I learned about Sprue Bros. here on the forums from one of my threads. I ordered the Academy T-38 kit which I received today. Funny thing is that it was not wrapped in plastic but had clear tape dots on two sides of the box. And it has no instructions or decal set included. I replied to their “your kit has shipped” email to let them know what happened. As this is my first experience with Sprue Bros. and Academy kits I’m not sure what’s going on.
Seems a bit odd. Not all kits are wrapped in plastic and being secured by the tape dots is pretty normal. My experience with SB has always been first class, but then I have never had any problems with any kits they sent. Though it does seem to be an error by Academy, your first point of contact should be SB.
Instead of replying to their “shipped” e-mail, you might want to send them an e-mail at help@spruebrothers.com to let them know about your issue. I use Spruebrothers all the time and have always had excellent customer service. In my experience if a part is missing or damaged, they will replace it and are quick to respond to e-mails. The tape “dots” are normal for a lot of manufactures from the Far East. A lot of times, the kits are only shrink-wrapped for the U.S. market. Hope this helps.
I had all but given up on the instructions when I got an envelope in the mail from Korea. Unbelievable. And they sent an other set of main gear for some reason. Decals too. That is what I call customer service!
I have always had wonderful service from them. Squadron has been great, too.