LesUyeda

I am finally at the end of my journey with Arizona Models, and I must vent, or explode.

I must accept part of the responsibility myself. I read the thread http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_99734/tm.htm, but, I worked in a hobby shop for 7 years after I retired, and I am familiar with the personality that will not be satisfied "no matter what", the complaining just for the sake of complaining, and that you seldom hear the good things only the bad. My original mistake was to believe that NO ONE could possibly do business that way and still be in business. Boy, what an error in judgement on my part.

I placed my order, got an acknowledgement on 26 January. 3 Months and many e-mails later (some of which were never answered), and a bunch of the "typical for Arizona Models" lame excuses, I got 2 Spandau kits. I immediately began building, but things just didn't feel right. They "felt" much too small for the plane that I was intending to put them into.

I took my available information, and that supplied by Arizona Models, and found that the kits supplied were 1/9th scale, not 1/8 scale. More e-mails, more excuses, and now, almost six months later Jamie sent me 4 sets of wood parts, 8 sets of manila cardboard parts. Apparently, 4 sets six months along is better than 2 sets in a timely fashion as far as he is concerned. I called him on the fact that no ammunition was supplied (as advertised) and was told that he didn't do that under 1/6th scale and he would have the web site corrected. This was in early May and it still reads the same; but now "machined flash suppressor(s)" are not even being supplied. No big loss since the ones supplied for the 1/9th were no where near scale.

Amongst the "parts held up in customs", "I was out of town", "the laser cutter must have mismarked them", and on and on, the latest excuse was, on 22 June;
"What I did find was that the error
> in the kits was not a labeling mistake which was what I first thought but
> the production drawing being completely inaccurate.
>
> In order to correct this I have had to have the CAD file redrawn from
> scratch and then sent to the laser shop for a new batch of guns to be cut.
> Unfortunately this is not a job that can be accomplished in a couple of
days
> especially since our laser shop is outside the county.

Since the only problem with what he sent me was the scale, that doesn't hold water. Since you don't take the files out of the system to send them to the laser cutter, they still exist in some manner and only need scaling, even if he was to use the one that generated the 1/9th kits he first supplied. Since the "outside the country" in reality is no farther away than his computer, all you have to do is attach the file to an e-mail. AND since the "revised" laser cut parts are precisely, to the mm , the identical layout as the print he sent me, all credibility is lost.

I am still trying to figure out what nature of beast I have been dealing with. I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind thinking that customers are stupid enough to actually believe the drivel that he spouts. His excuses are inconsistent, contradictory, and illogical. I never once got even an "sorry for the delay", so he obviously thinks that this nature of doing business is normal and acceptable. At least I will never, never have to go there again.

Les

abufletcher

I think the trick is that he probably completely believes his own BS.

russm

get your money back and call it a day.

LesUyeda

Abu: I almost wish I could believe that, but when he straight out lies, that is not a matter of being delusional on his part, that is a matter of "they're dumb, they will never know the difference."

Les

abufletcher

It's just that I've also run across a few of these types and often they seem to have rather loose grip on reality.

nicostoffi

Hello,
I ordered 5.11.07 a Flyboy Fokker DR I.

Reached at may with very, very lousy plans.
Not the quality, but things don' show it on the plans.

No how to built the axl wing, struts, thickness of rudder and elevator, and so on.
I became new plans from Jamie, but the same things are't shown.

I think that we are modelbuilder and so I will do these things in my own way.
Takes a little bit longer, but will have no stress.

Here the standings

eagledancer

i have to agree the quality of his plans are quite lousy. i have bought 1/3 dh1a, 1/3 dh2 and a 1/12 gotha kit. there is so much you best know on how to build before you take on one of his kits or just a set of plans. if you want just the basics and fill in the blanks yourself then go for it. but the prices are quite unreasionably high for the quality you get

SoCalSal

My Feedback: (16)

How about this idea?????? just don't buy anymore stuff from him?. I bought a 1/3 Jungmeister kit from him. Most of the kit got to me very fast. But the quality of the thing is not even good enough to work with. Wood parts were of the lowest quality he could find as was most of the rest of the kit.
Let's all ban togeather and put the word out about this guy and his low quality junk he sells.
Arizona Models is giving kit sellers a bad name. He should try his skills at something else as he cannot produce a kit very well.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

nicostoffi it looks like you are doing some nice work there....don't forget to post some pics when you are done!

LDM

My Feedback: (15)

You can always go see them , southwest from SD to Arizona , make an appointment for a FRiday , spend the weekend , in person visits do two things , 1)eye to eye contact no bull 2) its usually scares the he......ll out of them
Ask me how I know

motfesg

They have appointed a dealer in the UK ( http://www.fighteraces.co.uk/) and i thought about the Jungemister kit for electric - checking to see if anyone had built this - came accross this thread so probably not..

LesUyeda

motfesg: And after waiting the almost 6 months, I started on the kits, and was not happy. I did the cooling jacket; started on the receiver, and things were so NOT scale (not even squint scale) that I threw everything away, and did what I should have done in the first place, and made my own, for about the same amount of money.

Les

abufletcher

With skills like those, why would you ever need a kit of anything! [sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif][sm=thumbs_up.gif] You won't be willing to share some of your detailing secrets, would you? On the other hand, I suspect they might go something like this: "First, hand-carve an absolutely flawless charging handle, then..."

Helijet

Oh...this is not good

Gentlemen

Long story short, I recently found out that my great uncle was a hangar monkey on the western front in Germany. So, displaying and flying a replica Albatros or other has a very personal meaning. I just spoke with Arizona and was planning on having them custom build to flight ready a model.

Has anyone else gone this route with them?
Any suggestions, concerns?
The cost will be wellover $5K when its done so it important that this projetc be done right

Thanks
Dean Wichmann

abufletcher

Why not just buy one of these?

http://www.3seabees.com/pricing.html

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Helijet,
I would reconsider if I were you. I keep a list of businesses that burn people like this. With all that has been said in many different threads, the risk is just too much for that amount of money. Even if they delivered you still are at risk of being satisfied. Gotta get references from sources unknown by the business. Here on rcu, it can be pretty easy.
Edwin

Helijet

Since finding this thread I have received some very worthwhile feedback from previous customers. Wow, that was quick and very helpful. My decision is to spend my money elsewhere - way too many dissatisfied customers!

Thanks again guys!
I really appreciated the feedback

Regards
Dean Wichmann

Babblefish7

has anyone gotten the Japanese Willow from 3seabees?

thanks mark

LesUyeda

Abu. I designed, put up the cutting drawings, and had everything laser cut by Monanzo. This is the prototype. I will do a build thread after I get the other two built and mounted in the airframe.

At 1/8 scale, my ageing eyes, and trembling hands, I had enough trouble trying to glue things together, let alone hand carve anything.

Les

abufletcher

It's good to know that you are a mere mortal like the rest of us. I sort of imagined you taking a block of balsa and a #11 blade and having these done 5 minutes later!

camdyson

You should see the photoetched one on my 1/72 Eduard Fokker EIII - need an operating microscope for that one......[sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

Dai Phan

My Feedback: (2)

Hi all,

Three Sea Bees stuff is FIRST CLASS. These were built, assembled at the factory THEN dissambled for packaging. They are expensive but considering the quality of the built, I say they are cheap for such asking. I have three and I still marvel at them daily! Dai

SoCalSal

My Feedback: (16)

Hey thanks for the link!!!! This place is just fantastic!!! I love old war birds and this place is great. I wounder if they are as good a quality as the Proctor kits??? Anybody know for sure???
The pricing is very high but if the quality is as high as the price then it is a good but in my mind.

abufletcher

From what I can make out from the photos, they look like the best WWI ARFs available. ARFs that are better quality than most casual modelers will be able to manage. But I believe one of the Proctor Museum Scale models in the hands of a skilled modeler will probably yield a better model.

pmlj3

Hi there , my name is paul I am in NH USA. I came across your concern on building a albatros I have just done one for someone in Atlanta and can assure you hands down I could produce a model that would have a 87% chance or higher of placing top 3 spots at a contest. feel free to talk to me I have good refrences and pics (603)235-2554