Stormtroopers being ripped off by Polish Recaster

[Uruk-Hai]

Im wondering if there is Laywers, yeah I wrote it, in the same country of the perpetrator that can file lawsuits on provision?
Considering how widespread this is, this could be profitable for laywers as well?

Although there are countries where this behaviour is legal or at least not frown upon. But this are recasters from countries within the EC.

Cheers
Janne Nilsson

 

[Nap]

One thing we certainly can do on here, is to highlight the undoubted inferior quality of these things.

And hope people care...

Well said BP ....It would also be good though if we all agreed that no links were put on this forum as suggested earlier in this thread.

Perhaps members could contact the company getting ripped off and then just post accordingly that he has done so highlighting that there are dodgy recasts about .....hopefully eBay will also do something in the meantime

Nap

 

[Colin_Fraser]

The lack of appeal is more a question of it not being an exact science or even practical. In the hobby as a whole there are probably way more people who don't enter comps than do. And how many people keep receipts anyway? And what about legit figures swapped at club meets for example? Do I have to produce a notarised letter from the original owner confirming its provenance before I can enter it in a competition?

- Steve

It was meant tongue in cheek. I guess I failed to get that across.

 

[Tecumsea]

As stated before I really wish Keith had just sent me the link it would have been better ,,,I think he likes giving them air time as its not the first time !!!

Stu,

You are perhaps right , the whole issue has got members hackles up to put it mildly including mine to say the least .

I see Keith has also listed stuff for sale hopefully they are originals ?







See my response on the following post

 

[Tecumsea]

Well when I placed the original post I didn't expect to get slagged off by both Stu and Kevin Peart-I now sincerely regret that I even bothered, as far from trying to tip off a manufacturer and the forum regarding an illegal practice I am now sitting here feeling very angry at the response from these two individuals. I hope Stu that you manage to put a stop to this individual in the same way that El Greco did when I tipped them off a couple of years ago, something that Celine alluded to in her post.

As regards the self righteous, hypocrite who goes under the name of Napoleonpeart, I'm not sure where the spiteful comment regarding recasts came from, as he has bought from me on ebay and planet, although I had to struggle to get payment on one occassion. Yes I do sell on Ebay but all products bought from genuine retailers, on the subject of spiteful comments, unlike some I don't scrounge free busts from Suppliers and then flog them off for profit on Ebay. My last sales were in May and June of this year where I sold a number of kits to finance a superb trip to Stresa, by the way Mr Peart none of them were recasts! .

I spend around £10000 annually on my hobby, Kits, books, Commissions. I would have thought that comments like those above are totally undeserved, clearly my contribution to the hobby as a supporter and customer is of little value.

I have no intention of taking any future written part in this forum, it just isn't worth the aggravation.

 

[Nap]

Keith ,

I certainly do not consider I or Stu slagged you off as you raised a very good point by starting this thread , as for my comment I have seen on your e bay listings busts that you have said in the description that you are not sure if they were originals ?...you are perfectly entitled to sell and say what you want its a free world

I enjoyed buying from you quality kits as always

This is not the place to have a set to ..we all want the same thing a quality model and good manufacturers ..that we won't have with all these recasters about.

It will be a shame if you leave the forum you are a valued member but I am none too keen having my name quoted like that.

Best wishes

Nap

 

[Tecumsea]

Then what was the point of either comment neither of them were constructive!........to say I'm pissed off would be an understatement........ I have bought and sold on Ebay over the past 8 years and if I am not sure about something because it doesn't have an original box then I cover myself with that line.......it doesn't mean they are recasts, some were purchased when I first came into the hobby when I was less aware of what was about. A problem for other newcomers now that the forum has taken a decision to ban pointing them out-whose decision was that, perhaps it should have gone to a poll?

I repeat neither comment was constructive in fact snide is the best interpretation I can come up with hence my response-what ever I'm out of this forum. Too much sniping has been going on recently in different parts of the forum and I can't be bothered with it, in fact I'm close to dispensing with the whole hobby-just quietly paint at home for my own pleasure, I don't need this crap.

Keith

 

[Blue Thunder]

Gentlemen (all of you reading this!!!): With all due respect, please don't direct flames neither to Keith Davidson or Kevin Perth. (and you guys please stop throwing digital rocks now, we're all on the same boat here)

Screen communication has severe tweaks and as the theme is hot, things can be misunderstood and friendship may be unfairly damaged.

All you guys reading this - Don't shoot messengers! Specially valid members such as Kevin who is unquestionably the best reviewer this great space has and Keith, with whom I've already done great trading in the past and expect to do more in the future.

I understand perfectly the concern of Matt and Celine, to whom I am customer as well and other firm owners such as Stu (which, btw I am also customer) and who releases stunning creations enduring and glorifying this hobby, but please realize removing links will not remove the problem.

I stated months before this: The problem is big, the problem is growing - and believe me, ignoring symptoms or flaming a valid modeler through a screen is the worst anyone here can do to solve this!

Please respect and focus the problem - not the good people!

 

[Nap]

Keith ,

Whatever you choose to do I wish you well and hope you enjoy your painting

As for scrounging all review pieces are sent at the company's choice and are mine to do with as I wish when the reviews are completed ..I certainly do not sell at a profit those that do buy get a original at a good price like yours when you sell

Nap

 

[Mat Lambert]

I see Keith has also listed stuff for sale hopefully they are originals ?

I usually think discretion is the better part of valour when I see a thread go off the rails and leave it well alone but to say I felt this comment was totally unwarranted doesn't quite do it - bizarre is more like it.
Keith noted the problem with the best intentions and shouldn't end up getting flak like this.

 

[Tecumsea]

What do you mean Kevin- Bullshit, of course you sell at a profit, you get it for nothing and sell it on Ebay, how is that not for profit??? Not all of what you sell is reviewed. If I thought the money was going to the local modelling club or a charity I might be more generous. But let's not try and kid anyone it's not a nice little earner.

 

[polyphemus]

This thread has most definitely gone off the rails and is headed for the most monumentous crash. Please could the moderators draw a line under this one.

Geoff

 

[JonP]

I find it quite amazing that the initial post by Keith to warn PF members of a re-caster on ebay has exploded this much. With hindsight it may have been better for Keith to contact Stu directly but the guy is selling other re-casts as well as Stormtroopers so isn't it better for everyone to be made aware. With regards to the links pointing straight to the re-caster and possibly encouraging PF members to seek him out and buy from him; is it going to make any difference? Scum-bags are scum-bags and if they are happy to buy knock off kits they'll do it with or without PFs help. Stu said his sales of the ensign had been suffering recently and that was prior to Keith's original post. Nobody really knows that much about anyone else on this forum and as with all walks of life you are probably going to have a few ne'er do wells taking advantage. I think the positives of 'outing' re-casters on forums such as PF outweigh the negatives; there are a lot of smart people on here who are more than happy to offer their advice , often based on experience, and we should all be grateful for that. This is a growing problem in the hobby and I think taking positive action is going to do a lot more to combat it than petty infighting is!
Just my opinions

 

[stu]

Keith

At first when I saw your post I thought ,,,,Geez,,,Pooop,,, Christ,,,What do I do Know !!!!

Then I spent a fair proportion of the next 2 days contacting ebay !!! learning to think like a recaster and his customer.

It was at this point I got really and I mean really annoyed !!!!!

You had and not for the first time given full airtime to a direct link to everybody to purchase recasts of my 2 kits but if you look, there are a lot better kits than mine in those listings,,,, Nuts planet must either be very very understanding of the problem of recasts because this guy was ripping them off big time. They are seriously haemoraging lost revenue !!!!

This is when I thought ,,,,Why me,,,do you care,,,or you don't,,,why not mention everybody else ,,,,yes I know it was a miracle my stuff was in there but a bloody big shock it was !!!!!

Why didn't you just send me the link ?

Why me ?

To everybody

Forgive me if I am wrong, I always thought recasters were in china /hong kong,,,takes ages ,,Quality beyond Poop.

This is the new dilemma,,,European recasters,,,Closer,,,Faster,,,Better,,and probably cares about his customer !!! Also this Guy doesn't bother with out of production stuff.... This is Brand new,,,hot off the press,,,,my kits are less than 5 months old and less,,,,I am still trying to make or brake possibly venturing into profit at this point,,,and then only because of Euro !!!

This is BAD,,, very BAD.

I hope to be on these guys like a rash now,,, so Keith has helped me, ebay have responded but the Vero paperwork has to be faxed,,,its bizzy !!! and wont send ,,,what does that say.

Keith,,,your not going to leave your only going to not get involved,,,if you left you wouldn't be able to see whats available to spend your money on. That's why everybody looks,, whether they take part or not !!! and that's why what you did gave everybody a link to something that could potentially finish some of us off. This is a new bread of recaster and its not good,,,I only hope that being in Europe its easier to stop it,,,china you can forget it .

Regarding review samples,,,,,, I give Nap review samples,,,,he reviews them,,if he wants to sell it then that's fine. Nap earns his kits . The reviews he does are time consuming , informative and the best by far.

To me manufacturing friends,,,,get wise,,,get registered with Vero on Ebay,,,Plaster your images with a logo it may help and check regularly, the search criteria are really very easy. If you need help I will pass on what I have found,,,its not much but its better than nothing. PM me or mail me [email protected]

To everybody that's posted help and advice I cant thank you enough and to all those that mailed me etc,,,,cheers mucka's

Many thanks

Stuart

 

[Babelfish]

I know Keith personally and I am pleased to count him as a friend. As far as I'm concerned his character is unimpeachable.

Kevin I haven't yet met outside the context of this forum but his massive enthusiasm for the hobby is clear for all to see from his reviews etc.

My own feeling is that the site would be the poorer if either of you guys were to leave, but of course that has to be a decision for you.

It's a shame that the thread has reached the stage of you coming to 'virtual blows' so I'm locking it now before it descends into further unpleasantness.

On the subject of posting alerts about recasters, I think the best way to do that in future would be to send a private message to the company concerned (Stormtroopers, CGS, El Greco, whoever) alerting them to the problem, rather than linking directly (and in public) to the pirates' eBay sales lists and thereby giving them free publicity and possibly even boosting their sales.

It was my decision to delete the links in this thread and also in another thread that Kev alerted me to, and to ask that people refrain from posting such links in future. I was asked by Tommi to help moderate the forums, so I'm moderating. I was also warned that moderating wouldn't always be easy, but in this instance I'm moderating in line with the rules as posted by Gordy four years ago (see link below):

http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/reporting-piracy.37292/

- Steve