"Traders: have you received an email like this?" Topic

I have just discovered that an individual has been sending out emails to manufacturers and traders as follows:

I have recently joined the writing team of Miniature Wargames and Battlegames (produced by Atlantic Editions). Although the magazine has concentrated on traditional historical wargames in the past, it is now broadening its scope to cover sf / fantasy and horror more comprehensively…. I've been given the specific remit of covering games and miniatures in these fields. If you are interested in reviews and features of your products in the future then please feel free to get in touch. This is not a request for free stuff (although, don't let me stop you ;-) ), more important would be promotional copy and JPEG images of products / artwork and the permission to use them in the magazine. I hope this is of interest.

This individual's claim that he has "joined the writing team" here at MWBG is false. He submitted an article that I haven't even published yet.

As to the line "…I've been given the specific remit of covering games and miniatures in these fields", this is utterly untrue – he has been given no such remit and John Treadaway is, and remains, the only person on our team with such a remit.

If you receive this or any similar email that has not been sent without my explicit permission, please give it the short shrift it deserves.

Henry
MWBG

[Note to Bill – please delete the previous attempt to post this, which collided with some sort of runtime error]

He submitted an article that I haven't even published yet.

Is it fair to assume that you won't now?

Update: anyone who received the email will be aware that this individual also claimed to hold a senior position at an English university. Our investigations have now shown this claim to also be utterly false.

@Rebelyell2006 I couldn't possibly comment, other than to say that Hell may freeze over first.

Henry

Let me play devil's advocate. It seems to be my role in life. He may have been a bit over-industrious and not meant any harm? He has written an article, hasn't he? Then fact that it has not been published may or may not make a difference. In his mind, that is given. The bit about having been given the remit may be jumping the gun and/or crossing the line or just a way of saying you can trust me cause I am in with this publication. It could be a misuse of the term?

All in all, I think you should contact him and discuss it. He is not asking for money but seems interested in reporting about the hobby. He may be over eager here. I would not burn him at the stake just yet. I may be too lenient. Seems to be a gray area here at the least, but like I said-it should be discussed.

The false claim of holding a position at a respected university tells me everything I need to know.

Henry

I think you're very justified to take this position, but reading this makes me feel like watching someone beating a puppy for pooping on the carpet. Yeah, you got to do it, but that don't make it nice to watch.

That's not really a good analogy. A puppy can't help it. There could be mitigating circumstances for an adult dog breaking training (like IBD, holding it for too long, bladder cancer). It's more like beating an adult human for ing on the toilet seat. Justifiable but incredibly awkward.

Mike, I love the analogy!!! I just can't get it out of my head…lol.

I was with Tony in the aspect of being a bit over zealous, and maybe jumping the gun a bit, but then why lie about your employment? Lying is the one thing that utterly (and in most cases, irrevocably) destroys credibility. Over zealous or not, I'm ultimately with Henry on this one, which is unfortunate because we desperately need heralds in this hobby.

If a single article entitles one to a lifetime of free samples then there's a long queue ahead of this chap !

He wasn't lying he was misremembering. Sounds like he has the makings of a great journalist

Or a politician.

Well as the author of many best selling novels, star of screen and stage, married to English royalty and most probably the next man on the moon, I can't see what all the fuss is about.

He may be head groundsman at a major university. Unless he is in the English department why would this be a unique selling point?
With the best will in the world it's 'sf / fantasy and horror' that's made up isn't it?

Please remember Henry is posting this as a warning to any manufacturers who may be contacted, so they understand it does NOT have his blessing.

I think under the circumstances he has been politeness personified.

It's a ploy to get figures games and rules for free, nothing else, despite his assertions to the contrary.

I'm astonished that anyone could see any mitigating circumstamces in this person's actions.

Henry has taken the right step in issuing a warning, both to protect manufacturers and the reputation of the magazine.

Doug

It's attempted fraud, albeit at a low, hobby-grade level.

Cyrus is right, he's just after free stuff. Burn the witch!

Wait, How do we know if he is a witch?

Well done Henry for making everyone aware of the situation.

Hehheheheh.

I'm sort of sorry for the guy.

'Wargames magazine WALT-ing' would be pretty damn pitiful at the best of times.

And to rub salt in the wounds, this guy proved endearingly incompetent at it!

Now his low-rent, facepalm-worthy failure is bruited throughout the wargaming community, so we can all have a good chuckle.

Henry's far too much of a gent to go public with the culprit's name – but it's a small community.
If matey has been profligate with his emails, it won't be long before he runs into someone who WILL publicly 'out' him.

Ooooh, that'll be cringeworthy, that will. Proper mortifying.

Popcorn may be required.

How do we know he's a witch

If he weighs the same as a duck of course

British, writes fantasy, delusions of grandeur…

If Hoff wasn't in prison…

Hang on, do they have internet access in the nick?

Is Hoffy in gaol?

THE Hoffy?

And BTW, Henry's "staff member" is a con-artist, albeit a minor one. And being a little crooked is like being a little pregnant.

Yes, jailed in December.

From Baywatch to jail. How tragic.

No Reb. Not The Hoffy but THE Hoffy.
Try to keep up.