My HOBBYNUTS experience

[DPNM]

Back in March of this year I was looking for a certain truck kit. I searched the web for a long time and finally found (I thought) what I was looking for at a decent price on the Hobbynuts website. He also had some kits that were very well priced compared to what they were selling for on eBay, which I use as a guide to check value. I purchased/bought/paid for 3 kits on March 9th.

A few weeks went by and no kits so I emailed Ellis (the owner). I was told 2 of the kits were back-ordered including the one in particular that I wanted most. A few weeks later I contacted him again to check their status and was told they were still back-ordered.

I waited, checking back every so often (usually by phone) only to be told that the kits were still back ordered.

In late September I was finally told all the kits were available. He made an offer to include a 4th kit at a deeply discounted price but at the moment I could not take advantage of it. He said my kits would ship the next day, which would have been a Wednesday. I should have gotten them by Saturday. Saturday came, no kits. I waited til the following Tuesday and called him to ask for my money back. The line was busy for the 2 and a half hours I kept trying. I called again Wednesday and got his answering machine, so I left a message to NOT ship my kits but to refund my purchase. On October 4th I contacted him through one of his his eBay listings asking for my money back. He did respond to the eBay listing. He said that he had a death in the family so he did not get my emails or phone message when I asked for my money back and he said the person he had ship them sent them to the wrong address. He said he had just gotten them back and he would ship them out saying it was too late to issue a refund.

If he had a death in the family I feel bad for him and I gave him my sympathy. What does not make sense to me though is if the person shipped my kits to the wrong address it seems kind of strange that he could get them back so fast.so he could ship them to me. The kits were at my door Monday, October 7th. If I was sent the wrong order, I wouldn't keep them but I doubt that I would be in a big rush to send them back.

Also, the prices of all 3 these kits has dropped like a rock since March, they are now not worth what I paid for them. That is why I believe that I didn't get a refund.

On the 7th I emailed him (again thru eBay) to let him know that the kits arrived and to let him know how dissatisfied I was. I told him that I would have appreciated if he would have offered me something worth around $20 as a bonus for waiting so long, which is about how much the 3 kits have devalued. I have waited a week to write this to see if I get a reply. He has not responded so I guess I won't be offered anything else.

I was always polite when I talked to him and I think I had far and above shown patience.

I am writing this to try to save other members here the grief I went through. Maybe you will have or have had a better purchase. If you do buy from him and pay with PayPal as I did, if you don't get your kits in a timely manner, ask PayPal to issue the refund. This has to be done with-in 45 days of purchase. I waited too long.

I regret having made a purchase with him.

Edited October 14, 2013 by DPNM

[MAGNUM4342]

Thanks for the input. I've never purchased from them, and now I won't.

Edited October 13, 2013 by MAGNUM4342

[Mercman]

This is why I only buy locally, or with a board member. I gave up on e-bay a few years ago. I offered the guy cash, and he blocked my from bidding.

[Eshaver]

"Blocked from Bidding Junior ......................... hummmmmmm, sounds like people I know who send me HATE POSTS at a certain OTHER forum...................

[DPNM]

This is why I only buy locally, or with a board member. I gave up on e-bay a few years ago. I offered the guy cash, and he blocked my from bidding.

I made my purchase from his website. He does have an eBay account (user name: bzzaw) but he accepts PayPal through his website too.

I don't have a local hobby store and I work a lot. It's easier for me to shop online and it gets shipped to my door.

[lordairgtar]

It seems like a lot of hassle to go through to get what you want. I'm very patient and I think you were too as well. But to ask for a refund because the kits had gone down in value? That's what I cannot understand. It ain't the stock market here. If you bought kits to build, the value would not mean a thing. Many of us go through this. We buy some grail kit that's rare and then someone re releases it....so what! I bought a bunch of Renwal Revival 66 kits and if Revell decided to release them again, I would not really care. But they won't release them because the tooling is damaged....but still.

[DPNM]

I did not ask for a refund because the value went down. I asked for the refund because I was expecting them on Saturday the 30th which is the day I should have gotten them. Being they did not show up that day I had finally had enough. I was still unsure if I would ever see them. Going down in value is the reason, I believe, that I did not get a refund.