rltrahan

My Feedback: (128)

My title is based on my experience with 90% of the quality of people and their characters who Ive encountered here on RCU in the last 6 months in a Hobby Ive known for 30 years. Ive just turned 40 so I'm very young compared to most in this hobby I think at least compared to the way it was 5 years ago but was exposed to it at the age of 10 as my father started showing me at that age when he would build balsa kits from scratch. I'm venting because in the last 6 months especially the last 2 here on RCU Ive been ripped off twice which the individuals where rightfully kicked off of here and then I was put into a very compromising situation because of a very difficult buyer which ended making what should have been a simple sell a major ordeal and costing me a couple of hundred out of pocket with no sell. Unfortunately for what ever reason his negative feedback for causing my loss of money and not completing the contract that was very well deserved RCU removed and rebutted with out any explanation to me as to why they did that and I never even received any replies for my inquires to why they did. On top of all of that 3 out of 4 inquires to adds I usually dont get any responses back from the person unless they feel its to their benefit in other words their is hardly any common courtesy to simply reply back to someone else's email anymore. A couple of years ago this used to be such a tight nit community where we all had a certain hobby that gave us a very specific bond to have in common. Now it seems as if that maybe 20% of us and the rest of the lot is the cut throat Ebay crowd. Its a shame and it really makes it difficult to even want to deal with anyone any more on trades or sales. To those of you who are genuine allot have become mentors as many are older than me and really good friends and Ive enjoyed the opportunity to meet you all. Sorry to say but some of the people that have recently come into this hobby are killing it and taking away from something that has been a great way to build friendships that are sometimes needed and I say that coming from an 18 year medical retirement out of the Army from injuries sustained in Iraq.

God Bless
Russ

vpresley

My Feedback: (162)

Alas, sad but true. I have noticed a lowering of the standards as of late, but there are still alot of good people out there. The one's I hate, are the ones that dont answer your offer, and you can see that they have been online after you made the offer. You just have to be careful. I bought and item, and was told I will ship it soon. It was not shipped soon at all. Infact it was never shipped. Some excuse was made, then I was told my money would be refunded, it took way to long for that to happen. Leave that negative feedback so others can be warned, I do. Rebut any negative feedback with truth and facts. Check their feedback, call them and verify shipping and tracking info. Let them know your thinking about them. If its a big purchase, check their name and address info with Dex Online. If you cant find them, be skeptical, and ask more questions. YOu do have to be more careful these days, just a fact of life.

Vince

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

For somethign expensive, I will only do business with people I've known a long time on here. And generally speaking I dont buy from ebay or rcu that much. I go to swapmeets. I want to look you in the eye and examine what I'm buying. I'm just not going to get the attitude that I really gotta have something. On the other hand, if its cheap or under $20 or so, I might risk it. Burn me with that, I'll remember. Maybe its my nature but I've never been a real trusting guy, even amoung rc'ers. I also have a tag line in my favorites list (which is substantial) next to companies that have bad reputations. I put (bad company) next to their name and it stays there forever so I dont forget and make a mistake and buy from them later. I also tell my students who to shy away from. I let them know to be very carefull who they do business with until they are comfortable with the value of equipment. Too many students have been burned buying used junk at swapmeets and online. Its a shame, I see lots of stuff I'd like to buy from rcu but I pass on it, just not worth the risk. In my opinion, the ratings are worthless.
Edwin

pdm52956

My Feedback: (1)

To begin with, it's not the hobby, it's the culture. "It ain't Kansas any more Toto"...........is it.........

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

Integrity is lacking lately

rltrahan

My Feedback: (128)

I do agree it has allot to do with the culture as I had to deal with some very undisciplined 18-19 yr old privates that came into the Army wondering what kind of parents they must of had to raise a young man like that. But when I started in this Hobby at a very young age were most where three times my age it was so unique that is was such a particular group that everyone seemed to have more respect for each other because of the love of the hobby they shared. Now its full of people that will still the candy from your baby so to speak to get their selfish fulfillment.

The worst one I think that really got me was a dealing with a member on here that had a substantial rating all positive and just happened to be moving to Europe as he advertised this as a reason for selling some of his planes. In the end he bailed with my money and after my own lengthy self investigation he did leave to Europe and scammed me out of $600. The really insulting part about it was he was a very well off person whom before leaving for Europe lived in a 3/4 million dollar house in a closed golf community and was heartless enough to steal from me who he knew was a 100% disabled Medically retired veteran that can only collect disability for income because I'm unemployable due to my injuries.

DavidAgar

My Feedback: (108)

As mentioned, it is not just our hobby. With the times being what they are, crooks will make a scam or a con out of anything. Just a couple of weeks back and area close to me was hit by a Tornado and it only took a couple of days for the con artists to come out of the wood work. Just check your email, how many Nigerian scam letters do you get a week? It is sad that our times have resorted to this, but we all must be on guard now a days. Good Luck, Dave

VIRGINIA MODEL BUILDERS

My Feedback: (159)

This post is to let you know as a vendor and a buyer on rcu an example of the problems I have personally encountered on the site. As of today this party has not sent a refund after being caught committing a fraud. I have already spoken to the postal inspector however I have held off on having them start the wheels going under the internet and postal fraud laws. I have hoped that the individual would take notice of the severity of his actions. It is a federal offense that if I file officially will be handled by the FBI.<o></o>

[b]<User name deletedLast login: 11/29/2010 11:13:AM SUSPENDED<o></o>

<o> </o>

<o> </o>

rltrahan

My Feedback: (128)

This stuff is exactly what I was talking about. RCU has to come up with more fail safe qualifications for people to be members on here. I mean honestly RCU needs to go the Ebay route maybe even as far as Paypal does in requiring to register a bank account and or credit card. It may sound extreme but giving the fact that this hobby has one of the highest cost products being offered for trade or sell apart from Auto on this sight it only makes sense. At least it may keep the real scammers off of it and make the guys that are trying to make a half shady deal think twice before they do it. Some may think its extreme but pretty soon people will stop posting or buying on here which means no more revenue to keep the RCU sight up maybe even just for the Forums.

To many scammers have gotten on this sight and set up very elaborate scams which has become all to easy. I mean the first scam that got me was a guy that set up a Fake sell with several positive feed backs on his account and all of his feed backs where from other false account he set up to give the one single account all the feedback. I know for a fact he got three guys under that one account.

On the complete opposite end of that type of deal on one of my own sells of a very large scale plane I sold and shipped to a guy in Wisconsin he decided to go back on his deal and charge a refund against me back from paypal before the package got to him. He broke the contract and didnt even wait the full shipping time line Greyhound gave him and I ended up having to pay heavily out of my pocket to get my plane back to me because it was sent to a place that only accepted packages for greyhound and didn't ship them out. He was the guy I left bad feedback on because of breaking the contract and costing me alot of money and hassle for nothing and still RCU rebutted that feedback off of him. Which I even sent proof of this guy to RCU black mailing another RCU member into not giving him bad feedback as his wife worked in the GM warranty division and would jack with this other guys warranty if he left him bad feedback. This guy today has 32 positive feedback and is a very shady guy and maybe if he had more to be accountable on the line he wouldn't do the dirty deeds that he does to other members here on RCU.

I agree with what the guy said above, buy only at swap meets and from the guys you alreday know

JWN

My Feedback: (42)

rltrahan,
I am sorry you have had problems with other RCU members. I am not aware of ratings you have posted against other members being removed nor have I received any emails or PM's from you asking for an explanation of ratings removals. When I look at your ratings history (received and given) I note that there are several Poor's you have posted against other members accounts which are still present today. If you can provide me with specifics (please do so through PM), I will look into it.

VIRGINIA MODEL BUILDERS,
Your above post was edited to remove the name of the person you are currently in a dispute with. The forums are not to be used to call out other members whom you or anyone else is having a problem with. We have tools in the marketplace for reporting problems as well as posting ratings or complaints.


Everyone must remember that the marketplace is the same as a newspaper classified. We are only a medium for registered members to post for sale, trade or wanted ads. It is up to you to determine if the person on the other end of the transaction can be trusted to follow through as they promise. We provide tools to help make that determination such as ratings, date of registration, number of ads posted, average time to respond to question and offers, etc. If you find a seller with a long average time to respond to an offer or question, chances are they are also going to be slow to respond to your offer or question as well. It is also pretty safe to assume they will continue to be slow to respond after you send them money.

As for the suggestion to follow Ebay and require additional safe guards on buyers and sellers, please remember that site is not immune to scammers. Someone who is intent on defrauding another person can easily purchase fake credit card or Paypal account information that will allow them to be "verified" just long enough to add another victim to their list. I know this from first hand experience when I posted a full scale sailboat for sale. I received numerous inquiries and bids from so called verified buyers though it was painfully obvious they were anything but legitimate.

Everyone needs to protect themselves when dealing with an unknown private party over the internet. If at all possible, handle the actual transaction in person and require cash. If that is not possible, use Escrow.com to handle the transaction. They are not free, but they are cheaper than loosing your item or several hundred dollars trying to appease someone who cannot be made happy. If Escrow.com cannot be used for whatever reason, consider requiring a Paypal payment made with a credit card.

The bottom line is you must make your own determination as to the nature of the other person using the tools available to you. If you cannot decide they are trustworthy after exhausting all of your resources, then do not do business with them.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

I got severely burned once on a sale through RCU but I no way blame RCU. And when I PM'd the seller to let him know, he went on the offensive. You would have thought I was the one who scammed him. It was really kind of funny and sad at the same time.

Veteran65

the hobby is fine the way it is
its the people who've changed
man of intergrity?
not anymore

aerofly0610

*pop* (can of worms just opened up) 

Nothing wrong with the hobby.  Its the people.  Morality, integrity, responsibility, kindness, etc etc are endangered species these days.  Simply put,,, why should I behave if I don't have to?  That attitude has been the bane of decent folk since Genesis.  I have empathy for the OP, but humanity will never purify itself of evils.  The best you can do is minimize your attack front, be smart about things and seek proper justice if victimized.  Of course what is 'Justice' these days is a whole 'nother can o' worms. []

Veteran65

Morality, integrity, responsibility, kindness
all the words that have vanished from the face of the planet
especially in the cities

gingle

it's not the hobby, it's the culture

zx32tt

My Feedback: (9)

As always, it only takes a few bad apples to spoil the whole barrel. A few yrs ago, I received a 3W-106 TOC from a guy I had never met. I had talked to him on the phone, but that was the extent of the conversation. He sent me the engine for inspection, without any exchange of funds. He said, "if you are happy with it, send me a check." I was, and I did. I'm not sure that I would have been that trusting. I think maybe those days are gone. On big ticket items, I always like to speak to the seller before any transaction takes place.
zx32tt

Veteran65

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

*pop* new can of worms. I also started about 30 years ago and am in my 40's. The main reason as I see it is the ease with which you can get into this "hobby." Gone are the days if you wanted to learn to fly you had to drop a minimum of $300-$400 and then spend weeks to months building your aircraft. This took patience, persistence, and a lot of work. All this just to be able to go learn to fly. These qualities were usually only found in people that were raised to respect themselves and others, taught right from wrong, and the value of hard work. Now anyone with even a passing desire can, with an extra $150, get a plane and start flying it that day. This brings in some self absorbed, self important, "the world owes me everything for nothing" type of person. Also the internet has allowed scammers to find a very trusting group of people to work over. We have been so trusting, because until the last decade or so, we have all, for the most part, been very trustworthy. Those days are long gone and I fear never to return. I feel that this is becoming less a hobby, and more a bunch of adults playing with toys. Without the time and skill needing to be used to build, not assemble, an aircraft, we are just flying toy airplanes. Some may disagree, but if you can pull it out of the box and with some minor assembly start flying you are flying a toy. Now this is not to say that everyone that fly's an ARF or RTF is a bad person, or not a hobbyist just that it makes it easier for someone that otherwise wouldn't take the time to get into the hobby. Now before you start defending ARF's I agree not everyone has the time or ability to build, but if they truly go into this as a hobby then they generally are not the problem, it's the ones that just want to play with no responsibilities or consequences that are trouble. I'll step of my soapbox now, good day.

VIRGINIA MODEL BUILDERS

My Feedback: (159)

I am posting this since this affects all of us in this hobby and all americans that are concerned about what is happening to our country.

To begin with I would like to introduce myself. I am the manager of Virginia Model Airplane Builders and supplies located in Glen Allen Va.
We are retailors of airplane kits, arfs and gas engines CRRC and DLE.
We also are manufacturers of after-market Accessories for gas engines.
We do our manufacturing in AMERICA
YES MADE IN AMERICA.
Now let me get to the crux of what I have to say.
CRRC and DLE engines are manufactured in China. The manufacturers pay salaries to their employees that enhance the Chinese workers incomes. When they sell their product to an AMERICAN dealer they earn a profit that stays in China and enhances the Chinese economy. When an American consumer buys the engine from an American dealer, the American dealer earns a profit on the sale that pays American citizens salaries which enhances the American economy and helps provide income and employment here in America. When you purchase your engine from a dealer in China/ Hong Kong all profits and economic benefits achieved by virtue of your purchase benefit the Chinese economy. What is happening in that scenario is we only enhance the Chinese economy. When you purchased your engine from China did you pay sales tax? When you purchased your engine did you pay import duty? I venture to say, you didn't. Correct me if I am wrong.
If we continue this cycle we will destroy our own economy here in America. We will continue to put American hobby dealers out of business. Try and picture the day when you get up in the morning eat breakfast marked made in China, Get in to our Made in China car, stop for gas which if you could buy it cheaper, you bought on the internet and had delivered to you by DHL and then made that trip to the unemployment office or welfare office here in America of course to get assistance from the American government, so you can live.<o></o>

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

Most of what you say is true, and ha already happened in many areas of the economy, but that has nothing to do with the OP, the question had to do with people's integrity, not economic factors

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

VIRGINIA MODEL BUILDERS, correct me if I'm wrong. Let's take a hypothetical situation and look at it. I need a 9.6V battery for my transmitter. I can buy that battery from Hong Kong for $10.00 plus shipping. I can buy that same battery from you for $30.00 plus shipping. I can afford $15.00 today buy I cannot afford $35.00 today. What do I do? Forego the battery until I can afford $35.00 or buy the battery from Hong Kong? And be realistic with your answer. The figures may be wrong, but you get the idea.

VIRGINIA MODEL BUILDERS

My Feedback: (159)

I understand your predicament with my post.
Go for it, you like allamericans includeing myself have the right to buy from whereever we choose. That is what our country is founded on.
However,what is happening will ultimately destroy more and more segments of our economy and that is my concern.

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

What is destroying our economy is out sourcing.

VIRGINIA MODEL BUILDERS

My Feedback: (159)

I whole heartedly agree with you. Out sourcing by companies is a major problem. Out sourceing by our fellow hobbiests is the same issue. Buying directly from Hong Kong and China is outsourcing and will ultimately destroy american hobby dealers.
We happen to manufacture in Richmond VA.

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

How much of what you buy is made in the USA? If I have the choice of buying made in the USA or made anywhere else I will buy made in the USA even it is more expensive. I will even buy from my LHS as long as it is not drastically more, but I will not pay a significantly more for a product that only has a US company as the middle man. Once you take into account the cost of shipping from internet and overseas vender's you really are not paying much more at your LHS.