Hi philpop

Whilst I'd certainly agree that customer support isn't a hallmark of RCS IME, it's hardly a hallmark in the Australian hobby industry generally either, therein lies the disincentive. Why pay for something you don't get anyway, and in the case of much product today, are either unlikely to need or should the instance arise that you do, will be referred directly to the distributor for in any case?

Let's face it. The shops are angry as ants because RCS is cutting the guts out of (r)e-tail pricing because they have little stockholding and low shopfront and storage overheads

As for the major distributors trying to stop all internet sites. In their dreams perhaps. Much as they'd like to return to the good old days of gilding their lilly, they've about as much chance of that occurring as we have of ever seeing the waves being parted or the time ticking backwards. However if they really want us shop exclusively overseas, go right ahead! [8D]