Tristar missing sprue

[pt109]

Hi Guys,


So today after work, I bought a new kit from my LHS and then get home and realize a sprue is missing....eeeek


To make it worse, it's a Tristar kit, 030 Marder III H nice kit but useless without it. It's for the gun cradle and muzzle plus many other parts...damn. 


What's my recourse now, if anyone knows,  since Tristar is now defunct?


Call the shop and find the distributors' name?


Thanks,   Paul

[panzerjager2]

In my travels the best choice has always been to contact where I bought it first, then if i didn't get resolution, i go on to the actual builder, in this case tristar. Hopefully your LHS will have a replacement kit..... REMEMBER TO always keep your receipts.... 
PJ2

[dupes]

Your best bet is to contact Hobby Boss - they have all of the Tristar molds (and have re-released all of the kits, iirc).

[pt109]

Thanks for the replies men....so here's my story.

Issue resolved, rather quickly. So, I called the HS and told them my issue, ok no problem bring in the kit. I bring the kit in and the woman behind the counter says what's up etc. I show her the kit, a missing sprue blah blah....she turns around and says oh, is this what you're looking for? I say yea looks like it, blah blah, then I said but the kit was sealed, she says 'oh well stuff happens, I've found parts all over..." or words to that affect.

So problem solved , simple, but this is the second time this happened, another Tristar kit no less. So my decision is not to shop there, never know what other kits are missing parts, not to mention the aggravation this puts you through.

Any thoughts? Am I being overly concerned? I won't mention the HS name....


Paul   

[panzerjager2]

So, you're gonna do what you're gonna do. Here's just something to chew on.....
A). You're lucky to have a LHS
B). They fixed the problem, right?
C). Many moons ago we had a VERY BIG LHS, it had been around for 50 years....They used to open kits for customers, and re-wrap them later.... I know cause i re-wrapped many of them.... and many a times stuff fell out of these re-wraps. We would keep a pile of these extras... if a customer came in, much like you did and had a similar issue, well the girl at the counter probably did know beans from baseballs about re-wrapping, so she just said "whatever" came into her head, and produced the aforementioned missing part/pieces...point being this kind of thing happens....don't,(if i was lucky enough to have a LHS) throw the "baby out with the bathwater". 

Again you'll do what you are gonna do......... 
PJ2

[wbill76]

It probably happens because they allow people to open the boxes before they buy the kit, then reseal it if they don't buy, but don't check it too closely when that happens. The fact that they have a somewhat casual attitude about it would mean you need to behave like you're ordering at a drive-through McDonalds and check everything before driving home!

[pt109]

Thanks for the responses....good points all around, and so I'll probably still shop there, just not for models but I always like to support the local businesses. On-line retailers are making these little hobby shops disappear which is sad in the end but it's the way the world is heading. I still prefer ebay for model kits as now I have some reliable sources to buy from.

Thanks again. Paul