60 bones to have it shipped to Sweden?!? Ouch. I'd rather swim over and get it, swimming back with it perched in a tupperware bowl on top of my head.

Maxim C. Gatling said:

Yeah, but you know im a little out of shape right now so...

Hey, I got a Norwegian Blue with beautiful plumage that's pining for the Fjords. I could strap a copy of RT to his leg Harry-Potter style and send him over...

Maxim C. Gatling said:

Oh the choices one has to make. Trusting UPS or trusting a parrot to get you what you've ordered. I'll have to contemplate over the matter for a while.

I am wondering when they said that the collector's editions had even been printed. I simply preordered the collector's edition when i ordered it. they are probably in the manufacturing process right now, because all those pictures on the web site came from a prototype.

So that means its has to be a special run at the printers, because it is not the same cover as the normal rulebook. They have to run off all the customized papers, which is not hard with modern printing stuff. They have to get all the collector's edition boxes run off and put together. Then they have to put all that together.

All of this while the printer also runs off like 20,000 normal rogue trader books...and yes i am just guessing at that number but it doesn't seem unrealistic.

Eh...I'm not trying to excuse anything. I'm not trying to say you don't have a point. i'm trying to say....you have a copy being customized for you. No one else in the world will have that customized piece of paper. only 1000 will have the book. i, myself, am content knowing that.

What's that got to do with the absurdly expensive shipping costs? The cost of that exclusivity is in the cost of the BOOK. The shipping is irrelevant. It's a standard method of product transport that any other item must pass through to get to me. How rare or awesome the book is has no bearing on the cost of shipping.

Hellebore

Well other than its weight, which is how they charge frieght. So hte more "awsome" it is often means more heavy and more heavy means more money, especially though "Brown" who charge an arm and a leg for anything to be shipped since they got a monopoly in the states. They force you pretty much if beyond 2 day ground to ship for air. Which air is normally fast but that means it than has to go to (I worked for 4 days for ups so i kinda understand this) what is called a hub, and routed over and over until it gets to where it needs to go. Then once it gets to its proper port they may but it on boat which takes forever or they may stick to fight which gets over in a day but again it must go through your local hub and distribution. Lets not forget to mention customs inspections and all that, especially since our books look mighty suspiciouss like ammo crates to an x-ray.

Any additional cost from your initial ship fee is for processing and handling (the labor for them packaging and placing the order for you)

I'm with Hellbore on tis one; $60.00 seems stupidly extreme -ten i looked into the matter. Dear gods, it's expensive to ship tings to Australia! If I were to ship a package from New Orleans (don't know were FFG is sipping them from but I know my own zip) which is approximately 5lbs (I don't know how heavy the books are...) with a declared value of only $100.00 to Albany Creek, Australia, the cheapest I get from the postal service is $39.98. UPS gave me some crazy numbers around $135.00.

Sadly, for Hellebor, $60.00 seems about right.

Graver said:

Im assuimng that these high shipping costs include some sort of insurance, in case your package gets damaged during shipping?

Then again how would that help when FFG has specifically stated that they will print ONLY 1000 copies and no more than that? I just thought of a nightmare scenario where my package gets destroyed during shipping, UPS sends me a check for reimbursment and says:

"Sorry pal, your package got destroyed during shipping. Here's some money to make up for your loss."

Then I ask: "Well aren't you gonna do something about my book?"

And they say: "That's not our problem, we only pay for the stuff we break. You're gonna have to take that up with FFG."

And FFG say: "Sorry, but we said a 1000 copies and that's final. There is no way we can get you a collectors edition if yours got destroyed during shipping. But hey, you win some, you lose some, right?"

... And then I go:

And then I go: (time to break out my scratch-built flamethrower and cause some burning mayhem)

But that wouldn't happen... Would it?

My experience of FFG customer service would lead me to believe they wouldn't just say ow well. I doubt they would print you another one, the masive loss of money incured by just printing one collecters eddition but they would probably give you store credit or somthing.

who knows, just my 2 cents

Yeah, there's no way FFG would replace a collectors edition, unless they happened to have an unsold one lying around (unlikely). It simply wouldn't be possible - the cost to print a single copy (as opposed to an entire print run) would be ridiculous. There might also be legal considerations - when you say that there will only be X number of something made, creating more after than that could be considered a breach of contract with all the people who bought the originals.

I've ordered miniatures from the Warstore in the US (a couple of baneblades and assorted stuff) and got charged less postage than this (closer to half this). It weighed more and displaced more.

Hellebore

It was because it probably wasn't UPS, UPS is ebil, lol..

Hellebore said:

Good lord, you ordered two Baneblades at once?

Couple guys I know bout 3, some even did 5 >.> and that was when tehy came with serial number sheets. It was like hte first 300 were given unique serial numbers printed on a plaquard.

UPS is the ebil! I guess I'm a bit extreme, but I never use them. I won't purchase something if the only delivery method for it is UPS. I hate them that much and dearly wish they'd just somehow go out of business. A bit of an anecdote about my feelings for UPS:

When I was going through college, I had ordered some art supplies from a discount warehouse online and they shipped them out to me via UPS. I kept careful tabs on it's tracking and on the day it was to be delivered I ended up skipping two classes waiting in my living room for the supplies. I had only a week left to complete the project that I needed the supplies for and the fact that if I missed the package 3 times the only way I'd be able to get it was to ride my bike 12 miles to their depot and try to carry a 10 lbs massive box back to my apartment on said bike. So i skipped my classes to make sure i got it.

I sat in my living room the whole day, doing homework, napping, watching tv, what ever waiting for that package. Eventually 5 pm rolled around and there was still no delivery and I had to get off to work which was something I couldn't just skip. I checked the status online and it still listed it as out for delivery. Reluctantly i headed out the door for work and stopped dead at the threshold. There on the glass to my storm-door was that yellow sticky "Sorry We Missed You" note. I about had an aneurysm. I had been no more then 5 ft from that door the whole day and never heard anyone knocking. I thought maybe he could have come during my nap and I was sleeping heaver then i had thought, but still similar instances of not hearing the UPS guy occurred now and again and, amongst my friends who've had similar experiences, jokes about their Tap and Run policy when delivering packages began to circulate. Fast forward several years.

A couple of months ago my room-mate had ordered a set of shelves for her bedroom. I don't use UPS out of principle (I can hold a grudge like no one's business) but she still dose. Not using UPS would interfere with her online shipping, and she dose so love to shop. So, I'm home assembling a table in the front room of our house on the day tracking says the shelves are to be delivered. As I'm putting a leg on the table, I hear a truck stop in the street. Looking out through the window I can see the big brown truck sitting outside. I hurry and finish putting in the last bolt to hold the leg in place and get up to go to the door. I can see the delivery man approach the door trough the door's window and curtain which, during the daylight hours i can see trough to the street but those outside can't see in.

Either way, i get up to go to the door. As I do so, I see the delivery man approach the door, place something on it, turn, and begin heading back to his truck. I open the door and low and behold, there upon it is a nice yellow "Sorry We Missed You" note. I had just watched the man stop his truck, get out, walk to may door, and place this note without so much as breaking his stride to knock or ring the bell. I was a bit shocked at first. Granted I had joked considerably about their Tap and Run policy but to see it in action and completely lacking the Tap portion was a bit overwhelming.

Eventually I closed my mouth and called out to the delivery man and after an apology and the ludicrous statement that he didn't think anyone was home and me pointing out that he could have tested his theory by actually knocking or ringing the bell, i received the selves and ten minuets later was on the phone being routed to the regional supervisor for New Orleans UPS. We've had several UPS deliveries since then as, again, my roommate dose like to shop online. However, all latter deliveries have been accompanied by a copious amount of door pounding and heavy leaning on our doorbell. Likewise, we seem to have a new driver. I can only hope that the other fella got fired over the incident as I was on the phone venting to his supervisor for about 30 minuets.

Perhaps I'm a bit old fashioned but I'm a strong believer in the old adage that a job worth doing is worth doing right. I can not stand it wen a job is half-assed -that just truly raises my hackles and I will not and can not half-ass a job my self. I don't care how much you are getting payed for the work. If it's not enough, then don't do the work and allow someone who will do the job properly for the wage to do the job. Granted, this mentality doesn't seem to fit too well into this world of junk and instant gratification. I've actually been fired from two jobs because i wouldn't half-ass the work just to get it done quickly and net the supervisor a bit more profit or what ever. Because of this, I have been building up an aversion that's turning to a slow burning hatred for our culture of instant gratification. It's done me nothing but disservice as well as everyone else who still happily embraces it and then ******* about soaring debt, shoddy products, and expanding waistlines. I guess that's why I'm okay with waiting for Rogue Trader (even if I've only shelled out the cash for a pre-order of the regular copy).

The two nuggets of wisdom I live by and will probably be done in by as well: A job worth doing is worth doing right and the best comes to those who wait.

Graver said:

Corrected the adage.

Still, sounds like some terrible experiences with UPS. And this I pay 60 bucks for having it delivered?

Hopefully their Swedish branch isn't as lazy and half-assed as the guy you describe (not even bothering to knock on the door, what a bastard...). I swear if they mishandle my shipping of my pre-orderd RT Collectors edition IN ANY WAY, im going to rip them a new one. Im talking lawuits, involving the state department of consumers (or whatever you'd call them in english) and the whole enchilada.

I know some companies just hope that the customers or associates won't want the hassle of complaining or getting their way (I've worked for one who tried this tactic in order to not having to pay my full salary). It's a headache but you can never ever allow these hacks to get their way. So I gleefully fight until I get what is rightfully mine.

Corporations should learn to fear the wrath of a disgruntled customer.

RocketPropelledGrenade said:

Five actually. Three for me and two for a friend. At the time they were released the AUD was so good against the USD that I got each one for ~$90AUD when they sell for $165AUD here.

Hellebore

Uggh. Well Graver, I can safely say that despite other short comings, I have never seen UPS as sloppy as you have.

Psion you haven o idea. LOL it really is slave labor for everyone but the drivers. When you work at a Hub, you are in this super large plant with no heat or cooling. You usually are forced to work the night shift if you are new. As you are also forced to join the union. (teamsters in the US) Those who are marked senior members get to choose their hours, sorta. So lets do a run down of how things get deliverd.

You drop off at local shipping store. Driver picks it up. Driver slacks off etc... Driver gets to his local processing center. It then is weighed, labled, and placed on the (use a euler diagram for ligistics) path to where it needs to go. Depending on shipping choice it is either flown or driven on a semi to where it needs to go. UPS will force airmail if it is a specific set distance. One of the main hubs all packages goes to is the Chicago one which is located a few miles south of Midway airport. The place is a penal colony I swear.

You are not allowed to bring any form of electronics in the plant. If you use a locker you are given only the length of your shift to use it, otherwise they cut your locker open and throw out your belongings for the next shift. Once inside you are thrown a specific wing (they are like spokes on a wheel) and from there you are given jobs such as picker, loader, boxer, etc. Usually you are forced to be a loader (who obviously loads and unloads trucks). Now during the day when they receive trucks the most you get probably two men to 4 for every two trucks. and you are expected to load about three loads per side of you, since when i mean two trucks i mean there is one to the left and right of you with conveyor belts going down in front of them. At night you get one guy per two trucks. Each truck usually holds about 1000 to 2000 items.

I hope you learned how to play tetris. Anywho you are also given the same productivity expectation as the other guys who worked during the day. When I worked it was in the sub zero conditions at night. UPS swears they only promote within company and to become a driver you have to start just like this (its a lie) and it may take some people many years to go even just to a picker, let alone driver.

Once trucks are laoded they head off to the next node, or to an airport to be mailed. The wages are bad even for a union protected job.

Terminus_Est said:

Perhaps UPS has bribed the local union officials in order to abuse their "unionized" workers openly?

Terminus_Est said:

I know exactly what brown can do for me.

/flush itself down the toilet.

/USPS for life, baby! When FedEx and UPS are overloaded with packages and throw their arms up in despair, the USPS rides in on its stallion and saves the day. Every time. Seriously.

Whether UPS is good or bad doesn't seem to be the problem.

FFG announced that the game would be released at gencon. I expected a resonable 2 week delay after that for the books to filter through the system and get to the distributers (gamestores, Amazon, etc). That is not what is happening. If FFG had said the game would be released mid september I would have been content, but they didn't.

Did you know that Starcraft and Warcraft are based loosely on Warhammer?

Could there be a connection? Perhaps both FFG and Blizzard operate in the Warp, which would account for both the unnatural quality of their products and the time-distortion to which their release dates seem to be subject.

Or maybe FFG rely on thier fanbase to get away with sloppy buisness