Ripmax & Hobbystores Appaulling customer service! Mostly Ripmax

I have just completely lost my rag with Ripmax for having rediculous, long winded and expensive returns proceedures!!

I ordered two aircraft from Hobbystores and they used TNT to deliver, I miss the delivery so I endeded up having to drive a 50mile round trip to collect! I may as well have collected from the shop!

I then got it home and inspected the inside of the box only to find one of the boxes inside was damaged as there was no real damage on the outside of the main box I didn't really expect it, I opened the box to find luckily most things ok except for the large painted cowl which was damaged.

I then rang Hobbystores manager straight away to let him know so he can supply me another one as the box clearly wasn't packed well! He tells me I should have said it was damaged to TNT, so I said I couldn't see through the box the outter box didn't look damaged.

He then said I have to send the cowl back to him or drop it off, which means another 40mile round trip for me and parking charges or I send it in the post which will also cost me and I will have to wait for ripmax to decide if I am worthy of a replacement!

I said the proceedure was long winded and expensive in time and money for the customer, he then says thats the only way they can do it through Ripmax. I let him know I would ring Ripmax, as I can't see any reason to do such a costly and expensive exercise.

I then rang Ripmax and spoke to a very obnoxious and jobs worth woman on the phone who said they don't deal direct with the public, I asked her about the returns proceedure and she said they have to recieve the cowl back, I asked what do they gain by that? they have no way of knowing if it's the same one couldn't I send a photo to hobbystores of it ? She said thats unacceptable to them. She said no company would accept a photo, I said most decent and realistic companies would, I work in the logistics industry! I also mentioned Hobby King which do and J Perkins which aren't usually a problem. She was very closed and rude, if this is how Ripmax treat there customers I believe companies like Hobby King may well take them out of business.

I am really not happy at all!!

So for something that was Ripmax or Hobbystores fault (i'e suppling a damaged item and or not packing the items correctly) the customer foots the bill in time and money!! Great Service

Disgusting! I will more that likely only buy from J Perkins or Hobbyking from now on. I have less problems dealling with Hobby King in China!!!

Ask Ripmax to cover the cost of returning it Tony....if they want it back, they can pay the carriage.....

Did you pay by credit card...? Might the Credit Card Company be able to help...? I assume it was over £100

Please keep us informed if/ when you get a respnse. I wont be using them until you get a positive response.....

I've PMed you Tony

Edited By Simon B on 10/08/2012 20:10:39

This sort of claims/returns proceedure is clearly in place to be difficult so the customer gives up and either accepts it or buys a new one. The cost of the Cowl to Ripmax/Hobbystores is pennies it's not like i'm claiming the entire kit is damaged!

Such a low cost item should be replaced as good will gesture at the very least!

I will be writing to Ripmax about this rediculous treatment.

I even mention to the Ripmax Woman on the phone how apaulled at her attitude I was and that was one fibreglass Cowl really worth all the bad publicity I will produce by warning all fellow modellers of my experience through every forum I am on.

She didn't seem fussed, no wondered stores are going under and people are buying from abroad!

Edited By Tony H on 10/08/2012 20:44:14

As I see it you bought this item from the shop - the responsibility is there's to deal with their supply - its not yours. Have a word with your local Citizen's Advice Bureau I'm sure they will be able to give you some "key phrases" that you can use to remind the retailler of his responsibility in this matter.

BEB

PS You might even con sider a phone call to "Trading Standards"? But again, aimed at the retailler, not the distributor.

I really don't like going to my LMS which happens to be hobbstores. It always seems that the people that work there aren't interested with you, your business and the stuff they sell.

Sorry to hear you've had a bad time of it. I hope it all gets sorted for you.

Most odd. When I bought a Kyosho Pitts Special by mail order from Al's I found the paint on the cowl was a poor match and there was a blemish on the canopy.

Having had previous good experience dealing direct with Ripmax (BEB is absolutely correct in it really being the retailer's responsibility in law), I emailed pictures of the problem areas to them and got a reply saying they were no longer agents for Kyosho...

...but that they would contact the European agents and see what they could do. Within a week I had an email asking me what address they should send the replacements to and they arrived by courier the next day!

That's only one of 3 similar stories about Ripmax that I could tell from first hand. In my experience, Ripmax is one of the 2 best distributors in the country for customer service, the other being Horizon.

Perhaps your lady friend is new? I'm sure Colin Strauss would be interested in your experience...

Edited By Martin Harris on 11/08/2012 00:49:57

Yes. Your contract is with where you purchased it, which is usually a shop, not the importer or manufacturer. All this 'We will send it back to .whoever. is the shop trying to get out of its legal responsibility. A friend bought a Rover car just before Rover folded. The Rover dealer tried to get out of his responsibilities re the warranty. Trading Standards instantly put a stop to his nonsense.

All I can say about HobbyStores is that I have received excellent service from them (Southampton branch), both with buying something from their stock or involving them in getting it from Ripmax, where it usually arrives when they say it will. Admittedly I have never had a problem. Staff enthusiasm - two of the guys fly at the same site as I do. One of the staff brought in the next day, and ran, his own turbine out on the pavement when someone asked about them.

Finally, I have a feeling that Ripmax and HobbyStores are the same thing. Whether this is true or not I do not know. Easy enough to find out from 'business directory' type sites. Doesn't absolve from the shop's resonsibility though.

I'd say you were right Mark. I just tried Hobbystores UK website and the server came up with a SQL error pointing out that the server RIP2 needed rebooting with Userid Ripmax admin. I've no doubt that Ripmax own Hobbystores.

Yes, The fact that Ripmax and HobbyStores are the same does not absolve the retail shop from its legal responsibilities. If you buy from the shop then your contract is with the shop, no one else or no other part of the same business entity. This also applies when you use mail order. If you phone the shop and order it from them, and they agree to deliver, your contract is still with the shop, not the parent entity. The fact that it actually came from RipMax HQ rather than the shop is irrelevant. That was the choice they made, and is not your concern. It's no different from me replying to a letter from you. You post it to my name and address. The fact that I put my reply in post box fifteen  miles away rather than my usual one down the road makes no difference, it is still 'Me Southampton'  you are dealing with, not 'Me Winchester'.

Edited By Mark Powell 2 on 11/08/2012 09:16:20

I didn't think there was ever any secret that Hobbystores is owned and operated by Ripmax. If the retail branch is not responding as they have a duty to, then an approach to what is effectively their head office, outlining the facts seems a very reasonable approach to me.

I've dealt with Colin Strauss on several occasions and he's been extremely responsive. Perhaps a letter addressed to him personally would cut out the problem of the awkward contact you had by telephone?

Martin,

It is a reasonal approch. But you shouldn't have to do it. The manager of each shop is no doubt fully aware of the shops legal responsibilities. He should do it, not you. But, obviously, sometimes, if the shop denies them, you have no alternative. Maybe that is why, judging from their continual advertising staff vacancies, their staff turnover is so high. It is curious that they have the shops at all. A prime rule of business is 'Do not compete with your own customers' and, as an importer/distributor, their customars are mainly retail shops.

Just outlining the approach which worked easily and efficiently for me!

I have an issue with Ripmax.

A friend of mine bought a Wot 4 Foame and asked me to check it over. On binding to the Tx one of the ailerons was not centred.

Took it back to the shop and all they did was to prise the servo cover off and order a replacement from Ripmax. I centred the servo, taped the damaged cover on and test flew it. All was well.

A week goes by and I pop into the model shop to see about the cover. They had been onto Ripmax that morning all guns blazing as the cover was no where to be seen. Ripmax's excuse was that they could only send the covers to the shop as part of a larger order, and that until the shop placed such an order the covers would not be forthcoming. The shop owner quite rightly went ballistic. That was on a Friday. Surprise, surprise the covers were received on the Monday. Hurrah for the model shop!

Distant selling regs say that the shop must exchange faulty goods not the distributor, but it is the purchasers resposibility to return the faulty goods for inspection. It would be normal to use the original packing to do this. I had to do this with a Ripmax shop recently and got very prompt and pleasent treatment. Why not send the whole kit back?