Thursday, August 14, 2014

Do You Buy or Sell Games Workshop in Australia?

If so you should be aware that GW is trying to get permission to change their trade terms to forbid companies from selling GW products without a physical shop.  Now in the US they can just do this if they want to by essentially not selling to companies if they can trace the online cart sales to them, but down under they need the governments permission to do it.   While they filled the request earlier this year without informing any of their trade partners, the case has not been decided yet and people are allowed to comment on the proposal.

Details can be found in the post linked above.  I would probably look to quote from GW's own financial reports about how the CEO mocks people who think video games are competition.  Highlight how they think there models are exceptional and players want their worlds.  I would also highlight the fact the GWs own online store runs anti competitive exclusive limited edition products that sell out very fast.  This products force people to shop at their webstore the stores they say they are trying to protect from sales of those products and sales of additional carry on products since the exclusive products are often released at the same time as other new related products which customers will often just buy at the same time for convenience.

Spend some time, do some research and write both heartfelt and data driven.   Ask questions about why the products are so expensive compared to the rest of the world.  Note that since the retail prices are higher, the trade prices are also probably higher.  Ask if GW claims that these higher prices are required due to high costs of business in Australia, then wonder if the GW Australia subgroup is paying the same amount to the parent company for the products as the North American Subgroup.  Suggest that if they are not reasonably similar that GW prices are not really reflecting the cost of business difference in Australia but are instead being used to unfairly profit from the already limit sources of their product available to Australia consumers by making GW Australia the sole allowed importer but charging them rates not comparable to other regions.

Will it help, who knows.  Can it hurt, probably not as long as people keep the GW rage down.

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