Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/05/20) */ Mr [redacted] 's Savage Octane was serviced by us and test runWhen it left our facility, it was in perfect shapeWhen he contacted us saying he was still having problems, we again sent him a prepaid label for him to send it back to us an no charge to himThe UPS prepaid label was E-mailed to him on 4/13/so he could return his Octane to usMr [redacted] never used the labelWe would be happy to send him another prepaid label to get his buggy back to us so we could fix it again All he has to do is contact us again and we will E-mail him a label Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2015/05/29) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) My 1st problem with all this is that saying the truck was in perfect shape is anecdotalIt wasn't in perfect shape when I sent it to them and it wasn't in perfect shape when I received it backSecond problem is that I bought a new ignition system for the engine, installed the new part now the engine seems to want to run againThis is what I have suspected the Whole time as being the problem and now it is fixedI sent an item for warranty service that came back nonfunctional and I have seemed to been able to fix this out of my own pocketIt is obvious that sending the truck back for warranty service is a huge waste of my time and money
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/06/17) */ The customer sent us an E-mail on June 4th detailing her problem but not identifying which cars she hadWe responded the same day asking for the make and model of the cars she hadShe is yet to give us that informationAt this point we do not even know if they are our product Once we know they are ours, we will be happy to send her a prepaid label for her to send them in to us and we will fix and test run them prior to sending them back to her As for her demand of a refund, she did not buy them from us so we cannot refund her moneyShe would need to deal with the place of purchase for that to happen Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2015/06/18) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I sent photos of the cars and photos of the receipt and photos of the manuals to show what they were! I was told by the place I bought them that I had to deal with the maker of the car! I think these places are trying to scam a yr old out of over dollars! I don't feel comfortable sending the cars from Michigan to Illinois until I know I am getting my $ back!
We placed the order for parts when we spoke to the customer, and the order was shipped on 1/25/This included tracking information that shows that it was delivered to the address we were given by the customerWe are reaching out to the customer to send the parts again, but are asking that they verify the shipping information
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2016/02/12) */ Tower Hobbies takes the 'remove me from your mailing and email list' request seriouslyWe do so immediately upon request but the mailing list are built in advance so we typically explain that you are removed but may receive any pending mailings (including emails) we have in process but after that you will get no more We do not find this email address or mailing address in our data base to receive mailings so they were successfully removed I will not email the consumer this explanation as they asked for cease of communications but if they read this they are welcome to contact me at [email protected] attn: Manager if they are getting mail or email to an address they did not provide in this complaint
Order [redacted] was placed on 12/30/(Friday) @4:PM CSTThe estimated arrival date quoted on the shipment was a delivery between 1/and 1/11/Tower Hobbies uses UPS and we do not ship on Saturday or SundayMonday 1/2/was a national holiday for New Years and no shipments shipped that day as wellThis order shipped on 1/3/UPS did encounter severe weather while in transit and order was delayedMr [redacted] refused shipment so it was returned to Tower HobbiesOrder [redacted] was placed on 1/4/(Wednesday) at 4:PMThis order shipped Thursday 1/5/The quoted estimated arrival for this order was between 1/and 1/10/This order also was delayed with UPS due to the same severe weather as the previous packageMr [redacted] refused this shipment as well and it was returned to Tower HobbiesTower Hobbies successfully filled these two orders in a timely manner and UPS only delayed the package due to severe weather (act of God)Mr [redacted] sent us numerous emails with demands of an immediate refund, cursing, threats, etcI told him that we would refund when the packages were returnedBecause we filled the orders in good faith and paid the shipping on these packages (Tower Hobbies paid, not Mr [redacted] ) both ways, we assessed a 15% re-stocking feeWe do publish this in our written policiesThe refund of $for invoice and the refund of $for invoice [redacted] were processed to the Credit Card issuing bank on 1/19/There is no additional pending business on these transactions [redacted] Retail Sales & Service ManagerTower Hobbies
I am rejecting this response because:Firstly, my bank provides for my fraud protection and they are quite adept at it Secondly, no one would steal any delivery from my property in the small town I live in.Thirdly, my bank is now overdrawn and I have several overdraft fees to the amount of close to due to this company.Fourth, it has now been five days and Tower Hobbies STILL has not released both charges from my bank account Every time I haver bought things online and then canceled the order, the cancellation was the same day Not in this case, it's still a FULL negative amount for the entire amount into the next WEEK.Lastly, I had to report this to my bank as a fraud from TOWER and have a new card sent, and now I have overdraft fees as well as having to update ALL my billing info for utilities, etc
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2016/10/07) */ I, the Manager in charge of the Service and Support Division, spoke to the customer after his conversation with the SupervisorHe thanked me for speaking to him and verbally communicated that everything was okay I apologize if the customer believes he was mistreated or spoken to in an inappropriate mannerWe are a reputable company and have been in business for many yearsWe take measures to monitor phone conversations to ensure things like that don't happen The customers radio was fixed free of charge and shipped the day we spoke to him, 10/5/He was emailed the tracking information
Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/04/22) */ If Mr [redacted] is an innocent party, we regret that he hasn't been able to order with usUnfortunately Tower Hobbies was a victim of fraud and there are links to Mr [redacted] information (address, ph and/or email address)different names have been provided with linked information and at this point we just cannot recognize who we can trust so chose to not do any business with anyone using any of this common informationWe simply must take some action to protect our business when we don't know who to trust in such an eventFraud has numerous victims and Mr [redacted] may also be a victim but we simply cannot prove he is not and cannot risk further lossWe regret that we have to stick with our decision to not do business with anyone at this address, phone or email address
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/05/26) */ I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with Mr [redacted] explaining to him that fly-aways are not covered by the warrantyThe warranty only covers manufacturing defectsAs I tried to explain to Mr [redacted] , it is incumbent on the pilot to keep the drone in sight and in control at all timesThese drones do not have the ability to fight any kind of wind and [redacted] be swept away in a matter of secondsHe kept telling me he was a lawyer and would be taking us to court over thisHis contention that both the radio system controlling the drone and the one receiving the FPV signal failed at the exact same time is ludicrousIt appears that he let it get too far away and could not see the drone to control it or the wind blew it away Further, I did not refuse to give my name to himI told him my name was [redacted] and I gave him my tittle: Senior Manager of Service and SupportOur Company has a policy that bars us from giving out our last name Also, I have personally examined the transmitter that Mr [redacted] sent to usThe returned transmitter had both control sticks broken offThey were not in the box so it is clear that they were broken off before Mr [redacted] sent the transmitter back to usThe batteries were indeed old and corrodedLastly, there was no copy of the receipt of purchase as we had requestedIn spite of these new facts of the broken off sticks and clearly corroded batteries (which surely had a roll in the fly-away), we will stand by our original offer of a new unit at a reduced price but in NO way is this a warranty issue that would require a no-charge replacement Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2015/05/28) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) In response to Mr [redacted] (Insert Last Name Here)'s response to my complaint, yes, it IS "incumbent on the pilot to keep the drone in sight and in control at all times." This is common knowledge among experienced pilots of quadcoptors of any sizeThe quad has a range of ftwith a frequency of 2.4GHzThe transmission failure occured at only ydsThat was well within my sightNot to mention, it is an FPV ( First Person View) quadcoptorMeaning, even IF one didnt have the quad in their sights, the transmitter - mounted FPV LCD monitor allows the consumer to control the quad just by looking at the transmitter aloneThat, in itself, is the integrity of the productMr***....also stated, in his response, that " These drones do not have the ability to fight any kind of wind and will be swept away in a matter of seconds." I can address that statement as wellThe Proto X FPV costed $It is very expensive for its sizeOne reason that it is so expensive is that unlike its predecessor, the Proto X (Not FPV), the Proto X FPV has upgraded, 8.5mm motors that are DESIGNED to withstand heavier windspeedsAlong with the ugraded motors, the Proto X FPV also includes a 3-axis gyro and accelerometers that are specifically designed for ultra stability and to have the ability to withstand those wind speedsThe one and only time I flew it, and again, only for ten minutes (between 10am and 11am) on 3/20/2015, the wind speed in Reno, NV was - mphThats just above a very slight breezeThe Proto X FPV is specifically built with components that allow it to fly in wind speeds that exceed those wind speeds, significantlyWhen we spoke on the phone, [redacted] told me "Ive been an rc arial pilot for over years." That implies that he should understand how quadcoptors, of any size, perform in any weather conditionEspecially, considering that he is, what he told me, "Senior of Service Support" and that "there is nobody above" himHis first explanation of why I "Cannot and will not be granted a replacement" was that "HobbieCo does not cover 'fly aways'"If the transmission failure occured at ft, I would've had no problem with being denied a replacementAgain, this occured at only ydsSo, his statement was immediately dismantledWhen that statement didnt work, I all of sudden got an email from their "Hobby Services" that said "When we received the returned transmitter, there were corroded batteries in it and BOTH control sticks were broken and that's what caused the malfunction." The batteries were brand new Energizers that I, in fact, removed from the transmitter before returning itAlso, the transmitter was, aside from the internal malfunctions, in pristine condition when I shipped itThe amount of force it would take to break BOTH control sticks would equal the amount of force to completely shatter the transmitter-mounted LCD monitorYet, he hadnt mentioned anything of the sortSo that statement was also immediately disprovedThen, when those statements didnt work, he now says that the 5-mph breeze was the cause of the quad flying offSo, no more was it the "corroded batteries", "broken control sticks", or the the quad no longer being in my sight, which he stated in his own response to my complaintBut instead, now the breeze did itIn his response, he said that " His contention that both the radio system controlling the drone and the one receiving the FPV signal failed at the exact same time is ludicrousIt appears that he let it get too far away and could not see the drone to control it or the wind blew it away." Over the phone, I informed him that I am a Certified Circuitry Application Technician and that I have a very firm understanding of how radio transmission, reception and frequency work with each other and that the ONLY way that a 5.8GHz signal from a transmitter is dropped at precisely the exact same time a 2.4GHz signal from a receiver is dropped would be that there would have to be an internal malfuction of the transmitter OR a defective component within the circuitryIt is my understanding that both would be considered "manufacturing defects"In his response to my complaint, he said that "He kept telling me he was a lawyer and would be taking us to court over this." I NEVER said thatAnd he knows I didntWhat I believe he's referring to is when I used the words "legalities" and "legally"I told him that "ALL of the legalities of a warranty SHALL be stated in print on some form of documentaion somewhere in the organization if it is not stated in the warranty itself." And that "Legally, my claim is justified under the warranty"HE, then told ME that if I wanted to take them to court, that HE would be willing to take it to that level as wellI had a feeling that he would, in some manner, intentionally distort my wordsSo, I asked him if their phone calls were recorded and he said that he didnt knowThere is nobody above him throughout the organization and he doesn't know if his conversation is being recorded?? He has yet to give me, nor the Revdex.com, a solid explanation as to why I can't be granted a full replacementNot only that, but he STILL hasn't provided me, nor the Revdex.com, with ANYTHING at all, aside from his own verbal statementsNor has he quoted ANYTHING in ANY policy that supports ANY of his statements, whatsoeverThe "Senoir of Service Support" has absolutely nothing to stand onFor that reason, he has now attempted to blatantly and egregiously deceive the Revdex.com and COMPLETELY undermind the intelligence of both I and the Revdex.com in order to not have to send me a full replacementUnkike Mr [redacted] ( ), everything I've stated thus far can be researched and proven, thoroughlyTherefore, I am still requesting that I be granted a full replacement and that ANY and ALL of HobbiCo's policies regarding returns and replacements be investigated Thank You
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2016/07/01) */ We have bent over backward to help ***He did not buy the kit from us but got it from a Hobby Shop in Canada He called us to tell us of all the missing partsWe told him to take the kit back to where he bought it but he refusedWe asked him to send it in to us so we could verify his claims but would not since we could not provide a prepaid label since he lives in Canada We took him at his word and sent him over parts he claimed were missing from his new kit in spite of this being highly suspicious After that, he demanded a new $new kit for his troubleWe, of course, refused this and offered him a $Tower creditWe offered this multiple times but he continued to demand this new, very expensive kit Then he began a campaign on the Internet to smear us and threaten us telling many falsehoods and using aliases from all over the world to force us to give in to himHe also continued to call us, badgering us to give him the expensive kit for his "trouble." We are done with [redacted] and will no longer due business with him Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2016/07/05) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) (Misinformation #1) Hobbico has NOT "bent over backward", which would mean "to go above and beyond" - they haven't even done the basic in covering ALL of the MISSING parts my kit should have originally come with It is sad when an American and his company (he's an owner) LIE in the very first sentence to a fellow American (born in Detroit; grew up just outside Cleveland; and lived in Charleston, SC after graduating college until being transferred to Canada by his employer) (Misinformation #2; Sentence #2) Evidently, this owner is unfamiliar with Economics 101: Manufacturers ("Seller") like Axial (Hobbico) "SELL" to wholesalers (distributors), who in turn, sell to retailers; it is still their name on the product, as well as their warranty that covers it (Lie #3; Sentence #3) I did not call them to tell them about missing parts; I emailed them on 12/26/(I can print/scan a copy for you) (BIG Lie #4; Sentence #4) The call he may be referring to (I believe) was made after 5/4th/after I mailed a letter to them explaining how unhappy and unsatisfied I was with my experience and they mailed a reply back; this gave me the name of the Assistant Manager, and through several emails back and forth with him, I finally appealed to the managerAfter several emails to him, he shut me down; he tried that same "We told him to take the kit back" line on me then, and I reviewed every single email since 12/and not once did any employee suggest that to meWhen I called his bluff, and challenged him to find that line in any email, he shut me down and refused any further help (I can print/scan a copy for you) (Double Lie #& 6; Sentence #5) This guy just keeps LYING through his teeth; it was NEVER requested to be sent back to verify anythingThe only thing requested, was the purchase receipt and some pictures - which I provided immediately, before any parts would be sent out(I would be more than happy to provide prints/scans of all emails/correspondance for you)In addition, a prepaid label was NEVER an issue (since sending it back was NEVER offered) (Misinformation #7; Sentence #6) The number of parts they have actually sent me is The only reason they can claim they sent me "over 130" (pieces), is because many of their parts come in packages of 10; if I only needed pieces or just a few ( "pieces")A large percentage of the missing parts problem is my kit contained a MISMATCHED MIX of parts from different kits/models; for example I have parts for the original Wraith model (while my Wraith Spawn is an upgraded and improved 3rd generation model) - my kit also contained parts for a Yeti, a totally different modelSo to clarify, by "missing part" it is meant that I did not have the CORRECT part for my Spawn truck; while I may have had a lot of "parts" that were "similar", or from a different model, it was not correct for my modelMy "highly suspicious" missing parts kit is known as the "Frankenstein" kit, because it came with so many parts for different models, and because Hobbico told me to "make due with what I have" rather than sending me the correct parts (BIG Lie #& 9; Sentence #7) I NEVER requested a kit; the truck I requested was the same model as my kit, but in a "Ready-To-Run" versionThe RTR version is NOT $550, but only $369.99, (their retail price; not the amount it costs them to produce it, which is MUCH LESS)Ask him to provide one speck of proof of this one thingThe whole reason I strongly suggested they provide me an RTR truck, is that my truck is still not complete, and I still don't have 100% of the correct parts that my kit should have come complete with at the time of my original purchase; because of this Frankenstein kit, I still am not out driving it and having fun with my purchase; which makes me very unhappy and unsatisfied - and all I want is to be a happy and satisfied customer - and an RTR version would get me out driving and having funI did NOT "demand" that they send me the same model (although that would have been the proper thing to do); as a matter of FACT, I even told them that I would accept a vehicle that had the same size and purpose, with similar characteristics and performance, and yet was $CHEAPER (Tower Hobbies #LXFNAX)(I can print/scan a copy for you) (Half-truth #10; Sentence #& 9) They did offer me a $credit (Truth #1), stating that they had "bent over backward" to help meWhen I explained that to 'bend over backward" implies "going above and beyond", which their action is in FACT the opposite when they haven't even done the basic in covering ALL of the MISSING parts my kit should have originally come withI also offered them the opportunity to explain why $was the best they could offer, and countered with a suggested $(which still wouldn't cover all the parts I still needed); they did not reply with an explanation because they knew $was an insultIf by "multiple times" they mean two, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt; (although it may have been only once) because in FACT, they gave me four days (or less) to accept it (I can print/scan a copy for you)Once again, I never "demanded" a kit As for the last three sentences, if by "smear" he means telling people about what my experience has been in dealing with Hobbico, then that is true; however, I challenge him to provide you with one teeny-weeny provable shred of evidence of even one falsehoodThe internet provides many third party forums where people share information, ideas, and opinions of every RC product on the market; if he was so concerned for making sure the consumer (ME) was taken care of completely and satisfactorily, then I wouldn't be filing a Revdex.com complaint, and my report on forums would be something like "Hobbico/Axial is a great company to deal with; even thou I got the worst kit imaginable, missing parts (totalling over pieces), they promptly sent me every single piece I was missing." If I read a report like that, I can guarantee I would be impressed and willing to purchase knowing I would be taken care of!! Based on his closing statement, he is not willing to resolve this, and so I must continue to let potential customers know to beware when purchasing from Hobbico/Axial, as they too could be purchasing a "Frankenstein" kit and be left without parts and told to "make due with what you have"; and this unresolved complaint will be another proverbial NAIL in their coffin for potential customers getting information on the internet to think about
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/12/29) */
We have repeated worked with Mr*** on an equitableThere is no way to place blame on what happened to his drone as there could have been many different reasons for his crash into the lakeWe have offered to sell him a new drone of the
same kind for cost or a more expensive one at cost which is a fair settlement under the circumstances
Yesterday we were informed that Mr*** has recovered the droneInstead of sending it into us to analyze and repair, he disassembled it and claims that the only thing wrong is an ESCWe will be happy to send him a new ESC to make his drone operational
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2015/12/30) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Hobbico has not worked with me in an equitable wayThey have offered to sell me a new drone at their costThis put 100% of the monetary burden on meThat is not rightI lost the drone on the forth flight less than two weeks after I got itThat is not right for a drone that costs $
I proposed we share the monetary burdenThe new Hubsan XPro Deluxe Edition at cost is about $I proposed I pay $for a new oneThat way Hobbico could absorb $and Hubsan could absorb $Since I know Hobbico's cost is $and they sell it for $1500, they make $Absorbing $still gives them a profit of $I don't know Hubsan's margin to Hobbico but I suspect it is more than $so they would still be aheadSo with this I would end up having paid $for a working Hubsan XPro Deluxe Edition and Hobbico would make a profit of $and Hubsan would probably be ahead tooThis sound more equitable to me compared to I end up paying $for a working drone and Hobbico makes still makes the whole $profitEquitable means making things more evenHobbico can bend a little to help me
Now as far as working with me to determine what happened, I very early on sent them telemetry files from my transmitterThe telemetry gives longitude and latitude and altitude and many other 'system checks' like GPS lock an so onI emailed them to Hobbico 12/11/I repeatedly asked for the data but was always told they were waiting on someone's approval or someone to have time or some other excuseAfter pushing and pushing for the telemetry data they told me the log files didn't show anything that revealed what caused the crashI still asked if I could just see the data, the latitude and longitude and altitude so I could better search for it in the lakeThey said they'd ask but again nothingThey still have not provided any information from the telemetry log filesThat seems to indicate that either:
1) They have the log file data and it shows the drone in a stable hover at altitude as I reported to them and then the data just stops or becomes corrupted meaning the drone did failOr
2) They have never looked at the log files and have been dishonest with me acting as though they have been researching this but actually not doing anythingThe log files are proprietary so you need a proprietary application or program to read themHobbico probably does not have this software
If either 1) or 2) above is true, then they have certainly not worked with me in any form of equitable wayThey either have data showing the drone failed meaning I am not at fault and should get a new drone or they have been lying to me saying they were working on telemetry data when actually they weren'tThat speaks for itself and is not working with me equitablyIF NEITHER 1) or 2) IS CORRECT - SUPPLY THE TELEMETRY DATA NOW TO SHOW YOU DID RETRIEVE IT AND ANALYZE IT
I did finally find the drone in the lake on December It had been in the lake for daysThis is an advanced drone with a lot of electronicsThe drone is not and *** not ever be safe for flyingHobbico says I disassembled it instead of sending it backThey did not tell you they have never offered me a choice to send back anythingAfter asking again and again for the telemetry they told me around December 23rd that even if I found the drone it would be useless after being in the water for so long so having it or not having it would not change anything in the way they handled this caseThey told me thisSo me disassembling it would not change anythingI am attaching my most recent email where I informed them I did find the drone and had cleaned it and was analyzing it to find all the failuresI asked that since I had the whole package now if I could now send it all back so they could send it to HubsanThat way they could replace it - I send the whole thing back and they send me a new oneAnd as usual, Hobbico said 'yes, that is great you found it and can send it all backI just need to check with my supervisors and I'll get back to you first thing tomorrow (12/29) morning'It's now noon 12/30) and I've not heard anything which is how this has gone on and on for so long now
I have never lied or mislead Hobbico or Tower HobbiesI have told them everything and have supplied all data they have asked forThey made $profit when I bought the droneI lost it after three flights and less than two weeksIt is not fair to just sell me a new one at their cost so that I have to carry 100% of the monetary burdenIt is quite reasonable, given the circumstances that I, Hobbico, and Hubsan share the costsThey will still make a profit from the sell and take some of the monetary burden off of me
On the other hand, Hobbico has repeatedly delayed, waiting for this or that forcing me to continually contact them to check on the progressYou have all those emailsYou also now have the latest email which again is 'I'll contact you shortly...' with no such responseThis is well documented in my emailsAnd worse, they have lied or mislead me about the telemetryI've offered here, and to Hobbico on 12/the only two possible conclusions as to why they will not provide me with the telemetry dataAnd those two conclusions mean they have lied or mislead me about how they analyzed the files I sentIf one of my two conclusions are not right, then provide the reason you have had the telemetry files since 12/and still refuse giving me any simple data from them like longitude and latitudeSimpleIf not then lying or misleading me is certainly not equitable and, as I indicated to Hobbico in my 12/email, one of the reasons I filed a complaint with the Revdex.com
And offering to send me a $ESC to repair an unusable $drone is nothing more than an insult
I now have every single part of the product I boughtIt went into a lake and sat at the bottom for days so it is obviously useless and not safe to flyI've cleaned it and analyzed it just to try to determine why it crashedAnd having an ESC fail in flight would precisely explain the crash as I described it on December 2nd to HobbicoSo I've done a lot of work to find out why this brand new $drone crashed
So I want a full refundI can send every single piece of the thing back to HobbicoBut it needs to be thrown away - it is not safe to fly and Hobbico knows that (or should know that)Or I want a brand new Hubsan XPro Deluxe Edition droneI don't want to pay the whole $that is the cost for HobbicoIt should be free but I have and still do offer a truly equitable agreement for all of those involved - me, Hobbico, Tower Hobbies, Hubsan - to share the monetary burdenThey *** just make less of a profit while compromising a little to help me
So:
1) A full refundI can send Hobbico all the parts and they can throw them away or I can throw them away
2) A brand new Hubsan XPro Deluxe Edition for freeBut I am willing to compromise on my end and share the cost amongst us allI pay $Hobbico and Tower Hobbies and Hubsan can split the remaining $amongst them
Attached is my latest email to Hubsan with the 'let me check on that and get back to you...' reply and I've also attached a telemetry log file from my Horizon Hobbies Chroma droneIt is a similar drone but the telemetry log files are not proprietary so you can read them with a text editor or with Microsoft ExcelYou can see all the data supplied by a log file and how simple it is to analyze the dataAnd I fly the Chroma without flying it into the lake
Hobbico, please work with me in a truly equitable wayNo more delaysNo more liesNo more misleading meGive me a full refund, a brand new drone, or at least compromise with me on the cost of me buying a new one
Tower Hobbies regrets the inconvenience that credit card verification may causeAs an Internet retailer we do not have the credit card or customer's ID present to verify the purchaseWe sell a fun product that is subject to fraudulent purchasesWhen two orders are placed the same day, back to
back, that totaled over $we felt we should speak to the card holder to make sure he was aware of the purchasesMost credit card holders understand and appreciate that we are protecting them from fraudHad someone copied Mr***'s credit card and planned to track these purchases and take them off his porch when delivered, he may have had a different view on the heacall from us We regret that our effort to protect Mr***, behave responsibly to prevent fraud, and keep fraud from effecting the price of this fun hobby upset himIt certainly was not our intentionOur business is to make the sale, not lose itOnce we had done the verification once, it should have prevented it ever being done again in the future Pat WTower Hobbies
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/05/13) */
We have taken care of Mr***'s complaint and sent him the part he needs
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 8, 2016/05/16) */
resolved!
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/01/25) */
We are contacting Mr*** to offer a solutionWe had conflicting information about the included batteryIn one area we called out the 2S and in another we called out the 3SBoth work but the 2S is correctWe will offer a solution to the
customer
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2016/01/27) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
They sent apology , said to be working on cust serviceAnd offered gift certificate for the value that was not received
When we reached out to the customer, upon delivery of this complaint, we were told that he spoke to someone here already and that we are sending him a pre-paid shipping label to have our Service Technicians inspect and fix the broken gearHe said he's going to wait to do anything else through the
Revdex.com until this is completed. The website does state that it has a metal geared differential, and it also clearly states that the pinion (part of the differential) gear is that metal gear, and that the other gears are plasticThis is listed along side all of the other detailed specs on the Arrma websiteThere was no misrepresentation. This can be viewed at this site:https://www.arrma-rc.com/blx-line-up/ The customer has owned this for just over year, so it's still under the year warranty periodWe are working with him as stated above
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/06/24) */
We sincerely regret Ms***'s disappointmentWe do not charge the consumer for product until we have the inventory to fill the orderWe have made no money from her two transactions since the product has not come in stock so we are
motivated to get the inventory for herUnfortunately the first item, The *** Audi Rended up being discontinued by *** and the replacement order for the *** Sumo Power GT Nisson is scheduled for arrival in August but it has been out of stock for over year*** will not tell us if they plan to keep this model or discontinue it as wellThese are not items we sell very many of and Tamiya may monitor demand to determine if they will make a production run or discontinue and there is not a lot a merchant can do about itWe are very sorry for the disappointment for this issue, this is not a common occurrenceThe consumer has no obligation to make the actual purchase of an item we put on back order for themIf this item can be found at another merchant's sight we would understand our loss of the potential saleWe will not automatically charge or fill a back order that is over days oldWe will contact the consumer first to inquire if they still want the item after such a long wait
The customer's disappointment in this case is ours as well
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/06/02) */
Our apologies will be extended to Mr*** via email todayIn a situation such as this we typically will not take away the couponOur policy is the loss of the couponThe coupons state if you spend X amount of money you will get X amount
of money off the orderIf you return an item you no longer want or need and your overall total falls below the required total to earn the coupon, you do lose the coupon as wellIf we did not do this customers could buy and return and actually make money from usIn the event of a error or defect in the product we do not typically take this actionWe are using this as a training opportunity and will give the appropriate credit back to the customerThank you
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2016/06/06) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
They issued a $certificate for the item
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/04/28) */
We regret Mr***'s frustration but the reality is the package was not lateHe received free standard ground shipping and the expected arrival date was published as between 4/and 4/If that time frame did not suit his needs he could
have paid for an upgrade in shipping to get it soonerHe called on 4/and the package was not late and still had time to deliver within the promised window of timeHe became agitated; cursing and making personal remarks to the Supervisor named ***When asked to stop speaking to us in that manner he asked what we were going to do about it and said we were lucky he was not thereThat is a threat and we will not tolerate threatsThis is one reason we do not give last names, so customers cannot take personal actionWe said we would end the call but Mr*** hung up firstWe appreciate our customer's business but not at the expense of being treated poorly, especially when there was no error madeThe package was delivered on 4/per the tracking so no further action will be taken on our end
We received what was left of the drone on 7/31/17. The customer was informed that although we were not able to find any product defects that caused the flyaway, or evidence that it wasn't a user error, we are still replacing the drone and paying for return shipping as a courtesy to the customer. We...
are also going to test fly the new drone prior to shipping it to him.
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/05/20) */ Mr [redacted] 's Savage Octane was serviced by us and test runWhen it left our facility, it was in perfect shapeWhen he contacted us saying he was still having problems, we again sent him a prepaid label for him to send it back to us an no charge to himThe UPS prepaid label was E-mailed to him on 4/13/so he could return his Octane to usMr [redacted] never used the labelWe would be happy to send him another prepaid label to get his buggy back to us so we could fix it again All he has to do is contact us again and we will E-mail him a label Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2015/05/29) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) My 1st problem with all this is that saying the truck was in perfect shape is anecdotalIt wasn't in perfect shape when I sent it to them and it wasn't in perfect shape when I received it backSecond problem is that I bought a new ignition system for the engine, installed the new part now the engine seems to want to run againThis is what I have suspected the Whole time as being the problem and now it is fixedI sent an item for warranty service that came back nonfunctional and I have seemed to been able to fix this out of my own pocketIt is obvious that sending the truck back for warranty service is a huge waste of my time and money
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/06/17) */ The customer sent us an E-mail on June 4th detailing her problem but not identifying which cars she hadWe responded the same day asking for the make and model of the cars she hadShe is yet to give us that informationAt this point we do not even know if they are our product Once we know they are ours, we will be happy to send her a prepaid label for her to send them in to us and we will fix and test run them prior to sending them back to her As for her demand of a refund, she did not buy them from us so we cannot refund her moneyShe would need to deal with the place of purchase for that to happen Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2015/06/18) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I sent photos of the cars and photos of the receipt and photos of the manuals to show what they were! I was told by the place I bought them that I had to deal with the maker of the car! I think these places are trying to scam a yr old out of over dollars! I don't feel comfortable sending the cars from Michigan to Illinois until I know I am getting my $ back!
We placed the order for parts when we spoke to the customer, and the order was shipped on 1/25/This included tracking information that shows that it was delivered to the address we were given by the customerWe are reaching out to the customer to send the parts again, but are asking that they verify the shipping information
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2016/02/12) */ Tower Hobbies takes the 'remove me from your mailing and email list' request seriouslyWe do so immediately upon request but the mailing list are built in advance so we typically explain that you are removed but may receive any pending mailings (including emails) we have in process but after that you will get no more We do not find this email address or mailing address in our data base to receive mailings so they were successfully removed I will not email the consumer this explanation as they asked for cease of communications but if they read this they are welcome to contact me at [email protected] attn: Manager if they are getting mail or email to an address they did not provide in this complaint
Order [redacted] was placed on 12/30/(Friday) @4:PM CSTThe estimated arrival date quoted on the shipment was a delivery between 1/and 1/11/Tower Hobbies uses UPS and we do not ship on Saturday or SundayMonday 1/2/was a national holiday for New Years and no shipments shipped that day as wellThis order shipped on 1/3/UPS did encounter severe weather while in transit and order was delayedMr [redacted] refused shipment so it was returned to Tower HobbiesOrder [redacted] was placed on 1/4/(Wednesday) at 4:PMThis order shipped Thursday 1/5/The quoted estimated arrival for this order was between 1/and 1/10/This order also was delayed with UPS due to the same severe weather as the previous packageMr [redacted] refused this shipment as well and it was returned to Tower HobbiesTower Hobbies successfully filled these two orders in a timely manner and UPS only delayed the package due to severe weather (act of God)Mr [redacted] sent us numerous emails with demands of an immediate refund, cursing, threats, etcI told him that we would refund when the packages were returnedBecause we filled the orders in good faith and paid the shipping on these packages (Tower Hobbies paid, not Mr [redacted] ) both ways, we assessed a 15% re-stocking feeWe do publish this in our written policiesThe refund of $for invoice and the refund of $for invoice [redacted] were processed to the Credit Card issuing bank on 1/19/There is no additional pending business on these transactions [redacted] Retail Sales & Service ManagerTower Hobbies
I am rejecting this response because:Firstly, my bank provides for my fraud protection and they are quite adept at it Secondly, no one would steal any delivery from my property in the small town I live in.Thirdly, my bank is now overdrawn and I have several overdraft fees to the amount of close to due to this company.Fourth, it has now been five days and Tower Hobbies STILL has not released both charges from my bank account Every time I haver bought things online and then canceled the order, the cancellation was the same day Not in this case, it's still a FULL negative amount for the entire amount into the next WEEK.Lastly, I had to report this to my bank as a fraud from TOWER and have a new card sent, and now I have overdraft fees as well as having to update ALL my billing info for utilities, etc
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2016/10/07) */ I, the Manager in charge of the Service and Support Division, spoke to the customer after his conversation with the SupervisorHe thanked me for speaking to him and verbally communicated that everything was okay I apologize if the customer believes he was mistreated or spoken to in an inappropriate mannerWe are a reputable company and have been in business for many yearsWe take measures to monitor phone conversations to ensure things like that don't happen The customers radio was fixed free of charge and shipped the day we spoke to him, 10/5/He was emailed the tracking information
Revdex.com: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] , and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/04/22) */ If Mr [redacted] is an innocent party, we regret that he hasn't been able to order with usUnfortunately Tower Hobbies was a victim of fraud and there are links to Mr [redacted] information (address, ph and/or email address)different names have been provided with linked information and at this point we just cannot recognize who we can trust so chose to not do any business with anyone using any of this common informationWe simply must take some action to protect our business when we don't know who to trust in such an eventFraud has numerous victims and Mr [redacted] may also be a victim but we simply cannot prove he is not and cannot risk further lossWe regret that we have to stick with our decision to not do business with anyone at this address, phone or email address
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2015/05/26) */ I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with Mr [redacted] explaining to him that fly-aways are not covered by the warrantyThe warranty only covers manufacturing defectsAs I tried to explain to Mr [redacted] , it is incumbent on the pilot to keep the drone in sight and in control at all timesThese drones do not have the ability to fight any kind of wind and [redacted] be swept away in a matter of secondsHe kept telling me he was a lawyer and would be taking us to court over thisHis contention that both the radio system controlling the drone and the one receiving the FPV signal failed at the exact same time is ludicrousIt appears that he let it get too far away and could not see the drone to control it or the wind blew it away Further, I did not refuse to give my name to himI told him my name was [redacted] and I gave him my tittle: Senior Manager of Service and SupportOur Company has a policy that bars us from giving out our last name Also, I have personally examined the transmitter that Mr [redacted] sent to usThe returned transmitter had both control sticks broken offThey were not in the box so it is clear that they were broken off before Mr [redacted] sent the transmitter back to usThe batteries were indeed old and corrodedLastly, there was no copy of the receipt of purchase as we had requestedIn spite of these new facts of the broken off sticks and clearly corroded batteries (which surely had a roll in the fly-away), we will stand by our original offer of a new unit at a reduced price but in NO way is this a warranty issue that would require a no-charge replacement Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2015/05/28) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) In response to Mr [redacted] (Insert Last Name Here)'s response to my complaint, yes, it IS "incumbent on the pilot to keep the drone in sight and in control at all times." This is common knowledge among experienced pilots of quadcoptors of any sizeThe quad has a range of ftwith a frequency of 2.4GHzThe transmission failure occured at only ydsThat was well within my sightNot to mention, it is an FPV ( First Person View) quadcoptorMeaning, even IF one didnt have the quad in their sights, the transmitter - mounted FPV LCD monitor allows the consumer to control the quad just by looking at the transmitter aloneThat, in itself, is the integrity of the productMr***....also stated, in his response, that " These drones do not have the ability to fight any kind of wind and will be swept away in a matter of seconds." I can address that statement as wellThe Proto X FPV costed $It is very expensive for its sizeOne reason that it is so expensive is that unlike its predecessor, the Proto X (Not FPV), the Proto X FPV has upgraded, 8.5mm motors that are DESIGNED to withstand heavier windspeedsAlong with the ugraded motors, the Proto X FPV also includes a 3-axis gyro and accelerometers that are specifically designed for ultra stability and to have the ability to withstand those wind speedsThe one and only time I flew it, and again, only for ten minutes (between 10am and 11am) on 3/20/2015, the wind speed in Reno, NV was - mphThats just above a very slight breezeThe Proto X FPV is specifically built with components that allow it to fly in wind speeds that exceed those wind speeds, significantlyWhen we spoke on the phone, [redacted] told me "Ive been an rc arial pilot for over years." That implies that he should understand how quadcoptors, of any size, perform in any weather conditionEspecially, considering that he is, what he told me, "Senior of Service Support" and that "there is nobody above" himHis first explanation of why I "Cannot and will not be granted a replacement" was that "HobbieCo does not cover 'fly aways'"If the transmission failure occured at ft, I would've had no problem with being denied a replacementAgain, this occured at only ydsSo, his statement was immediately dismantledWhen that statement didnt work, I all of sudden got an email from their "Hobby Services" that said "When we received the returned transmitter, there were corroded batteries in it and BOTH control sticks were broken and that's what caused the malfunction." The batteries were brand new Energizers that I, in fact, removed from the transmitter before returning itAlso, the transmitter was, aside from the internal malfunctions, in pristine condition when I shipped itThe amount of force it would take to break BOTH control sticks would equal the amount of force to completely shatter the transmitter-mounted LCD monitorYet, he hadnt mentioned anything of the sortSo that statement was also immediately disprovedThen, when those statements didnt work, he now says that the 5-mph breeze was the cause of the quad flying offSo, no more was it the "corroded batteries", "broken control sticks", or the the quad no longer being in my sight, which he stated in his own response to my complaintBut instead, now the breeze did itIn his response, he said that " His contention that both the radio system controlling the drone and the one receiving the FPV signal failed at the exact same time is ludicrousIt appears that he let it get too far away and could not see the drone to control it or the wind blew it away." Over the phone, I informed him that I am a Certified Circuitry Application Technician and that I have a very firm understanding of how radio transmission, reception and frequency work with each other and that the ONLY way that a 5.8GHz signal from a transmitter is dropped at precisely the exact same time a 2.4GHz signal from a receiver is dropped would be that there would have to be an internal malfuction of the transmitter OR a defective component within the circuitryIt is my understanding that both would be considered "manufacturing defects"In his response to my complaint, he said that "He kept telling me he was a lawyer and would be taking us to court over this." I NEVER said thatAnd he knows I didntWhat I believe he's referring to is when I used the words "legalities" and "legally"I told him that "ALL of the legalities of a warranty SHALL be stated in print on some form of documentaion somewhere in the organization if it is not stated in the warranty itself." And that "Legally, my claim is justified under the warranty"HE, then told ME that if I wanted to take them to court, that HE would be willing to take it to that level as wellI had a feeling that he would, in some manner, intentionally distort my wordsSo, I asked him if their phone calls were recorded and he said that he didnt knowThere is nobody above him throughout the organization and he doesn't know if his conversation is being recorded?? He has yet to give me, nor the Revdex.com, a solid explanation as to why I can't be granted a full replacementNot only that, but he STILL hasn't provided me, nor the Revdex.com, with ANYTHING at all, aside from his own verbal statementsNor has he quoted ANYTHING in ANY policy that supports ANY of his statements, whatsoeverThe "Senoir of Service Support" has absolutely nothing to stand onFor that reason, he has now attempted to blatantly and egregiously deceive the Revdex.com and COMPLETELY undermind the intelligence of both I and the Revdex.com in order to not have to send me a full replacementUnkike Mr [redacted] ( ), everything I've stated thus far can be researched and proven, thoroughlyTherefore, I am still requesting that I be granted a full replacement and that ANY and ALL of HobbiCo's policies regarding returns and replacements be investigated Thank You
Initial Business Response / [redacted] (1000, 5, 2016/07/01) */ We have bent over backward to help ***He did not buy the kit from us but got it from a Hobby Shop in Canada He called us to tell us of all the missing partsWe told him to take the kit back to where he bought it but he refusedWe asked him to send it in to us so we could verify his claims but would not since we could not provide a prepaid label since he lives in Canada We took him at his word and sent him over parts he claimed were missing from his new kit in spite of this being highly suspicious After that, he demanded a new $new kit for his troubleWe, of course, refused this and offered him a $Tower creditWe offered this multiple times but he continued to demand this new, very expensive kit Then he began a campaign on the Internet to smear us and threaten us telling many falsehoods and using aliases from all over the world to force us to give in to himHe also continued to call us, badgering us to give him the expensive kit for his "trouble." We are done with [redacted] and will no longer due business with him Initial Consumer Rebuttal / [redacted] (3000, 7, 2016/07/05) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) (Misinformation #1) Hobbico has NOT "bent over backward", which would mean "to go above and beyond" - they haven't even done the basic in covering ALL of the MISSING parts my kit should have originally come with It is sad when an American and his company (he's an owner) LIE in the very first sentence to a fellow American (born in Detroit; grew up just outside Cleveland; and lived in Charleston, SC after graduating college until being transferred to Canada by his employer) (Misinformation #2; Sentence #2) Evidently, this owner is unfamiliar with Economics 101: Manufacturers ("Seller") like Axial (Hobbico) "SELL" to wholesalers (distributors), who in turn, sell to retailers; it is still their name on the product, as well as their warranty that covers it (Lie #3; Sentence #3) I did not call them to tell them about missing parts; I emailed them on 12/26/(I can print/scan a copy for you) (BIG Lie #4; Sentence #4) The call he may be referring to (I believe) was made after 5/4th/after I mailed a letter to them explaining how unhappy and unsatisfied I was with my experience and they mailed a reply back; this gave me the name of the Assistant Manager, and through several emails back and forth with him, I finally appealed to the managerAfter several emails to him, he shut me down; he tried that same "We told him to take the kit back" line on me then, and I reviewed every single email since 12/and not once did any employee suggest that to meWhen I called his bluff, and challenged him to find that line in any email, he shut me down and refused any further help (I can print/scan a copy for you) (Double Lie #& 6; Sentence #5) This guy just keeps LYING through his teeth; it was NEVER requested to be sent back to verify anythingThe only thing requested, was the purchase receipt and some pictures - which I provided immediately, before any parts would be sent out(I would be more than happy to provide prints/scans of all emails/correspondance for you)In addition, a prepaid label was NEVER an issue (since sending it back was NEVER offered) (Misinformation #7; Sentence #6) The number of parts they have actually sent me is The only reason they can claim they sent me "over 130" (pieces), is because many of their parts come in packages of 10; if I only needed pieces or just a few ( "pieces")A large percentage of the missing parts problem is my kit contained a MISMATCHED MIX of parts from different kits/models; for example I have parts for the original Wraith model (while my Wraith Spawn is an upgraded and improved 3rd generation model) - my kit also contained parts for a Yeti, a totally different modelSo to clarify, by "missing part" it is meant that I did not have the CORRECT part for my Spawn truck; while I may have had a lot of "parts" that were "similar", or from a different model, it was not correct for my modelMy "highly suspicious" missing parts kit is known as the "Frankenstein" kit, because it came with so many parts for different models, and because Hobbico told me to "make due with what I have" rather than sending me the correct parts (BIG Lie #& 9; Sentence #7) I NEVER requested a kit; the truck I requested was the same model as my kit, but in a "Ready-To-Run" versionThe RTR version is NOT $550, but only $369.99, (their retail price; not the amount it costs them to produce it, which is MUCH LESS)Ask him to provide one speck of proof of this one thingThe whole reason I strongly suggested they provide me an RTR truck, is that my truck is still not complete, and I still don't have 100% of the correct parts that my kit should have come complete with at the time of my original purchase; because of this Frankenstein kit, I still am not out driving it and having fun with my purchase; which makes me very unhappy and unsatisfied - and all I want is to be a happy and satisfied customer - and an RTR version would get me out driving and having funI did NOT "demand" that they send me the same model (although that would have been the proper thing to do); as a matter of FACT, I even told them that I would accept a vehicle that had the same size and purpose, with similar characteristics and performance, and yet was $CHEAPER (Tower Hobbies #LXFNAX)(I can print/scan a copy for you) (Half-truth #10; Sentence #& 9) They did offer me a $credit (Truth #1), stating that they had "bent over backward" to help meWhen I explained that to 'bend over backward" implies "going above and beyond", which their action is in FACT the opposite when they haven't even done the basic in covering ALL of the MISSING parts my kit should have originally come withI also offered them the opportunity to explain why $was the best they could offer, and countered with a suggested $(which still wouldn't cover all the parts I still needed); they did not reply with an explanation because they knew $was an insultIf by "multiple times" they mean two, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt; (although it may have been only once) because in FACT, they gave me four days (or less) to accept it (I can print/scan a copy for you)Once again, I never "demanded" a kit As for the last three sentences, if by "smear" he means telling people about what my experience has been in dealing with Hobbico, then that is true; however, I challenge him to provide you with one teeny-weeny provable shred of evidence of even one falsehoodThe internet provides many third party forums where people share information, ideas, and opinions of every RC product on the market; if he was so concerned for making sure the consumer (ME) was taken care of completely and satisfactorily, then I wouldn't be filing a Revdex.com complaint, and my report on forums would be something like "Hobbico/Axial is a great company to deal with; even thou I got the worst kit imaginable, missing parts (totalling over pieces), they promptly sent me every single piece I was missing." If I read a report like that, I can guarantee I would be impressed and willing to purchase knowing I would be taken care of!! Based on his closing statement, he is not willing to resolve this, and so I must continue to let potential customers know to beware when purchasing from Hobbico/Axial, as they too could be purchasing a "Frankenstein" kit and be left without parts and told to "make due with what you have"; and this unresolved complaint will be another proverbial NAIL in their coffin for potential customers getting information on the internet to think about
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2015/12/29) */
We have repeated worked with Mr*** on an equitableThere is no way to place blame on what happened to his drone as there could have been many different reasons for his crash into the lakeWe have offered to sell him a new drone of the
same kind for cost or a more expensive one at cost which is a fair settlement under the circumstances
Yesterday we were informed that Mr*** has recovered the droneInstead of sending it into us to analyze and repair, he disassembled it and claims that the only thing wrong is an ESCWe will be happy to send him a new ESC to make his drone operational
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2015/12/30) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
Hobbico has not worked with me in an equitable wayThey have offered to sell me a new drone at their costThis put 100% of the monetary burden on meThat is not rightI lost the drone on the forth flight less than two weeks after I got itThat is not right for a drone that costs $
I proposed we share the monetary burdenThe new Hubsan XPro Deluxe Edition at cost is about $I proposed I pay $for a new oneThat way Hobbico could absorb $and Hubsan could absorb $Since I know Hobbico's cost is $and they sell it for $1500, they make $Absorbing $still gives them a profit of $I don't know Hubsan's margin to Hobbico but I suspect it is more than $so they would still be aheadSo with this I would end up having paid $for a working Hubsan XPro Deluxe Edition and Hobbico would make a profit of $and Hubsan would probably be ahead tooThis sound more equitable to me compared to I end up paying $for a working drone and Hobbico makes still makes the whole $profitEquitable means making things more evenHobbico can bend a little to help me
Now as far as working with me to determine what happened, I very early on sent them telemetry files from my transmitterThe telemetry gives longitude and latitude and altitude and many other 'system checks' like GPS lock an so onI emailed them to Hobbico 12/11/I repeatedly asked for the data but was always told they were waiting on someone's approval or someone to have time or some other excuseAfter pushing and pushing for the telemetry data they told me the log files didn't show anything that revealed what caused the crashI still asked if I could just see the data, the latitude and longitude and altitude so I could better search for it in the lakeThey said they'd ask but again nothingThey still have not provided any information from the telemetry log filesThat seems to indicate that either:
1) They have the log file data and it shows the drone in a stable hover at altitude as I reported to them and then the data just stops or becomes corrupted meaning the drone did failOr
2) They have never looked at the log files and have been dishonest with me acting as though they have been researching this but actually not doing anythingThe log files are proprietary so you need a proprietary application or program to read themHobbico probably does not have this software
If either 1) or 2) above is true, then they have certainly not worked with me in any form of equitable wayThey either have data showing the drone failed meaning I am not at fault and should get a new drone or they have been lying to me saying they were working on telemetry data when actually they weren'tThat speaks for itself and is not working with me equitablyIF NEITHER 1) or 2) IS CORRECT - SUPPLY THE TELEMETRY DATA NOW TO SHOW YOU DID RETRIEVE IT AND ANALYZE IT
I did finally find the drone in the lake on December It had been in the lake for daysThis is an advanced drone with a lot of electronicsThe drone is not and *** not ever be safe for flyingHobbico says I disassembled it instead of sending it backThey did not tell you they have never offered me a choice to send back anythingAfter asking again and again for the telemetry they told me around December 23rd that even if I found the drone it would be useless after being in the water for so long so having it or not having it would not change anything in the way they handled this caseThey told me thisSo me disassembling it would not change anythingI am attaching my most recent email where I informed them I did find the drone and had cleaned it and was analyzing it to find all the failuresI asked that since I had the whole package now if I could now send it all back so they could send it to HubsanThat way they could replace it - I send the whole thing back and they send me a new oneAnd as usual, Hobbico said 'yes, that is great you found it and can send it all backI just need to check with my supervisors and I'll get back to you first thing tomorrow (12/29) morning'It's now noon 12/30) and I've not heard anything which is how this has gone on and on for so long now
I have never lied or mislead Hobbico or Tower HobbiesI have told them everything and have supplied all data they have asked forThey made $profit when I bought the droneI lost it after three flights and less than two weeksIt is not fair to just sell me a new one at their cost so that I have to carry 100% of the monetary burdenIt is quite reasonable, given the circumstances that I, Hobbico, and Hubsan share the costsThey will still make a profit from the sell and take some of the monetary burden off of me
On the other hand, Hobbico has repeatedly delayed, waiting for this or that forcing me to continually contact them to check on the progressYou have all those emailsYou also now have the latest email which again is 'I'll contact you shortly...' with no such responseThis is well documented in my emailsAnd worse, they have lied or mislead me about the telemetryI've offered here, and to Hobbico on 12/the only two possible conclusions as to why they will not provide me with the telemetry dataAnd those two conclusions mean they have lied or mislead me about how they analyzed the files I sentIf one of my two conclusions are not right, then provide the reason you have had the telemetry files since 12/and still refuse giving me any simple data from them like longitude and latitudeSimpleIf not then lying or misleading me is certainly not equitable and, as I indicated to Hobbico in my 12/email, one of the reasons I filed a complaint with the Revdex.com
And offering to send me a $ESC to repair an unusable $drone is nothing more than an insult
I now have every single part of the product I boughtIt went into a lake and sat at the bottom for days so it is obviously useless and not safe to flyI've cleaned it and analyzed it just to try to determine why it crashedAnd having an ESC fail in flight would precisely explain the crash as I described it on December 2nd to HobbicoSo I've done a lot of work to find out why this brand new $drone crashed
So I want a full refundI can send every single piece of the thing back to HobbicoBut it needs to be thrown away - it is not safe to fly and Hobbico knows that (or should know that)Or I want a brand new Hubsan XPro Deluxe Edition droneI don't want to pay the whole $that is the cost for HobbicoIt should be free but I have and still do offer a truly equitable agreement for all of those involved - me, Hobbico, Tower Hobbies, Hubsan - to share the monetary burdenThey *** just make less of a profit while compromising a little to help me
So:
1) A full refundI can send Hobbico all the parts and they can throw them away or I can throw them away
2) A brand new Hubsan XPro Deluxe Edition for freeBut I am willing to compromise on my end and share the cost amongst us allI pay $Hobbico and Tower Hobbies and Hubsan can split the remaining $amongst them
Attached is my latest email to Hubsan with the 'let me check on that and get back to you...' reply and I've also attached a telemetry log file from my Horizon Hobbies Chroma droneIt is a similar drone but the telemetry log files are not proprietary so you can read them with a text editor or with Microsoft ExcelYou can see all the data supplied by a log file and how simple it is to analyze the dataAnd I fly the Chroma without flying it into the lake
Hobbico, please work with me in a truly equitable wayNo more delaysNo more liesNo more misleading meGive me a full refund, a brand new drone, or at least compromise with me on the cost of me buying a new one
Tower Hobbies regrets the inconvenience that credit card verification may causeAs an Internet retailer we do not have the credit card or customer's ID present to verify the purchaseWe sell a fun product that is subject to fraudulent purchasesWhen two orders are placed the same day, back to
back, that totaled over $we felt we should speak to the card holder to make sure he was aware of the purchasesMost credit card holders understand and appreciate that we are protecting them from fraudHad someone copied Mr***'s credit card and planned to track these purchases and take them off his porch when delivered, he may have had a different view on the heacall from us We regret that our effort to protect Mr***, behave responsibly to prevent fraud, and keep fraud from effecting the price of this fun hobby upset himIt certainly was not our intentionOur business is to make the sale, not lose itOnce we had done the verification once, it should have prevented it ever being done again in the future Pat WTower Hobbies
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/05/13) */
We have taken care of Mr***'s complaint and sent him the part he needs
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 8, 2016/05/16) */
resolved!
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/01/25) */
We are contacting Mr*** to offer a solutionWe had conflicting information about the included batteryIn one area we called out the 2S and in another we called out the 3SBoth work but the 2S is correctWe will offer a solution to the
customer
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2016/01/27) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
They sent apology , said to be working on cust serviceAnd offered gift certificate for the value that was not received
When we reached out to the customer, upon delivery of this complaint, we were told that he spoke to someone here already and that we are sending him a pre-paid shipping label to have our Service Technicians inspect and fix the broken gearHe said he's going to wait to do anything else through the
Revdex.com until this is completed. The website does state that it has a metal geared differential, and it also clearly states that the pinion (part of the differential) gear is that metal gear, and that the other gears are plasticThis is listed along side all of the other detailed specs on the Arrma websiteThere was no misrepresentation. This can be viewed at this site:https://www.arrma-rc.com/blx-line-up/ The customer has owned this for just over year, so it's still under the year warranty periodWe are working with him as stated above
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 10, 2015/06/24) */
We sincerely regret Ms***'s disappointmentWe do not charge the consumer for product until we have the inventory to fill the orderWe have made no money from her two transactions since the product has not come in stock so we are
motivated to get the inventory for herUnfortunately the first item, The *** Audi Rended up being discontinued by *** and the replacement order for the *** Sumo Power GT Nisson is scheduled for arrival in August but it has been out of stock for over year*** will not tell us if they plan to keep this model or discontinue it as wellThese are not items we sell very many of and Tamiya may monitor demand to determine if they will make a production run or discontinue and there is not a lot a merchant can do about itWe are very sorry for the disappointment for this issue, this is not a common occurrenceThe consumer has no obligation to make the actual purchase of an item we put on back order for themIf this item can be found at another merchant's sight we would understand our loss of the potential saleWe will not automatically charge or fill a back order that is over days oldWe will contact the consumer first to inquire if they still want the item after such a long wait
The customer's disappointment in this case is ours as well
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2016/06/02) */
Our apologies will be extended to Mr*** via email todayIn a situation such as this we typically will not take away the couponOur policy is the loss of the couponThe coupons state if you spend X amount of money you will get X amount
of money off the orderIf you return an item you no longer want or need and your overall total falls below the required total to earn the coupon, you do lose the coupon as wellIf we did not do this customers could buy and return and actually make money from usIn the event of a error or defect in the product we do not typically take this actionWe are using this as a training opportunity and will give the appropriate credit back to the customerThank you
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (2000, 7, 2016/06/06) */
(The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)
They issued a $certificate for the item
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/04/28) */
We regret Mr***'s frustration but the reality is the package was not lateHe received free standard ground shipping and the expected arrival date was published as between 4/and 4/If that time frame did not suit his needs he could
have paid for an upgrade in shipping to get it soonerHe called on 4/and the package was not late and still had time to deliver within the promised window of timeHe became agitated; cursing and making personal remarks to the Supervisor named ***When asked to stop speaking to us in that manner he asked what we were going to do about it and said we were lucky he was not thereThat is a threat and we will not tolerate threatsThis is one reason we do not give last names, so customers cannot take personal actionWe said we would end the call but Mr*** hung up firstWe appreciate our customer's business but not at the expense of being treated poorly, especially when there was no error madeThe package was delivered on 4/per the tracking so no further action will be taken on our end
We received what was left of the drone on 7/31/17. The customer was informed that although we were not able to find any product defects that caused the flyaway, or evidence that it wasn't a user error, we are still replacing the drone and paying for return shipping as a courtesy to the customer. We...
are also going to test fly the new drone prior to shipping it to him.