Key West Q & A (1 Viewer)

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dennis63

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Key West Resort & Casino

Questions and Answers Thread


This is where we post answers to your most-frequent questions
Q: Can I "switch" inlays on my Key West chips, putting a specific denomination on a different chip / spot combination?

Answer: No, we really can't do that.

There are several reasons why this is not possible or practical, and at least one really good reason why we could never do this.

First, the inlay is a real inlay, not a label that can be peeled off and applied to a different base chip. The inlay is molded into the chip using epoxy, heat and pressure during the manufacturing process. The result is an inlay that won't come off easily. In fact, you'd probably break about half the chips if you tried to remove the inlays, and damage most of the inlays. This is done for security, from the days when the chips were made for use in a real casino.

Second, the chips are manufactured for us by Classic Poker Chips. We order thousands of chips at one time, and the time between ordering and actually receiving the chips can be several months. That means that even if we wanted to do different colors, different spots, or different inlays on an existing color/ spot combination, it would take months to accomplish, and maybe as long as a year.

Third, the existing base colors of the main chips were purposely designed to be "Old School Las Vegas" colors, corresponding to specific denominations which are virtually universally recognized.

And that "really good reason" not to change colors, spots or denominations?

The uniformity of each denomination adds value to your Key West chips. If you own a set of Key West chips and ever decide to sell them, all of your $5 chips will be identical to all the $5 chips owned by everyone, worldwide, who owns any Key Wests. This means you'll be able to sell your chips to anyone who doesn't have any Key West chips, and anyone who does.

If we begin to make unique combinations of chip colors and denominations, that all goes away. Everyone would want to use the inlay to make a limitless number of unique chips, and they would want me to stock spares, extras and add-ons of their particular color/spot/inlay combination.

So, simply put, we can't do it. It's not really possible. And if it were possible, we wouldn't do it.

Q: I really like a specific denomination. Can I buy a full set of one single denomination of Key West chips?

A: No, we really can't do that. We can eventually have those made for you through Classic, but that would be a special order.

We generally keep about 20,000 to 25,000 denominated chips in stock at any given time. There are 14 different denominations, so we really can't sell a full set of 1,000 or even 500 of a single denomination without being able to go back to Classic almost immediately to replace those chips.

Q: Do you ship Key West chips internationally?

Answer: Yes. About 15 percent of all of our customers live outside the United States. We ship all of our products worldwide. There are a few countries where the importation of casino chips, playing cards, dice and other gaming items is strictly prohibited. We can't ship to those countries.

Q: I'm considering buying a set of Key West chips in the future. Can you quote me a price for chips and shipping?

Answer: Yes. We can send you a quote that is good for 15 days. Our chip prices don't change often, but shipping prices do. In a few months, shipping will likely cost even more than it does now, and the quote would change. So, basically, if you get a quote today, it may not be good in six months.

Q: Are Key West chips identical to / as good as Paulson casino chips?

Answer: Paulson / GPI makes some really nice casino chips for licensed casinos. Classic Poker Chips makes really nice casino chips for the home market and also for licensed casinos. They're different.

First, Paulson / GPI doesn't make chips for retail / the home game market. Key West chips are available here for you to purchase here on PCF and on our Key West website.

Both companies use different processes and recipes to make their chips. Both are trade secrets using specific ingredients, and heat and pressure for different times and temperatures. Only the most trusted employees of those companies know how to make the chips.

The result in each case is a different weight, hardness or softness and overall "feel." Paulson chips tend to feel softer, and Classic chips, like Key West, tend to feel harder when new. Each chip company has many fans, and very few detractors.

We think our Key West Resort & Casino chips offer some advantages over Paulson / GPI chips. First, they're actually available to buy in just about any quantity you want. Second, they have a harder feel that does not allow "color transfer" that you see in some denominations of Paulson / GPI chips. That's where some clay from dark color chips rubs and marks up brighter colors on other chips. Finally, you can also buy a number of other Key West products for your home game, like dealer buttons, playing cards, plaques and other items, all displaying the beautiful Key West logo.

So there's really no comparing Paulson / GPI chips to Key West Resort & Casino chips by Classic Poker Chips.

Overall, we think Key West chips are the best chips currently made for your home game.

Q: Can you falsify the price of my international order on customs documents, or call my order a "gift" to save me some tax or VAT in my country?

Answer: No, we never do that. It would be a violation of U.S. law, as well as the law of your home country. We're licensed to sell casino chips and gaming items legally, and we can be audited at any time by gaming enforcement officials of our state and the federal government. That means our business records must be true and accurate. If you request that we falsify a document, we must cancel your order and not sell to you in order to protect our company.

Q: Can you "squeeze" some extra chips, racks or other products into a shipment?

Answer: No. Generally, we like you to receive your Key West items in good condition. When you order, we check all the major carriers to get you the best shipping price -- UPS, Fed Ex, and the U.S. Postal Service. We only charge what the carrier charges.

We're most often asked this question about acrylic chip racks. Much as we'd like to, we really can't "squeeze," "squish" or otherwise compact a rigid chip rack to make room for a few extra.

We always add a bit of padding to the package to make sure your racks and other products arrive safely. I you are calculating how many racks or chip boxes will fit into a flat rate box and not adding bubble wrap or packing materials, you'll be able to store that box on your shelf at home with no problem. But you won't be able to ship it across the country, or the border, without damaging the contents.

Q: Do you guarantee your Key West items?

Answer: Yes. Everything we sell is unconditionally guaranteed. If your items arrive and are not what you expected for any reason, you can ship them back and receive a full refund. (Shipping can't be refunded, as we pay it to a third party.) We simply ask that you let us know you're sending the package back, so we know to look for it arriving at our PO box.

Q: What if my order is damaged in shipping?

Answer: We pack your order carefully, and offer optional extra insurance up to the full value of the items in your order. If the package is damaged by the carrier, your issue is with the carrier. We will assist and support you in making a claim for damage, but we don't replace items damaged in a shipment by the carrier. This would invite everyone to say something was damaged in order to get a discount on their order.

Q: Does Key West ever have sales, like other retailers?

Answer: No. We set our prices as low as possible all the time, so we really can't offer to sell anything for less without losing money on the sale. That also saves us from upsetting any customers who might otherwise make a purchase right before something they bought goes on "sale."

Q: How can you offer Key West chips for less than Classic Poker Chips' current retail prices?

Answer: We have a large stock of Key West casino chips bought one or two years ago, when chip prices were lower. We offer our Key West chips for the amount we spent to get them, like a PCF group buy. The "average" price of any of our chips, will always be lower than retail price today.

Q: How do I order and pay for Key West chips and other products?

Answer: When you are ready, you can PM me (dennis63) here on the Poker Chip Forum. We also have an order form on our Key West website, www.keywestresortcasino.com. You can pay via PayPal or use a credit card.

I'll send an invoice directly to your PayPal account (to pay through PayPal) or your email address (to pay with a credit card using Square, a secure processor). Then you just click to pay!

I'll need your name, shipping address, a list of what you'd like to buy, and a PayPal or email address. You can request insurance up to the full value of your shipment, and let me know any preferred shipper (postal service or UPS).

Q: Is my information secure?

Answer: Yes. We never sell customer names or addresses, and we use PayPal and Square to process your payment, so we never know or store any credit card or PayPal account information. The information we do keep -- customer names and addresses -- are stored offline on an encrypted thumb drive identical to those used by the U.S. military to store information securely.
 
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