The "NEW" Tower hobby???
 

I write this just to tell anyone of my last experience with the NEW Tower hobby. I have been a Tower fan and customer for many years now and I would estimate that I have spent enough money there over the years to buy a new car. But my last purchase was a terrible experience. I had a servo defective and it lists on the web site a one year warranty. I Emailed with the info and got back a standard response letter that we will look into it. After a few days with no response I Emailed again, Same response. After 7 days with no contact I tried the on line ask site on the web site. Well it took 3 days to get it to not say all of our operators are busy and let me type a message in.. Then there was no send button !!! I emailed again and that went nowhere. I got there phone number on the internet (it is not on the web site anymore) and called. The first girl I talked to said she could not help me and sent me to some other dept. After waiting 1/2 hour I hung up. I got an E mail the next day saying that we are very busy and will respond asap.and give me all the detail of the purchase again. That was 3 days ago and you guessed it no response. You know its only a crummy $18.00 servo and not worth the fight. I can afford to buy another somewhere else which I did. Its the ethics of the thing that bothers me. Tower used to have a reputation of excellence. Since the merger or take over with Horizon it has all gone down hill. You know they say support your local shops which I do when I can but I though Tower was an American company. Keep supporting them. Well now I have a different point of view. I guess we all have to experience some down issues in life but I never would have guessed it would include Tower Hobby. Just my thoughts on the issue Good Luck.

I had a problem a while back with an item that I ordered . Product wasn't what the package label described. I to looked for a phone number. No phone number listed on the web site. Though that was a little strange . So I sent an email notice telling then I needed a new part. In about 2- 3 weeks I got a new part.

Looks like every thing customer related is gone. No phone contact number. Previous orders are not available for view. No way to cancel or change orders. I don't even see a way to log in or out. Hope they are just updating things.

Just an update. Tower did contact me about 4 days later and said they will honor the warranty. I did receive the servo in the mail with an extra one to boot !!! I think that Tower is trying to do the best in trying times but I hope the delays and runarounds end. With the high unemployment in this country you would think they would not have a hard time getting help?? Maybe its a business that wants to run on limited labor but the customer service suffers. Time will tell. Just to let you know they did provide the proper service although not in a timely manner.

Yeah I totally agree Tower is nothing like it used to be. It's sometimes hard to even just buy a servo extension. But, I still keep an eye on them. Last October I picked up a

Sport .46-.55 GP EP ARF 60"

for $89 shipped. So don't rule them out. I miss the old Tower though.

I miss the old Tower and Hobby Lobby and Great Planes and kits and 20 different lines of glow engines and so on....... Still waiting for that flat monokote olive drab that never seems to get unloaded from the boat......

I always liked the old catalog. The ones that had 3 columns per page. I would go through the catalog and read each add to make sure I didn't miss anything.

I still watch the website but it is so difficult to find some things. I have found many problems and mentioned them to the website and they never get corrected. They used to be the only place for glow stuff and now it has slipped. I understand that market is changing but you would have a captive market if you just offered some things that are rare and hard to find. I think that business models don't allow for you to leave the system but if I were selling I would like to make a profit on a sale and keep selling even if my margin was lower. Making some money is better than not selling the item and making zero. Hope for the best.

the hobby lobby near me sells aged white-wash picture frames with an image of a donkey wearing sunglasses in it.

at least you're sells relevant hobby stuff :)

Does anyone know what happened to the founder of Tower Hobbies, Bruce Holocek?

Ya when horizon hobby bought out tower hobbies I think they cut their balls off. I don't even waste my time on them anymore they used to be the best in the business. To bad horizon didn't pick up there business plan.

I remember reading about 10 yeas ago that he took the money and ran like heck! Sold the company back to the employees which often means the business is going down hill and no one else can be found to buy it. At the time I told all my friends that the end of Tower Hobbies was near. Seems I was right.

Could be the debt the employees took on to finance the purchase was a bit too much.

I have no idea where he is now but I’m certain he is happy he cashed out when he had the chance.

I have since learned Bruce Holocek moved to Naples, Florida and became involved in some other type of business.

The online ask button. Just type agent.
keep repeating that until it allows you past the damn computer. Also, they only work 9 am to about 7 pm cst usa.

I had a issue with a simple speed controller. I left my number with them in the chat and suggested time to call...and they did. Dang I was so surprised. Person even spoke decent English 👌. Issue was resolved. So I gave them a 🌟 star so the day...but just one day.

Old companies are bought up and reduced to the bare minimum in every way possible. Covid has devastated some companies older experienced employees.