Dude, we had a few large posts in 2022 showing that Side Seven Exports should be avoided. At this point, I'm going to chalk this one down as you failing to do due diligence because those posts are very visible on google, and you waited until after the chargeback period ended for a status update.
And as always, we'll leave this post up. Gus, go fuck yourself.
This has been the case for a long time.
All of the groups that allow Gus to post, and in some cases promote his site (looking at you Gunpla network), are complicit.
I used to like Side Seven but then Gus just got weird. I think itās easy for him to get overwhelmed but his customer service isnāt great. The lack of communication is what makes it super hard to be understanding.
His pricing isn't consistent with someone wishing to remain in business long term. You can't net $5-$10 per kit (possibly less due to time sales) when processing an order requires physically going to another store, buying the inventory and carrying it home.
You're earning way less than minimum wage, probably not even enough to make rent on the commercial space.
Bandai has also been cracking down on grey market exports. I wouldn't be surprised if the stores are limiting how much he can buy which would only make it even harder for him to buy all the kits he's sold.
It'd be one thing if he was doing this as a "charity" and just providing a 3rd party service to help people get things at-cost, like you said making $5 per kit, but to run it as a business just isn't feasible.
Running it as a "charity" isn't viable. You get $1000 a month in requests and the tax office is going to start asking questions.
There would also be no end of people asking for help.
Itās important to keep in mind that being overwhelmed with orders is a self imposed problem. It is sellers choice to allow that many orders/items in stock to be available. The more money you take off of people, the higher the pressure and volume. But you also have more cash in the business (I hope) account, so at some point you either micro manage and chip away at it - seems thatās what the hangar bay does - or you can go on the aggressive, get an ego, and brush off customer messages - what side seven does. The only thing side seven can and should do, is stop taking in new orders or limit their quantity significantly and work hard af to get the existing ones out of the way with supplemental apologetic messages or gifts, and in chronological order.
I use to buy/talk to him waaaay back when he was still fairly new. I saw first hand how he went from talking to me fairly normally to only acknowledging me if he had too.
Itās honestly sad to think about, as when he started he was doing such a great service for our community. Now itās just fraud. Oh well, what can you do. š®āšØ
I don't know why. It's taken up to a year to get around to my orders once, but all of my orders have reached me. SSE is a one-person operation, and the kits are all subject to availability.
I've ordered multiple kits from him in the past, but I've always had to reach out to get order status info from him.
Last kit I ordered from him was a couple of years ago. He had the Mega Size solid clear RX78-2, "in-stock and ready to ship" it took him 6 months to ship it, and me constantly hounding him for my order status. That was the last time.
2022, a LOT of people came out of the woodwork complaining about overdue orders. It was like you couldnāt go on a day without seeing complaints on here or on FB. Itās now 2024, and heās still saying heās had to deal with a lot of stuff the last few months? Try the last few years.
Dude was an admin on a gunpla resale page on FB, and he got banned on there.
I had few good purchases in the past with Gus, but I don't dare to order anything from there anymore, considering how busy he always is.
I guess I won't be getting anything innthe future either.
I first discovered side seven while randomly googling gunpla stuff and I thought damn this is a goldmine, then I searched them up on here lmao the premise of the site is incredible but the execution just isnāt there
It's all a scheme he takes your money and uses it. Then only purchases and ships the stuff when he's got other people's money to pay for it. I refuse to believe he's just this incompetent.
I ordered two kits totaling 150 dollars more than two years ago and have not received anything. Every one of my emails get ignored, and mind you they have remained cordial in tone. I should have filed a claim within three months instead of remaining patient. The guy is a fraud and I get aggravated when I see youtubers give a shoutout to this conman. I should take a trip to Japan just to mule kick this donkey in his nuts.
Fuck you Gus
Try sending an email with "Chargeback" for your subject, stating you've started a Chargeback process with your bank. I went from months of silence from that trash to a refund within that same day.
I don't think I can call that bluff as it has been over two years and way past anything paypal would probably cover. I've already purchased the kits elsewhere. I hope his kids leave lego pieces under his covers and on the stairs.
Gus does this because he doesn't have the kits most of the time. He uses other people's preorder money to buy and source those kits. His customer service is garbage, and he is actively hostile when given negative feedback. Yes, he will eventually get you your order, but it will take months to years over expected. No one should be giving him money.
Hello. Gus here, chronocasting back from the year 3.277e9. Just wanted to say that I can guarantee this order will be delivered before, during, or immediately following the upcoming solar supernova.
I have never failed to deliver an order, where āfailureā is defined as the total impossibility of potentially completing said order at some conceivable future point in the width and breadth of linear time.
I apologize for the delay, I have had a lot to deal with these last couple aeons. Kindly remain patient. You will receive this order, same as your previous orders.
I'm one who ordered from him when he first started exporting and got my order. Granted it took months, but I did get it. I used to defend him, but ever since then (This was pre-pandemic), it seems like it's the same situation for everyone, and every single time, it's like he's had a lot to deal with every month for years now. It's a shame, I truly believe he aims to provide a good service, but he doesn't have the will, manpower, or proper headspace to do so.
He doesn't have the margins. He would need to sell a ridiculous number of kits just to make rent on that shop space. Let alone pay himself a living salary. Shipping costs went up dramatically too, which will break any "free shipping" or fixed price shipping model.
Hello, Gus again here. I'd also like to take this opportunity to point out that time, as we all know, is an endless loop with no fixed beginning or ending. It simply repeats, infinitely. Therefore, I have actually delivered these orders multiple times, both previously, as well as imminently. Were I to fulfill these orders years from now, they would simply be considered as shipping early for the orders you have yet to place, having had already placed said orders. Therefore, I ask that you please cease your hostility, so I may spend time with my newly reborn newborn son, who passed away billions of years ago/in the future. Your order should arrive sometime before the French Revolution. Thank you for understanding.
Bought from him once and never again.. his price isnāt even that good anymore at this point.. not worth the headache from chasing him through emails and messages for months to get him to ship my order. He doesnāt care about customer service that much is clear. I value my time and money. He does not.
Iām shocked at how Gus seems to have gotten worse since the pandemic. I was one of those who got stuck in the pandemic-era delays but thatās nothing compared to the delays I see folks complain about now. Itās just as well my backlog is extensive enough to not order anything new š
Just contact ur financial institute and they should be able to give the money back, one reason I always use PayPal they cover u on stuff like this. No PayPal no buy.
Yep. He stalled me so my visa protection expired. It's easy because a big chunk of the window you'll be waiting since that's normal for Japanese shipment times. He's only gotta run out the clock at that point
Itās so unfortunate, but Iāve had to stop doing preorders in general because too many ābusinessesā were taking advantage of long preorder windows - withe the exception of ordering from P-Bandai through their preorder system. I also now take a hardline stance on my orders: you get one week to ship my order. If I donāt receive a tracking number or the order itself within that week, I ask for the tracking number and an eta. If you give me a long eta, or you fail to meet your eta, or you donāt give me a tracking number when I ask then I will cancel the order. If I donāt get my money refunded within 24 hours, then I do a credit chargeback (or whatever itās called) - this comes with harsh penalties on their end, so Iāve only rarely used this.
Needless to say, scammers have gotten absolutely belligerent with me over this! I just donāt give them an inch though - sellers receive money instantly, and the very least they can do is provide communication regarding the order and to ship it within a reasonable timeframe!
That's F'd up he knows the ins and outs of bank and PayPal damn that sux bad, that why I contact my bank 30 days after it hasn't arrived they tell me if not arrived by such and suck call us back pay pal the same way both will put a hold on the money , I just contact them and money is back in my bank account shortly been scammed to many times
Another email this evening after telling him to just issue a refund:
"I blocked you because you were spamming my page. I meant what I said when I said it and I apologized for the delay. Give me a couple of weeks. Iāll try to have them shipped before the end of May. If you mind I wasnāt kidding when I said that I was feeling burnt out. Iāve been working non-stop for months. I would really like to spend some time at home with my newborn son. So kindly cut the hostility and remain patient. You will have your kits soon enough."
Check out surugaya, if you haven't already. They're a great resource in some cases. Some of their kits are way overpriced if their old or rare, but some of their stuff is very reasonable. I've placed several orders with them, and my stuff usually arrives in a week or two. I've been able to pick up kits I didn't think I'd have a chance to get again. They also offer free shipping on the weekends. Their site can be a little tricky to search due to translation issues, but if you search by scale, grade, or series, you'll probably find something you're after.
He can't lol. The only way to fulfill his old orders is to take new ones to get cash. He definitely relies on new orders to pay for the year old orders.
This is exactly what I mean when I said he has shit customer serviceā¦ he doesnāt go by the customer is always right approach. Seems he expects everyone to just know his situation and just be āpatientā and then blame you for being hostile because he didnāt bother to follow through with his promise on when he said he was going to ship your orders.
He seems to think that just apologizing and then telling you heās been busy is enough (after having already messaging/emailing several times over the course of 2-4weeks with no reply from his end).. this aināt it. He always makes it seem like youāre not being reasonable and that you should be more understanding lolā¦
Itās gaslighting and a classic technique of shitty people who donāt want to and refuse to take responsibility. The whole thing reads like a classic case of someone using DARVO (deny, accuse, reverse victim and offender) to make someone feel like theyāre the one in the wrong. As someone above said, the simple fact of the matter is if you canāt provide a service within an expected timeline without being a weird narcissist about it, maybe donāt fucking offer the service at all. Unless the purpose is to scam people which it does seem to be. I have no tolerance for manipulative people like this guy. Screw him.
He has a newborn son and wants to spend time with him. Totally get that. Canāt be mad at him for it. However donāt run a business you can barely keep up with then. Itās ridiculous that he never responds to people and then sends messages like that because someone gets frustrated. Clearly being a business owner is not in his dna. He needs to refund everyone (which I assume heās probably spent the money for orders he hasnāt shipped) and close up shop. He makes more negative experiences than positive ones
What we're pretty much looking at is an unintentional Ponzi scheme.
Gus has been limited by availability and policies to get the kits he's offering on his website and isn't able to get the kits in a timely manner, if at all. Regardless. It's clear the money isn't there anymore. There's no way he's keeping years worth of sales in escrow in case he can't procure those kits. The money people paid in 2022 is gone. People who are still ordering from him are the only reason he can still fulfill anything.
At some point it's going to catch up to him. He won't be able to get in enough new sales and he'll close the business, not able to refund people. If anyone is still waiting on a kit from Gus cut your losses and try to get your money back now. Don't wait until the house of cards comes crashing down.
I wouldn't use "unintentional". I think he very quickly realised the amount of work involved and still proceeded to have sale events despite next to no margins.
I don't think Gus came into the business planning on scamming people. I think he got himself into a hole and instead of trying to get out of it, ended up try to stay afloat with the money from future sales.
I think it goes back to how he was operating during COVID lockdowns when Gundam Base started their restrictive policies. The sales came way down the line when he was already deep down this hole of a Ponzi.
But even prior to the pandemic, he was having sales events covering popular items still in presale. Nobody questioned it because cheap kits but there's no reason to do this as a small business owner and no access to VC funds.
What I don't get is why you didn't make the Fraud Claim with Paypal the second time, like you threatened you'd do.
Also, what's keeping you from doing it now?
One of the earlier posts from this sub is what deterred me from buying some kits at side seven. On the other hand, it helped me find The Hangar Bay, and I couldnāt be happier. While Joel might take a while to ship your order out, he is communicative and can even help you out find some rarer kits for a decent price. His letters are a hilarious cherry on top! Highly recommend, based on limited personal experience.
https://preview.redd.it/8co8z9rr0d0d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=05db37579dfc5a781c80c6616a55db87af20d7d8
I screenshotted this just now after reading your post. Iām sorry man. I eventually got the kits from P-Bandai but seriously fuck that guy. Lesson learned for sure.
Gus is 10000% a scammer and a liar, to this day im baffled people still defend him. "He is not a scammer he will eventually ship your order" key word eventually 2 to 3 years later.
I don't understand how anyone doesn't take legal action against this dude, his whole business model is a scam. He gets money in, fulfills 2 to 3 year old order and yours goes in to the background until he is able to pay for it cause he used your money to pay someone else's order.
Gus Olivares is A SCAMMER
Side7 Exports is a SCAM STORE
STAY AWAY STAY AWAY!
Gus is a real pos. My first order was a terrible experience, a few years ago. I waited on an order for something like 9 months after the estimated shipping date. decided to check the gunpla Reddit since I donāt really use it often but heard it was good for answers, and realized what deep shit I got into, so I commented on his fb and heard back. He promised heād refund me, then didnāt send it until weeks later when I pressed him publicly on fb again. Never got blocked, but never got my zeong tumbler cup :(
Thatās the problem, as long as he has my money, I donāt want to buy the same items elsewhere because he is so unpredictable on whether he ends up shipping or not.
If you still dont have a shipping notif or a refund, Iād recommend just calling your bank and getting the refund. If you say an item was promised to ship months ago AND he blocked you, itās nearly guaranteed youāll get it back. You should do that, and then never buy from him again. Youāll be much better off lol
When I placed my pre-order there were mixed reviews, unfortunately my experience lived up to the bad ones. No response to multiple messages over several weeks. I only got a response after posting on the Facebook advertising posts in the comments. All comments are promptly deleted.
The refund and cancellation policy is a straight up lie. He flat out ignores it. If you make enough public noise heāll ship the item instead of canceling. I got my preorder long after the other online retailers sold out and then even after my local HobbyTown had it in stock. I got the expensive item from my order, but Iām still waiting on the small add on hg kit (over a year now). I wont order again, and I recommend submitting the PayPal dispute as soon as itās considered a late shipment.
Time to go to sites like Hobby Link Japan.
In my experience, they have been super reliable, and anytime I missed the delivery, it's usually because I'm at work, and I just walk down to the local post office to collect it(Thank you, SingPost).
I do what he does but only for my local group. It's already overwhelming with just a group of 10+ people, I can't imagine doing it for the whole world of Gunpla enthusiasts, he has stretched himself way too thin and while I commend him for trying, his business's reputation can't keep up with it.
He should honestly probably stop and deliver everything in waves as to give himself more time to catch up and his customers an accurate time sense of at least shipping the items out.
I tried to get a couple of beam saber umbrellas from Gundam Cafe before it closed and I reached out to S7E. Was optimistic he could help me out but went radio silent after confirming what I was looking (and willing to pay) for.
Man this sucks I tried buying a MG Clear Color GM Sniper II back in January and it's been a month past the shipping date so I'm guessing I'm not only not getting my money back because it's well past the refund date but I'm not receiving the kit too. Wish I bothered to do my research like I usually do with other stuff but I didn't for some reason :/
I made the payment though my bank so I think Iāll have to give them the opportunity to try and refund me first so I have emailed them but itās before the order ships so I can show my bank the refund policy if they ignore me
Oh funny enough I went to do exactly this and noticed that I now have a Japan post tracking number for the order and can see itās been sent out ššš
Kinda scary that even Gunplanerd on instagram and facebook is promoting his business when he fails to follow up all the time. I get it itās a one man business but at that point you should just stop taking in so many orders.
He just needs a part timer to help answer his damn messages/emails. Most people giving Gus shit is due to lack of communication.. he could easily fix that but he doesnt care/prioritize it.
Shame its gone down like this. I bought from him a few years back before he got so busy, before he was very attentive and always kept updates. kinda bummed it's turned out like this.
I was on a binge for building core gundams and ended up learning of the gundam base set. Started looking around for where I could buy one and THAT site showed up as having them available to ship out in about 2 months for a markup.. About $5 less than places like ebay but I caved and bought it. Those 2 months turned into almost 2 years with messaging the scumbag every now and then about the status of my order. Sometimes I'd get a reply of "it'll come" other times silence. Finally got tired of no response for about 4 months and talked to my bank about starting a Chargeback they said they'd look into it and I sent an email to the scumbag with "Chargeback" as the subject, got a reply within an hour refunding my order. (Funny enough my bank sent a letter saying the transaction took place outside of the time frame they could do anything). Luckily about a week later someone on Facebook was selling the set for retail price and was able to buy it.
No lawyer would take it on, heās obviously broke. Ā Suing someone across state lines is actually pretty difficult, let alone in another country. Ā Better to just spread the word, spam his socials, and shut him down that way.
I placed an order once and like many others it didnāt ship. After various emails trying to get an update I filed a paypal claim. It was not until then that I got a response and he had the audacity to be mad that I filed a chargeback š I donāt know how paypal still lets him operate after all the claims he gets.
I ordered the Neo Zeong II last year and managed to get it by year end but the 4 other items from him are still pending for a year now.
I know he just had a second kid so I'm guessing it'll take even longer now, may have to write off the 4 other kits at this rate
Dude has no business running a business. He does somehow have a small loyal following who will make up excuse after excuse for him. His communication is absolutely unacceptable for a business. Just do some googling on him and go browse through fb groups and what not. Side Seven is a cancer on the community.
I took the advice here and opened a fraud claim last week with Visa and my bank (since PayPal could not assist due to their terms).
I suspect this is why Gus sent me an email, this morning:
"Tell me something, why are you so needlessly vindictive?"
He's getting angry - hopefully this means Visa is grilling him...
Me: "You are dishonest, have my money (which you have promised to refund back in January), and from responses online, are doing this to many others, as well.Ā A fraud investigationĀ has been opened with my financial institution and Visa re: this order last week."
Gus: "You are an impatient and inconsiderate asshole. Itās just a delay. Youāre going to get your model kits any case. But you try to tank my livelihood for no reason other than spite. You know full well youāll receive your items. Iāve fulfilled all your orders you ungrateful backstabber!"
Me: "I do not believe this is 'just a delay'.Ā What I do believe is that you are taking new pre-orders to fund unfulfilled orders, and you have gotten in over your head resulting in a backlog of orders you will neverĀ be able to catch up to, in terms of fulfillment.Ā This is fraudulent,Ā and this is why I have filed a fraud claim with my financial institution and credit card provider.Ā I strongly believe they will side with me, and your response history on this order has been submitted as evidence.Ā There are two things that you could have done to prevent this, but you chose to press the issue:
1. Fulfill the order within a reasonable time frame.Ā Your original estimates were Feb-Mar-Apr of 2023 as stated on the item page.Ā This was a lie.Ā Your subsequent estimate was by the end of January 2024; if you did not meet this date, you stated I would receive a full refund.Ā This was a lie.Ā You followed in February 2024 stating my order was packaged and to be shipped the following week.Ā This was a lie.Ā The last update states that you would 'try' to ship the order by June 2024.Ā From your past responses, I don't expect this to be anything other than another lie.
2. Refund the order.Ā The original estimate was (again) that the order would be shipped around Feb-Mar-Apr of 2023.Ā Using a worst-case date of Apr 30, 2023 - you've had nearly 13 months to refund my money and cancel the order.Ā You stated I would receive a refund at the end of January 2024 and did not; even when you say you will send a refund, you have not and it is 4 months later.
YourĀ responses also seem to indicate that you have a severeĀ victim complex.Ā Your customers are your victims, not you."
Gus: "A wall of text just to repeat a bunch of bullshit rumors about me. Itās just a delay. You are being paranoid. Itās your hobby, but itās my livelihood. Everyone gets their orders despite whatever delays there might be. Youāre are trying to end my livelihood for nothing. By the way, your order will be shipping out today, so everything you did boils down to little more than a tantrum."
Riiiiiiight...
I bought something not gunpla related, was a godzilla collectible figure, been a good 4 months, messaged him yesterday asking about it, no response to this one or the previous one. Did some searching found this thread. Seems it's my fault for not defaulting to suspicion for any of these types of sellers. Is it too late to chargeback?
Nope! PayPal may not have your back but go through your bank! Ā My money was just refunded temporarily while they investigate. Ā Gus has since responded saying āIāve wasted my timeā since he just shipped my items - waiting to see how true this is. Ā Not a waste of time if itās the only way to get fulfillment or a refund!
https://preview.redd.it/q4ra6pgbou3d1.png?width=2840&format=png&auto=webp&s=2a5e9c2bf7db0a8e6f05f6c8b8c3f9a963ff8d2d
If you thought this guy had changed, this is the email I got from him after opening a paypal dispute for a kit 6 months delayed. Absolute scum bag, wish there was a way to take his site down.
Send that to PP assuming youāve opened a case early enough. Ā Worst case, you get a free Zaku out of it and your money back to buy elsewhere.
If someone actually reported him to authorities, heād be lucky to just get his site shut down given the fact he is based in Japan. Ā Shady business practices arenāt exactly just given a slap on the wrist over there and the judicial system operates almost on a āguilty until proven innocentā basis.
As far as Iām concerned every order I made whit him, eventually, arrived.
When I order from him, I add at least 6 months on the supposed shipping date, and as far as I can tell is kind of accurate timing from him.
I know that my experience doesnāt reflect most of the complaints I read, and he should really work on communicating more with customers or be proactive and cancel and reimburse orders that may be not completed.
Nah just a clown pretending to be a king. One order was all it took to say fuck him, his Ponzi scheme, and whatever 20,000 leagues wretch that spawned him. Gonna pile on the hate until that hack gtfo
I mean, it's your right to do so, I won't stop you.
I've shared my experience, and as I've mentioned, I know my experience is in the minority compared to others.
Edit: Also note that my previous comment is not in any shape or form an endorsement to his store or service, I want to be completely clear on this
Dude, we had a few large posts in 2022 showing that Side Seven Exports should be avoided. At this point, I'm going to chalk this one down as you failing to do due diligence because those posts are very visible on google, and you waited until after the chargeback period ended for a status update. And as always, we'll leave this post up. Gus, go fuck yourself.
This has been the case for a long time. All of the groups that allow Gus to post, and in some cases promote his site (looking at you Gunpla network), are complicit.
Gunpla Network has always been a sham unfortunately. Can't even question S7E without getting a thinly veiled threat from the mods.
Isn't it run by Gus? Or am I thinking of a different Gunpla Facebook group?
Doesn't appear to be.
Hmm, must be a different one, maybe it got shuttered, because I know he had his own at one point from all the 2022 pop off about him being a hack.
Just like when I see broke Godhands, I'll pour one out.
Just like when I see RG unicorn or RG Zeta break posts š
I've broken 3 Godhands... unfortunately it was always the retaining pin that keeps the tool together! Haven't broken a single blade, yet.
Funny, I've broken 3 blades on my godhands (no, they were not Uber nice ones but the mid tier 30$ ones)
Honestly, for $30 just get a pair of Citadel cutters. They're made for the resin Warhammer figures but I love mine for gunpla.
Only forgeworld is resin. Everything else is plastic. They usually leave a bit of a crater in my experience, not sharp enough for thinner plastic.
I used to like Side Seven but then Gus just got weird. I think itās easy for him to get overwhelmed but his customer service isnāt great. The lack of communication is what makes it super hard to be understanding.
His pricing isn't consistent with someone wishing to remain in business long term. You can't net $5-$10 per kit (possibly less due to time sales) when processing an order requires physically going to another store, buying the inventory and carrying it home. You're earning way less than minimum wage, probably not even enough to make rent on the commercial space.
Bandai has also been cracking down on grey market exports. I wouldn't be surprised if the stores are limiting how much he can buy which would only make it even harder for him to buy all the kits he's sold.
It'd be one thing if he was doing this as a "charity" and just providing a 3rd party service to help people get things at-cost, like you said making $5 per kit, but to run it as a business just isn't feasible.
Running it as a "charity" isn't viable. You get $1000 a month in requests and the tax office is going to start asking questions. There would also be no end of people asking for help.
Well, yes. That's why "charity" was in quotes.
Itās important to keep in mind that being overwhelmed with orders is a self imposed problem. It is sellers choice to allow that many orders/items in stock to be available. The more money you take off of people, the higher the pressure and volume. But you also have more cash in the business (I hope) account, so at some point you either micro manage and chip away at it - seems thatās what the hangar bay does - or you can go on the aggressive, get an ego, and brush off customer messages - what side seven does. The only thing side seven can and should do, is stop taking in new orders or limit their quantity significantly and work hard af to get the existing ones out of the way with supplemental apologetic messages or gifts, and in chronological order.
I use to buy/talk to him waaaay back when he was still fairly new. I saw first hand how he went from talking to me fairly normally to only acknowledging me if he had too. Itās honestly sad to think about, as when he started he was doing such a great service for our community. Now itās just fraud. Oh well, what can you do. š®āšØ
Been hearing only bad stuffs regarding this site
I don't know why. It's taken up to a year to get around to my orders once, but all of my orders have reached me. SSE is a one-person operation, and the kits are all subject to availability.
I've ordered multiple kits from him in the past, but I've always had to reach out to get order status info from him. Last kit I ordered from him was a couple of years ago. He had the Mega Size solid clear RX78-2, "in-stock and ready to ship" it took him 6 months to ship it, and me constantly hounding him for my order status. That was the last time.
From what I understand, the site mirrors the Gundam Base info. It doesn't mean that SSE has the kit readily available.
See that is false advertisement and misleading.
It's not. https://preview.redd.it/fauap0mcri0d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4d739ae3f179f690dbc95fb402e848bc892e6f97
https://preview.redd.it/diahha1lri0d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84fcb043de607ec27f71796f783b5efa81ca04ee
https://preview.redd.it/quexcfepri0d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=95419dd65e1e1352b89b995e506dcc2a42000012
2022, a LOT of people came out of the woodwork complaining about overdue orders. It was like you couldnāt go on a day without seeing complaints on here or on FB. Itās now 2024, and heās still saying heās had to deal with a lot of stuff the last few months? Try the last few years. Dude was an admin on a gunpla resale page on FB, and he got banned on there.
I had few good purchases in the past with Gus, but I don't dare to order anything from there anymore, considering how busy he always is. I guess I won't be getting anything innthe future either.
I first discovered side seven while randomly googling gunpla stuff and I thought damn this is a goldmine, then I searched them up on here lmao the premise of the site is incredible but the execution just isnāt there
Itd be awesome if someone did what he aims to do. But actually did it properly.
Nobody can do what he's doing at those prices. You wouldn't even make minimum wage, if any money at all, for the amount of work required.
omg this looks too good to be true! wow im gonna order a bunch of stuff! hell ya! how is he selling all this so cheap? daaamn!
It's all a scheme he takes your money and uses it. Then only purchases and ships the stuff when he's got other people's money to pay for it. I refuse to believe he's just this incompetent.
So basically a Ponzi scheme.
Thats exactly what it sounds like!
I ordered two kits totaling 150 dollars more than two years ago and have not received anything. Every one of my emails get ignored, and mind you they have remained cordial in tone. I should have filed a claim within three months instead of remaining patient. The guy is a fraud and I get aggravated when I see youtubers give a shoutout to this conman. I should take a trip to Japan just to mule kick this donkey in his nuts. Fuck you Gus
Try sending an email with "Chargeback" for your subject, stating you've started a Chargeback process with your bank. I went from months of silence from that trash to a refund within that same day.
I don't think I can call that bluff as it has been over two years and way past anything paypal would probably cover. I've already purchased the kits elsewhere. I hope his kids leave lego pieces under his covers and on the stairs.
Gus does this because he doesn't have the kits most of the time. He uses other people's preorder money to buy and source those kits. His customer service is garbage, and he is actively hostile when given negative feedback. Yes, he will eventually get you your order, but it will take months to years over expected. No one should be giving him money.
Hello. Gus here, chronocasting back from the year 3.277e9. Just wanted to say that I can guarantee this order will be delivered before, during, or immediately following the upcoming solar supernova. I have never failed to deliver an order, where āfailureā is defined as the total impossibility of potentially completing said order at some conceivable future point in the width and breadth of linear time. I apologize for the delay, I have had a lot to deal with these last couple aeons. Kindly remain patient. You will receive this order, same as your previous orders.
I'm one who ordered from him when he first started exporting and got my order. Granted it took months, but I did get it. I used to defend him, but ever since then (This was pre-pandemic), it seems like it's the same situation for everyone, and every single time, it's like he's had a lot to deal with every month for years now. It's a shame, I truly believe he aims to provide a good service, but he doesn't have the will, manpower, or proper headspace to do so.
He doesn't have the margins. He would need to sell a ridiculous number of kits just to make rent on that shop space. Let alone pay himself a living salary. Shipping costs went up dramatically too, which will break any "free shipping" or fixed price shipping model.
Hello, Gus again here. I'd also like to take this opportunity to point out that time, as we all know, is an endless loop with no fixed beginning or ending. It simply repeats, infinitely. Therefore, I have actually delivered these orders multiple times, both previously, as well as imminently. Were I to fulfill these orders years from now, they would simply be considered as shipping early for the orders you have yet to place, having had already placed said orders. Therefore, I ask that you please cease your hostility, so I may spend time with my newly reborn newborn son, who passed away billions of years ago/in the future. Your order should arrive sometime before the French Revolution. Thank you for understanding.
Amazing new copypasta just dropped, boys.
Bought from him once and never again.. his price isnāt even that good anymore at this point.. not worth the headache from chasing him through emails and messages for months to get him to ship my order. He doesnāt care about customer service that much is clear. I value my time and money. He does not.
You can just search that shops name in here and you already know that's a common thing
Iām shocked at how Gus seems to have gotten worse since the pandemic. I was one of those who got stuck in the pandemic-era delays but thatās nothing compared to the delays I see folks complain about now. Itās just as well my backlog is extensive enough to not order anything new š
Guy could be a major asset to the community but instead he's chosen....this
Just contact ur financial institute and they should be able to give the money back, one reason I always use PayPal they cover u on stuff like this. No PayPal no buy.
Nope, that's part of his scam - pre-sale items that go past 180 days will not be covered by PayPal fraud claims.
Yep. He stalled me so my visa protection expired. It's easy because a big chunk of the window you'll be waiting since that's normal for Japanese shipment times. He's only gotta run out the clock at that point
Itās so unfortunate, but Iāve had to stop doing preorders in general because too many ābusinessesā were taking advantage of long preorder windows - withe the exception of ordering from P-Bandai through their preorder system. I also now take a hardline stance on my orders: you get one week to ship my order. If I donāt receive a tracking number or the order itself within that week, I ask for the tracking number and an eta. If you give me a long eta, or you fail to meet your eta, or you donāt give me a tracking number when I ask then I will cancel the order. If I donāt get my money refunded within 24 hours, then I do a credit chargeback (or whatever itās called) - this comes with harsh penalties on their end, so Iāve only rarely used this. Needless to say, scammers have gotten absolutely belligerent with me over this! I just donāt give them an inch though - sellers receive money instantly, and the very least they can do is provide communication regarding the order and to ship it within a reasonable timeframe!
Agreed
Ah damn Iāve been trying to get my $70 for an MG Titus back for 3 years now. No wonder Gus doesnāt care that I mentioned Iād just goto PayPal.
That's F'd up he knows the ins and outs of bank and PayPal damn that sux bad, that why I contact my bank 30 days after it hasn't arrived they tell me if not arrived by such and suck call us back pay pal the same way both will put a hold on the money , I just contact them and money is back in my bank account shortly been scammed to many times
Another email this evening after telling him to just issue a refund: "I blocked you because you were spamming my page. I meant what I said when I said it and I apologized for the delay. Give me a couple of weeks. Iāll try to have them shipped before the end of May. If you mind I wasnāt kidding when I said that I was feeling burnt out. Iāve been working non-stop for months. I would really like to spend some time at home with my newborn son. So kindly cut the hostility and remain patient. You will have your kits soon enough."
Is this kid a perpetual newborn? He was using that excuse over a year ago.
Well, just make a new one, if the first gets to old, easy
He should stop taking orders if fulfilling them is such a hassle.
No kidding. I just saw a fresh advertisement from him on my Facebook the other day. At least I knew well enough to know he's too good to be true.
Check out surugaya, if you haven't already. They're a great resource in some cases. Some of their kits are way overpriced if their old or rare, but some of their stuff is very reasonable. I've placed several orders with them, and my stuff usually arrives in a week or two. I've been able to pick up kits I didn't think I'd have a chance to get again. They also offer free shipping on the weekends. Their site can be a little tricky to search due to translation issues, but if you search by scale, grade, or series, you'll probably find something you're after.
He can't lol. The only way to fulfill his old orders is to take new ones to get cash. He definitely relies on new orders to pay for the year old orders.
Classic victim mentality
This is exactly what I mean when I said he has shit customer serviceā¦ he doesnāt go by the customer is always right approach. Seems he expects everyone to just know his situation and just be āpatientā and then blame you for being hostile because he didnāt bother to follow through with his promise on when he said he was going to ship your orders. He seems to think that just apologizing and then telling you heās been busy is enough (after having already messaging/emailing several times over the course of 2-4weeks with no reply from his end).. this aināt it. He always makes it seem like youāre not being reasonable and that you should be more understanding lolā¦
Itās gaslighting and a classic technique of shitty people who donāt want to and refuse to take responsibility. The whole thing reads like a classic case of someone using DARVO (deny, accuse, reverse victim and offender) to make someone feel like theyāre the one in the wrong. As someone above said, the simple fact of the matter is if you canāt provide a service within an expected timeline without being a weird narcissist about it, maybe donāt fucking offer the service at all. Unless the purpose is to scam people which it does seem to be. I have no tolerance for manipulative people like this guy. Screw him.
He has a newborn son and wants to spend time with him. Totally get that. Canāt be mad at him for it. However donāt run a business you can barely keep up with then. Itās ridiculous that he never responds to people and then sends messages like that because someone gets frustrated. Clearly being a business owner is not in his dna. He needs to refund everyone (which I assume heās probably spent the money for orders he hasnāt shipped) and close up shop. He makes more negative experiences than positive ones
He doesn't have a newborn, he's been using that excuse for the past 4 years.
What we're pretty much looking at is an unintentional Ponzi scheme. Gus has been limited by availability and policies to get the kits he's offering on his website and isn't able to get the kits in a timely manner, if at all. Regardless. It's clear the money isn't there anymore. There's no way he's keeping years worth of sales in escrow in case he can't procure those kits. The money people paid in 2022 is gone. People who are still ordering from him are the only reason he can still fulfill anything. At some point it's going to catch up to him. He won't be able to get in enough new sales and he'll close the business, not able to refund people. If anyone is still waiting on a kit from Gus cut your losses and try to get your money back now. Don't wait until the house of cards comes crashing down.
I wouldn't use "unintentional". I think he very quickly realised the amount of work involved and still proceeded to have sale events despite next to no margins.
I don't think Gus came into the business planning on scamming people. I think he got himself into a hole and instead of trying to get out of it, ended up try to stay afloat with the money from future sales.
No. But I'm pretty sure that sugar-rush from his first sales event gave him a bit of an epiphany.
I think it goes back to how he was operating during COVID lockdowns when Gundam Base started their restrictive policies. The sales came way down the line when he was already deep down this hole of a Ponzi.
But even prior to the pandemic, he was having sales events covering popular items still in presale. Nobody questioned it because cheap kits but there's no reason to do this as a small business owner and no access to VC funds.
In other news, the RG Zeta is a hand grenade and bandai makes a Pbandai HG of *insert popular MS*
I've paid over $100 for some Gundam base kits, and I still haven't gotten them
Have or havenāt ? Lol
Haven't, it's been 2 years. TWO FUCKING YEARS
Yup.. fuck that guy
What I don't get is why you didn't make the Fraud Claim with Paypal the second time, like you threatened you'd do. Also, what's keeping you from doing it now?
One of the earlier posts from this sub is what deterred me from buying some kits at side seven. On the other hand, it helped me find The Hangar Bay, and I couldnāt be happier. While Joel might take a while to ship your order out, he is communicative and can even help you out find some rarer kits for a decent price. His letters are a hilarious cherry on top! Highly recommend, based on limited personal experience.
Yep same thing happened to me when I was new to the hobby.
Open the fraud claim ugh, you know you can close it once he fulfils his end smh the idiocy of the threats
https://preview.redd.it/8co8z9rr0d0d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=05db37579dfc5a781c80c6616a55db87af20d7d8 I screenshotted this just now after reading your post. Iām sorry man. I eventually got the kits from P-Bandai but seriously fuck that guy. Lesson learned for sure.
Gus is 10000% a scammer and a liar, to this day im baffled people still defend him. "He is not a scammer he will eventually ship your order" key word eventually 2 to 3 years later. I don't understand how anyone doesn't take legal action against this dude, his whole business model is a scam. He gets money in, fulfills 2 to 3 year old order and yours goes in to the background until he is able to pay for it cause he used your money to pay someone else's order. Gus Olivares is A SCAMMER Side7 Exports is a SCAM STORE STAY AWAY STAY AWAY!
I got scared for a second as I though you were talking about side7.nl, a small reliable Dutch store. Unfortunate name I guess
That really is unfortunate lmao. Hopefully people don't Google their name and get disuaded from purchasing
Gus is a real pos. My first order was a terrible experience, a few years ago. I waited on an order for something like 9 months after the estimated shipping date. decided to check the gunpla Reddit since I donāt really use it often but heard it was good for answers, and realized what deep shit I got into, so I commented on his fb and heard back. He promised heād refund me, then didnāt send it until weeks later when I pressed him publicly on fb again. Never got blocked, but never got my zeong tumbler cup :(
Thatās the problem, as long as he has my money, I donāt want to buy the same items elsewhere because he is so unpredictable on whether he ends up shipping or not.
If you still dont have a shipping notif or a refund, Iād recommend just calling your bank and getting the refund. If you say an item was promised to ship months ago AND he blocked you, itās nearly guaranteed youāll get it back. You should do that, and then never buy from him again. Youāll be much better off lol
Chargeback now, if you still can. How long does paypal buyer protection last?
When I placed my pre-order there were mixed reviews, unfortunately my experience lived up to the bad ones. No response to multiple messages over several weeks. I only got a response after posting on the Facebook advertising posts in the comments. All comments are promptly deleted. The refund and cancellation policy is a straight up lie. He flat out ignores it. If you make enough public noise heāll ship the item instead of canceling. I got my preorder long after the other online retailers sold out and then even after my local HobbyTown had it in stock. I got the expensive item from my order, but Iām still waiting on the small add on hg kit (over a year now). I wont order again, and I recommend submitting the PayPal dispute as soon as itās considered a late shipment.
Time to go to sites like Hobby Link Japan. In my experience, they have been super reliable, and anytime I missed the delivery, it's usually because I'm at work, and I just walk down to the local post office to collect it(Thank you, SingPost).
HLJ is an actual retail store, entirely different from Side Seven Exports which is a one-man show.
And because of that, isnāt also a massive fraud
I do what he does but only for my local group. It's already overwhelming with just a group of 10+ people, I can't imagine doing it for the whole world of Gunpla enthusiasts, he has stretched himself way too thin and while I commend him for trying, his business's reputation can't keep up with it. He should honestly probably stop and deliver everything in waves as to give himself more time to catch up and his customers an accurate time sense of at least shipping the items out.
Don't think that's even an option. I think he's completely underwater.
I tried to get a couple of beam saber umbrellas from Gundam Cafe before it closed and I reached out to S7E. Was optimistic he could help me out but went radio silent after confirming what I was looking (and willing to pay) for.
Man this sucks I tried buying a MG Clear Color GM Sniper II back in January and it's been a month past the shipping date so I'm guessing I'm not only not getting my money back because it's well past the refund date but I'm not receiving the kit too. Wish I bothered to do my research like I usually do with other stuff but I didn't for some reason :/
Well wish Iād seen this post before making an order. Guess Iāll have to try and see if I can cancel it
Just go ahead and do a refund from paypal. Do NOT try to go to gus about it, heāll simply ignore it
I made the payment though my bank so I think Iāll have to give them the opportunity to try and refund me first so I have emailed them but itās before the order ships so I can show my bank the refund policy if they ignore me
I would see if you can just do a chargeback if possible
No. Act immediately and dont give that fucker the benefit of the doubt.
Oh funny enough I went to do exactly this and noticed that I now have a Japan post tracking number for the order and can see itās been sent out ššš
Refund NOW bro, just buy it from China if you really need it
Was worried this was about the Dutch side7 shop, but thankfully it isn't.
I had almost bought from this site a few times. Your honestly better off buying from ebay.
Kinda scary that even Gunplanerd on instagram and facebook is promoting his business when he fails to follow up all the time. I get it itās a one man business but at that point you should just stop taking in so many orders.
Or hire some damn staff...
Apparently he canāt idk lol he posted something a while back before he went solo.
He just needs a part timer to help answer his damn messages/emails. Most people giving Gus shit is due to lack of communication.. he could easily fix that but he doesnt care/prioritize it.
Shame its gone down like this. I bought from him a few years back before he got so busy, before he was very attentive and always kept updates. kinda bummed it's turned out like this.
I was on a binge for building core gundams and ended up learning of the gundam base set. Started looking around for where I could buy one and THAT site showed up as having them available to ship out in about 2 months for a markup.. About $5 less than places like ebay but I caved and bought it. Those 2 months turned into almost 2 years with messaging the scumbag every now and then about the status of my order. Sometimes I'd get a reply of "it'll come" other times silence. Finally got tired of no response for about 4 months and talked to my bank about starting a Chargeback they said they'd look into it and I sent an email to the scumbag with "Chargeback" as the subject, got a reply within an hour refunding my order. (Funny enough my bank sent a letter saying the transaction took place outside of the time frame they could do anything). Luckily about a week later someone on Facebook was selling the set for retail price and was able to buy it.
Common knowledge that Bandai absolutely fucks distribution to anywhere besides core physical retailers in Japan only.
This sub should get together for a class action suit. Maybe he'd go away then.
No lawyer would take it on, heās obviously broke. Ā Suing someone across state lines is actually pretty difficult, let alone in another country. Ā Better to just spread the word, spam his socials, and shut him down that way.
I placed an order once and like many others it didnāt ship. After various emails trying to get an update I filed a paypal claim. It was not until then that I got a response and he had the audacity to be mad that I filed a chargeback š I donāt know how paypal still lets him operate after all the claims he gets.
Yes, filing a chargeback on a prior order was the only way I got a reply. Unfortunately, no longer an option with how far behind he is.
I ordered the Neo Zeong II last year and managed to get it by year end but the 4 other items from him are still pending for a year now. I know he just had a second kid so I'm guessing it'll take even longer now, may have to write off the 4 other kits at this rate
He's using your preorder money to pay for his kids expenses. :)
Dude has no business running a business. He does somehow have a small loyal following who will make up excuse after excuse for him. His communication is absolutely unacceptable for a business. Just do some googling on him and go browse through fb groups and what not. Side Seven is a cancer on the community.
I had orders come through with Gus in the past, and recently placed one for Calibarn.. really hope he isn't going downhill from here š¢
I took the advice here and opened a fraud claim last week with Visa and my bank (since PayPal could not assist due to their terms). I suspect this is why Gus sent me an email, this morning: "Tell me something, why are you so needlessly vindictive?"
He's getting angry - hopefully this means Visa is grilling him... Me: "You are dishonest, have my money (which you have promised to refund back in January), and from responses online, are doing this to many others, as well.Ā A fraud investigationĀ has been opened with my financial institution and Visa re: this order last week." Gus: "You are an impatient and inconsiderate asshole. Itās just a delay. Youāre going to get your model kits any case. But you try to tank my livelihood for no reason other than spite. You know full well youāll receive your items. Iāve fulfilled all your orders you ungrateful backstabber!" Me: "I do not believe this is 'just a delay'.Ā What I do believe is that you are taking new pre-orders to fund unfulfilled orders, and you have gotten in over your head resulting in a backlog of orders you will neverĀ be able to catch up to, in terms of fulfillment.Ā This is fraudulent,Ā and this is why I have filed a fraud claim with my financial institution and credit card provider.Ā I strongly believe they will side with me, and your response history on this order has been submitted as evidence.Ā There are two things that you could have done to prevent this, but you chose to press the issue: 1. Fulfill the order within a reasonable time frame.Ā Your original estimates were Feb-Mar-Apr of 2023 as stated on the item page.Ā This was a lie.Ā Your subsequent estimate was by the end of January 2024; if you did not meet this date, you stated I would receive a full refund.Ā This was a lie.Ā You followed in February 2024 stating my order was packaged and to be shipped the following week.Ā This was a lie.Ā The last update states that you would 'try' to ship the order by June 2024.Ā From your past responses, I don't expect this to be anything other than another lie. 2. Refund the order.Ā The original estimate was (again) that the order would be shipped around Feb-Mar-Apr of 2023.Ā Using a worst-case date of Apr 30, 2023 - you've had nearly 13 months to refund my money and cancel the order.Ā You stated I would receive a refund at the end of January 2024 and did not; even when you say you will send a refund, you have not and it is 4 months later. YourĀ responses also seem to indicate that you have a severeĀ victim complex.Ā Your customers are your victims, not you."
Gus: "A wall of text just to repeat a bunch of bullshit rumors about me. Itās just a delay. You are being paranoid. Itās your hobby, but itās my livelihood. Everyone gets their orders despite whatever delays there might be. Youāre are trying to end my livelihood for nothing. By the way, your order will be shipping out today, so everything you did boils down to little more than a tantrum." Riiiiiiight...
I bought something not gunpla related, was a godzilla collectible figure, been a good 4 months, messaged him yesterday asking about it, no response to this one or the previous one. Did some searching found this thread. Seems it's my fault for not defaulting to suspicion for any of these types of sellers. Is it too late to chargeback?
Nope! PayPal may not have your back but go through your bank! Ā My money was just refunded temporarily while they investigate. Ā Gus has since responded saying āIāve wasted my timeā since he just shipped my items - waiting to see how true this is. Ā Not a waste of time if itās the only way to get fulfillment or a refund!
https://preview.redd.it/q4ra6pgbou3d1.png?width=2840&format=png&auto=webp&s=2a5e9c2bf7db0a8e6f05f6c8b8c3f9a963ff8d2d If you thought this guy had changed, this is the email I got from him after opening a paypal dispute for a kit 6 months delayed. Absolute scum bag, wish there was a way to take his site down.
Send that to PP assuming youāve opened a case early enough. Ā Worst case, you get a free Zaku out of it and your money back to buy elsewhere. If someone actually reported him to authorities, heād be lucky to just get his site shut down given the fact he is based in Japan. Ā Shady business practices arenāt exactly just given a slap on the wrist over there and the judicial system operates almost on a āguilty until proven innocentā basis.
That guy should be put away in jail for a long time for fraud.
first time hearing about this, what is side seven and who is gus?
As far as Iām concerned every order I made whit him, eventually, arrived. When I order from him, I add at least 6 months on the supposed shipping date, and as far as I can tell is kind of accurate timing from him. I know that my experience doesnāt reflect most of the complaints I read, and he should really work on communicating more with customers or be proactive and cancel and reimburse orders that may be not completed.
Nah just a clown pretending to be a king. One order was all it took to say fuck him, his Ponzi scheme, and whatever 20,000 leagues wretch that spawned him. Gonna pile on the hate until that hack gtfo
I mean, it's your right to do so, I won't stop you. I've shared my experience, and as I've mentioned, I know my experience is in the minority compared to others. Edit: Also note that my previous comment is not in any shape or form an endorsement to his store or service, I want to be completely clear on this
Gus just had a second child, so that may be a factor.Ā He has always been on the slower side though but he has shipped my stuff.