I will tell you that I have had a very easy time dealing with Meng way over in China,once I broke something and paid for a replacement sprue for my M1 Abrams ,and the other time my Merkava was missing the PE fret for the screens,they replaced it no charge,no questions asked.So some companys are very responsive to customer inquiries.Hats off to Meng.
I regularly buy an Airfix kit, partly out of nostalgia and gratitude for the many cheap kits they had on the market when I was a child. Without Airfix I would probably not have become a modeller.
As regards selecting kits I start from a subject (e.g. Stuka) that I fancy at the moment of purchase, and then go for the best kit available in 1/48 scale. Looking at what I have bought, I notice that I often end up with Tamiya, AMK, … and only for rare subjects (mig 19) with a brand like Trumpeter. There are brands that I never bought because they never are on top where quality is concerned.
Scanning the reviews and posts on a given subject is always a good start for a purchase decision and it is most useful that these are not all praise and no criticism.
My first ever kit, mostly built by my Father with me offering indifferent assistance. circa 1974 (ish)
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Well, new tool Airfix are mostly fantastic. If there will be a new Harrier, I’d buy it right away.
yeah, for example, i just bought a vallejo set for painting faces. it is supposed to have a bottle of rose red and black red. i got two bottles of black red instead,it happens. now what should i do for that mistake? who or where do i contact? i know they have a location in NJ somewhere.
I bet that is what happened with my paint set. probably packaged here in NJ.
Joe
Yep, I’m planning on buying their Avro Anson, It looks stunning and there’s nothing that’ll be better than their upcoming Spitfire MkIX in 1/24. I may even go for their new Buccaneer!
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The power of a Brand Name, cuts both ways. After a brand goes in the bin 
so to speak, is very difficult to restore.
One of my first Airfix kits was a 1/600 HMS Hood back in the 70’s to go with a ~1/570 Revell KM Bismarck etc… I was very happy overall. Not so much with the Airfix kits, I bought afterwards.
Now days if the Airfix name is on a box, first thought is buyer beware and read lots of reviews for spending a fat stack of 
I know that there is a group of Americans who slag off Airfix all the time, no matter what they do, like a vendetta. Yep, their earlier kits and ones that Hornby produced in their early days of ownership don’t quite make the modern grade but they are really beginning to get their act together. If you avoid the early kits and build the new tooled ones they are wonderful. Of course, that is my opinion. But for a particular group, that clearly influences many others, to out and out slag off Airfix just because (as it seems) they hate the English (I love the thought of that), is just wrong. But they will argue that it’s founded and, in fact, it just isn’t! If you really don’t like Airfix because of kits that were produced back in the 60s then try their very much newer kits. I’m talking Aircraft here, their “new” armour kits are re-boxed Acadamy.
Airfix has been rebranded 4 times, so they have struggled, and now they are really getting their act together. Check out the new 1/48 Buccaneer?
Here’s one American that drinks way too much of this both hot & iced to be accused of hating English products.
New Airfix…well I had an open mind back in ~2019 but Airfix quickly proved to me they didn’t deserve a second chance.
Here’s an example of one of the new Airfix kits… The builder does exquisite work saving the kit given its multitude of issues.
Adding insult to Airfix injury, their new Cromwell is mentioned.
It also had issues, like Airfix not being able to get the number of bolts correct on the wheels. I imagine it cost just as much to cut the molds wrong with six bolts on the wheels as it would correctly with eight bolts on the wheels.
Pretty basic stuff to get wrong.
I was willing ready to give the Airfix Cromwell a chance until Airfix’s new products convinced me not to do so.
If Airfix EVER cranks out an armor kit (of interest to me) that’s acceptable quality I’ll give Airfix one last chance.
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Wade, thanks for dredging that up… 
I’d almost forgotten about it. I think I almost gave up when I got to the tracks.
As has been mentioned above, the Airfix new tool aircraft kits seem pretty highly rated, but everything else not so much.
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The new tool airfix are really nice. I have a Stuka, and Sabre in the stash and both look absolutely fantastic in the box
I built the 1/48 Albion aircraft fueler last year and it was a delight . I imagine the pneumonia wagon will be the same . The sprue shots of the new 1/48 Avro Anson look very good indeed .
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