Today's conundrum... Should I send it back?

[GazzaS]

Way back in the earliest weeks of January 2019 I pre-ordered a kit.  It never came, and soon it became apparent that other stores in Australia and around the world were selling them.  There followed a flurry of e-mails where I asked for them to expedite my shipment or for a refund and they responded saying it was my fault for ordering something 'not-in-stock', or it's not their fault that the supplier (a company in Ukraine with a three-letter name) hadn't sent them one.  

Five months after the pre-order was made, and two months after they had started selling at Sprue Bros and Hannants, and over a week since they were listed as in-stock at another Aussie model seller, they claimed that there was no way another retailer in Australia had the kit.  So, I ordered one, and sent them a copy  of the 'shipped' notification.  Again, I asked for a refund and got it.

Now...  on April Fool's day, I finally got the kit that I had pre-ordered over two years ago.  I've had nothing to do with the supplier, as I had classified them as unworthy of my time, even putting their e-mail address on the blocked list.  So, now I am looking at communicating with them again, and then going through the bother of shipping it back.  Life is full of hassle...  how much more do I need?

I already built the kit that I ordered from the other seller.  It was fun, but I hadn't any plans to build another any time soon.

My Missus thinks it's some good will gesture and/or not to worry about it. 

 

Waddya think?

[Wumm]

So many questions Gaz...

Was you seller local or from Overseas? Are they an official distributor? Were they guaranteed supply of the goods before offering them at pre-order conditions? It is illegal in Australia to offer goods for sale that a Retailer knows they cannot supply, or not be able do so within a reasonable time frame.

https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/sales-delivery/non-delivery-of-products-services

By the sounds of your story, if another local Retailer has the item in stock 5 months after you paid for the item, and your Shop still cannot supply you, you are well within your rights to ask for a refund.

Perhaps they forgot to cancel your order after refunding you. Maybe they just let it go through in the name of goodwill. Or possibly someone on the other side of the Globe just had their kit get mangled in transit, and the good Karma blessed you this time around.

I would pass it on. Especially if you don't intend to build another example of the subject. Gift it to a Member's Son or Daughter at your next Model Club meeting; if they'll wash the dishes nightly for a month for Mum or Dad, or something similar.

S

 

 

[GazzaS]

29 minutes ago, Wumm said:

So many questions Gaz...

Was you seller local or from Overseas? Are they an official distributor? Were they guaranteed supply of the goods before offering them at pre-order conditions? It is illegal in Australia to offer goods for sale that a Retailer knows they cannot supply, or not be able do so within a reasonable time frame.

https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/sales-delivery/non-delivery-of-products-services

By the sounds of your story, if another local Retailer has the item in stock 5 months after you paid for the item, and your Shop still cannot supply you, you are well within your rights to ask for a refund.

Perhaps they forgot to cancel your order after refunding you. Maybe they just let it go through in the name of goodwill. Or possibly someone on the other side of the Globe just had their kit get mangled in transit, and the good Karma blessed you this time around.

I would pass it on. Especially if you don't intend to build another example of the subject. Gift it to a Member's Son or Daughter at your next Model Club meeting; if they'll wash the dishes nightly for a month for Mum or Dad, or something similar.

S

 

 

When the item was offered for pre-sale, the seller claimed to be the sole-distributor.  But apparently that fell through as other model sellers in Aus like BNA complained.  I got the feeling like they were more like the least favored child.

 

Anyway...  I don't know of any young modellers.  But I'll search around.  Most aircraft modellers I know face to face seem to prefer 1/72 scale.  I'm wishing there was a wanted adds for model-builders.