GW Advance Order Shipping Policy Change

[Brass Scorpion]

Here's another blow from GW designed to drive customers to the stores, but also guaranteed to drive customers who don't live near stores bonkers. If you look carefully at the release policy on the latest Advance Orders, the ones for Storm Of Magic, advance orders that customers have shipped to addresses other than their local shop (i.e., their home address) will no longer be shipped in time them to have the order by release day. Instead, they will be shipped the Friday before the Saturday release day, guaranteeing that the item will not arrive till at least a couple days AFTER release date.

[Lancel]

Wait, wait, wait. You mean Games Workshop hadn't officially announced that policy until today? I bloody called this yesterday morning with the White Dwarf thing. Actually now I'm confused that I might have just assumed it to be so. Oh well, anyway, not surprised. Once again, something by Games Workshop designed to get people to go to their stores.

I detect a subtle flaw in this logic.

Using your address, we found the following 0 store(s) within 100 miles

The nearest Games Workshop is in Memphis. That's about 400 miles from here. Ah well.

I'm sure the corporate response will be "Don't worry, if this works, we'll make more Games Workshop stores!" Eh.

[DrLove42]

To be fair I always get my Advance orders into store anywya...can never guarentee i'll be home

[Brass Scorpion]

And I'm lucky enough to have 2 stores within 15 minutes of home if I really want something that soon. But what about all the customers who have no GW store anywhere near them? This, like the new White Dwarf mailing policy really kicks sand in their faces.

[DrLove42]

I agree, it definently sucks overall, particularly worse in the states as you have less GW's in the country, in a much larger area. Lancels nearest store being 400 miles, I could cover most of this country in that distance, let alone store to store

How will this affect Indi retailers? Will they only get new releases the morning of release? or will they get theres in advance enough to resell?

Between this, the WD subscriber fiasco and the restrictions of trade to Australia, GW are really clamping down on people who don't buy in stores. And until they build 1,000's more internationally its not fair

[eldargal]

I think even Royal Mail can deliver something posted on a friday by tuesday or wednesday, so surely the US postal service can as well? Doesn't seem to be too catastrophic, unless you are really, really impatient.

[DrLove42]

In the UK if you get a standard delivery order in before 12pm, its dispatched that day, and theoretically can be there the next...

[Lockark]

I think even Royal Mail can deliver something posted on a friday by tuesday or wednesday, so surely the US postal service can as well? Doesn't seem to be too catastrophic, unless you are really, really impatient.

Realy this has more to do with the fact they have started treating people who don't come into their brick and mortar stores as 2nd rate customers. Getting our Preorders and white dwarfs latter, only hearing about new releases a week out, ect. Is out money really not good enough any more?
O.o

[Lerra]

GW has very few stores in the US outside of the east coast. I live in a city with a population of ~4 million (roughly the size of Bristol), and the nearest GW is ~400 miles away as well.

Last time I ordered something from GW online, it took 7 weeks to arrive.

[flekkzo]

GW has very few stores in the US outside of the east coast. I live in a city with a population of ~4 million (roughly the size of Bristol), and the nearest GW is ~400 miles away as well.

Last time I ordered something from GW online, it took 7 weeks to arrive.

In all fairness, they got me my replacement finecasts in less than a week, both times. So basically it seems like they roll a D6 for delivery times. Rending :)

[isotope99]

It's not the pain of the extra week that you have to wait, it's the principle of the thing,as if they are punishing their customers for daring to order online.

Like those DVDs that start by accusing you of being a thief, and which make me want to immediately jump on my computer and pirate a movie (any movie), this announcement makes me want to put my next order through one of the discounted retailers instead of the official GW site.

[Lancel]

I think even Royal Mail can deliver something posted on a friday by tuesday or wednesday, so surely the US postal service can as well? Doesn't seem to be too catastrophic, unless you are really, really impatient.

It is generally the same here, at least from my experience in the past year. I could probably expect it by Wednesday.

[Wildeybeast]

In the UK if you get a standard delivery order in before 12pm, its dispatched that day, and theoretically can be there the next...

Yeah, if you pay the extra for express delivery. GW's free postage is sent second class, so you won't get it untill monday at the earliest.