The HMS Surprise has had a colorful past of being used in the UK Royal Navy, US museums as well as Hollywood Blockbusters like The Pirates of the Caribbean. This is the reason why many people want to buy a model of this ship to keep as a memento in their homes or offices. While most customers will ensure that they bargain on the price, they sometimes sideline quality issues. When quality issues are sent to the sidelines, you can imagine the plight of tertiary issues like packaging and insurance. These are ignored outright. Sellers who are aware of this try to cut costs by providing sub standard service here, hoping that no one will notice. However, if you read the testimonial section of any model ship selling website, you will see complaints about receiving broken models and neither party taking responsibility. It is therefore advisable that you pay attention to these smaller issues at the beginning itself and prevent the bigger issues from happening.
Buying HMS Surprise: Issues Often Ignored
Here is a list of the minor issues that may become major problems is not taken care of at the right time:
Packaging
: Your model of the HMS Surprise may have to travel the oceans to reach you. It will pass through many hands before finally settling in yours. This makes packaging very important. You should ask the seller about the precautions they take to prevent any damage to this fragile item. There are usually three layers of packaging. The ship is wrapped with a poythene bag and is then placed in a thermocol box, which will absorb all the shocks that are expected to occur in transit. The thermocol covered HMS Surprise is then placed in a carton.
Insurance
: No matter how much one tries to prevent damage via measures like packaging, there remain elements that are out of our control. How does one ensure that the expensive HMS Surprise does not take a beating in this process? Well, ask your seller if they are insured. Technically, the ownership of the HMS Surprise passes on to you only after it is delivered to you and you have signed for it. If it is damaged in transit, the insurance can make good the loss and you receive a new model. Getting oneself insured is a worthwhile investment.
Payment Terms
: Some sellers may offer you a lower price for your custom built HMS Surprise, but they may ask for the payment upfront. There have been cases in the past where people have been defrauded in this manner. The HMS Surprise model that they were waiting for never arrived. To protect yourself from such fly by night operators, ensure that you use an escrow account. Also, ensure that you make part payments only. This also should be done only after verifying that the company has been in existence for a long time.
The HMS Surprise is a sophisticated ship. Making a replica requires skill as well as expertise. Buying from novices is not recommended.