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Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere but it looks like after getting their trade terms past the ACCC GW have now put them into action.
From the Black Cultist* Facebook page:
So Games Workshop is doing the right thing by it's customers again and have cleverly hidden a price rise to their supplies in with their new trade terms.
Under the guise of a Value Added Service Model retailers who do the things Games Workshop likes have the opportunity to buy the products cheaper then those who do not. Of course the part that seem to have left out was the fact that the best price available under this model is the old price and everyone who doesn't meet enough criteria for that price gets a worse price.
What does that mean for you all? It likely means I have to reduce the discount I can offer you. I won't change anything till the end of the month and I may not have to but I want to give you all fair warning.
-- Brad
For those unaware their last set of trade terms basically said they get to do what they want and if you don't like it then you can just pay more.
*Black Cultist is an online store with a sizble discount and I believe one of our most popular ones because of it.
Fafnir wrote: Oh, I certainly vote with my dollar, but the problem is that that is not enough. The problem with the 'vote with your dollar' response is that it doesn't take into account why we're not buying the product. I want to enjoy 40k enough to buy back in. It was my introduction to traditional games, and there was a time when I enjoyed it very much. I want to buy 40k, but Gamesworkshop is doing their very best to push me away, and simply not buying their product won't tell them that.
GW used to piss me off, then I switched to Infinity. Australians, you deserve better.
"drinking liqueur from endangered rain forest flowers cold-distilled over multicolored diamonds while playing croquet on robot elephants using asian swim suit models as living wickets... well, some hobbies are simply more appealing than others." -Sourclams
AesSedai wrote: GW used to piss me off, then I switched to Infinity. Australians, you deserve better.
I think a lot of us already figured that out.
I went scrolling through the Facebook account of The Combat Company, my personal choice for online shopping down under, and apparently the largest FLGS in the southern hemisphere. They love posting pics of all the new stock as it arrives and I scrolled past pallets, literally multiple pallets, of stock arriving for Warmachine, Infinity and Xwing/Armada but the last time they posted anything GW was 2 Haemonculi codexes and a dozen blisters on October 9th 2014.
I was looking for a mention of trade terms but now I'm not even sure they are still trade partners with GW.
Fafnir wrote: Oh, I certainly vote with my dollar, but the problem is that that is not enough. The problem with the 'vote with your dollar' response is that it doesn't take into account why we're not buying the product. I want to enjoy 40k enough to buy back in. It was my introduction to traditional games, and there was a time when I enjoyed it very much. I want to buy 40k, but Gamesworkshop is doing their very best to push me away, and simply not buying their product won't tell them that.
2015/08/13 03:58:44
Subject: Re:GW Australia trade terms and price rise
When you consider that at a guess GW OZ Pty Ltd contributes to an average 8.5% of global sales and that per capita Australia has more collectors/gamers than anywhere in the world it does not surprise me in the least.
The main cost factor in this however which has been missed, and it has nothing to do with the new trade terms. You see GW has in place a "Constant Currency" factor, so far over the last few years the Aussie dollar has slid badly against major currencies
this has an impact, GW has to sell more product in Australia to break even against the strong Pommy Pound. This will get worse as the Chinese have devalued their currency, which had an immediate of the Aussie Dollars losing a 1 cent and 1 p against the US Dollar and Pommy Pound respectively.
We are paying higher prices because of the weak Aussie.
The ACCC decision had nothing to do with it, it was merely a co-incidence.
"Ultramarines are Wusses".... Chapter Master Achaylus Bonecrusher
Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the stated goal of these new trade terms was to do exactly that regardless of the currency value.
GW wanted to be able to dictate the trade discount their partners would receive based on if GW considered them 'contributing to the hobby', which is simply a continuation of their policies to prevent anyone selling online unless they have a physical store as well because "online retailers are all freeloaders riding on the hard work GW Hobby Centers put in to recruit customers".
Fafnir wrote: Oh, I certainly vote with my dollar, but the problem is that that is not enough. The problem with the 'vote with your dollar' response is that it doesn't take into account why we're not buying the product. I want to enjoy 40k enough to buy back in. It was my introduction to traditional games, and there was a time when I enjoyed it very much. I want to buy 40k, but Gamesworkshop is doing their very best to push me away, and simply not buying their product won't tell them that.
2015/08/13 04:19:57
Subject: Re:GW Australia trade terms and price rise
Achaylus72 wrote: The main cost factor in this however which has been missed, and it has nothing to do with the new trade terms. You see GW has in place a "Constant Currency" factor, so far over the last few years the Aussie dollar has slid badly against major currencies
this has an impact, GW has to sell more product in Australia to break even against the strong Pommy Pound. This will get worse as the Chinese have devalued their currency, which had an immediate of the Aussie Dollars losing a 1 cent and 1 p against the US Dollar and Pommy Pound respectively.
We are paying higher prices because of the weak Aussie.
Indeed. This is why we saw that huge price reduction back when the Aussie dollar was sitting more or less on parity with the US.
Or, you know, not.
The new trade terms have everything to do with the ACCC decision. GW wanted the ability to tailor pricing to individual trade accounts based on how much of the 'GW experience' they feel the store is offering to their customers. Since that submission was approved by the ACCC, the new trade terms are now rolling out. Online stores, and any store not offering gaming space, or that GW decide for any other reason (because their criteria was left vague in the submission) is not selling GW's product in the most suitable way faces increased prices or a cancellation of their trade account.
It also forces owners of multiple stores to purchase product separately for each location, as GW may rate those individual locations differently and thus charge them different prices.
Of course, none of this applies to GW's own stores, who are free to carry on being shoe-boxes that nobody can find anymore due to being shunted off into back alleys and underneath bridges.... It's all about everyone else providing an adequate level of support to the GW Hobby.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/08/13 04:20:52
jonolikespie wrote: Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the stated goal of these new trade terms was to do exactly that regardless of the currency value.
GW wanted to be able to dictate the trade discount their partners would receive based on if GW considered them 'contributing to the hobby', which is simply a continuation of their policies to prevent anyone selling online unless they have a physical store as well because "online retailers are all freeloaders riding on the hard work GW Hobby Centers put in to recruit customers".
Oops I got it wrong, then, thanks for the clarification.
Now I remember what it was about, correct me if I get this wrong, it was to stop anyone that operated an online store regardless if they had a B&M store offering cheaper product than GW here in Australia, so they could not undercut GW own B&M stores, however the could offer discounts within their B&M stores as it is direct to the public. I hope I got the jist of it.
@insaniak, yeah I remember the massive cuts to retail when the Aussie was batting at $1.10 US so that constant currency protocol is a pile cow patties.
"Ultramarines are Wusses".... Chapter Master Achaylus Bonecrusher
"Oh, yours died on a cross? That's cool. My messiah is a 100 ton land battleship that crushes the souls of the unfaithful beneath it's holy treads. ALL HAIL THE CRASSUS ARMORED ASSAULT TRANSPORT!"
PlaguelordHobbyServices wrote: Why does GW just seem to loathe and hold their Aussie customers in contempt like this? No other company does this...
According to your flag, you live in the USA right?
Well being Australian I can tell you that every company does this. Apple was charging more for the same songs on iTunes at one point for Gaks sake.
It's called the Australia Tax. We're all pretty used to it here.
It used to be cheaper to fly to the US and back and buy an Adobe product there than it was to buy the same CD here.
However other companies seem to be realising that in the age of the internet and online sales they are hamstringing themselves. GW seems to be going against the grain by trying to restrict other sales to force people to pay the higher prices while other companies are trying to make their product more appealing (be it with better service, customer support, lowering prices, ect) to make sales.
I think the issue really does just come back to GW thinking their market is 'people who buy GW product', which puts them in the imagined position of having a monopoly on 'GW product'. It doesn't seem to occur to them that there are other products in the tabletop hobby that people might spend their money on if they restrict the sale of their own product.
Fafnir wrote: Oh, I certainly vote with my dollar, but the problem is that that is not enough. The problem with the 'vote with your dollar' response is that it doesn't take into account why we're not buying the product. I want to enjoy 40k enough to buy back in. It was my introduction to traditional games, and there was a time when I enjoyed it very much. I want to buy 40k, but Gamesworkshop is doing their very best to push me away, and simply not buying their product won't tell them that.
GW has something similar in Canada. I'm not sure for how long, but it's not recent.
Essentially, you can either just sell their stuff, and get a trade discount, OR, you can agree to sell their stuff their way and get preferential treatment, most significantly, free shipping regardless of order size. You can literally place a $50 order, and it will arrive by courier a couple of days later. You also get one free shipment out of the UK once a month (web order), again, regardless of order size.
In exchange, I believe the most significant thing you must agree to is to stock minimum levels of a list of items, which changes from time to time. They have an extended list, too, that you have to take some stuff from, but you have quite a bit of flexibility; it's essentially to ensure that you stock/display GW stuff.
So, you can't say, "I'm not going to stock Age of Sigmar" or Dark Vengeance, or tactical marines, or scouts, for instance (but you can choose between Land Raider Crusader and Land Raider, or Scouts or Scouts with Sniper rifles). You also have to take an auto-shipment of White Dwarf magazines (I'm not positive, but I think the minimum is 5 issues each week). But, once a year, you can return unsold printed material, now, so it's not such a big deal (I think this falls under the benefits of doing stuff their way, too). I saw a local store return unsold SECOND EDITION 40k codexes this year.
I could very well be wrong about the specifics; this is just as it has been described to me by a store owner that I know really well.
This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2015/08/13 05:28:15
2015/08/13 05:28:02
Subject: Re:GW Australia trade terms and price rise
Achaylus72 wrote: The main reason is that Australia is of the dearest countries in the world to operate a business.
If the USA for instance had our system they would be paying overs for their gear.
What's an over? ("paying overs for their gear" -- just wondering what this expression means)
Yeah my bad.
It means that instead of a minimum wage then surviving off tips you had an award wage of $20 per hour and your employee want's you to work overtime the first two hours working back you get time and a half = $30 per hour, then if it goes longer then you get double time, triple time etc, where the employer pays you up to $60 per hour. These are called penalty rates.
That's what I mean by "Overs" the employer has to pay a penalty rates if they want workers working past knock off time because it is in their work conditions, also it is enforced by the federal government.
"Ultramarines are Wusses".... Chapter Master Achaylus Bonecrusher
2015/08/13 05:57:37
Subject: Re:GW Australia trade terms and price rise
Achaylus72 wrote: The main reason is that Australia is of the dearest countries in the world to operate a business.
If the USA for instance had our system they would be paying overs for their gear.
That's the excuse companies have used for years and it's simply not true. We're gouged because we, in the past, had far less choices about the companies and products that were available. New Zealand had it worse, because a lot of their stuff was imported through us and so they copped our tariffs on top as well.
These days, that is not nearly as true as it used to be.
Why, for example, are GW still charging the same price as a GW B&M store for purchases from their website? Absolutely no excuse, other than because they can.
Check GW's website now - Weapons of Atonement $180 US, $285 AU.
$180 at the current exchange rate is $243. Almost cheaper for me to order and ship it from the USA than to buy it in Australia.
"Oh, yours died on a cross? That's cool. My messiah is a 100 ton land battleship that crushes the souls of the unfaithful beneath it's holy treads. ALL HAIL THE CRASSUS ARMORED ASSAULT TRANSPORT!"
2015/08/13 06:03:31
Subject: Re:GW Australia trade terms and price rise
Achaylus72 wrote: The main reason is that Australia is of the dearest countries in the world to operate a business.
If the USA for instance had our system they would be paying overs for their gear.
That's the excuse companies have used for years and it's simply not true. We're gouged because we, in the past, had far less choices about the companies and products that were available. New Zealand had it worse, because a lot of their stuff was imported through us and so they copped our tariffs on top as well.
These days, that is not nearly as true as it used to be.
Why, for example, are GW still charging the same price as a GW B&M store for purchases from their website? Absolutely no excuse, other than because they can.
Check GW's website now - Weapons of Atonement $180 US, $285 AU.
$180 at the current exchange rate is $243. Almost cheaper for me to order and ship it from the USA than to buy it in Australia.
Here is something you should know and that GW product is tariff free and pays no importation tax.
"Ultramarines are Wusses".... Chapter Master Achaylus Bonecrusher
How dare Australia mandate a fair wage for its workers, and prevent corporations from paying slave labor wages and removing all benefits, with no subsequent drop in prices so that the money saved fuels profits.
Achaylus72 wrote: The main reason is that Australia is of the dearest countries in the world to operate a business.
If the USA for instance had our system they would be paying overs for their gear.
That's the excuse companies have used for years and it's simply not true. We're gouged because we, in the past, had far less choices about the companies and products that were available. New Zealand had it worse, because a lot of their stuff was imported through us and so they copped our tariffs on top as well.
These days, that is not nearly as true as it used to be.
Why, for example, are GW still charging the same price as a GW B&M store for purchases from their website? Absolutely no excuse, other than because they can.
Check GW's website now - Weapons of Atonement $180 US, $285 AU.
$180 at the current exchange rate is $243. Almost cheaper for me to order and ship it from the USA than to buy it in Australia.
Here is something you should know and that GW product is tariff free and pays no importation tax.
Ha. Well that makes things even worse then.
If it's almost cheaper for me to rent a postal address in the USA (or have it sent to a mate) and then have it sent on from there to Aus, then it's clearly infinitely cheaper for a large company to import thousands of the same thing. Economics of Scale.
If it were just GW it might be different, but it's nearly any single product you care to name that isn't produced in Australia. Tech, video games etc etc etc.
A car charger for a mobile phone is a great example - buy one from a store in Hong Kong for $5 or pay $35 in Australia. Often for the exact same brand.
"Oh, yours died on a cross? That's cool. My messiah is a 100 ton land battleship that crushes the souls of the unfaithful beneath it's holy treads. ALL HAIL THE CRASSUS ARMORED ASSAULT TRANSPORT!"
NTRabbit wrote: How dare Australia mandate a fair wage for its workers, and prevent corporations from paying slave labor wages and removing all benefits, with no subsequent drop in prices so that the money saved fuels profits.
Is your name Gina?
Learn the Queens English troll.
"Ultramarines are Wusses".... Chapter Master Achaylus Bonecrusher
2015/08/13 06:23:22
Subject: Re:GW Australia trade terms and price rise
Achaylus72 wrote: The main reason is that Australia is of the dearest countries in the world to operate a business.
If the USA for instance had our system they would be paying overs for their gear.
What's an over? ("paying overs for their gear" -- just wondering what this expression means)
Yeah my bad.
It means that instead of a minimum wage then surviving off tips you had an award wage of $20 per hour and your employee want's you to work overtime the first two hours working back you get time and a half = $30 per hour, then if it goes longer then you get double time, triple time etc, where the employer pays you up to $60 per hour. These are called penalty rates.
That's what I mean by "Overs" the employer has to pay a penalty rates if they want workers working past knock off time because it is in their work conditions, also it is enforced by the federal government.
Ahhh that's here too. And Obama wants to change it in the US so that overtime is much more consistent and is charged unless the person makes a much higher salary than the floor right now.
If it were just GW it might be different, but it's nearly any single product you care to name that isn't produced in Australia. Tech, video games etc etc etc.
A car charger for a mobile phone is a great example - buy one from a store in Hong Kong for $5 or pay $35 in Australia. Often for the exact same brand.
I would *really* like to know why this is so. If there is no legitimate reason for it, I should pack up my bags and become an Australian importer of all these various goods... I'd make a killing and put everyone else out of business by not charging a stupid premium!
Is tax included in the listed price? In Canada, for instance, it's not, so depending on your jurisdiction, you could pay between 5% and 13.5% (I think that's the highest) on the website price.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2015/08/13 06:26:41
2015/08/13 06:46:11
Subject: Re:GW Australia trade terms and price rise
Achaylus72 wrote: The main reason is that Australia is of the dearest countries in the world to operate a business.
If the USA for instance had our system they would be paying overs for their gear.
What's an over? ("paying overs for their gear" -- just wondering what this expression means)
Yeah my bad.
It means that instead of a minimum wage then surviving off tips you had an award wage of $20 per hour and your employee want's you to work overtime the first two hours working back you get time and a half = $30 per hour, then if it goes longer then you get double time, triple time etc, where the employer pays you up to $60 per hour. These are called penalty rates.
That's what I mean by "Overs" the employer has to pay a penalty rates if they want workers working past knock off time because it is in their work conditions, also it is enforced by the federal government.
Ahhh that's here too. And Obama wants to change it in the US so that overtime is much more consistent and is charged unless the person makes a much higher salary than the floor right now.
If it were just GW it might be different, but it's nearly any single product you care to name that isn't produced in Australia. Tech, video games etc etc etc.
A car charger for a mobile phone is a great example - buy one from a store in Hong Kong for $5 or pay $35 in Australia. Often for the exact same brand.
I would *really* like to know why this is so. If there is no legitimate reason for it, I should pack up my bags and become an Australian importer of all these various goods... I'd make a killing and put everyone else out of business by not charging a stupid premium!
Is tax included in the listed price? In Canada, for instance, it's not, so depending on your jurisdiction, you could pay between 5% and 13.5% (I think that's the highest) on the website price.
This is essentially exactly what's happening in Australia now and big companies like GW are suffering for it, because they're getting undercut by people who aren't ridiculously overpricing their stuff, especially in the online market.
If these small boys can do it, GW can do it. Apple can do it. MS and Google can do it. They just won't because they know they can charge and people will still pay.
It's regulation here that GST (Goods and Services Tax) is included in any quoted price. So any Aussie price you see, includes GST.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2015/08/13 06:46:56
"Oh, yours died on a cross? That's cool. My messiah is a 100 ton land battleship that crushes the souls of the unfaithful beneath it's holy treads. ALL HAIL THE CRASSUS ARMORED ASSAULT TRANSPORT!"
Achaylus72 wrote: this has an impact, GW has to sell more product in Australia to break even against the strong Pommy Pound. This will get worse as the Chinese have devalued their currency, which had an immediate of the Aussie Dollars losing a 1 cent and 1 p against the US Dollar and Pommy Pound respectively.
As I understand it, the Chinese devalued by 2% relative to the US Dollar "lock", which has skyrocketed recently. If you compare CNY vs JPY, EUR, etc., CNY is still relatively high, even after the "devaulation".
(Yes, I know it's not a hard USD-CNY currency peg, but it's functionally similar in how they move together.)
NTRabbit wrote: How dare Australia mandate a fair wage for its workers, and prevent corporations from paying slave labor wages and removing all benefits, with no subsequent drop in prices so that the money saved fuels profits.
Well being Australian I can tell you that every company does this. Apple was charging more for the same songs on iTunes at one point for Gaks sake.
We (Mongoose Publishing) don't - we are trying to find a way to give free shipping to Australia at the moment...
Awesome. As I said in posts under the one you quoted, a lot of other companies are undercutting the big guys, especially now that ecommerce is a big thing.
I was exaggerating a little bit about 'every company'. What I really meant was most of the big companies and companies that have a sort of monopoly on their products and distribution like Apple and GW. They think that people will buy their products anyway, because they're the 'only Apple products' or 'only GW products' and unfortunately they're right in a lot of cases. And so they charge an Australia Tax because they know they can get away with it.
I don't even mind paying shipping from guys like you, as long as the price I'm paying for the actual product is reasonable. Must say I've never seen your store before, so I'm now gonna check it out.
"Oh, yours died on a cross? That's cool. My messiah is a 100 ton land battleship that crushes the souls of the unfaithful beneath it's holy treads. ALL HAIL THE CRASSUS ARMORED ASSAULT TRANSPORT!"
Renegades - 
-- $k 
-- 9k 
-- 6k 
-- 4k 
-- 
