Hassles with Hasslefree - merged issues thread

[FramFramson]

So, first of all - as I mentioned before. I'm no fanboi, I am simply trying to give people the facts to make an informed decision.

That is bloody difficult to do when people are suggesting they don't have a professional distribution part to their business - when they do.

It is also difficult when other people are suggesting that they should shut, they are closing down or that orders shouldn't be placed with them - these are not helpful to anyone. Especially when some are not true.

Fram - for what it's worth, I did search as you suggested, as funnily enough, I like to keep adding to my understanding to see if I can increase the accuracy of what I know.

Other than this thread there are four others the search brings up. The first is by Gunbird and is about two scam emails they received which turn out to have nothing to do with Hasslefree other than someone had used their name to try and scam.

The next was in Feb started by Connectbob about the KS issues. Which again, Artemis responded to in person, and only takes a moment or two to look through the KS updates to see what was going on at the time. To his credit, even Connectbob points out that over ten years of ordering from them this was the first time and out of character in his experience. This was when Fram declared that Artemis Black was Sally White . . . . . .

The next was the one in July that I have referred to before - in which you jump in and say "They've always had trouble with comms, sadly." - Again, which might be true to you personally, but clearly isn't the overwhelming feedback over recent years until this year and the well documented personal issues effecting Hasslefree.

The only other one was from 2016, started by Grant - to which he got a personal response from Artemis Black apologizing and explaining why the communication had not been great.

So, I fall back to what I was saying before. If you have a negative opinion of a company, be clear that what you are stating is an opinion, isn't libel and is accurate. Don't say they have 'always had an issue' when it isn't true.

Share your dodgy comms / service by all means, that's how companies like Defiance are exposed for what they are.

If not, and you only have a passing opinion, or want to drop in for pedantry, maybe reconsider making yourself look a tool.

I'll go back to trying to help the good gaming folk in this community and fight the bull crap that helps no one and could lead to damaging someone's income.

As I stated in my post, if I suggest a closure, it's so they can restore their  service levels and thereby their reputation - few people will see our discussion here on LAF and things look much worse on their FB page etc., as has been pointed out - sorry, but deleting complaints is a biiiiig red flag for a business. And while they may have a distribution arm on paper, if they can't, well, distribute then do they really have one in practice?

The only one posting "bull crap" in this thread is yourself. The comment about libel is laughably overblown, to say nothing of the insults and hostility. I suggest you remove the beam from your eye.

No one is going to sink Hasslefree by talking about their problems here on a messageboard, but the actual problems themselves just might. If you bothered to actually read our posts instead of pursing a quixotic attempt to be pedantic, you'd see that everyone here is sympathetic to Kev and Dameon. No one wants to rag on them or see anything bad happen to Hasslefree. We're worried is what. We're pointing out that what is happening now is unsustainable for a business which wishes to remain a going concern.

[grant]

Well stated Fram.

mcfonz seems to be just wading into this with no reason. He might have jumped the shark. 

[Belligerentparrot]

Just wanted to say I have found this thread incredibly helpful - I was pondering whether to order from HF, and this really helps give a picture of how frustrating that might be at the moment.

Keep up the good work, chaps, and I hope you all get your stuff eventually. I don't see how accusations of rumour-mongering and worse levelled at a sensible, well-meaning discussion are in any way fair, so that bit was much less helpful, but hopefully we can put that behind us.

[mcfonz]

Before this blows up even more, I would like to justify my comments by stating that there are also a number of comments on their FB page in which people are having issues with both comms and orders to which no public response has been given by HF. One of which implies that complaints are being ignored and deleted rather than being responded too.

Not bashing them or trying to add fuel to the flames but clearly something is up. Obviousy arbitrary and sweeping statements don't help but I would also suggest that there is no smoke without fire.
I'd also suggest comments like this are a bit OTT and unnecessary.

Perhaps we should let the thread die down until anyone has any news or updates to add.

[Silent Invader]

Well, looking at the HF website, the latest news (dated 12/9) is a lot more helpful than some of the unofficial remarks and accusations against those who have made or were/are contemplating making an order.

Hey Everyone

Apologies, Dameon has been sick for a short while, and our temp help is sunning it up in ... Poland, so maybe not 'sunning' it up.

Things back to normal from Monday 16th. Please remember, if you have an issue we are currently using bwartemis@gmail.com not our domain address (which is experiencing a spam issue).

Thanks

Regarding emails, the HF addy is still listed on the website as the contact address, which given the news surely will only add to comms frustration.

[RoyWilliamson]

Thanks SI for spotting and putting that official bit of news up on here. I did check on the HF website yesterday, around Noon, for updated news, but it was still showing the July information.

I'm reading their "Monday 16th" as an error. And they mean, today, Monday 17th of September.


I have to admit that this thread has been a help, for the most part. Thank you all.

[mcfonz]

I just want to point out I have only ever tried to support and help those who have or are in the process of making orders.

I have been heavily critical of those who have not, who have commented on this thread, and past threads with misinformation and who have demonstrated that they have nothing useful to add.

I'm sorry if this has been seen as less than helpful for those contemplating an order. I have tried to share the information that was prior to this latest statement, the most up to date official news that could be found.

I do not apologise to those who repeatedly refuse to help and instead just muddy the situation with poor, uninformed opinion.

[Silent Invader]

I just want to point out I have only ever tried to support and help those who have or are in the process of making orders.

As you are someone who helps out at HF, your attitude  actually put me off contacting them about an order (my last purchase was at Salute). Sure, poor comms and late delivery will - as I’ve already stated - put me off ordering but attitudes such as yours, if indicative of the thinking at HF, would simply serve to drive me away for good. Fortunately HF have posted their own update, which goes some way towards counteracting the negativity in some of  your defensive  contributions.

[mcfonz]

As you are someone who helps out at HF, your attitude  actually put me off contacting them about an order (my last purchase was at Salute). Sure, poor comms and late delivery will - as I’ve already stated - put me off ordering but attitudes such as yours, if indicative of the thinking at HF, would simply serve to drive me away for good. Fortunately HF have posted their own update, which goes some way towards counteracting the negativity in some of  your defensive  contributions.

You have been in this hobby probably longer than I. I'd put money on you knowing Hasslefree a lot better than you are letting on here.

I don't 'help out at HF' - they help me out more than anything. For starters, I'm in Norfolk, their distribution centre is in Wales. I'm really not sure how anything I say or do can be tied as heavily as you want it to be. I simply offered to help if I could - surely that is what a community should be doing when it's members are stating their orders are outstanding?

[Silent Invader]

You have been in this hobby probably longer than I. I'd put money on you knowing Hasslefree a lot better than you are letting on here.

I’ve been buying from Hasslefree for years but nothing since Salute, having been put off by the threads at LAF. I don’t ‘know them’ know them as I’ve never chatted with them at Salute or elsewhere and I don’t follow social media. Only ever been a customer not a friend (though I always found Sally very affable).

It seems odd that just as  I email HF to facilitate an order I’ve been pondering, and my email was a direct response to seeing their latest news update, you decide to make passive aggressive remarks towards me. Talk about off-putting.

Btw, you said you helped them at Salute. That’s helping them out. No?

[mcfonz]

No, I said I ran games on their table.

I have nothing to do with sales, with running their stall at Salute, with anything day to day with the business, nothing.

As stated, there are three other threads in addition to this one, one from 2016, and two others from this year. One of those was in relation to the Kickstarter they ran - which was the first they have run so far as I am aware and of which there is plenty of stuff to be found about. They were plenty transparent.

The other was hijacked by the same peeps as on this one. I apologise if I construed you to be one of them, but your first input was to point out the way something was worded.

If you have bought from Hasslefree for years, I would suggest you go by your previous experiences rather than base them on a demented idjit such as myself who is just underlining that some people appear to have an apparent dislike of Hasslefree, come on threads such as this and misinform people.

Sadly, despite that many people, such as yourself, have said that they have found Kev and Sally to be welcoming and affable, there are those out there who make a habit of trying to stick the boot in to their business whenever the opportunity arises.

[Silent Invader]

Ok, I seem to have missed that you were only putting on games. I know that over the years other helpers have worked the counter, and  I accept/agree that hosting a game is much less ‘corporate’ than that.

My first comment in this thread wasn’t actually about HF but the industry generally. I’m not a believer that a business gets a pass simply because it is in a hobby industry.

As for HF, I hope that per the news all is back in good order.

[commissarmoody]

I must have missed that post also. Just getting over the flu on this end so I can understand a lack of energy.
I sent off a fifth email to them this weekend, so in light of this new revaluation i will hopefully get a response back to me this week then.

[Dr DeAth]

Just come across this thread and read is as I was considering ordering a few figures from HF, things do seem to be getting a little heated.   

Surely it's down to the moderators to decide what can and can't be discussed, rather than forum members to be telling others that they can't share their opinions and that they have nothing useful to add?

Personally I welcome differences of opinion, informed or otherwise, as it encourages me to find the answers for myself.  If I see smoke, it's up to me to work out if there's really a fire or if it's just someone blowing it.

[FramFramson]

I just want to point out I have only ever tried to support and help those who have or are in the process of making orders.

I have been heavily critical of those who have not, who have commented on this thread, and past threads with misinformation and who have demonstrated that they have nothing useful to add.

I'm sorry if this has been seen as less than helpful for those contemplating an order. I have tried to share the information that was prior to this latest statement, the most up to date official news that could be found.

I do not apologise to those who repeatedly refuse to help and instead just muddy the situation with poor, uninformed opinion.

No one is posting factual misinformation in this thread, and the opinions posted are informed by the legitimate experiences of those posting them.