Bill Rademacher

My Feedback: (77)

I have had good dealings with TBM except for one area: Props.

They were drilled for a 30 instead of a 55, and then the holes weren't lined up either.

At first they said it was me. I sent photos of the props, and eventually got a credit for the drilling charge.

So they did fix it, sort of. It was more aggravation than anything else. I had to drill them myself after all.

And I am really really lazy...

billrad

WILDCRASHWILLY

I must say I'm getting rather alarmed here. I bought an engine from them for a kit I just finished. I can't get it to run properly or even pick up fuel for that matter. I have called four times now. Twice, talked to Bill to find their tech guy had gone home for the day. He said he would have the guy call me. Twice., called earlier in the day and had to leave a message on a machine. Needless to say, I have not had a return call yet. At first I thought it was just bad timing and coincidence, but now I'm starting to wonder. I'll update this thread with the results, good or bad. I'm hoping it's just bad timing due to their being busy. Not so sure now... We'll see...

ronG

had a similar experience with tbm. ordered a aurora 9 radio and recieved one that had been returned to them, had the original buyers name and phone # in the manual. when contacted tbm was told that was impossible because they had not hd any radios returned. when i gave them the name and phone number they remembered having the radio for return to hitec. was told to ship it back and they would replace it. shipped out next day, took several phone calls and over a month to recieve a "new" radio. was told every call will ship tomarrow. in tbm defense they did make it right, including my added shipping costs, but took 4-5 weeks

CAL767Capt

"I too would like to have TBM come here and give their side. I sent them a link to this thread in hopes he would come here and give some sort of explanation. The only thing I've gotten so far is the one short email. If there was some type of family problem or medical emergency I will gladly accept their explanation...."

(Still figuring out the 'BB' code, for this site...)

Your post(s) have been eminently fair, and it is obvious that you (the customer) have bent over backwards, to reach a breaking point in this matter.

I noted your restraint in your posts (admirable), and appreciate the INFO you provide, as well. I have perused the "TBM" site, and have seen their YouTube videos. Like you (a bit more than 30 years in the hobby, but not to quibble0 I too have purchased my share of ARFs, in the past. Usually, just for a 'quick satisfaction' to bide time while a build is still in progress.

THESE sorts of threads, and persional experience stories, are valuable to us all. Thanks.

(PS: Sig, while not in their hey-day any more, still have a number of great products. I mourn the loss of Byron Products, though...and, yes, I realize that even THEY have their detractors, but NOT in terms of the Customer Service....!!)

Regards, Tim

ira d

no excuse for this type of service, it's very simple send the cust what he needs or refund his money. IMO ESM knowing there was a problem should have sent out a complete
wing with no shipping charges so they loose a few bucks on the wing at least that would show they stand behind there products.

byrne1157

No way of telling how much of my money TBM won't get. Same goes for Nitroplanes. No spares available for their products. Also, on a more positive note, I have never had bad service from Hobby King.

ram3500-RCU

My Feedback: (221)

"I mourn the loss of Byron Products, though...and, yes, I realize that even THEY have their detractors, but NOT in terms of the Customer Service....!!)"

Byron went the way of many businesses. Dad wanted to retire, and his kids had no interest in continuing in his footsteps. He sold out to Iron Bay and we know what happened.

We have (had) a local lumber yard / mill that suffered the same fate. A trucking company I worked for years ago went the same way after decades of service and over 1000 trucks in the pipeline. Very sad.

All these companies were all about customer service in their fields. Driven by a set of values that perhaps is going the way of the generation that started these companies. Times are changing. Change is not always a good thing, and should not always automatically be associated with 'progress'.

Wart Hog

My Feedback: (22)

I thought I had bad timing when calling TBM as well. It seemed whoever I was calling to speak with was always at lunch or on an errand. They said they would have them call me when they returned, yet never received a call.

Wart Hog

My Feedback: (22)

I loved dealing with Byron's back in the day. If you ever had a question or issue you could call and they would jump through hoops to make sure you were satisfied.
I can't speak for Nitro Planes, General or some of the others mentioned on here, but I did have a bad customer service experience with Hobby King, but that is another story. I only mention it to make the point, when companies try to provide a veritable hodge podge of RC equipment to everyone on the planet they seem to loose touch with what this hobby is all about. Enjoyment of aviation, friendship with like minded people and most of all FUN.

Just a note: It is midnight here and still no tracking number for the nacelles as he promised. Typical of all the communication I have had with them to date.

Well, tomorrow is another day. I am hoping with all of the viewers on this thread, at least one is a vendor or distributor and will take note of what is important to their customers. Quality products at a good price, fair shipping prices, but most of all..... Customer service, Customer service, Customer service.

j301

My Feedback: (12)

I've been planning an ESM Val build for a while. I agree with the statement "buy local when you can," but for me having just moved out of the state he is in, I will continue to buy from Thomas at VQ. I don't intend to be a commercial for him, just know that he is, from my experience, a decent guy, easy to talk to, and will work to fix things if they go south. I only offer up this info because I believe that esm, though not perfect and still need to be "built" as apposed to "assembled", are a pretty good deal in a world of $750 to $2000 birds of similar size that the "big three" are now putting out (not to mention less build time and usually better then CMP-thought I would still prefer to spend 1/4 and "build" one of those then some of the "good ones" now shipping with quality issues). Just want to let people know there is a decent place to get them, and best of luck in getting this issue resolved.
One last thing, I made a promise to Banana Hobby 8 years ago that I would tell the world how bad they suck after they screwed me over every time I had the opportunity, so yes I concur with the previous post "BANANA HOBBY SUCKS!!!" (Hey Pete, me again!)

koenig427

I've bought a few things from TBM and never really had a problem. One of there CF props delaminated on me and they replaced it no questions asked, the next day, with only a few photos.


Now in the past few months I've been ordering more from Valley View RC due to having a better web site and better shipping prices. I don't wanna spend $10 on shipping for a $13 prop or servo.

chuck993

Reference "Think twice before making any purchase from Troy Built Models" I completely disagree. I have recently bought numerous items with them including a dle 55ra which I have called them several times to ask for expert advise and they are always helpful even though I have called numerous times and yet they still help me, they go out of their way to help me. Also, I have bought numerous servos from Troy built models for over 5 years and have never had a bad experience or a bad product, so people who are reading this should know that one bad experience shouldn't tarnish an excellent business.

Buy from Troy built motors with confidence and don't let a bad experience sway your decision.

Chuck

CapMan

My Feedback: (219)

TBM it is time to hear your side of this story - your customers deserve a response to this issue!

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

I purchased one of their giant scale Zeros several years back. It was shipped to me but the aircraft was in no way secured within the shipping box. It arrived with the tail cone smashed and the front airscoop smashed. I imagine it took a hit internally quite often. I contacted them and their response was that since I didn't contact them within 7 days of delivery, it wasn't their policy to do anything about it. I explained that I travel a lot and was away from home when it arrived so their policies were unduly restrictive on me. They wouldn't budge an inch, so I chalked it up to experience.

Later, I ordered a muffler for my G-62 they advertised as specifically designed for the plane. It was several months before I got to the point of installing the muffler only to discover that with the engine properly spaced, the muffler hit the front of the firewall. At the same time I bought the muffler, I had ordered a set of tires they listed as specific for the Zero, only to discover that the retracts would not go full travel and lock with those tires because they were too thick to fit the wheel well.

I made a phone call about these items as well, and received the same response. I am delighted that there have been others that have had a good experience with TBM, but from my perspective, they had a one-sided viewpoint on my first issue that was not customer-friendly in any way whatsoever. The second 2 instances were outright fraud. I have a simple viewpoint on this type of situation; It is really easy to screw me over once, but nobody gets a second chance. Their loss really, as I spend a LOT of money in this hobby.

Good news to offer? You bet! I have been overwhelmed with the customer service offered by Tower, Horizon, Valley View, Top Flite, HK, etc. as well as Eric, the guy in KC that owns the local HobbyTown. The list of good guys is extensive and I do business with all of them and more.

Best regards.

Wart Hog

My Feedback: (22)

Thank you Chuck. I am glad you posted your good experience with them. I have read a few posts by TBM customer that have had good experiences with them.
As you can see by previous posts though, it is hit and miss with customer service and their handling of problems. It isn't just my one bad experience that should sway potential customers. A proven track record as evidence by other people buying or customer service problems shows you take your chances when dealing with them.

Wart Hog

My Feedback: (22)

Lifer- I'm glad to hear the list of people you have had good customer service with. I wish we had some sort of "Angie's List" for the RC world so we as customers could decide where our dollar would be best spent.

TBMcustomerservice

All right, Time to clear this thread up, and set a lot of things straight.

First and foremost, I take my job very seriously, and I have been doing customer service for quite some time, As a matter of fact, I have changed a lot of opinions on the company, and righted a lot of "wrongs" that you have seen or posted about in the forums over time. I urge anyone with an issue or an outstanding problem to contact me, and I will see what I can do. I am just one man however, and I deal with thousands of customers every day, I try my best to get everyone taken care of and handled.

Warthog's issue is an interesting one to say the least, and the ball has been dropped many times from all sides of the story. It is just one of those dealings in which nothing can seem to go correctly.

First, the kit was purchased from one of our dealers, ARF PROS. Therefore, we had no record of the sale at first, so we had to research, and find out how the model was acquired. I was only made aware of the issue once ESM started e-mailing me and had already promised parts to Warthog and supposedly sent replacements for. This is a key part of the story and where the wheels started falling off the proverbial bus. I will explain.

When we receive a container of goods (typically a 45 foot Semi trailer) Rarely does the order we placed match up 100% with the order we receive, many times there are parts from older orders, or parts do not arrive, or there are different quantities than originally ordered. You guys in this thread waiting on spinners for ESM planes know this all to well, but I digress. The container arrived with the wing set on it that we did not have any information about. (this was before ESM contacted me) and there was a customer with a back order for a center section for a b25, so obviously we filled the outstanding order. Then a few days later the information from ESM and Warthog came through. We thought "oh, we just got a wing section in, we can replace this no problem" And communicated our intention to do so. After submitting the order for the warranty replacement, we realized that the center section that was supposed to be in our hands, was no longer there.

Then the waiting game started, because it takes sometimes 10 weeks (if not more)  to get something ordered and in our hands (ocean freight and production build schedules) we did not have the part to supply to Warthog, and could not get it for some time.

So June rolls around, and Warthog contacts me again. This is where I dropped the ball. We had 2 containers arrive back to back, a staffing change, and a full shipment of landing gear to retrofit, needless to say things got hectic, and priorities took charge. Warthog made me aware that the nacelles had been changed, and needed to mate properly to the wing, we took our time to ensure this was the case given what we had on hand, and put the order through. Some how, the order was buried, and missed, and here we are. No excuses, just explaining what happened, and I fully accept responsibility for the lack of service.

So, the nacelles are on there way at this point, with gear doors and I believe new cowlings as well (will double check to ensure they were included, if not, they will arrive a day or 2 later) Unfortunately since the kit was not purchased directly through us, I do not have any way to issue any sort of refund or credit for the issues that have arisen on that purchase.


To the gentleman about the servo shipping issue - Our shopping cart can only use UPS for shipping (which is why $11 shipping for an $20 servo occurs) Please next time if you do decide to purchase from us (lowest hitec prices around by the way) To just put in the comments section PLEASE SHIP CHEAPEST and we will adjust the charge.

To the gentleman about the old zero and inquiring about the new ESM zero - We only recieved 15 of the new bird, and all of them were already on order. The next container that arrives will see more of the Navy Zero, and the Army green Zero arriving. If you want one, please let us know. As for the shipping damage on the old model, I am sorry, but that was before my time, if there is something I can do for you, please let me know.

To all others, whom have felt their experience at TBM was less than stellar, let me know what I can do to fix it. As I have said, I have been doing customer service work for some time, I may not be the most experienced modeller, but I try my hardest to keep you guys happy, and keep you in the air. Sometimes as I am sure you all know problems rear their heads and no matter what you do to fix it, it seems it inevitably goes wrong, that is what has happened here, and we will get it straightened out.

Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] I am Sorry Warthog that the issues have persisted this long, and despite the other factors, I accept full responsibility for your experience at TBM.

TBMcustomerservice

"Lifer- I'm glad to hear the list of people you have had good customer service with. I wish we had some sort of "Angie's List" for the RC world so we as customers could decide where our dollar would be best spent."



There is actually! It is still in its infancy, but you might check out http://rctruth.com/

Lifer

My Feedback: (1)

Bill,

A response is a good first step. I applaud you for that. There is an old adage that tells a lot: "Actions speak louder than words." I do not blame you for what happened to me many years ago, but as I said earlier, I will not do business with your firm again. You do have the opportunity to set things straight with a lot of people that have chimed in on this forum. I hope you avail yourself of this opportunity and again, thank you for speaking up.

Warthog,

I think you did a great thing starting this thread. There is nothing more powerful in a free society than the Fourth Estate. Keep up the good work!

wingspar

My Feedback: (3)

As there doesn't seem to any good hobby stores anymore in my area most of my purchases have come from Troy Built and Horizon. All my orders have been promptly shipped and any issues have been quickly resolved by Bill. I will continue to support them as I believe they are a great company and a valued aset for the hobby I love. Maybe to much according to my wife

Dave

on_your_six

My Feedback: (11)

Maybe you should look into the history of the guy running that website....

[email protected]

My Feedback: (1)

i had a 26 cc engine i got from hk>> it frooze on the 3rd flip>>> sent it back cost me 38.00 to send it back>>> so after 125 emails and a lot of bull from them i told them i was going to the da here and file on them 2 weeks later there was a new engine on my door step>> and so i went to the web site they said all they could do was just give me credit for the engine>> i wont say what happen after that>> pay back is hell>>

Wart Hog

My Feedback: (22)

Bill, Thank you for responding to this thread. Yes the plane was purchased from ARF Pros, but at the direction of TBM's sales person I spoke with when I called to order it. I was told I needed to order from them and TBM would ship it to me from their warehouse. I could only gather from the conversation that ARF Pros was part of TBM. Sounds like that may be an internal matter best discussed between you and your sales staff.
Thank you for explaining the issues with the container mix up and long lead time as well.

But.... I contacted ARF pros when I first found the problem. They instructed me to contact you at TBM with it since you are the distributor. After several calls and emails with no response, I contacted Mr. Herlin He at ESM. He in turn contacted you and got the ball rolling.

I do accept your apology any hope we can again do business in the future. I look forward to receiving the parts for the B-25 so I can put this great plane in the air.

TBMcustomerservice

Wart hog,

The ARF PROS deal is a whole nother bag of worms not needing to be discussed, but lets just say there were some issues occurring within their organization around the time of your initial purchase that have since been rectified from what I understand.

Please contact me directly for any future purchases, not only are some discounts/credit well deserved for you on a future purchase, but I also would like to prove to you that I am capable and show you some of my best work, the work customers should be able to expect from me when purchasing from TBM.

Wart Hog

My Feedback: (22)

Bill, You have received two thumbs up from me for being a stand up guy and taking on the issues in this thread. I will contact you in the future for an order. I would like nothing more than to see TBM shine in the job they do. In this digital day and age our sport is suffering from a lack of personal service. I hope to speak with you and see what plane would look great parked in the pits next to the B-25.

Just a note: I just received an email from Mary at TBM with the tracking number for the nacelles. Thank you.