Rave Hobby-Lobby Service - EXCELLENT

[lenrev]

Considering it has now been 1-1/2 workdays since emailing them asking for clarification and having received no reply I am done with HL as a customer. Whether I get my order, or not, remains to be seen but it is obvious they have so much business a single customer is of no consequence.

This sort of business philosophy is why our economy is where it is.

[Flyboone]

Lenrev,
Send me your case number or email address. Also check your spam filters and junk mail folder. You should have been answered by now. When I have your information, I'll check to make sure.

Thanks,
Jason Cole
Hobby Lobby

[surflyer]

Hello Flyboone

Regarding my post number 9 above on PZ Sukhoi bnf.

I ordered from HL because website said the item was in stock.
Website contined to say in stock for many days after my order so the item did not just suddenly go out of stock.
Then website said due on 7/15/2009 and still does!

It is now

The delivery date of the product

[surflyer]

Hello Flyboone,

Seeing that you have taken an interest in Lev's case:

Regarding my post number 9 above on PZ Sukhoi bnf.

I ordered from HL because website said the item was in stock.
Website contined to say in stock for many days after my order was placed so the item did not just suddenly go out of stock.
Then website said due on 7/15/2009.
HL Customer Services says sorry it was a mistake.
I wrote back expressing disappoinment but accepting mistakes do happen.
A month later I see website still says due 7/15/2009,
After query from myself again I receive email from HL Customer Services 18/8/2009 saying item is due late August.
Today Website still says 7/15/2009.
Have a look now!

In my opinion this is not good service to myself or other customers using website information that is patently incorrect and not updated when pointed out so.

I urge HL to adopt better stock control methods and include a stock counter for each item like so many other web providers do. People can then make a call on whether to order or not.

Thank You

[Flyboone]

Yes the stock status is an area we can greatly improve on. We are aware and are working on it. We want everyone to have the best and most accurate information available at all times.

Thanks,
Jason Cole
Hobby Lobby

[lenrev]

Surflyer,
The product page is misleading as that has not changed since intro of the Sukhoi. The July date was the advertized release date from Horizon. That page has never been changed.

To get the REAL status of stock HL makes you click to add the item to your cart, THEN they tell you if it is really in stock.

In my case, they both showed available but I stumbled over this while checking to see if they still showed the plane available several days later.

[Flyboone]

Good news! We were able to make some changes yesterday to provide better information and keep it up to date. Instead of showing a specific day (which was never right anyway) we now say Late August, Early September, ect. This information is updated more often too so the website and our actual inventory will be more closely matched from now on.

Thanks,
Jason Cole
Hobby Lobby

[surflyer]

Hello Lenrev,

Point noted in your case.
However checkout did not have any message overiding the "in stock" status noted on the webpage when I ordered.

When I order and make Credit Card payment it is a very deliberate and considered move and I make sure there is no small print indicating any funny business!
I have been in correspondance with HL via Christina for the past month pointing out HL website stock problems.
It took a month or more for HL to do something about it.
The item stus is now truthfully stated.
(Thanks Flyboone).

Any news on a STOCK STATUS COUNTER as per other vendors?
This will put to bed all the "it went out of stock just as your ordered" or any small "mistakes/glitches" in stock count response so often encountered.
Good for HL credibility too!

What do other members of this forum think of stock counters as per other venders?

[mykel-t]

I have to go back to the title of this Thread. Hobby Lobby has Excellant service, period. Service and inventory are different and Making new customers is just as important to any business. HOWEVER once you are a customer of HL, as I have been for 8 years, there is no other company that comes close. So to those that have yet to become a customer all I can say is , they are a class operation from top to bottom!.

[denial15]

I received the Rx ready version of the Mini F4 on Aug 6. I noticed early on during pre-flight checks that one of the elevators was sticking at full deflection. It appeared to be a setting related issue at first.

The stock settings required the servo to travel the full 45 degrees. It appeared to be something related to the control rod sticking because of the angle it was getting put at due to the full deflection of the servo.

Rather than bother customer service with having them help with a control setting, I thought it wold be fine to just try and solve the problem without causing a headache for them. WRONG MOVE!!!

I moved the control horn on the elevators to holes that were closer to the wing and reduced the throw on the servos. With the new new settings, it was getting the same amount of deflection at the elevator, but at only half of the servo travel rate. I tested it several times that way before flying and it appeared to solve the problem.

After less than a dozen flights, I did a loop and lost all elevator control. I intsantly knew what the problem was. I think the date of the fatal flight was the 15th. (9 days after receiving the plane)

The resulting crash was totally fatal. There is no chance to rebuild this thing. You can check some of the planes I have destroyed and rebuilt, so saying this is unrepairable is really saying something.

I was using the recommended AR500 with a DX7. I was about two minutes into the flight and less than 300' from me when the crash happened. I still had throttle and aileron control, so I know it was not a power or TX/RX related issue.

I had a problem with a FlyCamOne2 that was dealt with in an exceptional manner, I expected nothing less with this one. It was a clear cut issue of a defect in the plane. Hobby Lobby's website clearly states...

"We guarantee our product to be free from defect for 30 days after the date of purchase. If you find that an item you purchased from us is defective within that 30 day period, we will replace it at no charge to you. If the item has a manufacturer's warranty within the USA, please send it to them."

I figured this would be a no brainer since I was not aware the plane was defected, just a setting related issue.

I think I sent claim e-mail to them on Saturday. I heard back on Tuesday that because I had flown the plane after I found the problem, they would not do a warranty exchange. However, they did offer a 25% discount on a replacement airframe and a free servo since that was what was defective.

I wouldn't even accept a free empty airframe and the servo as the LiPo is destroyed, and I'm quite certain the crash has damaged the existing servos and other electrical and mechanical components of the plane. Even if I had called in before flying and was offered a replacement servo, I would have required a replacement plane as the fuse is glued together and the servos are not easily replaced without doing some major hacking. I don't want to have a brand spanking new, hacked up looking plane.

After additional e-mails and calls in to customer service, they are adamant about their stand that I knew the plane was defective and shouldn't have flown it.

I guess this is incredibly frustrating because had I known the servo was bad, I wouldn't have tried to put a band-aid on the problem and try to muddle through anyway. It appeared to be a setting related issue and that is not something that would warrant sending the plane in for replacement.

Is it just me?

[denial15]

Hobby Lobby's service is absolutely terrible!!!

I have now spent nearly two weeks just trying to get in contact with a supervisor in the customer service department only to talk to someone who appears to know as much about planes as a chicken with his head cut off.

After repeated voice mails and requests here on RCGroups, I was FINALLY able to talk to Larry Powell. Larry was so obtuse, it was impossible to talk to him. I couldn't dumb the conversation down enough for him to comprehend the problem.

He is convinced I buggered with the plane to the point that it is unequivocally my fault the plane gave out, and Hobby Lobby bears no responsibility to warranty the plane. He said there was no way at all to determine what actually went wrong with the plane. He indicated by me making the sole change of moving the control rod, I fouled up the plane and THAT was what caused the crash.

Hobby Lobby's warranty statement on their website is an all out lie. They do NOT warranty their products. The do not stand by their reputation. I guess the economic downturn has really hurt them to the point that they are just going to blame the user for the malfunction since there is no actual way to verify the problem. That way they can sell crap and get to keep the money for it.

You live and learn I guess. I can't express in words how disappointing this is. It is truly mind boggling how inept some people can be to absolute common sense.

I asked Larry if there was a setting problem with a plane if he would try and fix it. He said he absolutely would, he wouldn't fly it with a known defect. The servo was traveling over 45* at the stock settings. I reduced the servo travel rate via a radio setting and that seemed to solve the problem. I tested it extensively while the wings were drying and also during preflight checks before each flight. The problem did not appear again. Then the elevator failed in flight. So why wouldn't that be covered?

Larry now had to back peddle and contradict himself. He tried to tell me now, no matter what the problem was, he would have sent it back. He tried to tell me there was just no way to verify what actually went wrong with the plane because of the tangled mess I made of it. I told him I still had throttle control and aileron control, but no elevator control. What else could the problem be? The reply? Who knows. With all of the stuff you did to it, how do you know it wasn't something YOU did?

After looking at the whole thing from start to finish, I would think this is a transparently obvious it should have been covered.

Unless this problem is corrected, I am absolutely, bar none, never, under any circumstances going to make another purchase from Hobby Lobby. A lot of stuff they sell can be a great value, but when it's not - you'd better be prepared to bite the bullet and swallow the loss, because they surely aren't going to help.

Buyer beware.

[mykel-t]

Denial: Well the way you wrote your side of the story I guess I would be very P.O. at HL as well. However, you have to take into consideration that once any R/C product gets out of thier hands and into the Air, Water, Dirt, etc. its got to be tough to warranty everything!. Knowing me I probable would have tried to fix and fly the plane like you did, the only dif would be, that I would man-up to the fact that I was inpatient and should have sent the thing back!. This is one case where asking for permission is better than asking for forgiveness. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. Imagine how many 1st time fliers buy stuff way over their heads and want to return it after it mysteriously BROKE?. ( not saying you fit into that catagory)
So, I feel for you but Hobby Lobby or ANY R/C dealer would not be around very long if they were in the charity business. If you fly...your gonna crash. Id give them another chance as you're only hurting yourself by missing out on one of the best companies around. ( I get zero $$ for saying that) Mykel-t

[denial15]

I figured it was a problem as simple as reversed servos. Hardly enough to send the plane back. Just reverse the servos and get on with it. Hind sight is 20/20, and I was WAY wrong.

[ScYcS]

Well i have my first bad experience now with HL as well. I was told a crystal i was supposed to get was backordered and would ship in 10 days. It's now 20 days later and no crystal and Jay isn't answering my emails.

Booh.

[denial15]

Yeah, I'm now not getting answers to e-mails and no one will return my calls.