Jazajia
Well-known member
Sorry, no, you're not getting personal accounts of all the times I've gotten stuck with broken models from manufacturers and distributors - that'd make for a juicy thread, but the topic does not belong in a public forum.
Instead, I will share a personal account from the retailer's point of view when a customer receives a broken product.
Recently, our fellow MAF member, and my personal friend @josecolme, bought two models from me. I am posting this with his consent.
One of the models came from the boneyard section of the shop, where I list damaged models. The story of how this model ended up in that section is also worth mentioning.
This model had already been inspected and considered to be okay by both the manufacturer and me. It was not until I was editing the product photos that I noticed a paint chip on the right side of the aft fuselage. I had to find another model to retake the product photos, and placed the defective one in the boneyard section.
I found the paint chip by dumb luck. If I had taken a different model out for the product photos, I probably would not have realized this one had a paint chip, and I could have shipped it to anybody. Sometimes I had not been this lucky.
You might think that things like the paint chip in question are impossible to miss in a model inspection, but believe me, it happens a lot. The fact of the matter is that as a retail operation grows, something has to give. When I started retailing, I was eagerly inspecting every model very carefully, but I very quickly realized that it was infeasible to do this with every single model. So, I have switched to taking quick peeks, looking mainly for broken or loose parts, missing tires and antennas, etc. And I still miss those sometimes, it just happens when you are checking dozens of models at a time. And let's not forget that these models have already undergone QC by the factory. By the way, I routinely discover defects on models that I have had in my collection for years.
Back to the original story, Josecolme bought the model knowing it had a paint chip, but the model arrived with even further, and quite frankly, mysterious damage.
The last time I saw the model, it looked like this:
Josecolme received the model looking like this:
Only two blades out of a four-bladed prop inside the box. Anybody's guess about the whereabouts of the other two blades is as good as Jose's and mine.
Anybody who has bought models from me knows that I always wrap them in bubble wrap or a plastic bag to protect them from water in case they are left out in the rain. So it is really puzzling how the other half of the prop managed to disappear. And we all know @josecolme is no newbie, he pulled the foam out, checked the crevices, and all that...
After taking the photos for the site, I boxed this model, and it sat in the same spot on my shelves until I pulled it to pack it up for shipping. In full disclosure, I did not inspect the model again, as I had already seen the model very well and I knew where it had been the whole time. Or so I thought, many people visit my office while I am gone, but I have never found anything particularly undisturbed upon returning.
But even if something unbeknownst to me happened to the model at some point, it had to be major for the prop to slip out of the box. 3DD foam inserts are snuggy, thick, and dense...
And finally, it is unlikely that the package was mishandled, as the other 3DD model in the box arrived unharmed. Plus, it does not explain the disappearance of the prop blades.
Anyway, I thought we all could benefit from this tale because I know firsthand that feeling when we receive a broken model. It is too easy to feel anger towards the retailer and feel that somehow the retailer was negligent, and this should not have happened. And yes, I could have done a few things better, such as taking one last look at the model before packing it up, but I think it has become clear that I was certain that I was shipping out the product my friend was expecting.
Of course, in the end, the responsibility falls on me, and none of us should let any retailer tell us otherwise in situations like this. So a refund was issued, and I ended up losing money (the cost of doing business, as they call it).
Thanks to @josecolme for allowing me to share this story to highlight that the hate that some collectors express towards retailers might not always be warranted.
Instead, I will share a personal account from the retailer's point of view when a customer receives a broken product.
Recently, our fellow MAF member, and my personal friend @josecolme, bought two models from me. I am posting this with his consent.
One of the models came from the boneyard section of the shop, where I list damaged models. The story of how this model ended up in that section is also worth mentioning.
This model had already been inspected and considered to be okay by both the manufacturer and me. It was not until I was editing the product photos that I noticed a paint chip on the right side of the aft fuselage. I had to find another model to retake the product photos, and placed the defective one in the boneyard section.
I found the paint chip by dumb luck. If I had taken a different model out for the product photos, I probably would not have realized this one had a paint chip, and I could have shipped it to anybody. Sometimes I had not been this lucky.
You might think that things like the paint chip in question are impossible to miss in a model inspection, but believe me, it happens a lot. The fact of the matter is that as a retail operation grows, something has to give. When I started retailing, I was eagerly inspecting every model very carefully, but I very quickly realized that it was infeasible to do this with every single model. So, I have switched to taking quick peeks, looking mainly for broken or loose parts, missing tires and antennas, etc. And I still miss those sometimes, it just happens when you are checking dozens of models at a time. And let's not forget that these models have already undergone QC by the factory. By the way, I routinely discover defects on models that I have had in my collection for years.
Back to the original story, Josecolme bought the model knowing it had a paint chip, but the model arrived with even further, and quite frankly, mysterious damage.
The last time I saw the model, it looked like this:
Josecolme received the model looking like this:
Only two blades out of a four-bladed prop inside the box. Anybody's guess about the whereabouts of the other two blades is as good as Jose's and mine.
Anybody who has bought models from me knows that I always wrap them in bubble wrap or a plastic bag to protect them from water in case they are left out in the rain. So it is really puzzling how the other half of the prop managed to disappear. And we all know @josecolme is no newbie, he pulled the foam out, checked the crevices, and all that...
After taking the photos for the site, I boxed this model, and it sat in the same spot on my shelves until I pulled it to pack it up for shipping. In full disclosure, I did not inspect the model again, as I had already seen the model very well and I knew where it had been the whole time. Or so I thought, many people visit my office while I am gone, but I have never found anything particularly undisturbed upon returning.
But even if something unbeknownst to me happened to the model at some point, it had to be major for the prop to slip out of the box. 3DD foam inserts are snuggy, thick, and dense...
And finally, it is unlikely that the package was mishandled, as the other 3DD model in the box arrived unharmed. Plus, it does not explain the disappearance of the prop blades.
Anyway, I thought we all could benefit from this tale because I know firsthand that feeling when we receive a broken model. It is too easy to feel anger towards the retailer and feel that somehow the retailer was negligent, and this should not have happened. And yes, I could have done a few things better, such as taking one last look at the model before packing it up, but I think it has become clear that I was certain that I was shipping out the product my friend was expecting.
Of course, in the end, the responsibility falls on me, and none of us should let any retailer tell us otherwise in situations like this. So a refund was issued, and I ended up losing money (the cost of doing business, as they call it).
Thanks to @josecolme for allowing me to share this story to highlight that the hate that some collectors express towards retailers might not always be warranted.
