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I feel like this needs a share. So a few weeks ago I ordered a box of Mengil Manhide's Manflayers to use as shades for my Dark Elves. I knew that GW was clearing out its collectors ranges so I had expected stock to be limited. When I received the box I had only been sent the bodies, crossbow bits, the musician and standard bits and the single piece models. No bases, no arms. On wed I finally had a chance to call GW.. Dude answers the phone, very friendly, I explain my case and give him the order info. Apparently within the few weeks between my order and call they had been taken off of the web store and sold off. The rep told me there was one box left in the system, if it existed I could get my parts, if not he would refund me the money. As chance would have it the box was there, though also incomplete. He was able to get me all but one of the sword arms so he sent me 2 more single piece models as well as an additional mengil model with both of his arms. This was on thursday, I received them this morning.

All in all I'd say it was a great success, I'm still baffled that that one box was actually still there and not an error.

That particular brand of customer service is one that GW is known to be good at.

Until finecast came along, you could be 100% certain that they would go above and beyond replacing a faulty product.

There were so many problems with finecast that they just couldn't keep up with it (A rare screw up!) and their enthusiasm for replacing bad products fell quite dramatically...

I'd say now that they've (by and large) sorted out the finecast problem, we should be expecting this level of service again.

I have to say that I have had my fair share of good and bad GW experiences.

What I like the most, is the guy at my local store knows I don't really play GW games, but will still carry a conversation about what I am painting, and help me pick out paints.

One time he pulled out a the starter paint set with the ghouls in it, to demonstrate good zombie skin colors, and did not try to sell me the box. 10/10

At the same time the previous store manager kicked myself and a friend out of the store, for nothing more than assisting 2 new players when there were no redshirts available.

You win some you lose some.

a fat guy wrote:
That particular brand of customer service is one that GW is known to be good at.

Until finecast came along, you could be 100% certain that they would go above and beyond replacing a faulty product.

There were so many problems with finecast that they just couldn't keep up with it (A rare screw up!) and their enthusiasm for replacing bad products fell quite dramatically...

I'd say now that they've (by and large) sorted out the finecast problem, we should be expecting this level of service again.

Not to be disagreeable, but another part of the "enthusiasm for replacing bad products falling" was that (anecdotal statement to follow, this is something I had related to me by a CSR that I spoke with while getting one of my own Finecast models replaced) some less than scrupulous individuals apparently were buying models with notable flaws in shop and then demanding replacement models from mail order.

Notice: I am not saying that every case of replacement was this. There were enough instances, however, that they apparently had to start requesting photos and more information than I had been required previously.

 Kanluwen wrote:
...some less than scrupulous individuals apparently were buying models with notable flaws in shop and then demanding replacement models from mail order.

To be honest, I'm not really seeing the problem here. If the models were being sold flawed, then the buyer had the right to a replacement.

If GW thought that people were deliberately buying the flawed models in order to get a 'freebie', then the obvious solution is to, you know, stop selling flawed models...

The answer to that is to not put obviously defective products on sale.

Honestly? sounds like the normal customer service experience ive had from GW all along. While they may have some questionable practices, ive found their customer support to be nothing but possitive.

 insaniak wrote:

 Kanluwen wrote:
...some less than scrupulous individuals apparently were buying models with notable flaws in shop and then demanding replacement models from mail order.

To be honest, I'm not really seeing the problem here. If the models were being sold flawed, then the buyer had the right to a replacement.

If GW thought that people were deliberately buying the flawed models in order to get a 'freebie', then the obvious solution is to, you know, stop selling flawed models...

What a revelation!
Anyway it makes me think of American car makers in the sixties/seventies, also arrogant and ignorant of the competition.
Nice you got almost all your stuff.

I have never had a bad experience with GW Customer Service!

When the 6th Edition of 40K came out, I went to order the "Gamers Edition" ya know with the bag and funky dice? Well, at that time some major nonsense happened with Natwest and I was without access to my account and unable to complete my order.

When Natwest finally got their stuff together, the "Gamers Edition" was sold out. I was quite disappointed with this so, I emailed the CS people and they told me it was all sold out and there was nothing they could do. Fair enough I thought but then slightly tipsy one night, I sent an email to the CEO who at the time was Mark Wells and I told him in this long email about how I got into the hobby, working at GW, etc. then told him about not being able to get the Gamers Edition due to Natwest.

Anyway, I sent that off and went to bed, Next day I get an email back asking for a telephone number for myself to discuss this matter and one short phone call later I have a Gamers Edition being shipped out to me for free.

^^This works with almost any customer service issue, guess the guys email from linkedin or watevs..my brother in law got a free phone to replace a faulty model while not receiving any decent cs through nokias normal channels.

 insaniak wrote:

 Kanluwen wrote:
...some less than scrupulous individuals apparently were buying models with notable flaws in shop and then demanding replacement models from mail order.

To be honest, I'm not really seeing the problem here. If the models were being sold flawed, then the buyer had the right to a replacement.

If GW thought that people were deliberately buying the flawed models in order to get a 'freebie', then the obvious solution is to, you know, stop selling flawed models...

I did hear (from a GW shop staff, so may not be true) that they thought some people were buying perfectly fine Finecast models and then phoning/emailing demanding a replacement knowing that GW normally don't ask for the old one back. Apparently they had allot of people who never responded to requests for photos of the damage or take them in to the shop.

That's not to say finecast was not a problem at the start. At one point I had 3 Sammel boxes to get the parts for one. Fortunately in that case they sent me a new one and didn't ask for it back, as out of the three I only ended up with one full mini. The rest are in my bits box.

^^This, bad QC, nothing else..bad Qc but good CS isn't the right system.

 Steve steveson wrote:
I did hear (from a GW shop staff, so may not be true) that they thought some people were buying perfectly fine Finecast models and then phoning/emailing demanding a replacement knowing that GW normally don't ask for the old one back. Apparently they had allot of people who never responded to requests for photos of the damage or take them in to the shop.

The fact that people didn't follow through (if it's even true) doesn't mean that they didn't have legitimately faulty models. They may well have just decided that it wasn't worth the bother of trying to get a replacement if it was going to be any more difficult than just making a phone call...

That's not to say that nobody was doing what you suggest. I'm quite sure people were doing that even before 'Fine'cast came along. The appalling quality of the initial 'Fine'cast release just opened the door wider for it.

Again, this is a problem entirely of GW's own creation, by rushing out a sub-standard product without appropriate testing or quality control.

The Mail Order Trolls are the best section of GW. Sometimes I think they are either outsourced, or entirely forgotten by GW Corporate.

The only experience I've had with GW's customer service (in honesty I've never needed them more than once) wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either.

I bought the finecast farseer and warlocks box at the Nashville GW store on my way home back to Louisville. When I got it home, there was no farseer in the box.

I called GW's customer service. At first they tried to say that I needed to take it back to Nashville to exchange the product. I explained that I wouldn't drive 2.5 hours just to exchange a product. They then said I could wait 2 months and I wouldn't have any problem exchanging it at the Louisville GW shop when it opened. I told them that I really wanted the farseer now. Finally they tell me that they will mail one out to me as a replacement. I thanked him and hung up.

Now I'm all excited because based on all the stories I've heard I will be getting an entirely new box of farseers and warlocks. I know I don't deserve it and that its a bonus, but I'm excited about it anyway.

2 weeks go by and I call GW again because I haven't seen the replacement. They tell me that that is odd, because they don't see a service order asking for a replacement. I explain to the person what happened and they again try and convince me to drive to Nashville or wait to get a replacement. After saying that isn't possible, they agree to send out another one.

Three days later, I get a small padded envelope in the mail. Inside is a finecast farseer. In an envelope. That's it. No plastic box, no base, just the farseer.

While I got the replacement I wanted, I considered it resolved but I was just so miffed with the whole experience. Constantly asking me to make a 2.5 hour drive or wait 2 months to get a replacement, not filing the service order and then throwing the miniature off in an envelope and sending it to the mail room was just SO not what I've been led to believe about GW's customer service. It was incredibly disappointing.

I bought a drop pod.

One of the pod doors at the hinge was a "short shot" missing the hinge thingie.

I sent picture (with printed email in background as proof) to GW. They said they would send the fix.

Got an entire new box.

More than paid for my time to recreate the missing bit and have two drop pods.

That was good customer service (bordering on excessive, but they got this story from me in their favor!)

 Steve steveson wrote:

 insaniak wrote:

 Kanluwen wrote:
...some less than scrupulous individuals apparently were buying models with notable flaws in shop and then demanding replacement models from mail order.

To be honest, I'm not really seeing the problem here. If the models were being sold flawed, then the buyer had the right to a replacement.

If GW thought that people were deliberately buying the flawed models in order to get a 'freebie', then the obvious solution is to, you know, stop selling flawed models...

I did hear (from a GW shop staff, so may not be true) that they thought some people were buying perfectly fine Finecast models and then phoning/emailing demanding a replacement knowing that GW normally don't ask for the old one back. Apparently they had allot of people who never responded to requests for photos of the damage or take them in to the shop.

That's not to say finecast was not a problem at the start. At one point I had 3 Sammel boxes to get the parts for one. Fortunately in that case they sent me a new one and didn't ask for it back, as out of the three I only ended up with one full mini. The rest are in my bits box.

I bought a Chaos Helcannon, knowing it would likely have flaws, and opened the pack at home. Sure enough, pits and flaws all over the wheels, the spikes, the body (no, not where the warped chaos mouths were, on the metal parts that weren't supposed to be warped). I've had to phone GW for replacements before, and I know they usually don't ask for the old one sent back, but I heard they started asking for pictures. I offered to send pics when they called, or to send the model back, they said no worries and sent me a second Helcannon. Did I willingly buy a sight unseen product from a store that I knew had a good chance of being warped and hope I'd end up with another without charge? Yes. Did I purposely snag one that I KNEW was damaged or say it was damaged when it wasn't? Absolutely not! The second one came with damage too, so I got two similarly warped/damaged models that will require extensive fixing, but I feel no need to ask for another. I go it when it first came remade in FC and still haven't fixed it yet. Haven't fixed the replacement either. Had the first been in good shape or only suffering a couple pits, they wouldn't have gotten a call, I'd just go out and pick up a second normally.