buchtes

My Feedback: (7)

after being a loyal customer for over 30 years and spending thousands of dollars on Hobby products with TOWER HOBBIES, they finally done me in for good. I ordered a servo and some hardware last night via the net, when finalizing the sale, they would not honor my ad ( # 011DY) that was send in a Tower Talk Flier last week. What really gets me is the way it was advertised, It says and I quote: The time has come to make you the most generous offer EVER in Tower Hobbies history. Place a minimum$ 24.99 order now, and we'll take $ 10.00 off. When the transaction finished and the order neglected to subtract then$ 10.00 from my bill, I called Tower but Customer Service done left for the day, so I called back this morning to find out why the ad offer was not accepted. The customer service person kind of was looking for words obviously paused several times and but finally said well it was for first time customers only. My reply was, cancel the sale, take me off your mailing list and don't bother to call on me again. If Tower is that cheap, they sure a hell don't need my business and I'll be glad to shop someplace else. With this kind of unethical business tactics, it will not be long before Tower goes Belly UP.
Just thought I'd share this experience.

Fly RC II

My Feedback: (5)

Thanks for sharing. I see this a lot happening to folks, not just in the hobby, but they call it the 'ole bait and switch' routine. There are plenty of hobby shops out there. Good luck...

MetallicaJunkie

gravesrc.com is pretty good

allans

My Feedback: (11)

I second that . Graves RC is EXCELLENT.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

You got a newbie support person that didnt know what they were talking about. I'm a long time tower customer too and I just used that ad number. Check the customer number on the tower talk, then check your customer number when you login. Mine were different, they have to match. For some reason the recent tower talk had a new customer number for me. Clearly a screw up. I emailed them about the problem, explaining I would not be able to use the ad number and wasnt going to submit the order if I couldnt. They cancelled the new customer number and kept the old one that had the order history and promised to apply the discount when payment was approved. And they did exactly as they promised, got the discount. I kept the email just in case I had to remind them about it, but they were straight up as they've always been to me.
Edwin

buchtes

My Feedback: (7)

Hello Edwin. Yes, the cust. # has changed, they added a digit to it, but that still does not make it right. Tower accepted the order and billed me soon before I called to complain. They later, after I called Cust. Support again the next day, cancelled the order as requested by me. All of it still does not add up to the refusal of the ad, since the ad does not specify any clauses, ( first time customer etc.). I too was happy with the way Tower treated me for many years, but this not accepting a Tower Ad, was the straw that broke the camels back. It is up to Tower now to make things right if they want to keep me as a customer. I have been in the retail business for some years, and can attest that it takes much time and efford to gain a good customer and just ONE screw up to loose one.
thanks for responding.

Tobtech

My Feedback: (3)

I personally don't see Tower going belly up. Let's see; they have proprietary brands, sell wholesale to dealers, sell retail to consumers. Profit, Profit, Profit. They are at the top of the food chain. If you quit buying from Tower and you walk into your LHS and buy a Futaba radio and OS engine you just made a purchase from Tower Hobbies, they may get a $1 less from you but you still bought it from them. With that said I like Horizon better. They are the same exact animal but I think they are a little more of a class act.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Why are they changing customer numbers? Mine has been the same since 1974 or something. Gees, I am too old to memorize a new number!

buchtes

My Feedback: (7)

just received a e-mail from Tower Hobbies with sincere apologies and a credit to my account, this matter has been settled.
Thank you all who posted, looks like Tower is still concerned about it's customers and the Strive to do good business.

scottrc

Tower has done some bone headed things to me in the past that made me drop them one time for almost five years. But for as big as they are, they still seem to strive to make things right. Usually by sending me offers that are hard to refuse such as when I wrote a letter to them stating why I had stopped dealing with them due to poor product support and they sent me a double discount coupon, free shipping, and a free one year to the Super Saver Club.

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Probably a programming error. It happens from time to time with a lot of companies. Couple that with a newbie customer service rep, and I can see how it happened.
Edwin

Chuck54sd

I have always had "Outstanding" support & service from Tower.... their website is solid (especially tech notes), prices are an excellent value and they ship quickly and accurately.

If you can find a better RC source.... "Good Luck" !!!

I would not let one bad experience taint the 30 year relationship you have had with them.

If you are not having a positive experience with them.... I agree.... vote with your dollars.

But for me.... they are truely the Gold Standard for "One Stop" RC Shopping !!!

-Chuck

vasek

My Feedback: (4)

Tower was my favorite place to order "new hardware" for ARF's. but the shipping cost went through the roof these past few years (I am overseas). I know it's not totally their fault, but it's prohibitive anyway.[]

topspin

I have been a Tower customer and super savers member for a long time and they have never done me wrong. A telephone call to the right person would have solved the problem in short order. If that ever happens again just ask to speak to the boss. Tower treats customers right.

chuckk2

Everybody screws up once in a while, even ME! (No I don't work for Tower)
Sometimes the screw-ups can be spectacular!

STUKA BARRY

I bought from Tower back in the early 80's. Ten years later, they blew me off on a particular item, (I was young and had lots of $$ back then) I wrote them a long nasty letter and told them to go pi$$ up a rope. I've since then learned to support the local hobby shop. I may pay 10 0r 15 cents more on some things, but the Tower price is usually matched and no shipping payments. If you patronize your LHS enough, they will give you a break. Waiting 3-4 days for a screw, piece of balsa, or a bottle of glue, just does'nt make any sense.

vasek

My Feedback: (4)

SB I agree with you to support the LHS with 2 important exceptions:

1- large items when $ difference is substantial (more than $20 markup)

2- when they don't store hardware items BC it's not "economical" for them

buchtes

My Feedback: (7)

my nearest Hobby store is 60+ miles away, if it be closer, you bet I'd shop here.

K-Bob

My Feedback: (1)

My nearest LHS is 40 miles away and unless you want small glow, electric,small heli or car stuff they want to order it. Heck, I can order it myself and not have to make another trip or pay local tax..

The last time I was in there I was browsing for incidental stuff like screws, covering and such and the owner asked me to check out because they liked to close early on Saturday. It was 3 o'clock.

Yea, I checked out and haven't been back since.

countilaw

Tower Hobbies has been around since the early 70's. If they weren't an upstanding company, they wouldn't still be around. As for the LHS, they tend to carry what is popular in their demographic locale. If cars are big, that's what they are going to carry. Just like back in the 70's and 80's when pattern was big. Anything and everything pattern could be found at my local hobby shop. It was the same for F-1 and Stand Off Scale. But as they have fallen by the wayside, so has their availability. Cars, trains and plastic models are a very big seller at my local shop.

Even though my LHS carries Foamies and ARFs, I don't see many of them moving.

Frank

Bob93447

New shipping record: Ordered late Tuesday night taking advantage of free shipping with >$99.99 order and received it Thursday noon. Something like 36 hours from order to delivery; that's pretty good.

buchtes

My Feedback: (7)

Bob93447, yes, that is a speed record for Tower, my deliveries from that firm usually take up 10 days. Most other sources ship much faster.

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

I use Prop Shop Hobbies outside Detroit. They match advertised prices, have a huge stock, and best of all, ship quickly (usually same day) and shipping costs are very low. No 'Only $8.95' minimum shipping fees. If it fits in a bubble envelope and postage is .99, that's about what you pay. I've gotten stuff in under 24 hours from them. Beats the 3.5-hour round-trip plus gas. (Wow, 1,000th post!) Yay!

www.propshophobbies.com

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

me too,

I ordered a DLE 20, took advantage of the free shipping and the $30 off. Placed the order Thursday night 10:30pm, came this morning before noon 2.5 business days,, hard to complain about that

I'm going to place another order tonight to take advantage of the same deal,,, free shipping til the 19th

pa_28r_200

My Feedback: (3)

I gave up on Tower when it started to take 2 days to ship an order. I can order from Graves and have it the next day. Since i'm in Tampa and they are in Orlando, every once in a while I'll take a ride up there. Great help, great inventory, and above all...this sounds stupid...but it smells like a hobby shop should (glue, paint, and nitro)....