Squadron is really concerning me with their business. Got a gift certificate for Christmas. My daughter said it took two weeks to get it. It came after the holidays. I saw a book in their February flyer; went to the website and couldn’t find it listed, i even searched with their stock number. Items on their site one day, disappear the next. Oh, and the “items available to order”? One was in stock, actually, but I have to wait 4 to 6 weeks for the other (Spruebrothers.com has it in stock). And, you can’t redeem the gift certificates online, wow! I think they’re hurting financially enough that it’s starting to steamroll everything they do. Sad…
You can’t redeem a Squadron gift certificate online? Unless you live locally to their store(s), if that is the case, the certificate is worthless.
I noticed that some things in their flyer aren’t listed either by name, stock #, make or makers # on the website. Just about have given up on them.
If a hard copy gift certificate rather than a gift card with a # on it, might only be redemable via mail order. Not real convienent, but seems like the only way if it’s not an electronic deal.
It is sad how much Squadron has changed, from the go-to hobby source to pretty much irrelevant in online hobby retail. I don’t think I’ve ordered from them in five or more years; other stores have much better prices and in-stock status. Last month I finally unsubscribed. Too many “sales” of items not in stock at higher prices that the competition. I hope they can get it turned around.
Yeah, I used to order piles of stuff from them back in the '80s but today… well I haven’t ordered anything from them in over a year.
I’ve seen stuff listed in their flyer as being on sale and on the first day of the sale they don’t even have it in stock. I worked retail for awhile and that’s not a good sign of a strong company.
I discovered that you can redeem the gift certificates by phone, but it made it inconvenient after wasting time online. Looks of things seem to point to a cash flow issue.
I too have had problems with Squadron. In September I ordered a repacement canopy, but after a month it had not arrived. I contacted them and after a week they said that it would arrive in three to four weeks after I contacted them. However, I did not recieve the part until late January and was thus unable to finish my GB.
Remember not long ago when they announced the flyer wold not be free any more? That didn’t last long.
One thing I’ve been noticing is the large discounted prices they adverstise (60-75% off as examples) but I have been unable to find these deals on the flyer. Something they advertise on sale I have compared the same item on Scale Hobbyist for maybe $5 more so not such a big sale.
Squadron had some really insane sales where decals sheets were .50 or a buck. Resin am things for a couple of bucks. A while back I picked up several 1/48 resin seats for Phantoms and Tomcats for $1 each two seat set. I haven’t seen those sales for at least a couple of years.
I can never find anything I want in stock on squadron. I mostly buy from spruebothers and lots-of-models, LOM always has free shipping and have been having a nice sale going on since the first of the year.
I need given up on Squadron. Either they’re constantly out of stock on kits or too expensive. Screw’em… I’ll go elsewhere.
I placed 7 orders with Squadron 2014 and only 1 more in 2017. Even with all their Holiday discount incentives those were the only orders until this past week.
I could not resist this:
Squadron Models 1/72 Haunebu II Premium Edition - SQM0002
For $31.37!
I also picked up 2 other items. I forced myself as these 2 were only available from Asia at that discount price). So my total was $65.35 + 12.95 SH and then $13.95 off due to a 20% discount.
Their Ship model selection is becoming deplorable.
My wish-list items never seem to come back in stock;
ie: I have been waiting years for Mr. Surfacer 1200.
Their In-Stock stuff is less than exciting for me and they seem to be getting out of the Model ship business with less than 160 Ship kits in inventory. Most of us have more than that in our stash. An Aircraft enthusiast may see this differently.
I am not an avid Airplane modeler, and they are called Squadron.
That’s my 20% of a Dime.
Nino
Nino, aviation isn’t much different. Those decal sales previously mentioned has cleaned them out. There barely two pages and virtually no selection. As big as auto models are, they’re anemic there, too.
Well, They still have a lot of AFV’s.
Tanks Squadron!
Nino
P.S. I know about their lowest price guarantee and that is nice but you have to phone-in to get it and then they check and then you wait. In my case they had to get back to me…OOPS, too late.
Same here. They are horrible now. I’m not sure what happened. They hardly carry any aftermarket stuff anymore. I switched to Sprue Brothers and eBay along time ago.
Pretty much have give up on them as well. Most of the things I’d want aren’t in stock. Come to think of I haven’t placed an order in six years now. I’d always placed a massive order when they had the Black Friday sale and get half off $500 or more. Now I might look on the website once and month and move on. Sad to see what has happened to them.
Their convoluted excuse for a website is going to be their demise. I had so many problems with ordering through it that I to had given up trying to get anything from Squadron.
They have a lot of competition with much better websites, stock items, and pricing that in my opinion, is going to put them out of business.
I really miss the old paper flyers with tons of clearence items marked down to insane prices.
What has happend? Squadron was once a family based busines that was sold off to investors who hired professional marketing people that had seemed to have lost touch with both their base customers and with the market.
I think there is no mystery what happened to Squadron - and it wasn’t the buy out, per se. The problem was they did not adapt and change to the reality of the internet. They kept doing business until fairly recently right out of the horse and buggy era. You’d send them an order, no confirmation they got it, no idea if you get the stuff…meanwhile, if they could be bothered to get off their lazy butts, maybe in a week or two later they’d get around to shipping your stuff. Then with no notice, it would show up at your house two or three weeks later, likely missing something they never had in stock. Meanwhile, companies like Sprue Brothers and others came along, using the internet. You could see prices and stock levels. They confirmed your order immediately, and usually shipped it in a day or two. Often, the same day if you ordered early enough! So is it a mystery Squadron is all but dead? Hardly.
Once upon a time, Squadron was the place to order from, either by mail, phone, email and then secure internet. They had everything.
Lately, they’ve been left in the dust by other more versitile online retailers with better prices and faster shipping.
Great Models got done in by the nickname “Wait Models”. Order something from them and weeks and months wasn’t unusual. Squadron isn’t far behind them.
Still waiting on paint from them I ordered ten years ago.
Surprised by the Great Models comments,they were always my go to site,never had any issues or problems with them.I loved their search engine also.Was very disappointed when Spruebrothers bought them out.
I always thought Rollmodels was the slowest