Frostgrave book orders

[nicknorthstar]

Apologies to folks about Paypal. I know it's convenient, I use it myself of course. But it's a very different picture as a seller using Paypal. I won't go into the gory details. We still have a Paypal account, northstarfigs@googlemail.com, so we can still take Paypal. If you email me an order, I'll send you a Paypal request by return.

We have plans to change the shopping cart in the near future, and that'll probably integrate Paypal into the system.

[nicknorthstar]

Can I just talk about Amazon and Book Depository?

I use Amazon myself, so I'm not going to go into hypocrisy here, but I would ask you to pause before buying wargames from those people.

When you buy from me, or Osprey direct, it is a few £ more expensive. But that money isn't shoved in our pockets. It goes to develop further supplements, it pays the figure designers and the artists to keep the game system alive and vibrant.  If you buy from Amazon, it is just shoved in their pockets. (I won't go into tax avoidance at these companies, that's for another day). Nothing is given back to the hobby. If you are of the opinion you don't care, you'd rather have the £, I'm not sitting in judgement here. I'm just saying our hobby right now is all time high, but the likes of Amazon and Book Depository are not going to help keep it high, they just leech off it.

[Magos Kasen]

Well said Nick. While bigger retailers have the ability to offer slightly cheaper prices, often the slightly higher price from the manufacturer or local retailer comes with better customer service and the knowledge you are supporting the product that you like enough to purchase, and the local store that caters to your hobby.

[Kane]

FYI Nick, I got my ordered book in the mail already. (ordered last Thursday) Thanks for the excellent service

[DancesWithHippos]

Perhaps because he was at Historicon and not able to access his E-mails and/or website? I'm sure they didn't intend any harm. I've had to wait weeks for a parcel to arrive because it was stuck at customs. It happens. There's nothing any supplier can do about it.

Indeed, I'll agree to that though I doubt no one could at least access Facebook. I don't really mind the shipping time either, I didn't have the game yesterday or last week, or last year so it doesn't really matter if I have it today or tomorrow. I've had to wait a couple of months waiting for orders from Mantic and several weeks from Warlord. My only issue is with the lack of communication and then the assumption that I should already know the "truth" about customs. Their response was asinine. I'll continue to support Brigade Games because they are a small American company but in the future I'll be wary about their communication and attitude.

[axabrax]

The problem, Nick, is that American credit card companies, especially banks, don't like foreign transactions over more than about $50. If I try ordering from you using my bank card for something that costs as much as the level 5 Frostgrave order, my bank will decline the transaction for security reasons, and I will have to call them to get it approved and then submit the order again, which will likely mean multiple emails to you and a real pain in the ass for me. I would gladly pay you the Pay Pal fee on top of my order in order to be able to avoid this hassle. I can't tell you how many times I haven't placed an order at Northstar all but rather tried to find an alternative source because of this.

Apologies to folks about Paypal. I know it's convenient, I use it myself of course. But it's a very different picture as a seller using Paypal. I won't go into the gory details. We still have a Paypal account, northstarfigs@googlemail.com, so we can still take Paypal. If you email me an order, I'll send you a Paypal request by return.

We have plans to change the shopping cart in the near future, and that'll probably integrate Paypal into the system.

[axabrax]

I agree an email would have been a nice courtesy to your customers. I also am a bit put off by the whole "we're at Historicon so you'll have to wait" that happens every year whether it's for Frostgrave or not. Accepting orders but essentially grinding to a halt for a few weeks around the convention seems like it's guaranteed to make people feel like second class customers. It's just that this year the timing with the Frostgrave stuff makes it especially obnoxious. In the end we'll just have to be patient, I know, and you certainly can't be held accountable for customs delays, but the manner in which this was handled might be improved for next time.

Why?
I guess being told the truth about the random customs security screen delay was something we had the ability to control?

As I explained earlier today:

Everything was set on our end to get them out before we left for Historicon.
The 1 box of 18 that contained 80% of the metals and the resin tokens to fill the Nickstarter orders was going through additional screening in customs. That parcel was delivered to us on Wednesday while I was away at Historicon. There was no lack of planning. We fully intended to get them all out before leaving for the convention. We paid for overnight delivery from the UK. As previously stated, 17 of 18 parcels arrived a week ago Friday but missing parts to fill every one of the orders did not reach us until Wednesday. We are currently processing all of the Nickstarter shipments.

One can only control what one has the ability to control.

Best regards,

Lon
BG

[FionaWhite]

Apologies to folks about Paypal. I know it's convenient, I use it myself of course. But it's a very different picture as a seller using Paypal. I won't go into the gory details. We still have a Paypal account, northstarfigs@googlemail.com, so we can still take Paypal. If you email me an order, I'll send you a Paypal request by return.

We have plans to change the shopping cart in the near future, and that'll probably integrate Paypal into the system.

I really wish I'd known that some week or so ago. 
No offense, but when your site clearly states that you're not accepting Paypal payments, I assume that to be the case.

[mweaver]

I have never had my bank decline a credit card payment to a European store (which in practice will be either (a) games/miniatures, (b) books, or (c) miniatures/games). Perhaps I have not had the problem because I do it so often, and banks tend to flag unusual purchases (every other Christmas we spend in Nashville visiting my parents, and my wife's credit card company freaks out even when she contacts them and tells them she will be in Tennessee).

-Michael