Marwan RC; what's up with them?

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XLR8
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Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by XLR8 »

If you've order from Marwan before, what's a reasonable time to wait to receive a reply? I placed an order a couple weeks ago, immediately received an (automated?) invoice acknowledging full payment for the items ordered and indicated shipping would be invoiced separately (my credit card account showed the transaction (via Paypal)) but I never received anything further. I've emailed them a couple times and again yesterday requesting instructions regarding shipping costs, order status, etc. basically, just reply with anything to let me know someone on the other end is alive. In yesterday's email, I gave them 24 hours to reply or I would take steps to reverse the transaction. Just now, I received a paypal request for $13.50 to cover air shipment - no additional info, no explanation. I haven't done anything yet; my confidence is not very high at the moment.
Have any of you had a similar experience with Marwan? Where in the world is this chap located?
Doug

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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by Basher67 »

I believe he is somewhere in the middle east. Patience is the name of the game here. It took a month for my tires to arrive, but they were well worth the wait. He has an excellent reputation online that, in my opinion, is well deserved.

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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by XLR8 »

Thank you Basher, I was hoping to hear from you as I know you have ordered from Marwan in the past.
So yeah I understand patience but I don't like when an online vendor receives payment then ignores my emailed questions for nearly two weeks; I will begin to feel like I've been scammed. A simple reply would have been enough.
Anyway, I've covered shipping costs so we'll see what happens. Based upon yours and other member experiences here, I predict a favorable outcome. If I order from them again, I will know what to expect.
Doug

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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by Basher67 »

I agree. There's no good reason for a seller to have bad communication with his buyers. It can be very frustrating. Especially when you're sending your money to the other side of the world.

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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by XLR8 »

Just tried to reach out to Marwan again. Hopefully I'll hear from them soon.
Doug

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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by XLR8 »

The order never arrived so, at my request, Marwan has issued a refund. I think the airmail carrier lost the package as the USPS tracking webpage reports they never received it (only that the "label" was created). Of course, if it does eventually arrive, I'll notify Marwan and re-send payment. Meanwhile, I guess I will turn to TBG for the body and decal set. So much wasted time.
Doug

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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by Basher67 »

Sorry to hear about your bad experience. I hope it was just a problem with the package carrier.

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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by XLR8 »

Thanks. I'm pretty sure it was a carrier problem. Marwan says he send the order Apr 2nd and I see no reason to doubt him. It probably ended up in a dumpster somewhere or floating with the millions of tons of trash in the ocean. Don't think I will do this again.
Doug

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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by Lonestar »

Marwan's a stand-up guy... very likely an external factor :(
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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by Coelacanth »

True, it's not Marwan's fault that shipping effed up the delivery. What you'll find with TBG's products is they're all (almost?) re-pops of bodies, not made from molds, so they all shrink a bit...sometimes as much as 5%. It may not seem like much but you'll definitely notice it if you're trying to use the existing molded-in body mount holes and body lines. Things may not line up like they do on Marwan's bodies, so be very sure of everything before reaming any holes or doing cuts for shock towers and such. I like TBG because of the price and availability, but I've used Marwan's products as well and there's a noticeable difference.
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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by XLR8 »

Yeah, I've worked with a number of TBG's bodies and can deal with the shrinkage issue. For instance, an Optima Mid gear cover I received recently is a tight fit but it does fit over the motor plate without too much effort. The XLS undertray from TBG included screw hole dimples that I knew from past experience to ignore and just ream the holes using a chassis plate as a template - no big deal. Apart from the shrink, TBG's quality seems good and shipping is relatively fast. I thought, as a change of pace, I'd give Marwan a shot this time.
Doug

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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by XLR8 »

UPDATE! The order arrived today. I've sent an email to Marwan asking for a new payment request.
The car was finished using TBG stuff so I really don't need the Marwan parts but I've waited so long that I feel like I should keep them anyway.
The decal graphics are stunning! I sorta doubt the original Kyosho decals looked any better than these. Nice parts!! Oh, and unlike those from TBG, Marwan's decal set does include the "Cragar" and the correct number of "4WD" decals.
Doug

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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by TRX-1-3 »

Great news!
Hope you're doin' something fun.

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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by Basher67 »

Happy to hear you finally got them. International shipping can be a real pain sometimes.

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Re: Marwan RC; what's up with them?

Post by XLR8 »

Yes it can.
Here are a few (obvious) takeaways from this experience:
1) International shipping is unreliable.
2) Marwan is an honest broker.
3) Be patient.
4) Try as we will to avoid it, sometimes in our pursuit of joy and fulfillment in this hobby, some time and money will be wasted. Actually, this is probably true for most hobbies.
Doug

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