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Sand Scorcher 2009

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I got this email from stella today

Dear Valued Customer

Thanks for your purchase from the first batch of 58452 Sand Scorcher kits with non-woven blue bag.

A few days after shipping out kits we were informed of a possible defect with the Rear Guard (Part #19335554). Replacement rear guards were promptly delivered to us from Tamiya Japan.

Instead of waiting for buyers to check whether their kit(s) contain the defective rear guard we decided to send replacement rear guards to all our buyers. This applies to kits that were shipped before the Tamiya announcement.

Kits shipped after the announcement have the replacement rear guard inserted into kit.

The rear guards have already shipped, last week, to avoid any delays during and after the Chinese New Year holidays.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Regards

stellamodels

Looks like Stella's on the ball :blink:

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Sure does think my next kit purchase will be from Stella as they seem to be customer supportive even better so than companies based in our own countries!!

Does it make any difference if one orders off there site or there ebay shop??

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Sure does think my next kit purchase will be from Stella as they seem to be customer supportive even better so than companies based in our own countries!!

Does it make any difference if one orders off there site or there ebay shop??

I always use the main site. It's really straightforward and you also have the convenience of seeing what the total price is in £££ as there is an automatic currency convertor as part of the site.

I really can't recommend them highly enough. Their shipping is fast and secure (I once received a kit within 1 working day) and the prices are second to none. Like I said a couple of pages back, I've had 8 kits from them and not paid a penny in import duty on any of them.

With the Scorcher kit they also gave me a $23 refund after managing to lower the price of the kits when they realised they would be getting more stock in.

If I knew I would always beat the import taxes I would use them even if a UK seller pricematched them, they are that good.

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I always use the main site. It's really straightforward and you also have the convenience of seeing what the total price is in £££ as there is an automatic currency convertor as part of the site.

I really can't recommend them highly enough. Their shipping is fast and secure (I once received a kit within 1 working day) and the prices are second to none. Like I said a couple of pages back, I've had 8 kits from them and not paid a penny in import duty on any of them.

With the Scorcher kit they also gave me a $23 refund after managing to lower the price of the kits when they realised they would be getting more stock in.

If I knew I would always beat the import taxes I would use them even if a UK seller pricematched them, they are that good.

They do sound great! in order to not get import duty did you ask for kit vlaue or anything to be under-declared? i think i may have asked you this already in

a previous post lol sorry if i have.

thats the thing at end of the day sometimes its not cheaper from abroad but often always save something just not so much if you get charged! lol but worth it

if they offer great service to!

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They do sound great! in order to not get import duty did you ask for kit vlaue or anything to be under-declared? i think i may have asked you this already in

a previous post lol sorry if i have.

thats the thing at end of the day sometimes its not cheaper from abroad but often always save something just not so much if you get charged! lol but worth it

if they offer great service to!

I have never asked them to undeclare anything but they do mark down the value of the kit, which is probably why I always avoid duty. Well worth taking the risk IMHO as I fully trust their service.

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I have never asked them to undeclare anything but they do mark down the value of the kit, which is probably why I always avoid duty. Well worth taking the risk IMHO as I fully trust their service.

I see yeah prob worth the risk i guess, but wonder where you are if it does get lost or really badly damaged with regards to a claim. Maybe Stella will honour a replacement!

yea been looking at here site prices are good esp for things like 3 speed 1/14th trucks i thinkthe 1838ls is like £148!!

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one of my orders from Stella did go missing and after contacting them they said wait a few more days and if it didn't turn up they would send another item out :blink:

This only happened once from over 100 items i have bought from them over the years. The item did turn up the next day after asking so all turned out good.

also i have only been stung once for customs when the customs man miss read the parcel and charged me on us Dollars not HK Dollars.

even then after paying £60 if i remember right the truck (Knight Hauler) still worked out £30 cheaper than the UK price.

Also going with EMS i get most parcels in about 5-7 days but sometimes 2-3 days had happened.

My 2X SS2010's have taken about a week and are due to be delivered today but they did get stuck in customs for the last 4 days and realesed without charges :blink:

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one of my orders from Stella did go missing and after contacting them they said wait a few more days and if it didn't turn up they would send another item out :blink:

This only happened once from over 100 items i have bought from them over the years. The item did turn up the next day after asking so all turned out good.

also i have only been stung once for customs when the customs man miss read the parcel and charged me on us Dollars not HK Dollars.

even then after paying £60 if i remember right the truck (Knight Hauler) still worked out £30 cheaper than the UK price.

Also going with EMS i get most parcels in about 5-7 days but sometimes 2-3 days had happened.

My 2X SS2010's have taken about a week and are due to be delivered today but they did get stuck in customs for the last 4 days and realesed without charges :blink:

Sounds good if the worse does happen!! last 4 things i have got have all been stung including the re-re BC last year doh!

I have found usually once in customs they alaways get a charge, maybe they dont always then!

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Sounds good if the worse does happen!! last 4 things i have got have all been stung including the re-re BC last year doh!

I have found usually once in customs they alaways get a charge, maybe they dont always then!

Mine sat awaiting charges for 4 days and they turned up 2 mins ago with no charges and packed with extra foam inside to protect the blisters plus loads of bubble wrap around everything thats loose in the box.

both kits were then bubble wraped and inside a sturdy box with more foam .:blink::):blink::):angry::):):)

so as always it turns out goood again.

on a plus note aswell i saved £40 per kit on the uk price £80 total :)

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One of the things that annoys me more than anything else about the UK R/C shops' websites is that the great majority don't have a live stock level system so you can't see what they ACTUALLY HAVE IN STOCK, which ALWAYS puts me off.

In Model Zone and the like I only ever seem to buy the odd can of paint and a catalog. I wouldn't dream of getting a kit from them at their prices. Plus they are often damaged boxes in my experience. Thank goodness for Stella.

Regards,

ARG

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I've always avoided ordering kits from that far abroad for reasons like possible damage, time taken and all that jazz. My recent experience with Stella and my Scorcher though really has changed that. Ordered on Tuesday on an "Express Service" and it turned up Friday afternoon. Looking at the EMS label, it was listed as "Toy - $40" which meant that I wasn't stung with import charges. It was still a good £50 cheaper than the equivalent UK listed price and pretty impressive taking just 4 days to travel from there to here.

Well done Stella, you'll be getting a lot more of my business!

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Ive just recieved my Scorcher today and am abosutly over the moon. Came in from Dinball and have to say what fabulous service, the car is just as I had hoped. It is all perfect condition and swift postage. Cant recommend him enough. Plus no customs charges. I got two more kits Im wanting now to keep me happy for a while, the Tyrrell P34 1976 F1 car and the DF03 Celica. Wounder if he does discount :)

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Does the body come with tail light lenses or faux plastic ones like the monster beetle / blitzer?

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Does the body come with tail light lenses or faux plastic ones like the monster beetle / blitzer?

It comes with the Blitzer solid plastic tail lights, but it also comes with the clear lenses on the clear parts tree. So if you're handy with a dremel, or get some repro resin parts, you can have clear lenses.

- James

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Luckily I kept the light buckets from my last SS body. Tamiya is funny that way, clear lenses but no light buckets.. Just faux tail lights..

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Luckily I kept the light buckets from my last SS body. Tamiya is funny that way, clear lenses but no light buckets.. Just faux tail lights..

Stella comes through again, just got my 2010 Scorcher today, ordered on the 9th - here already.

These people are GREAT!

Must be second batch as first one sold out, still comes with ESC and bag. Very cool!

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Stella comes through again, just got my 2010 Scorcher today, ordered on the 9th - here already.

These people are GREAT!

Must be second batch as first one sold out, still comes with ESC and bag. Very cool!

I reckon you got one from the first batch, I don't think Stella have the 2nd batch yet. I ordered on the 6th, Stella still showed having stock for a few days after that. Disappeared for a day or two, but came back.

Did you get a dodgy rear cage, a good rear cage, or both? I think that towards the end, Stella were swapping out the bad rear roll cages for good replacements that they were sent from Tamiya.

Anyone else have the lifting blister packs issue?

- James

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I reckon you got one from the first batch, I don't think Stella have the 2nd batch yet. I ordered on the 6th, Stella still showed having stock for a few days after that. Disappeared for a day or two, but came back.

Did you get a dodgy rear cage, a good rear cage, or both? I think that towards the end, Stella were swapping out the bad rear roll cages for good replacements that they were sent from Tamiya.

Anyone else have the lifting blister packs issue?

- James

Good cage in mine, maybe you are right with first batch as they are showing out of stock now.

Superb packaging, extra bubble wrap around body and polystyrene keeping blister packs down- super impressed these guys rock!

Have not checked blister packs for lifting but didn't notice anything out of place while taking the extra packaging out.

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What do you need to do with the dremel to get the clear tail light lenses to fit? Photos? TIA.

I agree, Stella have done a good job with the 'recall'. Have had good experiences with Dinball too.

F350, Mine will be spending another night at the PO. work getting in the way of having a good time :)

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Anyone else have the lifting blister packs issue?

- James

Depends what you mean by lifting.....mine have not come completely unstuck from the backing cardboard but they are not fully flush with it either. Better than those from my Buggy Champ though as they were torn where the motor sits. Not good, makes you wonder what the problem is and why they can't get them perfect like back in the day.

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Got my three yesterday from Stella.

Once again, fantastic service, they kept me informed every step of the way. One was sent out by EMS in an oversize box, which will be the one I keep NIB. The other two were shipped in the original Tamiya carton, and both of these have the blister pack problem. Doesn't matter to me, as I will be building both of them.

I'll have one on the shelf, one as a runner, and one NIB, all new kits. All bases covered, and for less than a quarter of the price of an original NIB Scorcher.

Pity about the mudguards, light buckets, and number plates, but I guess beggars can't be choosers.

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Got my three yesterday from Stella.

Once again, fantastic service, they kept me informed every step of the way. One was sent out by EMS in an oversize box, which will be the one I keep NIB. The other two were shipped in the original Tamiya carton, and both of these have the blister pack problem. Doesn't matter to me, as I will be building both of them.

I'll have one on the shelf, one as a runner, and one NIB, all new kits. All bases covered, and for less than a quarter of the price of an original NIB Scorcher.

Pity about the mudguards, light buckets, and number plates, but I guess beggars can't be choosers.

Wow 3 kits i need a higher paying job! lol im only going to get the bodyset as im skint! lol

Interesting blister problem, re-re BC was fine not that it mattered as i built it lol slit them open with the knife! i wonder if it is done by machine or was done by machine but now done

by hand as machine is no longer there or something could explain this! or cheaper glue maybe!

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Just got mine today!

Ordered fom rcmodelhk for the first time. Asked to pack it well, put all they did was ship in a Tamiya box (the ones that hold 2 kits) with some foam peanuts to fill up the empty space.

Kit box luckly didn't suffer.

Blisters are separating from the cardboard but no tears.

So how can you tell if the rear cage is the good or bad one?

Probably won't build for a while...but definately have to finish before I go to Normandy this spring! :)

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Depends what you mean by lifting.....mine have not come completely unstuck from the backing cardboard but they are not fully flush with it either. Better than those from my Buggy Champ though as they were torn where the motor sits. Not good, makes you wonder what the problem is and why they can't get them perfect like back in the day.

Lifting enough so that parts fall out.

My 2nd kit arrived today, and it's perfect. No lifting blisters, correct roll cage, and two spare roll cages for my other 2 kits. One more to go, just got a note to say it's now at the post office!

Wife not impressed... :P:)

- James

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Lifting enough so that parts fall out.

My 2nd kit arrived today, and it's perfect. No lifting blisters, correct roll cage, and two spare roll cages for my other 2 kits. One more to go, just got a note to say it's now at the post office!

Wife not impressed... :P:)

- James

Three SRB?..... :o

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