Missing Cards

[Cenotaph]

Just had some new Malifaux figures for Christmas and two of the packs are missing cards. How do I get replacements for these?

[WEiRD sKeTCH]

Shoot Nathan an e-mail.

What cards were you missing?

[Cenotaph]

I had a Pandora and a pack of sorrows that were missing cards. I think they may have been older packs that predated the game launch as the packaging was slightly different.

[Cenotaph]

OK, got some replacement cards ordered. Must say though that the flat $10 overseas shipping fee really bites when you are just buying $2.00 worth of cards.

[Cenotaph]

OK my cards just arrived. 4 cards cost $2 plus the flat $10 postage to the UK. Only the box said the postage only cost just over $3, so I have just subsidised the postage someone who placed a big order.

If it had been sent in an envelope rather than a box would have been even cheaper.

I've spoken to Nathan who was sympathetic but doesn't sound like it is something that is going to change any time soon.

So if you are ordering from overseas I would recomend avoiding buying direct unless it is a big order.

[Nathan Caroland]

Quite bluntly, we offer a flat rate package on packages. More often than not we actually loose money in shipping, particularly overseas, but also in the US as we've recently switched to FEDEX for a majority of packages sent which I can tell you is a bit more than the $6 flat rate we charge. Sometimes they are cheaper, sometimes not.

If the cards had been sent in just an envelope I would have expected to hear someone complaining about the cards getting there damaged or out of shape as postage can be a bit rough on product at times.

As I stated in the e-mail as well, the cost of shipping involves more than just postage as we have to buy packaging materials (boxes, tape, packaging peanuts or foam, wrapping paper .. etc) as well as employ several individuals, one whose sole job is nothing but packaging customer, retailer and distributor orders all day, every day.

While I sympathize that someone that places a small order might feel like they've been taken for a ride, we're not in the position to individually weight and track costs on packaging and likely won't be in the future.

I've tried a few different tacts on this but it never has quite worked out and in the end has cost us more.

[ork56]

So if you are ordering from overseas I would recomend avoiding buying direct unless it is a big order.

It may be worth throwing a post up if you fancy ordering 'bits and pieces' as there may be others in your country who are thinking likewise and would be happy to club together.

Posting small stuff within the UK is v. cheap after all. (if you arent UK, sorry)

In time, as the game grows, our 'local' retailers may be able to support a range of parts/catds etc.

[Cenotaph]

One suggestion worth considering if it is so impossible to offer a lower postage price for replacement cards would be to make the cards available as PDF downloads. That way those of us who get caught with old stock figures can get the cards we need without the high postage price. After all most of us seem to put the cards in sleeves or laminate them so it would not be a significant difference to the player.

[Deathjester]

Or maybe ask very nicely if someone on the forums could email a scan ;-)

[Nathan Caroland]

That's likely not a good choice either.

[Cenotaph]

?

[Runewolf]

Cenotaph has a point, but this is not the right way to deal with it. I can relate, i live in an island, but worst shipping is paid if one wants to get minis from Spain or France, shipping could get to 4 times the value of the items ordered from Europe.

[Cenotaph]

But this isn't a mini, this is much the same as a missing part which has a known negligible weight and could easily be handled as a special postage item. If a more reasonable cost can't be provided I have suggested the PDF option which would seem to be a reasonable alternative.

I spoke to a store on Saturday when I was looking to order some more mini's and he wasn't aware of the difference betwen figures with and without cards so couldn't guarantee that any figures I got from him would have cards. So not wishing to pay a further $10 for postage I didn't buy the figures.

Currently the situation is not good.

Bottom line is that I want to buy some more Malifaux figures but have just bought more Anima Tactics figures instead because I am not confident that I will get hit for an extra cost that I consider to be unreasonable. I'm not attacking Nathan or anyone else, they are clearly doing what they thought was suitable and I did contact Nathan directly before posting here. I only raised it here to bring it to the attention of others so that they are aware of the cost associated with placing orders for small items to the UK. And I have suggested an alternative to the cards issue that is already used by some companied (Arena Deathmatch for instance makes all cards available for download as PDF).

[ork56]

Shame the store you spoke to couldnt be bothered to check in blisters for you, as they are not sealed up.

All the info you need is in the rulebook anyway, so you dont have to have the cards to play - I proxy a lot of stuff which is not out yet and its not a chore.

[Cenotaph]

Well I was dealing with the store via email so the conversation turn around was a little slow. The worrying fact is that they were not aware that some blisters may not contain cards or how customers could get cards if the packs didn't have them. As it stands you can't tell from an unopened pack due to the way the cards are placed within the pack. I'm sure if I went into a new game store and started to take packs off the shelves and open them the store owner would soon say something.

As to why I use the cards it is to avoid having to have the rulebook with me all the time and I can mark wounds onto the cards as I have them laminated.

I don't have a problem with paying for replacement cards. I just object to paying a 300% markup on the actual postage and thought I'd warn other people before they got hit for it as well. If I had known I would probably have placed a larger order with Wyrd and saved on the postage instead.

[Lupus]

What you have to remember with a lot of stores is they get stuff from someone else who then gets it direct. So they will probably pass it up the line or hope that we all live online and know how to find a solution ourselves.

Its not ideal but its very close to the truth..A lot don't know a huge amount about the product either but if a store stock's 10-15 different game lines he won't..He might know a skim about them. Sometimes they stock stuff because it sell's ;)

[Cenotaph]

I fully realise that it's not down to the retailer to either support the product or to necesarily know everything about every product.

My point is that as someone who has to rely on internet stores to get figures I run the risk of having to pay $10+ per figure to get a complete pack why would I or anyone else take the risk.

I don't mind paying a bit over postage to cover costs, so if I had been charged $5 for a $3 postage I would have been reasonably OK with that. But $10 for a $3 postage to send 4 cards costing $2 is not reasonable.

I understand that overhead costs have to be met but that's not my problem.

[Nathan Caroland]

If its got Malifaux packaging and didn't come with a card (happens, despite our best efforts), we replace it. If you've got the old Wyrd packaging before they had cards, were changed around for game purposes (bases, extra pieces such as a hoarcat being included with Rasputina at one time), then no, that was before there were cards and before our price raises as well.

I've been contacted about this as well privately and folks that shoot along pictures or let us know where they've got the product we send it out to. If its for simple replacement cards due to loss, damage or packaging before there was an official Malifaux line, then we direct them to the online store.

If a store happens to have old stock on hand all they need do is contact us and we'll send them updated packaging, free. We've done it for a number of stores.

Either way, this thread has been done to death. Feel free to burn me in effigy, place the pins in voodoo dolls (I'll send hair samples if needed, those will be .50 cents a lock plus shipping), or contact me privately.

You'll find I'm generally open minded and looking to make things right but if you start off the conversation in a tone of 'you owe me you arsehole' then please don't be surprised when I smile through my teeth.