I've been waiting for my Yellow Ultimate to ship for 6 weeks now, and I'm getting a little frustrated. I call Sandy a couple times a week, and keep getting an excuse. I can understand delays because of the Holidays, the AMA show, Sandy being sick, etc., but the last two times I called the answer was a simple "We haven't shipped anything out this week".

OK, I figure maybe the solution was to cancel my order with DPM, and get it from Chief. Turns out that Chief is no longer carrying DPM because they were ALSO having too much difficulty with their customer service.

I really don't want to bash DPM. At least 99% of the comments regarding their products are positively GLOWING! Sandy seems to be a really sweet lady, and no one can argue that Dave has been anything but great for promoting the hobby. But it seems to me that when you are too busy to take care of your DISTRIBUTORS, what chance do I as a lowly customer stand of being taken care of?

This is really frustrating.

Sould be interesting to see how long it takes my PA-18 to arrive. They say March but I already told myself it will most likely be July.

I saw the Super Cub and went through the process of buying it online and just before I was about to press buy it, I paused and thought to myself. I bet those things aren't even built yet, let alone in the country.

I canceled an order for a 330L when first came out, our should I say didn't come out after waiting for far to long.

Somethings a miss there! Don't advertise until you have it in stock or have have reliable inventory coming in.

My new ultimate arrived one week after the latest shipment arrived from China. Test flew it Saturday and it was worth the wait for this great quality airplane.

I would imagine that dealing with manufacturing in CHINA, and the tremendous distances involved causes Dave and Sandy some world class headaches.

I've waited over six months now for a replacement cowl for a GP PW Extra. Now they are delayed again. OK. I can see that's the price you pay for getting this amazing stuf at a ridiculouly price.

So that's just the nature of doing business in the (ugh) 3rd mileniem. I guess the alternative is to go back to the hobby of kit or scatch building. I may be headed there now, only with smaller planes.

I think this giant scale thing is 90% advertizing hype anyway.

Fox35

Fox: call Stans Fiber Tech www.stansfibertech.com. He might have a fiberclass cowl for you extra. His website doesn't list it, but you should give him a call about it. He's willing to make just about anything. Great customer service, as opposed to. . . .well. . . .

Thanks, but the GP replacement costs $5.49 and comes painted with the cool checkerboard already in place.

I'd drive myself nuts trying to put the checkerboard on Stan's cowl. God, I have to wonder what they are paying those poor Chinese children, coolies, indentured servants or slaves to produce these things at that cost.

But I ain't painting or trimming Stan's cowl.

Welcome to the (ugh) 3rd millenium where Fox35 sells out his moral feelings for a stupid cheap pretty model airplane part.

Fox35

Quantum Models has not seen a single model of any kind from DP since the first small Ultimate was released. It looks like they want to cut out the dealers and go direct. That way he sells all the models for retail, controls the price, and puts all the money into his personal pocket. That would be great if his customer service did not suck, plain and simple. It has been this way since day one and it will never ever change. They sell everything they get, SO WHY WOULD THEY CHANGE. The real problem is not DP, it is everyone who keeps buying from him. If you cut off his testicles he will not be able to continue doing business like it is right now. Something has to change and the consumer has to be the one to make that happen.

RCPILOT:

I agree with most of what you say, however. . .

There is no reason that Dave would need to "cut out the dealers and go direct". If he didn't want to sell to dealers he would simply stop. It's his company, he can sell to whomever he wants.

The problem with the strategy of customers sticking together and not buying from them any more is that they sell diamonds, while everybody else sells . . . um. . . .well, something good, but not diamonds. If you want what most people say is the best 120 size Ultimate out there you have to take their crappy service with a smile, and deal with it.

As for the question of "what should they change?" Frankly, I don't think they can. I've never met Dave, so the rest of this is simple conjecture. I get the feeling that Dave is a perfectionest. As a perfectionest he simply cannot let someone else deal with the details of inspecting kits for quality, etc.. This leaves him in the un-enviable situation of having to do everything himself, and there is simply not enough time in the day to meet the demand for his product.

DAMMIT SEND ME THE PLANE THAT I ORDERD!!!

Well, I think they need to slow down a bit...

I ordered mine and was supposed to get the instrument panel; even spoke to them about it at the AMA show and it never came; emails unanswered.

I was missing about $20 in hardware and just bought it myself so I didn't have to deal with it and wait.

I think they are overwhelmed...

I find it easier to think of DP as an artist. He makes what he wants, when he wants and then sells when he wants. Since people like his art, it is in demand, and someone will always be there waiting to buy it. DP owes us nothing as long as he doesn't charge us way ahead of time and makes us wait while he has our money. The only person really getting short changed is DP (and maybe Sandy if she has profit sharing) since he could probably make a lot more money if he had a more reliable supply and distribution chain.

I ordered my Ulty 120 back in early July '03. The wait was frustrating because of the recurring cycle of them saying it was coming in a few weeks, only to be delayed by problems. But I wasn't charged any $$ until they got it in stock early Jan '04. I got the plane within two weeks of being charged, so I can't really complain. It's not the best situation to want something and have to wait, wait, wait... but I didn't have any money invested until it was ready to be shipped.

Sure, we'd love DP to have awesome service on top of an awesome product, but it's not a perfect world. So, unless they charged you and made you wait more than a few weeks, I don't think we can get too upset.

The only real problem it created for me was I bought other planes that I need to build, and my fun money for now is tied up in getting those going, so the premium components I want to buy for the Ultimate will have to wait a while.

Once I get this bird built and in the air, I'll forget about all the frustration of the waiting. I just hope it lasts a long time and I don't have to order a new one anytime soon. I've been thinking about ordering a spare, or at least getting on the list for the next shipment, whenever that is, just in case. I could always sell it later, probably for a little profit...

We wonder if its availability! The problem here lately is Sandy saying she has no one to help her open the boxes to inspect them so she can ship them out. Or is it that they have none in stock. I ordered mine at the show and Dave said he had a couple purple one's left. I called 2 weeks ago and Sandi thought they shipped out all the show sales but could'nt find my order. She finally found it but they probably dont have any purple one's left. A little honesty would help and it's hard to believe no one comes in for a week to help her open boxes!!!!

Maybe I'm getting less patient (or more impatient), but I refuse to reward poor customer service any longer (don't get me started on GM). In Frank's case, I would cancel my order and deal with the fact that I wouldn't get to have a diamond.

If, though, DP told you up front it would be a 3 month wait, then at least you would understand the rules before you opted to join the game (a la Litco). I continue to be amazed with the amount of "issues" people go through yet they continue to do business with those companies.

The above point about money is a good one. At least they didn't charge you yet. But to me that doesn't change a thing. You ordered an IN STOCK airplane. What they didn't tell you was that it was IN STOCK.... they just didn't know where.

Spare me the stories about being sick, on vacation, at a show or any other number of excuses of why you are not delivering what you promise. This is business... and it's bad.

PS, Frank,

Think back on why you didn't order the Cermark.

You're right Mike, as usual.

I'm going to play the waiting game. If DPM gets off their a** and ships the ulty before the EF Yak is available: fine. If not. . . .

Don't worry, when it arrives, you'll forget about the hassle. That is what keeps companies like this in business.... our ability to forget.

FYI- I'm definitely hoping you get it since it will be very cool! Plus, I'll get to fly it!!!!

Heck yea you'll fly it!! And if you wreck it, we'll just trade for Chloe . . . you might have to throw the Rustler in too. . . and the crossbow . . .

I personally have had great customer service from DP Models and on more than one occasion. As for canceling your order, do it that will show him, there is probably no one else waiting credit card in hand to take the order you cancel. Shea... as if. LOL

I just had great service from DPM. I had my blue 120 Ultimate on back order and when they came instock, i had it a few days later. It was a great deal through DPM, just had to wait a while for them to get in stock.

Well, I found out that they billed my card on Friday, so I assume this means that it'll ship soon.

If this thing flys as good as I they say I'm sure that I'll forget all about this delay and start thinking about that Edge.

Well it really is a shame that a good person, with a great product is taking advantage of a limited market. Dave knows there is no where else, this will not always be the case, to go to get planes like his. So why take the time, effort, and expense of providing good service. I mean he comes on here and reads that everyone is willing to take all he can throw at his PAYING customers. His customers are willing to pay good money to wait up to a year for their planes, they are willing to wait forever for replacement parts, they don't mind being lied to, they don't mind shipping errors, and just as long as the plane flies well, they are willing to go through all that again to buy another plane from him.

Why on earth would he want to change things?

I think it is time for compaines to stop going to 3rd world countries to have these things built. They need to find a way for these planes to be built, at a good cost, in the US so they can get better control of the process. No more massive wait on builds, shipping, etc......

If it was me, and it is, I would never buy another product, period, from DPM.

Just my thoughts.

Pugs

[sm=lol.gif] Suit your self.

Thanks, I will, however I have to ask you one question.....

I'll bet you don't allow this type of customer service in any other areas of your daily life, do you?

Pugs

I have had to order replacement parts twice and had many technical questions I needed answered, I had quick courteous service every time. DAMN those Happy Customers. LOL

That is good. Nice to hear they help out from time to time.

Where is the EF YAK made?

If the buzz about it is as good as the videos look, that will probably be the next plane that I buy. The DP Edge looks nice, but that YAK is such an unusual subject . . .