trf racer

i mean no wonder people laugh at races here when you say your driving a tamiya. If the hobby co wont import tamiya racing gear then it makes tamiya look like a company who just make toys...even though they are WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!

trf racer

most of the examples i put are what other people wanted to complain about but wanted to stay annonymouse for what ever reason so i posted them for other people.

trf racer

that is one of many.
tamiya japan must see that the hobby company is ripping poeple off and there profit margin is too big.
they are ripping people off left right and centre.

trf racer

Hi Bob, yep i can see that happening in the UK and if it does i will not bother racing in the eurocup anymore. Who in there right mind would pay £500 for a car when it can be had for £250-£300 delivered, not me Its time the distributers learn that untill they lower there prices to the same cost as Japan and the USA racers will go elsewhere and will not be held to ransom.

trf racer

Believe me the UK market will be the last in the world to get the 415 and even then it will be £500 GBP which is $900 USD
Then people wonder why us from the UK go to Japan and Hong Kong for parts

sosidge

I think you need to calm down a bit trf racer - 10 complaining posts in a row doesn't make you seem very reasonable.

I GUARANTEE that The Hobby Company are losing no sleep whatsoever about not importing TRF parts.

Their business plan is based around selling tens of thousands of Tamiya kits via retailers like Model Zone - kits that are bought as gifts, then hardly used, so don't need repairs.

Even at £300, TRF cars would probably only account for a few hundred sales in the UK (due to Tamiya's reputation among UK racers). Potential profits and the need for skilled and complete parts backup mean they don't feel it's worth their while.

£500-£600 for a kit is a joke, yes. I feel a bit sorry for the people that bought those stocks because they were ripped off, pure and simple. But it was probably a tactic by the Hobby Company to restrict demand.

Anyway, your email will do nothing, unfortunately. It'll probably take them 2 hours to work out what "TRF" means!

PS Riko's parts support was also rotten, I've heard a fair few tales from retailers who dropped the Tamiya line a few years ago, I've also heard rumours that Riko's performance as a distributor had something to do with the collapse of "Beatties" (many of whose sites have reopened as Model Zone). But I wouldn't like to go into that without actual documentary proof.

trf racer

we are also complaining about sales repution,image of tamiya has an internation company and team.
if you had a tamiya iam sure you would be complining.
its also going to tamiya hq in japan.
they will not be pleased about all this.

sosidge

Tamiya Japan know exactly how much stuff The Hobby Company are importing.

The TRF argument won't work.

However, poor spares support may be a worthwile argument.

keithander

I think sosidge has a very valid point.

A handful of races will make no impact at all on Tamiya or the Hobby Company. Best bet is to keep your head down and deal with the world market or UK market as you wish and when you wish.

Maybe a constructive letter to the UK Importer to query their supply chain strategy may prove a valid argument as Sosidge suggests.

Over and out.

Rick Draper

The thing is there is a lot more to the hobby company than Tamiya, i would guess tamiya sales make up only around 20-30% ofthe hobby companys income per year so making them take notice of this will be hard. In the meentime i will continue to buy my stuff from either the USA or Japan. Rick

Mr_Orange

The parts problem has quite a bit to do with Tamiya also. Until a half a year ago only one person was responisble for partssales for the whole world. Naturally the big markets (Japan, Usa and Germany) has the highest prioriety. In the rest of europe it has been very slow getting hold of parts.

Evoracer

iTrader: (24)

Hi Gents, I'm curious but a bit ignorant to your situation. Is Tamiya not very popular in England or the rest of Europe?? Is there a reason for this ?? Does this company have the exclusive distribution for the U.K. ?? Has any one you know...maybe a stockist you might deal with...considered the idea of approaching Tamiya for a second distributorship?? Clue me in !! Thanks, Dino

Barry White

In the U.K. an EVO III cost's 900 US $. The distibutor does not stock parts but can order them and that takes between 3 and 7 month's. This year their will be a new rule in Europe where you have to prove thru a form that will be available with new cars (415 and on) that you bought your car in the U.K. for that mather. If not you can't compete in TCS races!!!

Mr_Orange

In sweden we also have very good partsupport for the highend kits (414, Evo3) even though neither of these cars have ever been sold here due to small market and therefore too high price. There is only two Evo3:s in sweden and yet almost all parts are in stock and is 25% cheaper than in the UK. The swedish importer really cares about the tamiya brand in contrast to hobby company.

Evoracer

iTrader: (24)

900 is CRAZY....But I guess that only goes to show how badly the US dollar is doing against the pound !! How on earth can a distributor NOT stock parts??? How do they qualify as a distributor?? Is Tamiya THAT unpopular in the U.K. ?? I would have thought otherwise. Who handles the TCS races over there?? And who is responsible for this new rule ?? I don't want to believe that Tamiya would create a situation like that knowing that the Distributor doesn't even stock parts !!!!!!! If this is the case, you guy's ought to be contacting them and placing a major complaint.