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Champion Express Ballast?

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  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Under The Streets of Los Angeles
  • 1,150 posts
Champion Express Ballast?
Posted by Metro Red Line on Thursday, April 30, 2020 4:16 PM

I've ordered ballast from Arizona Rock & Mineral before, as some of you have as well, and I'm also on their e-mail list. Just today, I got this email from "Champion Express Ballast," and I was thinking, "Wow, that's pretty sneaky, the Internet knows I've bought ARM Ballast before and now they're pushing a competitor's product to me..." But at the footer of the Champion Express Ballast email (which doesn't show that much), it says "ARM Ballast" and gives the same company's address.

Champion Express Ballast has a website: http://championexpressballast.com/ and not really much in there. They only sell "Salt and Pepper" mixed ballast and generic "Ballast" in N, HO, O and G scales.

Does anyone know what this is about? Is this a subsidiary product? Is this ARM's "beginner" product line?

  • Member since
    September 2014
  • From: 10,430’ (3,179 m)
  • 2,310 posts
Posted by jjdamnit on Thursday, April 30, 2020 4:22 PM

Hello All,

Metro Red Line
...at the footer of the Champion Express Ballast email (which doesn't show that much), it says "ARM Ballast" and gives the same company's address.

Yeah, I got the same e-mail.

Noticed the same footer. 

Don't know.

I harvest my own ballast from local sources so in the long-run this will have no effect on me.

Know this won't help.

"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, April 30, 2020 5:38 PM

I'd be suspicious. 

  • It's a barebones website
  • The only contact information is a phone number, no address.
  • The ballast is not packaged in the volumes ARM offers
  • ARM, whose website is pretty slow, has an active presence on Facebook, latest post 4/25/2020 and sells on Ebay, as well.

Why don't you ask ARM if they know this site is selling their product?

Edit They have a message feature on Facebook and I asked.  Will let you know if they respond.

 

 

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Friday, May 1, 2020 10:37 AM

ARM got back to me with a 1 word answer.  Yes Champion is an authorized seller

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, May 4, 2020 8:33 AM

BigDaddy
ARM got back to me with a 1 word answer. Yes Champion is an authorized seller

Interesting... how did they get all of our email addresses?

I have bought tons of ARM ballast, but never directly. Colonial Photo And Hobby in Orlando always had a good supply on the shelf.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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