American Model Builders are a PITA to work with

[Boba Debt]

Boba Debt,

Akumazeto and I were not talking about you. I assure you had I been talking about you, I would have addressed you directly.

Regarding your thread title and context of your thread, did you ever stop and think for a moment, that these builders are already booked?
Maybe, they don’t want to deal with an overseas client.
Maybe, they sense a negative attitude from you.

If everywhere you go, you run into a$$holes, maybe it’s YOU that is the a$$hole.

Then who were you talking about and why do it in this thread????

If a builder is too busy to accept new work there is this little thing where they can actually create a post to EXPLAIN THAT

 

[Boba Debt]

Let me re-iterate

In 20 years I have had 2 exceptional interactions with American Builders

Lynn Barlow and recently thepoynt

 

[akumazeto]

meh. Best of luck

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I don't know why you're bringing race into a discussion on model commissions especially when you have no clue what color any member is. Geez dude...

 

[Boba Debt]

Sluis, seriously dude?? We go way back and this is the type of response you post

It's almost like you don't recognize me

First of all "American" is not a race, it's a nationality

Secondly, it just what I have observed during my time on this forum and more recently Facebook, Esty, etc.

I tried to get our model collection going SO MANY times and it normally ended in disappointment

The model you get looks nothing like the model from the thread, build times that go WAY past the estimate, upcharges for things that were settled, and when you get it, there's a pile of parts that fell off in shipping that you have to reattach.

In the past, shipping models to other countries made it cost prohibitive so I was settled for who I could get, but not anymore.

I'll find the right person for each model I want built, and if I can't, I figure out a way to do it myself

If nothing, I'm persistent, and determined

I hounded Alfred Wong for his personal Hammerhead for more then a decade.

One day luck intersected with persistence and during a simple conversation about a re-caster, he not only found a partial kit in his basement but he was able to make the the missing parts, scrounge up the decals, build and finish the kit and delivered it to me from Canada in less then 3 weeks

Once I paid him, we didn't speak until it was done.

That's how things should work, but in my experience, they don't go so well when I deal with my fellow Americans

There are exceptions but they are few and far between, I just need to find those special people, with solid hobby ethics that are tolerant of my unique requests

 

[joberg]

I don't know why you're bringing race into a discussion on model commissions especially when you have no clue what color any member is. Geez dude...

Didn't know that "American" was a race

 

[Boba Debt]

Didn't know that "American" was a race

A fellow member PMed me and said Sluis may have been talking about the "spoiled white guy" comment Akumazeto posted

If Sluis was talking about that comment, he'll chime in and let me know.

If he was talking about me I'll hunt him down and beat his Grand National with a baseball bat

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

Sluis, seriously dude?? We go way back and this is the type of response you post

It's almost like you don't recognize me

First of all "American" is not a race, it's a nationality

Secondly, it just what I have observed during my time on this forum and more recently Facebook, Esty, etc.

I tried to get our model collection going SO MANY times and it normally ended in disappointment

The model you get looks nothing like the model from the thread, build times that go WAY past the estimate, upcharges for things that were settled, and when you get it, there's a pile of parts that fell off in shipping that you have to reattach.

In the past, shipping models to other countries made it cost prohibitive so I was settled for who I could get, but not anymore.

I'll find the right person for each model I want built, and if I can't, I figure out a way to do it myself

If nothing, I'm persistent, and determined

I hounded Alfred Wong for his personal Hammerhead for more then a decade.

One day luck intersected with persistence and during a simple conversation about a re-caster, he not only found a partial kit in his basement but he was able to make the the missing parts, scrounge up the decals, build and finish the kit and delivered it to me from Canada in less then 3 weeks

Once I paid him, we didn't speak until it was done.

That's how things should work, but in my experience, they don't go so well when I deal with my fellow Americans

There are exceptions but they are few and far between, I just need to find those special people, with solid hobby ethics that are tolerant of my unique requests

View attachment 1371857​

That wasn't directed at you, we're cool.

 

[Boba Debt]

That wasn't directed at you, we're cool.

Then you can sleep at night knowing that black beauty is safe

 

[patrickivan]

This was one of the most ridiculous threads I've read here. Naturally, I'm going to through in my 2 cents. And it has nothing to do with where the business is from.

I used to run a side hustle. A very popular and in-demand woodworking business. Before that, I did phone repairs. Work all day, then come home and work.

In BOTH businesses, no inquiry sat unanswered for more than 24 hours. Even if the response was that I received your contact and will get back to very soon. And never more than a couple of days. There is NO ******* way in hell, that anyone running a business can't answer an email or phone call within 24 hours unless they're on vacation or there's an emergency. And if that's the case, guess what, we have automatic replies to inform customers of that.

Seriously, a ******* week to hear back is unacceptable. Move on. No one who can't be bothered to take your money by waiting a week or more to respond is going to take you seriously and respect you as a customer.

And if they have an online contact form and their response is: "Call me". **** that. You have an online contact form, and someone uses that, respect the customer for their choice to contact you in the manner that you've given them. If a business in the 21st century is uncomfortable with text-based contact, then don't have emails, DMing, or any form of online contact forms.

The customer is king when you run a business. That doesn't mean they can be ******** to someone, it means aside from that, if you want to take their hard-earned money, ******* respect them for going to you.

Stop making excuses for people who want to take other people's money if they won't respect the customer.

 

[joberg]

This was one of the most ridiculous threads I've read here. Naturally, I'm going to through in my 2 cents. And it has nothing to do with where the business is from.

I used to run a side hustle. A very popular and in-demand woodworking business. Before that, I did phone repairs. Work all day, then come home and work.

In BOTH businesses, no inquiry sat unanswered for more than 24 hours. Even if the response was that I received your contact and will get back to very soon. And never more than a couple of days. There is NO ******* way in hell, that anyone running a business can't answer an email or phone call within 24 hours unless they're on vacation or there's an emergency. And if that's the case, guess what, we have automatic replies to inform customers of that.

Seriously, a ******* week to hear back is unacceptable. Move on. No one who can't be bothered to take your money by waiting a week or more to respond is going to take you seriously and respect you as a customer.

And if they have an online contact form and their response is: "Call me". **** that. You have an online contact form, and someone uses that, respect the customer for their choice to contact you in the manner that you've given them. If a business in the 21st century is uncomfortable with text-based contact, then don't have emails, DMing, or any form of online contact forms.

The customer is king when you run a business. That doesn't mean they can be ******** to someone, it means aside from that, if you want to take their hard-earned money, ******* respect them for going to you.

Stop making excuses for people who want to take other people's money if they won't respect the customer.

^^
That's how it should be done in my book and that's what I do to any customer!

 

[Jedi Dade]

OK this thread took a hard left...

Are there anyone builder out there looking for a commission? If so PM Boba Debt. I have dealt with him over the years - he's a stand up person. I was thinking of breaking my rules against taking commissions for him but I just don't have enough time and would not want to keep him hanging... and I have a day job

Jedi Dade

 

[JSConnolly]

With a few exceptions such as thepoynt and Lynn Barlow, my experience with American model builders has always sucked..

I'm trying to commission 4-5 builds and dealing with American builders has been very frustrating

Taking 4-7 days to respond to a message or email, constantly making excuses for why they can't call or reply, etc

I thought Steve Neisen was an outlier but he seems to be the norm

I wanted a Hammerhead, contacted Alfred Wong in Canada and 2 weeks later I had one

I talked to a builder from Greece about a Viper build a he was very receptive and replied quickly despite the time difference.

But I contacted several American builders that advertise on Facebook, etc, and it's like pulling teeth to get them to even reply

What "Builds" do you want/need done?
I've got PLENTY Of time on my hands?

Please Contact me! I would LOVE to help!

Joe

 

[Boba Debt]

What "Builds" do you want/need done?
I've got PLENTY Of time on my hands?

Please Contact me! I would LOVE to help!

Joe

Right now I have 3 models in process and 3 other builder have contacted me about future builds

 

[JSConnolly]

Right now I have 3 models in process and 3 other builder have contacted me about future builds

Ok... Well Post some pics of anything you want/need help on or done? Like I said I've got LOTS and LOTS of time!
I'm not working right now because of COVID. So I have LOTS of time and Talent to Burn! LOL