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Posted by Ralph Wood on June 17, 2026, 12:55:00, in reply to "Re: My Black Cat 1/700 Bertholf came yesterday"
Glad they came. Black Cat is a fine company with great products. Here's hoping they do more full hulls. 
Previous Message
Just got my package from Black Cat. Nice kits. I will place my orders if Black Cat releases more 1/700 full hull ships. Previous Message
No, that doesn't help. "Dropping my package around in my community" (of 80,000 people) and having to go look for it is not good, nor helpful news. "Needle in a haystack." You bet I will complain if that happens, but Hobbyeasy doesn't appear to care. They do not process their own outgoing packages. They send them to Dealer Send (which is used by Temu, among others.) Dealer Send seems to be choosing the initial shipping company, which--in this case--is then handing it off to GOFO (whom I assume they chose to hand it off too?) Fingers will all just point...Hobbyeasy will blame Dealer Send, who'll blame Cirro, who'll blame GOFO. And Hobbyeasy will not stop using Dealer Send. And, that company doesn't seem to have any full control over the entire process from end-to-end. The only way Hobbyeasy will make any changes is if their sales plummet. As noted, even if I get this okay, I am not gung-ho to keep using them. I don't like risk. The very nature of ordering creates risk by default. That the risk is magnified by routine use of a known poor carrier is not appealing to me. I can reduce it by simple avoidance. I can take lower risk gambles by patronizing better companies...like Black Cat, who use their nation's postal service, who are more reputable.
I am trying to remain optimistic at the moment, but none of this is good news for me, so that's not so easy. Being told to be ready for some sort of package hunt definitely did not help. Previous Message
Yes, we have to keep tracking these days. The deliver men are dropping my package around in my community instead of my front door. I have to look around once I get "delivered" notice. The sellers are informed and filed complain. Hope this will help. Previous Message
Yeah, that's "struggling" along. At least you can now see some movement.
I am not currently thrilled with Hobbyeasy on my Dream Model Flight III. I paid them promptly upon their request, and within 24 hours of ordering, at which time they indicated it was "ready to go." They then sat on it a week. I wrote to them about that, and they replied not to worry, it was going out "today." It went out "my" today, their tomorrow. Then, I got a tracking number, and 3 links to track it with. Hong Kong post had no record of it. Second link was broken. Third link had no place to enter a tracking number. I used a "universal" tracking site I have had great results from. That found it with an obscure outfit called Dealer Send. Looking them up, all they do is prepare items for overseas shipment. They handed it off to an outfit called Cirro. Apparently, all they will do is (eventually) get it out of Hong Kong, then hand it off to an outfit called GOFO. They are listed as the last-mile carrier in the US. Looking them up, their reputation is one of the worst carriers in the US!!
Yipes! Lots of "wheels turning," and time ticking just to get it here, then it will be given to a service with a terrible reputation. As I wrote at the outset, Hobbyeasy is not impressing me any at this point. It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings, but even if it gets here okay, I am not gung-ho about placing more orders with them.
Wishing us both luck! Previous Message
Hi Ralph, the latest USPS tracking just showed it is in AZ now. Hopefully it will arrive soon. I am also waiting for Kranken to send my order (shown on 3D printing schedule 5/3/26). Previous Message
Hmmm. Mine "processed through" Jamaica (NY) on the 12th, then left Queens, NY on the 13th in the early AM, then "in transit." However, it was only going to Shrewsbury, MA, so it arrived there late on the 13th. I used to work in the Shrewsbury CMP&DC. It's the last stop before my local post office.
I suspect (but don't know for certain) yours processed through, and left Jamaica, but not to Queens. It's most likely on a truck heading for the West coast, with the next scan when it goes through intake at wherever it arrives. 12th to 16th...4 days across the country on a truck is "about right." You should get another scan "soon." If nothing further in about the next 24 hours, then I might begin to be uneasy. Best I can tell you. Please keep me posted.
USPS ships much more stuff by ground these days; a money-saving measure. When I was in, most packages went by air across the country, and three or four day delivery was considered "the norm." Those days are gone. They truck most stuff except express now. Previous Message
Hi Ralph, thank you so much for the information. Mine stuck in Jamaica since 6/12. No further USPS tracking detail after that. Previous Message
Wow! Thank you, Ben! Amazingly detailed hull. Two wafers full of detailed parts, decals, full instructions, some brass rod antenae, and a PE fret. And all so well and neatly packaged. Incredible kit! I look forward to working on this.
Got here in only a week. Ordered June 8th, arrived the 15th. "Funky" tracking. A couple days after I got the message it had shipped, the tracking said plainly that it had left the origin country. Subsequently, though, that message no longer appeared, and I got messages that it was being processed, and was on its way to me. I concluded it probably still was in France after all. So, I was pleasantly surprised to go collect my mail yesterday and find the package in it.
If you want this subject, this is THE kit of it, and you won't go wrong getting it. And, Ben stands behind it. His communication was excellent through the process.
Highly, highly recommended!
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