Hot take: My group's custom Catan board from Etsy arrived with a cracked tile last month, and I'm torn between asking for a refund or just trying to fix it myself.

Part of me thinks supporting a small maker means accepting some flaws, but my friend says for $75 we should get a perfect product, so what would you do in this spot?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevin_sullivan2mo ago

Remember buying a hand-thrown mug that had a tiny chip in the rim. I kept it because the flaw felt like part of its story, but a board game tile is a functional piece. I'd probably send a polite message about the crack.

christopher_singh921mo ago

See it different though. A chipped mug is still a mug, but a cracked board game tile is basically a broken piece in a system where every part has to fit together. One bad tile can tilt the board, catch on other pieces, or just make the game feel off every single time you touch it. I get the charm of a flaw in something handmade, but a mass produced game tile just becomes a headache. The seller should know so they can make it right, not because anyone's being unreasonable.

leor372mo ago

Yeah but that mug still holds coffee fine. A cracked tile can mess up the whole game if pieces don't sit right or it breaks more. It's not about being picky, it's about the thing actually working like it should. They paid for a complete product. Definitely message the seller.