RC Model Reviews

Hi Bruce, Just wanted to make a comment about the ARF F-16 EDF you ordered from Hobby King.
Now I don't mean to be critical and I think you have done a fantastic job with your site.
I have got great information from here.

Getting back to the topic if you want to get a realistic view about the way Hobby King approach problems,
I don't think you should post it on your site until the process is complete. Perhaps even use another name.
If Hobby King realise who you are or that you are reviewing their processes they may give you more
attention than the average user.

Anyhow just my thoughts. I believe your reviews are factual and unbiased. Just wanted to put my opinion
forward.
You have a great site here.

I want to give a step by step walk-through the CS process for those who may need it.

I really don't think that HK are going to give me special service (they never have done previously) so by doing this in realtime, people will get a better feel for how long it would take should there be a problem with their own orders.

The very fact that I'm now being asked to send photos and weigh everything (quite a waste of time in this particular case) indicates that I'm going through the regular CS process with no special treatment.

If I were to wait until the CS process is complete (which could be months) then I would fully expect that HK could turn around and say "we've improved things now" -- and we'd have to take their word for it because the review would already be out of date.

I'm not too concerned about the outcome from my own perspective -- I've always said "never spend more with HK than you're prepared to lose" and I stick by that. If they simply say "go take a hike" then that's fine, and I'll continue to purchase from them because I always do so in the full knowledge that you can't afford to fund LHS-level support on HK's prices. It's swings and roundabouts.

However, I suspect there are some people who are mistakenly expecting top-shelf customer support for bargain-basement prices. This will (hopefully) allow them to get a more informed view of what's involved if there is a problem with a product or order.

Gentlemen (I'm assuming) & fellow fliers - first off I would like to thank the man responsible for this site and the time he puts into it. It is also a pleasure to visit a site that is helpful and not full of snide comments and people calling each other idiots! We all started in this hobby with limited knowledge and it is up to us that have been there to help those that have not. And wow, in some cases you just can't fix stupid!
Now, the Hobby King thing - I have placed 4 orders with HK over the last 4 months. All have left there point of origin in good time. In fact, (using EMS - actually Singapore Speed Post) they can get a package from their door, across the ocean, to Vancouver Canada in 35 Hrs. However!! - Customs here is another day and a half. Canada post is another 5 days to central Alberta! Definitely not the Asians problem. Here again, can someone tell me how a receiver that weighs 4.4g (DSM2 Compatible Parkflyer 2.4Ghz Receiver) has a shipping weight of 73g??? The heaviest individual motor box (35 series) with packing weighs 23g. What's wrong with this picture - and another reason I will not buy an item because I am paying more for shipping than it is worth! They are their own worst enemy when it comes to this crap!
When it comes to QC - believe it guys - we are it! If you get a bad product, make sure you post it everywhere including their site and maybe we can force a little more their way. Bad reviews in number do not sell product! Also - do not bother to contact cs@hobbyking - you will not get a reply! The only way to communicate effectively with these people is through the on-line chat service and you will find these guys are pretty darn good. Oh ya - the phone # is also useless!
If you use the International Registered Post - much cheaper - and slower - you will find your package moving through the Swiss Post system. Very green and eco friendly to send your package so far out of its way to you. The last package I ordered via this route, the Sherpa fell in a crevasse and was not heard from for 2 weeks.
As the man says, order only what you can afford to lose. I have had good luck so far. The price for most items is definitely right. Lipo's from HK are selling in LHS for about 3 to 4 times HK cost along with a large amount of other goodies. Shortages and back orders on HK site - your local hobby dealer and chains have got it before you did!!!! I have seen it!!
If anyone has questions regarding E-Bay Rich Sport - Hobby for Less - General Hobby - ask away!

Local fliers favorite quote: I keep planting them - they just don't grow!

Hk has been good with their deliveries with me so far ... the longest one (this order had lipos) i had to wait was 10 calender days during the period when they were having their lipo/HKP crisis
most orders reaches my door within 6 calender days .. i guess my location which is much nearer has its advantages
that being said ... i too am not happy at all with their INFLATED packing weight of most items as FATHER TIME has so pointed out .. way way too obvious on those shipping weight compared to the actual weight of the product
to be fair .. HK has some of the best prices in the world for RC items but its CS and business model has lots of room for improvement

Actually, I think HK has a *very* clever business model and (at least in part) it relies on over-pricing the shipping.

Although there are occasions when the *actual* weight of the package matches the weight that appears on the checkout, more often than not, the "checkout weight" is quite a bit heavier than the actual.

Now you'll notice that there's never any indication of the true shipping cost on the boxes you receive from HK and HK's advertised EMS prices are a little higher than those the HKP site brings up.

I'm picking that HK actually makes a fair percentage of its profit from shipping.

I am aware that in quite a few cases, HK are selling products at (or very near) their cost price -- which would clearly make no business sense, unless they were able to generate profit from something other than product-margin. This adds further weight to the suggestion that it's actually the difference between the price they charge the customer for shipping and the price HKP charges them that makes up a goodly percentage of their profit.

This is a model that some eBay traders also use -- you've seen those auctions where something is *dirt* cheap (unbelievably cheap in fact) but the shipping is $30. When it arrives, it comes in a brown bubble-wrap envelope (worth $0.50) and carrying $2 worth of postage.

Now I'm not saying that (if this is the case) it's a bad thing -- but it's got to make you wonder, especially when companies like DealExtreme are able to be really competitive -- while offering *free* shipping.

I wonder if the Chinese government doesn't provide some kind of postage subsidy for many companies so as to help them compete in the marketplace. If HK were getting (say) a 50% discount on their postage then that represents a *huge* amount of money going into their pockets.

Just thinking....

You are absolutely 100% on the mark! A large # of internet sales are based solely on what the shipping profits will provide. We have all seen this. A childs size violin, in blue, with bow and case for $15.00 - shipping $35.00. Still less than half of what it was worth up here. Yes, I bought it!
So when you factor in the % for shipping from HK, I still cannot buy motors, esc's etc. at a better price for a better product!
Their Turnigy brand electric motors have been great. Good power and efficiency with less weight than their brand name counterparts. I took a chance and bought 1 of their Turnigy 55 series gas motors - a little tweaking and the thing will pull my 30lb. work bench across the shop floor! Can take up to 10 flips to start after it has sat for a while - 5 rounds no ignition and choke on to prime and then take the choke off and less than 5 flips its running. And yet if you look in the reviews, some people have had no luck at all. Here again, 50/50 chance on what you buy! I am planting this in my Giant Aeromaster which all said and done should be around 17lbs. I think I got the last kit in existance, covered in dust, in the corner of a LHS.

Bye the way - HobbyPartz.com - flat rate shipping - parts etc. seem comparable; to HK - division of Nitro Panes. Anybody got anything to say - good/bad - thinking of ordering some parts from them - anybody got a heads up??? Thanks!

Cheers! And the best of luck with projects and flying!

Hey guys - - Check out the new shipping weight on the above mentioned Rx in the HK site!!!!!!!!! Now I will buy them when they come back in to stock! And as the song says "It always feels like, somebodies watching me"!?!?!? Good on ya HK! Now we know why CS never answers e-mails - - he's busy checking the blogs for info. Well - - somebody's gotta do it! And besides, they may have just saved a customer or 2. To be honest, I could not put as many planes in the air if it was not for their pricing.

Like what I see - - let's hope it carries over to other pieces!

Aus warehouse is open, and has 7Kg shipping for $14.95. Unbelievable! I hope the deal they organise for NZ and the US is as good.

I think HKing is improving (except for their stock levels) and I have always had a good experience (8 orders).

Perhaps the AU warehouse was funded by those freebies that look like they'll never happen eh?

Lots of folks paying lots of money for freight on the offer of "free product" from HK that they're now turning around and saying "nothing to do with us".

It's starting to smell a little fishy.

Whats the go with the aussie flat rate shipping? Great if you wanta plane or 2, but if your ordering batteries or a charger it still costs $15 to come from 50km up the road, and no chance of filling that shipping rate up with other trinkets you will need eventually like screws, Rx, heat shrink etc