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First of all, an apology, I don't usually launch RANTS, but this has been a bug bear of mine for a while now, and this latest "deal", is for me the straw that broke the camels back.

So, like a lot of people I got an email yesterday proclaiming that Maelstrom are having a sale due to stock clearance, with bated breath I log onto to their site to select the wonderous opportunities listed against the discount voucher....and zip, most of the things they're discounting are not actually in stock or available...WTF?!?

So, scratching my head, I wonder what the hell they are actually selling? I get that they're moving store / warehouse, but is it really too much to ask that they actually state what they have on offer and AVAILABLE?

Oh, maybe it's down to me to trawl their website, and after hitting 50+ dead-ends maybe find something I want and go to purchase, but seriously, a) there's not that much that I want that I will trawl their site on the off chance they actually have it available for sale, and b) I really can't be bothered to hunt such a badly thought out "offer".

In the end the whole thing is just a waste of time.

Anyone else going through the same disappointment? or a better question, has anyone actually found any benefit in this offer, and have actually managed to buy something?

After their recent rash of increasingly bigger and bigger discount sales this looks more like a going out of business sale than a promotion. Hope not, but they have been flapping about moving site for some time.

You are aware what "stock clearance" means, yes?

 lord_blackfang wrote:
You are aware what "stock clearance" means, yes?

Yep, I got a fair idea. I have no issue with that aspect. What grinds my gears is that to run a stock clearance you kinda need some stock to clear!

I found a few choice morsels, myself. Like the astromancer's lab terrain piece from GW. There were 3 of those when I logged on . And the Coat d'Arms paint range was fully stocked.

Maybe its going to take time to update their website versus what they have in stock, depending on their stock taking/POS system it should be real time and done as things come in but possibly not. Reason I say this is because of the delay in getting the dark vengeance box sets on the website for pre orders, every other online store bar dark sphere had the pre orders on for midnight, maelstrom did not

I picked up some Vallejo paints, the alcohol based metallics.

A relative of mine goes to the store and is fairly chummy with the the guys who work there. the story is they are separating the store and website business.

Meaning they can put 2 orders in from suppliers instead of one order for both. It should help keep stock levels fairly high for both as they are not juggling stock between the store and website.

They have some of the quite lovely Gamezone miniatures in stock, which I would thoroughly recommend to anyone looking for alternative miniatures for fantasy-type games!

But yes, it's always a shame that nothing I happen to be collecting at the time appears on that list..

It's so obviously desperate. So they are moving to a better larger warehouse but need less stock. Righto.

Traditionally when businesses move warehouses, it's more efficient to sell as much of the merchandise in the old warehouse and get the new stock delivered to the new warehouse. It saves you having to move loads of stuff, and paying your staff to do it. Normal operating procedure.

They'll only discount stuff that doesn't sell much and have probably been running inventory levels down for weeks.

 Holdenstein wrote:
Traditionally when businesses move warehouses, it's more efficient to sell as much of the merchandise in the old warehouse and get the new stock delivered to the new warehouse. It saves you having to move loads of stuff, and paying your staff to do it. Normal operating procedure.

They'll only discount stuff that doesn't sell much and have probably been running inventory levels down for weeks.

This.

The store i work in moved premises, for weeks we were running the stock levels down and just having the bare minimum delivered. Always best to start with a clean slate, less chance of there being a feck up with inventory.

Its not just down to Maelstrom. I've been waiting to order some DUST Tactics boxes from them but due to a problem at the manufacturer's, they can't get any stock. GW only allow 3rd party sellers to stock IF they have a bricks and mortar premisis, and then only limited quantities of some stock.

I do agree though, most things I want have been out of stock for a while. Maelstrom sill still get my business though as overall they are by far the cheapest, especially with their money back scheme and periodic vouchers.

Guys, my gripe isn't really about what they have or don't have in stock, it's about setting up a "discount voucher" and enticing customers to look at their range when most of it is actually out of stock!!!

I wouldn't even mind if they allowed you to order stock at the discounted price, but it's a bit like those clubs in Spain that entice you in and when you go down to the basement where the club is "at" it's bloody empty.

All I would suggest is to sort out what they have available and offer the discount against those products, rather then asking people to trawl through page after page of "out of stock" items.

The whole thing smacks of a waste of time, and I can't imagine all but a very small section of their customer base actually getting anything out of it. I know that the next "discount voucher" email I get from Maelstrom is going straight to the trash folder, new premises or not!

Delephont, until a few weeks ago I was constantly getting Maelstrom emails. Unsubscribed due to it just being the same thing over and over: "X amount off RRP, act now1!!1"

So, yeah... I feel your pain. They need to do a better job with the emails, imo, if they don't want to alienate some customers (usually a counter-productive practice!).

It's very annoying getting all their mails when they still haven't shipped me the magnets I ordered jul 30th. -_-

I love their emails and promotions, with their free international shipping (its pretty much like another 20% discount for us in AUS) I use them almost exclusively for anything outside of GW stuff which they can't sell to me anymore unfortunately. I could see it been annoying for someone who doesn’t see it as a huge discount though.

I have a couple of Warmachine minis that have been processing since mid June but this is a bit of an exception. I do order a fair bit from these guys and they are quite quick at getting things in usually and their customer service emails have always been answered promptly and professionally each time I've had to contact them.

It is strange how many discounts have been running latley though, its hard to keep track of which one I should be using.

I still find OP's gripe ridiculous. Stock clearance always has and always will mean "leftovers".

If you go into a shoe shop that's clearing stock are you really surprised when the shelves are half empty and the stuff you like isn't available in your size?

I think that it is quite clear that the actions of Maelstrom are consumate with a firm with a cash flow crisis, that if it can not manage may lead to it going bankcrupt.

I was considering this voucher, but most stuff I am interested was out of stock - the only exclusion being Coat d"Arms paintsets, but these went out too quickly. I also noted that they still had PSC 15mm in stock, but sadly this voucher did not work on Plastic Soldier Company products...

TheHamDroog wrote:
I think that it is quite clear that the actions of Maelstrom are consumate with a firm with a cash flow crisis, that if it can not manage may lead to it going bankcrupt.

Or a firm that is moving warehouse?

Haven't they been "moving warehouse" for like 5 years*? At some point that stops being a reason and starts being an excuse, and that point came around 2009, in my opinion.

*Maybe that's Wayland. I get them confused.

 lord_blackfang wrote:
I still find OP's gripe ridiculous. Stock clearance always has and always will mean "leftovers".

If you go into a shoe shop that's clearing stock are you really surprised when the shelves are half empty and the stuff you like isn't available in your size?

Lord_Blackfang.. I must say, that is possibly the first (or 2nd?) time you have posted something that I agree with 100%

I would liken it more to rummaging around in a bargain bin, or at a car-boot sale (flea market in the US?), and then occasionally finding a good deal on something you actually want. Of course, I would have much preferred it if Infinity models were also in the sale..

I've used it to pick up some Gamezone Orcs cheaply, and also as an excuse to order the latest Ravage magazine (as far as I know, the only company in the UK that sells it?)

Hyperbole alert.

 Ouze wrote:
Haven't they been "moving warehouse" for like 5 years? At some point that stops being a reason and starts being an excuse, and that point came around 2009, in my opinion.

Some warehouses will never be moved! Even in the grimdark future of 41st millenium there are bound to remain some...

I have yet to have anything I have ordered from them actually be in stock. It usually takes about a month for them to source the stuff the stuff and then send it. I would be surprised to see anything actually IN stock.

ordered on sunday, sent for delivery yesterday, nice 30% savings and free international shipping; quite impressive.

could be they just moved warehouse a lot?
It makes more sense to move every year following the growth of the company than pay too much for warehouse space you don't need for several years.


everything I ordered was in stock; and *actually in stock*, quite different from a certain company using a traffic light system for their stock levels...

What did you get? I only ask as I saw nothing available in the lines I looked at.

Me I'm hoping they have another row with Battlefront and shift their entire FoW stock again.

 Ouze wrote:
Haven't they been "moving warehouse" for like 5 years? At some point that stops being a reason and starts being an excuse, and that point came around 2009, in my opinion.

You're thinking of Wayland Games there.

 notprop wrote:
What did you get? I only ask as I saw nothing available in the lines I looked at.

Me I'm hoping they have another row with Battlefront and shift their entire FoW stock again.

FiB stuff was in stock btw, but nothing that much impressive - the usual platoons (Panzers IV H, T-34s) were all sold out.

 lord_blackfang wrote:

 Ouze wrote:
Haven't they been "moving warehouse" for like 5 years? At some point that stops being a reason and starts being an excuse, and that point came around 2009, in my opinion.

You're thinking of Wayland Games there.

Yes, quite possibly. I'll edit my post.