Careful! Buyer Beware! There is NO customer support at UH/HK/HC

[bz1mcr]

IMHO-- HC should keep the low cost shipping available.
They should also keep a record of when an each order is shipped. (I think they have this already. It would be near impossible to sell on the net without it.)

It seems, HC acknowledged the request to combine orders when their system showed both orders on hold. Then they shipped an order. Steve says he received the order but it did not include the items from the second order, and the package was too small to have ever contained the parts! So, I would say it is clear the risk of items being lost in shipping (that's the risk Steve accepted when he used the low cost shipping) was not the cause of this problem. There is a possibility that HC sent a second package that was lost in shipping, but even if so, that is not Steve's problem. HC had already acknowledged his request to combine shipping. If they had sent one package and Steve had not received it then --perhaps I would agree that was the risk Steve accepted and HC would not need to re-ship (but, I think most businesses would). HC says it has no record of which items were shipped-- that seems to be a very serious problem for their business.
So, either Steve is trying to rip off HC for a second set of parts (not likely) or HC never sent them.
Unless HC has some reason to think Steve is lying I think they owe him the parts, an apology, and should reinstate him as a customer in good standing.

In business you should always assume the customers complaint is legitimate unless you know it is not.

I have placed many orders with HC and I am one of their Platinum customers and I am very satisfied with the service. I have even placed a second order after realizing I missed something in the first order. I did just what Steve did; sent an email asking the orders be combined. In my case the combined order was sent (after being delayed a day or two by the "hold order-- to be combined" message in their system). It took a few more email's to finally get a refund of the excess shipping included with the initial two orders, but I did get it.
Bottom-line: HC is a great place to buy from, but try to avoid placing two orders and asking for them to be combined, and never order an item that is out of stock! And, I'm with Steve on this one. Come on HC, take care of your customer.
Don

[soholingo]

I am amazed at the amount of effort people will go to over $30. Filing claims, arguing with customers, posting to forums, canceling accounts, blah, blah, blah...

I get that its the principal of the transaction, but this thing has just snow balled.

Bottom line, the OP made a mistake in ordering and in order to save on cheap shipping, the OP complicated the transaction by asking for it to be combined. That's where everything went ary. I would guess that if the OP had just had two packages shipped he would not be having this issue...

That said the reaction from the vendor is equally unacceptable. If I were the vendor I would do exactly what he is doing which is pay the refund, and cancel the account, and not accept changes to the order. In other words no order changes. If you order, you either cancel the order or send it as ordered.

No winners in this one...

[parkfly27]

WOW
They say, before you order, that they can't guarantee unregistered airmail. sooo, if you don't want to take the risk, use registered airmail.
I've placed a total of 6 orders, some shipped registered airmail, and some ems, and have had no problems whatsoever. A friend of mine had a $300 order that got lost in customs. He emailed hobbycity and they said that, if it was missing for a certain amount of time (can't remember exactly) that they would refund him. His stuff did, however, eventually show up at his door. Yes, he was rather frustrated with HC (to the point where he almost never ordered from them again), but the problem wasn't HC, but rather US customs. Also, HC wouldn't ship out one of his orders cause a $1 prop was on back order. So, he talked to an online chat person and got the order split up, and the other stuff shipped that same day. So yes, HC does have customer service!

I had one package held up in customs for 5 days, and it was obvious that it had been ripped open and haphazardly taped back together. I'm surprised nothing fell out.

And you can't compare hobbycity to horizon. Horizon is in the states (and likewise ALL shipments are 'registered') Horizon has ridiculous prices, hobbycity has customer reviews and discussions (so you know what you're getting), horizon does not, ect.... I got a $10 DT750 motor for my tribute FX 3D and it kicks butt. The motor horizon wanted me to buy was $70!!! I'm sorry, but there's just NO way to compare the two.

Moral of the story: use registered or ems, and enjoy hobbycity's amazing prices, good products (okay, and a few crap products) and customer community!

[Jappa_Indy]

Originally Posted by SteveC68

Luckily I took screen shots of my order history to provide to Paypal.

So, during the entire order process, you took the time to take screenshots of the process. Thats kind of strange for someone to do unless they were trying to build evidence against them for future use.

Not saying you did in fact do this but, sorry SteveC68, your whole story reaks of a scam to me.


HC is a decent company and its hard for them to help anybody with people doing stuff like this, and it happens all the time.

I personally agree with them deleting your account. Things like this make it harder for me and others who love the store to get decent prices and service.

The only people who complain about HC service are those who
1. try to get something for nothing
2.dont know their policies because they either
A. cant read
B. cant read english (strange how HC's site is in better english than most US sites)
C. disregard them and pretend like they arent there so they can complain and try to get something for nothing.
D. just think they are better than policy and the #1 customer and should get first rate service at the head of everyone else because ethey spent $30 with them.

I myself have spent thousands with them, and have NEVER had an issue. Neither have thousands of other customers.

I have never seen a complaint about service by anyone who knows their policy and knows they accepted this policy when they placed the order. Its practically ALWAYS one of the above.

[tychoc]

Same here. I never had any real problems with them. Once I got a bad esc and after contacting them all I had to do was to send it back and they credited my account. I had no problems. I've also got them to remove an item from my order that was out of stock so as not to hold up the order. They promptly did this. So, after 18 orders I'm very happy with their prices and service.

-tychoc

[barry wilson]

One word of wisdom here from personal experience. When you do anything a little unorthodox with hobby city it can backfire. Or perhaps increase the risk of difficulties might be a fairer statement. Your order is dependant not only on their system but the many people involved in the process as your order is filled.

I usually try to keep my orders very straightforward. They will and can change things after the order is placed on request. Unwise to use this procedure in my opinion unless really required or of a serious nature. I have done this myself. Yet would not do it again although nothing went wrong in my case.

Just more chance of problems occurring that way. You are interfering with their system. It was never originally designed for this function possibly.

So really think your order out before placing it. Get everything right the first time. That said most problems can be cleared up if they occur. I have about 19 orders in with no real problems.

It also would not surprise me if the orders of this thread originator were not combined. Nor mailed separately. Not by intent either. Rather just an oversight as the non standard information was passed from person to person in the system.

That said if I select the no tracking method I did agree to their terms and have to accept it in my mind if it goes missing. It is then just my loss.

Your case was somewhat different in my mind. I imagine you are not pleased with the blacklisting type of thing either. That may not have been really justified by them as there is at least an even chance they did not ship both your orders individually or combined.

You are supposed to absorb any loss in the unregistered mail is well understood .Yet if they did not ship? At least not shipping if that was the case was not done on purpose.

By and large we are pretty safe ordering from hobbycity in my opinion and in reality. Just do not insert any curves.

Generally if a product delivery requiring a signature is undelivered I believe they will resend the order. About as safe as any system out there. Still does not make a person feel good if a situation involves you though I well understand.

Anthony You might reconsider letting this customer buy from you if he wishes. I know you may not be particularily happy with the paypal claim. I like yourself are pretty sure he is not a scammer at least. Your company could very easily be at fault here. None of us are perfect.

[HEMICUDA]

Wow, if you people would read the thread, Steve said he has placed numerous orders and about $1000 To me that should make him a preferred customer. HC should give him the benifit of the doubt. It's not like he's a brand new customer. I'm afraid to order from them, HC, because of these horror stories. I also have had problems with Pay-pal. Seems somebody on
E-bay hacked my account and was stealing $50 out of account every couple of weeks, overseas at that. Pay-pal discovered what was going on before my own bank did. Now I don't go on ebay or use paypal. I'd like to order some lipo's and a charger from HC but I can't afford to take a chance, $
is hard to come by these days.

[bz1mcr]

We all have to make our own decisions. I have ordered a lot from them and never had any real problems. I will continue to take advantage of the great values they offer.

[Dionisay]

Originally Posted by Jappa_Indy

So, during the entire order process, you took the time to take screenshots of the process.

I have to admit that I take screen shots of orders especially if dealing with online retailers with "a history" or retailers I have not purchased from before.

Many have replied that the original poster agreed to the HC terms and conditions about cheap mail however you should also consider that HC have also agreed to the pay pal Terms and conditions that they need to have some proof of posting orders out.

I've had issues with HC before however I choose to purchase from them because of pricing and I do believe most products are good quality.

I guess HC should stop offering unregistered mail to protect themselves and clients. At the end of the day it is a small price to pay considering the savings when buying from HC.

Cheers

[barry wilson]

The cheap unregistered mail is required if you want to order a few small things. In the vast majority of cases it is going to reach you. Makes that transaction less costly.

That said if you happen to live in an area that has a reputation for high mail delivery failure then only logical not to use it.

[yak55x]

Just a caveat emptor about Hobbycity or whatever thier name is this month. I'm not saying use them or don't, but if you create an order it is billed immediatly and if you cancel that order a refund is VERY hard to get.

I cancelled a backorded ticket and have never recieved a refund for it. They made it very difficult to even talk to them about it. The cancelled order doesn't show up in my history since the time I cancelled it but they won't respond to me without that hobby king order number. I have the paypal numbers but when given that they can't seem to verify it ???? OK, I've been overseas and I know not everywhere is as efficient as another but this is getting rediculous. For what 2 months now that I have to work for a simple resolution that is still not done? So I will go through paypal then.

SO BEWARE, the prices are great untill you have a problem, then the customer service is non-existant and you will not get a refund unless you can prove to paypal you didn't recieve the order they never sent and they have erased all records of.........

So with the advice of one of the previous posts I will copy all my order history now before going to paypal and they suspend my account... I'm sure they will try to say they sent it or something. I'm not picking up honesty vibes from them after going back and forth via email.

[vhoward1122]

Doesn't paypal have a 45 day limit on the time you can file a claim? After that you are SOL?

[vhoward1122]

OH, and by the way, they don't always have this problem. I have canceled backorders and received my refund within 15 days. YMMV!

[yak55x]

Good for you. And what does YMMV mean? I'm over 20, I don't get teen anymore.

[vhoward1122]

I just posted to let you know that they don't always have this problem. Your Mileage May Vary. OH, and I am over 20 also, twice over.