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SeanDrake wrote:
Yeah I'm sure that a month after the books hit debts of half milion it was coincidence that 2 new compamies formed and all the assets were moved to them.
I guess it was also an accident that they spent 6 months ish taking pre orders and cash for stock they could not get.
I guess it was also just a misunderstanding that they stpped taing calls and responding to messages.

Yeah all just an innocent mixture of circumstances and if you believe that and are not a regular at the store I have some shares to sell you in a cheese mine on the moon.

Hey. I have been pretty vocal about maelstrom and their shoddy way of handling their orders.

I think that they treated their customers very poorly especially overseas customers, who have been hit hardest over the last 12 months through Maelstroms poor efforts and stock control which I assume is partly down to their credit situation. I should clarify and say that the staff are incompetent, apathetic or have not been allowed to communicate with the customer base.

If MG were taking pre order cash in order to pay for that stock then that was a pretty poor route to take as far as customers are concerned, but not unheard of and a legit means of operating. in certain circumstances.








Automatically Appended Next Post:

 dragqueeninspace wrote:
What kind of cheese?

I was really hoping they would pull through some how as I really liked having a discount retailer with a large range within driving distance, however today I lodeged a paypal claim over a 40day old GW order they couldn't give me an ETA on. The two orders I placed in firesales arrived fine. I hope nobody ends up out of pocket over this.

From what I am reading Most UK orders for their firesale were despatched and received in full;, our overseas friends have a different tale.

I took advantage of their recent 80% off offers, placed a few orders. Received three packages, two of which had missing items. I guess I should count my blessings, the missing items only cost me about a tenner...

 Mr. Burning wrote:

...our overseas friends have a different tale.

Well, kind of.
When the first discount newsletter arrived on 6th october, I placed an order for some FoW stuff, needless to say: all in stock. This order was shown as "packing" shortly after.
On 8th october this order went to "processing" again - and still was when the website went offline today.

On 18th and 22nd october I placed another two orders, the first one shown "packing" on 22nd, "shipped" on 23rd and arrived on 30th.
The second one was split on 25th, due to "out of stock", both splits were shown "packing" this whole week - how long does it take to pack a dozen FoW blisters?

So altogether, one out of three orders arrived, on is "packing" (though I doubt that), the third "processing"

This is not a witch-hunt, this situation was created by Maelstrom, for Maelstrom, mainly due to lack of communication.

I also used Maelstrom for many things, I still have some Banelords miniatures waiting to be assembled, but this does not make me blind to what is going on. Being a regular at the store or a loyal customer shouldn't make a difference in this case. It is clear something is very wrong.

Spoke to UK Citizen advice today. They are a kind of go between for consumers and Trading standards.

They informed me that as Maelstrom hadn’t fulfilled my order within 30 days they were in breach of the UKs Distance Selling regulation and are as a result in breached of contract but it was a civil matter.
However, because they hadn’t refunded me within 30 days after this (so plus 60 days from original order date) it had become a criminal matter and the details had been passed to Trading Standards.

I imagine there are several people out there in the same situation as me so TS probably have a small stack of complaints by now.

Been keeping an eye on my split order and as of yesterday the greater part was still being processed.Tried to check today to find their site is now down for maintainance

 Mr. Burning wrote:

SeanDrake wrote:
Yeah I'm sure that a month after the books hit debts of half milion it was coincidence that 2 new compamies formed and all the assets were moved to them.
I guess it was also an accident that they spent 6 months ish taking pre orders and cash for stock they could not get.
I guess it was also just a misunderstanding that they stpped taing calls and responding to messages.

Yeah all just an innocent mixture of circumstances and if you believe that and are not a regular at the store I have some shares to sell you in a cheese mine on the moon.

Hey. I have been pretty vocal about maelstrom and their shoddy way of handling their orders.

I think that they treated their customers very poorly especially overseas customers, who have been hit hardest over the last 12 months through Maelstroms poor efforts and stock control which I assume is partly down to their credit situation. I should clarify and say that the staff are incompetent, apathetic or have not been allowed to communicate with the customer base.

If MG were taking pre order cash in order to pay for that stock then that was a pretty poor route to take as far as customers are concerned, but not unheard of and a legit means of operating. in certain circumstances.








Automatically Appended Next Post:

 dragqueeninspace wrote:
What kind of cheese?

I was really hoping they would pull through some how as I really liked having a discount retailer with a large range within driving distance, however today I lodeged a paypal claim over a 40day old GW order they couldn't give me an ETA on. The two orders I placed in firesales arrived fine. I hope nobody ends up out of pocket over this.

From what I am reading Most UK orders for their firesale were despatched and received in full;, our overseas friends have a different tale.

I don't agree with the legit means of operating, if they say they are only selling 'in stock' items then it is pretty clear if those items don't exist they are being fraudulent. Not only that i know some of the items i bought early in Oct was sold out, then they suddenly found more of them in the warehouse with a load of other items, it's a shame though that none of the ones i bought ever turned up, and i doubt any of the new imaginary ones ever got past 'dispatched'.

raykey wrote:
... their site is now down for maintainance

You don't really believe that "maintenance" thingy, do you?

HopScotch wrote:
Spoke to UK Citizen advice today. They are a kind of go between for consumers and Trading standards.

They informed me that as Maelstrom hadn’t fulfilled my order within 30 days they were in breach of the UKs Distance Selling regulation and are as a result in breached of contract but it was a civil matter.
However, because they hadn’t refunded me within 30 days after this (so plus 60 days from original order date) it had become a criminal matter and the details had been passed to Trading Standards.

I imagine there are several people out there in the same situation as me so TS probably have a small stack of complaints by now.

I'm quoting this, not because it affects me but because it really needs to be repeated!

The Maelstrom Games Website is currently down for Biscuit Taking, most likely!

I ordered on 8.10. Till today it was still waiting order. Didn't get it, no answer of the mails nor to the calls I made. In Tuesday I went to my bank and started a refunding procedure. Hope I will get my money back.

I did ordered the new Infinity book in the end of August. So far no news from them ... !!!

 Alpharius wrote:
The Maelstrom Games Website is currently down for Biscuit Taking, most likely!

The biscuits were taken long ago.

Only crumbs and wafers are left now.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

captain tanuki wrote:
Thanks to all the guys who posted to say "i received my order, so dont worry, you can order safely".

Shouldn't have ignored the many of us who were giving the big warnings, perhaps? It was clearly a gamble with your money by that stage. You chose to hear what you wanted to hear, and took the tempting discount offers. Because it won't happen to me, surely? C'est la vie.

Yes I have to believe the maintance thingy, cos the pixies and fairies at the bottom of my garden say its true. Plus I often maintain myself with a biscuit

scipio.au, with your last post, you Sir, win the internet.

Piranha wrote:
I did ordered the new Infinity book in the end of August. So far no news from them ... !!!

MG didn't get any Paradiso books - there are quite a few posts on the Infinity threads about this, luckily the distributor sent extras out to other shops in the UK - so if you're fast you can probably still grab the Ltd Edition mini as well. I've heard there should be some at the Warfare show in Reading (not that any of this helps you much on the loss of money). It does still give anyone who pre-ordered (and won't be receiving) the Paradiso book a small chance of grabbing Go-Go- Marlene and Paradiso elsewhere. I think Firestorm games, Titan Games, Total Wargamer and Arcane miniatures got mentioned in the threads along the way somewhere.

I doubt you'll see any response now until something else happens or someone else goes in and takes over MG

 scipio.au wrote:


Shouldn't have ignored the many of us who were giving the big warnings, perhaps? It was clearly a gamble with your money by that stage. You chose to hear what you wanted to hear, and took the tempting discount offers. Because it won't happen to me, surely? C'est la vie.

Yup, I think once the fire sales started people should have been cautious. I personally made 4 orders (1 at each level of discount), each under £20, knowing that I wouldn' t lose too much, and that with the discounts I'd saved more than some order values.

The only thing I'm missing is a pack of bases, but I've probably saved about £70 Vs RRP so I don't mind.

Incidently, I just got in my 80% firesale order, still shown as "packing" on the site before it went down, so there's still hope for people who've placed firesale orders. I suspect the situation is a bit more grim for those who've got orders for out of stock stuff though :(

Good to hear that some people were/are still getting some/most of their stuff.

RIP Maelstrom Games (that can be either 'peace' or 'pieces' depending on how you have done out of them). Real blow to the wargaming industry here in the UK and one has to wonder at the level of incompetence of their management for it to happen (especially on the back of a reputed 20% growth in the wargaming industry last year). From what I have heard, not so much a problem of them not making money, more of too much money being taken out of the company.

I've lost a fiver over it. I feel really sorry for those who have lost more, and now might be extremely pensive about ever investing significant money in the hobby again as a result - this loss will cost every retailer in the industry.

Annoyingly, however, the company will continue to run under the name of "Eye of the Storm gaming"

This move was made to save the Venue. Which i'm stoked about, as i go there twice a week and without it, would have to spend my money on lesser things... Like Food... and Rent...

And The Woman.....

 Bloodhorror wrote:
Annoyingly, however, the company will continue to run under the name of "Eye of the Storm gaming"

They're already operating under that and have been for at least a month. How do I know? I got my credit card bill through today and a payment is labelled as "Eye of the Storm, Mansfield". from when I was up there a month ago.

EotS was a continuation of the MG registration if that continues to be the case then it's quite possible that the administrators will want to loo at taking possession of anything and everything on those premises (so don't leave anything here and label it as yours).

I understood it to now be under another name rather than EotS.

 Pacific wrote:
Real blow to the wargaming industry here in the UK
... this loss will cost every retailer in the industry.

Are we talking about the same Maelstrom that drove numerous retailers into bancruptcy with dumping prices supported by crazy exchange rates? I think it is realistic to say that thousands of FLGSs worldwide will profit from Maelstrom's demise.

 Kroothawk wrote:

 Pacific wrote:
Real blow to the wargaming industry here in the UK
... this loss will cost every retailer in the industry.

Are we talking about the same Maelstrom that drove numerous retailers into bancruptcy with dumping prices supported by crazy exchange rates? I think it is realistic to say that thousands of FLGSs worldwide will profit from Maelstrom's demise.

QFT

Just edited the Dakka Store Finder too....Lets see what happens next, my prediction EotS won't last much longer either.

mwnciboo wrote:

blingman wrote:Resent what you like, its speculation until we know otherwise and know it alls like yourself repeatedly making your doom and gloom bs hypotheses public are doing them no favours

Over -18000% change on Networth in a Year? A BS Hypothesis? Well we shall see who is proved right shall we.....

Enough said.

 Kroothawk wrote:

 Pacific wrote:
Real blow to the wargaming industry here in the UK
... this loss will cost every retailer in the industry.

Are we talking about the same Maelstrom that drove numerous retailers into bancruptcy with dumping prices supported by crazy exchange rates? I think it is realistic to say that thousands of FLGSs worldwide will profit from Maelstrom's demise.

One presumes you hold a similar dislike for Wayland Games and The Warstore, then, and would equally be cheerleading if they were to go down in a ball of flames as well?

 Dysartes wrote:

 Kroothawk wrote:

 Pacific wrote:
Real blow to the wargaming industry here in the UK
... this loss will cost every retailer in the industry.

Are we talking about the same Maelstrom that drove numerous retailers into bancruptcy with dumping prices supported by crazy exchange rates? I think it is realistic to say that thousands of FLGSs worldwide will profit from Maelstrom's demise.

One presumes you hold a similar dislike for Wayland Games and The Warstore, then, and would equally be cheerleading if they were to go down in a ball of flames as well?

Yeah, I just don't get this view.
Surely they bought things at wholesale prices... like everyone else.

 Kroothawk wrote:
Are we talking about the same Maelstrom that drove numerous retailers into bancruptcy with dumping prices supported by crazy exchange rates? I think it is realistic to say that thousands of FLGSs worldwide will profit from Maelstrom's demise.

Er... surely Maelstrom aren't responsible for GW's worldwide pricing structure?


Which retailers were specifically driven bankrupt by Maelstrom?

 Mr. Burning wrote:


If MG were taking pre order cash in order to pay for that stock then that was a pretty poor route to take as far as customers are concerned, but not unheard of and a legit means of operating. in certain circumstances.

From what I understand though, not legal in Europe.

 SoulDrinker wrote:

Piranha wrote:
I did ordered the new Infinity book in the end of August. So far no news from them ... !!!

luckily the distributor sent extras out to other shops in the UK - so if you're fast you can probably still grab the Ltd Edition mini as well. I've heard there should be some at the Warfare show in Reading

Dude has a Bulgarian flaggy, so somehow the chances seem small that he will be making the trip to the Warfare show in Reading