superjedi
Sr Member
Ah, gentle reader, perhaps you thought this would be one of those threads with a "XXX sucks" title, and turn out to be ironic. Well, sadly this is not the case here.
I will outline a transaction that has been going on for 8 freakin' months now, and although I consider myself to be a very patient person. . . I'm done. :angry Until this gets resolved, I will consider the proprietor of Wilco Models to have stolen money from me.
It began on January 12th, 2007, when I ordered an X-Wing pilot helmet kit from Wilco Models. I decided to order the vac-formed kit, which I would complete myself. I'm no stranger to vac-form or resin modeling, so didn't anticipate any problems. I paid the sum of $90.00 via Paypal.
So I waited.
The following are paraphrased emails to and from Wilco Models.
Some of my sent email dates are approximate, as some of the earliest ones have disappeared. I do however, have all of Wilco's emails to me saved.
The first message I received from Wilco was on Feb 13, 2007, in which he explained that he had been waiting for a shipment of styrene to arrive, and he should be manufacturing my kit "that weekend."
Feb 21, 2007 I received another message from Wilco saying that he had gotten the kit made, but "laid open his thumb" in the workshop and was unable to trim and pack it for shipment.
Sometime between then and his next message, I asked him for an update.
March 6, 2007 I heard back. He said it "should be in the mail by Friday."
Requested another update after that "Friday" had come and gone.
March 19, 2007. He said he was "packing it today and shipping in the morning."
I did receive the kit sometime around the end of March. To begin with, it was incomplete. It was advertised to contain all parts necessary to build it up, including decals and the black edge trim around the bottom. The edge trim was nowhere in the box.
Furthermore, the 2 main outer shells were cracked! This was not an area that would be hidden once the helmet was complete. There were cracks in the "cheek" areas. Kind of where the lowered visor would rest against the cheeks.
I emailed Wilco and told him about the damage and missing pieces and asked about the possibility of a refund. He said he didn't give refunds but he offered me 2 options: to return it so he could replace the missing/damaged pieces, or, to return it and he would do the kit as a "build up" for my trouble. I agreed to have him build up the kit for me, and sent it back to him (at my own expense.)
I heard nothing for a while. I finally emailed him sometime around the middle of April to see if he got the package back.
April 22, 2007. He emailed me and said he had received it (thanks for letting me know!) and "hoped to have it finished by the end of the week."
May 16, 2007. I emailed him back saying it had been 3 weeks or so, and could I get an update.
June 11, 2007. Never got my update. . . after nearly a month. . .so I emailed him again asking what was up.
June 12, 2007. He emailed me saying it would be mailed out by "Saturday morning." (June 16th) He had an upcoming Air Force TDY and would be mailing out all his backorders before his trip.
June 16, 2007. He emailed me again, saying he didn't have a chance to get the helmet out before his trip. For the delays, he offered to include a chest box and wrist computer when he sent it to me.
July 30, 2007. After hearing NOTHING AT ALL for over a month I emailed him again asking for. . . drumroll please. . . an update!!!
July 31, 2007. He replied, saying he was back home, and would ship my helmet "by Thursday." (August 2nd.)
August 15, 2007. I emailed him again and told him I wanted my helmet or my $$$ back.
Up until today, I had been polite and merely wanted some communication regarding the status of my order. Today's email was, by my standards, kinda rude. Like I said, I'm patient. . . but he's had my $90.00 for 8 months now, and I have nothing.
Regardless of how this turns out, I don't see myself dealing with Wilco Models in the future.
What does this thread do? Well, probably nothing much when all is said and done. It's just kind of cathartic to get it all down in words.
*sigh*
I will outline a transaction that has been going on for 8 freakin' months now, and although I consider myself to be a very patient person. . . I'm done. :angry Until this gets resolved, I will consider the proprietor of Wilco Models to have stolen money from me.
It began on January 12th, 2007, when I ordered an X-Wing pilot helmet kit from Wilco Models. I decided to order the vac-formed kit, which I would complete myself. I'm no stranger to vac-form or resin modeling, so didn't anticipate any problems. I paid the sum of $90.00 via Paypal.
So I waited.
The following are paraphrased emails to and from Wilco Models.
Some of my sent email dates are approximate, as some of the earliest ones have disappeared. I do however, have all of Wilco's emails to me saved.
The first message I received from Wilco was on Feb 13, 2007, in which he explained that he had been waiting for a shipment of styrene to arrive, and he should be manufacturing my kit "that weekend."
Feb 21, 2007 I received another message from Wilco saying that he had gotten the kit made, but "laid open his thumb" in the workshop and was unable to trim and pack it for shipment.
Sometime between then and his next message, I asked him for an update.
March 6, 2007 I heard back. He said it "should be in the mail by Friday."
Requested another update after that "Friday" had come and gone.
March 19, 2007. He said he was "packing it today and shipping in the morning."
I did receive the kit sometime around the end of March. To begin with, it was incomplete. It was advertised to contain all parts necessary to build it up, including decals and the black edge trim around the bottom. The edge trim was nowhere in the box.
Furthermore, the 2 main outer shells were cracked! This was not an area that would be hidden once the helmet was complete. There were cracks in the "cheek" areas. Kind of where the lowered visor would rest against the cheeks.
I emailed Wilco and told him about the damage and missing pieces and asked about the possibility of a refund. He said he didn't give refunds but he offered me 2 options: to return it so he could replace the missing/damaged pieces, or, to return it and he would do the kit as a "build up" for my trouble. I agreed to have him build up the kit for me, and sent it back to him (at my own expense.)
I heard nothing for a while. I finally emailed him sometime around the middle of April to see if he got the package back.
April 22, 2007. He emailed me and said he had received it (thanks for letting me know!) and "hoped to have it finished by the end of the week."
May 16, 2007. I emailed him back saying it had been 3 weeks or so, and could I get an update.
June 11, 2007. Never got my update. . . after nearly a month. . .so I emailed him again asking what was up.
June 12, 2007. He emailed me saying it would be mailed out by "Saturday morning." (June 16th) He had an upcoming Air Force TDY and would be mailing out all his backorders before his trip.
June 16, 2007. He emailed me again, saying he didn't have a chance to get the helmet out before his trip. For the delays, he offered to include a chest box and wrist computer when he sent it to me.
July 30, 2007. After hearing NOTHING AT ALL for over a month I emailed him again asking for. . . drumroll please. . . an update!!!
July 31, 2007. He replied, saying he was back home, and would ship my helmet "by Thursday." (August 2nd.)
August 15, 2007. I emailed him again and told him I wanted my helmet or my $$$ back.
Up until today, I had been polite and merely wanted some communication regarding the status of my order. Today's email was, by my standards, kinda rude. Like I said, I'm patient. . . but he's had my $90.00 for 8 months now, and I have nothing.
Regardless of how this turns out, I don't see myself dealing with Wilco Models in the future.
What does this thread do? Well, probably nothing much when all is said and done. It's just kind of cathartic to get it all down in words.
*sigh*
