GW finds new way to alienate non-EU/US customers (aka MiJ rants again)

[kojibear]

Yep, yep, yep...I don't know what to say to be honest. Perhaps the situation up in Tokyo where the couple of stores are, is different. Perhaps these one or two stores are making a tidy profit selling a lot of miniatures to some very whiny kids with some very well-off parents.

Exhibit A: http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?aId=16900016a

Everyone looks so happy! Those wee ones couldn't have even reached double digits yet.

Or perhaps it was the final picture at the bottom of the page that made the big wigs at GW think everyone in Japan is thrilled with the current situation! "Yay!" :dance:

http://gamesworkshopjpn.weblogs.jp/blog/


With today's exchange rate:

Space Marine Battle Box in Tokyo = 112 pounds

Space Marine Battle Box in UK = 60 pounds

Oh, but if we spend 80 pounds we can get free shipping inside Japan.:eyeroll!:

Ok...yeah...well...as for me, I have given my money to GWs competitors and invested in Mailifaux and Cutlass. Maybe I'll go over to Privateer Press next.

Sayonara indeed.:bye:

 

[me_in_japan]

ooh, ello Koji, me ol' mucker. Fancy seeing you here. Small world, innit

 

[hajmoid]

Please inform me of any better multipart plastic, fully posable models from an alternative producer thats better than the scourge dark eldar kit. I have built and painted that kit and they were an absolute joy! there are some nice models out there from other producers but nothing on the same level as those scourges.

No business strategy should involve pissing off your customers, customer is king and repeat business and an increasing customer base is what GW should be focussing their efforts towards, not statistics on a board. I don't think they know what they are doing to be honest. I think its way too late to mend the relationship as well given the great number of alternative models that are equally as good or better than GW models.

dfb

 

[Aesu]

Please inform me of any better multipart plastic, fully posable models from an alternative producer thats better than the scourge dark eldar kit. I have built and painted that kit and they were an absolute joy! there are some nice models out there from other producers but nothing on the same level as those scourges.

The quality might be top notch but for the way some regions are charged, its not very nice. Spend 10,000 yen for free shipping? That's $120.00 AUS. In Australia, the GW site offers free shipping for orders over $30.00 AUS.
I would love to know why a tiny country like Japan has higher shipping cutoffs than my country that could fit a few Japans in it.

(Btw Australia's total population roughly matches greater Tokyos population. Can't imagine our postal system would be cheaper)

 

[me_in_japan]

japan's internal postage system is great. Amazon japan, for example, offers free shipping. As standard. None of this "free shipping over ~~yen" nonsense. Just, yknow, free. And this when buying Black Library books, in English (ooh, can ya smell the irony?)

It has been noted on my local forum that GW shipping from the UK to New Zealand is also extortionate, whereas shipping from the UK to Pitcairn Island (a small island somewhere off the coast of New Zealand, but not affiliated with it) remains at last month's levels. This is especially odd, as all mail to Pitcairn Island must first be sent to New Zealand, and from there be transferred onto a small boat which goes to the island a couple of times a week!

Meh, the prices GW charge have nothing to do with actual shipping charges and everything to do with trying to control customers' buying habits. Again, someone on the local forum actually emailed GWJ and asked about the price hikes. He got an email back containing a lot of stuff about how international shipping costs money, donchaknow. It was inferred that GW have been soaking up shipping rates (oooh the poor wee lambs!) and have just now brought things onto a more even keel. A quick perusal of the Royal Mail website clearly identifies this as complete hooey. It does not cost fifty quid to send a land raider to Japan. I know this, due to having personally walked into a UK post office and sent a great number of things to Japan. I'm adding "being personally lied to" to my list of grumps about GW.

Please inform me of any better multipart plastic, fully posable models from an alternative producer thats better than the scourge dark eldar kit. I have built and painted that kit and they were an absolute joy! there are some nice models out there from other producers but nothing on the same level as those scourges.

I dont dispute that GW often make lovely minis. I have two boxes of the kit in question, and yes, it's great. If their minis were rubbish there wouldnt be a problem, as people wouldnt want to buy em. It's worth noting, btw, that being plastic, multipart and poseable doesnt matter a damn to many people. To gamers, yes, it may do. To painters? Not so much. Regardless, the issue is not their sculpting. The issue is their blatant attempts to manipulate customer buying habits (i.e. not allowing people to choose where to buy their minis from), ridiculous regional price variation, disrepectful attitude to the people who put food on their table, and downright dishonesty. That's what the issue is.

 

[Dragonsreach]

regardless, the issue is not their sculpting. The issue is their blatant attempts to manipulate customer buying habits (i.e. Not allowing people to choose where to buy their minis from), ridiculous regional price variation, disrepectful attitude to the people who put food on their table, and downright dishonesty. that's what the issue is.

qft!...............

 

[Sand Rat]

Please inform me of any better multipart plastic, fully posable models from an alternative producer thats better than the scourge dark eldar kit. I have built and painted that kit and they were an absolute joy! there are some nice models out there from other producers but nothing on the same level as those scourges.

Anything made by almost any plastic kit manufacturer. I've bought kits made around the world, and have to say by and large, for what you pay for them GW's quality control sucks. Especially now that they've started cutting back on the number of minis per box -

 

[generulpoleaxe]

View attachment 9211

and that's not mentioning the likes of tamiya plastic kits or dragon plastic kits.

 

[dogfacedboy uk1]

Please inform me of any better multipart plastic, fully posable models from an alternative producer thats better than the scourge dark eldar kit. I have built and painted that kit and they were an absolute joy! there are some nice models out there from other producers but nothing on the same level as those scourges.

Well, I havent seen that particular kit but if you want dark elves the Gamezone ones are very nice. GW models are nice enough, but for those who no longer wish to support a company that has clearly lost its way there are certainly alternatives. I would LIKE to see GW as a successful hobby leading company as it has a high profile that is truly capable of gaining media attention. Its a shame its business ethics are lacking and it has lost the spirit of its roots. Probably too late to mend all that bad feeling now, a great shame.

dfb

 

[marjedi]

Well GW continues to make bad buisness desitions trying to turn a negative sales curve.

Which is really sad sincealot of the stuff they do are lightyears ahead of all others. I love privateer press new resin plastic, but man it is primitive compared to gws plastic kits, imagine how a Khador jack would look if made by gw (would cost twice ad much....).

Gw is trying to "force" customers into their stores, hence the difficult and expensive shipping, the no news policy and the technical difficulties that other brick and mortar stores have in selling gw stuff.

Og and remeber GW believes the internet is eviiiil, and the source of all the bad stuff in the world