Advice for kit buyers

[dgmilner]

I over the years have had a number of bad experiences when purchasing dinosaur model kits or buildup services. (My most recent one was especially bad - the seller amongst other things by his own eventual admission lied about sending the kit I'd ordered.) So, I wanted to share some thoughts about avoiding such experiences and actions you can take if you do have them. I hope the information will be helpful to others, and would very much welcome any additional ideas that you might have.

To avoid running into trouble in the first place...

1) Purchase only from reputable sellers. My experience has been that there are more bad ones than good ones. How do you know whom to trust? Perhaps ask for recommendations on this forum. (I've had positive experiences pretty much only with Shane Foulkes, Martin Garratt and Dan's Dinosaurs, but there may very well be other good sellers. I certainly have not ordered from everyone.)

2) If you're thinking of purchasing a kit from a seller that you're not sure about, request to see a picture of the kit that would actually be sent to you before sending payment. Perhaps also request that some unique identifying mark that can be made out in the picture be placed on some piece of the kit.

3) If you're purchasing buildup services, request to see pictures of the completed kit before it is sent to you.

4) Request information about how the kit will be packed in the box. (I've a number of times received damaged goods.)

5) Request that a tracking number be sent to you when the kit is sent.

6) Pay via PayPal so you can file a claim if necessary. (See point 2 below.)

If you have had a bad experience...

1) Of course first contact the seller. (I often have had to be quite "persistent" in order to have the seller actually do what I'd paid him or her to do.)

2) If you paid via PayPal, file a claim within 45 days. PayPal does not pursue claims older than 45 days. See
https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=security/report_problem. Note that filing a claim after 45 days is still worthwhile because PayPal will keep a record of the claim and take it into consideration when making decisions about future claims.

2) If the seller has a Web site, contact the Internet service provider (ISP) hosting the site. You almost always can find out which ISP is hosting the site at http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp. Simply enter the domain name of the site to do so. Once you know the name of the company, go to its Web site to obtain contact information and let the company know about your experience. For example, if the host is GoDaddy, you can go to https://supportcenter.godaddy.com/Abuse/SpamReport.aspx?ci=22420 to report not only spam, but other abuses of its services, including but certainly not limited to fraudulent business activity. This reporting can in fact be effective - sites have been shut down.

3) Often the ISP hosting the seller's Web site will also be providing him or her with e-mail services, but this is not always the case. The seller may be using a separate e-mail service provider. If, for example, the e-mail provider is Yahoo, you can go to http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/abuse/reportabuse/;_ylt=AkHLno5Mdd8OlrTRTPlxuv4HjSN4 to report abuse.

4) Does the seller have a Facebook page? See http://www.facebook.com/help/?page=204546626249212.

5) Is the seller making use of Twitter? See http://support.twitter.com/groups/33-report-a-violation#.

[dgmilner]

I forgot one: eBay's Resolution Center at http://resolutioncenter.ebay.com.

[tyrantqueen]

dgmilner I'm sure your post will be helpful to newbies who are considering their first model kits 

Maybe we should start a "wall of shame" for bad sellers     

[sauroid]

very useful/helpful post dgmilner.

[DinoToyForum]

I thought this topic was worthy of a separate thread, so I've split it from the feedback thread.

Good advice dgmilner. (Feel free to edit the new thread title by the way.)

[Wildheart]

dgmilner I'm sure your post will be helpful to newbies who are considering their first model kits 

Maybe we should start a "wall of shame" for bad sellers     

Vote for the wall of shame please!

[Lady medusa]

I vote for the wall of shame!  . On ebay i always read customer reviews which is helpful. And i have had some issues with some sellers selling windstone editions. On one occasion it was the wrong color version and a couple came in chipped due to not being well packed and another was completely totaled! Most sellers ive delt with are honest and will refund your money or atleast most of it.

I have bought from creative beast studios and bob morales of dragon attack both of them i would recommend! They kept contact and everything was exact! With creative beasts i had to wait like a month to get it in BUT he had said the wait would be 4 weeks, i just made sure to check in here and there to just make sure things were going on schedual.

[s.foulkes]

Yes i too think a thread dedicated to the paying customer would be a good service for them, some place were they feel they can get good informed facts about businesses like mine and avoid getting the shaft as serveral have lately. (hope im never on that wall ) anyway yes please start one. also its best and morally correct not to post ones negitive opinions on the thread of the person advertising there wares, best i think to go to the Wall of Shame and slander them there Sellers must remember that the paying customers are the ones who keep us alive out here and allow us to do what we do, so show some respect back and do the right thing and this sort of problem will be more uncommon. I too at times have trouble fulfilling my orders due to certain issues here and there , but when it happens i try to always shoot straight with the buyer and tell them whats going on and set them at ease, most of my customers are good people and they understand that things can get complicated and backed up, all they are asking for is some respectful communication back for the hard earned money they spent. pretty simple really.

[Jeremy K9]

Yes i too think a thread dedicated to the paying customer would be a good service for them, some place were they feel they can get good informed facts about businesses like mine and avoid getting the shaft as serveral have lately. (hope im never on that wall ) anyway yes please start one. also its best and morally correct not to post ones negitive opinions on the thread of the person advertising there wares, best i think to go to the Wall of Shame and slander them there Sellers must remember that the paying customers are the ones who keep us alive out here and allow us to do what we do, so show some respect back and do the right thing and this sort of problem will be more uncommon. I too at times have trouble fulfilling my orders due to certain issues here and there , but when it happens i try to always shoot straight with the buyer and tell them whats going on and set them at ease, most of my customers are good people and they understand that things can get complicated and backed up, all they are asking for is some respectful communication back for the hard earned money they spent. pretty simple really.

Very well said Shane. Having been recently put through the ringer with an artist I commissioned a piece from, I'm glad to know we have artists like you we can count on. Martin/Marylin are two other people I know I can count on as well, same with David Silva. I really think we should have a Wall of Awesomeness, as well as a Wall of Shame.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

This idea might require some second thought. If any of you have ever sold on Ebay, you know buyers can be very cantankerous, moody , and often downright mean-spirited at times. But one mistake here, and there name will be forever linked to a bad opinion. It is easy to advocate such, until you get placed on the bad end of it due to a misunderstanding or mistake.
  I also feel verification at that point becomes an issue. Can anyone just tee off on a seller if they are so inclined? How will you verify the person has made a valid transaction and had a serious issue ? Suppose I woke up today and just decided I did not like a particular model seller and decided to bash them...how do you differeniate? Does this become a retroactive thing where anyone that has had an issue the past ten years, can join the forum and add their two cents? Some structure and planning might be beneficial before placing a wall out there to supposedly shame others, without benefit of any sort of criteria. There are many avenues for abuse once you start down that road, so please plan carefully, and also make sure there is some method of verification or criteria to at least post.
  I suggest if you do proceed with such an idea, that you at least make it a requirement said people at least know and agree to participate, because that sort of thing can become a slander case rather quickly and then everyone loses.
  And for my two cents, I have done business with both Bob Morales and Martin Garrat/Marilyn , and suggest them highly as well. Bob is a perfect gentleman, and paints exceedingly well . Martin is brilliant and together he and Marilyn could not have possibly treated me better.

[s.foulkes]

Well if you read my thread carefully i didnt post that it was a place to put someone out of business it was a place for customers to mention if they could not resolve a problem so others can see who has good service and who doesnt. ITs not the customers fault if they contact the seller and cant get it settled and still end up on the short end of the stick. Yes you are correct this could just be a dumping ground for anyone who wants to make trouble ,if its truthful or not. thats the job of the Moderators to see what post are helpful and which are hurtful. Im saying it would be helpful based on decent people airing buyer bewares for others. This helps keep us Producers honest. but at the same time yes if someone got on there and posted stuff that is untrue ,yes that could hurt ones reputation ,however two things are supposed to happen here before they even think about posting
First they need to exhaust all efforts to get the issue they are having with the seller cleared up in private.
Second they should only post if they are a member often here and who are trying to help out a fellow member with info.
remember the purpose was only to help other members , possibly making them aware of who they are unable to fix thier problem with. But you got a good point knowing that alot of people may take this into a hate mail section would not be the direction the DTF host wants  to go. I was thinking of it in honesty terms but thats not the world we live in is it, or is it?

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Not so sure it has to do with the world we live in Shane, it is what we make it. If I see the purpose of the forum properly, it is not to referee private transactions or endorse one seller over another, by creating a shame wall of all things for dealers that are not as desireable to work with.  Is there not a more positive method of doing what your intention is? Perhaps a star rating system where buyers could rate sellers transactions in key areas, for each model and kit they purchase? To me that would seem far more productive, less hateful in intent, and more informative.
  What would such criteria be....from the comments I have seen these would seem fair grading points.
Timeliness
Accuracy of order
Completeness
Shipping issues
Communication
Overall experience
Those would be my six if I were to build the perfect method. It would be a far more accurate and fair method . I am just unsure how creating a wall of shame, isnt creating a hatemail section of the forum, given a different name. The idea itself has merit, just not sure I would stick with such a negative imagery for it all
Course like a famous man here in the forum says............'Que sais-je?'

[tyrantqueen]

Not so sure it has to do with the world we live in Shane, it is what we make it. If I see the purpose of the forum properly, it is not to referee private transactions or endorse one seller over another, by creating a shame wall of all things for dealers that are not as desireable to work with.  Is there not a more positive method of doing what your intention is? Perhaps a star rating system where buyers could rate sellers transactions in key areas, for each model and kit they purchase? To me that would seem far more productive, less hateful in intent, and more informative.
  What would such criteria be....from the comments I have seen these would seem fair grading points.
Timeliness
Accuracy of order
Completeness
Shipping issues
Communication
Overall experience
Those would be my six if I were to build the perfect method. It would be a far more accurate and fair method . I am just unsure how creating a wall of shame, isnt creating a hatemail section of the forum, given a different name. The idea itself has merit, just not sure I would stick with such a negative imagery for it all
Course like a famous man here in the forum says............'Que sais-je?'

Actually the "Wall of Shame" was my idea. I meant it in a more of joke-y way than anything else. I just don't like the idea of unfair trade going unpunished.

[amargasaurus cazaui]

I can relate to that. People work so hard for their money and to trust a seller, for a product , and then watch their money vanish into the wind is no fun. Aside from not getting the item they had hoped to have as well...I can see where that would be quite upsetting.

[tyrantqueen]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but I had to write it somewhere to get it off my chest. I ordered two kits from Geene models (Galileo Hernandez), one in December 2012 and another in April 2013, and I haven't received either of them. About a month ago, I tried contacting Galileo through the Clubhouse forums, where he regularly posts. He told me he had despatched my orders.

I want to try and contact him again, but I can't access the Clubhouse forums any more I emailed him three times via the Geene models website but no response. Should my orders have arrived by now? Or do I need to wait longer?

What should I do? I love his models and spent a lot of money on these kits, I am sorta upset about it.

[jtn144]

I wish I could be of more help, but outside of keep sending emails or logging a complaint through whatever payment service you used, I don't know. I've waited months for his stuff too and I'm on the same continent. It's a shame really, as I like some of his new models & I won't order them because of his horrific shipping problems...

[tyrantqueen]

I wish I could be of more help, but outside of keep sending emails or logging a complaint through whatever payment service you used, I don't know. I've waited months for his stuff too and I'm on the same continent. It's a shame really, as I like some of his new models & I won't order them because of his horrific shipping problems...

Thanks, the only comfort I have is that at least I'm not the only one who is experiencing these problems

[jtn144]

There is another possibility that comes to mind,TQ. Perhaps your packages are being held up by customs?

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Sorry to read you guys are having problems.  I had read online he had someone new handling his shipping so the past problems wouldn't be an issue anymore. It's disappointing to hear things don't seemed to changed all that much after all. :/

[tyrantqueen]

There is another possibility that comes to mind,TQ. Perhaps your packages are being held up by customs?

If they were, is there anything I can do about it?