ORIGINAL: Wart Hog

Hello all. I just have to warn fellow modelers before you spend your hard earned dollars with Troy Built Models or ESM. This isn't a ''Sore loser'' story. I just wish I had come across some type of review of Troy Built Models and ESM before I spent a large amount of money with them.

I purchased a 95'' B-25 Mitchell by ESM. Troy Built is their U.S. distributor and shipped it out to me.
I began building it and found the left wing spar pocket was assembled incorrectly at the China factory. I contacted Troy Built in an attempt to get a replacement. I was talked to like a complete idiot by TBM's customer service person. I was told later he is no longer in their employment.
I tried several time to get them to resolve the matter. They admitted there was a problem with them but they weren't going to do anything. No replacement part nor any type of refund.
I contacted ESM directly in China and the owner agreed there was a problem and would have TBM send out another right away. Mr. Herlin He copied me on the email he sent TBM and they agreed to send a replacement wing. After a couple of weeks I still had not received anything from TBM. I contacted them again. The customer service rep informed me they were not going to send me anything.
I contacted the owner of ESM again. He informed me he would build another complete wing and ship it in the next container to TBM and they would ship it to me. After several months of waiting on the container, Mr. Herlin He contacted me and informed me TBM had the container with my wing. I contacted TBM and they assured me they had the wing sitting on their table, labeled and would be shipping it to me that day. A couple of more weeks went by and still no wing.
I contacted TBM again and a gentleman in their shipping department informed me they had him re-label my wing because they were selling it to someone else. How low down is that?
I contacted ESM again. Mr. He informed me if I would pay the shipping from China he would ship me another wing and bypass TBM altogether. I sent him a payment for the shipping and a box finally arrived. It only had some of the parts but not the engine nacelles where the incorrect spar pockets were in my original. I was upset at how much I had just spent on shipping for the few parts he sent and not even the main part that was defective.
Again I contacted Mr. He at ESM. He emailed TBM and asked if they had a set of nacelles they could ship out. They said they did and he told them to ship them to me. Mr. He forwarded me the emails between himself and TBM.
I emailed TBM again and they told me the nacelles were going out that day. I still have yet to receive them after a month. TBM and ESM have both stopped responding to emails and calls about this.
This situation has gone on for almost one year now and I am sitting here with a plane I cannot assemble or fly. I spent a large amount of money on this since I also purchased the air retract system, a pair of DLE engines and all of the other accessories needed to complete the plane.

Think twice before making any purchase from Troy Built Models or anything from the ESM line of airplanes. I have been lied to, pushed aside, made to pay shipping for items I still have not received and talked to with a complete lack of respect.
I only wish I had researched TBM a little better before I spent any money on the products they sell. I later found a number of other posts about mis-dealings with them.
If anyone doubts a word of this, I will gladly post a copy of the emails and correspondence between ESM, Troy Built Models and myself. You can see for yourself what type of business TBM is.