GiantShark (Formerly GiantCod)

Looks to me that there is an opportunity here to follow in Robs footsteps and create an on-line store that not affiliated to any big org, to serve those of us who like GC.

The business model of cheap products & fast order processing obviouly worked.

Just sayin'

Andy

I was baffled when bringing up the GC website to find it called GiantShark. I could not even log in, and when trying the "forgotten password" link I was informed that my email address was not recognised.

Like others, I think it reasonable to give the new business a chance, but it is regrettable that a small, thriving business that delivered the goods and demonstrated good and intelligent customer services has seemingly been swallowed up by a larger operation.

GC were my first port of call for modelling goods - will GS maintain that status?? The name in itself is a real PR howler....It is almost as if we have lost a friend!

Edge

Sadly I think we have...

I said in a posting a few weeks ago that 'cod was on the slide and prices were up on what bit of stock they had in, it was cheaper to shop at Hobbyking and pay the $3.99 Royal Mail charge for delivery to speed things up a bit than to shop at 'cod, £2.45 x presnt approx exchange rate = about $3.75 so not a lot in it postage-wise.

One thing I have learned is keep a stock of the most important bits i.e ESC's, hinges, horns, and suchlike, if I feel an attack of the build fever coming on I order motors etc for whatever I am building when I unroll the plans, that way the big bits are available for when I need them, plan ahead and save money.

I don't know if Rob is involved with G.Shark or not but I'd like to thank him for his past service, which was excellent. Good products, god prices and a lightning delivery. Thanks Rob

Er... I meant good prices.  Though perhaps I was right the first time.

Edited By Barrie Dav 2 on 10/05/2012 13:52:54

Barrie

The GS web site states that he will be staying on in some capacity during the transition to MyHobbystore.

I would expect that he will have some mixed emotions, and some conflicts to deal and adapt to, as the business is no longer is his and he is now longer the principle manager.

Rob understood by either chance, maybe a convenient way of retailing , maybe a conscious acknowledgment that the inter net was a growing means of reaching a very large audience. On the other hand conventional shops cannot have the same presence without significant expenditure on rents etc., to have the same presence. To a large extent this accounts to how prices could be so keen.

Others have acknowledged that the kits distributed by Myhobbystore do not exhibit the keen pricing that you would expect. Although i do not know, I suspect that the kits are contracted out to a specialist. The benefits of what should be a lean organisation, do not appear to reflect in their pricing regime. Lets hope it will be different with GS.

As others have stated the benefit of the Internet is that custom moves to sites who offer the best value, normally that blend of price and service. Buying GC, by no means provides a fixed customer base.

Edited By Erfolg on 10/05/2012 15:46:49

Erfolg, I must have missed the bit on GS's website about Rob staying on for a while but my sentiment stands of course.

Barrie

It was not meant as criticism, the brevity of these postings can often leave an unintended impression.

Erfolg be reassured, I never considered your posting to be a criticism. Not in any way at all. Never crossed my mind in fact.

I do agree with you that sometimes an unintentional meaning can be conveyed by a posting. I expect we are all guilty of this from time to time. There's nothing like chatting face to face.

Barrie

To be honest, the ham-fisted handling of the GC Forum (the block replacement in all posts) doesn't augur well for the future. If they can't manage a simple thing like taking over the running of a forum without making a complete horlicks of it, it doesn't look too good for any other 'innovations'

Ah well - 'tis all just a cod anyway

I ended up placing two orders, just to stock up on bits and pieces, and both are marked as despatched!

Looking good

I think a lot of us must be buying our odds and ends from GC. There is an alternative and that is HK. As suggested by another contributor, he buys all his odds and ends as stock items. I have also started buying for stock, in anticipation of future needs.

What is interesting is that I can buy all my needs for at least 10 models for less than I can buy just enough from a MS. Odds and ends can easily cost £20 for one model from the MS. I used to come out of a model shop paying £50 for nothing. Thinking, is it worth building any models?

I am hopeful that there will be others who fill the void of GC if GS does not cut the mustard, alongside HK.

Don't expect any bargains.

If MyHobbystore undercut prices model shops will stop advertsing in RCM&E.

I thought I saw an alternative site to HK mentioned in the thread. I have been back to find the reference, can I find it, can I heck.

I thought it was called "Alvi" or some such.

Airtek maybe?

As long as the prices stop somewhere near I don't really care who owns it to be honest, if they bang things up I will just use somewhere else.

It would have been BRC but it looks like they are now run by RobotBirds, one of the worst companies I have ever ordered from. Bad advise and aren't interested once they had my money, that was on 2 occasions! who's the fool? Me! You live and learn.

Rich

That's odd Rich, I have always been very happy with the deals and service I have had from RobotBirds, including exchanging some items etc. Same with BRC although that was a while ago admittedly.

Cor blimey, robotbirds and BRC are also companies I have used, until recently.

Are we witnessing a consolidation of the model aircraft retailers? If so it will not be long before there are some failures, where the take overs were borne from the desperation of acquiring additional customers, whilst the underlying issues remain unresolved.

I think it was Airtek.

Airtek have a very nice website and I have had good aftersales service but I think they are becoming victims of their own success; I had to shop elsewhere on a number of occasions due to items being out of stock.

Have to concur there, years ago after numerous orders to Robotbirds and a lot of money passing from me to them, on a sizeable order, a very few days after supply I found I had been supplied a faulty motor. OK, it happens, but when I phoned up to enquire how they wanted to correct this I was given verbal abuse and told I was trying it on. It came so suddenly and with such malice I was actually rendered speechless (a first for me!!)

Never went there again!!

I'd rather give up the hobby than give them money!