Allan Bowker Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I thought I would be recommending this company, however after a second order it all went wrong. The start Looking for a specific model that I couldn't find elsewhere (or someone that would ship to the UK) I found SDS Hobby who are based in Shenzhen, China. Looking at their website it said they accepted PayPal, so I decided that if anything went wrong, PayPal would sort it out for me, usually by refunding my money. I also Googled their website and couldn't find any good or bad reviews about them either. I made my £250 worth of order and within 10 days my shiny new 75" plane had arrived and all checked out OK with no damage. The packaging was fantastic and well up to the job of being shipped all the way from China. The quality of the plane was excellent, however some of the fixings could do with an upgrade and the quality of the manual (on CD-ROM) was very poor but none of this was a problem. This model would have cost me £550+ if that US based supplier would have shipped it to me. I was a very happy customer indeed and this is where my review should have finished, however.... The second order My dad was so impressed with the plane, he wanted one too and placed the same order plus 2 carbon fibre spinners, so that was a £300 order that got processed and within the same 10 days, his plane arrived on his doorstep too. Upon inspection it was found that the Cowl was damaged Fibreglass is weak around the edges and the paint has cracked and chipped. Fibreglass is split on the underside of the cowl too. The damage might not look much and almost trivial on these photo's but this cowl is so big it will fit over my head (don't ask me how I know) The damage is quite considerable and will take fibreglass reinforcement, filling and skilled paint technician to get this looking right again (something I'm not that good at). Will not replace I contacted SDS Hobby, asking for them to replace the cowl, however they told me that "our professional engineer check that maybe your cowl has something crack (by transport problem) ,but it is not a big problem, you can repair it by yourself." Cheeky, so and so's! Unfortunately my dad didn't make his order with PayPal but the bank have offered to look into getting a refund for him and the saga is currently continuing and SDS Hobby continue to refuse to replace the cowl, only offering that they might give us a discount on another order (yeh right!). In summary, if things go right first time you should be a happy customer, however if you have a problem you are in for a nightmare. I can't personally recommend this company, hopefully this will help others in our hobby. Edited By Allan Bowker on 29/02/2012 20:01:48 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus O'Leprosy Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Sorry about your problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I would Explain that you are disappointed with this response, especially after spending significant money with them, and you will be dis-recommending them to the rest of the RC community. They may capitulate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Allan, I'm afraid this is the reality of dealing with a company half a world away. It's often been said of HK, don't order anything you can't afford to take a hit on. Along with some other items I ordered a roll of 'Dark Yellow' covering film from HK to see what it's like. What turned up is not at all yellow, in fact it's nearer Tangerine/Orange. Some you win, some you don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 It's easy with the benefit of hindsight but were you aware that they seem to have a 'damage in shipment' option? If you've paid the extra on the order (and that depends on how prominently they offered the cover), then that should cover it, surely? Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy watson Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I think this is just the price you have to sometimes accept when dealing with companies across the globe. No, it shouldn't have happened, but when it does- well what can you do? It is your responsibility to weigh the risks against the reward. If this is a once in a blue moon occurance, well fair enough. If it is a regular occurance then it becomes harder to justify. BUT.......look at the maths here: Plane #1 cost £250- a saving £300 Plane #2 cost £300. Even if it was in pieces of wood the size of matchsticks you are actually no worse off than if you had bought the plane at the full price of £550. If the hassle is to omuch then the obvious answer is buy from the UK, with full consumer protection, but pay the premium for doing so. Edited By andy watson on 01/03/2012 12:25:56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josip Vrandecic -Mes Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Sorry Allan,it happens to most of us ,buying on long distance destinations (cheaper of course)... but what to do ?........Andy has already resolved the dilemma.... p.s.My choice is CMPro Edited By Josip Vrandecic -Mes on 01/03/2012 12:56:55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bowker Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 Olly, yes, I have lost count how many times I have communicated with them. They just won't budge. The aftersales care is severly lacking. Bob, agreed, the first time was a risk but after a successful delivery the second order should have been the same Pete, yes, we paid for the extra insurance for 'damage in transit'. However the box isn't damaged, the cowl seems to have been damaged before shipping. SDS Hobby and EMS, the courier are not interested in the claim. The bank is the last option. Andy, thankfully £40 to a skilled body shop technician should be able to fix this and get it perfect, the savings are still worth this hassle. Josip, Yes, what can you do? I didn't have much choice if I wanted to buy this specific plane. The bank have sent the claim forms, it will be interesting to see if they do anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 As Andy says, looks like a pragmatic repair job is in order Allan - perhaps someone here may volunteer to fix...for a few beers? I must admit I think you're brave buying a model from overseas. If I did it then knowing my luck I'd be guaranteed to receive a box of broken bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bowker Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 Agreed David, I have a few places in mind locally that are good with fibre glass and matching paint colour / finishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josip Vrandecic -Mes Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Dear Allan , I reviewed "your" website...and I found out fantastically cheap petrol engine (26-35-50 ccm),with appropriate aerobatics models....."Who does no risk....no benefiting !" Your next purchase will be more better Cheers Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve W-O Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 They are obviously dishonest crooks, look h e r e I doubt if they even manufacture like they claim. And they sell t h i s at a much higher price than HK Not a very good place to buy from, better to avoid if possible I think, looks dodgy everytime you see something else Have to edit again, I see that is still the old V1 they are showing, not good at all ! Edited By Steve W-O on 01/03/2012 18:02:42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Startazz No1 Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loL_VTSnz-8 Thanks for the heads up on this website Allan,as i've just watched a YT video from Bruce,his package wasn't packed at all well and he was very very lucky that nothing was damaged. Having said that most of us know what the chances are when we buy from over seas at a much lower cost,so we have to weight up the pros and cons After watching the video and then coming across this thread i think i'll be giving them a miss and stick with Hobbyking. I'll try and add the video but not sure if i've done it right but we will soon see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bowker Posted April 29, 2012 Author Share Posted April 29, 2012 Glad that you have been informed Startazz, is a shame that SDS Hobby could have avoided this by implementing better after sales service. It's interesting to note that Bruce has the same thoughts as myself in that SDS probably don't check the contents of the boxes they are shipping out and damage is being done at the factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Cantwell Posted April 29, 2012 Share Posted April 29, 2012 YT models are packed with all components put itno thick plastic bags,glued to the sides of the box, main components are covered in a thin foam sheet, all kits come in a standard carboard box, and are shipped in a VERY stout shipping box, I personally have had 7 of them, and never seen damage, i suspect the owner of YT would be interested in any shipping damage, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bowker Posted April 29, 2012 Author Share Posted April 29, 2012 YT International are in a different league to SDS Hobby. YT care about their reputation, customer satisfaction, quality of their products and will be around for a long time because of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bowker Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 Glad to report that I have received a full refund for one of the planes via the bank. Pity for SDS Hobby, I was only asking them for a £30 cowl to be replaced, instead I've ended up with £300 back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly P Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Nice - thats another airframe then.....from someone else! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bowker Posted May 15, 2012 Author Share Posted May 15, 2012 It's worth noting that when ordering online there are benefits of paying by a credit card that offers insurance when purchasing items (check with your card provider first!). It didn't take much effort from me but was a lengthy proces taking two months to complete (mainly waiting for the other parties to respond), however in the end it was ruled by the bank that SDS Hobby had not traded within banking regulations and that a total refund was due as the supplier was not responding to requests to complete the transaction appropriately. Wish: * SDS had just replaced the cowl * SDS hadn't lost out so much (reputation & financial) Lesson: * Make sure you are well protected when purchasing online * Not to use SDS Hobby again Result: * Got back more than I bargained for via the bank * Got a couple of aircraft that I adore and were worth the overall hassle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 This raises an interesting point!.....who owns the damaged plane?If you had all your money refunded by the bank then surely you now dont own the goods because you haven't paid for them.Maybe the bank owns the plane. Maybe the retailer still owns it & expects you to ship it back! If you now fly the plane it will become obviously used, so what if they ask you later to return it and it's not in the condition as delivered to you. Maybe they will have a reason to debit you with the original price?I would check before assembling and flying! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Allen, did you see my comments yesterday or did they get lost too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bowker Posted May 16, 2012 Author Share Posted May 16, 2012 Hi KC, thanks for the nudge. I got an email alert yesterday about your reply to the thread but couldn't see it due to the forum bug. All is well and good now though! The claim form that I filled out states that "all costs are covered by the insurance of the banking authority" (in my case VISA) and that "all goods remain sole property of the purchaser in their entirety." The plane is mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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