Jump to content
Model Cars Magazine Forum

A/FX n Scale Resin - Anyone Know What's Going On?


Recommended Posts

It's been almost a year since I ordered one of A/FX's '71 Dodge Demon bodies. I've purchased from them before a couple of years ago and their quality is amazingly good, easily one of the best out there. But I have yet to receive the Demon body, and all e-mails to Wendell and Monica go unanswered. Has my money flown the coop? Have any of you had similar experiences recently? Clue me in please.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well if you head to the ''other'' model magazine message board and search afxnscale You will find ALOT of ppl in the same situation. A friend of mind ordered a resin hood 1 year ago, 2 weeks ago it finnaly arrived... with no apology. People have supposibly reported them to the BBB also..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info Ryan.

This kind of problem is not uncommon in the model aftermarket, be it car, airplane, train, whatever. Almost all of these are part time "cottage industries" working out of their garage or something similar. And the story with all the cottage industry failures is the same: they all start out with good intentions and then, when the demand for their products outstrips the time they need to do business in a timely fashion, they find they cannot deliver on their promise. Looks like I'm out some money. Sometimes lessons can be expensive - for the buyer AND the seller.

Word of advice to fellow modelers: be very careful when you order from someone you are not familiar with. Check the reputation of the seller before you send them your money or credit card information - including asking all of us on this forum. Word of mouth is the best advertising there is - and the quickest way to let people know of bad business dealings.

And - never forget this, friends - customer service is KING, far more important than the quality of the product you have ordered. Nobody should have to wait a year for anything they have ordered from anyone. Six to eight weeks should be the maximum turnaround time for your transaction. For example, Don Holthaus (The Modelhaus), for example, states a very similar time frame on his order forms and on his web site. That is called, in business terms, "managing expectations".

Resin casting is not a service to modelers - it is a BUSINESS. And in business, the customer is KING.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's been almost a year since I ordered one of A/FX's '71 Dodge Demon bodies. I've purchased from them before a couple of years ago and their quality is amazingly good, easily one of the best out there. But I have yet to receive the Demon body, and all e-mails to Wendell and Monica go unanswered. Has my money flown the coop? Have any of you had similar experiences recently? Clue me in please.

Probably out of luck and out of $$$ too. One just sold on Ebay last week for $93!!!

I guess mine with some Modelhaus chrome and some Fred Cady decals should be worth at least $150 LOL!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've bought a lot of parts and a few bodies ('68 Hemi Dart, '68 Dart 2dr sedan, '71 Demon, '72 Demon, '69 Mustang coupe, '66 Chevy II 2dr sedan, etc) from AF/X in the past--all of it of good quality but their delivery times were very spotty..sometimes a month or two, sometimes 4-6 months...and their communication (response to emails) is difficult at best..I don't know if they are using a library computer once a month or what

I'm not sure if I'd buy from them again given what I've heard on various boards..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recommend only buying Resin either on EBAY, or in person, the only company that does online selling correctly is the Modelhaus. The longest I've had to wait for an order is 4 weeks, and they only take the money when they get to the order. its usually only takes 3-4 days to get the order after they process it

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

It seems AFX in Scale Resin is alive and well and selling 50 plus items on eBay under the name "tangtang2".

And I am STILL waiting for either my 71 Demon body or a refund, whichever comes first. And still no answer to any e-mails.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems AFX in Scale Resin is alive and well and selling 50 plus items on eBay under the name "tangtang2".

And I am STILL waiting for either my 71 Demon body or a refund, whichever comes first. And still no answer to any e-mails.

After reading your post I sent an email AND got a reply stating that they had just begun filling back orders and should be caught up within the next couple of weeks. When i placed my order last year, I had just broken my right arm, so I stated that I wasn't in a hurry. Good thing.

I do hope they can get back on track.

Best wishes, ron

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems AFX in Scale Resin is alive and well and selling 50 plus items on eBay under the name "tangtang2".

They've been selling on evilBay under that name off and on since 1999. I've never had a problem with them on any auctions that I won.

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They've been selling on evilBay under that name off and on since 1999. I've never had a problem with them on any auctions that I won.

You know, Bob, the same thing is true for me. When I won any of their items on Evilbay, I got timely delivery. But when I ordered from them online through their web site, I got NO delivery. And I have formally complained to my bank about the non-delivery of two resin bodies. And my bank took action.

I'd still like to have that '71 Demon body though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

i to have had the same experience with them ordered some resin parts through their website paid with my credit card got an e- mail saying they got my order would let me know when it would be sent ,11and a half months later still waiting,did notice wasted no time billing my card though. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i to have had the same experience with them ordered some resin parts through their website paid with my credit card got an e- mail saying they got my order would let me know when it would be sent ,11and a half months later still waiting,did notice wasted no time billing my card though. B)

At least you have some recourse using a credit card, just call the number on your bill and tell them you paid your $$ but never received the goods. Explain that you tried to resolve it with no luck. They should make good on it.

Again, there's only a couple of resin casters that I will mail-order from. The rest I do either on eBay or in person at shows. Saves me a lot of aggravation for sure.

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi to all i am in the same boat i am in for $ 152.00 and it,s been a year.I just went on line and did a report with th ( BBB ).If anybody is in the same boat go on line it takes 10 mins and log a report with the (BBB) good luck.

*****HI, I went to the louisville show this past july and was looking forward to buying some afx hoods. Wendel's father-in-law was selling the afx stuff last year. Well, afx was a no-show. I asked another resin guy from the nashville area and he advise me that wendel has broken his arm and ankle. I guess this guy has his ass in the perverable sling. I've been selling model stuff for a long time and I know I would return any $'s if I couldn't delv. as promised. I think they call it mail fraud if a vendor takes your hard earned $ and doesn't send you the goods. Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I've also had the same problems with AFX I ordered several hoods and some other odds and ends and it took over 1 year and constant E-mails on my part to get my order. I explained to them (before I knew about this forum and had seen the comments about them) That I needed one of the hoods for a show I was assured that "it wouldn't take long to get my order out". Approx 8 months later I was informed that Wendell was in the hospital from a "spider bite" and that was the reason for the hold up. It seems everyone whos had problems getting their orders when they got a response something had happened to Wendell to cause the orders to be late I've heard he was bitten by a spider (twice) He's boken his leg, he'sbroken his ankle, He broke his arm etc etc I'm not one to kick someone when they are down at all but If I had all that happen everytime I got an order I'd shut down the buss. or never leave the house! However two weeks ago I placed an order with Competition Resins I received an E-mail confirming my order within 2 hours! I was told the order would take somewhere around 2 weeks to ship In one week I came home and the items were on my doorstep packaged carefully and upon examination of the items ordered they were flawless the first thing I did was go to the PC and send them a TY E-mail when you get that kind of customer service and a flawless product packaged carefully and shipped in a timely manner it's very hard to look elsewhere even when theres only one company that's casting the piece you desire.

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
Hi Dave - if you are asking about dragin_plastic, they are indeed the same outfit. I saw the LX coupe advertised and asked them point-blank if they were. They responded(surprisingly!) in the affirmative.

Great i just bought from them. i even checked this thread to see the ebay name that they sold under.

When I saw TANGTANG2 I thought it wasn't them(dragin_plastic) :blink::D:blink::huh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I haven't messed with these guys, and I'm glad. I'll say this much. Myself and a friend have just started a resin company, and all of the problems that I have read here were addressed before we started, so that we would not get BAD feedback due to riping people off. This is no BS to boost our company. We are in it for the long-run. However my computer skills are learn as you go. That's why our page is simple but it will get better. At this time we have two bodies ready but there's more on the way. Once I figure out how to set up a poll page for what people want I will. Until then you can e-mail me at ewakew@yahoo.com [ e-mail will be checked daily and answered as they are received.Any ideas are welcome.] Visit My Website rdmk.homestead.com Thank you, Earl Miller

Edited by ewaskew
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't messed with these guys, and I'm glad. I'll say this much. Myself and a friend have just started a resin company, and all of the problems that I have read here were addressed before we started, so that we would not get BAD feedback due to riping people off. This is no BS to boost our company. We are in it for the long-run. However my computer skills are learn as you go. That's why our page is simple but it will get better. At this time we have two bodies ready but there's more on the way. Once I figure out how to set up a poll page for what people want I will. Until then you can e-mail me at ewakew@yahoo.com [ e-mail will be answered within a week. Any ideas are welcome. ] Go to rdmk.homestead.com for our site and info. If anyone can tell me how to highlight e-mail address please let me know via e-mail. So that you can click and go. Thank you, Earl Miller

You never now what the future holds you could be 100% today and in the hole tomorrow and thats the case with most of the cottage industry that does this part-time and work fulltime it consume all of the free time they have. If they don't dedicate the time to it they have inferior product such as thick resin in order to make parts fit you have to grind about 2 pounds of the resin piece. Guys like Replicas N Miniature, Modelhaus,HRM you can buy stuff from these guys and not even think twice.

The resin piece is just like the plastic counter part. As an entrepreneur myself I see 2 things wrong already with your business

and I mean this in a positive way one is you have a partner that is a friend and that could lead to enemies and the other is that you will answer your e-mail ina weeks time. This to me means you don't have the time to dedicate to this. the best thing for people that are PT in the resin business is to sell the product in evil bay sell as you have the product available this will keep you stressed free and as you grow the business and your product line than you expand out. I mean this in no offence. Sometimes positive criticism is better than nothing at all even if it looks negative. Wish you the best in your new adventure we need the cottage industry alive and kicking without you guys this hobby would have been on the waste side along time ago.

My 2 cents

Ariel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great i just bought from them. i even checked this thread to see the ebay name that they sold under.

When I saw TANGTANG2 I thought it wasn't them(dragin_plastic) ;);):blink::lol:

Well got lucky bought the product from AFX on e-bay and got it on time without any problems i hope that they can continue this way sell in evil-bay as they have the product. So that they are able to keep everyone happy.i got a type III notchback vw

from them. Was not to happy it seems that it is a diecast that they sealed the doors closed and casted the thing. My need alot more work then empinut's typeIII notchback :P . I hope they have been able to fill everyone order I know myself i waited about a year or more for some parts one time and they just showed up in the mail. They had listed about 50 items at one time in there new dragin_plastic site on e-bay.

Ariel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You never now what the future holds you could be 100% today and in the hole tomorrow and thats the case with most of the cottage industry that does this part-time and work fulltime it consume all of the free time they have. If they don't dedicate the time to it they have inferior product such as thick resin in order to make parts fit you have to grind about 2 pounds of the resin piece. Guys like Replicas N Miniature, Modelhaus,HRM you can buy stuff from these guys and not even think twice.

The resin piece is just like the plastic counter part. As an entrepreneur myself I see 2 things wrong already with your business

and I mean this in a positive way one is you have a partner that is a friend and that could lead to enemies and the other is that you will answer your e-mail ina weeks time. This to me means you don't have the time to dedicate to this. the best thing for people that are PT in the resin business is to sell the product in evil bay sell as you have the product available this will keep you stressed free and as you grow the business and your product line than you expand out. I mean this in no offence. Sometimes positive criticism is better than nothing at all even if it looks negative. Wish you the best in your new adventure we need the cottage industry alive and kicking without you guys this hobby would have been on the waste side along time ago.

My 2 cents

Ariel

Ariel I thank you for your reply. I have changed my first reply on this page for e-mail which is checked daily. And will be answered as they come in. However I do have a regular job, that's the reason for the first response [within a week] because if I get home and have 50 e-mails I will not be able to reply to all of them in one night. [Therefore that was the reason for returning e-mails within a week.] As for dedication we are in 100%. This company will be a slow go, I'm sure of that. So as I have said before we will set up a poll page to see what people are wanting and focus on that. As for our bodies we build for current kits, they are test fitted for that kit,then they are prepped and preprimed before going out. The customer only has to final sand the primer then paint it.There is no grinding,resin residue cleanup,it's been taken care of before it is sent out. As for this hobby, I started when I was nine years old and have been building since then. Sure I was out of it for a while but for the last 25 years, I have been dedicated to it.This is what I do in my spare time. Thank you Earl MILLER

Edited by ewaskew
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...