Quick GMC Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 (edited) the funny thing is if he hired people to help him cast the quality wouldn't be where he wants it then people would complain about that too. When you have an ultra custom product for an ultra niche market, you don't get quality, fast and cheap. the prices are good, the quality is top notch, it's not going to be fast. Edited January 27, 2015 by Quick GMC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quick GMC Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Why should it hurt you? There is nothing personal about complaining about a company's practices. It's strictly business. That's part of what happens when you operate an entity dealing with the general public. I have no qualms about pointing out what I see as an ineffective and outdated business model. That is my right as a potential/longtime customer. Anyone who spends his money on any product or service is entitled to the reasonable expectation of a reasonable delivery date and the right to voice his displeasure about what is seen as less than acceptable service rendered by a company. In the cases where someone is sitting on his thumbs waiting for upwards of a year or more, this is by no stretch "reasonable". Quality of a product doesn't validate or excuse the extremely long interval between order and delivery. "Reasonable" delays, as in a few weeks, are understandable; anything more and the company's dedication to good service are suspect and called into question. "It's worth the wait" really doesn't cut it. As far as any complaints, that should be a wakeup call to anyone running a business of any type. Too many of those will make potential customers to think twice about conducting any business with any proprietor who can't deliver. just because you don't find it reasonable doesn't make it so. When the majority of customers of a certain business prefer to give that business money and wait whatever time is necessary to receive the product, the majority basically decides what is reasonable. This is not an everyday business. Go buy some resin from a company that will give you a one week turn around and see how good it is. You are absolutely entitledto purchase elsewhere and have your opinion. But when you repeatedly bold, italic and quote the same word over and over, it doesn't mean you get to decide what that word means. Personally, for me I find it reasonable to wait several months for a high quality product that I cannot find elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SfanGoch Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 (edited) The use of boldface fonts, italics and quotes is meant to emphasize my point and make sure you get it. The cyber equivalent of gesticulating, if you will. I'm from Brooklyn. We're used to talking with our hands here. You're absolutely correct in one respect, though. I don't get to decide what the definition of "reasonable time" is. Uncle Sugar saved me the trouble by way of the Uniform Commercial Code:"Under federal law, you must receive merchandise you ordered from a catalog within a reasonable time after placing your order. If the seller cannot ship on time, you have the right to cancel. If the seller advertises a six-week wait, that is a reasonable time. Generally, if the seller does not state a delivery time, 30 days is considered reasonable." Pretty "reasonable" definition, eh? That definition of "reasonable time" is recognized in every state, with the exception of Louisiana. They have their own problems. I won't blame any reseller for this. He places an order with the expectation that it will be filled within, and here's that term again, a "reasonable time" so that he can take care of customers at his level. Since HRM, who is also by definition a seller, doesn't provide a specific date for delivery of goods, the 30 day window is what is recognized as "reasonable" under the law. Because HRM can't deliver ordered goods to a reseller/shop (or a mail order customer) in a reasonable and timely manner, this makes the reseller look bad and brings unwarranted and negative comments about the level of service he provides due to circumstances beyond his control. This not only gives the reseller a reputation as being undependable , it does the same to that of the manufacturer/seller. All three of the major HRM resellers (Strada Sports, Island Collectibles and RedFrog Hobbies) I'm aware of are perpetually out of stock. How does that square with the statement that Mr. Bradford is trying to supply them? Staying with that thought, one comment, made by Rex, which I found puzzling was that he purchased HRM items at one of the NNL shows where Mr. Bradford brings "excess inventory" to sell. You and J.C. seem like intelligent guys. Care to explain how you can have "excess inventory" to sell at shows yet can't fill orders from resellers and snail mail customers within that annoyingly repetitive, yet relevant, "reasonable time"? As to your comment about buying from a company with a one week turnaround, I do. The stuff is 1/35 (armor items) and is unmatched for detail and casting quality. This is from a one man operation working from a 500 sq.ft. garage and has over 200 products (kits and accessories) available. This guy treats his operation as a business, not as a diversionary hobby. So does Miloslav Hraban, the proprietor of Real Model, in the Czech Republic. He also has an extensive product line, from full resin kits to accessories and conversions. Everything is top quality. He is a one man band and manages to get orders out with a short turnaround time, casting the items as the order(s) are received if his inventory is depleted. Let me just say that I'm not trying to get into a p*ssing contest with you, or anyone else about this. A few of you are personal friends of Mr. Bradford and it's understandable that you'll stand up for him. I'm not one to accept an endless litany of excuses or the reality of lost build time waiting indefinitely for something that may never arrive. I'm a very patient guy. But, there is a limit to that patience; and, I'd say eight months' wait for three relatively minor, albeit necessary, backorder items and reading that he sells "excess inventory" at shows while not filling existing orders, is that limit. I'm not going to blame any reseller because they're in the same boat. Edited January 27, 2015 by SfanGoch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 The resellers may be "perpetually out of stock" because they choose to be. Most businesses do not carry stock any more. They produce or order the items from their suppliers only after they have received an order. And sometimes not until they have received a sufficient quantity of orders. I don’t know the inner workings of HRM’s and his re-sellers business relationship, nor do you. Again you have made your position known several times. You will never again order or purchase a HRM product. Enough said. I and I assume many of the rest of us will continue to order and purchase HRM products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 "Under federal law, you must receive merchandise you ordered from a catalog within a reasonable time after placing your order. If the seller cannot ship on time, you have the right to cancel. If the seller advertises a six-week wait, that is a reasonable time. Generally, if the seller does not state a delivery time, 30 days is considered reasonable." Totally off base Joe, the above paragraph applies to retail businesses selling mass produced product. It would apply to a mail order company selling Matchbox cars. but this doesn't apply to a cottage industry that hand makes products to order. It's like comparing Time Magazine to Model Cars Magazine, which the uninformed often do. Totally different business models. I got an email from a character complaining about the $15 admission fee to NNL East. He reasoned that he went to a "real car show" for a $5 admission fee, so we should be charging less than that. Absolutely no understanding of our cost structure vs that local car show. So I'll charge $3 admission to make you happy and personally eat the other $10,000 it cost to run the show? Nor can you compare US casters to Eastern European operations. Totally different things. Resin casting is one of those businesses where one can instantly get buried in more business than you can handle, since each and every piece is hand cast. We do agree that a lot of the cottage industry are poor businessmen in that they have no processes in place. I'm sure if I put a business process expert into either Harold or Norms businesses, they would immediately determine that they must double their prices. That's why they aren't hiring a bunch of help to cast for them, the prices charged for the product wouldn't support hired help. And if the prices were raised to the numbers that would support a professional organization, nobody would buy the product. In another thread people were happy to wait a year to get a resin cast 1973 Chevelle. So in the business of hand made product, made one at a time, this is the way it's going to be. You can either understand that and wait for the product, or not order and bother these folks if you can't get your arms around it. Note that nobody is getting rich in the after market. If they were, I'd be in it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vamach1 Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Spot on Tom G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kucaba Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Really? I don't think ANYONE is "happy" waiting a year for anything... I think they just tolerate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southpier Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 ... the above paragraph applies to retail businesses selling mass produced product. ..... i'll assume this is supported by a bunch of legalese, but would offer that everything cannot be defined by the "letter of the law" if those affected are to remain happy. building codes are minimum standards and who wants a minimum end result? if a manufacturer is expecting repeat business, at the very minimum should communicate with his (potential) customers. ignoring them is only going to annoy. every business can determine how much commerce they completed, but how many can predict what could have been theirs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 at least on my 73 chevelle you dont pay & wait a year, you pay when it is your turn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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