Hobbyking

[Peter Miller]

1 hour ago, Ron Gray said:

Well the good news is that ChinaHobbyLine are opening a new UK store, aiming to be in business  for Black Friday.

Sounds good to me  

[Nigel R]

13 hours ago, Tim C said:

RM seems to have given up collecting it as well

 

It's quite possible to get lucky. I have a few times escaped the dreaded VAT on a few small bits originating from the rcjapan shop. I think especially true with stuff that is under the £135 duty threshold. Too much to process, too few staff, I expect.

 

[Erfolg]

I personally welcome most things that improve the efficiency of selling at the retail level in the UK.  I could welcome ChinaHobbyLine, on that basis, we will see. I have always seen as the wholesale industry something of a necessary evil, in some circumstances, the Supermarkets are an example of the benefits of avoiding the wholesalers. The abolition of RPM (retail Price Maintenance) was also a major step forward, ,although it still goes on via the selection of prime retailers. 

 

AndyH has highlighted the complexity of the VAT system. I remember when crisps were subjected to Vat for the first time (must not state the Government of the day), then the court action about if a Jaffa Cake was a cake or a biscuit, then the introduction of Vat on take aways. Just more and more edibles being subject to VAT. Yet again nothing stays the same, just become more complex.

. 

Another contributor hints at the complexities of payable import duty. I clearly remember that when I was young, now feeling like Methuselah, I knew a guy who made a living as a Import Agent. He claimed that he saved importers a fortune as he fought to get goods catergorised to a code, whilst the customs wanted to assign the  code that attracted the highest duty. He then claimed that the categorise and Codes ran to about a thousand. Have things improved I now wonder?

 

Again in the distant past, a neighbour was thee or just a major Custom Official for the whole of the NW of England, at a social event I was informed, after moaning about the duty paid for a USA personal import, that had cost me a fortune, that I did not have. At that time he claimed that personal imports were to be discouraged, unless that more duty was charged than via bulk imports, as more officials would be required. That the handling charges via agents was to act as a discouragement, and the payments were of course set to ensure that Customs service remained viable. Again I wonder has anything changed, in this era of the Global Sales and mass logistics?

 

I do regret the closure of the UK Warehouse.

 

I continue to watch and ponder what HK will and are doing. 

Edited October 27, 2021 by Erfolg

[kevin b]

4 hours ago, Erfolg said:

I personally welcome most things that improve the efficiency of selling at the retail level in the UK.  I could welcome ChinaHobbyLine, on that basis, we will see. I have always seen as the wholesale industry something of a necessary evil, in some circumstances, the Supermarkets are an example of the benefits of avoiding the wholesalers. The abolition of RPM (retail Price Maintenance) was also a major step forward, ,although it still goes on via the selection of prime retailers. 

 

AndyH has highlighted the complexity of the VAT system. I remember when crisps were subjected to Vat for the first time (must not state the Government of the day), then the court action about if a Jaffa Cake was a cake or a biscuit, then the introduction of Vat on take aways. Just more and more edibles being subject to VAT. Yet again nothing stays the same, just become more complex.

. 

Another contributor hints at the complexities of payable import duty. I clearly remember that when I was young, now feeling like Methuselah, I knew a guy who made a living as a Import Agent. He claimed that he saved importers a fortune as he fought to get goods catergorised to a code, whilst the customs wanted to assign the  code that attracted the highest duty. He then claimed that the categorise and Codes ran to about a thousand. Have things improved I now wonder?

 

Again in the distant past, a neighbour was thee or just a major Custom Official for the whole of the NW of England, at a social event I was informed, after moaning about the duty paid for a USA personal import, that had cost me a fortune, that I did not have. At that time he claimed that personal imports were to be discouraged, unless that more duty was charged than via bulk imports, as more officials would be required. That the handling charges via agents was to act as a discouragement, and the payments were of course set to ensure that Customs service remained viable. Again I wonder has anything changed, in this era of the Global Sales and mass logistics?

 

I do regret the closure of the UK Warehouse.

 

I continue to watch and ponder what HK will and are doing. 

In answer to your questions.

As far as I can gather. No

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Makes a great deal of sense, Erf.  I suspect that the rapid growth in practicality of personal importation caught the revenue authorities of many countries on the hop and the recent changes are simply in response to this.  How many of us imported anything before the internet?  Maybe a few specialist hobbyists but we mostly bought what was available at the model shop or wrote off to an advertiser for more unusual items.  I did once buy a parachute from the USA in the late 1970s and had to drive down to a Royal Mail depot in the East London docklands to pay the charges and collect it.  We've certainly had it easy for the last decade or two!

[Erfolg]

An acquaintance mentioned that he had made a purchase from HK, immediately prior to the sale and closure of the UK warehouse. It appears the order remains unfilled, nor the money refunded.

 

he suggested that HK suggested that they would be making alternative arrangements, very shortly.  All of which has caused me to consider how probable is the statement?

 

The suggestion that the UK Government is considering a Internet sales tax, that all of the UK stock appears to have been sold. I am assuming that the UK warehouse staff have been made redundant, how probable would another UK sales outlet be?

 

Given the suggested on line tax, who would consider   setting up a VAT arrangement from outside of the UK, where yet another tax complication could shortly be added? In my opinion to many uncertainties are there, to invest in a system that could incur costs that may be money down the drain.

 

I suspect (sadly) that for us in the UK they are unlikely to be other than an overseas business. 

[leccyflyer]

I placed an order on the weekend of the closing down sale, a few hours before the Covid closure, I've had four communiques from HK customer service, having raised a query, but I'm no closer to seeing my Durafly spares parts yet. They had said that the UK warehouse would reopen this past week, but I've seen no sign of that.

[Steve Colman]

As someone living outside the UK, (Spain) when I go the the HK website there is no sign that the UK warehouse even existed, only European or Global.

Sorrry for you guys over in Blighty. 

[Kelly]

My last and final experience of Hobbyking😞 

 

[toto]

Kelly,

 

I have heard and read so many similar things with regards to what you say. Good company turned bad  ..... or ..... not so good. I think they used to be the talisman of the hobby at one point but now .... as far as the UK goes ..... , maybe not a safe pair of hands.

 

I'm really sorry to hear of your experience and although you say that you are not expecting a load of replies to your post would urge you to keep the fire burning.

 

These companies need to be called out for the good of all. .... please note ..... not a witchhunt ... just the right to  make people aware before more folks get ripped off. 

 

Toto

 

 

[MattyB]

13 hours ago, Kelly said:

My last and final experience of Hobbyking😞 

 

 

 

You shouldn't have had to go through that, but ultimately HK's business model (at least in the UK) has been broken for years now, so there's really no reason to buy from them. Ever since the VAT changes EU wide (no, it was nothing to do with Brexit) and the eradication of their UK warehouse they've been unable to compete here; ordering from Int'l is just not competitive from a shipping perspective, and the EU warehouse still can't/won't ship to the UK(I suspect because they've had one too many slaps on the wrist from HMRC and won't/can't comply with what is required of them). Anyway, the result is that pretty much no-one I know still orders from them, and I suspect that is exctly what they want at this point - they've clearly written off the UK market as too hard/costly to serve at this point.

[EvilC57]

Does anyone on here still order from HobbyKing?

[kc]

It is possible if you are out then the courier goes next door or nearby and THEY refused to take it in for you.   Obviously one would expect a re-delivery not destruction.    

If payment had been made by credit card then Kelly  you should take it up with the credit card company.  No doubt the bank would have more clout with the vendor and therefore with the courier.   If you don't persue the matter the crook or idiot who is at fault gets away with it - don't let that happen.   Next time it might be someone who cannot afford the loss!  

 

[john davidson 1]

You must have paid by card or Paypal so take it up with them, I had a refund from Paypal, no problem.

[Cuban8]

No matter who you order model goods from, the cost of delivery, or shipping, as they call it from abroad has become a non-runner as far as  I can see. Just for fun, I put together an order worth about thirty quid for small odds and ends from China Hobby. The postage was forty pounds from their international warehouse and they were talking thirty plus days for delivery - simply not worth it. BTW, their UK warehouse had very little in stock when I looked.

As for Hobbyking, they've been dead on their feet for ages - a shame, because I originally found them to be excellent, and they gave many of us an affordable way to sample certain areas of the hobby that were otherwise way too expensive. Must have done a couple of grand with them back in the day over several years. Doubt if I spend a tenth of that now on the hobby as a whole at the moment,  probably spend more on Diesel over a year getting to and from my clubs - maybe not in 2022/2023 after not being well, and some shocking weather now that I'm more or less firing on all cylinders.

I ordered a book from World of Books recently that had to come from the USA - a hardback, with three hundred or so pages, so not exactly a lightweight. Item was £8 and postage from USA was £6 and delivered within ten days. What's going on?

Edited August 1, 2023 by Cuban8

[Geoff S]

1 hour ago, EvilC57 said:

Does anyone on here still order from HobbyKing?

 

Not for years but I still get emails from them.

[Andy Stephenson]

I tried to order a brushless motor from Germany but they just threw a brexit hissy-fit. They told me they weren't shipping anything to the UK for several months, so I ordered it from Flitetest in the US. It came within a week with no excessive postage, no import duty, seemingly no VAT or handling charges.

[kevin b]

1 hour ago, Cuban8 said:

I ordered a book from World of Books recently that had to come from the USA - a hardback, with three hundred or so pages, so not exactly a lightweight. Item was £8 and postage from USA was £6 and delivered within ten days. What's going on?

It's a book thing.

Not sure how it works. Maybe printed paper still carries a discount.

Delivery from the USA can be variable, but if you hit all the connections at the right time it can be very quick !

As opposed to Canada which has the worst parts of the UK and French systems combined (plus costs).

[John Lee]

4 hours ago, Cuban8 said:

No matter who you order model goods from, the cost of delivery, or shipping, as they call it from abroad has become a non-runner as far as  I can see. Just for fun, I put together an order worth about thirty quid for small odds and ends from China Hobby. The postage was forty pounds from their international warehouse and they were talking thirty plus days for delivery - simply not worth it.

 

AliExpress have free "16 day" postage on lots of items, in practice my last 3 orders have all arrived within 10 days, fully tracked. Sign in as a UK customer and VAT is not shown on the webpage but is added on checkout. AliExpress deal with the transhipment, taxes & customs clearance, they then slap on a UK mailing label when it is in the country & you get it as a domestic delivery. There is a China Hobby Line store within AliExpress, I order from there if it is not available in their UK warehouse. Last month I bought some XT60 connectors, the price you see below is the total I paid including postage, ordered 3 July received 12 July.:

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2023 by John Lee

[cymaz]

I’ve been using AliExpress for years. I’ve found the buyer protection very good. Take plenty of photos and don’t give up - be persistent, especially if something gets lost in the post

[MattyB]

2 hours ago, cymaz said:

I’ve been using AliExpress for years. I’ve found the buyer protection very good. Take plenty of photos and don’t give up - be persistent, especially if something gets lost in the post

I used to love that bit where HK asked you to take a photo of a missing item as “proof” it wasn’t included in your shipment…! Ahhh, happy days….

[Cuban8]

14 hours ago, cymaz said:

I’ve been using AliExpress for years. I’ve found the buyer protection very good. Take plenty of photos and don’t give up - be persistent, especially if something gets lost in the post

I'll give them a go next time I need to place an order - thanks.

[cymaz]

If it’s supplied incorrect, I’ve opened a dispute with photos and copies of the original order. A few times the supplier has let me keep the item and sent out the correct order. Win-win😊

[leccyflyer]

23 hours ago, EvilC57 said:

Does anyone on here still order from HobbyKing?

I've had two small orders of spare parts from the Global Warehouse since they started their lower cost postage option. These were spares for Durafly and Avios Spitfires, not available anywhere else and I thought I would give them yet another chance, after abject failure to deliver on orders from the UK warehouse at the end of it's life and the EU warehouse subsequently.

 

Both orders were <100g in weight, so qualified for their cheapest postage option, about a fiver. They took 2-3 weeks to arrive, but they did successfully arrive. I'd order such spares again, but wouldn't order a model now as their shipping costs are uneconomical relative to the cost of the model.

[FlyinFlynn]

17 hours ago, cymaz said:

I’ve been using AliExpress for years. I’ve found the buyer protection very good. Take plenty of photos and don’t give up - be persistent, especially if something gets lost in the post

These days Ali's 'help centre' normally say you must return the item for a full refund. The shipping cost will normally exclude this as a reasonable course of action for the buyer but sometimes, if you ask for it as a resolution and you give them some photos or videos of the problem, you can normally get a part refund and keep the item.  The cost of doing business with China!