Sacramento FLGS price gougeing

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**Maxus**

I cannot help but get the feeling there is something more going on other than a customer getting upset at a store owner marking up the price on a single limited run item that you do not need to play the game with.

The OP created a post on the forum for the LGS in question, stating they are not shopping or playing there anymore, with a link to this post.
The OP updated this thread to say, hey I found the item cheaper somewhere else.

The OP has been shopping there since, what was it, '93 and this single moment sent the OP to post on an international forum stating their displeasure of this stores pricing on a single limited edition run item.

There has to be something more that has been brewing for awhile.

**Phobos**

12thRonin wrote:Are you charging eBay prices for a box of Tactical Marines or $37.50 since you are so concerned about pricing to what the market will bear?

Nice point, but don't expect a response.

I get what the guy is doing, but I have to say his attitude towards it comes across as very defensive and angry. Sorry pal, you wanna play the market pricing game, you gotta take your lumps by people who aren't happy with it. And I too find it amusing that he takes that sort of mercenary attitude towards the customers but then gets all indignant that they would use their cheaply purchased online models in his store. Market pricing works both ways.

**NecronDestroyerLord**

Having played for years in the Warhammer 40K tournaments held at Great Escape Games and knowing dozens of its players on a first name basis I find this entire tread a gross error in judgement. I think this entire issue has been blown way out of proportion. Having been a customer of Great Escape Games since 1997 I can't recall another instance where any dissatisfied player / customer has ever turned to a message board to stage such a public protest rather then just discuss said issue with a business owner who over the years has always tried to do the right thing by his customers. Over the past year or so I recall seeing the WHF army specific battle magic cards being bought out the day they arrived at the shop by customers who don't even play fantasy just for the resale value. So maybe raising the price to discourage that kind of behavior wasn't the correct pro-active action to take but at the same time, who cares? I can find an extra $8.00 in my pants pockets while doing laundry.

When one considers that their 40K tournaments average 60-90 players every other month and yet somehow they always manage to pull them off with limited staff and on what seems very limited resources does anyone complain about the $15.00 entry fee? Hell no, where else am I as a tournament player going to be able to compete against some of the best players from Northern California (and Nevada) at a one-day event. Gary is anything but greedy, at the end of last years Contest of Champions he handed out twenty $50.00 gift cards to the players who attended all 6 Warhammer 40K Tournaments. Do the math, that's $1,000.00 HE GAVE AWAY.

As far as the guy stating that paint scores were changed so that an "employee" could win "Best Overall", I'm calling you out on that. There's only one employee who plays in the tournament circuit and he hasn't won anything all year. At one point Sirus was one of highest ranked players in Northern California however he has been helping to run both the fantasy and 40K the Contest of Champions tournaments with Gary for the past couple of years so I'd like to know who this phantom employee is.

**RiTides**

NecronDestroyerLord- While it's admirable that you support the store and it seems that they run great events, you have to admit that what the owner did NOT do well was respond on here.

I can't imagine one of my FLGS owners stooping to that level...

If it was inappropriate for the OP to post this, as a "random customer" of the store, that's one thing. However, in my opinion the way the store owner responded is much worse, especially given how small the grievance was... and it's pretty revealing.

The mark of a good store has always been for me:

1. They treat their customers well (as human beings, not walking wallets)
2. They listen to feedback

In return, I give them my (imo, at times considerable) business, rather than buying models for 25-30% less online. That's a pretty fair shake on both sides. However, the owner is striking out on both of those two points in his responses on here...

**happygolucky**

babawonga wrote:It's always nice when you get one side of a story and can commiserate with that person. If you want to hear more then here is my response to jcroxford:

http://greatescapegames.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=577

I was trying to be civil, but since he wants to paint the label of "greedy" on me, I feel that line has been crossed. He is apparently (as is anyone else that believes retailers should discount) of the belief that is my and every other game shop owners duty to serve his needs and not try and make a living. Anyone on this forum that has been a gamer for long has seen game store after game store go out of business (23 in 23 years here in Sacramento) because the owners are hobbists and not business people. I lost this persons comic business when we missed a couple issues of his comics (understandable, but I offered to make it up to him). I once was about to lose another comic subscription because we didn't have all of a gentleman's comics (even though he was told not to cancel his current subscription because orders from Diamond are two months or more ahead of shipments). I happen to get many of the same comics in my personal saver and offered them to him. He has been a customer since and we are good friends. So anyone that knows me knows I bend over backwards for customers (as customer loyalty is the only way to stay in business) and that my store has, by far, the best customer service ratings in Sacramento. We have been in business for 15 years, something few game stores can boast of. And had jcroxford contacted me, as my employee suggested he do, and explained how upset he was, I would have sold the cards to him at msrp. But, he chose not to do that and instead started a flaming campaign. Quick frankly, that is not the type of customer I want. Oh, he also forgot to mention that I sell GW spray paints for $3.25 less than GW and have since they raised their prices from $12. Funny how details like that are skipped.

For those of you that support shopping at on-line discounters, I hope you have the integrity to not go into your local stores to find players or use their tables and terrain. If you do you are really have no honor.

To the person who suggested cheating at one of our tournaments. We have run over two hundred GW tournaments and have the largest non-GT tournaments in North America (according to GW). Our first tournament of the year had 90 players for 40K, so we do something right. However, employees come and employees go, and they do have to be trained. Perhaps your friend does paint great armies, but so do many of the players that come to our tournaments, many of them dedicated GT players and we even have a few Golden Daemon winners. So if your friend didn't win it was either because a new person was doing scoring, and as you said some scores are subjective, or there were just better painted armies. A player's choice award is given out that is strickly players votes. If your friend didn't win that then he obviously didn't have the best painted army there. I am sorry you had a bad experience, but hope you have found some tournament where your friends painting is more appreciated. I do allow my staff to play in the tournament (some of them live and breath 40k), but no employee has played in and won a tournament in over a year since Sirus stopped playing in the tournaments (who happens to be exceptionally good and won many tournaments around Northern California, not just at my store).

For those reading these that know me, you know I am always reasonable, try to do what I can for any customer, and would never allow cheating or favoritism to take place at a tournament I run. For those of you that don't, you can believe what you read, or you can come directly to the source, talk to me personally and then make up your own mind. In any case, I wish the best to Jude and to all of you.

Gary

Automatically Appended Next Post:
I'm glad Jude found his cards at a discount. However, I don't know where Jude lives or works, but Modesto is about 40 miles from Sacramento. So if he made the trip specifically for the cards, and assuming he has a fuel efficent car, he paid about $13 for the cards. What a deal!

As far as Kriers Comics, if they are doing business legitmately and playing sales tax, they will be out of business within two years. If they are not doing business legitimatily, then they will be out of business within a few years (California's anti-business policies are very expensive). The good news for Jude is that some other store with a hobbist running it will pop up in its place, will discount, and then will disappear within a few years. It's an ugly cycle ;-)

and so you propose the old GW tactic? if you Dont buy the box of marine's I will look at you like you just killed someone.

Yes a great way to do a business...

If you want advice give every thing the initial price then give every thing a 10% discount. My FLGS dose that and it hasn't done bad at all...

**magnusthered**

I'm the Thousand Sons player from the tournament that sennacherib mentioned. The tournament he is referring to is from a long time ago and I bear no ill will. I got over that a long time ago. I didn't agree with the paint scores but I don't believe that anything nefarious went on. Painting is subjective and at the time I was hurt, but as I said I got over it. For a while I did not go because of that, but later it was mostly the the drive.

So please keep me out of this argument.

Greate Escape's tournaments are very large and very good. I would like to go back if I am welcome. Don't care as much about winning now, just want to play and have fun. Just the same if I am not welcome there is plenty of other tournaments to play in.

And you may say I am a plant but you would be wrong. I heard I was being involved in an argument and I wanted to explain how I felt about it.