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H.B.M.C. wrote:What concerns me now is that I returned two sets - one opened and one completely untouched and in the bag. Is that manager going to take my untouched one and put it on the shelf with the other two I saw there and sell them again?

You should figure out some non-obvious method of marking the unopened product you returned and have someone else go in and check.

In the bottom right corner when you are looking at the front of the box the right side up, you will notice a small microchip. Take this microchip and type in your 5 digit code, then tap the microchip on the very center of the box. The packaging should turn green now and the whole box will be sell-able at that point. I think we have a plan now, just to figure out how to make the color changing nanotechnology effective.

You could also just put a red dot on the corner, no one will notice unless they know it is already there.... Hmmm, at least 1000 people will see that one coming now, perhaps a blue marker would be better.

Sadly these will be put on the shelves and sold again, that is the way still packaged returns work at GW . . . 99% of the time it is highly sensible, but when low quality products are returned to the shelves this is poor . . . they instead should be returned to HQ with a customer complaint.

Is there any quality control laws that apply to this products downfalls? I am not a lawyer, but there has to be something protecting the consumer that can be applied to this.

Well if a customer is unsatisfied with a product it is well within their rights to return it . . . as I believe it . . . this means, if you get something out of the box and are unsatisfied with the quality, go talk to your local GW store manager, or in some other way contact GW. They SHOULD get it returned for you, as GW isn't about selling shoddy things, it's about selling quality products to get repeat custom . . . as a niche market GW needs to retain customers, otherwise it will lose money, and go out of business.

My first thought would be that the product image wasn't clearly represented as an advertisement only. I consider this false advertising, but I know the laws on this are incredibly complicated and pretty convoluted.

If the website AND the store did not state this product would be different that what the advertisements represent, then I would think that GW is in the wrong. There are significant enough differences in the product and the advertisement to mislead people into buying something that they did not intend to. This is hardly an issue for a court quite honestly, but I think being prepared is always a good thing, and GW owes people for this mistake; at least if they want to salvage a bit of their reputation (which may or may not matter to them).

I would personally like to hear what is happening with the FLGS's and their orders. Are store trying to return this product with success? Returning an entire order can look pretty bad if you are trying to maintain a good rep with GW, although they hardly have a real excuse now.

Oshova wrote:... it's about selling quality products to get repeat custom...

You are aware what the topic of this thread is, right?

It's about pancakes, right HBMC?

Oshova wrote:Well if a customer is unsatisfied with a product it is well within their rights to return it . . . as I believe it . . . this means, if you get something out of the box and are unsatisfied with the quality, go talk to your local GW store manager, or in some other way contact GW. They SHOULD get it returned for you, as GW isn't about selling shoddy things, it's about selling quality products to get repeat custom . . . as a niche market GW needs to retain customers, otherwise it will lose money, and go out of business.

The manager told me to keep in contact with GW customer services.

alsycho wrote:I agree they are not the best I've ever seen or bought, but they are also only $20.

Only $20? Do you have a money tree in the back yard or what? Considering what you're getting for $20 that's pretty fething ridiculous.

alsycho wrote:original ones are the proto's and as anyone knows the following runs are never as good.I will send pics of mine once I finish.

No. No, no, no, that's bs, I'm sorry. Some loss of detail is acceptable, but the difference between the final product and the huge, detailed pictures they showed off all over the fething place is too great for me to accept that as an excuse.

See that piece with the SM bits on it? Even if they had come out like that it wouldn't have been that bad, but the quality isn't even that good. They're gak, they look like mush, there's no excuse or defense.

GW is not the only miniature company out there, diversify.

No other game or mini company really appeals to me. Some games look fun, like Flames of War or Battletech, but they have crap models...not a fan of the smaller scale for Flames of War (and the fact that infantry look like blobs), and the boring, samey poses on Battletech models aren't too impressive, either (and I don't feel like cutting and reposing them). Privateer Press models are really hit and miss, and I've heard bad things about the ruleset in general (I hate CCGs, and what's even worse than a CCG? A tabletop minis game that plays like a CCG...). Also, "Page 5"? No thanks.

Other than that, um...what else is there? I'd rather invest in a game that I know will be around for a while, and the fact that I can't even think of any other games besides those doesn't really fill me with confidence. AT-43 died out already didn't it?

If the website AND the store did not state this product would be different that what the advertisements represent, then I would think that GW is in the wrong.

Even if they did put these disclaimers up on their website, does that really give them the right to advertise one product and sell something completely different? I don't think so...

There are significant enough differences in the product and the advertisement to mislead people into buying something that they did not intend to.

Exactly, the difference between the finished product and the one advertised is huge, I'd never buy them if I knew exactly what I was getting.

Sidstyler wrote:No other game or mini company really appeals to me. Some games look fun, like Flames of War or Battletech, but they have crap models...not a fan of the smaller scale for Flames of War (and the fact that infantry look like blobs), and the boring, samey poses on Battletech models aren't too impressive, either (and I don't feel like cutting and reposing them). Privateer Press models are really hit and miss, and I've heard bad things about the ruleset in general (I hate CCGs, and what's even worse than a CCG? A tabletop minis game that plays like a CCG...). Also, "Page 5"? No thanks.

Other than that, um...what else is there? I'd rather invest in a game that I know will be around for a while, and the fact that I can't even think of any other games besides those doesn't really fill me with confidence. AT-43 died out already didn't it?

I can understand where you are coming from. If you do a bit of window shopping you can get stuff from a bunch of companies that will suit your needs. One stop shopping is nice, but it starts to become an issue when GW gives itself the benefit of the doubt in situations like these. Most of the terrain I have seen and used have been home-made pieces, or conversions of some kind. With all of the information available (and bits too) you can make pretty much any terrain that you are willing to put the effort into. This may seem like a stupid answer to an unrelated question, but I don't see it that way. Perhaps this is a sign that Hobbyists should speak up more, and buy less (this could rationally be applied to any purchase).

DakkaDakka is obviously observed from many angles by GW, and this can be used as a means of rather direct communication. If enough people want something, the likelihood of it being made becomes a reality when they come together in a post such as this. As an individual consumer you do not have that much power, as a well organized group you can basically call some of the shots AND see them come to pass from a safe distance. I expect a large company like GW to listen to their customers, and their CSR are testament to the effort they put into caring for their customers.

Just because you are unhappy with something does not mean you need to get worked up about it, on the other hand you SHOULD get a refund if you see fit. On that same note, GW should be recalling this product quite soon, I would be surprised if they did not.

They've already been removed from sale on the Oz website
("No longer available" - seems the limited run was indeed very limited).

I'd rather they went back to their original crater set (back in the old RT/2nd ed days, when you got a couple of sheets of vacformed craters that you had to cut out yourself.

Then again I don't need them. I have enough skills to fabricate my own (and access to a mate's vacformer).

The Strongpoint set w/2 Bunkers & 3 Devensive Lines is also 'Not Available' off of Oz Mail Order.

US mail order too.

Thank God I got myself two of them from the Warstore

Still good to go on the UK site.

H.B.M.C. wrote:The Strongpoint set w/2 Bunkers & 3 Devensive Lines is also 'Not Available' off of Oz Mail Order.

That doesn't make sense. So Maelstrom [and other retailers] are essentially the only way to get this item anyway, heh. It's like GW is telling you to shop at Maelstrom.

The Stronpoint comes with three Defense Lines though? Awesome. I thought it was only two.

Just contacted the (french) Direct Sales via phone. I was told that they were aware of the problem as some of them had ordered the Blastscape too and were quite disappointed, and that my only option was to get a refund by mailing them the "faulty" item back at my own expense... (Something which wouldn't make much sense to me, since sending it back would, with the prices of the french post, cost me about half the price of the item itself!)

I think I'll pay a visit to my local GW shop, a 5min walk from home, where I'm quite well known by the redshirts, when it opens tomorrow (it's closed on Mondays) and see what they will propose...

Well, unless they propose me a refund "on the spot" then I'll probably keep it just as a reminder never ever to advance order anything from GW again.

Yeah - a disgrace - went to pick some up from the store but saw the same horrible quality and left them there. Now worried if the new wrecked rhino piece is as bad...

Gniknok wrote:and regarding the problems of advertising not delivering... they seem to be doing the same with the planetary empires. The box cover shows a tile with a hive city on it

But I don't think this tile will be included in the box. It will be available separately via direct services. I was in my local GW store earlier this week when their latest 'black box' arrived and the hive city sprue was included, alongside the Battlewagon upgrade sprue and the kits for the new Leman Russ and Hellhound variants.

Got my WD in post today, and can confirm the Hive City tile is NOT included in box, and will cost £5 from mail order.

After reading this thread, went and looked these up at my local. No way would I purchase them at all, even if the plastic were of a respectable thickness. You would be better off installing a grimdark paintjob on kids toys, by far. You would spend less as well.

I've gotta a question regarding the blast scapes....Regardless of quality...

Why are they so dang enormous?? I mean too big for my tastes. Not sure if this is needed for the Vac form processing. I was expecting maybe 6 inches in length but in some cases they are closer to 15 inches long. I think I could get 40 figures in the footprint of the firestorm craters.

The laser burn looks like a pond given the size. Just a gripe. I'm going to try and paint them and see if they can be made to look resepctable.

For $20... I feel like I'm getting what I paid for. However, I'd rather see 2 or 3 of these "smaller" and done via injection molded on a sprue for the same price point.

I've just come from GW Covent Garden - apparently a memo has gone to stores explaining that the WD pictures are the resin moulds, so that they can apologise to customers who feel aggrieved.

Apology.... NOT accepted!

legalis wrote:I've just come from GW Covent Garden - apparently a memo has gone to stores explaining that the WD pictures are the resin moulds, so that they can apologise to customers who feel aggrieved.

They must be expecting a few then. No sign of a recall or even an admission of failure then. They're still regarded as quality product that GW is proud and happy to sell. This is the 'giant issue' of GW scenery, a blot on an otherwise spotless (if clichéd) record.

legalis wrote:I've just come from GW Covent Garden - apparently a memo has gone to stores explaining that the WD pictures are the resin moulds, so that they can apologise to customers who feel aggrieved.

Yeah I was just thinking that if GW thinks that this will be enough to appease their customer base then...

legalis wrote:I've just come from GW Covent Garden - apparently a memo has gone to stores explaining that the WD pictures are the resin moulds, so that they can apologise to customers who feel aggrieved.

Better late than never, I guess this means that customer services won't be getting back to us.

yeah,
I didn't get a responce to the email I sent on friday, so I called GW customer service again.

As luck would have it I got Yan on the phone, he got my email and appologised for not replying sooner.
He confirmed that the Photos in WD and Online are the Resin Masters and if your not happy with the actual product and live in the UK you can send them back free post.
(I think you can also return them to a GW store.)

Yan Zacks
Customer services GamesWorkShop
FREEPOST NW3673
Willow Road
Lenton
Nottingham
NG7 2WS

you need to supply a cover letter with your returned items stating what the complaint with the item actually is.
here's mine...

Yan / GW CustomerServices,
Order Number: xxxxxxxxx
I’m returning these BlastScape craters because they don’t look like the advertised Product. They also fall short of my expectations from GW. The product is of low quality, it has many bent and broken areas and many of the details are clearly deformed from the intended cast.

I’ve been playing Games WorkShop games for about 15yrs and I think this is honestly the first product I’ve been disappointed with. (other than the 4th ed vehicle damage dice! But only because they stopped working in 5th edition!)

PAnic.

I expect I'll get a appology letter and a refund, Which I'll put towards either a battlescape or Planetary Emipre Tiles, both of which 'look' Awesome!

Panic...

Our FLGS got some of the craters in and they looked pretty bad, about the same "quality" as the OP. I can't believe GW would release such a crappy product like this (codex's not included)

Another sad thing about this fiasco, and one I may have missed being mentioned on the previous 12 pages, is what this does to GWs reputation.

I won't look at pretty pictures of exciting new terrain features the same way again. I'll reserve jugement until I see them in person. No more pre-orders if I can't trust them to release what they've shown.

I expect I'll get a appology letter and a refund, Which I'll put towards either a battlescape or Planetary Emipre Tiles, both of which 'look' Awesome!

I doubt even the chinese fabricators can mess up a bunch of hexagon pieces! Not like you need detail for that