Garry,
I never had a problem contacting SM directly.
John always answered my e-mails, usually withing 12 hours, never longer than 24 hours.
Even Anton answers me within 24 hours.
Parts have never been a problen; I ordered a bypass for my F-16 and it took about two weeks. They ship pretty fast; the delay seems to be in China customs.
I think you'll get a better response if you contact them directly, not through a dealer.
I'm getting a 1/5th F-86 and I'd like to know what issues you had with the model.
BRG,
Jon