GW about to commit Hemisphere suicide.

[xxvaderxx]

GW is forbidding online retailers from selling to the southern hemisphere. This is an attempt not only to try and undermine free market but to force us to buy from our local redshirts who sell this products at no less than 50% mark up from the advertised prices.

In fact, the people that has the licence here in Argentina, are well known for not delivering in time, not delivering at all, and not issuing reimbursements when this happens. I know for a fact that this is also the same with the Brazilian counterpart. If you could do a little segment on the issue, all of us southern players would really appreciate it, this move if it really goes through will absolutely kill the hobby in the region, you need only to look at local forum to find out that people are already discussing alternatives (models and games).

I sent an email to Maelstrom yesterday about this, and this was their answer:

Hi,

Any orders this month will not be effected by the affair,
And its all European stockists not just us,
Sadly I cannot comment on the situation until GW announce it publicly, Which should be Monday,
Sorry,
Many thanks,

----------------------------------------------------------------
On 14 May 2011 17:03,
Subject: sales
Telephone:
Query: There have been rumors going around that you will not be able to sell GW products to my country Argentina any more.

As a long time customer i think i have the right to know if my next purchase planed for the 20th of May, will be possible or if i need to take my business some where else.

Please do not answer a run around i will take that as a confirmation of the rumors.

MAELSTROM GAMES

It would seem that GW has learnt nothing from the last decade+ when their local licence holder has struggled to stay in business. People will simply not pay mark ups to advertised prices, there is a reason we choose to wait over a month for our purchases to arrive over taking a 30 minute trip downtown and getting them back home with us, and it is not people skills on the part of the red shirts (as lousy as they are).

It is sad, 40k is the only game i know of that involves sizable armies and vehicles (in the 28mm scale), but if this does indeed go through it will kill the hobby or it will become "Clones" high time again, as it already happened last decade.

[eldargal]

It is rumoured to be Argentina and Brazil, not the southern hemisphere and it has more to do with Argentinian and Brazilian taxes than GWs profit motive. We don't know the specifics either, GW are also opening a new Asian production facility possibly in Australia in the next 18 months we don't know how that will affect the situation.

You would be better of waiting until the announcement and being in posession of some of the facts before launching an over emotional campaign like this. You know nothing at this point, Maelstrom have told you nothing other than that something is happening and they cannot commend on it until Monday. Get angry then, not now.

[xxvaderxx]

It is rumoured to be Argentina and Brazil, not the southern hemisphere and it has more to do with Argentinian and Brazilian taxes than GWs profit motive. We don't know the specifics either, GW are also opening a new Asian production facility possibly in Australia in the next 18 months we don't know how that will affect the situation.

You would be better of waiting until the announcement and being in posession of some of the facts before launching an over emotional campaign like this. You know nothing at this point, Maelstrom have told you nothing other than that something is happening and they cannot commend on it until Monday. Get angry then, not now.

In that email Maelstrom has pretty much confirmed the rumor with out saying YES. I would rather not have to wait 1 or 2 years to GW get convinced they have shot themselves in the foot, eroding the player base in the region in the meantime, to have the situation normalized.

Internet is Here to stay, So is globalization, it is about time GW gets used to it.

[eldargal]

No they didn't confirm it, they said nothing is affecting sales for the next month, they said something is happening but they did not say whatt. And yes, something is happening with sales to Brazil and Argentina due to taxes (rumoured), not the entire southern hemisphere. We don't know what GW is going to do about it, we don't know anything other than that something is happening. Maelstrom confirmed nothing, they said current orders and orders placed soon won't be affected (so you won't go not ordering thinking they won't arrive) and that they couldn't say what is happening until monday.

[DarkLink]

I don't think you quite understand how the free market works, xxvaderxx. A company (GW) produces a good/service (models, paints and rules), and they sell it to whoever they want. They are under no obligation to let other people in on their products. They don't have to sell through middlemen, they aren't required to allow other people to sell their stuff for them, and they can charge whatever they want for it. It's not like people are going to starve to death if they can't get their plastic dudemen.

The consumer, on the other hand, can just go play warmachine if they don't like GW's prices. It's literally as simple as that. If you think GW's stuff is too expensive, go play a different game and stop complaining about how you think GW is trying to rip you off.

[Necron2.0]

If you think GW's stuff is too expensive, go play a different game and stop complaining about how you think GW is trying to rip you off.

Or use some other minis to represent your army (I've seen at my local shop ... it's an indi GS so GW can go screw), or buy knock-offs and recasts (I've heard tell of people doing that). As mentioned, it's a free market, and free will abounds (be it technically legal or not).

++++

You know, I'm not sure how this whole thing would work, really. Let's say I'm an independent shop owner. GW tells me not to sell to XYZ country. I say, "Right you are, GW," and then turn around and sell anyway. How are they going to prevent it? Once it leaves their production facility and is in my grubby little paws, it's not theirs anymore, it's mine. GW's customers (excusing direct online sales) are the shops, not the individual gamers, and just as individuals can resell their stuff willy-nilly, so too can the shops.

Now, you may say GW's secret police will pick up on that right away and stop selling to me if I don't comply with their wishes, and you would be right ... IF I sold directly, under my own shop's identity. If, however, I set up a front (say, like an Ebay store front), and sold through that, then what can they do? Sure, they'll complain, my shop would get shut down, and I'd immediately open another one. This isn't anything new, I've heard of this happening already. So, again ... I'm not sure this would work.

[Denzark]

Don't cry for me Argentina...

[Spy_Smasher]

ebay?

I'm being serious. Buy from other gamers.

[Lane]

A company (GW) produces a good/service (models, paints and rules), and they sell it to whoever they want. They are under no obligation to let other people in on their products. They don't have to sell through middlemen, they aren't required to allow other people to sell their stuff

However if they allow some people to resell their product and not others they may violate local laws.

Also, if GW were to make radical changes to who they allow to distribute/ sell their product it could affect their business in other ways. IIRC GW classifies their stores as advertising, same with White Dwarf magazine, if the changes in their sales policy forced them to count the stores as retail they may be liable for more taxes.

[xxvaderxx]

Or use some other minis to represent your army (I've seen at my local shop ... it's an indi GS so GW can go screw), or buy knock-offs and recasts (I've heard tell of people doing that). As mentioned, it's a free market, and free will abounds (be it technically legal or not).

I could get knock offs, thats not the point, the point is that for the better part of 2 decades i ve stood behind the company and product instead of buying knock offs or other switching games, and this is the thanks i get, a forced 50-80% price hike. I honestly take this as an issult to their consumer base, sadly this is nothing new for this company.