Originally Posted by
jkeze
Well I received my VIper this morning after I placed the order 8 months and 3 days. Here is my tale of woe.Placed the order with Brett on 11/26/14. I was told it was in stock but a day or two later they either called or emailed me saying no it was not. If ordered it the delivery date would be mid February. I thought they would be ok as I live in Michigan and we don't fly our good stuff in the winter. In mid Feburary I called and was told Chinese New Year would postpone it another month to late March. As if nobody knew the New Year celebration hasn't happened every year during this month. Comes late March and again another delay now late AprilComes late April and again another delay now late MayComes late May and again another delay. Now they say some 1/5 F-16 are waiting for parts. Meanwhile mine has been done for a while according to Brett. I believe they are just trying to fill up the container with the later orders. Call again and ship should be leaving in June sometime and take about 4 weeks on the water with another week or two to get off loaded and sent to Chief in Florida.Was called last week and told the container would be arriving the next morning and mine would be sent our later that day. Looked at my credit card statement and did the math with the deposit I put on it and found shipping a 2m Viper was $450 from Florida to Michigan. Emailed Brett and asked where is the savings. I could have had it sent from china direct for that much probably. Brett emailed me back and that had changed the invoice price of the plane to the new higher price and it also included wing bags for 79 which I didn't order. He told me at first they would take off the wing bags and get them sent back to Chief later. A bit later I received an email telling me they turned the shipment around so they could open the box and take out the wing bags. I wonder how much that cost them to do that. A side note every time I called and could not speak to Brett I would leave a message with the girl that answered the phone, I never got a call back. I always had to all them.After they fixed the invoice the final shipping from Florida to Michigan was $183. For about 3-400 I could have had it direct maybe shipment. Not much of a savings with the long delays. I think for the 100 class size aircraft its best to forget this method of buying. Maybe for the bigger aircraft it might make sense if you are not in a hurry, Maybe chief should think about having the container leave the factory on certain dates with whatever orders are done for customer and fill the rest of the container with planes for stock.
Jack, Thanks for your constructive criticism, as I am going to take it that way. We all here know about the unusually long wait time to receive this container. There is no denying that fact; however, we have done everything we can to try and apologize for the long wait time. Many factors, many behind the scene, out of public knowledge contributed to this delay, and for that again we apologize. We are working better and harder to avoid such troubles in the future. As for an FYI for all here the last planes we submitted to make this container was the first week of December. No other orders past that make this shipment. The PO we submitted to Skymaster was confirmed mid December and no order planes could be added. So to say we delayed to best fill a container is false. Have you seen the pictures posted earlier with a half empty container? Once work got started at the factory we did have some customers modify small detail of their planes. Not knowing, on our end, it did end up causing some delays. We know now and have learned!! Now for more direct details about this particular post. For starter again sorry for the small corrections we had to make to finalize this order before shipping to Michigan. Never was the shipping quoted at $450. You did order the plane at $XXXX amount and added a fuel tank. Since that time the factory did raise the price approx. $200. So once your plane landed in the states and it came time to complete the invoice it was shown at the new higher price. The people handling this department do not know of any price chances new or old before processing your payment. And yes, wingbags did get added at the factory, and added to your invoice total. So for a total overage from the new price of $200 and wingbags at $79 + $183 shipping you claim shipping is now $450? Really? You emailed me, slightly after my normal business hours, and I emailed back right away on my drive home. I turned around came back and had the invoice corrected and UPS return the plane so the wingbags could be removed. All said and done this invoice/payment correction was handled that same day, at the agreed lower price with the plane shipped the following day minus bags. Chief thanks you for your business and your post, although a bit misrepresented, but in the end all is spelled out and good to go.....happy flying!!!!