old ranger

Hello ,
after doing a bit of work on ol' joe, it is nothing more than a web page SCAM , ol' joe has not, i repete NOT , ordered ANY wood from superior balsa, he has NOT ordered wood from national balsa, and his last order from Mr. Wooton's place was aug 22/05 and he got @ 1000$ worth of wood and none since then.
KIT CUTTERS INC is a SCAM!!!!!!!!
Lets join forces and put this clown down for the count.
thank you, old ranger

GAP-RCU

Interesting. They're doing business in California as a corporation (with the 714 area code), but I couldn't find them in the Secretary of State database. The database appears to list all registered corporate entities, regardless of whether they are actually incorporated in California.

I'm not alleging that Kit Cutters, Inc. is not legit to do business in California, just that I can't find the public info about them with the SoS. Maybe someone who resides in California and who is familiar with the business requirements there can fill us in. Perhaps California doesn't require companies under a certain size, who are incorporated elsewhere (e.g. Delaware), to register. See the link below for searching corporate data.

http://kepler.ss.ca.gov/list.html

RBW_mich

Hello Old Ranger,

I also have orxdered some wood kits and paid the money for ordering the plans up in front.
As I live in Belgium I can not phone to the guy of the police.
Is it possible that you ask for his email so I can give them the complete story en perhaps get my plans or my money back??

Thanks,

Michel


real pilots are taildraggers

old ranger

Michel,
the cop's email is [email protected]
old ranger

Potawatomi13

Hi folks;
In Nov 2005 I ordered a kit from Kit Cutters and delivery promised in early Feb. No kit! After 3 more promised deliveries the last which was to be July 2006 and no kit........[]
I saw this thread and wrote to Joe asking if my kit was going to be delivered or not.....no answer[:@]. 2 weeks later I wrote and alluded to this thread and that he was probably going to get a visit from the cops[:@] and sorry it didn't work out, and I wanted his copy of my plan back rolled in a tube. THEN I heard from him saying he'd already sent my plan back and wanting shipping telling me he paid $20 to copy my plan. I simply said that I didn't think it was right that he should get a free copy of my plan when all I got was 8 months of aggravation. I got my plan back, rolled and free. Today I sent it to Cornell Michaels Kit Cutting in Michigan and trust that I will have a lot better results.[&:] Bill Kohler

old ranger

News from the trenches...................
I got my money and plans back, FINALLY!!!!!!! I did get some kind of "feel-sorry-for-me" letter and wasn't impressed with it.
Sir, we have answered your emails.
We give 6% and Paypal fees. That is our standard and is applicable even if you cancel you order after you kit is made. We have numerous transactions detailing these return standards.
We only communicate by email because this my son's business who cannot retain a job because of serve anxiety complex and dealing with the public is far too much for him to handle. (This being a case in point) Also, the customer's instructions will be correctly followed when we have the directions written in email rather than interrupted from a phone conversation 3 months ago.
As for the delay in production, we have been in Chicago taking care of my sister who has terminal lung cancer and when I'm gone, things slow down and communications are not handled. This is my your wing does not have a high priority at the moment.
Joe Hrkel

Kit Cutters Inc.
8771 Seaspray Drive
Huntington Beach CA 92646-2649
Heck of a note, and I personally don't believe a word of it. After all this, I am still preferring charges, and have communicated it to the powers that be as such. "return standards"= wait till the law gets involved, I seem to be having a problem with the "go to jail fund", seems that nobody want's to donate the pink lipstick or the cheap perfume, so I guess that they will have to do without!
old ranger

RBW_mich

Hello All,

I requested a few weeks back that I was tired of waiting and that we already would like to have a further look at my plans to decide what engines i shall buy in the future.
Suddenly last week I did receive the plans in a tube, nicely shipped but without any message.
So no harm done at this point... I liked the way the plans were shipped very nicely but now message with it...
So I emailed Joe to thank him for this shipment and that I would like to have final information of when my kits would be ready...

He replied nicely saying my kit (first will be ready end October en the second end this year)

So now I wait , will give you information when I receive any news... sure is that until now I waited and waited...but reading the previous mail of Old Ranger perhaps the health problems are true???

So time will bring clear information, have received plans as for what I paid until now , the rest will be in the future...

Greetings, and do not forget real pilots are taildraggers...

michel

ColinM

Just thought you guys might like to hear another story about Kitcutters and Joe Hrkel.

Back in June a friend and I decided we'd like to build the Don Smith 1/5th scale Tucano. I e-mailed Joe asking prices and delivery of full kits etc and he sent a very nice and professional e-mail back offering us delivery in late Sept and a 20% discount if we ordered 2 kits at the same time. He also offered to buy, direct from Don Smith, 2 sets of plan and the glass cowls and canopies we'd need. In case you don't know, Don doesn't take credit cards so it makes it difficult for overseas buyers to order stuff from him, but Joe said he'd buy them and include them with our wood kits when ready. He also said he didn't need the plans to cut the kits since he already had a set. I offered to pay him for the plans and cowls and canopies up front, since presumably he'd have to pay for those items from Don, but he said "no, he didn't need any money from us, we'd pay for the lot once the kits are cut and ready for shipment".

Then in late July my friend came across this thread on RCU. So I e-mailed Joe and asked him what's going on and gave him the link to this thread. Got a nice reply straight back as follows "We have gotten behind in our schedule and it looks like your kits will be completed late September or early October. If you wish to cancel your order, we will return whatever plans or money you have sent us. Joe Hrkel"

So that's where we sit at the moment. I haven't cancelled the kits but neither have I got the plans, canopies or cowls, but then I'm not expecting them till I get everything at the same time.

In all honesty I can't see where the scam, if it is a scam, is. He's taken an order from me but not as yet delivered, but then the original promised delivery date isn't here yet either. So far I've not paid him any money at all so he can't be accused of defrauding me in any way. So I really can't see what he's up to.

Maybe, just maybe he really is genuine but has got overloaded with work and just can't get the stuff out the door fast enough? Is it possible that if this really is his son's business and his son is just a craftsman who has problems handling people and complex decision making situations but is good at cutting kits but is very slow at it? Could it be that there's just too much work for his son to do? Knowing a couple of people who have medical conditions, I've found they can get very anxious if overloaded with work or if they have to make decisions, but if you just give them simple one off tasks to do, they're fine. It's overloading them that causes them problems. Of course this is all speculation and I'm not trying to make excuses for them, it's just that maybe there's another side to the story?

In his defence I will say IMHO KC has a very good website and communication seems very good too, but of course time will tell if he delivers the goods. If my kits turn up I'll let you know.

Out of interest, has anybody actually received kits from KC? Or know of anyone who has?

P-40 DRIVER

It seems amazing to me with the resources we have today such as RC universe, RC scalebuilder and such, that people still trust thier money to people who may or may not deliver the goods promissed. I don't get it; with so many good honest companies to do business with, why do you waiste your time and money on anybody who does not have a good reputation and a proven product. The RC community is a very trusting group of people, but use some common sense for god sakes. A fancy web site means nothing.[:@]

carlbecker

My Feedback: (3)

Well that seems to be the point. So far no one has mentioned that they have received any thing from him except a refund. If he could deliver then I would be interested in a kit. I suspect that you will receive an excuse of some sort. Then another, then another and give up. You have nothing invested so the only loss is time. I have no idea what the problem\business is. So far its not kit cutting.

Good luck

Carl

Ectomorph26

Except that every time someone orders a kit cut the guy gets a free copy of whatever plans they want cut. He can then do shady things with them like slightly altering them and selling them on E-bay.

actionjackson

My Feedback: (210)

WOW! I can't believe I came across this information. Thanks guys! I ordered a fuse kit back in Jan. of this year and was given a delivery date in May. I was charged for the plans immediately but I was patient and did not contact them until the end of June. I was then told they were behind but would get it to me by the end of July. I just checked the site today and there is a notice stating that they will try and get all pending orders filled by the end of the year. This seems like a shady operation to me. I haven’t heard from anyone who has actually received a finished kit from them. I guess I'll try and get them to send me the plans or a refund and call it a lesson learned. Next time I’ll do some research and save the aggravation.

DOC

My Feedback: (57)

I sent Kit Cutters my plans last November ! They promised a March delivery "still waiting"........... Good thing i ran across this thread, I just wonder if they will send my plans back!
Dennis O

carlbecker

My Feedback: (3)

Dennis,
You should ask for your plans back. That is 10 months from start and 1/2 year after delivery promise. So far no one gets kits cut from this company.

Carl

rwright142

Thanks to everyone for their input on this company. I was considering them as one of my suppliers for the Ziroli F4U kit I want to order. I will now remove them from my list of possibilities.

You've save me a lot of time!!!

Dai Phan

My Feedback: (2)

It still amazes me on how people go out of their ways to make some dishonest bucks. I can see their mentallity is like after robbing somebody's house "... they got insurance anyway or they don't even know it's missing...". I have also noticed that how they always come up with excuses for not delivering their promised goods such as " ... there's a death in family or I had to attend to an unexpected family emergency or my house was robbed and I lost all the records or so and so....". Well too bad for you. Send the kit or give the money back. I know I know.... it's all falling on deaf ears for those guys. DP

old ranger

Hello folks,
I have held my peace waiting for everyone else to see how kit cutters handels thier affairs. Excuses galore from them. NO KITS, REPETE, NO KITS have EVER been delivered to ANYONE (if there were, somebody would have chimed in by now,don't ya think????) by those CON artists CLAIMING to be a kit cutter. Don't waste time or money dealing with them, YOU WILL be the NEXT VICTOM !!!
I am still bringing charges against them, and if I have to go to Hunntington Beach California, I WILL see them in court.
And I have gotten my money and plans back. Messing with these folks is just like dancing on a land mine............nothing good will come of it. Cornell Michaels, Lazer Lizard and a few others would have you your kit in a month or less, and some of you have been waiting how long?????? If you are waiting for these folks, (and I do realize some of you have big hearts, and you are hoping things will go right.) BUT Stupid is as stupid does!!!!!!!
old ranger

jc286006

My Feedback: (3)

i have watched this thread off and on since it started i have a small kit cutting business and sell on ebay check my feed back for kits i have sold the name is jcoleman1960 if you are interested in any of my kits e-mail me at [email protected] my prices are very reasonable

rwright142

I've sent an email, curious as to your offerings. Very good feedback on eBay.

Dai Phan

My Feedback: (2)

Hello all,

Looks like someone is missing the boat when comes to this high demand market for kit cutting. If there is a company that specializes in kit cutting with reasonable fee and ON TIME delivery, it makes sense that they would be very profitable. How come no one jumps on the boat for this market except con artist????? DP

Nakajima

As I see it, laser cutting is not really a lucrative business. By the time you spend $30,000.00 on a laser and spend hundreds if not thousands of hours converting plans to digital formats and test cutting/assembling each one, it takes a lot of sales to turn a profit. When you factor in shipping damage, claimed missing parts, technical support, lack of kit builders today and the fact that you can buy an ARF for 1/4 of the price, you might as well just flush your money down the toilet - or go around ripping people off (if that's your thing!).

jc286006

My Feedback: (3)

laser cutting is definately costly as you can see laser lizard has branched out into motorcycle part engraving to make some of his investment back. i have a wood mill that i use to cut kits with and it wasnt near as costly but it will still take quite a few kits before im in the black.but this is just a parttime
indevour right now,im looking at this as a business for when i retire from my dayjob.

Ron91

I guess I'm not the only one having trouble with Kit Cutters Inc. I ordered fuselage formers for a 1/4 WACO in late July. He said he'd make a run in early August. I contacted him the first of September. He said he was behind schedule and would be working over Labor Day. I should get my stuff in a few days. It's now September 15th and no fuselage formers. I wish I had seen this post before I sent in my money. Has anyone had luck getting their money back?

ColinM

Well despite a couple more gentle reminders to Joe, still no kits turned up. Last message I had from him in October said delayed till November so I chased him again today, (Sunday 19 Sept) and just got a reply from him.

"We are swamped with work and are only producing about 2 kits per week so your order will be completed by the end of this year. Sorry for the delay but our production is just crawling along".

So maybe he needs more stafff if they've got that much work. Any of you looking for a job in California?

Impressed that he's "working" on a Sunday though

jsilvers

My Feedback: (219)

Even at 2 kits per week there should be someone around who has received a kit from these guys. Ask them for a reference that has received a kit and confirm they really are in business. Do yourself a favor and go to a reputable business (Cornell Michaels, The Aeroplane Works, Laser Lizard).