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Recently my local GW store had a change in managerial staff. I wasn't going to hold any grudges against this new guy, it wasn't like it was his fault our old manager got fired. The old manager was let go for various GW reasons; having events, giving customers "real" hobbying advice (like how to build tables and terrain from non-overpriced-GW-product) and where to get such materials... y'know a real ass .

So the new manager shows up and the first thing he does is cover one of our three gaming tables with a "hobby intro table", the kind of table where the three starter sets are built and painted for a 4+ rolling adventure for the new, interested hobbyist (or that random schmuck who wandered in from Taco Bell). After getting to know about him I found out he had been in the hobby for a staggering 6 months and doesn't own a single army (although I guess he started Skaven just for the occasion). Another cute and very corporate thing of him to say to a younger hobbyist, who at the time was sitting in one of the chairs there, "This is Games Workshop. If you aren't gaming, working or shopping, then get out."

Now all of these complaints so far seem pretty petty but it gets a wee bit better.

A few months back I bought a box of Bloodletters for a friend of mine. He is starting an all 'Zerkers army and I figured I'd get him a cheap scoring unit for not that much money out of my wallet. Months go by and he never really builds them and I start getting interested in Black Templars. Since he plays Grey Knight he got all excited about it and wanted me to build my army up nice and fast. So when we were trying to come up with way for some easy scratch he suggested we exchange the Bloodletters for a box of Neophytes or something. So I go to the store to make an exchange. The new manager told me I'd need a receipt or the record of my purchase in the system. So he can't find it and tells me I'm outta luck. I thought this was strange, becauce normally you don't need either to make an exchange. A day later I called customer service, wondering if they chaged the exchange policy. I was told they hadn't and they'd call the new manager to straighten things out.

Okay cool.

So I go in a couple days later, bringing the box up to him asking if I can exchange it now. He gives me a weird look and starts talking to me with this frustrated tone of voice, talling me he can't do it, we've already been through this... blah blah blah. I tell him I called customer service and they said they'd straighten it all out and give him a call. He shakes his head. "Nope, never got a call."
At this point I'm getting noticeably peeved. I turn and leave telling him I guess I'l just exchange it somewhere else and give customer service another call.

Just last night I get a call from a friend of mine (a manager in the same region) and he tells me he got an email that was sent out from the new manager to all the other GW mangers in the region telling them to be on the look out for a "disgruntled customer trying to exchange bloodletters". Apparently, he thingk I got them from some illicit means and now I'm trying to get something free out of it.

Now I just want to punch the in the face. I'm never going back to that store and at this point refuse to buy anything directly from GW. All because I wanted a box of Neophytes.
/rant

Anyone else have any problems like this?

No, GW Southampton guy is cool.

Manager in stoke is the same , absolutely , he's a great gamer and can beat everyone in the store, but he's an pain when it come to everything else just like with yours

Yes the Southampton guy (aka 'wolverene' due to the awesome hair) is pretty cool

All that sounds like what I would expect to hear about a GW store. Ive never been to one, and probably never will since the closest one is around 400 miles away.

I would go to one if given the chance, not to buy anything, but to complete my GW experience. Ive paid thier terrible retail prices, received poorly cast product from Forgeworld, now all i need is poor treatmetn at a GW store.

Its a shame they make such good minis, because in every other way they deserve to go under.

Hmm. Probably should call customer service and let them know about this guy. I'm sure this isn't a thing with all GW stores, the guy here in Sterling is awesome.

Stories like this make me glad I have a hobby store (not a GW) run by an awesome manager who runs weekly events, monthly tournaments for every major system, and carries nearly everything you'd ever need from every major producer.

GW Guildford, all staff are great and I've personally never had a problem with anyone, same with several others I've been into though Guildford's my main one

Seems you just got it rough by getting a useless idiotic witch in charge of your GW store

I was in a GW for about 2 years, and the staff was amazing. 4 tables, at least 1 guy at the ready to help newbie, 1 guy painting, and one guy just helping people with whatever they needed. The manager was a 4-time GD winner, and had some of his amazing pieces on display. He was very humble about it, and was the nicest guy ever.

We were allowed to take covered drinks into the store, which was awesome, as there was a Baskin Robbins (A frappe shop) right next to the place.

Sucks that GW canned the place. It was always packed.

Pen≥Sword wrote:Recently my local GW store had a change in managerial staff. I wasn't going to hold any grudges against this new guy, it wasn't like it was his fault our old manager got fired. The old manager was let go for various GW reasons; having events, giving customers "real" hobbying advice (like how to build tables and terrain from non-overpriced-GW-product) and where to get such materials... y'know a real ass .

So the new manager shows up and the first thing he does is cover one of our three gaming tables with a "hobby intro table", the kind of table where the three starter sets are built and painted for a 4+ rolling adventure for the new, interested hobbyist (or that random schmuck who wandered in from Taco Bell). After getting to know about him I found out he had been in the hobby for a staggering 6 months and doesn't own a single army (although I guess he started Skaven just for the occasion). Another cute and very corporate thing of him to say to a younger hobbyist, who at the time was sitting in one of the chairs there, "This is Games Workshop. If you aren't gaming, working or shopping, then get out."

How big is the shop?

Pretty small mall-styled location, right?
This kind of behavior isn't exclusive to GW. Independent bookstores have the same attitude, as does a chain called "CD Warehouse". It's pretty simple business:
It doesn't attract customers if people are just sitting around inside. It just makes it look like a place to hang out, not a place of business.

Now all of these complaints so far seem pretty petty but it gets a wee bit better.

A few months back I bought a box of Bloodletters for a friend of mine. He is starting an all 'Zerkers army and I figured I'd get him a cheap scoring unit for not that much money out of my wallet. Months go by and he never really builds them and I start getting interested in Black Templars. Since he plays Grey Knight he got all excited about it and wanted me to build my army up nice and fast. So when we were trying to come up with way for some easy scratch he suggested we exchange the Bloodletters for a box of Neophytes or something. So I go to the store to make an exchange. The new manager told me I'd need a receipt or the record of my purchase in the system. So he can't find it and tells me I'm outta luck. I thought this was strange, because normally you don't need either to make an exchange. A day later I called customer service, wondering if they changed the exchange policy. I was told they hadn't and they'd call the new manager to straighten things out.

You know that there's no boxed set for "Neophytes", right? That's probably part of why he was giving you problems.

And that GW policy, as it stands right now, is that if you've got an item you're trying to return/exchange past a certain window(30 days---same as any other retail chain really)--you need a receipt and the item can't be opened.

Okay cool.

So I go in a couple days later, bringing the box up to him asking if I can exchange it now. He gives me a weird look and starts talking to me with this frustrated tone of voice, talling me he can't do it, we've already been through this... blah blah blah. I tell him I called customer service and they said they'd straighten it all out and give him a call. He shakes his head. "Nope, never got a call."
At this point I'm getting noticeably peeved. I turn and leave telling him I guess I'l just exchange it somewhere else and give customer service another call.

And at this point, if I was him and I had a customer coming in telling me "No, it's okay customer service said they'd straighten it all out and give you a call." when I had received no call...I would find your story slightly hard to believe too.

While in all likelihood you're 100% on the up and up, not everyone who tries to do things like that are. They ruin it for the rest of us.

Just last night I get a call from a friend of mine (a manager in the same region) and he tells me he got an email that was sent out from the new manager to all the other GW mangers in the region telling them to be on the look out for a "disgruntled customer trying to exchange bloodletters". Apparently, he thinks I got them from some illicit means and now I'm trying to get something free out of it.

Now I just want to punch the in the face. I'm never going back to that store and at this point refuse to buy anything directly from GW. All because I wanted a box of Neophytes.
/rant

Anyone else have any problems like this?

You mean wanting products that don't exist?

Yeah, it's killing my Elysian Stormtrooper army

Kanluwen wrote:

How big is the shop?

Pretty small mall-styled location, right?
This kind of behavior isn't exclusive to GW. Independent bookstores have the same attitude, as does a chain called "CD Warehouse". It's pretty simple business:
It doesn't attract customers if people are just sitting around inside. It just makes it look like a place to hang out, not a place of business.

Nope, not a mall based store. Part of a 'strip mall'. Before the store was relocated was actually in a mall and I never had any problems before, even when I'd just sit around all day maybe hoping for a game or something.

Now all of these complaints so far seem pretty petty but it gets a wee bit better.

You know that there's no boxed set for "Neophytes", right? That's probably part of why he was giving you problems.

And that GW policy, as it stands right now, is that if you've got an item you're trying to return/exchange past a certain window(30 days---same as any other retail chain really)--you need a receipt and the item can't be opened.

No, I didn't ask for anything in particular. Just for an exchange. I'm aware that there are only 'Scout' boxes.
Both times I've talked to customer service there had never been mention of a "30 day window". The box is still sealed and it came down to corporate sending me a box to mail it back to them for store credit. So rather than being just like, a day. I had to jump through hoops to make a simple exchange.

And at this point, if I was him and I had a customer coming in telling me "No, it's okay customer service said they'd straighten it all out and give you a call." when I had received no call...I would find your story slightly hard to believe too.

While in all likelihood you're 100% on the up and up, not everyone who tries to do things like that are. They ruin it for the rest of us.

I didn't say, "Nah brah! It's cool! Customer service said it'll be alright!" I thought that maybe customer service gave him a call and he talked to him. I wanted a reason as to why he still gave me the metaphorical finger. He told me he never got a call (though I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at that point). So I told him I'd call them again.

You mean wanting products that don't exist?

Yeah, it's killing my Elysian Stormtrooper army

Nope, didn't ask for Neophytes. Just an exchange. I technically wanted a box of Scouts.

All of the behavior he exhibited up until the return was pretty typical of a GW crony. It was his attitude about the exchange, not to mention the email he sent out. That's about when I decided I wanted to ruin his face... with a fist.

The manager at GW norwich was heading that way, he seemed really highly strung and to be honest a bit f a douche, then we all got to know him, yes he is buisness orientated.. but i respect that (buisness before pleasure and all that) the more i spoke to him the more i realised we were quite alike.. so he was a douche lol lol

Pen≥Sword wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:

How big is the shop?

Pretty small mall-styled location, right?
This kind of behavior isn't exclusive to GW. Independent bookstores have the same attitude, as does a chain called "CD Warehouse". It's pretty simple business:
It doesn't attract customers if people are just sitting around inside. It just makes it look like a place to hang out, not a place of business.

Nope, not a mall based store. Part of a 'strip mall'. Before the store was relocated was actually in a mall and I never had any problems before, even when I'd just sit around all day maybe hoping for a game or something.

Yeah, well sadly Games Workshop stores have two different kinds of thought processes to them.
They're run like businesses, not like the guy who owns his own hobby shop. They've got limited space, and people loitering doesn't really attract "good" attention like seeing people actively playing or a revolving door of people going in, buying things, and leaving with their purchases.

Now all of these complaints so far seem pretty petty but it gets a wee bit better.

You know that there's no boxed set for "Neophytes", right? That's probably part of why he was giving you problems.

And that GW policy, as it stands right now, is that if you've got an item you're trying to return/exchange past a certain window(30 days---same as any other retail chain really)--you need a receipt and the item can't be opened.

No, I didn't ask for anything, just for an exchange. I'm aware that there are only 'Scout' boxes.
Okay cool.

But does he know that? The guy likely, as the trend is now they don't want "hobbyists first, businesspeople second" running their shops, has very little knowledge about the game systems.

Seeing where I'm coming from here?

And at this point, if I was him and I had a customer coming in telling me "No, it's okay customer service said they'd straighten it all out and give you a call." when I had received no call...I would find your story slightly hard to believe too.

While in all likelihood you're 100% on the up and up, not everyone who tries to do things like that are. They ruin it for the rest of us.

I didn't say, "Nah brah! It's cool! Customer service said it'll be alright!" I thought that maybe they gave him a call and he talked to him. I wanted a reason as to why he still gave me the metaphorical finger. He told me he never got a call (though I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at that point). So I told him I'd call them again.

I didn't say that you did the "Nah brah!" bit. But again: people do try stuff like that.
To use an anecdotal experience...
The FLGS I used to work at had one customer who continually bought things online from discounters/ebay, and anytime he had something wrong with the contents he'd call us up and make his complaint to us rather than GW direct(which is what you're supposed to do in that case really, but we'd still take care of it).

But in his specific case after he tried to scam a Land Raider from us, we'd require the product be returned to the shop so we'd send it on to GW rather than the normal "honors" policy that you see GW implementing(where they let you keep the product and would send a replacement).

You mean wanting products that don't exist?

Yeah, it's killing my Elysian Stormtrooper army

Nope, didn't ask for Neophytes. Just an exchange. I technically wanted a box of Scouts.

All of the behavior he exhibited up untill the return was pretty typical of a GW crony. It was his attitude about the exchange, not to mention the email he sent out. That's about when I decided I wanted to ruin his face... with a fist.

You said you asked for Neophytes "or something".

But seriously. If you tried this at any shop, you'd likely get the same attitude. It's a hassle for the employee when there's no receipt or record of the transaction with the storefront.

Kanluwen wrote:
Yeah, well sadly Games Workshop stores have two different kinds of thought processes to them.
They're run like businesses, not like the guy who owns his own hobby shop. They've got limited space, and people loitering doesn't really attract "good" attention like seeing people actively playing or a revolving door of people going in, buying things, and leaving with their purchases.

I understand that's GW's model for their "hobby distribution centers", but out of the three managers I've been through not one of them has had a problem with it. It's a really big downgrade in my opinion. On top of that hearing him say it to a kid just irks me.

But does he know that? The guy likely, as the trend is now they don't want "hobbyists first, businesspeople second" running their shops, has very little knowledge about the game systems.

Seeing where I'm coming from here?

Right, I see where you're coming from. But him not knowing that puts him down as a crappy manager in my book.

I didn't say that you did the "Nah brah!" bit. But again: people do try stuff like that.
To use an anecdotal experience...
The FLGS I used to work at had one customer who continually bought things online from discounters/ebay, and anytime he had something wrong with the contents he'd call us up and make his complaint to us rather than GW direct(which is what you're supposed to do in that case really, but we'd still take care of it).


But in his specific case after he tried to scam a Land Raider from us, we'd require the product be returned to the shop so we'd send it on to GW rather than the normal "honors" policy that you see GW implementing(where they let you keep the product and would send a replacement).

Well I was trying to make an exaggerated example maybe throw in some comedy.
I understand that might happen where you go, but this is my first time trying to make an exchange and I've spent well over a $1000 over the years at this shop alone. And for him to spit in my face like that is really gunna get me steamed.

You said you asked for Neophytes "or something".

But seriously. If you tried this at any shop, you'd likely get the same attitude. It's a hassle for the employee when there's no receipt or record of the transaction with the storefront.

That's right. I would dream trying this at my FLGS and any other store would laugh me out the door. But he's working for a company that makes these transactions all the time and even agreed to let me mail it to them. It's not like I'm pioneering this whole new exchange policy with GW it's been in effect for quite some time.

All this stuff isn't even what got me to post all this, it's the email he sent out to the other GW stores. Claiming that I got the product through illicit means and to "watch out for a disgruntled customer". I got it sent to me from a another manager that I know because he thought it was hilarious (and is to a certain extent). But this whole situation got me liking him less and and less.

And when you say I asked "for a box of Neophytes 'or something'." That was what me and my friend had talked about getting, not me speaking with the manager.

Pen≥Sword wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:
Yeah, well sadly Games Workshop stores have two different kinds of thought processes to them.
They're run like businesses, not like the guy who owns his own hobby shop. They've got limited space, and people loitering doesn't really attract "good" attention like seeing people actively playing or a revolving door of people going in, buying things, and leaving with their purchases.

I understand that's GW's model for their "hobby distribution centers", but out of the three managers I've been through not one of them has had a problem with it. It's a really big downgrade in my opinion. On top of that hearing him say it to a kid just irks me.

Yeah, but again: GW's not a babysitting service like a lot of parents these days try to treat it.

But does he know that? The guy likely, as the trend is now they don't want "hobbyists first, businesspeople second" running their shops, has very little knowledge about the game systems.

Seeing where I'm coming from here?

Right, I see where you're coming from. But him not knowing that puts him down as a crappy manager in my book.

Oh definitely, but again:
They don't want hobbyists first. Hobbyists, they've found for the most part, tended to run the shop like their own private playground.
It's silly, I know. But they can learn the hobby as they go--they can't really learn good business skills that same way.

I didn't say that you did the "Nah brah!" bit. But again: people do try stuff like that.
To use an anecdotal experience...
The FLGS I used to work at had one customer who continually bought things online from discounters/ebay, and anytime he had something wrong with the contents he'd call us up and make his complaint to us rather than GW direct(which is what you're supposed to do in that case really, but we'd still take care of it).


But in his specific case after he tried to scam a Land Raider from us, we'd require the product be returned to the shop so we'd send it on to GW rather than the normal "honors" policy that you see GW implementing(where they let you keep the product and would send a replacement).

Well I was trying to make an exaggerated example maybe throw in some comedy.
I understand that might happen where you go, but this is my first time trying to make an exchange and I've spent well over a $1000 over the years at this shop alone. And for him to spit in my face like that is really gunna get me steamed.

One day Tom Kirby will award Kanluwen that golden ticket and whisk him off to Nottingham to meet the umpalumpas and go on that really weird steamboat trip before giving him Priestly's old desk to work at and a cloak of purest goldswords to wear...

Keep fighting the good fight Kanluwen, you will be rewarded for your unswerving and unquestioned loyalty to the corporation.

Kanluwen wrote:Except the GW policy does have a time limit within it for an exchange. Replacement parts even have a relative timeframe.

This is probably true but does not match my experience. I once traded a pack of special weapon kasrkin about 1-2 years after I bought them. They had a backpack missing and I left them in a draw for a while.

Kanluwen wrote:You said he's relatively new to the shop. How is he to actually know that you didn't acquire the product through illicit means?

He doesn't, obviously. But that doesn't alter the fact that it's poor customer service to assume it.

You can't just go around accusing random customers of being thieves without some sort of actual evidence. And for the record 'trying to exchange something without a receipt' is not actual evidence.

Fair enough then, but I tend to err on the sides of the retailer whenever I see complaints like this--if only because I know that customers by and large can be extremely obnoxious when it comes to them believing they're "in the right" on matters like this.

My experience (with nearly 20 years of working in customer service) is actually the opposite. While some customers certainly do like to parade their sense of entitlement around for all to see, the vast majority tend to be far less obnoxious until the guy in the supposed service position starts giving them attitude. Most customers lack the confidence and/or the knowledge of their rights required to actually stand up to the person telling them to just go away.

Any good hobby shop that I've been to offers to swap retail value for equal if it's a gift or something like that.

Can they sell the product as brand new? If so then it is simply a matter of changing 2 inventory numbers, the new item, and the exchanged item.

The store manager at my local GameStop did this when it came up. Someone would get a game as a gift, have no receipt but he'd let them exchange it for something else so long as the game was still sealed and sellable as new.

And as for customer service, there is a saying:
"If we don't help the customer, someone else will".

GW perhaps doesn't realize this, but in a world of online retailers with a CONSTANT 20%+ discount, they should be making every effort to keep people in their stores.

MeanGreenStompa wrote:One day Tom Kirby will award Kanluwen that golden ticket and whisk him off to Nottingham to meet the umpalumpas and go on that really weird steamboat trip before giving him Priestly's old desk to work at and a cloak of purest goldswords to wear...

Keep fighting the good fight Kanluwen, you will be rewarded for your unswerving and unquestioned loyalty to the corporation.

You could do worse than me getting a job at GW taking over Priestly's old job. I mean, did you see my idea for "campaign packs"?

Mark my words! Things would be quite glorious for the playerbase.

Plus: a cloak made out of goldswords would be pretty flippin' sweet.

However, I'm committed to the goal of working in law enforcement. Oh well

Insaniak wrote:He doesn't, obviously. But that doesn't alter the fact that it's poor customer service to assume it.

Oh definitely. It's terrible customer service to assume it, but still. The guy really has no way of telling if your story's true or not.

You can't just go around accusing random customers of being thieves without some sort of actual evidence. And for the record 'trying to exchange something without a receipt' is not actual evidence.

Again: not saying it's the right thing to do or not. The manager probably thinks he was doing the right thing by warning the other managers that someone's trying what, to him at least, appeared to be sketchy means to make an exchange.

My experience (with nearly 20 years of working in customer service) is actually the opposite. While some customers certainly do like to parade their sense of entitlement around for all to see, the vast majority tend to be far less obnoxious until the guy in the supposed service position starts giving them attitude. Most customers lack the confidence and/or the knowledge of their rights required to actually stand up to the person telling them to just go away.

Yeah, it definitely swings both ways. No real doubt about that, but I do know when I worked retail a few years back even being the most polite I could be(which really is polite! Honest! ), a large amount of people continually talked down to me when I pointed them towards the product they were looking for--which was in plain sight several feet away.

Trickstick wrote:This is probably true but does not match my experience. I once traded a pack of special weapon kasrkin about 1-2 years after I bought them. They had a backpack missing and I left them in a draw for a while.

I think it depends on the situation, really. In your case--they were still in the blisterpack, and it was clear they hadn't been tampered with.
But with how Kasrkin are packaged now, in the clear plastic tray and a white box with "Kasrkin" labeled on it--there's a smidge of leeway, and someone could easily scam them if they tried.



Automatically Appended Next Post:

aerethan wrote:Any good hobby shop that I've been to offers to swap retail value for equal if it's a gift or something like that.

Can they sell the product as brand new? If so then it is simply a matter of changing 2 inventory numbers, the new item, and the exchanged item.

The store manager at my local GameStop did this when it came up. Someone would get a game as a gift, have no receipt but he'd let them exchange it for something else so long as the game was still sealed and sellable as new.

And as for customer service, there is a saying:
"If we don't help the customer, someone else will".

With GameStop, they'll take anything you bring to them. It doesn't matter to them, because they'll resell it for(in most cases) double what they give you for it.

GW perhaps doesn't realize this, but in a world of online retailers with a CONSTANT 20%+ discount, they should be making every effort to keep people in their stores.

But there's the flipside to that too.

Why should GW's shop staff help the customer who comes to their storefronts with an issue with the product that they bought from an online retailer?

Hell, why should a FLGS do it?
Especially if the customer comes in with an attitude, or some BS story about "buying it and forgetting their receipt".

Kanluwen wrote:... but I do know when I worked retail a few years back even being the most polite I could be(which really is polite! Honest! ), a large amount of people continually talked down to me when I pointed them towards the product they were looking for--which was in plain sight several feet away.

There's a trick to that one... it's all down to presentation, and not making the customer feel embarrassed for being a numpty. An embarrassed customer can be the worst kind


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Kanluwen wrote:Why should GW's shop staff help the customer who comes to their storefronts with an issue with the product that they bought from an online retailer?

Because being willing to help a potential customer can very often make them an actual customer.

At the sort of local GW near me the manager and employees sit around and only talk to you if you look confused, seem to have a wallet, or are a little 10 year old... I rarely go there, and that is why I barely have had any games in.

insaniak wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:... but I do know when I worked retail a few years back even being the most polite I could be(which really is polite! Honest! ), a large amount of people continually talked down to me when I pointed them towards the product they were looking for--which was in plain sight several feet away.

There's a trick to that one... it's all down to presentation, and not making the customer feel embarrassed for being a numpty. An embarrassed customer can be the worst kind

No doubt. Even when I would have to go and look for the item myself, they'd get a slight bit jerky.

insaniak wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:Why should GW's shop staff help the customer who comes to their storefronts with an issue with the product that they bought from an online retailer?

Because being willing to help a potential customer can very often make them an actual customer.

Sure it can, but then some people just want to get the absolute "best deals" and not have to go to a storefront.

I'll admit, I'm guilty of that feeling in some cases--I loathe going to Best Buy or GameStop for that reason. Amazon gets all my video game/dvd business.

But at the same time, it irks me to see people treat GW/FLGSes as their own personal whipping boy in a lot of these cases.
Remember that whole "paying for table use" debacle, where the tables were Games Day quality builds and asking for maybe $10 a month and having unfettered access to playing on the tables?

That's what I think people don't realize they're missing out on when they buy from an online retailer.

But uhh...I think that's another tangent.

I'm not talking about trades, I'm talking about exchanging 100% new merchandise for equal value as the store makes the same margin on them.

And GW should support their products in EVERY facet, regardless of if it was sold by them or one of their resellers. It is still their product and their reputation at the end of the day. They STILL made money on it even if it was bought online at a discount.

aerethan wrote:I'm not talking about trades, I'm talking about exchanging 100% new merchandise for equal value as the store makes the same margin on them.

And GW should support their products in EVERY facet, regardless of if it was sold by them or one of their resellers. It is still their product and their reputation at the end of the day. They STILL made money on it even if it was bought online at a discount.

Not every online discounter is one of their resellers.

In fact, a large majority of the online sales are through eBay...which pretty clearly isn't a GW reseller.

Kanluwen wrote:
I understand that's GW's model for their "hobby distribution centers", but out of the three managers I've been through not one of them has had a problem with it. It's a really big downgrade in my opinion. On top of that hearing him say it to a kid just irks me.

Yeah, but again: GW's not a babysitting service like a lot of parents these days try to treat it.

You guys think too much really, he sounds like the sort of person who would deliberately try to get around the swear filter to me

Don't do that. Ta. - The mod team

Pen≥Sword wrote:

Kanluwen wrote:
I understand that's GW's model for their "hobby distribution centers", but out of the three managers I've been through not one of them has had a problem with it. It's a really big downgrade in my opinion. On top of that hearing him say it to a kid just irks me.

Yeah, but again: GW's not a babysitting service like a lot of parents these days try to treat it.

Right. I don't think it is either. But it doesn't mean he can talk to kids like that. But maybe I'm just bias since I'm a childcare worker.

It's fine that we don't agree on that. Like I said, I don't know exactly how he said it, the age of the kid, whatever.
But it really does boil down to the issue I put up earlier:
Having people just sitting around inside the store doing nothing doesn't really make the place look "interesting" to an outside observer.

Oh definitely, but again:
They don't want hobbyists first. Hobbyists, they've found for the most part, tended to run the shop like their own private playground.
It's silly, I know. But they can learn the hobby as they go--they can't really learn good business skills that same way.

Right. I get that. I've seen plenty of redshirts work their way up. Just doesn't settle well with me coming from a blackshirt.

Redshirts and blackshirts really are the same man.
At the end of the day, they're working pretty much for minimum wage at a potentially crummy and aggravating job.

But you said yourself that the guy is relatively new. How's he going to know that you're a big buyer, and not some schmuck walking in trying to sucker him into an exchange that favors you extremely heavily?

Right, which is why I called customer support the first time. I figured they might have changed their exchange policy (or what I perceived it to be). But I suppose that wasn't the case.
And I can give him the benefit of of being new. It was just the second time I went it it really started getting to me.

Honestly, I would have called customer support before going to make the exchange and asked if they'd gotten in touch with the manager yet.
Because for all you know--he may never have gotten the call.

I had called to get 2x replacement Grenade Launcher equipped Kasrkin for some boxes I had bought ages ago but never got around to working on until recently. The CSR flatout said that "We do have a timeframe within which we like you to report issues with products, if only because it helps us track down whatever the issue may have been within that batch."

In your case that's not necessarily what would happen--but, it does still apply in that there is an exchange timeframe.

Okay, I suppose if I had opened it that would be the case. So there is some kind of time frame.

Not much of one really, but it all comes down to the discretion of the employee at the storefront.

If they feel something's sketchy, there's not really much they can do to help you y'know?

Again:
You said he's relatively new to the shop. How is he to actually know that you didn't acquire the product through illicit means?

But that's my gripe. Rather than give a loyal customer the benefit of the doubt he assumes I'm trying to cheat him out of... an exchange.

Again: he doesn't know you're a "loyal customer". You keep saying he's new to the shop, so how will he know you're a loyal customer? They don't put up pictures saying "Trust this guy--he's loyal!".
GW's biggest failing in how they operate their storefronts, especially in accordance with their new 'revolving employee door' policy, is not having a "loyalty" card that is given to you as you make your first purchase.

Fair enough then, but I tend to err on the sides of the retailer whenever I see complaints like this--if only because I know that customers by and large can be extremely obnoxious when it comes to them believing they're "in the right" on matters like this.

Plus it's not like he can tell his side of the story here, so someone has to act as the devil's advocate.

Normally I would stand on the side of the retailer, and I respect that. But once again, the thing that really bugged me is his email he decided to send out to the other GWs like I'm some kind of criminal. Once I get a look at it I'll definitely be making a couple of phone calls.

Personally the guy's just being a douche in my books. The two managers I knew in Toronto (the one in Scarborough town center and Neil from Fairview mall, now closed) both gave you at least store credit.

Generally, if the higher ups at Customer Service gave you the green light, there's nothing the store Manager can say. If he "didnt" recieve this email, then you should call Customer Service again, as well as mention the behaviour of this particular manager. Business management or not, he's going against company policy now. His mass email should also be flagged as a sort of harassment.

However let the situation play out a bit. New GW employees tend to have this view, as it seems to be a policy unique to GW. I've had a similar problem once. I bought a box of Bloodletters and they didnt come with the round bases, so I called up the store and the new clerk answered. He flat out told me he and GW would not give me free items, no matter what, and I should just suck it up. One phone call to GW later I never saw that clerk again, as well as getting a pack of the bases I missed ( as well as two GW Nametags/dogtags. Dont know what they're called, but it's an oval shaped piece of plastic with the Aquilla molded on one side, and a paper card that slips into the clear plastic casing on the other side), all of it free.

If you want to trade the stuff, try Bartertown?