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GW Horror Story, or The Tale of Kim Jong-Un, Store Manager.  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
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Made in us
Blackclad Wayfarer





Philadelphia

 Azazelx wrote:
 Stevefamine wrote:
Most of that article is true, I've went to two different GW stores before - one upheld most of those rules, the other was extremely lax. The lax GW closed and its manager escorted out. Both places seemed okay with conversions - but no Pig iron heads, or anything third party.

The other GW? I was told to cover up the "Battlefoam" symbol on my case.


So you wrote that article? How would you know if it's true or not? You've been to two different stores? Wow! As for these GWs where you're making claims - name and shame. Not more vague claims please, about "rules" that aren't actually rules.



I am not the author of the article, that is incorrect.

You are correct, the article is most likely false and over extending the truth if any. However - I have had situations like that and it is plausiable that some of that occurred.

This message was edited 7 times. Last update was at 2017/06/16 13:33:35


   
Made in us
The Hammer of Witches





A new day, a new time zone.

 Stevefamine wrote:
 Azazelx wrote:
 Stevefamine wrote:
Most of that article is true, I've went to two different GW stores before - one upheld most of those rules, the other was extremely lax. The lax GW closed and its manager escorted out. Both places seemed okay with conversions - but no Pig iron heads, or anything third party.

The other GW? I was told to cover up the "Battlefoam" symbol on my case.


So you wrote that article? How would you know if it's true or not? You've been to two different stores? Wow! As for these GWs where you're making claims - name and shame. Not more vague claims please, about "rules" that aren't actually rules.



I am not the author of the article, that is incorrect.

You are correct, the article is most likely false and over extending the truth if any. However - I have had situations like that and it is plausiable that some of that occurred.

Name and shame? Not an issue since you called me out.

GW Glen Burnie MD Battle Bunker for the Battle Foam issue.

I don't buy it, unless there was a very specific employee in a very specific window of time, because the bunker was my FLGS from 2008- whenever it closed? 2011? No one ever had a problem with my Sabol bags, and I had employees compliment my Cadian rough riders (converted from the metal scout biker kits) and scatchtbuilt baneblade. What exactly do YOU do to piss them off so bad.

"-Nonsense, the Inquisitor and his retinue are our hounoured guests, of course we should invite them to celebrate Four-armed Emperor-day with us..."
Thought for the Day - Never use the powerfist hand to wipe. 
   
Made in us
Enigmatic Chaos Sorcerer




Tampa, FL

 Mangod wrote:
So, from what I'm getting from you guys, GW apparently lets stores have a very generous amount of autonomy... which will occasionally result in some complete tosspot acting like the store is his own personal kingdom?

It's not often I see what I'd consider arguments in favor of more corporate micro-management.


Basically but I think the issue in general is you have people that don't actually know anything about the GW ecosystem or wargaming that end up at store managers and then rule it like a dictatorship with things that don't actually need to be enforced being enforced because they are lazy and then use the hand-waving of its corporate policy to justify things when it is not corporate policy at all.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/06/16 11:49:59


- Wayne
Formerly WayneTheGame 
   
Made in au
Regular Dakkanaut




Australia

Friday nights at my GW, when it's past the kids' bedtime, we all play Bolt Action. Manager commands a mean Fallschie list.
   
Made in us
Ultramarine Terminator with Assault Cannon






I suppose I'm on the same page as others, in that I believe the OP to be embellished and/or just an idiot manager.

However, I could see and would understand a policy of 'If GW makes/sells it then this is what must be used in GW's stores.' for models and cases. Models for obvious reasons and cases because the moment someone sees a Battle Foam case or similar, GW just lost a sale.

Forcing such a policy on gaming aides is a stretch.
   
Made in us
Posts with Authority






Never underestimate the ability of an idiot manager to either think or at least claim to be enforcing company policy,

Am I willing to believe that any particular GW store would/could be saddled with such an idiot?

Oh, gods, yes.

Am I willing to be live that most GW stores are saddled with such idiots, or that the company policy is intended to put such idiots into positions of authority?

No.

So, chalk the story up as Half True.

The Auld Grump

Kilkrazy wrote:When I was a young boy all my wargames were narratively based because I played with my toy soldiers and vehicles without the use of any rules.

The reason I bought rules and became a real wargamer was because I wanted a properly thought out structure to govern the action instead of just making things up as I went along.
 
   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut





Denison, Iowa

I do think that most GW stores should have a slightly more tolerant position on once-sanctioned models. Old second edition models for example should not be banned. There are even a few GW sanctioned conversions that should be allowed. For instance, back in the late 1990's GW sold a "landraider" conversion kit. This was between the time the old Land Raider kit was OOP, and the current one was sold. It was basically a Leman Russ track sprue, Predator hull, and metal bits. That should still be allowed in a GW store.
   
Made in us
Posts with Authority






 cuda1179 wrote:
I do think that most GW stores should have a slightly more tolerant position on once-sanctioned models. Old second edition models for example should not be banned. There are even a few GW sanctioned conversions that should be allowed. For instance, back in the late 1990's GW sold a "landraider" conversion kit. This was between the time the old Land Raider kit was OOP, and the current one was sold. It was basically a Leman Russ track sprue, Predator hull, and metal bits. That should still be allowed in a GW store.
Oddly enough, not allowing older edition models and/or conversions is the one part of the original post that I have ever encountered myself - with a manager that really did not like people using the old plastic Terminators from the second edition of Space Hulk. Also had problems with Forge World models and/or conversions. (And I had been so happy with those Forge World bits - bought from the Bitz Wagon when it had visited my FLGS.)

And this was one of only three GW stores that I have ever been in. (I would have said 'two GW stores, because I had completely forgotten the first GW store that I ever saw, in Florida, back in the early days... when Rogue Trader was the only edition of 40K.) The first store had no problems with whatever models people had to put on the table.

The third GW store is one that I have never gamed in, so I do not know their policies.

So, yeah... I am a firm believer in idiot managers - he lost a customer forever that day. It would be over a decade before I set foot in a GW store again.

The Auld Grump - I might have understood if it were a tourney, or even an event, but.....

Kilkrazy wrote:When I was a young boy all my wargames were narratively based because I played with my toy soldiers and vehicles without the use of any rules.

The reason I bought rules and became a real wargamer was because I wanted a properly thought out structure to govern the action instead of just making things up as I went along.
 
   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut





Denison, Iowa

 TheAuldGrump wrote:
[Oddly enough, not allowing older edition models and/or conversions is the one part of the original post that I have ever encountered myself - with a manager that really did not like people using the old plastic Terminators from the second edition of Space Hulk. Also had problems with Forge World models and/or conversions. (And I had been so happy with those Forge World bits - bought from the Bitz Wagon when it had visited my FLGS.)

And this was one of only three GW stores that I have ever been in. (I would have said 'two GW stores, because I had completely forgotten the first GW store that I ever saw, in Florida, back in the early days... when Rogue Trader was the only edition of 40K.) The first store had no problems with whatever models people had to put on the table.

The third GW store is one that I have never gamed in, so I do not know their policies.

So, yeah... I am a firm believer in idiot managers - he lost a customer forever that day. It would be over a decade before I set foot in a GW store again.
.....


See, this is kind of my point. If you have an older model that was sanctioned by GW, they didn't loose a sale. They all ready got it years ago. I wonder if they would have a problem with people using an old-school metal "conversion package" to make a Falcon into a Wave Serpent they offered back in 2001? I did hear once that a Dark Eldar player got told not to use his 3rd edition Warp Beasts as Khymerae because they didn't allow "proxies".
   
Made in gb
Ancient Chaos Terminator






Surfing the Tervigon Wave...on a baby.

 cuda1179 wrote:
 TheAuldGrump wrote:
[Oddly enough, not allowing older edition models and/or conversions is the one part of the original post that I have ever encountered myself - with a manager that really did not like people using the old plastic Terminators from the second edition of Space Hulk. Also had problems with Forge World models and/or conversions. (And I had been so happy with those Forge World bits - bought from the Bitz Wagon when it had visited my FLGS.)

And this was one of only three GW stores that I have ever been in. (I would have said 'two GW stores, because I had completely forgotten the first GW store that I ever saw, in Florida, back in the early days... when Rogue Trader was the only edition of 40K.) The first store had no problems with whatever models people had to put on the table.

The third GW store is one that I have never gamed in, so I do not know their policies.

So, yeah... I am a firm believer in idiot managers - he lost a customer forever that day. It would be over a decade before I set foot in a GW store again.
.....


See, this is kind of my point. If you have an older model that was sanctioned by GW, they didn't loose a sale. They all ready got it years ago. I wonder if they would have a problem with people using an old-school metal "conversion package" to make a Falcon into a Wave Serpent they offered back in 2001? I did hear once that a Dark Eldar player got told not to use his 3rd edition Warp Beasts as Khymerae because they didn't allow "proxies".


That's not so much a GW policy issue as a staff issue.

A lot of the younger members of staff won't recognise an older model so naturally might think it's 3rd party - which they don't really allow. If you can happily prove it's an older mini then most of the time their general response will be something like 'Huh.' or 'Neat' and they won't say another word. My Tyranid Venomthropes were converted 2nd ed zoanthropes - so yeah, I got this questioning a lot - and just explained they were older miniatures converted to better fit my army aesthetic.

Most of the time older models aren't really an issue...it's just the odd case (such as the DE warp beasts or 2nd ed Tyranids of certain types) where the entire visual aesthetic had changed making the older models look slightly out of place compared to their newer counterparts.

But yeah, the original article reads as tripe.

I may not care for my local GW as much as I used to, largely due to staff changes over the years - and even then, largely due to how a manager acted over social media in groups (the group has a rule of No Advertising and he keeps thinking he's exempt from it....) - but knowing current and former GW staff members...those rules are pretty much bunk.

No 3rd party miniatures is the only one vaguely correct. Conversions are generally fine...and I've never really known them to have issues with different manufacturers for transport cases...they might ask you to perhaps hide the logo a bit - fair enough, it's technically a third party product but they're not really draconian about it.


Now only a CSM player. 
   
Made in nz
Guardsman with Flashlight





New Zealand, Wellington

My personal experience is that my two local stores don't allow conversions for models they sell, which sucks.
Those other rules seem a bit extreme.

What is the strongest weapon of mankind? The god-machines of the Adeptus Mechanicus? No! The Astartes Legions? No! The tank? The lasgun? The fist? Not at all! Courage and courage alone stands above them all! 
   
Made in gb
Malicious Mandrake




I'm sceptical.

However, taken as read:

"-No 3rd Party models. Honestly, fair enough."
No issue here.

"-No swearing. Again, sure."
Likewise.

"-No smoking outside the building. Kinda 90s, but whatever."
Common in UK. No issue.

"-No using the bathroom in back. gakky."
You use the employee's bathroom? Non starter here.

"-Only official kits can be used. When I pressed him on this, he said if GW sells a kit, you can't substitute in a conversion of something else. GW has an official Battlewagon kit, so you can only use that kit for battlewagons. No more looted tanks, no more using Age of Sigmar dudes as other dudes, no more kit-bashed Inquisitors or converted Terminators from other army ranges, nothing. Now the grace allowed is conversions are okay if there is no official kit. GW doesn't make a librarian on a bike for normal marines, so feel free to make your own. But they do make normal librarians, so that kitbash out of a grey knight box has to go."
Forget that, sunshine. I get no 3rd party, but this is GW product.

"-only official GW carrying cases. GW cases are gak and almost always break models, and they make loads of models that don't fit inside what cases they do make. I have an Ork stompa, and GW doesn't make a case that fits it.
I even asked about my backpack I carry my rule books in and he shrugged and said he's prefer if I didn't bring it.
-Only GW dice and accessories. No more generic $5 per 1lbs dice, no more generic measuring tape, or custom objective markers. The rule of thumb he gave me is that if GW sells it, you have to use the GW version of it.
I jokingly asked if we had to use only GW paints and brushes and he said he won't ask, but don't ever admit to anything."
Bye, then. Takes money and playing partners elsewhere...
   
Made in gb
Longtime Dakkanaut






Cheltenham, UK

I can say with a good deal of confidence that although the incident in question might be true, the manager's understanding of the rules is faulty.

A good friend of mine recently took a big pay cut to take on the manager-ship of a GW store because he was fed up with the trail of uselessness that was the shower we had up to that point. The store was among the UK's lowest grossing and was losing GW money when he took it on.

He took the job on the understanding with the regional director that although he would comply with GW's general standards, he expected leeway in a lot of areas of how the store was run. As it was either hire him or close the store, they took a chance and gave him the job.

Two years later, the store was not only turning a comfortable profit but was into the top 20% of UK stores and still rising.

Realizing they were onto a good thing, they asked if he would join the national development team in Nottingham and now he works around the UK, coaching managers and the behaviour described in this story is exactly the sort of thing he would throw up a big, red flag to.

   
Made in ca
Posts with Authority




I'm from the future. The future of space

redacted post

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/06/19 08:17:37


Balance in pick up games? Two people, each with their own goals for the game, design half a board game on their own without knowing the layout of the board and hope it all works out. Good luck with that. The faster you can find like minded individuals who want the same things from the game as you, the better. 
   
Made in us
Infiltrating Broodlord





United States

I can believe the story.

Around 1997, I bought out the 8th street GW store's stock of Sisters of battle and Necrons when they came out. The manager was a nice guy.

After I was done with the army in 2002, I moved back to new york city, and around that time I went back to the 8th street store with my Armorcast Tyranid monsters in my nid army. I was told by the manager I wasn't allowed in the store with non gw models. They basically kicked me out. It was the same manager there because he remembered me from 5 years ago when I walked in and bought tons of models.

So I was okay when I was 17 with my allowance, and blew it all on expensive models, but when I was 23 and ready to spend paychecks at the store, I was no longer wanted because I had Armorcast Nids? I was so embarrassed in front of my two friends whom I was trying to introduce to Warhammer. Of course, they never got into the hobby because of that butt hole.

I LITERALLY never stepped into a GW store in 14 years, and have since steered away HUNDREDS of people from buying GW models because of that terrible interaction.

I will never endorse a GW store, ever, no matter how better the company gets... Well... They can mail me a free Forgeworld Heirphant Bio Titan as an apology first., THEN I'll change my mind on GW stores....

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/06/19 18:15:51


Ayn Rand "We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality" 
   
 
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