Countdown on Dicebucket?

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Countdown on Dicebucket?

Posted by Loken at 1/26/2012 06:53:00 AM

Most of you know that Games Workshop doesn't allow retailers to have a web store or web cart in order to sell their items online. It is specifically prohibited by the Games Workshop retailer agreement. You can get away with it in Canada and The UK, but not in the USA. Now most retailers don't mess with this. Because if you get caught, there are serious ramifications. If GW thinks you didn't know, they will just give you a Cease and Desist Letter. But, if you are really trying to ignore GW rules, you risk getting banned. GW will not only stop selling to you, but will make sure the distributors don't sell to you. Yeah, they can do that.

So how does Dicebucket get away with it? They are a big advertiser on Bell of Lost Souls.

Dicebucket has a shopping cart and advertises Games Workshop products using GW IP, clear violations of the GW retailer agreement. They advertise a 20% - 25% discount and they have been doing so for months now.

http://www.dicebucket.com/servlet/StoreFront

Recent discussions with Games Workshop were quite revealing. I asked the GW personnel why was Dicebucket still up if they were violating GW rules. And while they couldn't give specifics, it seems that they are well aware of the situation and are waiting to have solid information before shutting them down.

You see, Dicebcket is VERY secretive. They have a private listing for their website, and they don't have a phone number or address listed on their site. Very crafty, and very shady in my opinion. Dicebucket is certainly trying to hide their identity. And they think they can get away with it.

I am sure they do something to hide their return address on packages. But will it save them? No. Come on, really? You are dealing with Games Workshop, a $ 200M+ International concern who sued a 2 man outfit known as Chapterhouse Studio. You think they are going to let Dicebucket screw them? It doesn't take a genius to figure out who Dicebucket is. And GW will, and my bet is Dicebucket is gone in 2012.

My two cents.

Alec

9 comments:

Hayguard said...: I do not understand why US online stores can't sell GW products if Canada and UK can do it.; January 26, 2012 at 8:37 AM
Son of Dorn said...: Never understood the draw of the online retailers like that. My LFGS's will give 15-20% off their stuff anyway, and you don't have to wait for it to get to you. :); January 26, 2012 at 8:39 AM
AsherPR011 said...: After ordering once from Dicebucket and receiving terrible ship times/late customer service replies, I vowed to stick to the ol' reliable WarStore. I guess this is all the more reason...; January 26, 2012 at 11:34 AM
Messanger of Death said...: @ Son of Dorn - From what I understand it is to help out the Brick and Mortar stores. It is the same reason that GW put into place the trade embargo. My LFGS couldn't compete with the prices offered by online stores like Wayland Games. A Rhino in Australia costs 55 AUD... could get it online for less than 25 AUD including shipping.; January 27, 2012 at 12:38 AM
Son of Dorn said...: Oh, I understand why it helps in Australia; I just don't get why other people in the US still go for it when our FLGSs can compete. Seems we're out to take everything for granted. :P; January 27, 2012 at 8:40 AM
Mitchos said...: What difference does it make if a company uses a picture to sell a product. GW make money either way. You know you are ordering the same product and can confirm that from the pic. It a bit archaic in my view.; January 29, 2012 at 7:33 PM
Son of Dorn said...: It's about driving customers to specific sources to spend their money. You're either shopping at a real store where GW makes 60% of the sale price or online where the only site with conveniences like pictures/shopping carts is GW where they make 100% of the sale price. It's to prevent online retailers from gaming the system and supporting local dealers who buy a license to sell product.; January 29, 2012 at 8:39 PM
Anonymous said...: Dice bucket is one lawsuit away from being shut down....
The get their product from somewhere. Either that are ordering directly from GW through the use of an old account... Such as a store that has closed, but still has an account open with GW..such as the store in Austin, Battleforge Games, that had a very ties to BOLS...
Or they are ordering their product throughs a distributor such as ACD or Alliance. If the latter is the case GW need only depose the distributor and threaten to cut them off and DB will be exposed. If the former is true, it merely would be a reconciliation of store accounts with actual stores and it would end.; March 25, 2012 at 11:40 AM
Unknown said...: http://www.dicebucket.com/servlet/StoreFront well you were a bit of on your time table lol.; August 29, 2013 at 9:49 PM

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