ORIGINAL: BillJohnson

Went to HK UK tday and met and talked to Scot for about 40 mins very interesting it was too. Picked up my boat and excellent it is to

ORIGINAL: Sessholvlaru

A few of us at our club have gone so far as to suggest that our LHS stocks up on Hobby King batteries, motors, esc's and such and start re-selling them. I would happily pay $25 for a $15 li-po to support the LHS and not wait for shipping. Our suggestions met with laughter, but the LHS is still claiming poverty.

We all know the LHS's are hurting with all the direct-from-China stuff...why not just ride the wave?

ORIGINAL: Luchnia

A few dollars more for HK items here locally would be a decent deal for a lot of folks. You are correct, having the stuff on hand is huge for some folks.

ORIGINAL: RacerPaul15


A very good idea! A few of my friends began buying HK components from me when I had extras and were happy to pay a few more dollars for shipping and not having to wait 2 to 4 weeks for shipping to the US!

Also the components such as Orange receivers, Satelite recievers, servos, esc's and such were already tested and if any were N G I took the burden of chucking them in the bin or sending back for credit.

In fact, I was encouraged to expand my efforts to stock and test parts for my mates and also have been offering them here in the classified section with some small success. Have a bit of a following of repeat buyers and all seem to be happy with the service!

I'm not taliking big time here... but some find it worth paying a few dollars for the guarantee and availability of having components on hand in days not weeks or months.

I have had no problem returning items for credit, yes it takes weeks and weeks for the credit to show but in the long haul you get something back for the 6 dollar item that costed 2 dollars to send back to China.

LHS types would do well to at least stock Lipo's and motors. There are online websites that mark up HK components for resale in the US... PM me for a few links to US vendors of HK components... And truth be told, besides my classifieds here on RCU, I have a website in progress to carry HK products underway. PM me if you are interested in the link as I don't want to be flamed for shameless promotion! LOL!

Some products such as the new Gyro Stabilizer that HK claims is created in house cannot be found elswhere and have some merit... where else can you get a 3 axis gyro stabilyzer for around $15 plus freight??? ( well freight... t could be a problem).

I agree with previous posts... Foamies, electronic components, lipos and assorted doo dads are a good value from HK, Large items and higher priced stuff... not so much.

Regards
Paul

ORIGINAL: VictoriaP

Here are some pics of the damage to my Hawk. Repairable by someone with skill. I also waited over 7 months and am still waiting on China but the UK gave me a new fuz.

Marcs is your damage much worse than this

ORIGINAL: marc s
Dom, I'm getting it sorted as a friend who travels to the HK depot is going to help me resolve - interesting that one click on the link you provided immediately says 'denied access' - gotta love em..........
marcs

ORIGINAL: BillJohnson
I have found the counter collection service to be very good at the UK warehouse

ORIGINAL: topspin

I just want to know what you'll be spending your hundred bucks on this month, Dathi?

ORIGINAL: BillJohnson

I am told that the HK Hawk, L59 and the other 90 mm fiberglass EDF Jets are soon to be discontinued and a new line introduced. I have found the counter collection service to be very good at the UK warehouse

ORIGINAL: DominicM


Very good for what? Collection (which is about as simple as it gets)? Or them dealing with issues (e.g. missing or damaged parts)?

ORIGINAL: RCUFan


Denis, Bigplumbs, Vicpr, victoriap, bertieboner, now 'bill'

Do you have a financial interest in HK uk, you seem to promote them allot?

ORIGINAL: VicPr


The Hobby King outlet in the UK employing local people is 2 miles from me so isn't that buying local

ORIGINAL: RCUFan

'Bill',

You must know this chap above here given he lives right near you. he seems to have dissappeared from posting on here though........

Anyway welcome to rc jets considering you have had all these jets and only joined today then welcome.

off to bed no its too late for me now

ORIGINAL: BillJohnson
Both. I went in to collect an item and took my damaged Hawk fuz from China (That I had been waiting on a replacement from China for over 7 months) and they replaced it for me. Not sure this is standard procedure but thy did it for me but then I have bought loads from them. When you collect a kit/item from the UK warehouse they offten open the box so that you can look at the item to ensure it is ok and not damaged. I have visited to collect about 6 times so far and each time the product has been fine so no need for any action from HK. I am sure however if the item was damaged they would give you another one on the spot assuming they had one.

Interesting also that when I visited yesturday my LHS Owner whos business sadly went to the wall 2 months ago was working in the warehouse for Hobby King

ORIGINAL: marc s
If I can get pics to upload (RCU not playing ball so far today) then I will just for those doubting dudes.

marcs

ORIGINAL: DominicM

Blimey...out of 7 pages we've finally got a useful post. Hurrah! Sounds like Marc's mate may get some help then.

Let us know how it goes Marc.

ORIGINAL: marc s

Bill or whatever your name is as I stated very early on the 'level' of damage is not relevant - its damaged and thats that - I am not spending my time fixing it, it was advertised without damage and thats how I want it - simple!

If I can get pics to upload (RCU not playing ball so far today) then I will just for those doubting dudes.

marcs

So in my world repair would be the best option

ORIGINAL: LGM Graphix

Sadly, what still seems to be lost in all of the Hobby King Hoopla, is that we as society are encouraging poor customer service if the price is low. But what happens when all of the LHS's are gone, nobody has inventory locally for the simple things like glue, or any of the other things that you don't think about that you might need immediately to go flying tomorrow? How long will it be before China produces a copy of a Porsche and sells it for only $5000? Will this same society buy those cars and make comments like "Yeah, I'm laid up in the hospital now with tubes running out of me because my copy car had an axel break, who knew plastic wouldn't work, but it's ok because it was only 1/20th the cost of a real porsche.

Part of the problem with the inexpensive HK stuff, is people are willing to say "yes, I know it won't last, or it might show up broken, but it was cheap" and they are happy to have 20 airplanes today instead of having 2 or 3 really nice ones that always work, that you can rely on, like it used to be. I've been in this hobby 30+ years and it amazes me each time I see people go flying with an entire fleet of small electric airplanes, sure, they look different, but how many really fly different enough to be worth dragging all of them out?

I just wanted to comment on the above paragraph.. You mention 2 or 3 really nice planes that always work? I have several Hobbyking planes that ALWAYS work.. this Spitfire has over 800 flights in the past two years and still flies exactly the same as day 1.. It cost me $69....

I have a hobbyking helicopter that cost $59 and has over 1000 flights.. zero problems.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRaI0t4n5Do

It flies just as nicely as my $700 Gaui from a Hobbyshop..

I have been in this hobby since 1978 and flew those "really nice planes" you are referring to.. I had them for over 20 years.. flying an average of 4-8 flights per week.. eventuallyi lost interest because I could only afford a few planes and they became boring.. also the mess of glow fuel just annoyed after 20 years....

3 years ago I came back to the hobby and now only fly electrics.. in the past 3 years I have flown more than 20 times the number of flights of the previous 31 yeas.. and it has been the most fun I have had in this hobby.. Charge 20 batteries and fly all day.. no mess no fuss..

I have over 25 different planes and over 15 helicopters, and they all fly Differently.. truly I enjoy each one for its unique character. I have even fitted them to different radios and set up different stick tension to give varying tactile feedback for each genre..

But also.. flying the planes is no challenge at all now after 34 years... I am not even aware of what I do with the sticks.. I like flying because I enjoy wathing the planes fly around me..

Like a mini air show.. Who wants to go to an airshow and watch the same plane flying all day.. variety is the spice of life..

I'll get off my soap box now... just my opinion and it works for me.. I love this hobby now more than I did as an excitable 14 year old firing up his first glow engine..

I don't know, I ordered once from HK and the 2 batteries I bought were both DOA. That is a 100% failure rate for me. Doesn't mean it is for everyone, or even half of their customers, but for this one customer it was enough to make me realize that, sure, the local hobby shop might cost more, in the case of these batteries the local hobby shop had the exact same turnigy batteries and they were about 40% more than I paid for the ones from HK with the shipping, but had I bought them from the LHS, I could have brought them back and gotten replacement ones. Sure, HK said they'd exchange them, but the return shipping was just a little MORE than the original purchase price meaning my "good deal" would have cost more than the LHS. (I was never given an option of sending a picture, this was a few years ago, they required me to return the batteries).

Thank you for a real world experience.. its pointless saying HK is crap without any real evidence.. sorry to hear you had a 100% failure rate with those batteries.. that is just incredibly bad luck... I have personally bought over 40 different Lipos from HK and only 1 was DOA.. my friend has bought more than 50 and all have been perfect..

I'm not stating that to be a HK basher, but to show that there comes a time when we need to think more long term about our hobby, think about the people locally who TRY to support our hobby. Nobody gets rich owning a hobby store, this thread is proof enough of that, modellers are some of the cheapest SOB's in the world.

Here is another perspective... I started back in this hobby with a Futaba 6EX, and an EDF F-18... This got me hooked.. I bought the HK Spitfire and then bought a Futaba 7C from a local hobbyshop..

This got me further hooked, I bought more models, more RX's from Hobby Shops, more Transmitters..

Basically thanks to Hobbyking.. the local hobby shops in Perth have gained over $6000 from me.. 2 x DX8s, 1 x DX7s, 2 x Futaba 8FGs, 2 x JR 11xs.. Yes, lots of radios.. but I am addicted to this hobby..

Without hobbyking I probably would not have bothered coming back to the hobby... Thanks to Hobbyking the Local Hobby Shops have make lots of extra sales..

Read any of the HK forums about helicopters.. a majority of people, including myself will upgrade critical parts on their HK Helis with genuine parts from a Hobbyshop..

I have 12 HK helicopters.. and that has required 12 receiveds.. 8 are genuine Futaba bought from hobby shops....


But when you go to buy your next airplane, your next battery, whatever, consider that when the LHS closes because they simply get no modeller support anymore, you won't even be able to buy glue to fix your airplane when it shows up damaged in the box, or after you crash it.

I can't agree with this from my own experience.. the HK aircraft all turned up perfectly.. as per my previous post. serveral planes bought at local hobby shops were damaged in the box...

It is just my opinion, so take it for what you will, but for any of you that work, that earn a paycheck, more importantly, that might own a business, how does it make you feel when you lose out on work to asia, or even take asia out of the equation, how do you feel when you've invested large in your job/company, and know you do quality work, but you lose out on jobs because of the backyard guy doing mediocre work, under the table, offering to do jobs for less than your cost. Stings doesn't it, well, when you buy stuff from HK, that is what you're doing to the LHS.