HobbyKing Shipping vs The Rest

[Tony]

I think this debate will go down in time. Hobbyking customer service, more specifically the shipping, vs the rest of the places to buy things in the USA. For this, I'm talking about the USA warehouse just to compare them.

Sunday, I made an order from the HK USA warehouse and paid as I usually do, with paypal. this time, unlike the last, the payment went through and things were getting under way. Great, I thought.

Monday comes, still processing

Tuesday, it's been put into the que for packing.

Today, still in teh Que for packing.

I made an order with amainhobbies early this morning for WAY more items than I purchased from HK, I"m talking 4x the items, and I have already received a tracking number and it's already on its way!

What the hell is HK doing? Do their parts need to marinate in their "special sauce" for a few days before they can ship them?

A USA based company like Horizon, amain, helidirect, readyheli, and many others, will ship your stuff out as fast as they possibly can because it helps them keep business. And it's their business that I will keep giving them because of this. If it wasn't for needing to do some videos with HK's stuff, I would have never ordered from them. I just don't see how a company can screw so many people and still be in business...

/...

 

[Westy]

yeah.... HK are supper slow ..... I go for the PRices ... and just put it on the back burner as I know they stuff around for up to a week!.....

and then it sits in the boot locker of some sing post workers for another 7-10 day ... and then it might ship out!

 

[Tony]

It's just stupid that a company can be run like this and still be around. As I stated, I would not have made my order if it wasn't for the current and future members of this forum. I have not had a single good order with them yet. Hell, the one that actually shipped half way quick (3 days... from the int warehouse), I received my tail boom BROKE IN HALF!!! No, not bent, BROKE!!! No damage to the two canopies in that order, one of which was the one you saw on the 600 in the latest video. They packed it this way!!! Then, would not send me a replacement when I showed them proof with an unopened package. Simply ridiculous.

 

[Derek]

I absolutely agree...but with an exception.

Now, I've ordered parts from A Main Hobbies (in California) and they have had each of my orders to me within 4 days...most of the time it was 3 days. I don't care who you are or what you say...3 days to get my parts to me (in Indiana) is very satisfactory.

I've ordered parts from Grayson Hobby (in Georgia) and I get the same shipping results as A Main Hobbies...3-4 days. Awesome!

Now....Hobby King....from the US warehouse (I believe they are in Washington State)...I've placed nearly 16 orders from them and I get my parts about 5-7 days after I placed my order. Yes, the box that I get from them has everything that I've ordered (each time) and no, I've not had anything faulty from them, thus far. However, I sure do wish they would get their act together about their shipping times.

 

[Westy]

makes you want to make the delivery man to wait .... and refuse acceptance if they are going to be like that...

 

[Tony]

The only reason I didn't jump down their throat for the tail boom is because it's only a $0.66 piece. No matter, I have brand new Align tail booms on the way for all my heli's. amainhobbies FTW!!!

 

[Derek]

Yep...I've gotten very fond of A Main Hobbies! Yes, their prices are usually a bit more than Hobby King...but the delivery and service is just "top notch" IMO.

 

[Tony]

A bit higher, but you are getting not only quality service and a company that strives on customer satisfaction, but you are getting quality parts that you KNOW are going to work. I have received ONE bad part from them, and it was in the mail, no questions asked the next day. I was ready for a debate like with HK, but dude, they just said to hell with is and made it right. Most of their items are in stock and if I need it, all I have to do is spend $25 (not that hard in this hobby lol) and I get free shipping. If I spend $150, then I get a discount. When I spend so much, I get a store credit. Yeah, HK has something like that, but not. Most of the things that you do for their store credit gets denied because they don't wnat to pay. amain? It's the same every time!

i will be so glad for the day when I never have to order from them again.

If you have not figured this out, any of you, this is my own little personal rant page so that I don't have to take a trip to washington lmao. Even though, I could get my parts a HELL of a lot faster by driving up there... UGH!!!!!!1

 

[Stambo]

I use HK regularly, mainly for the price but I do have to say even here in New Zealand it is quicker to buy from US sellers.
Having said that, I know the wait times and try and keep myself well stocked with things that I may need.
If I am getting low on props I make sure to order before my last one is broken and then usually make an order for anything else I may need to use up the shipping I have paid for.

 

[Karubah]

I have found A Main good to deal with, parts from the US turn up in Aus in around 7-10 days after sitting at the customs mail inspection for 1-3 days. Hk is good if I am buying from The Aus warehouse but if its from the US then sit back and watch the paint dry 4-5 weeks for 1 little order that you could put in a letter. The stuff from Hong Kong is usually about a week. I try not to get anything from the states as the postage is often more than the parts. I cant follow that as the shipping from Hong Kong is almost nothing.

 

[corsair_pilot]

I agree with what everyone has said about HK.
For those in Aus there is a decent hobby shop that I've found, postage and price is very reasonable, and I've had many chats and advice from them. My only dislike about one of the guys there is that he is a bit Futaba pushy, but then he does sell everything.
The company is called RC Crew and are based in Bankstown. They are my not so local LHS and well worth the trip when i've gone out there, and happily post at the cheapest rate they can find.
Hopefully their website will be up soon, and the best part for me is they will soon be Goblin stocked

- - - Updated - - -

The issue I have is I know how much they paid for the goblins

 

[pvolcko]

I've had good luck with HK so far. I've only ever really ordered batteries from them though. Usually ship the same day or next and arrive in 2-3 days. I've had to return one item for refund (my fault, ordered the wrong item) and they gave me an RMA and shipping address no problem and got the refund within 1 week of their receiving it.

That said, I prefer Go Nitro for most parts orders. For the 550X and parts/tools they don't have, A Main or HeliDirect. Also started buying parts from Hopmeup (ebay store) and have had good experience with them too.

With respect to HK shipping already broken items... That's bad, but I'm not sure I'd cast all of HK with it. They do a lot of business and they don't have control over every employee every moment of the day. People do stupid things, sometimes in order to get back at the company that employs them or to make their boss look bad under cover of the anonymity their large high volume business provides. They should have shipped another one PDQ, especially for such a cheap part, yes. But gotta believe they have a hard time believing one of their minions did something that stupid.

 

[Tony]

Your last sentence says it all. They trust their employees over their customers. which in some cases is great, but in others, not so much. And I'm sure you like GoNitro, they are right there in the same state as you lol. One day shipping FTW.

 

[Stambo]

I cannot get the Aus warehouse to ship to NZ.
Seems stupid to ship something from China when it's stocked in Aus.

 

[Westy]

mine finally moved one more tick! .... jjust gotta show shipped ... and here comes my Bluetooth adaptor for my IKON

 

[Tony]

Mine has shown printed for three days. Im about to cancel the order and purchase somewhere else. This is just stupid.

 

[Lee]

Well somewhere else from HK i would recommend is HawkRC. I ordered parts 5 days ago, and they just arrived at my door New tail parts for my warp. Now i just need to find time to fly it

 

[pvolcko]

And I'm sure you like GoNitro, they are right there in the same state as you lol. One day shipping FTW.

I wish. Usually two days, sometimes three.

 

[Tony]

Just checked again when I woke up and it's still shown as 3 checks, or "Printed". They must be building this helicopter for me, how awesome is that!!!!!!!!!.....

 

[idon'tknow!]

Just checked again when I woke up and it's still shown as 3 checks, or "Printed". They must be building this helicopter for me, how awesome is that!!!!!!!!!.....

lol that would be nice... a premade heli... when I ordered from HK i got what I wanted in around a little over 2 weeks, with some parts were missing, since than I've turn my back on HK and can proudly say i've only been through the CS once, and hopefully the last! If you don't mind slow shipping it isn't that bad, but im the type that checks tracking numbers ever hour. And if i've said it once I've said it a million times I LOVE HELIDIRECT! next day shipping for half the price most places charge me, + great CS, and parts... I just can't have it better, and also if I wished I could drive there and pick off the shelf what I want, or return as well, just a 40 minute drive on the freeway.