Where, What and Whom To Avoid When Buying

[RogueTrooper[TK]]

                                                                              Where, What and Whom To Avoid When Buying

When new to buying armor and products, there is certainly "a wretched hive of scum and villainy" and Rancor pits out there, or in other words what and who you need to avoid when purchasing armor and other products. This advice will help you to avoid lot of headaches and over spending.

When Paying For Any Product and/or Services:

 

PayPal is always going to be a safe way to send any payment. However, you must understand NEVER to send any payment via the "Gift" option for any product, work or services. PayPal will not cover any transaction under the "Gift" option at all.   Always use the"Goods and Services", option when sending payment so that you have recourse through PayPal if any problems should arise during or after the transaction

NOTE: You have a 90 window with PayPal to file a dispute/claim.

Never send cash and/or money orders. These can easily be lost and never the reach the proper person. Plus you have no record for any recourse.

 

Anovos:     Anovos are now officially defunct

 At one time this armorer was considered reputable and sold relatively inexpensive kits that were capable of being approved all the way to Centurion level.   However, in the last year or so the customer service is such that people have been waiting 18 months (and longer) for delivery, the price has skyrocketed and the communication is terrible.

All sales are final.  No refunds.

As of this time they are currently involved in a class action lawsuit so are therefore not recommended at this time.

 

Rubies Supreme Stormtrooper Costume:
Even though the Rubies TK armor is licensed by Lucas Films, it is not acceptable for Legion membership without a LOT of work and putting a LOT more money and time into it. The average price for a Rubies Supreme Stormtrooper Costume is $400USD (305 Euros) to $700USD (535 Euros). But, after you factor in that you will have to purchase a replacement helmet, buy supplies to modify the armor, all this, just to get the Rubies TK armor up to Legion standards. It would be cheaper and easier for you to start with a new armor kit.

There have been a few members that have done Rubies with all the upgrades, but afterwards said they spent a lot of time and money and will be looking into a different suit of armor next.

 

                                                                                                RE-CASTING

What exactly is re-casting?

 

Re-casting/caster is a term used for an unscrupulous person who uses a quality set of armor to make copies in order to sell them at a discounted price.  The original armorers spend hundreds of hours and in many cases thousands of dollars to sculpt quality molds, known as "bucks".  Re-casters simply use the completed pieces to make counterfeit molds.  These are more often than not inferior products that do not have the clean, crisp details  required for 501st approval and for that reason we discourage you from purchasing them.

Other reasons why not to consider re-cast armor:

 

1.  First, the quality and customer service are not there. It may look like you are getting a great deal because of the price and/or possibly faster delivery time frame and you are eager to get started on your TK build as soon as possible, but this is often not the case.

2.  99% of the time, the product will be made out of sub-standard material that will not withstand trooping or may even arrive at your door step with problems to begin with.  Then that "good deal" turns into a money pit.  You will end up spending even more hard earned cash and time trying to fix or this now "not so good deal" than if you had taken the money that you spent on the re-cast trying to get it up to 501st approval level and applied it to a product from a reputable vendor.

3.  Re-casting is basically stealing. I would hope that no one here condones stealing.

 

                                     If you have a question about whether or not a kit is a re-cast, we encourage you to ask here before purchasing.

                                                                                        Websites and individuals:

There are also certain sellers and websites that need to be avoided because of how that individual conducts themselves.  Take for instance Star Fortress is run by a known pedophile and for bad product. TE is known for the way he conducts business and is also known for failing to ship product even months after payment was made.

Ebay:

Avoid kits on Ebay for the reason that was mentioned above, since they are 99.9% re-cast.

Have Jedi patience. Save yourself the headaches and money loss by avoiding any dealings with re-casters and unscrupulous people and websites.

RE-Casters:

Intergalactic Supply

Maker of Things

argentina-worldwide-custom-props

cassini_sunset

cdubweiser

Corsairs-kids.com

costumejunkie

CTM Props

FN Armour

newimage58

Pirate Trooper (PT)

psuedonym (jimjedi3002)

RTA /Mariusz Stormowski and Damian Jabloński

sefni.international

stormtroopercity

TD-3079 from CA.  Recasting several armor makers (ATA, KW, and whoever's snow trooper) and selling lots on Facebook, and made out of fiberglass via https://www.facebook.com/cesarsaul.sierra/about

tjhoptio

trekfreek

Vacuum_dis

Vacuum This (VT)

Unscrupulous Individuals and Websites to avoid:

RubberBlastersEtc (Facebook and Etsy) - Owner banned for severe criminal offenses

www.stormtrooperstore.com A.K.A. Jedi-Robe

MIMIC

TK Armour UK / TKUK (see link)

Star Fortress A.K.A. Nexus_enterprising A.K.A. Starbays (on etsy)
Matt Gauthier (TE)  Etsy-leatherbygauth

lowcost-armors.com

Head Shot Props

All the names to avoid may not be listed above. But, when in doubt, seek advice by posting before purchasing or bidding.

Remember, the best advice is always deal with vendors that have a good reputation and are on the vetted list. It will save you a lot of headaches and money.

[CiscoKid]

So, Jedi-Robe Stormtrooper Armor is a good starting point? Their site looks better than most I've seen but still makes me leery. I know that no matter what I will still need to invest time and more money when i finally buy armor. Just don't want to waste $$ if the quality isn't a good place to start. Any advice is welcome!

Thanks.

[bigironvault]

No he's saying Jedi Robe is a bad place to start. Try to get in contact with one of the reputable vendors here.

[Sonnenschein]

Too bad there's such a list in the first place---

[RogueTrooper[TK]]

On 4/17/2012 at 7:31 AM, CiscoKid said:

So, Jedi-Robe Stormtrooper Armor is a good starting point? Their site looks better than most I've seen but still makes me leery. I know that no matter what I will still need to invest time and more money when i finally buy armor. Just don't want to waste $$ if the quality isn't a good place to start. Any advice is welcome!

Thanks.

 

Jedi-Robe and any one on this list above, you should stay away, (avoid).

 

If you need armor look at this following link: good reputation http://forum.whitearmor.net/index.php?showtopic=11538

Edited July 29, 2021 by gmrhodes13
link not working removed

[Griffin-X[TK]]

Great post RT...much needed.

[sskunky]

Not all sellers on ebay are recast.....

[RogueTrooper[TK]]

Not all sellers on ebay are recast.....

 

 

 

Mark, if you read the original post in this thread, you will see it states:

 

 

Ebay:

 

Avoid kits on Ebay for the reason that was mentioned above, since they are 99.9% re-cast.

 

All the names to avoid may not be listed above. But, when in doubt, seek advice by posting before purchasing or bidding.

 

Remember, the best advice is always deal with vendors that have a good reputation and are on the vetted list. It will save you a lot of headaches and money.

 

 

Now, do you think it is wrong to mention the rancor pits that you can, and will find on Ebay, or do you think you should not said anything and have people feel that Ebay is a totally safe place to buy and deal.

[sskunky]

I said it with a wink as I sell on eBay. It was no dig at you for warning people. I appraise the warnings given to newbs. They weren't in place when I started out and mistakes were easily made. Carry on.

[RogueTrooper[TK]]

I love you Mark yes, I said it....

[Sonnenschein]

#Insert romantic love theme here#

 

I got Mark's winky smily

[Locitus[Admin]]

Besides, CfO already is on the list of recommended sellers.

[sskunky]

I love you Mark yes, I said it....

 

#Insert romantic love theme here#

 

I got Mark's winky smily

ha ha........

Besides, CfO already is on the list of recommended sellers.

 

[Femtrooper Julie[501st]]

Don't forget these guys:

www.stormtroopershop

 

Stay far away!

Edited July 29, 2021 by gmrhodes13
link not working removed

[Locitus[Admin]]

On 4/18/2012 at 3:21 PM, Femtrooper Julie said:

Don't forget these guys:

http://www.stormtroopershop.com/

 

Stay far away!

 

On 4/16/2012 at 7:48 PM, RogueTrooper said:

Unscrupulous Individuals and Websites to avoid:

Star Fortress

Matt Gauthier (TE)

www.stormtroopershop.com aka; Jedi-Robe

 

 

They are already on the list.

Edited July 29, 2021 by gmrhodes13
link not working removed

[nai-retep[TK]]

Sound advice!

 

I myself got caught by Jedi Robe. I was looking for a Stormtrooper costume for a special celebration and had no previous knowledge of the 501st or UKG. I was taken in by their website and having no idea regarding you guys got taken for a lot of money for what I got in return.

 

Ironically enough I only became aware of the 501st through their website. As has been previously mentioned it has cost me an awful lot of time, money and patience to make the most of a bad job. My 'ready to wear - reduced size armour' fitted me so badly I could hardly walk in it! After a lot of hard work over the last few weeks I am just about ready to apply for 501st clearance. I have learned my lesson and have now ordered a kit for my wife from one of your recommended vendors. It still galls me that I could have got better quality armour for half the price!

[CiscoKid]

LMAO! 2 Funny!

@nai-retep. Thanks for that tid-bit of info. I misunderstood to earlier posts. I have since found a couple of other vendors that seem reasonable and they have been recommended to me by a couple of friends!

[nai-retep[TK]]

To CiscoKid,

 

You seem to think that being ripped off is funny?

 

Strange, I thought that the idea of forum threads like this is to promote awareness of the pitfalls and educate people regarding their choice of armour. I am not the only one to have been caught by Jedi Robe and others but hopefully due to threads like this there will be far fewer unfortunates like me!

 

It was already too late for me to return my armour as I had already begun modifying it. Being only 5ft 4in I incorrectly assumed that it was my stature that was responsible for the very poor fit (despite the reduced size claims). It was only when I became aware of the 501st website that I realised that this vendor was known for selling poor quality armour at vastly inflated prices! Had I known I would never have bought this armour in the first place.

 

As previously mentioned I have spent a great deal of money, time and effort just to get the armour to a reasonable standard.

 

Think yourself lucky that you are fortunate enough to have the correct information and advice to not only get a decent armour kit but also at a reasonable price. I am disappointed that you find it so amusing that people get taken in by such vendors. However, I am sure that most people would agree that helping people avoid this is much more important that making fun of those who have!

 

Ian

[CiscoKid]

nai-retep,

 

No, I don't think being ripped off is funny. I was laughing at the banter from a couple of posts above yours. Sorry, the wording was vague.

 

I am genuinely thankful for you sharing your experience with such bad sellers. The last thing I want to do is throw money away on worthless crap.

[nai-retep[TK]]

Hi,

 

Sorry if I came across as a bit abrupt. I misunderstood your reply.

 

Cheers

 

Ian

[CiscoKid]

No problem. My mind moves faster than my figures so my text often comes across a little unfinished.

Ian, I did want to ask where you ended up getting your armor. Some of the sites I find are out of date. I did find one seller TK1336. He seemed reasonable.

Kris

[Locitus[Admin]]

On 2012-04-19 at 6:13 PM, CiscoKid said:

No problem. My mind moves faster than my figures so my text often comes across a little unfinished.

Ian, I did want to ask where you ended up getting your armor. Some of the sites I find are out of date. I did find one seller TK1336. He seemed reasonable.

Kris

https://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/11538-the-various-types-of-armor-and-where-to-find-them/

[carbonitekid]

Technically you missed Ainsworth/SDS/original Stormtrooper shop off the recast list.

[Locitus[Admin]]

Technically you missed Ainsworth/SDS/original Stormtrooper shop off the recast list.

I pointed that out during planning. There are worse than him none the less to watch out for.

[nai-retep[TK]]

Hi Kris,

 

I ended up ordering AP armour for my wife. As she is the same height as me this was one of the deciding factors. I had advice regarding modifying for the shorter trooper and they came well recommended. CFO was the runner up for me and it was a close run thing.

 

Regards

 

Ian