So having thought things were concluding with my mat order, I deleted the original post as I didn't want bad publicity for a company in what are very difficult financial times. I thought the issue was resolved.
Silly me. 27th November I am finally promised the mat I ordered on 19h October along with a free mat as compensation.
It's now 16th December and I still have no mats. Today is D-Day. If it isn't resolved today I'll be seeking some other resolution.
I shall report back at the close of business today. 56 days is a long time for a very simple order.
Unfortunately it sounds about right. I had the same sort of experience.
Miles
Bad news.
Sympathy and empathy to you chaps.
martin :'(
I wonder if I can guess which company. Not in Kent by any chance?
Richard
56 days - you are a patient man, Sean!
Simon
Its just not working out is it Sean. I am utterly bewildered when companies, who obviously rely on customer satisfaction and word of mouth recommendation, do not go out of their way to develop a strong customer base.
Inability?
martin :)
Clearly not the entrpreneurship to run a business smoothly.
Contact was made and apologies made. I'm told the order was going out ASAP. Whatever that means.
This is the final chance. No more Mister Reasonable after this. 😆
"ASAP" is never a very helpful deadline...
Simon
Again, a well run company would have a despatch schedule. I've never run a company, having been a history teacher, but to me a readily accessible list of orders that have come in, by date, and a shedule of despatching those orders, plus marking off those when they are despatched, just seems like common sense to me. How does Martin's crew keep track of orders in and out I wonder? As far as I know email is free, so a customer can easily be informed of an unforseen delay.
Andy
I think this is the most disappointing bit. He has implied being swamped with others and difficulty in obtaining his materials. But I've had to tease this information out of him.
I'll be going elsewhere in the future.
I'm starting to think that I should give up the day job and go into the mat-making business. Once the basic designs have been set up, and a decent (?) printer sourced, it seems like (good) money for old rope.
If this particular company can remain in business for many years having had to send out multiple failed orders for (based on the limited evidence among us) a high percentage of custom orders, the profit margin per mat must be astronomical.
Does this sound like a good get-rich-quick scheme?
Simon
Sean, my commiserations for your problem.
How are you doing at the moment. Things going better and getting some armies painted?
Ho ho yes...you thought you had heard the last of this sorry tale!
But no! I have more! This is the thread that keeps on giving!
So, if you remember I placed a simple order into a mat company and they repeatedly sent out the incorrect mat to me. Now, in some ways, I was lucky in that they never requested the return of the incorrect mats. One of them, as you may remember made a rather snazzy shower curtain. Well, it was made out of the same material - all plastic and shiny. Great to keep water within the shower...rubbish as a wargames mat.
In the end, I got the mat I had originally ordered. So I put it away until the time came to use it. Which was today. It was sold to me as a 48"×36" mat for both Square Bashing and Regiment of Foote. I didn't ask for grids as I like to mark my own.
Can anyone see where this is going? Simon per chance?
Measuring the length, perfect I think to myself. 48" meaning I made unobtrusive marks for 8 squares. Lovely.
Then.....oh dear. At one end I happily mark off squares across the width only to come up 2" short for the last square. Instead of 36" it measures 34". Worse, the other end measures just under 34", so it's not even square. Or rectangular. I think Martin might he able to help, but I think mathematicians call it a rhomboid shape.
I had to sit down in short order. The shock was too great. So, I have fired off an email to said mat manufacturer, with pictures to help him understand the situation.
Now, one or two of you might think to yourself..."what's a couple of inches between friends?". I'll tell you what it is. I'm 96²" short of what I paid for. I think it works out at around 5%. Again, Martin might be better at the sums.
If I ever, EVER talk of going back to that mat manufacturer again, somebody please shake me violently to bring me toy senses. Geek Villain will be my mat of choice from now on.
So sorry, Sean.
Stewart and I did spend some time with said purveyor of wargames mats at this year's Beachhead show. We explained the travails that a number of us have faced over the years, shared the RFCM standard mat sizes, proposed a very simple way in which people could order very simply and precisely what they need in an unambiguous way.
The proposal was greeted enthusiastically and a mockup of a PP-specific web page designed on the same day. However after a single exchange of emails to help refine the offer, all enthusiasm seems to have evaporated and I've heard no more on the subject since February.
It's such a shame. The mats aren't cheap, but are very practical to store and transport. I don't have the space for mousemat material mats, so I guess I just hold on for a while longer on the half-dozen mats I've been trying to order for the last few years...
Simon
I see that Geek Villain now produce competitively-priced double-sided cloth mats.
If they could add grids, and do a few more plainer designs, I think we could have a deal on here!
Simon
Sean,
It just gets worse, I'm sorry you have had to endure this poor service.
The Geek Villain mats are excellent. I did ask Geek Villain if they could supply a 6 x 3 ft mat but they declined. They are easy enough to cut down to size and hem if you can use a sewing machine.
Best wishes,
Martin Buck
The Geek Villain mats are as portable as Tiny Wargames but they are more fixed on their sizes. I know Martin has no trouble buying the larger mat and cutting them down and then adding his own grid. The 6x4 cut down to 2 nice 4x3 mats which might be useful in the future should two of us wish to endulge.
With PBI on the horizon 4x4 will be the order of the day which I think Geek Villain can accommodate. And of course there's always the option of making one. There are a few guides online regarding how to do them.
In an interesting turn of events Geek Villain are having a small sale tomorrow as they couldn't make it to Salute today.
Sean, So sorry to hear its still going on.
Just explained the lengthy saga to the misses. She has now asked if it is going to be turned into a musical stage show. Can see it now, Gaming Mat, The Musical. A magical script of almost mystical wit, stirring score of martial music, complicated plot with so many turns it would make Agatha Christie blush, cast of thousands (all 15mm tall), more horses fallen than with Cecile B DeMill.
When can we buy tickets!
Derek
I see this more as a Greek Tragedy than a comedy musical, Derek... :(
Simon
The film rights might make me enough to afford a Geek Villain mat.
I've seen that Deep Cut Studios now do cloth mats, and something close to 5x3 for around €60. I've no idea what shipping costs however or if there is a UK stockist.
Quote from: Sean Clark on April 23, 2023, 01:47:27 AM
The film rights might make me enough to afford a Geek Villain mat.
I've seen that Deep Cut Studios now do cloth mats, and something close to 5x3 for around €60. I've no idea what shipping costs however or if there is a UK stockist.
Simon Miller (Big Red Bat) stocks them, as well as Geek Villain, with grids, no grids and corner crosses for his "To the Strongest" rules:
https://bigredbatshop.co.uk/collections/all
I've had great service from Simon.
Neil
There are all sorts of approaches to mats.
Stewart has gotten some very good deals with the correct mats from TW in the past.
Maybe that is the way to go?
I have really climbed into the idea of having mats for games.
In my opinion they are so much better than plain mats.
They give an instant "texture".
I have thrown out my older mats ('terrain mats", Felt etc + tiles).
The flames of war mat is a lovely piece of product.
The green and sandy sides are both nicely detailed and an easy to manoeuvre troops over.
They don't crumple up.
In the last few years I have picked up 10 Geek villain mats. They are good value for me if I get at least 25 games on one. As said. I am quite happy to chop and mark them.
Tiny W mats are still in regular use at PPHQ. This is very true for pirate games land and sea as there are no preferable alternatives. PP are stockist for these in case someone wants to buy one.
I personally mark my mats myself with dots.
martin :)
Quote from: Sean Clark on April 23, 2023, 01:47:27 AM
The film rights might make me enough to afford a Geek Villain mat.
I've seen that Deep Cut Studios now do cloth mats, and something close to 5x3 for around €60. I've no idea what shipping costs however or if there is a UK stockist.
A internet search will reveal a few including Element Games whose Stockport branch you're visiting later this year. I asked Element Games how long they hold "click and collect" orders for, the answer was "Three months and then we'll contact you to see if you still want it".
Best wishes,
Martin Buck
Sorry to hear of your problems Sean.