Dakka's Experience with bitz sites and international shipping

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**Leigen_Zero**

Hi there Dakka,

Firstly, this is not a bash at UK bitz sites, they are doing an excellent job, but my gripe is that all of them seem to be lacking considerably when it comes to stock quantity and availability (i.e. the don't have much selection OR everything is out of stock).

What I would like to know is UK Dakkanauts experiences ordering bits from overseas, TheWarStore (Battlewagon Bitz) and Hoard o' Bitz seem to have so much more selection and stock availability, and I would like to know how you guys and girls found ordering from international websites and having it shipped over, was the service good, delivery times, quality, customer service etc etc etc. Also, recommendations would be good as to which companies are the best to order from.

Thanks in Advance Dakka

**sarpedons-right-hand**

Ok, I used to use the old GW bitz ordering system many moons ago. Never had a problem with them then.

Of course that was when they HAD a bitz catalog and you could order the odd thing that you needed for a conversion you were planning.

Never actually used any foreign based exporter for bitz thou..... Which makes this comment kinda redundant......

**Hekal Xul**

all of them seem to be lacking considerably when it comes to stock quantity and availability (i.e. the don't have much selection OR everything is out of stock).

Know all about this, even if you subscribe to notifications of re-stocks you seem to always miss out. Dont really bother with them.

I have used Hoard'o many,many times usually for store and ebay BIN purchases. This is mainly due to the times the auctions finish and the fact they normally have pretty much all the auction items available then and there. The combined shipping rates per additional item works out to be bugger all to. Had intermittent problems with incorrect items being included in some of their large assortment though (Eldar DA Exarch v Warrior torso parts).
Blackdagger Games (ID window-box) is another that I've found to be good with their BIN range and prices. They don't re-sock all that regularly but when they do you can find decent numbers of items available. (best purchase of late was a large amount of DE Blasters @ half what you see them auction for)
Recently tried a French trader yagdavix who had quite a few hard to find items. Prices on his BIN items were good and shipping rate was acceptable. Package is in transit at the moment.
Bitspudlo in Poland were another I have used, same problem with stock levels but items were pretty cheap. Only purchased bits though as additional filler when ordering some of their resin kits. Not the quickest when it comes to shipping.
The Warstore don't sell internationally via their ebay store and the ordering proceedure through the main site is just a pain so I havent used them post GW embargo.

One trader I would not recommend is Red Dragon Games (ID is I think wizardgames). Have been gouged on shipping rates with these guys more than once (due to not combining rates) and atm there is one rather expensive order MIA. Paid nearly $50 US for shipping for a number of items which were then sent via the slowest means with no option provided for tracking. Repeated queries sent to them re: rates were ignored before it was supposedly posted and now a month + later the shipment is missing.... Will give it one more week.

**Leigen_Zero**

Does anyone have any experience with the actual Hoard O Bits website:
http://hoardobits.com/cgi-bin/hob/index.pl?

It seems to stock all the bits I want, but when I went to sign up the password box was unencrypted, and I was a little worried that it was some sort of scam-site piggybacking or I would end up with some sort of inevitable theft of important details.

**timetowaste85**

Hoard O Bitz is definitely legit. My ex roommate and I used to order from him a ton 2 years ago. I had a ton of eldar parts coming in, and he bought tons of Tyranid bitz. It's definitely a good store, and not a scam. At least, the ebay store is. I didn't even know they had a regular online store.

**AesSedai**

I use bitz sites a lot.

Bits and kits used to be my default place. They screwed up an order once and then gave me attitude about it. That was the last time I ever ordered from them. Lately I've been desperate enough to check them out from time to time--they have nothing in stock.

Battlewagon bits are horrendously overpriced, though they are stocked up. They customer support is really finicky about shipping internationally. I once tried to place an order by phone and talked to a women who tried to charge me an exorbitant amount even after I explained to her that the bit would absolutley fit in a small USPS box. Yawn, lost my business.

I ordered from under the couch once. It was reasonable and I had no problems as far as I recall.

Horde o' bits seems to be the one catching my eye these days. The bits market sucks lately.

**MeanGreenStompa**

Bitz Box was my regular bits company when I was in the UK, I had zero issues with them and would recommend them to anyone.

I also used Bits and Kits without issue, but only on a few occasions.

Since moving to the US, I've had good experience with The Warstore's bits company.

As to nothing in stock, I guess there's some maths involved in how much of a kit you can order in when people only want one or two bits of it.

**fullheadofhair**

timetowaste85 wrote:Hoard O Bitz is definitely legit. My ex roommate and I used to order from him a ton 2 years ago. I had a ton of eldar parts coming in, and he bought tons of Tyranid bitz. It's definitely a good store, and not a scam. At least, the ebay store is. I didn't even know they had a regular online store.

They maybe good for bits but don't buy any blisters from them. Bought a limited edition blister as a present for a friend and they shipped it in some cheap ass hardly padded envelope that meant it got crushed in postage. Now I have to pay to ship it back because they are idiots. They gave me some crap about how it could have been damaged before they shipped it because that is how they get some of there product and they purposefully keep descriptions of quality vague and told me I should have asked before I bought it if it was undamaged. Wouldn't recommend them to anyone - crap customer service.

**Leigen_Zero**

MeanGreenStompa wrote:Bitz Box was my regular bits company when I was in the UK, I had zero issues with them and would recommend them to anyone.

I also used Bits and Kits without issue, but only on a few occasions.

Since moving to the US, I've had good experience with The Warstore's bits company.

As to nothing in stock, I guess there's some maths involved in how much of a kit you can order in when people only want one or two bits of it.

i used to use these two all the time, along with letthedicedecide, but they only seem to stock less than half the bits i need, and the ones i want that they have tend to be out of stock...

Ive seen the bits i want on hoardobits (specifically the warpstone studs on the HPA kit) but they.arent on the ebay store, only.the website, has anyone ordered off the webstore (not ebay store) and can give a good.review?

**G00fySmiley**

Leigen_Zero wrote:
MeanGreenStompa wrote:Bitz Box was my regular bits company when I was in the UK, I had zero issues with them and would recommend them to anyone.

I also used Bits and Kits without issue, but only on a few occasions.

Since moving to the US, I've had good experience with The Warstore's bits company.

As to nothing in stock, I guess there's some maths involved in how much of a kit you can order in when people only want one or two bits of it.

i used to use these two all the time, along with letthedicedecide, but they only seem to stock less than half the bits i need, and the ones i want that they have tend to be out of stock...

Ive seen the bits i want on hoardobits (specifically the warpstone studs on the HPA kit) but they.arent on the ebay store, only.the website, has anyone ordered off the webstore (not ebay store) and can give a good.review?

my biggest gripe with hoorde-o-bits i bought a warboss and boyz from them off ebay, shipped fast adn all, the boys didn't have bases in the picture so I was not expecting them... which they did not come with, BUT the warboss did show a base and said it came with everythign in the picture... it unfortunatly did not come with the base not worth fussing over, but won't be ordering from them again had to buy a base which is fine just annoying as i have about a hundred plain troop bases but non of the large ones for the warboss

**marielle**

I've considered buying from the US, esecially at times when the exchange rate is favourable, and have even got as far as the checkout on websites, but when the postage is added, and local sales tax, and occasionally customs fees, I have never gone through with the purchase because suddenly what appeared a good deal becomes rather expensive. Plus US company websites have an unfortunate tone that makes me feel that they don't really want my custom.

If I am looking for a mini that is made by a US company, I try to find a UK or European distributer - or I just look for an alternative.

**H.B.M.C.**

I've never had any issues with Horde O Bitz, and I've only had a few easily fixed errors with Bits & Kits (though their E-mail response rate can be quite slow sometimes).

**Leigen_Zero**

H.B.M.C. wrote:I've never had any issues with Horde O Bitz, and I've only had a few easily fixed errors with Bits & Kits (though their E-mail response rate can be quite slow sometimes).

Via the link below/in the previous post or via ebay?

Just as a test to find out international shipping costs this morning, I went through the checkout at http://hoardobits.com/cgi-bin/hob/index.pl.

I was able to place an order without providing a login that contained no items, so I am guessing that this website is a complete dud (which is a shame, as it had all the bits I wanted, one of which is not available via their ebay store) the only other site that stocks all the bits I want is Red Dragon Games, which I have been advised to avoid.

**H.B.M.C.**

Ah. I've never used the Horde O Bitz website, only their eBay Store.

**augustus5**

Start messing around with this stuff and say, "Good day sir!" to having to order off for meltas, missile launchers, and odd bitz. http://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/tools-and-misc/instant-mold.html

I've only started playing around with it and am getting decent results.

**Jazz is for Losers**

Leigen_Zero wrote:Hi there Dakka,

Firstly, this is not a bash at UK bitz sites, they are doing an excellent job,

Bash away. All the UK bits sites seem to be awful. They're doing a terrible job.

Leigen_Zero wrote:but my gripe is that all of them seem to be lacking considerably when it comes to stock quantity and availability (i.e. the don't have much selection OR everything is out of stock).

**Leigen_Zero**

augustus5 wrote:Start messing around with this stuff and say, "Good day sir!" to having to order off for meltas, missile launchers, and odd bitz. http://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/tools-and-misc/instant-mold.html

I've only started playing around with it and am getting decent results.

I'm going to get some in the near future, as I am doing some custom PW Globadiers and dont want to sculpt 10 heads! but my issue here is that I have to actually own the bits I want before I can instant-mold myself some

Speaking of which, does anyone here have any spare 'warpstone studs' (they look kind of like injectors with a chunk of warpstone in them, these things) from the GW Hell Pit Abomination kit? they are the only thing stopping me from placing my bitz order as they are so damn hard to get hold of! (even if you only have one, I feel I can reliably duplicate the rest)?