The guy sounds like a bit of a nob, especially when three generations of your family have used the shop, however....if that's Hi-Tec's policy, then that's Hi-Tec's policy, there's not a lot he can do about that, also, he has to ask you all those very annoying questions, 'did you try reversing the servos?', and other stupid stuff like that, because there are a lot of retards out there who think they have the expertise to set the things up correctly when they don't. Take it from me, I am an IT consultant, and every-damn-body is an expert. It drives me NUTS. People pay me loadsa money to ignore my advice, it's insane.

Anyway, bad experiences, yes...in England (Surrey) there's a very large reputable hobby shop, I don't mind naming them, they're called 'Mick Charles Models'. The people in there are a nightmare, they look like they couldn't be more bored to help you and throw their eyes to the sky if you don't ask a mastermind type question. They seem to believe that if they don't know you from the racetrack, you are scum and know nothing. I stopped going there after giving them thousands of dollars (pounds), and getting nothing but crap in return.

On the other hand, in Greece, my LHS (Fanatix Models - www.fanatix.gr) is the greatest, the guys are fantastic, they let people go behind the shop and look at the parts that are not on display, UNSUPERVISED, they give me credit whenever I ask for it (suppose I have spent quite a bit of money there though), plus they run the local racetrack, so they are always close by for advice, which they give freely without patronising (they also only charge $20 for a full days practise at a world class track). On the other side of Athens is another LHS which is more like the English one, but I don't give a toss, they're Mugen dealers and can take a running jump, I only buy fuel there and only when I can't be bothered to go to the good one which is sadly, much further away.