Airfix Reviews 54

I'm trying to build a Jet Engine, A2005. The instructions are impossible, especially in black and white. I looked on the Airfix site and there re no guides or Youtube options. So sad.

I ordered airfix Handley page hampden, when checking there was 2 pieces missing. I emailed airfix straight away and got automated reply, despite numerous emails sent to them I have still not had any reply. This is not the first time I have had this problem either , it took at least 3 emails on my part to get a missing part replaced before. Non existent customer service! Grew up building airfix models but won't be buying any more in future!!!
Edit.. I had a reply from this review asking for details which I sent but still nothing back from them!!! Very bad customer service!!!!

As a long-time Airfix Club member, I find the brand's current state a real mixed bag.

The Good:
1. The quality of modern-tooled kits is world-class. The designers are doing excellent work, and the hobbyist-focused side of things is great.
2. I also appreciate the Club benefits like the exclusive model kit and magazines and calendar, it can make a great gift especially for someone thinking of getting into the hobby.

The not-so-good:
The 'administrative' side of the brand is increasingly frustrating.

1. Support: I contacted support in March 2024 for a broken propeller in kit A01004. After three weeks, I was asked to pay £5 for the part—hardly worth it when the entire kit can be found for just a few pounds more.

2. Disingenuous Marketing: The 'constant offer' culture feels like artificial RRP inflation. Most frustratingly, the 10% Club discount often doesn't stack with these offers, meaning you can almost always find better deals elsewhere.

3. Misleading Bundles: My recent order ,A00729361 on 1/11/2025, included a free tank bundle (which added to the basket as MBUNATANK2). Despite this part number being explicitly advertised as 1:35 scale, the contents received contained 1x 1:35 quickbuild and 2x 1:72 scale kits. This feels like using a premium part number to clear out cheaper stock. OK it was free but it led my decision to spend the extra on the website in the first place which I wouldn't have done otherwise and I find that disingenuous.

4. Vintage Classics: Buyers beware—these are 1950s/60s moulds sold at near-modern prices. Some are 'dogs' with significant flash and poor fit. I received one in my mystery bundle and fair enough I can't complain at that it was interesting to receive - but there's just no way it's worth £15.99 (or even half that) so it did skew the "RRP savings of the bundle somewhat".

I still support the brand for the quality of their new designs, but I highly recommend doing your research before buying direct or joining the club. The sales tactics and support value are currently letting down an otherwise great product which you can often find for better value elsewhere - while I've previously bought the club each year to support the brand I'm not sure if I'll renew this year as I'm finding the it to be less relevant to me now.

Order number: A00729361

EDIT: 08/02/2026
There is definitely something poor going on with the rest of the business as my reviews for the products have not appeared after several weeks.
I received a reply by email

"
Good Afternoon,

Thank you for contacting us and for taking the time to share your feedback and suggestions. We really appreciate hearing from our customers.
I will pass your comments on to our Marketing Department for their consideration. Please be aware that, due to the volume of enquiries they receive, they may not be able to respond directly. However, I can assure you that all feedback is reviewed and valued.
If there is anything else we can help you with, please feel free to let us know.
"

I responded asking if they could ensure the reviews were published. I have had no further contact and the reviews are not showing.

I recently spent close to £100, and paid £7.95 for express delivery. The delivery was then delayed, and so I actually ended up with Standard Delivery, which would have been free!!! I have sent multiple E-Mails requesting a refund of the express delivery charges, and they have not even had the courtesy to respond. Will never be ordering from them again.

I would like to add that Airfix have now contacted me since this review and are looking into the problem and also offered a resolution, so taking this into account I have updated my rating but kept in details of the experience. Following this I would re-order from them in the future.

I recently ordered four items for Christmas presents. Was charged £3.95 to collect the items from a nominated hub as home delivery was an extra £1. On opening the package only 3 items were included. There was no communication from the company as to why only three were sent. Called customer service, on hold for nearly 10 minutes. Finally came back to apologise and say the fourth item was not in stock anywhere in the warehouse despite it still being advertised on the warehouse. Asked for a refund for the item which was confirmed. I then asked for a free delivery code or similar so I could order another item but was told this was not possible and was ordered a 15% discount code instead. As the item in question was only £10 this didn’t add up. I explained this to the customer service and was told than a 15% delivery was all that they could offer and did I want to place another order? Absolutely not. I hate using Amazon but went in there and found the item in stock with free next day delivery so had to do that instead. Really disappointed at such poor service and no attempt to communicate that items could not be delivered.

I had an issue with a Mystery £10 kit, but Ms.C of Airfix quickly sorted this out to a good outcome.

Edit in reply to airfix:
It is a shame that this investigation could not have occurred during the 19 days in which I was chasing for help and the problem rectified then, rather than now when it is too late. I sent proof of my ID so I did as much as I could from my end. *End edit*

I'm not surprised that airfix have such poor customer reviews given the awful 'customer service' they provide.

I attempted to order two Cubs Airfix Spitfire kits on 25th October but couldn’t complete the purchase because the website required me to create an account and link my Cubs membership number — which the site repeatedly refused to accept. I emailed customer service, explaining that I’m a Cubs leader and even provided proof of my membership with a screenshot from the Scouts.org website.

It took three days to get a reply, only to be told that the Cubs packs were “specifically for Cubs” and that I could order a Scouts challenge kit instead. I reiterated that I am a Cubs leader and was then advised to try my Compass ID. I did this, but it still didn’t work. I emailed again (while away for half-term) to explain the issue hadn’t been resolved and was told it would be passed to the marketing team.

By Wednesday 5th November, I still hadn’t heard anything. I called — which is difficult enough as phone lines are only open 9–1, Monday to Friday. The first person I spoke to said she’d look into it and call me back, but she didn’t. I called again two hours later and was simply told that the website wasn’t accepting my number. I explained that I knew this already, had provided proof of membership, and urgently needed the kits before the weekend (7th Nov) for our Remembrance Day session after the weekend. I asked if there was any alternative way to place the order given the website issue, but was told no — it could only be passed back to marketing.

Eventually, the head of sales and customer service contacted me, asking again for the same membership number I had already provided previously. I repeated the urgency, once more asking if there was another way to place the order. I was asked for my mobile number for a call the next morning — but no one called. I rang them again, was told they were “looking into it,” and again received no follow-up.

Finally, on 13th November — after our Remembrance session had already passed — I was emailed to say the issue was hopefully resolved and I could now create an account. By that point, it was far too late.

Overall, it took 19 days, endless chasing on my part and the issue still wasn’t resolved in time. Extremely disappointing customer service and a very frustrating experience.

Airfix: please dont insult me by asking me to email you regarding this complaint - we all know how that turns out. I'm sure we'd all be very interested to hear on here, publically, how you offer to rectify this situation.

I recently ordered three aircraft mystery bundles and some other kits, which made up a total order of 25 kits (including one free kit). UPS delivered only four kits. I raised a case with UPS, but it was closed as Airfix failed to respond to their enquiry. I asked Airfix whether they had sent all of the kits but have not received a response to my numerous emails. The silence is deafening. Not what I expected from an iconic business. Ensure you pay with paypal so you can get your money back when Airfix do nothing. Bitterly disappointed.

 I have two models what I’ve been trying to get replacement decals for the last two weeks. I speak to one representative from Hornby plc. They say they will get back in contact with me they never do and then I ring in a couple of days mate to find out what’s going on they say the same thing we will ring you back this afternoon never happens and when I ring him to see what’s going on for the fifth time all I get is we’re not willing to talk to you and they put the phone down what is disgusting customer service they’re trying to make me pay for the details. What I should not be having to pay for at the end of the day one was Missing and one just perished into into little bits when they were going into loop warm water like it says in the handbook and under the cost under the consumer rate act of 2015 it clearly said when a product is not  it’s not satisfactory. You do not need to pay a penny. You can get a replacement for free and Hornby doesn’t like that.

Airfix used to be one of the best but years have passed and it seems their values have changed. Mouldings covered in flash and oversized injector marks ruining panels, miscast, unuseable parts from old moulds and then, when you try their spares department if you can get the part you're very, very lucky, apathy rules with the spares dept. Ive had parts confirmed as avaliable waited weeks and chased them up only to get a stock reply that the kit is too old, part not avaliable even though I'd been told it was. It seem they don't care and the kit is just 18 months old!

Airfix have a lot of die hard fans and Airfix l, if you want to keep them I suggest treating them with some care. A £70.00+ kit with no spares backup is really not good enough!

I bought an expensive Airfix kit and it had a defective part that had bubbles or something in it, like molded in a dirty mold. I contacted the US branch and the UK branch for a replacement part and got NOTHING. No response from their customer service at all. Their kits cost to much to be treating their customers like this. I will no longer be buying any Airfix kits.

A few weeks ago I bought the Canadair Sabre from my local store. I am an enthusiastic modeller with about 20 Airfix models in my stash (plus other brands!). I normally brush paint smaller/mid size parts on the sprue, selecting a colour and painting all the parts that are that colour. I came to a part and found it missing, not a particularly small part. Checked bag, box, floor - nothing so it had to be missing during packaging, I had only just opened the kit.
I have never had a part missing before so on 2/8 I emailed customer services, explaining the issue. After a few days no response so I mailed technical services on the 6/8. I included photographs, of the box, the batch label, etc. I asked them to come back to me regardless of whether they could help. As of the 21/8 no response from either mail address.
My project is stuck. I only know that the part looks like on the plans so do not know what the part actually looks like.
Then I saw a second hand Revell F-86D (similar aircraft, US version) in the same scale and bought it so that I can fabricate the part and complete the project and have an interesting follow on project.
I have bought many Airfix kits over the years but it is only when things go wrong do you see the true company. I do not believe Airfix can be bothered with my small problem - so in future I will not be bothered with Airfix.
PS: Following Airfix response I forwarded the email that I sent to Technical Services which contained all the relevant information to Feedback - still nothing!!
PPS: Airfix have come back to me. I now have the missing part and received a proper apology, thank you. Constructive Criticism: You really need a web page for missing/damaged parts on your web site and we could have avoided all of this.

Having lost a part from a kit bought for me 2 years ago I was very pleased with the spares service provided by Airfix. I was kept informed of the status of my enquiry and received the part requested, at no cost to me. This service is over and above what can be expected. Well done Airfix. I will certainly buy again

I recently bought the new Jaguar, laser were riddles with deformities, sink marks, stress marks, and one part missing, I had to chase them for over a week before they realised I needed spare parts. The spare parts finally came… more deformaties, sink marks, one part was actually broken, and the missing part from the original…. Nowhere to be seen. The company only cares about your money and their monthly end figures. Poor quality, poor management, poor products.

I had an issue with a purchase and I was a little angry to say the least but I’ve since been in contact with airfix and they’ve been excellent at replying to my concern and definitely went above and beyond with their help. Jessica contacted me and helped and I’m very thankful to her. I wish every company dealt with issues like this.

Tried and tested Airfix models, they do make new models and refresh the line up every so often and they are all exactly what I enjoy.
The Humbrol paints and equipment all under the same banner is also great.
Only thing that stops me buying more is the lack of time to make them and places to put them once done.

Super pleased with my Seaking model from Airfix. Great quality model with excellent decals. 10/10.

Great service by Airfix! The quality of the kits are incredible and are above and beyond what they used to be. Looking forward to picking up my next build.

What excellent service from Airfix! My Mustang Starter Set arrived super quickly, a gift for my Grandad who is super pleased and is already half way through building it. Would purchase from them again!

Whilst making the Avro Lancaster I lost a small piece attaching to the rudder. I completed the form on their website and got a replacement part in less than two weeks and no charge. Excellent response by Airfix.