PhotolinkGW have started something of a storm by trying to forbid UK traders to sell overseas in order to control prices in overseas markets by preventing said traders from undercutting the official price - presumably the threat is to stop supplying traders who refuse to comply with this policy.
One of the biggest traders in the UK, Wayland, have issued a public statement.
I reprint the key part below. The first phrase is the most interesting. I suspect m'learned friends are being consulted.
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"Quite aside from the legality of Games Workshop’s actions, we are confused by the commercial attitude of Games Workshop which hampers our ability to sell to hobbyists to the clear disadvantage of both Games Workshop (albeit maybe not their retail arm) and the hobbyists themselves.
I will not air anyone’s dirty laundry in public. Therefore, I am writing to Games Workshop separately (its board, lawyers and their principal shareholders) to share my concerns in greater depth. I hope that commercial common sense will prevail and that we can continue to work with Games Workshop to expand their market and bring a great product to as many people as possible at the best price possible. After all, Games Workshop not only has a clear responsibility to the market but also a clear responsibility to its shareholders (which, after all, could be you and me!)."
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I have no idea of the legal ramifications of all this but it does seem a little strange and one wonders whether the bad publicity offsets any commercial advantage GW might gain by these actions.
Yeah it's terrible that an army in Australia, US and UK costs 2% of each average earnings in each country.
ReplyDeleteAnd it must really hurt online retailers not to reclaim the VAT on EU sales.
Dear Eeore
ReplyDeleteWell, that's a defensible point of view. Whether Australian customers will be that philosophical about the matter remains to be seen.
:)
John
I could use a lot of words to describe GW's actions. As an Australian, "philosophical" would not be one of them.
ReplyDeleteWell I was building a 40k army with my son but have now abandoned all that to play Viking Skirmish games. We built both our armies for the price of only a few GW units.
ReplyDeleteAside from the relatively major markets in Australia, there are a whole bunch of other, smaller markets, which are going to be effectively neutered by this new policy.
ReplyDeleteI live in South Korea, and without Wayland/Maelstrom et al. posting orders from overseas, I am facing a 5hr+ drive to the other end of the country in order to buy GW products from the one store that exists (excluding the fact that those prices are also slightly above RRP). As such, an O&G army I was in the process of building is now looking a doubtful prospect.
I've written to GW to let them know my discontent, I have no doubt at all that my words won't make a scrap of difference, but I am feeling a mix of confusion and outrage over this latest batch of decisions, and felt I had to do something!
Dear Eltnot
ReplyDeleteOur Australian cousins have a well-deserved reputation in England for the robustness and eloquence with which they express themselves on matters of importance compared to us kipper-faced pommie bastards.
John
Dear Paul
ReplyDeleteYeah. I have been put off buying new armies lately for 40K by the sheer cost of the investment. Over a hundred pounds for a single squadron of vehicles is no joke.
John
Dear Pacific,
ReplyDeleteBritish corporate management lives in a strange bubble of privalege, which makes it difficult for them to grasp how the rest of us think.
One person writing will have no effect but if enough letters arrive......
John
A strange state of affairs, stopped my GW addiction recently, just went cold turkey.
ReplyDeleteDear Lurker
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel. I used to look forward to the Xmas game but this is a thing of the past now they have got rid of their best game designers. And no, Warwick Kinrade, whatever his talents, is no substitute for Rick Priestly.
The upside is the many new companies being built by ex-GW people,
John
The funny thing about Games Workshop is that their best games are the ones they don't produce (or at least not in the scale of WH40K or Fantasy) figures for. WHAB is still my ancient ruleset of choice. Warmaster has evolved to Blitzkrieg Commander, one of the better WWII sets of rules out there (not to mention Cold War and Future War Commander). Warmaster Ancients is apparently not too bad either. Bloodbowl was a blast. But when it comes to 40K or Fantasy, GW's greed is the stuff of legends. Eventually, with the economy slowing in Europe, they'll get a reality check.
ReplyDeleteDimitri
It just doesn't make any sense what-so-ever, I don't buy any of GW's figures, but I do buy there paints and other materials. What is it they want??? Blood?? I'm so glad I never got into their figures, its expensive enough as it is, what would happen if they controlled who sold it all, I dread to think!!!
ReplyDeleteI think the top managers gone crazy in GW. Maybe they're hungarians (it's common here that strategic decisions made by people who haven't got the faintets idea about the products and customers).
ReplyDeleteI personaly choose to build my second army (a SM army) from 2nd hand stuff. Waaaay cheaper.
Also, sorry John but i had no time to comment on the latest posts. I like to mention i do really like the chin'ork.
ReplyDeleteThe management of GW, like so many other companies (book publishers, for example) simply continue to act as if the internet does not exist.
ReplyDeleteDear Ray
ReplyDeleteIs there a market for blood,
J
Dear Igi
ReplyDeleteThe suits are now in complete control at GW. They are making a lot of money. The share price has quadrupled in three year, as has the dividend.
J
Dear Fred
ReplyDeleteYah, corporate management is so insulated from the real world. They have no idea how the rest of us live. British judges have the same problem (google superinjunctions and footballers).
J