Beware that AEF Designs (Tony Englehart) is not real good at sending out items that were paid for. He ripped me off after lying to me for months. Not an Honest Business really. Order from AEF if you wish but don't be surprised to find that you never see what you paid for. If a Hobby Shop has what you are looking for you should be OK but beware of going direct to AEF. I have all the e-mails to prove his deception and it is under investigation of the USPS Inspectors for mail fraud. If OK with Admin I can post the E-mails?
HTH
Jeff Larkin

I think AEF gets more bad press then is warranted. I agree that some of their castings have some issues however the majority of the stuff I have used has been good. It may not be up the quality of Legends or Blast but it is still more than workable. If you are unable to do some basic enhancements to their resin, then maybe you should stick to building straight out of the box.

The other thing to note is that they provide a wide range of subjects that NOBODY else does. I tend to cut them a little more slack due to this point alone.

The point regarding customer service is valid though. The wait can be very long if you order direct. They really need to do a better job in this area.

Regards,

WHAT?!?!
Thoughts like that are just the reason I am so fond of the quotation I am using for my sig.
"If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, perhaps you've misunderstood the situation"

Brings to mind the one guy walking dazed upstream against the fleeing crowd in the old Godzilla movies, just before he gets killed.

No he does not get too much bad press..
He gets too much GOOD press.
Granted, his subjects are interesting, his quality control is abysmal and his customer service is worse.




You are entitled to your opinion, but the overwhelming view of the community is that his stuff is not that great.
He is nowhere near the quality of Legends, AA, Miniarm, Hussar, .. you want I should go on?

A modeler with some experience with quality resin will be sorely disappointed with an AEF product.


It's a free forum and you're welcome to post your thoughts too, but the 'stick to ootb', is a bit harsh.




if you get the order filled in a timely manner (big problem for me)
if you get them after paying (not a problem I have ever had)
if you get all the parts (a problem for me a couple of times)
if ou can get ahold of him for missing parts (often a problem)
if the replacements ever arrive (a problem for me half the time)
if the parts are even buildable. ( for me, more often then not, they never get built)



Again, your right to choose to do so, but for someone new to his products asking about his reputation, you are a lone voice in the wilderness.

He's gotten the last of my dollars ever, look in the box or not.

Remember the old saw:
Satisfied customers tell their friends, dissatisfied customers tell everyone.

it applies here.

Mike

Hi Marcel
While I agree that some of AEF's Stuff is nice, I can't in Good Conscience recommend his Business as he practices Deceit and Theft by Deception> Here is the E-Mail I sent him and the one he sent me when I first ordered:
Hello
I am interested in ordering the following items and would like to know availability of them at this time?
1.) WA-8 - US M-3/105mm Half-Track Conversion $27.50
2.) WA-5 - US 75mm M-3 Half-Track Conversion $38.50
3.) WA-6 - US 40mm Bofors Half-Track Conversion $40.00
If available I can fire off a Money Order for payment.
Thanks
Jeff larkin


Dear Jeff,
All are in stock. If you can use a Postal money order that would be great.
Tony

Now this was on 15 Nov 2006, notice he says they are in-stock! They were not in stock as noted in this next e-mail (So he is already Lying in the first e-mail!) now it is 4 Jan 07 and here is his reply: Jeff,
The WA-8 and WA-6 was shipped in-between blizzards. The mold failed on WA-5 while producing your order. I will, hopefully, get out out to you in the next 10 days.
Tony
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Larkin [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 8:55 AM
To: Tony Engelhart
Subject: RE: Are to following in Stock?

Hi Tony
Back on 17 Nov 06 I sent payment for the following items
1.) WA-8 - US M-3/105mm Half-Track Conversion $27.50
2.) WA-5 - US 75mm M-3 Half-Track Conversion $38.50
3.) WA-6 - US 40mm Bofors Half-Track Conversion $40.00
By USPS Money Order in the amount of $116.50 now they were to be Christmas Presents but that has passed. I was wondering when I can expect them to be shipped?
Cheers
Jeff
Needless to say still waiting for my stuff!!!! And he doesn’t respond to e-mails and I had to report his theft to the Postal Inspectors! So while I can see you defending AEF’s Product as everyone has an Opinion but to Defend his Business Practices is just setting up fellow Modelers to also be defrauded!
Hope you see the Point
Cheers
Jeff

Marcel,

Try to help and promote AEF Designs all you want....you might be fighting a lost cause.

The use of after market parts, conversions, or sets by a modeller is to enhance and improve a stock model. AEF Designs has not been able to do that with the majority of their products...maybe it will change for the better.

AEF Designs does not appear at all to be influenced by all the negative publicity they get on ALL of the modelling sites. There is no improvement in customer service and little improvement in quality control. I don't care if they produce every variant and modification for every modern AFV....if it is not good quality and it won't be shipped to be promptly and it won't be backed up with good customer service I won't buy it.

I hope things change and they get better...especially with more Canadian AFV content being produced by AEF Designs.....but we will have to wait and see.....and convince me.

I thank you for replying...your English is just fine....far better than my Dutch...Vaarwel.

Hmmmm???




Ummm...that would be called promoting.

Promoting....definition....To contribute to the progress or growth of; further.

Nope, I wasn't talking about advertising either.

I appreciate you making efforts to supply information and feedback to producers....but it does no good if their customer service or products don't improve.

There are too many people burned by AEF to give them another chance. Maybe one day they will get better but only lots of time will tell.