Sunday, July 24, 2011

Bad Boardgameseller On Ebay: Titan The Board Game

I am getting more and more disillusioned with Ebay.
A few months back, I was sold 3 board games listed as NEW. When I got them, one was new, and two had lengthy box cutter slits down the side.
Here's another one. 
This time, Ebay seller "cheapgeek" got me.
I ordered a copy of this fine board game, Titan, a reprint of an earlier Avalon Hill wargame from, IIRC, the 1980s.
Here's the Amazon catalog entry:
http://www.amazon.com/Valley-Games-004VLY-Titan/dp/1427616493/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top


The listing for the unit cheapgeek sold me included the note "BRAND NEW, NEVER USED."



Additionally, the auction title read "

TITAN-Board Game,2 - 6 Players-NIB-S&H $9.18to10.95(US)

". NIB is board game speak for New In Box.

My first complaint is the packaging. It shipped inside of a USPS Priority Mail box, which would be okay, but the void fill used appeared to be shredded paper, shredded polystyrene boxes, and some kind of shredded foil.
When I carefully opened the box and removed the item, I still got polystyrene particles and other junk all over my carpet and furniture. I'll have to vacuum to get rid of it all.
Here's the box once I pulled the game out:
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By itself, the packaging isn't a huge deal, but all things being equal, I'd rather order a product online without having to run the vacuum cleaner after opening. 
I bought this guy as 'New In Box' with the intent of selling it to a collector. It's a neat game, with deep roots in the wargaming genre and high-quality artwork. 
It isn't sealed, and that's worrisome. 
I opened it up, and it has 12 boards full of counters you can punch of to play the game. Problem is, if you look at the manual, there are supposed to be 13.
The box is damaged, as well. 
We're not talking light corner wear from shelving or transit, either. The cardboard of the box is ripped, and it's the cardboard on the upper inside of THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE BOX... that's the interior wall, not the exterior wall. This thing had to have been opened, damaged, and closed back up again.

Obligatory picture:
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For comparison, here is a less damaged corner:
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When I was opening the game, 20 amber 6-sided dice spilled out onto my feet. Anyone board game enthusiasts happen to know how many dice this thing comes with when new?


Also, this game has a two inch gap when you box it up. I'll paste a pic below. Look at the bottom of the box to see what I'm talking about. I've seen a lot of board games and wargames, and I've never seen one where the top and bottom parts of the box don't almost meet in the middle. 
Pic of the box:








Anyone know if this is legit? It seems odd. Did some add-on pieces from another game get shoved in? 
Now, I could have read through their feedback and seen that another buyer of this same item had the exact same problem, but in my defense, you really shouldn't have to do that. 
Check out a feedback he was left previously: 

The box was damaged . And the description said that the item was new & undamaged
abdul_bashur ( 40)   May-06-11 23:17
  TITAN - Board Game for 2 to 6 Players -NIB-NR- $11 S&H (#380330786685) US $15.74



Regardles,


Bad Boardgameseller! No cookie!
Here's a pic of the cookies you're not getting.