[mini-ripper]

I know Im a little late on this thread.

But I have a real bone with the UK model industry and Model shops mainly the big importers or distributers as they prefer to be known as, like CML, Helger, Mirage and Traxxas are the biggest in the UK and they are nothing more than a cartel they are making very big money indeed and screwing the model shops into selling products at lower margins.

You can see where the model shop is comming from on the Grey importing side of things but at the end of the day the ease with which we can travel the world these days and the advent of the internet have made it a much more accesable market place for us the consumer, and a much bigger place indeed for the model shop. It is now a truly global market place and ebay has a lot to do with it is a massive model shop online. It makes grey inmporting alone very easy.

Aside from that take HPI for instance you have HPI Europe who are based in the same country England (I think even the same town) as Mirage (The Uk distributer for HPI) now this is where it gets complicated you have HPI USA selling lets say savage's to HPI Europe who then in turn sell them on to Mirage who then sell it onto the Model shop. So buy the time you get your savage thier has been 3 different companys who have handled it for you and for sure added thier margin onto it. This is where the UK has allways gone wrong we have to many middle men I have no problem with anyone making money thats life thats how econemy's work but we as Brits get robbed all the time and I dont blame anyone for buying from abroad purley and simply because of price I know the model shops say you get no warrenty well the experiences I have had with any model shop is you dont realy get one anyway.

The moral of the story is for the importers stop making so much money and make kits cheaper but until you do that and make an effort to the hobby DONT maon about us so called grey inporting.

By the way Jimmy great web site great reviews its all good.