

Appears to have taken money given in good faith with no intention of paying for it. Also has a eBay store but would not order anything remotely associated with this store ever again.

Taken over £1000 off me for pre orders ,is ignoring all contact on all platforms . Now his site has been taken down. Scum.

Avoid at all costs. TERRIBLE customer service and they take your money then don’t deliver.

Gone bust and to be avoided at all costs. Chances are will turn up at conventions like a bad smell

Just to echo the words of every other recent poster here:
Do not trust this business.
Gareth Royston has been acting fraudulently, with full knowledge he has no intention of fulfilling orders, while still taking new ones, for some time. He refuses to respond via his site's email address, via his site's chat/messaging function, via his site's Facebook page, via his personal Facebook page, via his site's Instagram page, or via his phone number (+443330501638). I've given him a long time to reply or respond in any way, but he's chosen ignorance. I've contacted him repeatedly, multiple, multiple times, showing patience and understanding and even support; but he's insulted and disrespected me by refusing to even acknowledge my contact, let alone my recent concerns.
I was incredibly nice to him for a long time, and he used to fulfil orders; but he simply stopped fulfilling his obligations and then chose dishonesty, obfuscation, initial excuses (lies), then complete radio silence.
Almost the only communication you'll find from him of late, is a post on his site's Facebook page falsely making himself out to be the victim of a campaign of harassment by somebody he'd ripped off, which lots of us were probably 'mug' enough to believe until we realised we were similarly ripped off. His post was yet another of Royston's deflective lies to protect the reputation he's thrown away long enough to steal some more money from trusting victims. The man's a con artist. I don't believe he set out to be one at first, but when circumstances obviously became difficult, he chose those actions as surely as anybody else that steals from the public with duplicity.
He's stolen a lot of money from a lot of customers and he hasn't even used the income from new victims to try and clear his backlog of debt to the rest of us: He's instead used it for a leisurely life he posts about on his personal accounts. I'd have sympathy had he communicated, but he's just taken advantage of me instead, like with so many of us. I'd have been completely understanding, given the financial climate were all dealing with, had he made any return contact: But he simply stole my money and ran, despite being aware that I was in desperate, dire straits myself.
I'm lodging a formal complaint to the Police/Action Fraud, and I've been ensuring Shop/Shopify should be deactivating his website to at least ensure he can't take any new orders, and I'm, personally, making sure a private collections agent visits him shortly. I'll also be contacting UK conventions and shows to warn them to avoid Gareth rather than risk reputational harm by association with the fraudster. I'll be following absolutely every avenue possible to reach whatever resolution can be met, relentlessly, but I absolutely implore everybody to never again trust him with any more of your hard earned income. An outright thief and liar. If you want your money back, absolutely lodge formal complaints and I imagine it might also be worth visiting his publicly accessible business locker/unit or his home address (which I'll refrain from posting here FOR NOW).
I'll amend this post with any developments should Gareth begin cooperating.

Edited to add (4th March 2024)- Legal action initiated, arranged a private collection visit for Gareth, and I'm liaising with eBay to close his account there, too. I recommend you do the same, as well as joining me in contacting UK shows and conventions; providing you can make the time. Every report to Action Fraud helps too.

Used as my go to place for quite a while and had numerous good transactions. Then all of a sudden things went wrong. Have Hundreds of pounds worth of orders outstanding and the seller won't respond to emails or messages on any platforms and has just wilfully taken my money. Its one thing to get into trouble and have issues but to take other people's money and just ignore them is outright theft and I've lost all patience and respect I had for this appalling individual and scam business.

Pre Ordered Sideshow Darth Vader with a £37 deposit which was taken by Collectors Den on 1st August 2022. I still have email confirmation that payment was taken.
Recently signed into my Collectors Den account to find my order had been voided saying I had not paid the deposit. I'd give zero stars if I could.
DO NOT USE THIS SITE

Where to begin? I’ve had a pre-order open with collectors den for a while now, which was a long way off from the time I purchased it, which is standard fare for some import collectibles, so I didn’t really think too much of the delay.

Lo and behold, most UK retailers start getting the item in stock, the same item I purchased from Collectors Den. I enquire as to where my item is, only to be told that their website is being moved to a new platform and they’ll have a new chat functionality to chase orders. Unfortunately at the time this wasn’t in place so I tried to contact the store using the email available online.

Eventually I got through by finding the owners personal email address, after receiving no reply for a number of weeks no less. Eventually the owner replies and tells me that he’s currently transferring orders and stock over to the new website and this will take time, and he’s unable to give me an estimate, and also to stop contacting him via his personal email and instead use that chat functionality.

Multiple weeks after these emails, and multiple weeks after using the chat function I’m still in the same place - no idea where my order is, if I’ll ever get it (doubtful at this point) and hundreds of pounds poorer, with nothing to show for it.

This site has to be a scam because I know I’m not the only one who has had this exact situation happen. And conveniently the pre-order falls outside of the PayPal support window.

Worst store I’ve ever bought from, worst customer service I’ve ever had. I will be reporting the site and owner to the fraud line and the ombudsman.

If I could leave no Stars I would, I brought a Hot toys figure back in 2021 due for dispatch in Q4 2022, after the dispatch date passed I emailed a few times but got no reply.

A few back and forths with Gareth and him threatening to put me to the back of his pile if I keep asking for an update I sent him a letter before court claim, he then finally replied and agreed to store credit.

I sent him a list of in stock items I'll have instead to be done with it but then it was back to him blanking my emails.

Told him I would be going to the small claims court if he doesn't respond, sent on email and his new live chat, but surprise surprise there is no reply.

I've now taken this to the small claims court and they've set a date for him to respond, to which I highly doubt he will.

He shouldn't be allowed to trade anymore and no convention should let him sell, mans a thief and a lair.

Like many others I have been robbed by this despicable con man. Two hot toys orders dating back to 2021 and 2022. I have received neither, he refuses to refund my orders or give store credit. As others have stated, he does not respond to emails or Facebook messages and has turned off comments on his Facebook page. This has been such a stressful experience and I am now going to have to go to small claims court to get my money back.

Edit Paul S if you could contact me on FB I'd really appreciate it. Search Mark David Taylor. Profile pic is of me and my son (my son is pulling a face) thanks.

THIEVES & SCAMMERS

As mentioned by a lot of other people, I paid for a preorder costing almost 300 quid. After very poor contact and promises there has been no item received. My account had been deleted and the site changed after being 'parked' for a few weeks.

However, he thinks he'll get away with it. Trust me he won't. Already in the process of a police investigation and I'll get my money back. Always have done from thieves before.

Absolute sham of a store, preordered an item with them they took the money etc. etc. after multiple contacts with them with the owner acting like a victim and assuring me the item will come, constantly changing the date they stopped replying. Tried to cancel, no reply, asked for my money back, no reply. A year later and they have deleted my account, changed their site and still refuse contact.
Do not use, their rebrand and social media are a thinly vieled attempt to escape all the bad reviews and rightful critisism.