Hobby King Scam Be ware

[tigerman]

Never like Hobby King but was persuaded to by a lipo charger from them (Europe Branch ) .I order the charger and was told if I used the non track shipment and the parcel was to go missing Hobby King would not except liability for the missing parcel ( not sure they can do that ) Was advised to send it tracked Non tract was £8 shipment Tracked was £14 ,£6 difference .I paid to have the shipment tracked and paid the extra £6 total £14 to have the parcel tracked .once this shipment was despatched ,I could not find any tracking number .Contacted Hobby King who confirmed it had been sent non tracked  (£8  I paid for it to be tracked £14 ) I ask why this parcel had been sent un tracked when I had paid for a tracked delivery .I was told by Hobby King the only shipment for this charger was non track .I then ask for the £6 extra I had paid to have it tracked to be refunded to me because they had sent it untrack .Hobby King said they could only give me a £6 credit note ,I told them legally I should get a full refund of the extra £6  I paid for the shipment to be sent tracked ,After a few word they agreed to refund me the £6 .but I have never received this refund from Hobby King despite several conversation where they promised this £6 would be refunded .That was over a month ago and it is obvious Hobby King have no intention of refunding me this £6 .Basically Hobby King have conned me out of the £6 .Just beware if you order from Hobby King and you do not fall for this scam .I will never under any circumstance buy from Hobby King ever again   

Edited December 18, 2021 by tigerman

[Basil]

Just for info.

About a year ago I bought an ESC, cant remember the exact discription, I picked the untracked postage charge as the difference was quiet large.I never recieved it but they would not make a refund as it was untracked. Last month they contacted me to say it had been returned undelivered after all those months, subsequently I was given a refund.

This is not the first time that I have not recieved goods purchased from them, but the first that it has ended up being returned to sender.

 

Bas

[FlyinFlynn]

How did you pay? Perhaps, if it was by credit card, you have some recourse through them as a fraudulent transaction. Paypal likewise.  While it is your legal right to receive a refund and not a credit note it is worth remembering that if issuing credit notes is the companies normal procedure having them deviate from that course may introduce further chances of you not receiving the money.

 

The contract you enter to purchase the goods require the supplier to deliver the goods to your agreed destination, you do not have to buy 'tracked' or 'insured' services despite what they may claim. If the goods fail to arrive you are entitled to a refund - even with plain vanilla carriage.

 

Perhaps EU to UK shipping is going to get even tougher in the short term with deteriorating political relations, but that won't be a problem for you if you won't be buying from HobbyKing again.

[kevin b]

Moral of the story.

Use your local model shop.

If they haven't got one I'm sure they will help get you one.

At least my LMS does !

 

[Rocker]

There is no way I will be buying anything from Hobby King. Maybe that is why the UK Branch had to close. Think if Hobby King carry on treating customers like this, they will soon be gone. Does not bother me has I will not be using them. And before anyone tells me they offer cheap lipo etc, think again. A 4s 2200 lipo from Hobby King is dearer then buying a 4s 2200 from Motion RC. At least Motion RC respects it's customer,. So I know where I will be buying my lipo from 

[Rocker]

I also agree with Kevin B. I pay a little bit more to keep my local model shop open 

[leccyflyer]

All the comments about local model shops make two basic assumptions which are very often not met

a. That you actually have a local model shop - many places don't have a local model shop to support

b. That a local model shop is able to supply the required items - which in the case of certain models, spare parts, accessories etc might only be available from certain online retailers.

For example, two months since the closure of the Hobbyking UK Warehouse, I'm still waiting for delivery of my spare parts for my Durafly Bf109e. I've raised three tickets so far and have had nothing but excuses.

 

If anyone has the name of any model shop, local or otherwise, which can supply those spare parts please do let me know - I'd be delighted to find an alternative source.

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

Post your problem on rcgroups HK has 'Rob' sorting out those a lot of these problems,,,

[leccyflyer]

I already have done.

[Paul Marsh]

Beginning of the end for Hobbyking. I liked their products, not saying its better than the UK hobby shop, but there were models and items that were unique and not available anywhere else, such as the aircraft and sprung oleos.

Now there are no shipping options for UK and looked today and not one item is available to UK residents, cannot order from EU and even tried from Global, but bombed out on the order. so that's it. Game over...

[kevin b]

Spare parts ?

I'm an aeromodeller.

We make our own spare parts.

The biggest worries we have are about "raw materials" supply.

While "foreign" companies have been supplying our hobby at (very) low prices we have benefited.

Should we have to go back to carving models out of deer antler using flint tools, I'm ok with that.

 

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Lots of comments regarding “legal rights” but bear in mind that you’re doing business with a firm in China where UK consumer protection and distance selling regulations don’t apply. 
 

I haven’t had many dealings with them lately but persistence was often required to get a decent result with any problems.  Giving up would have been an easier option. 

[i12fly]

I ordered a lipo from HK EU 2 weeks ago, paid for tracking, then tracking number disappeared after 2 days. I spoke to online chat and then said sorry cannot do tracking to UK so they would refund me the additional cost, did I want credit or refund paypal, chose paypal and they refunded in a couple of days. The lipo arrived next day with the postman..... Guess you were unlucky?

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

14 hours ago, leccyflyer said:

I already have done.

"Giant Tortoise" ?.

[leccyflyer]

37 minutes ago, Paul De Tourtoulon said:

"Giant Tortoise" ?.

???

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

42 minutes ago, leccyflyer said:

???

 

[Piers Bowlan]

I must have been very lucky with HK as none of my many orders over the years ever went missing or even over-long deliveries. 
Yes, with the closure of the UK warehouse the glory days of HK seem to be over, although I have purchased from the EU warehouse to good effect. The main problem is the lack of anything I might want to buy at a reasonable price. 
Back in the day there were some memorable models like the HK Fox 2.3m e-glider I bought for under a hundred quid. Yes, it required a ‘wee bit of fettling’ to make it into a satisfying flyer but to me that is what aeromodelling is about. Others might disagree.

Now HK sell many of their larger and overly complex foamy models at eye watering prices, which are not for me. I am now BTB (back to balsa) and having fun with simple aeromodeling built from plans.

For hardware (cleaves, wheels, tanks, LiPos etc.) we are spoilt for choice from UK online suppliers. I feel HK have had their day.
 

 

[leccyflyer]

I'm not familiar with Giant Tortoise. However, from the HK FB discussion page  I know that I'm not the only one left in the lurch regarding non-delivery of items ordered and paid for in the UK warehouse closing down sale. I've been in contact with HK multiple times on the issue and have said that I would rather have the spare parts than a refund, which they have offered, with a 10% additional discount code for future use. I think I'm unlikely to ever see those parts offered for sale again and want them to fulfill their obligations. Failing that they will give me a refund and I've suggested that they could dispatch those items which they have in stock at the EU warehouse, at no extra cost and refund for those items which are out of stock. 

[Cuban8]

I'm not a mouthpiece for HK, but I've used them since they began and have never had a problem with their delivery service. Goodness knows how much kit I've got from them but it must run into a couple of grand's worth of items over the years. Only a few small issues that they sorted out for me and another that I couldn't be asked to follow up (damaged servo lead - easily repaired).

HK shook up the modelling world both here and on a global basis - they filled a gap in the market and gave many people a route into the hobby that wouldn't have been available to them with the prices being charged by the big distributors and retail shops. The industry needed the competition to keep them on their toes IMHO.

So where to now? Yes, I reckon HK's had its day, their business model is more or less busted given various forces both political and economic that's worked against them. They are not unique to be victims of that of course.

Our more forward looking hobby shops have resisted the competition quite well by moving with the times and offering efficient on-line ordering and support - SMC, KIng's Lynn, Leeds, SLEC, Balsa Cabin, Wonderland & Inwood to name but a few off the top of my head - not forgetting the dozens of smaller traders that also offer an excellent service on Ebay and elsewhere.

If HK does eventually throw in the towel, there are plenty of others to fill the void. If you're waiting for the return of the old style small  model shop in the high street that was stacked with stuff to the rafters and we loved as kids, that particular dream has long since died. If you're lucky enough to still have a small independent LMS, enjoy it while you can, they've all had their day and HK is only a small reason among many for their demise.

Edited December 19, 2021 by Cuban8

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

I have in the past got a lot of gear from them, the only problem I ever had was Gls delivery services helped themselves to a 5000 mah 4s lipo, which HK resent me with out any quibbling,  the only thing that I get nowadays are their servoless metal retracts, I really miss their cheap cyano,,,,

 

 The other problem is that there isn't any stock in the EU warehouse and France have clamped down on imports making the Chinese imports a waste of time, a shame as they aren't available in the French shops.

[Simon Chaddock]

I do wonder if the closure of the HK UK warehouse was in part a result of Brexit. Previously stock could be shipped to and from the EU and UK warehouses invisibly to the customer but now it is likely to require 'paperwork' to do so.

From a purely commercial stand point I doubt the UK market alone justifies its own dedicated import route. 

[Cuban8]

28 minutes ago, Simon Chaddock said:

I do wonder if the closure of the HK UK warehouse was in part a result of Brexit. Previously stock could be shipped to and from the EU and UK warehouses invisibly to the customer but now it is likely to require 'paperwork' to do so.

From a purely commercial stand point I doubt the UK market alone justifies its own dedicated import route. 

Bearing in the mind that politics are a no no here, I'll just say that the problems that HK in the UK have encountered are too easily blamed on one reason - either real or imagined.

Shop around for the best deals and availabilty.  I recently ordered some motorcycle stuff (Bell helmet accessories) from a supplier in the US and had the items on my doorstep within a fortnight. Not one UK stockist had what I was after. Only came to £25 so no import duty and Ebay took care of VAT.

[kc]

I would expect the changes to VAT arrangements have caused the problems.  Previously one bought via the computer and it was delivered from a UK warehouse without a VAT invoice being supplied.   Same with Giant Cod.   

[i12fly]

5 hours ago, kc said:

I would expect the changes to VAT arrangements have caused the problems.  Previously one bought via the computer and it was delivered from a UK warehouse without a VAT invoice being supplied.   Same with Giant Cod.   

I think you've hit the nail on the head. UK and EU have changed the method of collecting VAT, requiring companies that export to UK have to register for VAT in UK from Jan 2021 (same for EU although that was not introduced until July IIRC). Hobbyking have not bothered registering with uk, although Banggood have.

UK customs though have not bothered checking goods coming into UK from EU, so we've got away without the VAT & collection charge, but EU have been checking goods sent from UK I believe, so UK suppliers have been at a disadvantage and UK have missed VAT receipts on some imports.

Also, unfortunately for us, UK is planning to enforce VAT from early January I believe. If so, this will probably remove any price advantage selling into UK and may kill off HK sales here.

Having said that, on the lipo I received last week it was interesting to see a label on it which said  "UK REP"  "Apex CE specialists Limited" with an address in Manchester. They don't have a website but are listed with Companies House as "Other professional. scientific and technical activities", so who knows what might happen.....

[kc]

I understand that some people don't want to buy from HobbyKing, but where else can you get things like  5 metres covering film for £11.77 or a 3S2200 Turnigy Lipo with XT60 for £10 .20?    Ok that's without shipping but where else can we buy such items at reasonable prices?