Eric McGlohon
United States
Ann Arbor
Michigan
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I couldn't find a forum for this topic, please let me know if there is one.
I've copied my email here, which explains why I chose to cancel the service. But please note: I think it's a good idea and I hope they do well. I think they need to refine what they're doing. I really hope that in a year they're still around and have worked out most of these problems, then I'll be a faithful customer.
Quote: On 11-09-02 11:39 AM, Board Game Exchange Service wrote:
> I will get this cancellation taken care of.
>
> Can I ask why you decided not to continue with the service?
>
> Thanks,
>
> David
A few reasons:
- I signed up at Origins, and that day entered in games I wanted. I got the games approximately two months later.
- I kept looking for new games to be entered into you database from Origins (not to mention Gencon!), hardly any have been entered in -- even now. The big motivation for subscribing to your service is being to try out the new games and decide if I'd like to own them or not. Not re-playing games form three years ago.
I run a monthly game club, and I was hoping that every month I could get in a new batch of the current games to try out. -- I can't do that the way it's currently being run.
- Even though you said I would start being billed on 9/17 for my second month, I was billed (again) on 8/31. See separate email. This is the 2nd billing mistake. Hopefully this will be fixed quickly, but is annoying to have to monitor.
- The price-point for the subscription is high. If it was lower I might have put up with more of these issues.
I like the idea, and hope you do well. If you manage to get over these humps and are around in a year I'll probably try out the service again.
-Eric
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Roger Howell
United States
Lenexa
Kansas
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I have been using Board Game Exchange for about 6 months now. I have not encountered any billing errors and I always seem to get my new shipment of games really fast after I send the old ones back. I did have one problem along the way and they corrected the problem on my next shipment. From what I have experienced, these guys really try to make customer service a priority.
I do agree with you Eric, I do wish they would get in some newer release games. They do have a lot of games to choose from and they do add games quite frequently, but lately there have been a lot of games added that are really ranked low on BGG. When I first signed up with BGX there were quite a few games I wanted to try, even though they were older, it didn't matter to me. Once I have tried all of those games I don't think I will renew my subscription, at least not for a while until additional games are added. This is why newer release games are needed.
I think BGX has a good thing going although there are some improvements I would like to see, such as getting all the games into the database so I can add them to my request list. As it stands now, a lot of games are not in the database and you have to email them and request them. Also, a ranking order of my request list would be helpful. Again, as it is now you have to email your preference order. These issues are pretty minor, but you just don't have the assurance these requests are really updated, and you hate to email them and bug them all the time when you change your mind. Also, the price of the games are quite high if you want to buy them. Some of the prices for their used games are more expensive than buying the game new on FunagainGames.com (although granted you don't have to pay for shipping with BXG. But then again, if you spend $70 or more with FunagainGames.com, shipping is free - which is the route I have been going.)
As far as the subscription being too expensive, well, maybe on the surface it might seem that way. But when you consider the shipping costs you really can't expect them to lower the prices. Other entertainment is expensive too. Been to the movies lately? How about eating out? We can spend $30 easily to eat out and that only lasts one hour. We can play board games for many hours!
To me, being a member of BGX makes every month kind of like Christmas. I think it's a lot of fun, and I would rather spend $30 a month on this than other entertainment.
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David Muta
United States
Columbus
Indiana
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Roger,
We appreciate your patronage.
To answer Eric's questions / concerns;
First off, I appreciate his honesty in our service as it has helped us focus on what he has said. His comments have already made us a much better company.
We have not been adding as many games as we would like because we have been working very hard to get a new website launched here soon.
As any company in early stages, growing pains and growth are things we have to work through; as of right now, we are would love to add new games all the time, but with the number of games we have, we are continuing to gain happy customers and have had compliments on the number of games.
This being said;
Based upon what our customers have told us, we have decided that the website and overall functionality of the service was by far the most important thing to BGX at this point. We hope to have the new site launched very soon and will have a press release talking about the upgrades and many many changes that it will have.
As far as our billing problems, and bringing in new games we understand that and we have put into motion new billing practices and the new website will automate much of the process.
Even the large companies like Netflix and Gamefly had problems like this in their early stages.
We appreciate the neverending support we have gotten thus far from our customers, publishers, and friends alike.
If you have any questions about our service, please direct them to me at
Dmuta@boardgameexchange.com
--David
Board Game eXchange Team
rogerramjet3361 wrote: I have been using Board Game Exchange for about 6 months now. I have not encountered any billing errors and I always seem to get my new shipment of games really fast after I send the old ones back. I did have one problem along the way and they corrected the problem on my next shipment. From what I have experienced, these guys really try to make customer service a priority.
I do agree with you Eric, I do wish they would get in some newer release games. They do have a lot of games to choose from and they do add games quite frequently, but lately there have been a lot of games added that are really ranked low on BGG. When I first signed up with BGX there were quite a few games I wanted to try, even though they were older, it didn't matter to me. Once I have tried all of those games I don't think I will renew my subscription, at least not for a while until additional games are added. This is why newer release games are needed.
I think BGX has a good thing going although there are some improvements I would like to see, such as getting all the games into the database so I can add them to my request list. As it stands now, a lot of games are not in the database and you have to email them and request them. Also, a ranking order of my request list would be helpful. Again, as it is now you have to email your preference order. These issues are pretty minor, but you just don't have the assurance these requests are really updated, and you hate to email them and bug them all the time when you change your mind. Also, the price of the games are quite high if you want to buy them. Some of the prices for their used games are more expensive than buying the game new on FunagainGames.com (although granted you don't have to pay for shipping with BXG. But then again, if you spend $70 or more with FunagainGames.com, shipping is free - which is the route I have been going.)
As far as the subscription being too expensive, well, maybe on the surface it might seem that way. But when you consider the shipping costs you really can't expect them to lower the prices. Other entertainment is expensive too. Been to the movies lately? How about eating out? We can spend $30 easily to eat out and that only lasts one hour. We can play board games for many hours!
To me, being a member of BGX makes every month kind of like Christmas. I think it's a lot of fun, and I would rather spend $30 a month on this than other entertainment.
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Jordan S.
United States
Colorado
Proud FIJI since 2007!
Amaterasu, bitches!
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I used BoardGameExchange to try it out for 2 months. Those 2 months were great. Then I had to go out of the country for a month last October, so I emailed to get my account temporarily suspended while I was gone. They assured me I wouldn't be billed for the month I was gone, nor would I receive a shipment.
Both happened. I managed to get the games package returned, and contacted the company to ask for a refund and informed them that I wouldn't be continuing my service at that time. This was in November 2011. Since then, I have been billed 3 times (November, December, January). I don't even care about the October billing, but every time I email them, I get a "we'll take care of it, and issue you a refund." I can't cancel my account online, as it doesn't exist on the website anymore. I continue to get billed, and there is nary a refund in site.
The level of billing support and service for such a niche market that relies on word of mouth support is terrible. I've paid for 3 months against my will and gotten nothing out of it, despite being assured every time that it would never happen again and I would get my refund.
I will NEVER use this company again and would encourage anyone who does to cancel their credit card, because there's no other way to cancel the service.
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Roger Howell
United States
Lenexa
Kansas
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I must say my opinion of BGX has gone down considerably. The first few months were good, but then things started going down hill. Communication started to be a minor problem and not having any of the games on my wish list started to be a bigger problem.
The last incident that happened was on my last month of membership. They were out of all the games on my wish list so they agreed to send me 2 free games while I waited (a very nice gesture.) I was told they would pay for the shipping as well. Well guess what? No return postage was included. When I sent the games back I emailed them about the postage and asked if they had received any of the games on my wish list yet. I got no response to that email. I decided I was done with this company and just let it go. I got billed one too many times, but they did take care of it and I never got billed again.
I think they really do aim to please, but I just felt like this was getting too complicated and frustrating for what it was worth. I figure I can flat out buy one game a month and if I don't like it, sell it on eBay and get half my money back. This works out to be no more expensive than $30 a month. And this way I can buy any game I want, hot off the press even.
Edited for grammar mistake.
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Eric McGlohon
United States
Ann Arbor
Michigan
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Yeah, I didn't bother putting it in my original post, but they screwed up for a 3rd time and billed me after I had canceled their service. They were apologetic enough, but they have some major issues to work though. :/
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Roger Howell
United States
Lenexa
Kansas
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Yeah it's too bad because they have a great business idea and they seem like really nice people and I do think they intend on providing the best customer service they can. They just seem too sloppy, perhaps they have more work than they can handle. Whatever the reason, I do wish them success and hope they can iron out the problems. If they don't then I doubt they will be around in 5 years. I am a board game junkie, if they can't keep me then I wonder who else would put up with these problems!
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