David M Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 I have been trying to contact Luis Vargas regarding an order that seems to be very delayed. So far there has been no response to emails, PM via FaceBook or Ebay. I am hoping he is OK...has anyone else had any issues or know how else to contact him? DM in Oz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeattiesBuilder70 Posted September 15, 2021 Share Posted September 15, 2021 Hello David, I too have been trying to contact him, but either something has happened, or we’re being ignored. When he last responded he told me that the item I ordered was in stock, yet it hasn’t arrived and is now showing as ‘orders being taken’, so I assumed he’s sold out and doesn’t want to tell me. Either that or somethings happened. Sorry I can’t help, but you’re not alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Club Posted June 24, 2022 Share Posted June 24, 2022 Hello, I've ordered three kits from Vargas in 1/72 scale : The Holt-Gas electric, the Lee-Brooke Confederate Railway Gun and the Burstyn 1912 tank. I've received my parcel, but there are two Lee-Brooke guns in the package and also the Burstyn... But no Holt-gas electric ! Also, the Burstyn has no tracks printed under the side skirts (I don't known if it is a printing error I've tried to contact him by email or via Messenger, but I get no answers. at the time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted June 29, 2022 Share Posted June 29, 2022 He's just popped up on Facebook pushing his new 105mm Light Gun. I've posted a link to this thread on that page. See what happens...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeattiesBuilder70 Posted June 30, 2022 Share Posted June 30, 2022 Well as of yesterday I had some success, although not after contacting PayPal to intervene, which I did. Because of the time I gave Luis (thinking he may be ill, or worse) it passed beyond the 180 days they allow to register a claim. In the meantime I’d put a very clear warning post on his Facebook page telling others that he’s a con man and to steer clear. He obviously removed it, so I put it on again. I then wrote to him saying I’d put it on twice a day, every day to warn others. Within two days of this tactic he caved in and refunded my payment through PayPal. This guy offers some amazing creations so I just can’t explain his actions, it’s all completely illogical. Plus, it’s not like he’s selling to a general audience, it’s a small and very specialised market. Although I now have my money, I’d rather have had the Romfell Trailer I ordered, and now I just wish I could pinpoint why he chooses to ignore some of us. It’s all very odd. Maybe try doing as I did and force his hand? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted July 1, 2022 Share Posted July 1, 2022 This is his reply to my post on Facebook yesterday: "thx..... doing the best I can with health issues...". Which is IMO a poor excuse for radio silence and ignorance. Bring in some help or temporarily suspend trading. Hack off your customers and you will have no business. Explain the situation to them and you may get some sympathy. Things inevitably go wrong running a business. Being a successful business has much to do with how you put things right when they inevitably go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeattiesBuilder70 Posted July 1, 2022 Share Posted July 1, 2022 Yep, I received a similar excuse, hence why I gave him far to long to respond and lost my PayPal protection. Strangely he’s still managing to promote his latest creation, clearly his health doesn't seem to get in the way there….! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary joll Posted December 29, 2022 Share Posted December 29, 2022 I,ve recently tried to purchase the mk vii continental tank off Luis, been over a month now with no reply to e mails, unfortunately I didnt see this thread calling him out as a possible scammer, watch this space .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted December 29, 2022 Share Posted December 29, 2022 I don't believe he is a deliberate scammer. But I do believe that his forte is in mastering and printing, not necessarily in running a business. And that he is in over his head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary joll Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 Update,.....continental arrived today, happy bunny, very good printed model as advertised , only downside to vargas models is the lack of communication to customers, not a scammer, as Kingsman said, probably over his head . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Jones Posted January 14, 2023 Share Posted January 14, 2023 (edited) Ordered my Vickers No 1 tank on the 4th January and it arrived today, so 10 days. It’s a great kit and I will be ordering the Continental in the future. The only down side is the track parts have been damaged in the post, which is a shame. Edited January 14, 2023 by Bill Jones 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 I ordered these last August (2022) and both arrived together, within 1 week, direct from US. Comms with Luis directly, were easy and responsive. Both are superb kits IMHO. I know, via a colleague, that Luis has had some challenging health issues over the last couple of years, and very recently bad weather in California has had an impact on his production. I would also say though that he also appears to be a victim of his own success! I also understand that there may be a possibility of him offering some of his range for sale in the UK, via the Tank Museum. No idea when or which models. HTH Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 For those interested, The Tank Museum now stock a limited range of Vargas Scale Models, thirteen different subjects in fact, last time I checked. https://tankmuseumshop.org/search?options[prefix]=last&page=1&q=Vargas Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin C76 Posted July 16, 2023 Share Posted July 16, 2023 (edited) My copy of the Bob Semple tank arrived with severely warped upper and rear hull panels, which with no amount of trying to re-set using hot water etc has been successful. After reaching out to Luis via email and then via Facebook messenger I finally got a response back in April to which he said he would send a replacement hull. It's now been 3 months with neither anything arriving or any answer to my messages in which I have been both polite and patient thus far. I may be left to simply scratchbuild all the affected areas, but as I was hoping to write and hopefully publish an article based on this build, it doesn't really sit well having to mention these issues so the whole project is stuck in limbo. It's such a lovely kit otherwise and the rest of the kit is perfect in terms of print quality and execution. I understand how health issues can affect the smooth running of such an operation, I have some of my own to contend with, but it's really put a dampener on what I hoped would be a fun build of my own nation's foray into armour during WWII. Addendum: my apologies, I only just worked out how to embed some images... but this gives an idea of how extensive the warping is and how also, layers of resin were still sticky and uncured, peeling loose inside the hull just behind the cupola ring. Edited January 9 by Martin C76 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin C76 Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 Received my replacement SempleTank from Luis at Vargas, after we made contact finally. It's not the mistakes we make but how we put them right is what counts to me in the end. I have found Luis to be really sincere and dedicated to what he is doing, just extremely under pump working solo which is only complicated by health issues. Not only did he replace the hull but sent me an entire new kit! I believe it is a new and improved version based on some tiny differences -and improvements in my opinion; far less viable layer lines, better upper hull deck to name a few. Time to build! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted January 15 Share Posted January 15 If anyone is interested in the Bob Semple,, the Bovington Museum shop has a few in stock. And some other Vargas items. https://tankmuseumshop.org/search?type=product%2Carticle&options[prefix]=last&q=vargas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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