So I get a tamiya model kit on sale from the LHS with the plastic wrap intacket. I take it home, crack it open and on closer inspection i notice that the entire spur tree A is missing…
Anyone here have experence with missing spur trees? how to go about it and how tamiya deals with this type of thing. Also the fact that it is from a LHS and i doubt i can return it and doubt their ability (or willingness) to get in this missing spur tree.
Well, Talk to your LHS. Don’t try to return the kit, explain that you only want the missing tree. If you go in there and want a refund or another kit, they will think you are trying to screw them. If they are any good, they will contact the distributor and get you a new sprue. If not, you can contact Borgfeldt directly and explain it to them. Their sticker with a -800 no is on the box and an email addy. They will likely ship you the sprue quickly with no cost. However, they may say that you will have to pay a small fee for the replacement sprue. No one that I know that was missing an entire sprue has had to pay. They do sell replacement parts by the sprue and may have a policy that allows only that.
BTW -Borgfelt is the Canadian distributor for Tamiya and has an excellent customer service reputation.
Jeez!
MY LHS would take it back in a minute, and open every other kit to see if this is a common problem or just a fluke. Then HE would get his distributor to give him credit for the kit and it would go back to the manufacturer. (A simular problem accured on the Italeri H-19 kit with really badly formed clear parts in 4 of the 6 kits on the shelf. Again, the LHS dealt with it.)
Even big boxers would take back a kit, give you credit and you could get another one. You’d better open it at the store though to save another trip!
Don
Take it back to the (hs), They should be able to get replacments from their distributor.
Thad
Absolutely agreed. Just as you’d return a shirt missing button holes to the store, you should return this defective product to the LHS where you bought it. Actually, I got a good deal on Tamiya’s Sturmtiger that way a few years ago. Another guy was bringing his back in because something non-essential was missing. I offered to buy the kit at a reduced price and built up a nice looking vehicle.
Ok, thanks for the replys. I have gone to the LHS and asked if they could get in the missing tree. They said i need to bring in the kit for some order number to see if they can get it in.
As for bringing it back… I want to build it and they only have 1 of anything.
???
If it is missing an entire sprue you can’t build it anyway.
Don
???
If it is missing an entire sprue, you can’t build it anyway.
Don
Hey ZzZGuy, If you get any trouble returning or exchanging the kit let me know. I live about 12 miles from Tamiya USA and if they have it I can find time to run by there and get it for you. Then I can just mail it to you, done deal.
@ dkmacin
If i exchange or return it then i can’t build it.
@gulfstreamV
Thanks for the offer. Next week i’ll check back and i should have a answer to weather or not they can replace the spur tree and at what if any charge.
If you call Tamiya America, they should send you one no charge as well. Here is their contact info: http://www.tamiyausa.com/contact/index.php
By the way, it is a sprue of model parts, sometimes called a tree, but not a spur.
i told you build them a temple, and the gremlins might give it back. but if they don’t, i sure would like to see what they are building with all those missing parts that they have been stealing over the years little snots
fockwulf
ok here is a update, sorry for the delay but i forgot.
I got the missing tree a few days ago. The LHS emailed their supplier who never replyed, and one day a second tamiya M1A1 showed up with instructions to take out the missing parts and return the rest…
All’s well that ends well.
I bought the Tamiya 1/32 F4C/D and one of the trees was from the F14 kit, replacing the correct one.
It had been a couple weeks when I noticed this. Thank god I hadn’t started it yet. My LHS exchanged it with no reciept ( I spend loads of money there, they want to keep me happy). A few weeks later I was in and wouldn’t you know they had stuck it back on the shelf!