Wingnut Wings going live on Wetaworkshop

[Howlindawg]

The bristol looks terrific as well although I have the wartime version.

I was tempted by the wartime version but couldn't resist the Irish Air Corps livery.

[Beardie]

Ah I did notice that option myself which I thought would make an interesting model but I am being strict with myself and sticking to wartime birds only until I have them all and then I might add the postwar options.

[Folkbox1]

A friend of mine had a couple of kits arrive with the boxes water damaged.

To be fair the boxes were still very damp so I doubt they'd got wet on the NZ side of the world.

[Beardie]

Well I have had contact from a pleasant seeming and helpful chap at Weta in NZ called Anthony Upton, He told me he had checked the records of the warehouse in the Netherlands and could find no record of the kit corresponding to my order number being shipped and so he told me he had sent them a request to send me a Wingnut Wings Snipe ASAP. So hopefully I will have it soon.

I can see a difficulty arising with the Netherlands warehouse having hours which don't coincide at all with the business hours of the NZ end of the business causing delays and difficulties in resolving such problems. I guess time will tell.

[Beardie]

Well the saga continues and no Sopwith Snipe as yet. I have received a message today from Anthony at Weta in New Zealand to say that he is still waiting on confirmation from the EU warehouse as to whether they have now sent my kit out. Looks like my prediction about communications difficulties between facilities working in different time zones was right on the money.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Not massively encouraging for prospective first time buyers looking in.

[FZ6]

I've placed an order for a weapons Sprue with Weta and received a few generic notifications one of them from the same person as you Beardie acknowledging my payment. The Sprue is being shipped from New Zealand so I have yet to deal with the European Warehouse.

I was tempted to order an albatros but was shocked by the price compared to the previous WNW kits I've ordered. Once I've come to terms with how much they cost now I'll place an order.

Hope you get your issue sorted soon Beardie.

Regards,

Mark

[Beardie]

Yup the prices are a bit tough to swallow although they are coming down a tiny little bit (I take it the £ has strengthened a little).

I have been in communication with one of our members (Dal) in Austalia and he was looking at grabbing an Albatros D.Va but he found that, as there are none left in New Zealand, it would head back south from Europe making it cost way too much.

Unless someone works late (or early) either in New Zealand or the Netherlands in order to be able to communicate directly rather than picking up emails (something we all know doesn't neccessariy ellicit a quick response) I can see it taking a long time to sort out problems between the different ends of the operation.

I think I may well be placing a want ad on Britmodeller to see if anyone has spare kits that they will part with (at new rates) rather than trusting to Weta. I trust my fellow BM'ers to give better service than Weta seem to be capable of so far.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Maybe just forward them a link to this thread.

[sinnerboy]

Maybe just forward them a link to this thread.

good idea

must admit I think my days of buying WnW kits are behind me, with the increases + VAT + the exchange rate, they have pretty much doubled over the past 3 years, sorry not going to pay £100 + for a single seater, lovely as they are.

[krow113]

Until a Canadian distributor is assigned I will be opting out of purchasing any WNW kits , solely due to the 'weta money grab' I feel is going on.

[FZ6]

Yup the prices are a bit tough to swallow although they are coming down a tiny little bit (I take it the £ has strengthened a little).

I have been in communication with one of our members (Dal) in Austalia and he was looking at grabbing an Albatros D.Va but he found that, as there are none left in New Zealand, it would head back south from Europe making it cost way too much.

Unless someone works late (or early) either in New Zealand or the Netherlands in order to be able to communicate directly rather than picking up emails (something we all know doesn't neccessariy ellicit a quick response) I can see it taking a long time to sort out problems between the different ends of the operation.

I think I may well be placing a want ad on Britmodeller to see if anyone has spare kits that they will part with (at new rates) rather than trusting to Weta. I trust my fellow BM'ers to give better service than Weta seem to be capable of so far.

Hi Beardie,

I wonder if a direct email to Wingnut Wings would help speed things up if you don't hear anything soon. However it may be out of their hands...

[redcap]

good idea

must admit I think my days of buying WnW kits are behind me, with the increases + VAT + the exchange rate, they have pretty much doubled over the past 3 years, sorry not going to pay £100 + for a single seater, lovely as they are.

You make a fair point when they are now coming in at £100.00 for a single seater WW1 fighter that size wise, isn't that much bigger than a WW2 1/48 single seater like the P-47 or F-4U etc.

I know they are superb kits in the WNW range (I have them all less 3) but when you consider you can pick up the likes of a Tamiya 1/32 Spit, P-51 or F-4U etc 'wonderkit' for about £75.00 and at a push, a Tamiya 1/32 Mossie for the same price (i.e. £100.00) now with some careful shopping, it certainly puts the WNW prices into some thought provoking perspective.

WNW - Magnificent kits yes but no longer the incredible 'VFM package' they were until recent times. Personally, I fail to see any benefit to the lads in the hobby at all from 'Weta' entering the money foodchain and seemingly having to facilitate a 3-way conversation with WNW and the buyer to process orders.

Gary

[Beardie]

Hi FZ6,

I have been bouncing emails back and forth with two of the Weta chaps in New Zealand over the last couple of weeks. I originally contacted Anthony Upton about the weta dollars program as I bought the first kit before I registered with the site and he generously credited me with more of the Weta dollars than would have been earned by the kit. After a week had elapsed and I had already received the kit I had bought three days later than the first one (it only took four days to arrive from the Netherlands) I emailed Anthony at Weta NZ again and a couple of days later he got in touch to say that he could find no record of the order having left the warehouse in the Netherlands and had emailed them asking them to send out the kit ASAP. I emailed him requesting an update two days ago and he got back to me yesterday to say that he still hadn't received any information from the warehouse in the Netherlands to say whether they had indeed despatched the kit yet. As I said previously it sounds like a case of me contacting Weta NZ who email Weta NL and then wait as days elapse until Weta NL get back to Weta NZ and then Weta NZ may need to clarify something with Weta NL and authorise the shipment and then Weta NL might finally go ahead and ship to me. I have known situations like this with international companies in the past and it can add weeks onto the time needed to remedy the problem.

[colin]

I have two of their kits but fear no more, I think their pricing themselves out.

[Beardie]

Well another day with no word and no kit I have emailed Weta again but there won't be anyone in their offices until 8pm UK time so I am guessing it will be at least another week before my missing Snipe is sorted out. I suspect that they don't actually have a Wetaworkshop warehouse in Europe but are actually paying for warehousing services from an independent company. I was trying to locate the home of the Netherlands warehouse and my search threw up a company that provide warehousing services.

Sorry scratch that I am forgetting that Friday has already come and gone in New Zealand so my email won't be picked up until 8pm UK time on Sunday night. Very frustrating.

[Howlindawg]

No sign of my delivery scheduled for today either.

Seems safe to say that Weta are experiencing some European distribution problems.

[FZ6]

Well I came home from work last night and there was a card envelope from Wellington New Zealand waiting for me and inside was the RFC Weapons Sprue I ordered last weekend so I certainly can't fault Weta from their New Zealand branch.

I'm sure you'll get your Snipe soon Beardie however it's not fair that you should have to wait so long for it and have to do a lot of Chasing up.

I also thought I would add that for Rolls Royce kit prices you should be receiving a Rolls Royce service.

Regards,

Mark

Edited September 10, 2016 by FZ6

[Beardie]

I do agree. It is very disappointing. I have 11 kits which I bought from other Britmodellers and ebay and service for each one was exemplary, quick and in nice sturdy packaging. You would think that the company could provide a similar quality of service. The kits are not the sort of prices that you can readily write off to experience if they go missing and, in this case, it seems that it somehow slipped through the cracks in their ordering system rather than gone missing in transit. It is particularly troubling in that I am hoping to have a reasonable amount of loot soon to acquire a few more kits and I am very reluctant to part with a few hundred pounds and then have to spend weeks chasing the goods.

[Beardie]

A little update -

I received an email yesterday from DpD couriers saying they had a parcel for me that they were aiming to deliver by Wednesday though they don't tell you who it is from which leaves you guessing however I received an email today from Anthony at Weta confirming that the Snipe was sent out on Friday. I can't fault the chaps at the New Zealand end of the organisation as they are helpful and friendly but I do think the European end of the distribution chain might require a little fine tuning.

[Beardie]

My Snipe has arrived and a day earlier than stated too!

I have to say that, other than the time taken to sort it out I am happy. I am guessing that the problem occurred because I bought the kit straight off rather than making an account with Weta first and this somehow affected the ordering process. I have to thank Anthony at Weta for sorting things out.

[Beardie]

Well chaps I have been in touch with Mr Richard Alexander at Wingnut Wings and he has cleared up a few points for me and I thought I would share them with everybody here who is interested. This is what I have drawn out of the answers and I don't represent the company in any way.

1. Will there ever be a re-issue of 'Sold-out' kits?

Answer: Definitely not. The company is not aimed at continuously churning out kits of subjects that they have already produced but is primarily concentrating it's efforts on developing kits of other aircraft that have never been produced in kit form before. Previously released kits however may appear in duellist boxings in the future where they are applicable.

2. Is the price likely to come down?

Answer: Sorry but no.The kits don't actually make much money and the price they sell for is not much more that it costs to develop and produce them. Free postage was ended as the company couldn't afford to continue to take a hit on postage. The price they are at covers the cost of development and production with little left over and, in my opinion isn't comparable to any other kits on the market simply because the kits themselves are not comparable to anything else on the market.

3. Will there ever be a 'budget' version of the kits?

Answer: No. To lessen the package in any way in order to make them cheaper would go against the whole reason the product was created. That is, to make the absolute best kits of World War One subjects ever produced in a format that was buildable to all, with detailed instructions and aircraft information. All you need in one very nice, quality package.

4. Is the lack of new kits so far this year an indicator that we might be seeing the end of Wingnut Wings?

Answer: Definitely not! The company are working on numerous subjects for the future.

So basically, if you want Wingnut Wings kits grab them while you can! Once they are gone they are gone and while they are pretty expensive they are like no other model kits on the market and it is unfair to compare them to the price of any other model kit on the market. While they have taken quite a jump in price it is not because they are robbing us but that in order to continue to produce kits that we want they need to be more realistic about the price they charge.

I for one have become a devotee of Wingnut Wings kits and hope that they continue to produce great kits even if I will struggle to get my pennies together for them.

[Folkbox1]

Well chaps I have been in touch with Mr Richard Alexander at Wingnut Wings and he has cleared up a few points for me...

No mention of the resin figures to go with them? There's some (in the photos on WNW site) I'd rather like to get my hands on :-(

[Beardie]

I think they are only planned to be incorporated into 'DeLuxe' kits that may be released at some point in the future. They don't give much away about when things will appear unfortunately. I tried to wiggle a hint or two about future releases but everyone I have contacted at Wingnuts/Weta have been tight lipped about what is coming in future.

[Howlindawg]

My order arrived from the EU warehouse today.

A week late but intact.