Dealing with Offworld (the company, not the blaster!)

[pnag]

Hi folks,

Apologies if this is the wrong place to put it, and mods, please feel free to move or delete if you deem necessary, but I feel I should post to warn others at the very least.

To explain - my wife got me a second-hand (pre-loved? pre-hated?) Offworld blaster about 2 months ago as a birthday present, bless her. I'd love to have got a genuine RAC, but could never afford it (Ireland's economy is in the toilet after all, and I do work in the public sector!), so I was delighted she'd even thought of it. Me being me, I set about trying to upgrade it...

First things first, I thought, I'll buy an official Offworld receiver to upgrade the rather awful 'default' one, and splashed out on that and the ammo box they had on offer.

Well... Firstly, despite multiple mails about combined shipping, they simply never answered. After ordering the bits, they sent me a mail 2 days later asking me to confirm my address - they said there was a 'problem' with it; I confirmed it was correct. (I've used exactly that address for over 500 eBay transactions with folks all over the world, probably primarily from the US and it *never* caused a problem.) Hey, there's a first time for everything, so I thought, fair enough.

2 weeks passed....

No package, no tracking number, no nothing? I mailed them, and they said due to the 'problem' they'd simply not mailed the package at all... And then mailed it! To the same address!!!

Fast forward to today, when the receiver and led box finally arrived - and the receiver's broken.

Along with my heart, at this stage. Have a look at the attached image of a brand new, newly opened and very broken receiver

[propsjonnyb]

Don't dispair - it can be fixed , it's still wrong, but you can fix it with a fast setting metal epoxy eg Araldite or any fast setting metal epoxy from a motor accessory shop eg Halfords . Lightly rough the edges of the break with a file both sides , and then apply a thin film of epoxy to both sides , the Offword upper receiver is die cast pot metal, some time's they are zinc die cast, regardless the netal epony will stick them together , leave to set . Now on the inside of the join add another thin layer covering the join ( you're actually reinforcing the join at this point) leave to set . Once set, check that the piece is firm enough , you could add another thin layer at this point , but you don't want to add too much so that you prevent the bolt moving within the receiver. Once completely set sand smooth with wet and dry sand papers finishing the outside with very fine 600 grit , until the join disappears , you'll need to paint or weather the join to disguise it.

[andy]

These does seem to becoming a common problem with these pieces now it seems. 1st try and get a replacement. If it doesn't work I can try and contact them myself to see what is going on. They may care a little bit about bad press on this board, so hopefully they will come through for you. BTW, if the break is clean super glue should work, at least to keep the pieces together. The safety switch should hide most of the crack too. At least until you get your replacement.

Andy

[Noeland]

This seems to be a common issue with this model.

How much clearance is there on the inside portion of this model anyway? Seems to be me it could be made thicker with solder, or metal epoxy, or even milliput or mighty putty or something.

Perhaps we should post some photo based "fix" instructions. Thoughts?
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I don't have enough blasters!

[joberg]

Clean break is easy to fix and as Andy said: the switch (and maybe a coat of paint ) will hide most of it.

[Noeland]

Ha. I think Andy and I must have posted at the same time.
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I don't have enough blasters!

[RedArc]

I bought an finished blaster with the metal receiver installed and everything was perfect !

Always answered fast on my emails and they also helped me with some customs problems ! ( austrian customs requested and paypal and original bill )

but thats only my point of view .

Sry about your problems with offworld but here you always find great guys to help

[rikarus]

lol that is right where mine broke!

[pnag]

I've contacted them and they're sending a replacement, free of charge, so that's something.

Looking at the original receiver (as horrible a paint job as it is, and with those awful 'Produced by Offworld' markings) the metal is a lot thicker in that neck of the woods than on the 'better' one.

Still, at least they're sending a replacement. I just wonder why their communication can be so bad?

(PS I reckon a fix guide for others in this predicament would be a smashing idea - as I reckon if it's that flimsy my new one could break in the future too )

[rikarus]

Wow! Did you jsut email them from help? I went ahead and used the email Andy gave me, and hopefully have the sme response.

[Memories of Green]

Like other folk here, I also bought an OffWorld blaster. Had no problems with them, was only disappointed in the look and feel of the thing. A mixture of resin and plastic? It's like anything else in life when it comes to Customer Service, u just have to be patient and go through the process of trying to contact them etc. It can be a pain but u've done the right thing by keeping a dialogue open, hope everything works out.

[pnag]

Rikarus - good luck with them; but remember, I ordered a part and it arrived broken!

Memories - I completely believe in dialogue, absolutely! I'm glad they've responded positively, but getting hold of them as a regular buyer (before I had the problem) was awful - so much so I nearly didn't buy from them. I'd rather it had all gone smoothly, but hey, at least they're sorting it out for me.

[propsjonnyb]

I would still add reinforement to the upper reciever in this general area with any replacement you may receive, as it happens to be the weakest ( thinnest) point in the whole design , so a coat or three of epoxy sanded back , would strengthen it overall.

[rikarus]

yah I told them I did it and they said to send pics, I asked if they could advise how to repair if Ican't get replaced, but judging by the wall thickness I am wondering if it's a slight defect in the run.....

[propsjonnyb]

No it's not a defect in the run unfortunately , but in the whole design and die cast of the mold , thay are all like that even the newer zinc diecast upper receivers , I suspect it's because thay copied a RCA , I see a similar problem in the Tomenosuke design from the illustrations shown on the thread , but will wait until we see one in the flesh to reserve judgement.

[racprops]

Sadly it is a flaw we may never overcome.

Before the Steyr Receiver is cut to slip over the Bulldog, there was a lot more metal, a complete underbelly.

But once cut you're left with a small apox. 1/4 by 1/4 bar to surport the rear section of the receiver.

It worked in Steel but no castable metal or plastic has the hardness to work right.

They should insert a space holder when they ship that receiver without a gun to surport it.

Rich
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I never have enough time to do all I want to do!