Editorial by DreamKnight
Before the internet, I remember the only way to get a model, especially hard to find models, you would have to scour all the Local Hobby Shops in your area as well as hitting places like Toys R Us or Kaybee's. Needless to say, it was a taunting task back then.
Now a days you have the internet to order right there at the convenience of your home and having your models dropped at your door step. This convenience also spawns the unscrupulous who would take the chance to squeeze every penny you have! So how do you try and avoid those types of people or to steer clear of those questionable business practices? Well, let's take a look here.
We the Consumers
As a modeler and the one that would probably be making the purchases, let's just go ahead and assume some things here. Some of it you may not agree with but most I'm sure will fall on to your list. I'm also very picky and impatient person when it comes to shopping online and to add to that; I've developed many e-commerce websites as well as done my own e-commerce businesses before (All which were sold off).
- We want the best bang for our buck.
- We want it fast, regardless if we need it right away or not.
- We want fast and cheap shipping, even better, with tracking info (most which the seller may or may not have control over).
- If there's a problem, we want fast communication that is easy to find (contact email, phone number, online live support, ect.)
- Good e-commerce presentation with latest tech.
- FAQ or Information page that explains the orders, fulfillment and shipping process/policy
- A great loyalty incentive program
- In stock knowledge and out the door on order.
I'm not going to go through here and explain how to run an e-commerce business since that can get pretty involved however, the technology is getting pretty high-tech in the ways to keep a seller and buyer communicating and the products pushed to the consumer pretty quickly now-a-days.
For the first three points, it's pretty self evident. For point 4, presentation is everything. If they are using old tech, if I can't navigate check out with a rocket science degree, if the website isn't pleasing to the eye, if I can't do a simple search that smart enough to return what I'm looking for, if it even LOOKS like it's ran on a budget, you'll find me on my way to the next e-store. There are plenty out there. I find how someone represent their web store is how they represent their business practice. I'm throwing down good money so I want to be sure I'm confident in doing it. Of course, there are exceptions. I've had order from website that looks like ass but I get such great word of mouth from other modelers, I took the chance.
On point 5, I find that if an e-business has their procedures and policy explained it helps me decided if I want to buy anything from them and I don't have many surprises since I know what to expect. Nothing turns my off more than waiting for days for my order then when nothing is happening, I contact the seller and find out one of my models on on back order. Every time that happened, I get irate, frustrated and I cancel the order and go shopping elsewhere.
A loyalty incentive program is a great way to produce a long term loyalty with the business and I do look for these sometimes. These come in forms of little cute marketing Easter egg hunts to get a code for discounts to earning points or "dollars" to spend on later purchases. If I'm throwing down $1000 in business, I wouldn't mind getting extra discounts or a t-shirt in 6 months worth of being a loyal buyer. Even eBay has their eBay Bucks which I earn $ for buying from merchants. I've already racked up $3 in the past couple of weeks which I can use to pay for more stuff in October.
Finally, I like to know what I'm ordering is in stock, either direct from the business or dropped shipped from the distributor. This is important when I need to get certain models or supplies quick for a group build or for a commissioned build. It's also nice not to be surprised about something being on backorder.
Paypal
As a consumer, I have to suggest this to fellow consumers. Paypal is the bomb. You sign up an account and tie it into your bank account or a credit card. There are two great conveniences to paypal. You can pay right there assuming the store is "in the game" and have paypal as a payment option and second, your purchases are protected and if anything goes wrong, filing a complaint/charge back is VERY simple and painless and their complaints department is pretty top notch. Well, there's also another convenience being that you can pull money straight from your fund source (bank account or credit card) if you don't have enough balance in your paypal account.
LHS with Online Stores
It's business on the net! For those LHS that are left, many have brought their business online as well as running their brick and mortar store. This would be hard to find out if their service are up to par on the net.
Many LHS I find that jumped to sell their stock on the net don't make the transaction well. Emails left unanswered, fulfillment to shipping is slow... etc. are usually due to the lack of knowledge in web technology. Like most people, they think putting up a website is all they have to do to make their business bloom. The type of people they can afford to hire to produce websites on the cheap are just that. People who make a pretty (or really ugly) website and know nothing else about advertising or more advanced technologies that helps make a web business explode.
It's not the LHS's fault; it's just the nature of the business. The only way to really know if an LHS is good is the word of mouth from your fellow scale modelers. It's because of this, most LHS end up having a dead web business.
One of the best recommendations I have here is our very own Elm City Hobbies (
http://www.elmcityhobbies.com). ECHScott is quick on the customer services, helpful one on one to get what you need. Although he doesn't have a huge stock on hand, he can easily help you get it from a distributor.
Online Stores/Catalog
These are businesses that mainly do business on the web, either by drop shipping orders straight from a distributor or from their own warehouse. These businesses also turn out cheaper prices in the end because of the volume they sell (about to get better deals from distributors and better shipping options partnering with the delivery services). There are many out there. Here are a few I’ve use and recommend:
Sprue Brothers
This is the top notch online store I use. Their selection is pretty large, the prices are pretty decent and they move their order out within a day. I usually end up with my order in a couple of days.
Tower Hobbies - Plastic-models.com
Their selection is pretty large but they don't carry many aftermarket products by some of the popular "garage" companies. The prices are pretty cheap and they move their order out within a couple of days. I usually end up with my order in 2 to 4 days.
Squadron
Their selection is HUGE including aftermarket products by popular "garage" companies. The prices aren't too bad but not always the best deals around unless it's from their monthly selection sale items. They used to be very reliable and orders were shipped out fast and with top notch customer service. However, lately, I find they take 4 to 5 days just to answer an email and on occasions, it takes weeks to get an order out (that of all which I ended up cancelling). I'm not quite sure what happened there but according to sources, they had a major switch in customer services personnel.
eBay
eBay, The bane of my existence. I try and steer clear from that place but you just can't pass up some of the great deals you can get there from the merchants there. Once winning a bid, the shipping can vary depending on where the source of the sale is originated. You do run into some unscrupulous people there but that is rare. Buyer beware however in this case, I suggest always paying through paypal (since both eBay and Paypal are the same company) and you should be good.
You can bid or you can Buy Now. If you're patient enough, you can win some really good bids. Just be very careful on bidding however because sometimes you can end up with duplicate items just because you want to make sure you want to win the item.
Other tips are to look at the sellers rating and make sure that they have a very good rating. eBay's rating system is pretty balance. Most important of all, make sure you LOOK at the shipping costs. Just because you can "Buy Now" at a steal, the seller might pull the "Make money on Shipping" scam where the overcharge in shipping to cover the cost of the item. For example, they might have $35 model for $20 but charge a $20 shipping fee. Always watch for bids as well and make sure you don't over bid without knowing it. So always consider the shipping fee.
How about you? How is your shopping experience for this hobby on-line? Do you have tips for anyone else for buying for finding deals on the net? Let us know! You're on the air this week on SMA!
Other "This Week on SMA..." topics:
How much do you usually spend on scale models in a month?eBay Shopping Spree! Oops!Any secrets on finding good deals on the net?Your Starter Kit on a BudgetCheap but TOTALLY Awesome KitOnline Hobby Stores
