Argh! I'm somewhat frustrated by this. We get BatB in actually ahead of release for once, and I was able to buy my Brick on release day. That was awesome. Also got some nice pulls - my SRs were Fire and Ice, Hard Travelling Heroes and The Flashes, and I got most of the figures I wanted.

Then I came to trying to send away for the Brick fig. The aus distributor isn't handling it this time at all apparently, so we have to send away to the US and deal with the larger international shipping. That's fine, since I've often used that method before and found it to be a much more reliable way of getting the figures.

They have an online form this time, which wasn't supposed to come online until 1pm EST (that's New Yawk time). I checked the site at 3pm EST and it still wasn't up. So I had to wait until the next day to check it (today). Now the form is there, so I print it out. But unlike previous times....there is no credit card option for payment. All it says under payment options is: 'Please make all Checks, Money Orders and Cheques payable to Alliance Game Distributors'

What?! It also says that international orders need to be in US Dollars!!!

So I checked at the bank. To get a Bank Cheque costs $10, and that's in Australian Dollars. To get one in US dollars costs $20-$30! They told me to go to the Post Office and get a Money Order. So I try there, and they don't do US$ money orders anymore. Apparently you can arrange them (or something like them) at Great Western, but they cost $20-$30 as well! All this for a lousy $8.50 shipping fee!

I figured it was better to try and buy one on Ebay. I tried to find an email address I could send a query to NECAkids about it, but couldn't find one. So since I had everything else ready, I just wrote my credit card details on anyway and posted it. Hopefully they'll still process it. Especially since in their 'Seeking Redemption' article they wrote:

6: International payment options will be honored here in the U.S.

Not sure exactly what that means, but they certainly aren't making it easy for us.

Wow, who do you bank with? Those fees sound a bit higher than what I'm used to.

Well to be honest, the bank didn't tell me that's how much it was for a US% Bank Cheque. They told me $10, but I forgot to tell them it was US dollars. The guy at the post office told me it would be $20-$30.

But regardless.....$10 is still way more than I should have to pay for a supposedly free figure. Especially on top of the US$8.50

I'm used to paying $5.40 for AUD bank cheques; I'll have to check on USD cheques.

I never did manage to find a more cost-effective way to pay for this brick figure, btw.

The fee to issue a USD bank draft was $20. Obviously it's more economical to pay for two figures with one bank draft, so with exchange rates at their current levels you pay about $39 for two brick figures, plus postage. All in all, a Batman and Catwoman brick figure is similar in cost to buying one of the more popular Brave and the Bold SRs, but a bit scarcer.

How many people mailed away for theirs?

I sent away for two brick figs each for myself and Sgt Grimes last weekend.

Bank draft was $20, so it ended up costing ~$60 for the four figs, so about $15 each.

I'm not sending for the brick figure, I guess ebay is the way for me.

I did buy one on eBay in order to guarantee having the figure (and it actually arrived before my Brave and the Bold order did!), but I've also mailed away for two. We'll see how long it takes.

Played Batman and Catwoman on Thursday, and they were pretty good.

I just got back my envelope with my booster bottoms, receipt, etc a few days ago and a note saying that they were returned to me due to lack of payment. Guess my attempt to let me use credit card failed.

Now the question is....if I get a cheque made out now, and resend it, will I be too late? The last thing I want to do is spend $20 on a cheque and then still not get the fig. Doesn't seem worth the risk.

They haven't posted a "cut-off date" yet. You may not end up with a numbered version, but you should still get the figure.

Update: I got two brick figures in the mail today. #1623 and #1630. I used a USD draft from CBA, so obviously those are being honoured by Alliance.

I also got my two brick figs yesterday #3302 & 3308.

Now waiting to see if Sgt Grimes got his as well.