hobbyking - big changes

[MattyB]

Posted by Bob Cotsford on 05/11/2016 19:22:45:

The search is still a total farce, which means the site is pretty useless unless you are just browsing through a category. At least the search worked before the upgrade.

If you want lipos from HK forget the search box or lipo finder. The best way currently is (ridiculously) to search directly from Google. It will take you straight to the page of the battery you are looking for, though obviously you need to input more or less the exact name (i.e 6S 4500 Zippy Compact) to find the right page.

[Bob Cotsford]

Matty, I have previously used that for a motor but as I wanted to compare 3S 5000 packs Google isn't much help however it did come up with a UK dealer on EBay who would fit the connectors of your choice for free (PowerPeakRC) so I saved myself the trouble of HK checkout and kept my £80 odd in the UK.

Edited By Bob Cotsford on 05/11/2016 23:28:12

[Tony Richardson]

As of 6pm pacific time Hobby King site was unavailable this side of the pond, the page that did load said " Bear with us exciting changes coming, back soon " I would say say somebody opened a big can of kick butt and told the techies to fix it, although they may have put it a little stronger than that.

Edited By Tony Richardson on 06/11/2016 01:11:11

[iqon]

Not working here as well........

[John Privett]

6pm Pacific time, Tony - so that's about 30 mins ago? You haven't yet gone back to 'regular' time from daylight saving time over there - I think that's early hours of tomorrow morning?

Anyway - yes (unsurprisingly!) seeing the same thing (Bear with us...) over here as well. Hopefully they're sorting out the "issues"!

[John Privett]

Well it's back.

But from a very quick play it seems to be worse. Just done a search using the LiPo search tool. Narrowing it down to 3S LiPos close to 2200mAh, it displayed just ONE! Widening the search to any capacity 3S, it finds TWO.

It's late here, I'm off! See if it's any better in the morning...

[Devcon1]

Looking at comments from other forums and HKs own video they now have a new IT manager and have ended relationships with some IT service providers.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Geoff Jackson]

I could not agree more Percy. "Decent service" are the magic words for happy customers.

[rcaddict]

cant say Ive not had decent service from HK (until now) with over 100 orders over the last year, any issues have been resolved by using the RMA procedure

[Cuban8]

As we've 30 mph winds gusting 40 mph today, flying's out, so I've been playing on the HK site for the last hour. I have a shopping list of half a dozen items and I found them all very easily (not using the search facility though) and the system automatically took me to the UK warehouse or gave me the option to use the international one if I so choose. The site is in my opinion perfectly useable as it stands, but still needs substantial improvement to make it ideal. e.g get the search facility working correctly and have the option of listing items by local warehouse alone.

They've taken well deserved stick over this and left themselves with a mighty mess that's going to take time to clear up - and not just in their IT, but with customer confidence which is going to be hard to regain. I can wait for my items as I don't need them at this very moment, so I'm still not actually ordering for a while yet....perhaps Black Friday?

[rcaddict]

cuban 8

the problem Im having is when I go to final check out i get told shipping not available to UK despite stock ok (confirmed by chat and was told to keep trying)

[Bob Cotsford]

Posted by John Privett on 06/11/2016 02:01:42:

Well it's back.

But from a very quick play it seems to be worse. Just done a search using the LiPo search tool. Narrowing it down to 3S LiPos close to 2200mAh, it displayed just ONE! Widening the search to any capacity 3S, it finds TWO.

It's late here, I'm off! See if it's any better in the morning...

Nope, just the same - two results. Going into Batteries - All Lipos the first page has a few turnigy 3s packs that are in stock so search and LiPoSelector are still bust.

On the question of service, I've had good service from HK on the one item I returned - a faulty 6S LiPo. In the past I've spread my orders around - GB suppliers, EU suppliers and HK depending on who had what I wanted in stock and at the right price. Seeing as I do actually value my time, then if HK can't display what I'm looking for without a lot of effort then my money will go elsewhere. It's business, as simple as that. If your business is centered around an IT strategy then you need to your IT team to deliver or you are dead in the water.

[AndyD]

I useually use H/K quite a lot but not wanting anything at the mo I thought I try the new site,hard work no gas engines etc etc and with higher prices I shall go else where unless its all sorted.as it stands they got nothing going for them.

[Erfolg]

Not many of us have the confidence you display Cuban, yet many of us are seeking that reassurance that a smoothly functioning interface provides, to those of us that are influenced by such things (and that is me).

When the interface is not slick, i worry what is going on in the background. From not consistently processing orders, to the awful thought and worry, is the security as flaky?

HK has to be incredibly concerned, for a whole range of reasons. Stock is not moving (I am guessing), if no sales are being made. This as we all know is bad news, capital is just sitting there, interest has to be paid on borrowings how ever little. There is no income to pay wages etc. At the same time HK staffs focus will inevitably shift from selling and purchasing, to dealing with a potentially incorrect set of orders and the IT issue. I would suspect that some HK staff will be paying a price for the issues, particularly those responsible for IT management.

The problem with purveyors of IT systems is that they promise the world. The economics of how doable a concept today is, such as "Data Warehousing, Mining" all are inevitably oversold initially, with high costs , that is until they become mainstream. As a customer you have to be clear what it is you want,the costs of each component, in time and money, and most importantly what are the risks and how they will be managed. I am sure many of us suspect that many of the fundamental rules for software development and programme management have been ignored. Possibly due to the enthusiasm to be at the cutting edge and possibly wanting to be first.

[IanN]

Posted by Erfolg on 06/11/2016 12:13:12:

When the interface is not slick, i worry what is going on in the background. From not consistently processing orders, to the awful thought and worry, is the security as flaky?

As a customer you have to be clear what it is you want,the costs of each component, in time and money, and most importantly what are the risks and how they will be managed.

Erf, good to see you back recently - we missed you when you were away during your move

Valid points that you make above, but I'm not so sure many customers give even a single fleeting thought about being "clear what it is you want" when they order from HK, Banggood etc

For a very large percentage I reckon it's just "oooh, that's the cheapest or the best value (Lipo, covering, charger, whatever) - that'll do me"

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Lot of unhappy bunny's at present, i hope they get it sorted soon i don't like to see troubled

I hate tinternet shopping myself, it makes me a bag of nerves, giz a shout when it's safe to venture out please

John

[Erfolg]

Ian

It was a poor description from me. I was referring to HK as the customer, when purchasing IT services, be it operation or development.

It does take a lot of effort to tell the systems analyst what it is you want, as absolutes. They in turn more often and not, will endeavour to make you aware of opportunities. These are potentially very beguiling.

From my own experiences, as a student, I was often very frustrated that my programs did not all compile, run, in that they could throw up spurious errors. As a user I came to realise I could not always afford what was available, relative to budget and time constraints.

There is a temptation to shoot for the stars and fail to get of the ground. The other extreme is to buy in what is known to work, knowing it will be junk in a very short time scale, but you will know the cost in time and money, also that it will do what it says on the tin.

[Bob Cotsford]

Posted by Erfolg on 06/11/2016 12:13:12:

........

The problem with purveyors of IT systems is that they promise the world. The economics of how doable a concept today is, such as "Data Warehousing, Mining" all are inevitably oversold initially, with high costs , that is until they become mainstream. As a customer you have to be clear what it is you want,the costs of each component, in time and money, and most importantly what are the risks and how they will be managed. I am sure many of us suspect that many of the fundamental rules for software development and programme management have been ignored. Possibly due to the enthusiasm to be at the cutting edge and possibly wanting to be first.

More that promises are made in order to win the contract while the knowledge base and experienced staff needed to develop the contract under tender are not currently available. I.e., the person putting forward the bid is selling pie in the sky in the hope that should they win the contract they can find the right people to fulfill it within the fantasy budget put forward. I have the misfortune to work for a company that does this while claiming to be 'ethically driven'

[Erfolg]

Oh Bob, you clearly do not understand, so cynical, of course they are ethically driven. There is nothing purer than making money.

Although it is easy to blame totally the seller, the client also has a part to play. Not only should they have a clear understanding of their needs and wants (written as the Client Spec), they do need to have a little more than a basic knowledge of IT, and how it has and is developing. The client also needs enthusiastic staff who belief in what they are doing.

[Colin Leighfield]

No point getting wound up about this one, I've never seen a major I/T iniative yet go right first time, even with all of the best brains (?!) applied to it. They sort out one problem and that reveals another, they will get there eventually, but it's a slow process. At least they are trying to improve and I have no doubt that they will succeed eventually. In the meantime I'm well stocked and Mike's Models is a good LMS.

[Erfolg]

Ah, Colin, we should have a chat. about IT project management, and writing the Client Spec. Perhaps I could sell you a multimillion project say half a billion, it could be done for a smidges over 500 million..

[graeme jones]

I was curious to see what was being posted on Hobbyking's own forum about all this, so I just had a look. Nothing. No mention at all. In fact no posts on any topic since 27 October. i.e. 10 days. Has nobody noticed or don't they care? I've tried to give HK some feedback but they haven't acknowledged receipt, too busy I suppose. No answer to my "RMA" re. the missing prop driver either. Again, too busy or don't care?

Graeme

[stevan Lewis 1]

Hi Graeme, there is a long thread here which has active Hobbyking involement

Steve

[John Privett]

Posted by Bob Cotsford on 06/11/2016 10:38:28:

Posted by John Privett on 06/11/2016 02:01:42:

Well it's back.

But from a very quick play it seems to be worse. Just done a search using the LiPo search tool. Narrowing it down to 3S LiPos close to 2200mAh, it displayed just ONE! Widening the search to any capacity 3S, it finds TWO.

It's late here, I'm off! See if it's any better in the morning...

Nope, just the same - two results. Going into Batteries - All Lipos the first page has a few turnigy 3s packs that are in stock so search and LiPoSelector are still bust.

Yep - still the same. If I open up the Battery finder, tick the 3cell box and change nothing else, all the search offers me is an 800mAh Turnigy Graphene and a 2200mAh Turnigy 20C LiPo. Yet my Order History (right-had side) shows several batteries I've previously ordered that are apparently available...

As a side issue, does anybody else find the order of the 'number of cells' tick boxes niggling. Yes, it's a very minor detail in the context of their current issues, and I know exactly why it appears as it does - it's sorting as a string, not numerically. But it's such an obvious thing that should never have even reached the testing stage, let alone passed testing and made it into the production system!