GW to ban all online sales

[TheBitzBarn]

What do you mean by sweatshop and enviromental friendly practices. We have 3 total employees we pay more than minimun wage and offer generous employee discounts. and we recycle everything

[Caitsidhe]

One thing they want is to push up their numbers for an upcoming financial report. They pushed this rule down the road to June on purpose. Their idea is that all these places who have been selling online and breaking up for bits will make MASSIVE buys before the rules change. It would be another artificial sales bump to offset other issues. Whether or not they keep the rule in place or truly believe it will stop people from doing what they want is beside the point. Chances are they will change the policy later or simply accept it doesn't stop the resale. Either way they get the artificial sales bump which is what they need fast and in the short term.

Nothing prevents someone who owns a game shop from simply opening a distinct business for online and then selling to him/herself at cost. They other business then sells the Games Workshop product. It is neatly accomplished as there is no way for Games Workshop to enforce or investigate to whom or what models are sold. They have to know this as well as I do. I personally believe this is just a stunt (a desperate one) to push up massive sales between now and mid-June.

[TheBitzBarn]

Plus they have to Prove that I did not buy my product form someone and then reselling there leftovers.

[Caitsidhe]

Plus they have to Prove that I did not buy my product form someone and then reselling there leftovers.

Exactly. It is an idiotic policy because they have no way to enforce it. Will Games Workshop demand that every LGS send them records of whom they sold to? Will every model have a distinct serial number on it? What the policy does is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to those businesses who do their business online as these businesses will take the short steps to bypass it without blinking. It might affect some poor souls who don't have a local LGS and who feel they cannot buy third party and thus must order from Games Workshop. Go figure.

What is more the policy will only ratchet up the speed at which aftermarket companies provide bits. Aside from the sales stunt that I suggest above, the policy is Lose/Lose for them beyond the extremely short term. I personally doubt that most of the online companies will fall for it. I suspect most of them have plenty of stock in hand and will take the slow measured steps (at least I hope so) to bypass the stupid rule without falling for the "must make massive buys now" trick. It isn't necessary.

[lobster-overlord]

One thing they want is to push up their numbers for an upcoming financial report. They pushed this rule down the road to June on purpose. Their idea is that all these places who have been selling online and breaking up for bits will make MASSIVE buys before the rules change. It would be another artificial sales bump to offset other issues. Whether or not they keep the rule in place or truly believe it will stop people from doing what they want is beside the point. Chances are they will change the policy later or simply accept it doesn't stop the resale. Either way they get the artificial sales bump which is what they need fast and in the short term.

Nothing prevents someone who owns a game shop from simply opening a distinct business for online and then selling to him/herself at cost. They other business then sells the Games Workshop product. It is neatly accomplished as there is no way for Games Workshop to enforce or investigate to whom or what models are sold. They have to know this as well as I do. I personally believe this is just a stunt (a desperate one) to push up massive sales between now and mid-June.

Actually, both of your key points here are wrong. The new policy distinctly prohibits both the resale to another retail entity and takes effect on the day the policy states, thus a huge order is going to be worthless to them because they won't be able to sell it starting that date, They can order what ever they want when ever, that won't change, but the outlet for selling it off goes away. And most retailers, if you notice, don't actually carry their inventory. They give long lag times and order from Gw to get your order in. The good ones carry an inventory, and even that is hugely expensive.

Also, to bitzbarn's credit, I worked for a bits store (one of the bigger ones) and we got paid great, got to do a lot of the work at home and even got great discounts. Just the boss was a jerk.

And if you watch some bits stores, every year that GW makes a price increas, the price goes up to what the bits store was getting for that kit bitted out. (retail =$25, Bitted = $35, Gw would raise price to $35) Saw that pretty consistent for 3 years. Blame them, not GW for the price hikes.

[TheBitzBarn]

Actually, both of your key points here are wrong. The new policy distinctly prohibits both the resale to another retail entity and takes effect on the day the policy states, thus a huge order is going to be worthless to them because they won't be able to sell it starting that date, They can order what ever they want when ever, that won't change, but the outlet for selling it off goes away. And most retailers, if you notice, don't actually carry their inventory. They give long lag times and order from Gw to get your order in. The good ones carry an inventory, and even that is hugely expensive.

Also, to bitzbarn's credit, I worked for a bits store (one of the bigger ones) and we got paid great, got to do a lot of the work at home and even got great discounts. Just the boss was a jerk.

And if you watch some bits stores, every year that GW makes a price increas, the price goes up to what the bits store was getting for that kit bitted out. (retail =$25, Bitted = $35, Gw would raise price to $35) Saw that pretty consistent for 3 years. Blame them, not GW for the price hikes.

Your wrong on a key point. When a Bits store prices product they know such as my self that at least a 3rd of those items will sit for year, such as CSM bolt pistol arms, and they there for have to cover the cost of the box around the key items that will sell and the rest will end up in a grab bag as they end up with 59 SM sensor heads and at .20 cents no one wants them. so we price it because we know that only certain items will sell well and we will be left holding on to tons of things like SM grenade arms and ork slugga arms for a while and will eventually have to dump them in a Grab bag. so yes we do price the contents slightly higher, for us it is usually 5 to 7 dollars, but we do that cause NO ONE buys the entire box that way. Even hot boxes like Grey Knights NO ONE buys the entire contents of the box in Bitz they buy what they need. If you worked for one you would know that. So bits sites are NOT driving GW prices.

And second the policy takes effect like June or July 15th not NOW so some people will do a big buy up.

[Caitsidhe]

Actually, both of your key points here are wrong. The new policy distinctly prohibits both the resale to another retail entity and takes effect on the day the policy states, thus a huge order is going to be worthless to them because they won't be able to sell it starting that date, They can order what ever they want when ever, that won't change, but the outlet for selling it off goes away. And most retailers, if you notice, don't actually carry their inventory. They give long lag times and order from Gw to get your order in. The good ones carry an inventory, and even that is hugely expensive.

Umm... no? They don't sell it to another retail entity. They sell it to a person. That person then sells it. They can do it JUST the way they always have. The policy can't prohibit it because they aren't selling to an entity. They are selling to an individual and then that individual then places the stock in his/her company.

And if you watch some bits stores, every year that GW makes a price increas, the price goes up to what the bits store was getting for that kit bitted out. (retail =$25, Bitted = $35, Gw would raise price to $35) Saw that pretty consistent for 3 years. Blame them, not GW for the price hikes.

Yeah. Bizarro world logic doesn't wash here. The reason the kit stores can raise their prices is because Games Workshop raises theirs. If Games Workshop charged less, the kit stores would have to follow or people would just by from Games Workshop.

[Caitsidhe]

And second the policy takes effect like June or July 15th not NOW so some people will do a big buy up.

I sure hope not. It won't be necessary when there are easy work around solutions. Besides, why give in and be crassly manipulated by Games Workshop, in effect rewarding them with a big sales boost for their quarter for giving you such companies the bird?

[TheBitzBarn]

I sure hope not. It won't be necessary when there are easy work around solutions. Besides, why give in and be crassly manipulated by Games Workshop, in effect rewarding them with a big sales boost for their quarter for giving you such companies the bird?

I totally agree. You have named it on the head. Store A sells to Customer B at a Discount because they are a Club Member then Cusomer B sells it to Bitz Store C. The Prices might go up because GW will reduce the supply and increase the cost of doing business. But as long as some one wants a Right Hand Inferno Pistol and does not want to pay 35.00 for it there will be someone to sell it to them.

[Chris Copeland]

^this. Bingo.