Have i made a Schoolboy error?

[zedeyejoe]

I'm not sure it would be worth the hassle to set up a specialist shop of this sort to rip people off

There was one that was around for years. Thankfully seems to have gone now. This is the last reference I could find about them
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=75885

The interesting thing was it was the low low prices that were the attraction and people kept on sending money for years after the warnings were being posted. I suppose it is just human nature, after all people still fall for the 'give me your bank account details so I can put 100's of millions of dollars into your account' scams.

Still a couple of businesses out there that I would not touch with a 14 foot battle lance (homage to, Bored of the Rings).

I can understand a new business starting up with ultra low prices to get things going. So perhaps thats the reason for it?

[mikeland]

I'm not sure it would be worth the hassle to set up a specialist shop of this sort to rip people off

There was one that was around for years. Thankfully seems to have gone now. This is the last reference I could find about them
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=75885

The interesting thing was it was the low low prices that were the attraction and people kept on sending money for years after the warnings were being posted. I suppose it is just human nature, after all people still fall for the 'give me your bank account details so I can put 100's of millions of dollars into your account' scams.

Still a couple of businesses out there that I would not touch with a 14 foot battle lance (homage to, Bored of the Rings).

I can understand a new business starting up with ultra low prices to get things going. So perhaps thats the reason for it?

I still think even in the case cited on TMP the shop was more just really really shoddy business practice rather than a deliberate con, though TMP kicked me off before I finished reading.

I notice quite a few of the products offered on Solas are around the prices offered elsewhere on the net. It is the extra Christmas 20% and the free shipping that sets these guys apart.

Still as you say could be a new start-up trying to establish a name and a customer base. It constantly amazes me how some Amazon sellers and ebay traders can sell some things at a 10th of the price of high-street shops!

[NTM]

The risk of getting burned is one of the reasons I do not make many purchases online and those that I do make are from companies I've dealt with face to face at shows or on recommendation of friends.

[Colonel White]

Internet only companies can afford to run on tight budgets and offer very good discounts as their over heads tend to be minimal. The negative side of things is that they tend to take business away from gaming stores/shops who have these overheads and offer gaming facilties for the gaming community.

You pays your money you takes the choice.

As a rule of thumb I tend to place only a small minimal order the first time I try a new internet company to minimise any potential loss.

[NTM]

I've actually paid slightly over the odds for stuff in my new 'local' games store. My view being the extra 50p was compensated by the fact I did not have to pay postage, no worries on if/when it would turn up and what the post office would manage to do with it on route and of course I wanted it right then! A new venture such as this in our hobby needs to be encouraged especially in the current economic climate. Once I got a significant amount of purchases under my belt we'll start talking discount

[HobbitMiles]

A few years ago I used to work in credit card fraud investigation & chargebacks for a large credit card company. At that time the onus was on the merchant to prove that goods had been dispatched and if the customer claimed not to have received them than the customer was always entitled to a refund. I can understand a reluctance to send credit card details to a complete unknown, but it may be a more secure way of dealing - you are pretty much guaranteed your money back. I only occassionally use paypal myself and have never had a problem, but I've heard of people struggling to recover money when transactions go wrong.

[janner]

If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is

I hope this one works out fine for you - either goods arriving in good time or money back

[zedeyejoe]

I only occassionally use paypal myself and have never had a problem, but I've heard of people struggling to recover money when transactions go wrong.

I have only really had one problem with PayPal which became a bonus. Chap bought some painted figures off me, he did not like them and complained to PayPal. They gave him his money back, he returned the figures to me. PayPal decided that they had made a mistake and gave me the money back. So I had the figures (which I then sold again) and the money, win win.

But I would not recommend the people working for PayPal to anyone, hopeless bunch.

[gorgarrak]

I think that in future that i'll go to a store, although i have only recently become aware of one in my local area, as this madness of ours is such a niche hobby, stores are few and far between to a non driver.

Mike

[grant]

I think that in future that i'll go to a store, although i have only recently become aware of one in my local area, as this madness of ours is such a niche hobby, stores are few and far between to a non driver.

Mike

Hey, stores are few even to those of us who do drive!