Pretty much done with resin.

[cobraman]

Hopefully this will not come off as nothing but whining but I am tired of waiting for resin parts. I understand that a lot of casters have other jobs and that this may be just a hobby or side line for them and I understand that they make stuff as they get orders in many cases and also it is the only way to get some hard to obtain parts. All the being said I still don't think you should wait for months to get a few items. Not all resin casters give the same service i am sure but it seems I pick out ones that at least in my opinion don't perform all that well. I am not going to mention any names but they know who they are. Your results may have been better than mine and I hope they were but unless I see something resin on the bay that are "in hand" I doubt I will be ordering from a resin caster again anytime soon. Thanks for letting me vent. : )

[Harry P.]

In my opinion, if you sell a product to the public, no matter what that product is or under what situation you sell it, you have an obligation to deliver on that product in a timely fashion. Using the excuse that it's a "sideline" or "I have a full-time job" doesn't cut it. Your customer (the guy who sent in the order and his money) deserves to be treated professionally. And if you can't respond to your customer in a professional manner, you have no business being in business.

I think it's ridiculous that people are made to wait weeks or even months before they get the stuff they ordered and paid for. I've never dealt with any aftermarket resin sellers, so I am not "naming names," but waiting several weeks or longer to receive my order would be completely unacceptable to me. That vendor would never hear from me again.

[Ramfins59]

You're correct in that most reputable resin casters make stuff as they get orders because it does not pay for them to carry a lot of unsold inventory.  My only experience has been with Modelhaus, Replicas & Miniatures Co. of MD, M.A.D., and Ed Fluck.

With these resin casters, waiting awhile for your order is usually the norm, but well worth the wait due to the quality of their products.  Yes, it can be frustrating to have to wait for months for something that you want "now", but that's just the nature of the beast.  I just placed my "final" order with Modelhaus and I'm pretty sure I won't be receiving it until November or December, but they won't bill me for it until they ship it...... It'll be my Christmas present to myself .  

[Mooneyzs]

Ray.... I can understand the pain you are going thru. Just be thankful that you haven't been waiting for 3 years like me for some parts that have been paid for. I also get it that some of these resin casters don't want to hold stock due to space and maybe some of the parts not selling right away. But Harry is right that parts should be shipped in a timely matter.

[Harry P.]

With these resin casters, waiting awhile for your order is usually the norm, but well worth the wait due to the quality of their products...

If it's clearly stated on their website that "normal" delivery time is 3-6 weeks, or months, or whatever... and the buyer agrees to that and knows it going in, that's one thing. But some of these guys are all too happy to take your order and your money, then take their own sweet time actually sending you what you paid for.

[louie]

In my opinion, if you sell a product to the public, no matter what that product is or under what situation you sell it, you have an obligation to deliver on that product in a timely fashion. Using the excuse that it's a "sideline" or "I have a full-time job" doesn't cut it. Your customer (the guy who sent in the order and his money) deserves to be treated professionally. And if you can't respond to your customer in a professional manner, you have no business being in business.

I think it's ridiculous that people are made to wait weeks or even months before they get the stuff they ordered and paid for. I've never dealt with any aftermarket resin sellers, so I am not "naming names," but waiting several weeks or longer to receive my order would be completely unacceptable to me. That vendor would never hear from me again.

Bingo Harry! You said it all perfectly.   

Thanks.     Jeff 

[bobthehobbyguy]

I know of a friend who ordered from a resin caster and it took forever. Said vendor was happy to cash the checks in the mail but would go to shows and sell whatever stock he had and send the product when he got around to it.

With the exception of a few resin casters you are better off if you canbuy at shows. That way you can see the product quality and get it right away. Otherwise buy it from ebay.

[cobraman]

Ya know it's not only the waiting that bugs me but not having the courtesy to reply to any emails after the fact may be worse. A simple polite question to inquire when the parts will be shipped goes unanswered . Why ? Just respond and say " it will be a month " or "it will be 4 months " or even a " I have your money and you will get them when I am ready to make and send them but don't hold your breath ! " .  No excuse not to respond to a customer.

[Snake45]

Federal regulations say that if they're dealing by mail in any way, they have to deliver (or maybe it's just ship) the product in 30 or notify you of a delay and the estimated shipping time.

As Harry said above, if they advertise a longer wait, you know that going in and that's fine.

Last resin I bought was from Motor City Resincasters. I think the thing came before the check cleared and it was of absolutely superb quality--and all at a very fair price. I'll eagerly buy anything they make that I want.

[shucky]

When I was doing resin I started off taking orders for items which werent always in stock. Having a backlog of orders and making my customers wait a couple weeks kind of made me nuts lol. I actually hated the feeling that I was always playing catch up. I quickly shifted my selling strategy to only offering what was in stock and ready to ship. It was and is the best way to do business. I know not every resin caster wants to maintain stock of cast parts, but it is much more gratifying and satisfying than getting behind and making folks wait months or years (yes even I have waited more than a year for parts which I ordered from someone else). When I get back into resin (and I will) I will only sell what is in stock. My customers always seemed very pleased with this arrangement. 

[vintagedragcrazy]

I mostly buy from Ed fluck or RMR both these guys are great to deal with and off of ebay I get stuff from forward resin another great seller with great products.

vince

[High octane]

I have PLENTY of kits and parts already so I don't mind the wait at all.

[AC Norton]

Harry said it, and that's that.  anyone in business has no excuse to  retain your money for months on end using the line.......its my sideline business, or whatever..... never bothered with anything resin,,,and never will regardless............the Ace....

[Lownslow]

i only sold what i had in stock, people complained when it sold out fast but i was good about keeping a decent casting schedule. 

[Sixties Sam]

Bingo Harry! You said it all perfectly.   

Thanks.     Jeff 

I agree 100%!

Sam

[SfanGoch]

What gets me are the casters who use every excuse possible (illness, personal issues, the heartbreak of psoriasis, my dog ate the molds) to explain why you're still waiting for the stuff you ordered a year before. Then, a week after reading the latest emailed excuse, there are a dozen posts by guys who said that they bought the same exact items you've been sitting on your hands for at a model show from the caster who had a crateful of them. 

[dshue76]

i only sold what i had in stock, people complained when it sold out fast but i was good about keeping a decent casting schedule. 

I think all of the resin casters with issues don't have a clue of how to schedule production. I would have no problem ordering and paying for a product that I knew would be cast at a certain time. Kit Form Services operates in this manner.

I agree with Harry. Don't pretend to operate a business then claim it's just a hobby when you get over your head and your customers aren't investors so you have no excuse to hold their money without giving them what they paid for.  

I think there would be room for many real resin business' if there weren't so many incapable independents. 

It isn't only the casters that pull this stuff. Years ago Spaulding Trading and Shipping lost my business when they failed to inform me of their back order policy and charged me for and sent me the items from my order that they had in stock. Over a year later they charged my card and sent me the remaining items. At the time it got me a non sufficient funds charge. They will never get my business again. To make matters worse one item in that package was cast metal glad hands for truck air lines and they were horrible, so bad that I had to look through the bill to find out what these tiny pieces of trash were, they were supposed to be from KFS but I highly doubt that KFS sells castings with more flash than actual part. They were broken, deformed and half cast as well. I could have done a better representation with blobs of glue. In the same package were cast metal clevises that were nearly perfect, I have no doubt those were from KFS.

[crazyjim]

Waiting and waiting is not for me.  That's why I try to maintain an inventory of parts I cast. I think it's easier for me because all my stuff is relatively small.

[Mark]

What gets me are the casters who use every excuse possible (illness, personal issues, the heartbreak of psoriasis, my dog ate the molds) to explain why you're still waiting for the stuff you ordered a year before. Then, a week after reading the latest emailed excuse, there are a dozen posts by guys who said that they bought the same exact items you've been sitting on your hands for at a model show from the caster who had a crateful of them. 

It's amazing too, the guys who don't have time to get your parts to you still manage to struggle to the bank to cash your check.  Other than Modelhaus, I can't remember the last time I bought any aftermarket stuff by mail.  Well, there was that order of photoetch sets that the incompetent mailman lost, stole, or mis-delivered, but that's another deal altogether.

When I was in the business, the last day before leaving for a show I'd open the mail and make sure that I pulled items off of the stockpile and set them aside to fill those orders, so I wouldn't sell something out from under someone at the show.

[bismarck]

I had only ONE purchasing experience with a resin caster, and mentioning names will more than likely get the thread locked, but it was my LAST purchase of resin parts from a caster. The wait times, provided they send anything at all, are completely stupid. I'll spend the money on scratch building supplies and make what i need myself. Much more rewarding that way too. To be honest the main reason that i wanted to buy the resin parts in the first place was to save time.... kind of ironic, huh.

[SfanGoch]

Waiting and waiting is not for me.  That's why I try to maintain an inventory of parts I cast. I think it's easier for me because all my stuff is relatively small.

Jim, do you know Joe Bakanovic, the proprietor of Tiger Model Designs? He's located in Lynn Haven. Joe is a standup guy who treats his customers well and his casting work like a business because it is. Joe maintains a minimum stock on large items and usually casts to order. Those are sent out within the week. He never makes excuses and will contact you if there will be a delay. You can't ask for more than that.  

[fractalign]

 

I find it astonishing that these guys are happy to take your money and make you wait indefinitely for product. Speaking as a caster myself I always shipped out product within two working days of receiving the order and I never charged before I shipped out the items, as a result I never had any complaints. I also had a number of customers who were more than happy to order products from me time and time again.

Any excuse resin casters make is just that, an excuse. If they are too busy to complete your order or this is just a hobby or sideline for them they should give up. The biggest and best casters do this full time for a reason, they know that in order to satisfy customer demand they need to be on call 24/7. They would not be number one if they did not treat their customers with respect.

I actually don't have an issue with casters taking orders for items before casting them but they should only be charging their customers once the item is ready for shipping. I will be doing the same with my next line it products.

 

Edited May 23, 2016 by fractalign

[crazyjim]

Jim, do you know Joe Bakanovic, the proprietor of Tiger Model Designs? He's located in Lynn Haven. Joe is a standup guy who treats his customers well and his casting work like a business because it is. Joe maintains a minimum stock on large items and usually casts to order. Those are sent out within the week. He never makes excuses and will contact you if there will be a delay. You can't ask for more than that.  

 

Sorry, I never head of or know Joe Bakanovic.

[Kris Morgan]

Ray, I recognize your name as a customer of mine. I hope that you know not all casters operate in that fashion. There are some that fill orders in a timely manner and reach out to the customer if a problem comes up. I feel I operate the way I in that manner and hope my customers think I do as well. Hope to not lose you as a customer.

[cobraman]

You have the best aftermarket distributors I believe and I will buy more of them as needed. I realize that all resin casters are not the same it may just be my bad luck in who I chose to deal with. Waiting 4 months for a set of tires is just plain ridiculous . A caster can't make one tire a month ! Actually waiting for tires from another caster but that has only been 3 weeks, so far. I bought the Cheetah kit from Modelhaus a while ago knowing it would be about 6 weeks up front. I knew in advance so I was happy to wait the 6 weeks and I did get the kit at just about the six week time line. I have not had a problem with your product or delivery time. Maybe I need to rethink my not buying anymore and look into what other items you offer. : )