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Why I hate GW - Rant Warning

Cunning Alias

OK. I started playing before there was even a GW shop in Ireland and I stopped playing just after Gothic was released. I got some serious issues with GW. Since the time the shop opened to the time I quit the place has become more and more of a rip off. Im sure there r lots of things but here is what I experienced:

Paints: They released the paints in a new container and the price went up. no problem so far.. but you only get 2/3 the amount of paint you got before. Yet ur paying more! I brought this to the attention of one of the GW staff and he replied with "But they come in funky amazing new containers with twist caps" ....ok.....

Metals: This one has some logic to it. Some idiot kid somewhere ate one of his metal models and got some poisoning from it (well that’s what we were told), so they changed the metals used in the models. Surprise surprise all metal modes jumped up in price.

Army books: This really pissed me off. The army books/codex's used to be really big (still got about 8 of them). Then when they re-released 40K and fantasy they cut the books down to about 1/8 of the size, yet you were paying 2/3 of what you used to.

My biggest problem with GW is the staff. They are fine if you are 13 but not if your in your late teens or any older. I refuse to go near the place due to my last experience there.
I was 18 and it was just after the LOTR game was released. I hadn’t played any GW game in years but I wanted to get one of the Art books. I went in, knew what I wanted, saw it on the shelf at the back but before I could get there a staff member greets me at the door with "Hi. Would you like to try the new LOTR game". I explain that im not interested and that I Just want the Art Book. He follows me to the back of the store quizzing me about the book I want. He takes it off the shelf before I can get it myself and starts looking through it and giving me his opinions on each of the drawings! After about 30 secs of this, iv had enough of his abundant lack of social skills, grab my own copy and head to the register. As im getting my change back the guy behind the register asks "Would you like to try the new LOTR game?"..... he was 3 feet away when I said I wasn’t interested the first time!!!

If you have made it this far, thanks. This is the longest rant iv done, and I could go on!
Im interested to hear from you if the staff are still like that and if anything is stupidly expensive.

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Frisbee

Yeah I've found this aswell in Liffey St. I don't mind them asking if I want help, but when I know what I want and they keep trying to sell me stuff I dont it gets annoying.
So now if I want anything in there (usually a book) its earphones on and duck to the left as soon as i get in the door....

malicant

Same thing when I want paint. I had to laugh at this but one time I bought one pot of paint, count them, one and the red shirt tryed to sell the mega paint set. That's like trying to sell a new car to a guy that wants a change of tires.

funky penguin

...or just an air freshener.

irishthump

It's a shocking state of affairs....

I avoid GW in Liffey St like the plague. I'm close to Art and Hobby in Dun Laoghaire, so if I need paint or anything else I will go there first.
I needed Chaos Black spray recently and A+H were out of it but rather than run the gauntlet at GW I just waited the couple of weeks til it came in again.

I'm probably gonna buy the Black Reach set in a couple of weeks, so I reckon I'll buy it in A+H.
I could just picture them in GW... they would probably be killing each other to get to me!

tororosso

Here Irishthump, buy the Black Reach set from Models Inc!
They charge u 50 euros and they let you have double Orks or double Space Marines instead of the standard box set!!!:D

irishthump

tororosso wrote: »

Here Irishthump, buy the Black Reach set from Models Inc!
They charge u 50 euros and they let you have double Orks or double Space Marines instead of the standard box set!!!:D

I know, but to be honest I want both as this will be my first time 40K'ing!
Also, again you drive in to town, pay for parking etc, I would'nt really save anything, TBH.:(

Ayrtonf7

Lol I think its funny...Gw in general that is ^_^

Paulo79

I'm lucky in that there is a very good independant store in Limerick where I get all my stuff.

But for dealing with GW staff in theirstores I always just give a firm but polite "Just Browsing", avoid eye contact and hold breath.

Its the kids that do my head in, but if memories serves, I was once one too.

PretentiousApe

Yeah, let's face it. GW is a total and utter rip-off. I've been collecting for years, and I'm constantly reminded of how much money I've wasted on it whenever I look in my empty wallet. :P

The GW staff are pushy and aggressive, but I'd definitely prefer them to be enthusiastically aggressive than apathetically passive.

But here's the sad thing... It may be a rip-off... But we all pay for it, regardless.

Ayrtonf7

PretentiousApe wrote: »

But here's the sad thing... It may be a rip-off... But we all pay for it, regardless.

I dont, Ive stopped collecting as of late, Simply because of the recent price rise, Its ridiculus

Jazzy

i gave up with cunning_alias. we have stupid amounts between us from back in the day (the good old 90s

)

good to see his thread is still going!

oztots

Paulo79 wrote: »

I'm lucky in that there is a very good independant store in Limerick where I get all my stuff.

But for dealing with GW staff in theirstores I always just give a firm but polite "Just Browsing", avoid eye contact and hold breath.

Its the kids that do my head in, but if memories serves, I was once one too.

Where is this store in limerick? I've been hiding from all modeling for the past few years, i've been reading alot of the fiction thats out there though.

Still though, every time i've been to a store (maybe 3 times a year?) it seems like the prices have either gone up or are about to go up. Maybe its a ploy to get people to BUY NOW, cos its gonna get more expensive...

Phototoxin

fleabay and models inc are cheaper, the local gaming club also orders minis at 10-15% off. every little helps

Cunning Alias

wow. Didn't realize this was still going. I see nothing has changed.

If any GW staff read this do you want to give some feedback?

Il drop into that Models Inc place next time im in town. Does anyone play Gothic?

quozl

At least a dozen people have gothic fleets, there's even a gothic campaign going on at the moment.

But, if you just drop in, chances of getting a BFG game are pretty slim, it's far from the most played game. You could try and organise a game on the modelsinc forums -> http://modelsinc.ie.yabb

Or drop in on a wednesday night (DGG), or Tuesday (UGG) and try and organise a game for the next week. The BFG players I know are in the DGG, so they'd be around on wednesday. I don't know if any UGG members play gothic, though, odds are some of them have fleets stored away.

Phototoxin

At least compared to lego plastic minis are cheap

Jaysoose

Was in the blanch store on sunday and picked a skaven figure for my bro's crimbo present, the box had 20 euro on it but it scanned for 22.50....manager guy wouldnt even look at me and wouldnt discount it.

WILL NEVER BUY FROM GW AGAIN and will tell everybody i know and more about there attitude towards the customer. To be fair the sales guy was nice enough but the attitude of the manager was sickening.

Dragan

oztots wrote: »

Where is this store in limerick? I've been hiding from all modeling for the past few years, i've been reading alot of the fiction thats out there though.

Still though, every time i've been to a store (maybe 3 times a year?) it seems like the prices have either gone up or are about to go up. Maybe its a ploy to get people to BUY NOW, cos its gonna get more expensive...

Go to the top of William Street and hang a left down towards the Church, walk about 30 feet and The Gathering is on your right.

Excellent shop, run by a gent.

irishthump

Jaysoose wrote: »

Was in the blanch store on sunday and picked a skaven figure for my bro's crimbo present, the box had 20 euro on it but it scanned for 22.50....manager guy wouldnt even look at me and wouldnt discount it.

WILL NEVER BUY FROM GW AGAIN and will tell everybody i know and more about there attitude towards the customer. To be fair the sales guy was nice enough but the attitude of the manager was sickening.

Man that's bad form....

He does'nt have to discount it if it's just one box among, say 20 boxes that is priced wrong, but he could have at least have been a bit accomodating!

Jaysoose

irishthump wrote: »

Man that's bad form....

He does'nt have to discount it if it's just one box among, say 20 boxes that is priced wrong, but he could have at least have been a bit accomodating!

Not worried about it, with that attitude the shop will not be around much longer.

Phototoxin

Weird, I always found blanch staff better and more sane than the liffey street staff. (20 minute lecture on how uber his army was... I dont actually play 40k.. but hey I only almost missed the train trying to get a POT OF PAINT!!!) but its much smaller.

Additionally GW stores are v/expensive, its cheaper to buy online from fleabay.

Jaysoose

To be fair the sales geezer was sound and didnt try to force anything on me as i had a clear idea of what i wanted. Should i try the models inc place instead and just bring back the gw stuff? do they do refunds?

Dragan

What the ****?

Was in GW the other day and they had NOTHING. 40K and Warhammer, got looked at like i had two heads when i asked about Mordheim ( the work i put into the game and it's not even in shops anymore....then again, they never even said thanks the bastards ), no Necromunda, no nothing!

Mantel

Dragan wrote: »

What the ****?

Was in GW the other day and they had NOTHING. 40K and Warhammer, got looked at like i had two heads when i asked about Mordheim ( the work i put into the game and it's not even in shops anymore....then again, they never even said thanks the bastards ), no Necromunda, no nothing!

Yeap, they shifted it all to the website. Specialist games! Did they try to sell you a land raider?

I'm surprised they didn't realise they could order it, I mean you can order stuff on the GW shop and get it shipped to your local GW shop.

Dragan

Mantel wrote: »

Yeap, they shifted it all to the website. Specialist games! Did they try to sell you a land raider? I'm surprised they didn't realise they could order it, I mean you can order stuff on the GW shop and get it shipped to your local GW shop.

Yeah, they said i could order it in but i didn't much feel like standing there and flipping through a catalogue.

phonchoman

http://www.wargamersdrogheda.com/

either 10% off or 15% off (depends on size of order)

ACW

and *sigh*...

(Full Disclosure: I am ex staff member)

I love the way people complain about Games Workshop. Its amazing that some people have so much vitriol about it.

I am not claiming the staff aren't like that at times, prices don't go up or what people are saying hasn't happened. I wouldn't dare call anyone a fibber and I have seen staff being oblivious at times (and mostly likely have been guilty of it at times too)

But (there is always a but)

Games Workshop produces the best plastic miniatures in the world bar none ( I know I am a model maker and have played almost every other table top game out there) and I have no problem spending the price they ask for them as I like them. (Also it would appear I am not alone in this view as the company is still alive).

And if people are like OMG its €27.50 for a box of 10 Marines, do you remember what you could get for £15 punt when that was how much they cost? I bet you a box of Marines you can't get the same amount of food/drink/clothes etc for €27.50 now a days. Its a combination of inflation and price rises. I do remember a story about a staff member in the UK was over heard saying, lets not confuse expensive with what you can't afford.

Also, a tip: The reason staff will try to sell you a battleforce or battlion is the amount of money it saves you. There is never been company guidelines or numbers of them that Staff have to reach. Its simple math, if there are four or five boxes of stuff that cost 25 quid, why not buy the 4/5 of them in one box for 80 quid? While talking about that, core games are silly good value and rule book and two armies for 60 quid. *Mind boggles*

Games Workshop also only employs enthusiastic and energetic hobbyists, the first thing they did with me when I started with them was deprogram my sales person subroutines (I had worked in the Electronics sales industry for a few years as a very successful sales person). I was told just, just show them a product, tell them what you like about it and ask them if they want it. That is still the company line. That's pushy? Ok, word of advice. Never go into a "real" sales environment, a real sales person will own your house/children and the complete contents of your wallet in under 5 minutes.

Also, can you blame GW staff for being happy and full of energy? Apart from cleaning and paperwork, all they do all day is show people how to do something they love doing. From Free introduction games, free painting lessons, free hobby advice, free tips about tactics and GMing Free gaming in the store. Oh yeah, look at all that Free stuff they offer. Jebus, imagine that. Do you reckon that is why so many people go back? They get all that stuff for free, ok you can't put it in a case or on your shelf, but it alters what you put in your case and makes what you put on your shelf a damn sight better.

Ok, what else were people complaining about? *re-reads thread* Oh yeah, staff being too friendly, just tell them that and they will be more detached, if you prefere. I am aware some people are uncomfortable with genuine friendlyness and interest in people. Most GW staff are very open and friendly people but they are professionals and can take constructive criticism on board, either mention it the staff member or if you are uncomfortable telling them directly, talk to the Black Shirt (manager) or write the store a letter.

As for the price issue at till. Did you point out the difference to the staff member? If you did and they didn't change it, I would urge you to chase up your complaint, company policy is to sell for stickered price.

I am not saying to go back to GW, if you have a home in Models inc or your local hobby store, enjoy it. They offer many of the same services, abet not always for free. They are your community and it is your hobby. (Plus I know there are always customers that is better they aren't in GW stores, espousing their hatred of the shop, its just a pain in the neck for other customers and staff) I was just hoping to offer some input from some one who loves going up to his local and sitting painting his miniatures/playing a game, with people who share his interest and are for the most part good peoples (staff and customers).

On a side note, if you think your local store is full of kids why not go up with a friend and play? Maybe get a few of your older friends back into it? I know several stores in the UK that had healthy populations of both older Vets and younger gamers in store on game nights. Their never seemed to be problems and its a great resource of knowledge for the young guys and enthusiasm and original ideas for we Vets.

Jazzy

ACW wrote: »

Also, a tip: The reason staff will try to sell you a battleforce or battlion is the amount of money it saves you. There is never been company guidelines or numbers of them that Staff have to reach. Its simple math, if there are four or five boxes of stuff that cost 25 quid, why not buy the 4/5 of them in one box for 80 quid? While talking about that, core games are silly good value and rule book and two armies for 60 quid. *Mind boggles*

i went in about 2 years ago to see if i could catch up as i hadnt played in about 5 years before that. now its not like im a n00b to the whole hobby, between me and my brother we have untold amounts models and tons of armies, from 40k, fantasy, mordheim, gothic etc. i have about 100 issues of white dwarf, a zillion codex's, all sorts of terrain, 3 gaming tables... you know, the works.

i went in and started talking to one of the staff cos i always used to like having a chat and seeing wats up... discussing tactics, painting yada yada. i was thinking of starting a dark elf army and said as much to the staff member. i also told him my history with GW just sorta make sure he knew he wasnt just talking to a randomer who knew nothing about it but would be able to talk to me on the same level he was at.
he then mentioned that there was a new version of fantasy coming out in 3 months or so and i was interested. i liked the current version at the time and told him i had the hardback army book...........

then he tries to push a box set of the old game on me as it was 50% off... even tho i needed none of the models (have a MASSIVE empire army and a big orc one) and had told him as much. i reminded him that i had the army book and that i had the models. he tried to push it on me again "its only 30 euro" (i think it was, cant remember the exact price).

so even tho i had a good chat with him, he knew i knew my sh1t, he knew wat armies i had, he knew i wanted to get dark elves, he knew i had the rule book and he even knew how much money i had at the time (40eu, i told him that during the convo) and he still tried to push something on me that i didnt need watsoever just to try and clear them.

i bought a dark elf general on a cold one and then left games workshop forever

Warmaster

ACW wrote: »

As for the price issue at till. Did you point out the difference to the staff member? If you did and they didn't change it, I would urge you to chase up your complaint, company policy is to sell for stickered price.

I was just about to say this, I'm an ex staffer too and we were also told that if it says it on the box that's the way it is.

well said btw ACW I worked my ass off when I worked for them, it's quite disheartening to see a lot of complaints here.

npc_100

Only palyed W40K once or twicw, enjoyed it but never got started myself as I could just see a downward spiral of buying model after model and ending up a lot poorer of it.... That said I do enjoy reading the magazine and like the GW fiction. been in a shops a fair few times, and in the past found them okay, staff are enthusiastic, will be met at the door if they are not busy and followed around the shop.

To me it is like shopping in somewhere like New York, were if you go into a shop to buy a pair of jeans, they will try and get you to buy a matching dishwasher - whatever to get you to part with your money.

However, not sure how soon it will be before I go back, went into a shop a week ago, book I wanted was not there, so one of the lads went into the back to see if they had it in stores (this I was happy with), however, while he was in the back, the other sales man their to get me to spend 60 euro on a game for my 2 year old as he was impressed with the 'robots' he was looking at on their displays, felt this was a bit much, left with my book and will now be buying all my books in Borders or from Amazon.