Sad news,,, Re Stormtroopers

[Viking Bob]

let's face it, ebay is the principle enabler of this. May I suggest one method is to buy the cheapest cheap thing these scumbags sell. Then give it the most negative possible feedback. It may just put off potential further custom for them. Just a thought.

It does not appear to work, this one is from Russia.




Feedback From When

This is a recast. I am not happy the parts are very poor quality. Avoid. Buyer:
t***c ( 480

) During past 6 months

• Reply *********** (31-Jan-17 18:38):
  See more reviews)) Everybody is happy)) I know that you are my rival

75mm | Resinl model kit | Unpainted | 75-019 (#162335685315) £15.00 View Item

This is a RECASTER. The products are fake. Beware as these are not genuine goods Buyer:
m***g ( 111

) During past 6 months

• Reply *********** (29-Dec-16 09:01):
  All customers are happy except you. I know that you are my rival.........

Roman Legionary | 75mm | Resin model kit | Unpainted | mr-005 (#162309624997) £15.00 View Item

 

[Wayneb]

Maybe right Bob, but a couple more have learned, "Buyer beware"........

Wayne

 

[stu]

Just a quick Update.

My ebay challenge to the fact that I am the rights owner of my own products with copyright certificates and links to my own products on my website is not going well.

The incompetence is OUTSTANDING.

The lack of care, interest and communication is just unbelievable.

The sellers in question have more rights than I do.

Not giving up though !!!!!!!!!

The outcomes of this and other things will decide Stormtroopers/Troop54 's future.

Stuart

 

[Viking Bob]

Feckin eck thats not right.

 

[stu]

Good News !!!

After a bit of a battle and standing firm I have managed to get my kits removed from the recasters ebay shops.

I am now registered to the Vero program too and have my rights of ownership.

The struggle continues though !!!

Now to get on and produce something !!!!

Many thanks for all your support

Stuart

 

[megroot]

Congratulations with the best result on recasters ever.

Marc

 

[Blind Pew]

Excellent news. Well, that can be considered quite an achievement.

 

[Ferris]

Glad your perseverance paid off. Hope this proves a good defence.
Please keep us updated of further battles!

Adrian

 

[montythefirst]

Great News !

 

[stu]

Many thanks fellas.

Got to keep vigilant now and keep reporting.

To all the other manufacturers...it can be done !!!

Stuart

 

[ellie]

well done mate that's great news and just maybe e bay will take more notice when the rest of us tell them what is going on . you have now set a president and one that can be followed. because now it could be looked at as custom practice. meaning they have done it once their for their is a case that can be shown and they would have to follow it as a decision was made with regards another manufacture. so well done mate for being the first to get this done.

cheers

ian

www.elliesminiatures.com

 

[peedee]

This is an important achievement Stu for everyone.

Well done.

P

 

[MrBMB]

Maybe you could see if someone is interested in writing and article on it.... in a big or small newspaper or TV......just a thought. All companies don't like negative media attention
" Small company/ies having to close due to Ebay selling pirate copies"

 

[ellie]

MrBMB not a bad idea I'm sure they could do without the negative press which it gets. their was a programme on yesterday lunch time talking about counterfeit Hard drives and how they are being sold on sites like e-bay. so people are already getting the word out about what goes on these auction sites and just how companies large and small are effected by this kind of theft.

the only way you will beat the re-caster is for the public to stop buying the product, what stu has done is a big step in the right direction but their is still work to be done with regards to the public buying the things. but that's another battle to fight. at least the first battle is won and if other companies now follow suite it should make it difficult for them to keep going and they may get fed up fingers crossed. but it's still a shame that so meany kits have been sold already to people who should know better.

Well on wards and up wards in the fight.

cheers

ian

www.elliesminiatures.com

 

[Red Five]

That Russian seller is still selling them as I write this.

Andrew.

 

[ellie]

Ok Just had a look on E bay and found a fellow from Russia he has the following re cast from theses companies:

Andrea
Scale 75
Youngs
Knights Models
MJ
Pegaso
Alexandros
FeR
to name but a few he has 254 followers, 1,288 positive feedback and 2 negatives he sells the kits from £14.00 to £15.00. so now tell me that this is not damaging the hobby. just do the maths that's around £19,320 taken away from companies and that's just one re caster and it's also 254 people that should hold their head in shame. I'm disgusted with the results that I have found on just one re caster. and that together with the others and you are close to £85,000 that has been taken away from the company. so ask yourselves how the hell can companies survive with the loss of this amount.

Cheers

ian

www.elliesminiatures.com

 

[Tecumsea]

Ian, I don't want to be unsympathetic as believe me I am and have expressed my views privately to Stu, but it is a bold "assumption" that the people who are buying these are likely to be customers of the bonafide producers. I think there is an underclass of modeller out there and an underclass of recaster satisfying the demand, they are not going to go away.

There was a recent press article discussing the Chinese Goverments concern at the number of fakes being sold on Alibaba! it is happening everywhere and if there is a buck to be made then someone will do it.

Unless international laws change it will keep happening as one closes another will spring up.

Stu seems to be having some success by taking positive action, you have made a new move to bring an expensive product to market with some surety of success, another positive step.

I think it is time to stop beating yourselves over the head about something you can't stop (at the moment) and continue the good work in developing more positive approaches to bringing figures to market. We have never had more choice or better quality figures than we have today so the support (buyers) are there otherwise it wouldn't be happening.

I also think there is a danger in blaming everything on the recaster, with new producers on the scene there is also more competition so that also impacts on established producers. We live in uncertain times and no business is immune from competition from which ever direction it comes.

Success comes from new ideas, innovation and satisfying your customers needs, the business has always been pretty good at the latter and the signs are that there is a growing awareness of the former.

Keith

 

[elgreco]

Ok Just had a look on E bay and found this fellow yet again from Russia he has the following re cast from theses companies:

Andrea
Scale 75
Youngs
Knights Models
MJ
Pegaso
Alexandros
FeR
to name but a few he has 254 followers, 1,288 positive feedback and 2 negatives he sells the kits from £14.00 to £15.00. so now tell me that this is not damaging the hobby. just do the maths that's around £19,320 taken away from companies and that's just one re caster and it's also 254 people that should hold their head in shame. I'm disgusted with the results that I have found on just one re caster. and that together with the others and you are close to £85,000 that has been taken away from the company. so ask yourselves how the hell can companies survive with the loss of this amount.

Cheers

ian

www.elliesminiatures.com

Hi Ian - please edit your post and remove the Ebay name of the seller as this is giving them extra publicity to modellers and guest modellers who will take advantage of such posts to look up cheap kits. We don't need to give them free advertising. Thanks.

 

[ellie]

I have now cleaned up my post and taken the name off. sorry but i was so angry. I know none of the above was Ellie's Miniatures stuff but he did have some of ours and stu's in the past.

Keith you maybe right when you say an underclass of modeller, but the point I think I was trying to make was that it's bigger than we think and is damaging the hobby. you are right we are coming up with new ways to combat this plague. and we hope that in the long run it will be a good route to go down we are trying it and I have to say we are on course to doing what we set out to do.

we have to keep coming up with new ideas and new ways of bringing out the best kits we can and in our owen way fight them. I for one will try and give new things a try and keep going.

Cheers

ian

www.elliesminiatures.com

 

[mick3272]

Hi Ian - please edit your post and remove the Ebay name of the seller as this is giving them extra publicity to modellers and guest modellers who will take advantage of such posts to look up cheap kits. We don't need to give them free advertising. Thanks.

Hi You might need to do the same now
Mick