Hi,
I was a real hobbyking fan for years and I am a platinum member too. But I am extremely unhappy the way handle my last 3 orders. One order they charged me about $45 for EMS and they have shipped it using normal post and I have still not received the parcel after 14 days.

Then the 2nd order I made it on last Friday and again selected EMS. No back ordered items. But still the warehouse has not yet shipped my order.

It seems like when a company grows they forget about who made them grow.

Do you guys know any up-coming hobby store for me to switch to? I like small timers since they are committed for the clients.

Cheers

I also found that they don't have a contact email address to make any complains!

Does not surprise me.....

I currently have an order pending, no backorder items and it has been sitting for near a week. Their online support is no help - they just tell me "it will ship the soonest".

Then I get the sad story about how they have no staff and the warehouse manager is busy trying to find more workers.....(Funny how that never makes it onto their website before your place your order....)

When I use the Online Support function they just close the chat session if you ask a question that they do not like. Questions like " Can you advise when my order will be shipped?" constitutes being logged out of the session from their end!!!

I have even asked for a refund and been logged off. I am now looking at going to my bank to have the transaction cancelled - I guess Hobby King do not want to talk to me any more about it.

Sad really....Thye think because they are cheap that we will put up with their rubbish.

Bart70

Hi Bart,
My story is also very similar. Still they have not shipped the order after a week. There are no back ordered items.

The support is really lousy. They just don't know anything other than what we know about the order. Looks like this is the end of the road with HK.

I don't think my bank can do anything about this since the payment is already gone.

Harsha

Yes....Support is non-existent. All I can get is a scripted message via online support in "Chinglish". Even then, if they do not like what you ask them they just terminate the chat session from their end.

They were open in telling me that they have no staff and are having problems finding people to work for them (...maybe there is a reason for that!). They do not tell you that when you place your order though!

You can approach your bank - depending on how you paid you can put the transaction into dispute. It can be a long winded exercise though - and from what I can see, as long as they end up eventually sending you what you paid for (or agree to send it) there is not a lot you can do unless it does not arrive at all. Even then, HK will wait 45 days after they sent it before logging it as lost with the Hong Kong postal service. In reality it could take up to 4 months for money to be returned if the items do not arrive at all.

As you can see - HK are having a ball taking advantage of everyone in this manner. They are cheap, have orders coming out their ears. Customer service does not exist in these cases.

HK does have an Australian warehouse (which is where I have ordered from previously) but it only stocks a very small proportion of total stock (for example - no motors at all). Orders from the local warehouse has been great in the past.

I am now in the process of trying to source the items I need from elswhere - they don't stand a chance in hell of arriving in time for me from HK now. Lesson learnt.....I will only order items from HK that are 'stock up' in future rather than items I need. They just cannot be trusted to stick to what they tell you before you order.

bart70

Update: Online support person "Ricky" has just assured me that he will be asking their IT department to update the website to say that Hobby King is taking over a week to ship orders (rather than 48hrs as it states now).

At least we will know where we stand before we place an order, rather than finding out later that they are unable to hire staff and the wheels are falling off the shipping line.......

Not sure if they will put a notice up.....talk is cheap....cheap is what they are about.

Bart70

Yes. If they can let us know the lead time in advance its at least something. I have made my own commitments here based on their word.

Well surprise surprise! Despite being told my order would ship today it still has not been shipped.

Online Support officer "Ricky" (who types in Chinglish - I do not think he is the caucasion male in the picture!) has again told me it will ship today.

Have also had my delivery time changed - yesterday they advised that I *may* get it in 6 days minimum, now they have extended that out to over 15!!

Have been told again that they have no staff in their warehouse to process orders which is the delay.

I am in the process now of sourcing the gear locally - if the HK order is not here by the specified time I will cancel the bank transaction and take them on.

I would rather spend more with my local hobby stores than support a company with no morals or sense of ethical conduct. Not sure if the local Aussie store recently opened in Sydney is any better (they stock bugger all anyway!) but if they aren't careful they will be quickly tainted by their monolithic parent company. That style of business does not go down well here.

Bart70

Hi Bart,
My situation is also not different from you. They don't know what they are talking about. Lies, Lies and more Lies.

What frustrate me is that I was waiting about 2 years to buy a Dx7 transmitter due to the local rules here. Two weeks ago I got my transmitter but the receiver I ordered has not been shipped by these HobbyKing (hobbytheif?). They cannot give me a when can I expect the goods. Also in one other order they have updated the status for "Shipped". But I doubt they have shipped it since its more than 3 weeks now. Later on they will screw things up and will have difficulties to track what they shipped and what is not. Then they will pass the ball to me and say shipment has arrived my country and check with your post office.

Very bad way to hurt loyal clients

This what they replied..

Thank you for your email.

We have received your request and one of our support staff will contact you shortly.

*Due to high volume of emails accumulated during Chinese New Year holiday, your emails will be answered within 3-7 days. We appreciate your patience during this demanding time. Please feel free to contact us via Live Chat or by Phone for urgent requests*

Chinese new year in April?

I wouldnt expect too much from them via email......

I sent them an email on another issue a while back...They took nearly 2 weeks to reply to it!!

Bart70

Originally Posted by bart70

Online Support officer "Ricky" (who types in Chinglish - I do not think he is the Caucasian male in the picture!) has again told me it will ship today.

LOL....you know what? I actually have asked Ricky if that is him. and he answered "no, i'm actually more handsome than that!!"

Hahahaha

Just thought this is funny since you mentioned that he might not be the guy in the picture LOL

I hear you guys frustration but my attitude is to order and forget about it, when it arrives, it arrives and i am happy to get something in the mail that i can go home to play with.

I fill my time with work and other hobbies, so my hobby king oder is not always on my mind. I know it is rather unscrupulous of Hobby King, but hey you pay for what you get!

There are always other hobby stores that will give you the service you want at a higher price. if you'll are having problems with HK why don't you try that? or is it that you want to pay low prices but demand higher service?

***I'M IN NOW WAY AFFILIATED WITH HOBBY KING***

Originally Posted by issr7

or is it that you want to pay low prices but demand higher service?

***I'M IN NOW WAY AFFILIATED WITH HOBBY KING***

No, I would like them to be honor the service that they advertise on their website.

Nothing more....Nothing less....

I do shop at my local hobby store - in fact 98% of my business goes to them.

By posting my experience here I am hopefully making others aware that what HK promise on their website is clearly not how they operate - just as I would do for any other hobby shop that offers services that it admits it cannot deliver. If people are still happy to do business that way...then good for them. I know many who wont support these types of sellers.

Some of their practices are also ethically questionable - like the picture of "Ricky" on their online support when the picture is clearly not the person at the other end. No biggie - but sort of misleading and leads one to question how far they would go to mislead people.

As I have said before, this type of marketing and practice might be common in China, but it will not bode well for their new Australian store if this is how they conduct themselves.

Bart70