"Announcement: Closing Tinywargames" Topic

Announcement: Closing Tinywargames

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Dear Customers and Supporters,

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After many years of dedication to the wargaming community, I have made the difficult decision to close Tinywargames. This business has been a labor of love, and while there have been many highs, the increasing negativity and challenges from a small but vocal minority of the community have made it impossible to continue with the same passion and energy.

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Over the years, Tinywargames has achieved so much. We created over 400 unique products, attended 100 shows, generated £750,000.00 GBP in sales, and served over 12,500 customers worldwide. We even had the honour of creating the world's biggest wargame mat! These milestones are something I will always be proud of, and I am incredibly grateful to the customers who supported us and helped make these achievements possible.

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We recently launched Warmats as a new product to provide something fresh for the hobby, but even that has been overshadowed by the ongoing negativity. Constructive feedback is always welcome, but the level of toxicity from a minority has been relentless, causing immense stress and even impacting my health. It's simply not worth it anymore.

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We even explored selling the business to another party in hopes they could take it forward, but unfortunately, they only made things worse and created even more issues. This experience has been incredibly disappointing and has reinforced my decision to step away from Tinywargames entirely.

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You only have to look at companies like Games Workshop, a billion-pound business, to see that even the most successful brands are not immune to harsh comments from communities. However, for a small business like ours, this kind of negativity is exhausting and unsustainable. A handful of negative customers have finally pushed me over the edge.

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I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported Tinywargames over the years. To our loyal customers and those who truly valued our products—you have been the reason we kept going, and I cannot thank you enough.

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Thank you to those who supported us through the years—you've made a difference, and I will always appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Richard Bailey

Announcement: Closing Tinywargames

​

Dear Customers and Supporters,

​

After many years of dedication to the wargaming community, I have made the difficult decision to close Tinywargames. This business has been a labor of love, and while there have been many highs, the increasing negativity and challenges from a small but vocal minority of the community have made it impossible to continue with the same passion and energy.

​

Over the years, Tinywargames has achieved so much. We created over 400 unique products, attended 100 shows, generated £750,000.00 GBP in sales, and served over 12,500 customers worldwide. We even had the honour of creating the world's biggest wargame mat! These milestones are something I will always be proud of, and I am incredibly grateful to the customers who supported us and helped make these achievements possible.

​

We recently launched Warmats as a new product to provide something fresh for the hobby, but even that has been overshadowed by the ongoing negativity. Constructive feedback is always welcome, but the level of toxicity from a minority has been relentless, causing immense stress and even impacting my health. It's simply not worth it anymore.

​

We even explored selling the business to another party in hopes they could take it forward, but unfortunately, they only made things worse and created even more issues. This experience has been incredibly disappointing and has reinforced my decision to step away from Tinywargames entirely.

​

You only have to look at companies like Games Workshop, a billion-pound business, to see that even the most successful brands are not immune to harsh comments from communities. However, for a small business like ours, this kind of negativity is exhausting and unsustainable. A handful of negative customers have finally pushed me over the edge.

​

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported Tinywargames over the years. To our loyal customers and those who truly valued our products—you have been the reason we kept going, and I cannot thank you enough.

​

Thank you to those who supported us through the years—you've made a difference, and I will always appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Richard Bailey

A pity, Richard. I own & happily use your products & only have praise for them & you.

That's understandable.
Good luck.

Thanks for the nice replies.

That's a pity, I am sorry that it has worked out like that. Best of luck for the future.

TBH, I had a mostly positive experience until my last order.

3 months chasing to get it, then 6 months of being told the replacement was on its way was rather disappointing.

Never did get the replacement or my money back, so I understand other people's harsh comments…

If you dont make contact we coulnt resolve issues.

Oh no! My club loves your mats! This is terrible news!

@tinywargames
I did and every time you promised to send a new mat.
Always it was no problem, I would get it soon.
Emails were ignored,
phone calls had a less than 50% chance of being accepted.
The only time I left a message and the call was returned was because I said I wanted to make a club order…
I had even spoke to you at a show.

And this is the problem…

I don't have a dog in the fight, but every time you made a post on TMP about turning over a new leaf, people would pop out of the woodwork stating that you have owed them a mat/s for 6 months to 2+ years. They are not making things up, and the vast majority are not going into your spam filter. A significant number of people have said that you communicate and promise until you drop out of the process, never to be heard from again, with no product delivered or refund given. We also see the "I had to wait X amount of time, but you eventually get what you ordered" except for those who didn't. And then there are a few who never had any problem. This leaves the potential buyer to conclude that you are anywhere from a poorly organized business man to something worse.

If you care, you need to do a post mortem on why you failed. Truthfully, someone else needs to do it because you cannot detach.

Should you have done in-person sales only?

Why did you under deliver?

Did you have too many product options?

At what point of backlog do you need to refuse new orders?

Should you have maintained a real time inventory on your site?

Did you not pay enough attention to your business and customers?

Truthfully, why do so many people say that you ghosted them? Nobody is making this up.

The list goes on and on.

Instead of multiple TMP posts about improved service, your efforts should have been spent on finding all of the people who never got your product and making it right. Your proclamations and intentions don't mean anything when people are out money. They have every right to be vocal regardless of their sample size. People demanding what they paid for (or a refund) are not being toxic. On TMP at least, your consistent failure as a business person is to dismiss these people as the one's with the problem.

Word of mouth is important in this hobby, and too many people have said that you have failed to deliver. Why should a new buyer take a chance on you? Answer: They shouldn't. There are plenty of mat makers who don't have your baggage.

I am sure this is hard on you. It is also hard on the people who are out their money, which you got to spend on yourself.

I want to take a moment to directly address the concerns that have been raised regarding my past business dealings. I understand that some customers have experienced delays or unfulfilled orders, and I take full responsibility for the shortcomings in my past operations.

To those who have been left without a product or refund, I sincerely apologize. I never set out to let anyone down, and I regret any frustration or inconvenience caused. Running a small business comes with challenges, and while that is not an excuse, I recognize that I should have handled certain aspects better—especially communication and order fulfillment.

To clarify:

I acknowledge that some orders were delayed longer than they should have been, and in some cases, customers did not receive what they paid for. That was never my intention.

My biggest failure was in communication. When delays happened, I should have been more upfront and consistent in my updates. Instead, when things became overwhelming, I withdrew instead of addressing issues head-on.

I am no longer in the wargaming mat business and have transitioned to other projects. However, I do not want to leave unresolved matters behind.

If you are someone who has not received a mat or a refund, please reach out to me directly at here, I will make an effort to resolve outstanding issues where possible.

I understand that trust is earned through actions, not words. I am not asking for anyone's business—I am simply addressing the concerns that have been raised and doing my best to make things right where I can.

Thank you to those who have supported my work over the years, and again, my sincere apologies to anyone who was left disappointed.

Best regards,Richard Bailey

Which of your, apparently 13, email addresses can they reach you on Richard?

@tinywargames
Hi Richard. I was order #5160

Tim

Sorry I don't have 13 email addresses. I can be reached at tinywargamesuk@gmail.com

Ouch. Very sad. I hope the restitution promised materializes for the good of the damaged customers and the proprietor.