One of my wholesalers just got a notice from WotC that they will no longer be able to sell to internet and Flea Market sellers. Only brick and mortar stores will be allowed to purchase. THIS MEANS NO MORE ONLINE STORES. What can you do about this? Email WotC customer service at corporateinfo@wizards.com and let them know what you think of this policy!

Open letter to WotC

I am not 100% sure why you are instituting this policy but my guess would be you feel by not selling to internet sellers you are forcing customers to support their local stores more. I am sure you have examined this policy but let me explain why I believe you are wrong on this.

Let me start by telling you who I am. My name is Andrew and I run a gaming store (both video games and RPG’s) that is located inside a Flea Market open 3 days a week. I also happen to sell on Ebay A LOT of your product. I have actively promoted your product in my store which has 2,600 sq feet of enclosed area. We have 4 10 ft tables set up to play on and been open at this location for 7 years in my storefront. Every week 1000’s of people (last estimated traffic flow per weekend was a little over 7,000) come past my storefront and see us playing games and many stop and ask questions and a few even buy items. Because I am in a flea market my rent is only $720 a month (or if there are 5 weekends in the month $900). The truth is that the amount of space I devote to RPG and minis is VERY disproportionate to the amount of product I sell. Easily ¾ of my biz is video games. Why do I sell D&D then? Because I love the game. I have been a D&D player for 29 years and have a HUGE (and I do mean HUGE) collection personally. I have taught 100’s of people inside and outside of my store and spread the game to many, many folk. Nevertheless I am also a business man. Because my Ebay biz had grown so much I have doubled the size of my store to include more in store gaming as I can now afford it. Without that revenue I can no long afford it and will have to go back to ½ my store size, which means no tabletop space to play and promote it. Without in store promotion sales will go even lower on your products (which as I stated already don’t really carry their weight vs. space they take up, its more a love than anything). Less in store revenue and no Ebay income = poor business and I would be forced to drop your line of products. One more time just in case I didn’t make it clear I CARRY YOUR PRODUCTS IN MY STORE BECAUSE I LOVE THE D&D (AND MINIS) GAME. ONLY THROUGH ONLINE SALES AM I ABLE TO AFFORD IT.

Also let me mention my anger should this come to pass. My wife just left her job of 14 years to come work with me on the Ebay side and gave up many benefits including insurance. She waited until revenue was high enough from my Ebay sales that it would offset the loss of benefits and pay and we could afford private healthcare. I assure you this was not a lightly made decision. Even this though is not my real anger as in business things like this can happen and is a risk we took. What’s really making me angry is that I feel betrayed by something I truly love. I have played D&D for 29 years…through the horrible Jerry Falwell Moral Majority and Jack Chick years I defended D&D (and I live in the south so there was A LOT of defending to do) and still up to this very day play. Should WotC take my means of income I will be very displeased. I can honestly say that I would never defend this hobby or promote it in any way again. In fact I would stop playing D&D all together. When customers came into my store and asked why I don’t carry your product anymore I will tell them. When new customers ask why I carry Heroclix, Pirates and Yu Gi OH and not WotC products I will tell them.

AS A LAST RESORT AND ONLY AS A LAST RESORT if it comes down to it I will pursue legal avenues. I have never in my life sued anyone and don’t believe that is the way to handle situations as a rule. I WOULD MUCH RATHER HANDLE THIS TO MUTUAL SATISFACTION THAN IN AN ADVISARAL FASION.  This is in no way a threat (if you even care) but this is my livelihood we are talking about. Things I would look into is if you have the authority to dictate who your wholesalers can and cannot sell to. I have a tax ID, pay my taxes and am a good citizen and customer of theirs. I believe you are within your rights to not sell to my wholesaler but not sure you tell them who THEY can and cannot sell to. Also do you plan on stopping sales to Amizon.com? Last I checked they are an online seller. They don’t even promote any kind of in store gaming. If you don’t plan on dropping them then there is perhaps some kind of anti trust law violation or violation of some fair trade laws. I am not a lawyer so I don’t know. I am sure there are some lawyers out there who do however and I bet they could think up even more of the possible law violation than I could even dream of. I am pretty sure with the $18,000 I have saved up for my pre order of Bounty Hunters I have could hire one. It would be a terrible waste for them to get my money instead of WotC in my mind. I am aware it would be one of those David vs. Goliath deals (I know Hasbro has deep pockets and a battalion of lawyers) and I would probably be one of the first 100 that tried and got squished, but every once in a while a stone lands just right and the giant falls.

Please feel free to email me a response

Championgamesaug@hotmail.com

……Andrew

I really REALLY hope that this is bad information.

O.k., I logged on to look at the latest Blood War preview and find this news instead.  Now I don't even feel desire to look at the next preview.  It's the worst news I could have heard about DDM short of the line being cancelled.  I am so angry right now at WOTC that I will have to calm down before I send a hopefully calm, but scathing email to WOTC, putting them on notice that if they don't reverse this ridiculous policy, I will be forced to boycott their products (fortunately I have collected enough plastic minis by now that I can live without more, though  I had hoped to collect many more until this news).  I feel like this policy is like spitting in the face of faithful customers like myself who have been buying their minis from Auggies, GO and similar online sellers since almost the beginning of the line.  I have spent thousands of dollars now on DDM, but will not spend any more money if I feel like they are turning their backs on my needs as a customer.  I have no need for brick and mortar stores.  I do have a need for good online prices. Â

Is this ridiculous policy the reason that GameOutfitter has also not sent their usual email about preordering cases?