MikeL

My Feedback: (3)

I know better than to post this, but I'm frustrated. I've told myself time and time again that I'm not going to order from Tower anymore, because they just can't seem to pack my orders in a professional way. I once had an order show up in a beat-up Boston Market box. What are they doing, dumpster diving at the strip mall for shipping materials?

Anyway, I'm weak. I found a $20 off $50 coupon, and couldn't resist placing an order. How is my order packed? By an idiot who's manager doesn't give a rat's pattuti about if my package shows up to me in one piece or not! It wasn't a beat-up Boston Market box this time. It was just plain beat-up box. I'm not sure if that's better or worse. It did have two air pouches in the box to keep the contents from shaking about--in theory. Those would have worked a whole lot better if the idiot that packed it hadn't cut them open. The beat-up box was just a bit too small to fit both the air pouches and my merchandise, so the idiot cut the pouches open.

I've mentioned the Boston Market box to people before, and they've told me it was just a mistake--Tower always packs their stuff just fine. Not mine. I've gotten wood parts in manilla envelopes before from them. Why is it that an internet startup with crappy profit margins can properly package merchandise for shipping, but a company such as Tower that's been in the mail-order business for almost three decades fails miserably most times I order from them??

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

Well I ate at Boston Market the other day and the turkey tasted like balsa wood. Coincedence? Hmmmmmm.............(but it was packed nicely).

nedyob

My Feedback: (67)

Hello MikeL,
Just wondering....Is your order comeing from the Champain IL. or the new one from Nevada? My orders that come from the Champain IL. branch were shiped in plain brown boxes. Only once have I gotten an order from Tower where the box was a (Boston Market type box) that order came from the Nevada Tower branch. But none of the boxes have been beat up or broken open.
One thing you might do is have your order shiped COD and if the UPS man showes up with a beat up old box, don't except it and dont give them the COD money order. Then call Tower an explain why you didnt except it. After the order gets shiped back, then reorder COD and hope for the best.
Since I started ordering my stuff COD it apears that they have arrived undamaged in well packed brown cardboard boxes.
NEDYOB

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Damn, dude... you have an awesome sense of humor! lol

Flyboy Dave

My Feedback: (21)

I got an order from Tower last week....the back East warehouse, and the packing
air bubbles had been cut as well. Everything was OK though.

They sent me some wrong props, and are sending the right ones....they said not
to bother returning the incorrect ones....not worth the time and the paperwork
to restock 4 props.....cheapies, 12-8 Zingers.

Dave.

Mike in DC

I suspect they must be having hiring problems. I got an order in which they had just thrown the props in (no little plastic bags or anything). Then they sealed the big box with one layer of the thinnest cheapest packing tape I've ever seen. Sure enough, the tape split, and some of the props were gone.

I've never had any problem with Tower, and after I called, they immediately mailed out the missing props, no questions asked, but sheesh, it doesn't take a genius to see that the poor packing job cost them whatever profit there was on the order.

dr_wogz

My Feedback: (3)

Over Christmnas, i placesd an order, not with Tower, but with Great Hobbies (I guess our equivalent to Tower...)

Anyways, the Smith MiniPlane kit finally did arrive, but eh box was bent like a banana!! Turns out it was the shippers; fault for not ensuring it was packed and stacked neatly in the truck. It looks liekit was stangin up, and something fell against it

Nope, nothing broken, but sometimes, teh best packing can be ruined by lousy shippers & forklift drivers!!

scottrc

Just don't order a field box battery and an ARF in the same order...........Guess how I found that one out?[:@]

FLYBOY

My Feedback: (11)

I have had a few problems with them, but they always fix them right away. Even when they threw in an extra engine one time. I called and told them about it and Hoped they would say keep it. They sent a call tag for it within a few days. Bummer! My friends thought I was nuts for calling and telling them.

Oh well, I can sleep.

scottrc

I really think Tower has done a good job, one of the best. Abide the battery incedent which both me and the girl at Tower got a good laugh from, I still havn't gotten a UPS order in one piece. The second large plane I bought had a 2' hole all the way through the box to where you could see daylight out the other end. The third one, UPS had to run over it with a truck a few times, then deliver the wreckage to my front door and leave it for my Labrador to take out and play with. Again, the nice female voice at the other end said she'd be sure that they put enough dog biscuits in the box with my replacement parts to keep him occupied until I got home.

Yup, Tower really needs to pack well enough so that my order is protected from the Gorrillas at UPS and my incompetence for leaving my dog out.

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

On a serious note (sorry Kmot) MikeL. and Flyboy Dave are reporting that the plastic air cushion packing thingy's were "cut"open. Let's think about this, you are packing a box and the baggy doesn't fit so you cut it open and essentially put a piece of plastic in the box? Maybe a more plausible explanation is the bag was shipped air frieght. Boyles Law tells us that at decreased ambient air pressure the bag would expand and maybe the bags ruptured from the expansion of air. Maybe prior to rupturing the bags might even crush the contents of the box or split the tape open. Even a pressurized plane is not pressurized to 1 ATM, hence the need to equalize your ears upon landing. The problem as I see it is the employees at Tower need a physics lesson.

jcflysrc

My Feedback: (50)

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scottrc,
...that's like the idiots who bag your groceries...food mixed with household cleaners, bread with cans, your new RCM with the produce. Makes you wonder sometimes.

H. Wayne S

My Feedback: (18)

Man I allways thought I was the most unlucky person in the world, but I can see I'm not. I have in the past ordered a LOT from Tower, never had a problem. NEVER.

GRANT ED

At least you guys got your order.
I ordered a heli engine and gyro from them a while ago. I ordered air mail because I didn't want to wait. I spoke to a few friend of mine that said it would probably take about 14 days. 14 days went by with no package. I waited until 30 days before I started to get worried. On the website it says delivery may take up to 30 days. I sent them an e-mail and they told me to wait 45 days and then contact them. On the 45th day still with no package I e-mailed them with no reply. It is now day 48 with no package a heli waiting an engine and no response from tower. [][]

rajul

My Feedback: (58)

Try to beat this. Tower packed a bottle of engine cleaner and a Futaba Tx in the same box, and the engine cleaner bottle was leaking [X(], soaking up everything in the box [:'(] They did replace the items but I lost some time and patience

Now I order only from Quantum Hobbies . No packing problems and they charge me exact shipping

AQ500

A friend of mine got his order from Tower last year. I beleive that he ordered a Ucando3d or something like that. He was too busy finishing his house to open the box, so he let it sit almost a year before opening it. He did notice that it was a rather large box. Well, he finally finished his plane room and opended the box. He pulled out the 3d and noticed there was another box under that one. It was a Kyosho Cap. He called Tower and talked to customer service about the extra plane. He was told that he would be called back regarding the situation by someone else. He has yet to get a return call. If only I had that kind of luck.....

beardking

My Feedback: (4)

AQ500, give me his number and I'll be sure that "Tower" calls him immediately.

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

Well... I've never had a problem with Tower or Horizon.

An order from another supplier, who shall remain nameless here, included a dozen AA tabbed NiCd cells. When the UPS man set the box down he commented that one side of the box, where he had his hand, felt a lot warmer than he thought it should. As he stood there I ripped to box open, and smoke welled out. Turned out the packer had thrown the NiCds loose in the box without any insulation or other protection. Not even the thin plastic bags they normally come in. Two cells had hit their tabs negative to positive, and in the dead short they were well on their way to overheating and blowing up. Sheer good fortune that none had shorted before the UPS truck got to my house. The supplier did replace all twelve, and the replacements were in their little bags.

Had one nasty with Chief Aircraft, but it was my fault and not theirs. In September 2002 I wanted a new plane for a big Saito, their ad said "Ultra Stick 120 for $189.95." Everybody else priced them at $250. Called and asked if it were a mistake, "No mistake" they said. So I said "Put it on a plane." That was my mistake. I didn't think about the size and weight of the kit. The cost of the air freight made the plane cost me almost the full retail price. I couldn't fuss because I'm the one who asked for air shipment. And I did get it from the west coast in two days.

An amusing one from Chief, that no one has been able to explain, was my purchase of three special Tru-Turn spinners. They had only one in stock. Told them to send the one, and then the other two when they got them. A few days later I opened a package from them, the bill said back order release, and two spinners were in the box. It was shipped FedEx on 7/31/2002. Two days later I got the one they shipped at the time of order. Again FedEx, shipped 7/29/2002. Shipped two days earlier, and arrived two days after the other. Its bill showed two on back order. Strange.

But other than the loose NiCds I've had absolutely no problem with any supplier.

Bill.

Pilotsmoe

I doubt this was the case. At crusing alt ,the cabin pressure is equivelent to about 5000 ft. I just think the idiots cut them. They don't have that much air in them.

BasinBum

My Feedback: (2)

Moe,
When I have recieved items packed with the little bags they were filled up tight. I have also had other items such as shampoo bottles let loose in my luggage. If you have ever opened a Pelican airtight case on a plane and not vented it when back on the ground you will have a heck of a time prying it open because of the partial vacuum, that's why they put the vents on them.

At 5000 feet you are experiancing about 2/3 of an atmosphere. The rate of expansion increases at an increasing rate the closer you get to zero so it is very possible.

Savage_Dias

Most of my packages from Tower arrived in perfect condition. The ONLY times I've had trouble have been when the packages were shipped ground from Nevada & I know exactly why they were beat up. UPS & or USPS were at fault. I work at an electronics factory & I get a kick out of watching UPS drivers unload their trucks. No kidding I have watched them THROW multiple packackages from the front of the truck out of the back onto our dock.

catman3070

My Feedback: (10)

Don't know what you guys are complaining about. My wife ordered my plane for Christmas this year from Tower. She also got a fake tree, but through out the box. Luck have it, my new plane came in the same fake tree box.