Flite Metal (Ed Clayman) Unresponsiveness
05-09-2005, 08:55 AM
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Flite Metal (Ed Clayman) Unresponsiveness
Has anyone heard from Ed Clayman with Flight Metal? I have left 3 voice mails and 3 emails with him over the last 3 weeks, and have not had a single reply.
I purchased 6" Flite Metal to cover my 1/4 scale P51D 2 months ago and was told that the 12" stock that I needed would be available in 1 to 2 weeks. I am done with all the areas that I can use the 6" on and can go no further. I wanted to complete this plane by the end of May (this year!) and now am committed to using Flite Metal since it is already on 2/3 of my plane. I wish that Ed had told me upfront that it would take 2 to 3 months to order the rest of my material, not 1 to 2 weeks. I am also glad that I did not exchange money yet on the 12" stock. Any thoughts?
Grounded for now[&o]
I purchased 6" Flite Metal to cover my 1/4 scale P51D 2 months ago and was told that the 12" stock that I needed would be available in 1 to 2 weeks. I am done with all the areas that I can use the 6" on and can go no further. I wanted to complete this plane by the end of May (this year!) and now am committed to using Flite Metal since it is already on 2/3 of my plane. I wish that Ed had told me upfront that it would take 2 to 3 months to order the rest of my material, not 1 to 2 weeks. I am also glad that I did not exchange money yet on the 12" stock. Any thoughts?
Grounded for now[&o]
05-09-2005, 09:10 AM
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RE: Flite Metal (Ed Clayman) Unresponsiveness
This is common with this outfit. I have tried many times to tell everyone that there is no difference between "Flite Metal" and regular HVAC Aluminum tape that you get at home depot, or do a search on the net for bigger sizes, but for whatever reason, the guy comes on and says it's different, but won't tell anyone any real way that it is.
I ordered some two years ago for my YA F-15 and it took about that long to get it as well. You will eventually get it, and making posts on RCU historically does get his attention.
Good Luck,
Sean
I ordered some two years ago for my YA F-15 and it took about that long to get it as well. You will eventually get it, and making posts on RCU historically does get his attention.
Good Luck,
Sean
05-10-2005, 12:31 PM
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RE: Flite Metal (Ed Clayman) Unresponsiveness
Hi!
I agree about Flite-Metal not being any different than ordinary aluminum tape bought in general stores...the problem over here is Sweden is getting it in wider sizes than 5cm.
Regards!
Jan K
Sweden
I agree about Flite-Metal not being any different than ordinary aluminum tape bought in general stores...the problem over here is Sweden is getting it in wider sizes than 5cm.
Regards!
Jan K
Sweden
05-10-2005, 12:38 PM
#4
RE: Flite Metal (Ed Clayman) Unresponsiveness
Here is someone else using hvac aluminum tape, and a site that sells at least 4" which is 10 cm.
http://www.strictlyscale.com/spitfire7.htm
http://amconservationgroup.com/catalog.aspx?catid=169
http://www.strictlyscale.com/spitfire7.htm
http://amconservationgroup.com/catalog.aspx?catid=169
05-13-2005, 10:56 AM
#5
RE: Flite Metal (Ed Clayman) Unresponsiveness
Actually, Top Gun, real world business travel, then travel to see family members has had us out of town for over two weeks. Email inquiries about inventory are always welcomed and replied to. We also answer our telephone inquiries "when we are in" to do so. All orders are processed FIFO. Orders are never shipped ahead of another.
Yes, we have had 12 inch Flite-Metal in inventory since your 6" order was received and promptly shipped to you, months ago. As we discussed earlier this morning, you still have not ordered any 12" Flite-Metal. Though that conversation was nearly four hours ago, you still have not entered an order for 12". This thread was begun on May 9th though you had never ordered 12" Flite-Metal. Please clue us in...as we are lost as to what is expected here? Note, we are being civil and nice in our response... It's simple, until an order is received we can't place you in the FIFO sequence. Other wise, you'd be getting ahead of other orders.
What is Flite-Metal...compared to everything else out there? Its adhesive backed aluminum foil which has a unique malability that makes it different than anything else we have ever found for application to a model. What all the "experts" say is true...you can cover a model in the adhesive backed foil found at Home Depot and Lowes. You've always been able to do that with varying degrees of success on the part of the appearance and safety of using RC equipment with it. But those materials are not the same, nor do they have the same adhesive ~ alloy ~ malability as Flite-Metal.
Nothing magic or mysterious.... Interestingly, in all the time we have been selling Flite-Metal...we have never stopped looking for an alternative source to fill the valley of supply and demand. We have yet to find another mill producing this alloy with the same attributes of that found in Flite-Metal.
Yes, we have had 12 inch Flite-Metal in inventory since your 6" order was received and promptly shipped to you, months ago. As we discussed earlier this morning, you still have not ordered any 12" Flite-Metal. Though that conversation was nearly four hours ago, you still have not entered an order for 12". This thread was begun on May 9th though you had never ordered 12" Flite-Metal. Please clue us in...as we are lost as to what is expected here? Note, we are being civil and nice in our response... It's simple, until an order is received we can't place you in the FIFO sequence. Other wise, you'd be getting ahead of other orders.
What is Flite-Metal...compared to everything else out there? Its adhesive backed aluminum foil which has a unique malability that makes it different than anything else we have ever found for application to a model. What all the "experts" say is true...you can cover a model in the adhesive backed foil found at Home Depot and Lowes. You've always been able to do that with varying degrees of success on the part of the appearance and safety of using RC equipment with it. But those materials are not the same, nor do they have the same adhesive ~ alloy ~ malability as Flite-Metal.
Nothing magic or mysterious.... Interestingly, in all the time we have been selling Flite-Metal...we have never stopped looking for an alternative source to fill the valley of supply and demand. We have yet to find another mill producing this alloy with the same attributes of that found in Flite-Metal.
05-13-2005, 11:16 AM
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RE: Flite Metal (Ed Clayman) Unresponsiveness
I've used both HVAC and Flitemetal, and the IS a big difference. Flitemetal wins by a longshot. All I ever use HVAC tape for now is to make hatch covers and other surface details that need to be thick to look right, which is all that Sean was using it for on his Spitfire in the reference that seanreit mentioned above. When he built his P-47 that was all aluminum he used Flitemetal.
I have yet to see a HVAC covered plane that looks like it is a real aluminum finish. It looks like tape. I have seen many Flitemetal covered planes, including my B-17, and they look like a real aluminum finish.
Hans
I have yet to see a HVAC covered plane that looks like it is a real aluminum finish. It looks like tape. I have seen many Flitemetal covered planes, including my B-17, and they look like a real aluminum finish.
Hans
05-13-2005, 02:06 PM
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RE: Flite Metal (Ed Clayman) Unresponsiveness
scaleaero (Flite Metal)
Lets deal with facts:
3/24 I placed the order, and payed in full, for my original purchase.
3/24 I recieved order acknowledgement for you.
3/27 asked when my order would ship, you stated it would ship no later than 3/31 and I would get a tracking number when shipped.
4/10 order finally shipped tracking number sent to me
4/11 order recieved
You have referred to this as I quote "received and promptly shipped ". My definition of "received and promptly shipped " would be a few days not 3 weeks!
Also, you seem very content to recieve payment immediately, through PayPal, even when your product is not available for shipment. Had I placed the order back on 3/24 for the 12" stock I would have been waiting for 7 weeks to date.
To infer that you have had 12" between 3/24 and now is very misleading. You and I have had several phone conversations on this topic and the 12" stock was always 2-3 days from arriving and per our conversation it is still 2-3 days from arriving. One of our conversations was prior to Top Gun and you were going to check to see if you might have a roll available and if not you were going to check with some of your larger customers to see if they had any available, you said you would get back to me either way. I even followed up with an email, I never heard from you.
Though I had left several emails and voice messages for you I have never heard back from you. Today 5/13 I tried one more time this morning and finally spoke with you. After our conversation I was prepared to place my order once I returned home today, even though the 12" stock wasn't actually available for "2-3 days".
My post here was an attempt to see if I was the only person experiencing this problem. I AM NOT!!!
If you were out of town you simply could have stated that on you voice mail message and your website.
I will not be ordering anything from you now or in the future. You have chosen to turn this into a personal issue when you could have simply respond to my post by stating that you were out of town.
Lets deal with facts:
3/24 I placed the order, and payed in full, for my original purchase.
3/24 I recieved order acknowledgement for you.
3/27 asked when my order would ship, you stated it would ship no later than 3/31 and I would get a tracking number when shipped.
4/10 order finally shipped tracking number sent to me
4/11 order recieved
You have referred to this as I quote "received and promptly shipped ". My definition of "received and promptly shipped " would be a few days not 3 weeks!
Also, you seem very content to recieve payment immediately, through PayPal, even when your product is not available for shipment. Had I placed the order back on 3/24 for the 12" stock I would have been waiting for 7 weeks to date.
To infer that you have had 12" between 3/24 and now is very misleading. You and I have had several phone conversations on this topic and the 12" stock was always 2-3 days from arriving and per our conversation it is still 2-3 days from arriving. One of our conversations was prior to Top Gun and you were going to check to see if you might have a roll available and if not you were going to check with some of your larger customers to see if they had any available, you said you would get back to me either way. I even followed up with an email, I never heard from you.
Though I had left several emails and voice messages for you I have never heard back from you. Today 5/13 I tried one more time this morning and finally spoke with you. After our conversation I was prepared to place my order once I returned home today, even though the 12" stock wasn't actually available for "2-3 days".
My post here was an attempt to see if I was the only person experiencing this problem. I AM NOT!!!
If you were out of town you simply could have stated that on you voice mail message and your website.
I will not be ordering anything from you now or in the future. You have chosen to turn this into a personal issue when you could have simply respond to my post by stating that you were out of town.
