Ordering From Model-Space in the US

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SeanMAIN
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Ordering From Model-Space in the US

Post by SeanMAIN »

Hello

I wanted to share my experience in dealing with Model-Space over the last 6 months. Over the years, I bought the 1/8 McLaren Mp4/4 and Mp4/23. Both kits are very nice, I cannot complain. Everything shipped on time, without delay. Then I started the Valentino Rossi subscription. The bike is 1/4 and it is spectacular! The detail is beyond what I expected. However, what I did not expect was to have the deliveries stop in August of last year due to "back order" That was almost 6 months ago and every time I call, crickets...nothing. They have no answer as to when they will resume shipment. When I asked for management, they are not available to speak to you. Pretty lame.

So now they JUST released the Ford GT40, which also looks amazing. So like a fool, I started that one. No first shipment. So I called this morning and was told that they DID NOT HAVE PACK 1! They had pack 2 and 3, but no pack one! I asked the idiot on the phone how could you introduce a model that you don't even have the parts for...no answer.

While they may make or sell great kits, getting them seems to be a big problem. I canceled my order and I am done with these fools. If you are going to buy from them, you may want to call and see if they actually have your kit in stock.
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Re: Ordering From Model-Space in the US

Post by capri-schorsch »

Was a good decision to cancel the GT40.
That thing is only a upscaled Die-cast for kids. When you look at the rims and brake dics I got tears in my eyes. Nothing like the McLaren kits in 1/8.
Bad designend Abo kit for an amount of more than 1300€.
Looks like they will make fast money instead of selling quality.
The first test parts of the Porsche 917k are looking also rubbish.
It's a shame what they are selling for that money.
Resin Kits and Parts for Sale
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http://mezzo-mix-models.jimdo.com
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Re: Ordering From Model-Space in the US

Post by SeanMAIN »

Good to know. The Rossi is amazing. I will start a thread. I did just box stock, and managed to get threw 3/4 of the first 15 packs in a day. IT IS HUGE! Hope I get to finish that one, but not holding my breath.

There is a new company that just released the 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 Super Snake. Agora Models.

www.agoramodels.com

They seem to put out a good product and they address the issues I am having with Model-Space. I believe they are the founders of Model-Space. The Mustang dose not interest me, but they are scheduled to release two other cars this year. There are some very positive reviews on YouTube.
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Re: Ordering From Model-Space in the US

Post by waxdart »

Oh yes, this is my wheelhouse. I can't stress enough just how crappy the service is from ModelSpace USA. I have been in a year and a half battle to get my installments for a plank on frame ship kit from them. So far, I've gotten just 4 months of parts for a 1 year subscription and even those were incomplete. They have charged my card and 3 months later I haven't gotten what they have charged me for. I have filed complaints with the BBB and they wrote me back that they are not getting any responses. Buyer beware.

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Re: Ordering From Model-Space in the US

Post by Noddy »

No dealings with the US side of it but I know that the UK side is nothing but a call centre. They are impossible to deal with.
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Re: Ordering From Model-Space in the US

Post by SeanMAIN »

When was first buying, they were not like they are now. I had one contact that was awesome. There were a few times where parts were missing or I was receiving double shipments but being only charged for one.(I called and sent the extras back) Then I didn’t buy anything for awhile because nothing interested me, until the Rosso bike. I had no problems, but had to call them a couple of times because I moved and a lost shipment. It had a very call center vibe, with hindsight. Some helpful, some couldn’t care less, like the guy today. I have had to call several times to enquirer about the delays.

Now I get it, based on a prior comment. Only a few reasons why a company would have a back order of 6 months to a year, especially if you’re on the subscription business. Now that’s some excellent management.
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Re: Ordering From Model-Space in the US

Post by Eagle »

Sorry to read about the problems some are having with Modelspace USA; which is also just a call center--I have the GT40 on order with the idea of making improvements, since the only other one in this scale is by Amalgam and that will cost $13K. I built the XKE and found it to be less detailed than the McLarens but it still turned out to be a nice piece; the wire wheels a bit fiddly but look great when done; adding some aftermarket engine decals and changing the seats and interior color:
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Re: Ordering From Model-Space in the US

Post by SeanMAIN »

Nice Jag! Can’t complain about the quality, just the service and the wait. Shady. I don’t understand why the rest of the world gets all the good stuff, like the F40LM, Ferrari GTO, La Ferrari and a handful of others, while we get a VW bus, a Dodge Charger from Fast and Furious and a few others that are not that interesting. The Porsche 911 is ok, the Lamborghini, who cares?
Agora Models says they will ship world wide, maybe the rest will follow suit. Selling full kits along side the subscription out of the gate would be nice as well. Waiting a year or two seems just stupid to collect your money if you’ve invested so much in design & tooling. SELL FULL KITS! Make some older F1 cars from the 70s and 80s. There seems to me a market. Sorry, venting.

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Re: Ordering From Model-Space in the US

Post by Noddy »

SeanMAIN wrote:Selling full kits along side the subscription out of the gate would be nice as well. Waiting a year or two seems just stupid to collect your money if you’ve invested so much in design & tooling. SELL FULL KITS! Make some older F1 cars from the 70s and 80s. There seems to me a market. Sorry, venting.
Some of them are available as full kits - notably the MP4/4 and the other McLaren.
The disconnect here appears to be that these are not all manufactured by the same company and the manufacturers sell to different distributors around the world - most of whom appear to be publishing based rather than hobby or model based. So the manufacturer shops their kit around the world and different companies pick up whatever they think will sell in their market. I suspect that there are agreements whereby they (mostly) can't sell worldwide to avoid stepping on other companies in other regions. I have no idea why some really nice kits haven't been picked up by more distributors - the LaFerrari for example.
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Re: Ordering From Model-Space in the US

Post by SeanMAIN »

Noddy, what I meant was I wish they sold full kits along side the subscriptions when they are first released. I know they sell full kits, but they don’t offer them initially. It would be nice to have both options as soon as they launch. Waiting a year or two to complete is a very long time. As a business man, I’d want to bring in as much cash as fast as possible...cash flow. I don’t build anything else, so my options are limited. And I live in the US...two strikes. 4 of you count Trump!

Your explanation about manufacturing and distribution makes sense. Didn’t really understand the business model until Model-Space started playing games. Thank you for explaining it better.
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