I've been trying to contact him about something I need to talk to him about & have not had a response. Has anyone else been able to make contact in the last few weeks? Thanks.

Randy Pepprock
Dioramas Plus

I believe there have been recent posts about this guy being harder to find than a lawyer in heaven . I don't think you are the only one having this problem. Good luck.

Cheers,
Mike

Hopefully it wasn't about something you've paid for which hasn't arrived. TankRats has been outed as a 'questionable trader' on several boards.

I recommend checking out this thread on Missing-Lynx from late October:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47211/thread/1288118555/TankRats+AFV+Depot+is+a+thief%21....

I still have not been able to establish contact w/Tankrat. Does anyone know if they are still in business?

Randy Pepprock
Dioramas Plus

His website is still up and running, so likely if he owes you money....he is likely not answering because of that fact.

Sad but true, he had lots of potential, but decided to take the criminal way of things and rip people off.

You might have to contact the local authorities where he is to get any further.

Hey Randy,
Sorry to hear you cannot get any response from this guy.
It is a good thing I read this post as I was thinking about placing a order with him for some Tahk minis.I just deleted his website from my favorites.
By the way I love your buildings!!!

I have the same issue,

Ordered a kit Nov. 15 and haven't seen it. Sent three e-mails with no reply politely asking what the usual shipping time is.

Unbelievable.

Hey Randy
I love your diorama items you sell. Some of the best on the market.
I ordered a solder station 4+ months ago and am out 130.00 and still have not seen my solder station in the mail. I have called and emailed and have not seen a reply. I am talking with my uncle who is a lawyer about what I can do. Good luck on trying to get in touch with him.
I found the same solder station at Amazon for 50.00 cheaper. I don't have much money and could have purchased this one and had money left over for a kit.
LIve and learn I guess.

R

I placed an order with him on Nov. 13th and am still trying to get in touch with him. I have filed a dispute with paypal and have just won the case . they are going to refund my money. I would tell everyone not to do business with this guy.

Unfortunately, it would do little to no good. This exact thread pops up every several months, almost like quarterly reports. Just Google "tankrat thief" and you'll get multiple hits going back several years. While I have no first hand knowledge of any misdeeds he may or may not have done (it's all been word of mouth via modeling forums), it's one of those instances where I'd read the writing on the wall and avoid this vendor. But that's just me.

Here are a handful of warning posts on various websites from the last 12 months, yet multiple folks in this thread alone have done business with him in the past few months. What good is a warning if no one heeds it?

Armorama Dec 2009
Missing Lynx Oct 2010
AMPS Oct 2010
Hornet & Wolf Aug 2010
World War II Zone Feb 2010
HyperScale Oct 2010

look at the vendors list at the 2011 IPMS/USA convention in Omaha, Nebraska

Tankrats was not sold and is still open.

His website is still up so he's still taking peoples money...go figure. Run as fast and as far away from the clown as you possibly can. I've had dealings with him in the past, luckily I never spent a dime with him, but I saw the writing on the wall the first time I met him in Phoenix. Came across like a really bad used car salesman. I walked away and never looked back. "Q"

I wish I would have found this thread before I ordered from the website. Fortunately all I ordered was the Track4Black. But I will give him a chance and see how it goes.

If you don't get your order try using BLACKEN-IT. I order mine from Micro Mark and it arrives in less than 7 days. I really am happy with the results. I also started finding it at my local hobby store so you may check there if you have a store close to you. Good Luck.

Well I ordered the Track4Black yesterday and in my email this morning, I received an update from Tankrats saying it has shipped. Now I just have to wait for my wife to tell me it arrived since I am on deployment. I will post when it arrives. It's unfortunate that some people have had a bad experience with this seller, but as of right now, it seems to be ok. When I purchase online from someone I haven't done business with before, I only buy a few small items and make a few orders before spending alot of money to lessen the chance of getting ripped off.

I sincerely hope that this transaction goes well because the reviews of this product seem good. I will be ordering some Blacken-It as well so that I can do a comparison of the two.

Now I just have to wait about 4 more months till deployment is over so that I can get back to building! I will be going to night shift when I get back to my civillian job, which is nice, because I can work on models when I get off duty and while the kids and wife are asleep.

Yes, that was my experience: a small first order went fine. Then the next two were hung up for months with only a portion of stuff shipped. He called ME and asked for patience (he knew I am an Armorama editor), and by the time it was apparent he wasn't going to fill the other orders, I was past the point where PayPal will reimburse or do more than send a hortatory email to the vendor.

CAVEAT EMPTOR.


Black4Track gives a more-consistent etching and is re-usable (though you must top it off with new from time to time). The bottle top is very soft plastic, so beware! Mine fell off the workbench and cracked, spilling 3/4 of the contents in seconds.


Thank you for your service to our country; I wish you a safe and speedy return.

Wife informed me that my Black4Track arrived in the mail yesterday, so I am pleased with how the deal went.