Traxxas goes after the TRX4M aftermarket

[ross_jsy]

I understand where you're coming from, while the Xmaxx's have held up well for my brother and I, the same can't be said of the Sludge..#notonepack!! Pure rubbish out of the box..driveshaft pins are the worst, falling out of every shaft on the thing? Weird, we've got more TRX rigs than I wanna admit, but never saw this from any of them.. TRX basically told him to pound salt.. I mean, yeah, they sent him one cvd after the original broke off at the outer ball end but man.. he's out an esc, steering servo (a given).. we think they switched vendors on the driveshafts..he's knees deep in M2C parts now, max6..probably nearing $1200 in a rig with say 6 packs through it? IDK if it's ever made a full pack.. regardless, we vote with our wallets, as the guy in the earlier linked video said. Not familiar with him.. I subbed just because he had the guts to call it how he sees it!!

It was a toss up when I got back into the hobby between the Sledge and the X Maxx when the Sledge was just released. Whilst I don't like my X that much the Sledge seems pretty dire from all accounts.

Tbh even my XRT couldn't get a pack through when standard without hitting thermal. The marginal engineering on Traxxas products is very apparent. There's nothing necessarily wrong with that, but the bare minimum at maximum price is a bit boring.

 

[KnowAir]

It was a toss up when I got back into the hobby between the Sledge and the X Maxx when the Sledge was just released. Whilst I don't like my X that much the Sledge seems pretty dire from all accounts.

Tbh even my XRT couldn't get a pack through when standard without hitting thermal. The marginal engineering on Traxxas products is very apparent. There's nothing necessarily wrong with that, but the bare minimum at maximum price is a bit boring.

I don't think they lack anything in engineering, actually the opposite..yeah, we could have made it indestructible, but then, we wouldn't have our hands in your pocket anymore.. and furthermore, we won't let anyone else have your money either!!

 

[KnowAir]

Sorry, I guess I'm venting a bit..TRX really gets under my skin.. I remember back in the days, 80'-90's when we laughed at them..they were toy grade indeed. They've come a long way from then, but squashing out so many other's as they did.. I guess it's really a success story, but for some reason I'm just not happy for them. I suppose it's the "in your face" to the consumer, but back dooring the competition that makes it a not so nice story for me..

 

[ross_jsy]

I don't think they lack anything in engineering, actually the opposite..yeah, we could have made it indestructible, but then, we wouldn't have our hands in your pocket anymore.. and furthermore, we won't let anyone else have your money either!!

That's not what I mean by marginal engineering. Their engineers are top class, but out of all the cars I have owned both this time in the hobby, and last time, nothing is engineered to the limits like a Traxxas product.

Spur and pinion gears are a great example. They might last forever if driven sensibly, but any more power or some moderate high jumps and they are gone. All my Arrma's are still on their original spurs and I use Arrma pinions as they are solid. Would I be salty if they X Maxx/XRT was $5-600? Well yes tbh I would expect a top of the line truck to have top of the line components, but that is by the by. The fact it is $1000, then you need gears and an ESC on top, then you start reaching the limits of the small for the size vehicle motor etc etc. Nothing has any engineering overhead in (by design) but we are paying top whack prices.

I bought a Maxx last week. I love it, but did I feel like I got £500 of value when I slid it out the box? No, not at all

 

[KnowAir]

That's not what I mean by marginal engineering. Their engineers are top class, but out of all the cars I have owned both this time in the hobby, and last time, nothing is engineered to the limits like a Traxxas product.

Spur and pinion gears are a great example. They might last forever if driven sensibly, but any more power or some moderate high jumps and they are gone. All my Arrma's are still on their original spurs and I use Arrma pinions as they are solid. Would I be salty if they X Maxx/XRT was $5-600? Well yes tbh I would expect a top of the line truck to have top of the line components, but that is by the by. The fact it is $1000, then you need gears and an ESC on top, then you start reaching the limits of the small for the size vehicle motor etc etc. Nothing has any engineering overhead in (by design) but we are paying top whack prices.

I bought a Maxx last week. I love it, but did I feel like I got £500 of value when I slid it out the box? No, not at all

I get it now, sad but true.. they've become too successful..

 

[King blitz]

They could be trying to Monopolize .

 

[Hector_Fisher]

That's not what I mean by marginal engineering. Their engineers are top class, but out of all the cars I have owned both this time in the hobby, and last time, nothing is engineered to the limits like a Traxxas product.

Spur and pinion gears are a great example. They might last forever if driven sensibly, but any more power or some moderate high jumps and they are gone. All my Arrma's are still on their original spurs and I use Arrma pinions as they are solid. Would I be salty if they X Maxx/XRT was $5-600? Well yes tbh I would expect a top of the line truck to have top of the line components, but that is by the by. The fact it is $1000, then you need gears and an ESC on top, then you start reaching the limits of the small for the size vehicle motor etc etc. Nothing has any engineering overhead in (by design) but we are paying top whack prices.

I bought a Maxx last week. I love it, but did I feel like I got £500 of value when I slid it out the box? No, not at all

Coincidentally, I think both of you are right to an extent. Your "engineered to the limits" statement has many meanings, and it all depends on what the respective company values.

Being an engineer myself, I see that traxxas has actually put alot of engineering into their products. However, there are many different facets to consider for engineering, not necessarily always just making it the strongest. Occasionally it means "make the strongest possible with unlimited funds". Commonly it means "making the best with limited funds and resources". Sometimes it means "cutting out everything absolutely unnecessary to save costs". Unfortunately for Traxxas (or perhaps us?), it seems the latter is most applicable for them. It generally goes that marketing and business offices set the prices, and then leave it to the engineers and fabricators to cut costs to make the final product, which ironically, ends up being half the product it's poised to be. I'm sure if the traxxas engineers were doing the marketing for the product they made, they wouldn't be pitching it as "the most indestructible 1/5 scale vehicle ever".

 

[razorrc]

Don't mess with T(ra)exas.

 

[Jerold]

OK I consulted my lawyer - ChatGPT.

Is it legal for a very large company were to send cease and desist letters to a small competitor's web hosting service for use of a trademarked name, with the intention of getting their content pulled from the website. All the while knowing well that the small companies do not have the resources or capitol of fighting back. Which resulted in hardship, lost business and total loss of market for some.

She, he, ... OK I'm not sure. The AI answer is below.

It is possible for a large company to send a cease and desist letter to a small competitor web hosting service for use of a trademarked name, but the legality of this action depends on the specific circumstances of the case.

Under trademark law, the owner of a trademark has the right to prevent others from using a confusingly similar mark in connection with goods or services that are related to the owner's goods or services. If a small competitor is using a trademarked name in a way that could cause confusion among consumers, a large company may have a legal basis for sending a cease and desist letter.

However, if the large company is sending the letter with the intention of getting the small company's content pulled from the website, and they are aware that the small company does not have the resources to fight back, this could be considered an abuse of the legal system. Additionally, if the small company can demonstrate that the use of the trademarked name is fair use, parody, or otherwise protected by the First Amendment, they may have a defense against the cease and desist letter.

If the small company has suffered hardship, lost business, or a total loss of market as a result of the cease and desist letter, they may have legal options available to them, such as filing a lawsuit for unfair competition or abuse of process. It is recommended that they consult with a lawyer who is familiar with intellectual property law to determine the best course of action.

I think the Traxxas claim is that it was or could be confusing to people that saw Traxxas on their website and thought it was Traxxas branded parts. I'm not sure that would stand up? I don't think that anyone even slightly familiar with RCs would think that aftermarket parts are Traxxas branded parts.

 

[ross_jsy]

Traxxas have now released guidelines on trademark use:

https://traxxas.com/traxxas-trademark-guidelines

Personally I think they have seen the reaction on social media and released this to calm the storm. If they acted with any integrity or ethics, they could have contacted the companies with that document prior to the cease and desist.

 

[KnowAir]

JRC is selling factory parts, from factory vehicles..at less than MAP..no doubt this is a bully tactic carried out by TRX to protect profits of selling parts, nothing more. JRC never claimed to be a TRX reseller, nor did they imply any warranty. "New parts from new vehicles..may show signs of disassembly."
I'm sure none of the manufacturers appreciate what kit breakers are doing, but as long as they declare the product as what it is, the manufacturers can't stop them..
Nor should they be able too IMO. There's alot of folks who won't even buy from JRC because they want a warranty. Which in my experience is typically more hassle than it's worth to put a claim on.

 

[Surchaufeur]

 

[Tex Koder]

Has anyone noticed that "TrapXus" official company name is now back on JennysRC.com.. Not the shorthand version.

 

[Jerold]

Maybe the paid the license fees or some other arrangements?