Hobby Lobby - Terrible sales support and customer service

[RC-135]

This was the very first (and last) order for myself from Hobby-Lobby:

I ordered a Senior Telemaster kit online on 3/14/09. Payment was immediately made via Paypal. I knew the kit was on back order but I believed them when the website stated it was to be filled in early April. April was updated to May (red flag #1) which was updated to reflect June 4th which the site still shows. That back order due date is 10 days ago as I write this. Every time the back order date was extended I heard nothing from Sales at Hobby Lobby (red flag #2).

Got tired of waiting at the end of May and found a kit for sale privately. I figured it would be easy to cancel the order. I know better now. After repeated attempts (red flags 3-5) to cancel the order and refund the money I have had to open a better business bureau complaint. I've actually gotten someone's attention now but the promised refund did not transact and is overdue (red flag #6). Something is seriously wrong with Hobby Lobby Sales and Customer Service.

Since I am new to the hobby I need everything. I have very recently spent around $600-700 with Tower Hobbies and another $300-400 at Horizon Hobby and hundreds more at local hobby shops. If I got the same good service from H-L as I get from the others I would be a life long customer. As it stands Hobby-Lobby has lost a customer.

My advice: These type of complaints appear to go back years with Hobby-Lobby. Nothing has changed. Buyer beware.

[ekotil]

Wait 'till you have to deal with someone there called Rachel! Because of her I am not as inclined to deal with them anymore! :mad:

[RC-135]

Update (6/16/09): Hobby Lobby finally processed my refund to PayPal with the exception of $8.99 in shipping charges. This is very curious behavior since the order was canceled BEFORE anything shipped! In addition I now have PayPal charging me for the money transfer from HL back to me.

While I won't lose sleep over $8.99+transfer charges, it all just amazes me how any company can stay in business with such poor customer service especially in these hard times.

P.S. I see HL bumped the back order date for the Senior Telly again to July now. And the beat goes on...

[bart4u]

Agree not very good support

[huntingfield]

On the 26th of sept 2009 I ordered a He162 rc model.
I then waited about two weeks and had not yet received the model. I called Hobby lobby for an update on the status of my order. I was told by the sales representative that they were out of stock and were backordered. I told the rep to cancel my order. I Emailed Hobby Lobby 2 days later and reminded them to cancel my order. I recieved confirmation on the 12th of october that my order had been cancelled . Hobby Lobby's website shows my order still active. It is now the 5th of november and I am still waiting to be refunded .

[WTFLYR]

On the 26th of sept 2009 I ordered a He162 rc model.
I then waited about two weeks and had not yet received the model. I called Hobby lobby for an update on the status of my order. I was told by the sales representative that they were out of stock and were backordered. I told the rep to cancel my order. I Emailed Hobby Lobby 2 days later and reminded them to cancel my order. I recieved confirmation on the 12th of october that my order had been cancelled . Hobby Lobby's website shows my order still active. It is now the 5th of november and I am still waiting to be refunded .They really need to "get it".
Every time I consider doing business with a place again, I go to the forums, and when I see stuff like this, I decide not to do business with them for another 6 months or so. In six months more time, I look again, and if the same practices continue, then I write them off for another 6 months or so. When I finally see a good six months or more of first class business practices, I may decide to do business with the place.

They have been asked at least several times that I know of, to implement an accurate stock counter like HC, now this site's top banner owner. Each time, they give an answer, but not an answer to the question that was asked. The responses always sidetrack the question. I try to not get highly irritated by too many things, but that really irritates me. In fairness to them, this seems to be commomplace with the hobby industry in general, and not just them.

[ColinB]

I dealt with Hobby-Lobby last year. My initial order went a bit sideways, but after a phone call or two they came through for me.
Colin

[Flyitall]

I have had excellent service from HL up until the new website went up, then it all went bad. I ordered two Dragonus helis that were in stock at the time of order placement, but then they became backordered for over three months. I cancelled!

Now I want to buy an AXI 5345/14 motor for $285, and cannot select South Africa as a shipping destination! To cut a long story short, I have to phone them to place the order!!

No wonder Hobby King / City are slaughtering them at sales. They are excellent and much, much cheaper.

Sorry HL.

[!cAnnOndAle!]

Received an Su-34 Fullback as a gift from my father. The nose gear retract servo was defective so I submitted a support on a request via their website on a Saturday. The next day, Sunday, a support representative had emailed me just requesting clarification on which servo was defective so that the correct part was in stock. By the next day a replacement servo was shipped to me.

Thanks HL for the excellent after purchase support.

[racie34]

This thread is surprising.....my experiences with HL have always been positive and they usually went the extra mile to please.
I'd blame computers and such before them...........Bruce