★☆☆☆☆ Avoid at All Costs – The Geek Merchant is Not What He Used to Be

I’ve been buying Funko Pops from The Geek Merchant for years. In the beginning, Hawie came across as a decent guy, and I genuinely enjoyed supporting his business. But in the last 3 years, his attitude towards customers has nosedived into pure arrogance and condescension.

Damaged Funko boxes now arrive as if that’s the standard. If you dare to speak up about poor service or damage, you won’t get accountability — you’ll get belittled. Worse, his friends and “loyal defenders” will pile on, publicly slandering you instead of addressing the issue.

My breaking point came with a pre-order set of 1883 Pops. I asked for a refund in MAY, he agreed and said it would be paid end of June. Then, out of nowhere, the pops were shipped a few days later. When I reminded him of my refund request, he smugly rep****, “The pops are on the way.”

He refunded me for Yellowstone Pops but refused to refund the 1883 Pops, claiming, “Noooo… no refund… you should have said so before shipping.” I did say so — weeks before shipping. The gaslighting is next-level.

For daring to call this out on an online forum, I was removed from the Pop Culture WhatsApp group he admins — a group I’d been part of for years — as if that’s some kind of power move. I fully expect he’ll trash-talk me to other buyers too, because in his circle, “Hawie can do no wrong.”

This is not the professional, community-focused seller he once was. He now treats customers who stand up for themselves like they’re the problem. And that is not only unprofessional — it’s sad.

If you value respect, transparency, and your hard-earned money, take your business elsewhere.