Question for Matt: Mega Deal Refund Confirmation

[Random Code]

Matt,

There's a couple of questions that Lone Wolf Mega Deal customers need confirmation on, specifically:

Will all Mega Deal customers be offered a pro-rata refund of a reduced amount based on the books they have already received.

Can you please address/confirm this ASAP as the 'shop credit' option won't be acceptable to many MD customers and currently it's the only one categorically on offer based on your official announcement.

And also:

What about customers that no longer have their order receipts? Considering that they are around 7 years old it's highly likely that many of us fall into this pot. Can they contact you with their name and delivery address to arrange the cash refund (assuming you confirm the above) or usage of the 'shop credit' option?

Please respond. We appreciate how upsetting this must be for you guys at Mongoose but that's even more the case for the fans and customers that commited such a large amount of their cash at the beginning of this venture.

[lordmalachdrim]

Why?

It sounded like this Dever person will be responsible for delivering you the books you are still owed.

"Mr Dever is going to endeavour to provide everyone owed Books 18 onwards with Lone Wolf material."

And that the credit you are being offered is effectively a bonus being offered as an apology for the issues this will cause.

[Random Code]

You're the only one that's interpreted that as such and our sales contract is with Mongoose and Mongoose alone. I hope you're right but what you're saying above is certainly open to a massive amount of interpretation and is in no way explicit. Personally, I think you're completely wrong. So, can we let Matt reply to this, just so we have an official response. Thanks.

[August1]

That is incorrect, good sir. Mr. Dever will not be responsible for producing or delivering the missing books, nor should he be.

That would be like pre-ordering all the future Game of Thrones novels from Bantam Books and then holding George Martin accountable when they drop the line. The words used were "Lone Wolf material", not the remaining books, and even that is as per Mongoose's 'understanding'.

We should all probably just wait to see an official announcement about the subject. For now, Random Code has posted a solid, relevant query and we shouldn't derail it.

(( When an announcement comes, it will likely be posted at:

http://www.projectaon.org/en/Main/WhatsNew )))

Take care and Kai on!
-A

[hawkytom]

I'd like the option of a fraction of a refund also, but I'd imagine we are going to only be offered the store credit...Hopefully we get an answer!

[RatedRWolf]

I hope noone will accept a refund through store credit: it's surely legal, but a customer who buys something wants that article, not other things. When I firstly read the news I figured out Mongoose's people going to a car seller, choosing a car, and then beeing adressed some days after with a message sounding like "oh well, do you remember the car you chose? Well, I can't sell it, but I have a full stock of motorbikes, take what you want!"

[msprange]

Will all Mega Deal customers be offered a pro-rata refund of a reduced amount based on the books they have already received.

Of course. And anybody who is currently waiting for books will receive those as well.

Can you please address/confirm this ASAP as the 'shop credit' option won't be acceptable to many MD customers and currently it's the only one categorically on offer based on your official announcement.

This is understandable. We offered the credit by way of apology, as it is for the full amount of the Megadeal, with no pro-rata (you effectively get your Lone Wolf books for free). If there is nothing else you are interested in, however, we quite understand.

What about customers that no longer have their order receipts? Considering that they are around 7 years old it's highly likely that many of us fall into this pot. Can they contact you with their name and delivery address to arrange the cash refund (assuming you confirm the above) or usage of the 'shop credit' option?

We already have your details on file (this is how we were getting books to you!), but we need people to contact us as details change and, in the case of refunds, we will likely need some additional details as we cannot enact a strict refund on cards or Paypal after this length of time.

One additional point - it _will_ take us a little while to process everyone, one way or another, so please bear with us. We will get to all of you.

[Random Code]

Matt,

Thankyou very much replying to this so clearly and patiently. I'm sure this is really upsetting for you but by explaining all this you really are coming out of it in the best way possible and although we're all hugely disappointed as to what has happened we can still say "... but Mongoose stood up to the plate and made sure we were all okay".

Gutted to see no more Mongoose Lone Wolf but thank you for resolving these queries.

[Random Code]

I hope noone will accept a refund through store credit: it's surely legal, but a customer who buys something wants that article, not other things. When I firstly read the news I figured out Mongoose's people going to a car seller, choosing a car, and then beeing adressed some days after with a message sounding like "oh well, do you remember the car you chose? Well, I can't sell it, but I have a full stock of motorbikes, take what you want!"

There's a massive middle bit that you're overlooking here. People may want a car (Lone Wolf) *and* a motorbike (something else) as well, using the anology. More specifically, the average gamer doesn't exist in a vacuum and will be into a lot of different games. Thinking on this overnight, the 400 quid store credit *is* extremely tempting as with it I could get all the Traveller supplements I'd ever want. And then some more as well. It's a fantastic deal.

[T.Y.A.]

Cool. Can't say fairer than that.

Big thumbs up to Mongoose now the details of what they're offering are clear. It's the kind of customer service which really wins a company friends. Well done Matthew. While the LW franchise could have been handled better, your resolution to the situation is absolutely first rate.

As this is probably my last post in these forum as they're disappearing over the weekend, "Bye" to all the regulars on here who've been on this somewhat lurching rollercoaster ride with me. I'm not entirely sure it's been a pleasure as such, but it was nice to know there was a so much of a passionate fan base out there. Not so much a Forum, more a Support Group. Who knows, maybe someone else will pick up the publishing rights and I'll see you over on their forums. Pretty damned sure I won't be signing up for another "subscription based deal" though. My book shelves simply don't have the space for a third incomplete LW print run.

Also a big "Thank you" to the contributors of the Bonus Adventures, I've really enjoyed playing them. If nothing else, I'll always have those to look back on fondly. It's a real shame we're unlikely to see the conclusion to what looked to be on-going storylines for Dire and Karoth. I guess without any sort of approval from JD, there isn't any chance of seeing eBook versions available through Amazon or something either.

Take care all.

Mark.

[Random Code]

You too Mark (T.Y.A). Will maybe bump into you again over at Project Aon or another Lone Wolf site when the gamebooks and RPG are resurrected!

[August1]

And to you, Mark!

Never say never, though. I suspect there will be ways for the stories to continue and the line to go on. Nothing keeps the Kai down long.

-A

[WritingWolf]

That's a nice thing to say Mark. I totally agree, the forums have been really good to read through over these years and talk to fans. We still have facebook and Project Aon and I will see you there! Still as Writing Wolf

Bye to all on here though and, despite the problems we have had, thank you to Mongoose for having got this fair. It hasn't been a smooth ride, but LW is alive which is more than it was when the original series ended back in 1998, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the bonus adventures which we never had before.

Peter

[redav]

Just wondering, what about other books which were pre-ordered like Stornlands II and Kai Monastery? I realise it's small fish compared to those who shelled out for the mega deals but I thought I'd ask.

[Nimruzir]

I have seen the proposal that Mongoose offered us for the remaining of the subscription as a Mega-deal subscriber. I am not very happy at Mongoose.

I have one only word to say : this is not fair !

I want cash. I don't want other books that Mongoose produces!
If I'd take that offer, this would be to pay $300 for nothing, as except for one or two books, I will have no use for these books.

Please offer Mongoose another solution than the books of your catalog: cash is a better and fine solution.

[Random Code]

Please offer Mongoose another solution than the books of your catalog: cash is a better and fine solution.

Read this bloody thread rather than just posting in anger. Another option HAS been offered.

[msprange]

Just wondering, what about other books which were pre-ordered like Stornlands II and Kai Monastery? I realise it's small fish compared to those who shelled out for the mega deals but I thought I'd ask.

You will be refunded for these automatically.