I was just writing up my latest post about the Saga game I had with Ian and Phil and got to wondering if this was to be my last game at Maelstrom Games.
They seem to have shut down and re-emerged under the name 'The Eye of the Storm", same venue, same staff, etc.
About four weeks ago I placed an order for two boxes of Perry Miniatures French Napoleonic cavalry with a great 30% off discount voucher. The items were shown as being "In stock" and the order showed as "Packing".
A day or so later the order changed to "Processing" and the items now show as "Not in stock". I popped down to Maelstrom on the Sunday when we were running the El Cid campaign day and was assured that the mix up would be sorted and they would be in stock on Thursday.
On the Thursday I was told that, they were not in but try again next Tuesday again on Tuesday, no order for me. By this time I had seen the "buyer beware" buzz on the usual wargames sites so sent an email to cancel the order, no response was received, and now the Maelstrom site is down and they are not responding to phone calls. An email to say "Tough Shit" you took a gamble and lost your cash would at least be something, but the silence from that quarter is deafening.
I know that it is only about £25.00 but it seems that many other gamers are in the same situation and I am not sure I want to continue to give my cash and support until they at least come out with a statement of some kind. I am working away for a couple of weeks, will they even be there when I next get a chance to go to the venue?
I know your feelings. It's not the money, it's the apparent lies we were fed when things started to go bad. In your case I bet they didn't even try to get your figures in stock.
ReplyDeleteI did exactly what you did on the Sunday at the El Cid day, and, as I mentioned in my blog, I was handed the balance of my Battlefront 15mm order there and then, and told 'Tuesday' for my PSC Shermans and Napoleon at War French. The latter eventually shipped (by which I mean I was told the order had been sent second class) on Tuesday last week and hasn't turned up yet (which I'm hoping is the Royal Snail being their usual useless selves). The PSC Sherman box was still down as 'processing' when the site went down.
ReplyDeleteIt was a risk I knew I was taking, which was why they were paid for on a credit card. I just would really like to be able to be certain the warehouse guy I spoke to was telling me the truth as he knew it.
Ha ha there is only one game shop within 1,000 miles of where i live. After 13 years they finally actually got in something I'd ordered through them. :o) Never before. They once got somthing in that I hadn't ordered. :oP
ReplyDeleteJust tell everyone not to shop at Eye of the Storm, they are bunch of crooks. It will catch up with them soon.
ReplyDeleteIt's all very odd and too small a hobby for them to get away with just switching to another company. Still, truth will out.
ReplyDeleteI've ordered stuff from them 3 times over the last couple of years and never received a thing. Luckily paypal has always got my dosh back. If they treat every customer the same way as me I can see why they have gone tits up!
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand I have never had a problem with Maelstrom.
ReplyDeleteAlso no problems with Firestorm Games (in fact I also supply them with stuff) and Triple Helix.
Just my 2p of course
Likewise I have never had an issue with Maelstrom previously and I doubt that they ever set out for such misfortune.
ReplyDeleteI also have had great service from North Star, Triple Helix and Arcane Games in the past.