Monday I placed two orders; one with Sprue Bros and one with Sqadron. SB didn’t have the Eduard mask I needed in stock so I got it and a couple of books from Squadron. Both offers placed within five minutes of each other. The SB order shipped within an hour. The Squadron order is still processing.
I don’t believe Squadron is getting significantly more orders than SB from individual customers. Around the forums I see about 80% of comments made about online purchases reference SB. I know Squadron functions as a supplier for LHSs. I suspect they are filling large orders to these customers first.
I’ve had a couple of issues with Squadron that I’ve had to call customer service, and I can tell you they do an excellent job of taking care of customers, but their shipping lag is a little frustrating to someone with compulsive impatience like myself.
They have always shipped very promptly to me. I suggest a call to customer service to check up on where your order stands would be the thing to do at this time. The customer service manager is Jeff Melton. He has always been very helpful.
The order has probably processed, it just takes days for their system to catch up to reality. Many times I have gotten the order before the computer system says it has shipped. MMD/Squadron does not fill larger wholesale orders before smaller retail orders. The SB order didn’t ship within an hour. The computer system simply sent a message saying the order was processed. It still won’t ship until the Truck arrives to pick it up, which is in the late afternoon. In fact, your order couldn’t have shipped Monday or Tuesday because SB was closed. (This is not a knock on SB, I know Gordon and visit both SB and MMD regularly, just trying to get some correct information out there).
Both are very reputable vendors. I see nothing wrong with what you are describing. The only reason I lean towards SprueBrothers more is they seem to stock more of what I want, while Squadron lists the same item as out of stock. Heck, I remember in my younger days, before online shopping, cutting the order form out of their catolog, writing a check, putting it in the mail, and waiting…no shipping notices back then. …How on earth did I ever survive?
I wasn’t actually knocking Squadron even though some seem to have gotten that impression. The comments about their system catching up is obviously the case because I got the package today and it still says processing on the site. I was merely wondering what was going on and that was answered.
I’ll just ignore the implication that I’m lying about when I got a “shipped” status from SB. I’m not stupid. I understand that could just mean its packages and a label been made and not actually on a truck.
I think they are slow to ship myself. I live in southern CA and it takes a full week to get orders. In my opinion it should really only take about 3 days. I say this because I order motorcycle parts from a warehouse in Texas and it always take 3 days. I placed 2 orders in the last month and it took exactly 7 days to get both. Doesn’t mean I will stop buying from them, it just means I am anxious to get my greedy hands on my new kits. Nothin like peeling off the shrink wrap and poppin the box open for the first time Squadron is a great company and 4 extra days isn’t going to kill me. I just start jonesin after 3 days so I know where you’re coming from.
the guy at my LHS orders alot of stuff through Squadron I just got a order in last week for two things that said at the time of ordering that they was in stock but i guess they wasn’t since he placed the order for me back in August and they never showed up in his weekly stock from them until last week but other than that i have not ordered from them direct. Now Sprue Brothers I can place a order and it gets here in three days unless I order Mr. Super Clear that has to be shipped ground only but that still only takes 4 to 5 days
If anyone really, really wants to experience the waiting game, then I suggest they order from Hobby-Space.com in China- they have incredibly low prices on Chinese-manufactured stuff (think at least 40% off all the time) and high shipping charges. They truly use the slow-boat to ship.
Hannants orders can take some time as well (although others here claim otherwise).
Yeah I’m scared of ordering from China. Not for any reason other that impatience. That’s my whole point really. I understand it takes time, I’m just really in a hurry to get my stuff. I’m like a child in that regard.
Nothing beats the well supplied Local Hobby Shop. Walk in, pick up the item(s) you desire, after drooling and browsing to your hearts content, pay, and go home. No waiting days for shipping. Yeah, I’ll pay a little more for that privelege.
Unfortunately, that’s all too often reality as so many local hobby shops have gone “belly-up” in the last ten or fifteen years. Back when many of us were kids on bicycles, you could ride with your buddies to the local hobby shop and hang out and talk about the neato stuff that you see on the shelves or debate whether planes are more fun to build than cars. Now there are entire metropolitan areas that don’t have a single local hobby shop!
The only way I can get to a hobby shop is if I open one myself. But then I’d go broke because I would’nt ever let anybody in!!! NO!!! There all mine!!! BUAH HA HA HA HA !!!
I have a LHS and a Hobbytown store and once in a while I would swing by for odds and ends and maybe a bottle of paint if they have the color I’m looking for. I found it easier to just order online, I use both Squadron and SB among a few other shops and never had any issues with any of them. I like some of the sale prices I can get from squadron time to time.
I think the fact that I have THREE REAL hobby shops and two MICHEALS and two HOBBY-LOBBY stores in driving distance is great ! Now , which one did I place that order with ? OH , that’s right ,the main one in my book , HILL COUTRY HOBBIES in SAN ANTONIO .
Squadron is a great company and 4 extra days isn’t going to kill me. I just start jonesin after 3 days so I know where you’re coming from.