OMG! 917/30 missing suspension

Spot the difference :lol

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Anyway, I received an e-mail from the shop saying they are terribly sorry and that they are willing to get the item back and give me credit for future purchases. Unfortuneatly the item is not going to be restocked. Plus, I will have to pay for all the post... OUCH!

I am not sure what to do for now. I will try to bargain something out, I will try to get the shop the pay a substantial part of the postage.

I have not received another e-mail from EXOTO. I will call them on Tuesday if I do not receive anything from them till that time. It is such a small part, plus I told them I would be willing to pay a fee (depending on how much) to get the item. I hope they take me into consideration.

BTW LUW, the spring does not seem to be impossible to put in place, it clips onto a part of the chasis.

I have decided something else though, I decided I will not getting any more very expensive models from the internet. The risk is just too much. I will see if I can find these locally (pretty impossible). I got my Jagearmeister 934RSR locally afterall, and I had the time to examine it perfectly.

Oh, this sucks!! I'm sorry to read of your misfortune Bernard.

From a contractual perspective, it is the store (not Exoto) that has the obligation to make you a satisfied customer. Why? Because you paid them money, not Exoto. As such, I would put their feet to the fire and hold them accountable. Moreover, I would ask them to cover the cost of shipping the model from you back to them.

Because they are selling the car to customers without them being able to see the product prior to the purchase, the vendor has additional responsbility to make you happy at their cost. Essentially, you place a certain amount of faith in them and the model maker that the product is sold as represented/advertised. On a separate note, I think the vendor should recuperate their additional costs from Exoto, because it is not their fault that the model is missing the suspension (but this is their problem to solve, not yours).

Could the vendor wire you the money to cover for the shipping? I would look for any leverage that available so that you do not incur any costs you shouldn't be. If you're a repeat customer, this is worth identifying. You could say to them that there are other places you could be shopping instead of their store. If the guy you are talking to doesn't give you the response you want to hear, you might want to bring it up to the manager too.

My $0.02. Good luck in getting things resolved!

LUW said:

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If I look at it from an upward position, it doesn't really show. However, if you look at it from eye level point, it is very noticeable. Just imagine your car without a suspension, all its weight will tilt the car to that axle. I will try to find a way to fix it myself by adding a small strip of carbon fibre. Detail wise, it wouldn't stand out alot and the car should stand correct.

Now to Felix and Darrick.

I know I have to talk to the retailer, I have already contacted them and they will try to replace it. I dont know exactly about the shipping cost. They have been very helpful though. I might be able to get free shpiing if I use the 'right' words.

I just thought of contacting EXOTO themselves as this a very small part which they can ship without any problem and I will find a way to put it into position very easily. However, they are not giving a *@#$! about it. I thought they would have at least given me an explanation or something.

If I will be able to get the money back or another model and not pay the shipping, then the car will go back. If not, I will try to put a piece of carbon fibre or a small silver plastic that will disguise itself with the rest of the detail. I didn't notice the missing suspension for a whole month! there is a lot of detail that will capture the eye.

Still I dont if I will get any top end models from abroad. I will still get Minichamps, Kyosho and AUTOart, but Exoto and CMC.... I dont know yet. Depends on this transaction.

Personally, I would get a full refund from the retailer and use it to hunt for another 917/30 if Exoto refuses to supply me with the necessary part(s). I don't consider myself a perfectionist, but something like this is unacceptable and would drive me insane. I totally symphatize & feel your pain.

My 1/12 F50 took a shelf-dive several months back, but thanks to Tamiya's outstanding customer service, I was able to get spare parts for a small fee. TAMIYA could definitely teach Exoto a thing or two about customer service & support. in my opinion, Exoto would be a more well rounded company if they put as much effort into their service dept as they do with their production dept.

BTW, have you consider fabricating the missing suspension from a (scale model) spur? After a close inspection, I've found some of my left over parts have similar dimensions. With a little time & a Dremel, I'm sure you can duplicate one with little difficulty.

And just incase you don't have any spares lying around, you can easily attain plastic rods and other arts & crafts material at just about any good hobby shops. If not, I can slip a couple of spurs in an envelop and send it to ya. It won't cost me nothing but a couple of cents for the postage. Let me know. :cheers

In anycase, I hope you find a quick and satisfying solution. Good luck! :cheers