Hobby King Scam Be ware

[RedBaron]

One wonders what will happen to Chinese prices when UK and European film manufacturers have been driven out of business?

[leccyflyer]

Don't think the sole UK producer of covering film was driven out of business. Didn't the proprietor simply retire, without selling the business on?

[kc]

You don't think undercutting the UK supplier by more than 50 percent caused it????

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

4 minutes ago, kc said:

You don't think undercutting the UK supplier by more than 50 percent caused it????

 

Not for me it didn't, It was a poor product.

[leccyflyer]

3 minutes ago, kc said:

You don't think undercutting the UK supplier by more than 50 percent caused it????

I'd have thought that getting to retirement age would be at least as likely a cause. After all the UK film being considerably cheaper than the German manufacturer product didn't cause the demise of the latter.

[Outrunner]

3 hours ago, leccyflyer said:

Don't think the sole UK producer of covering film was driven out of business. Didn't the proprietor simply retire, without selling the business on?

No, sadly Derek Hardman died and his son ran the business for sometime but decided eventually to cease production.

[RedBaron]

This website appears to be SolarFilm https://solarfilm.co.uk but now selling only direct.

[leccyflyer]

Here is a statement which was released by Solarfilm in 2018, three years after the originator had passed away.

 

Unfortunately we have stopped production of all our products.

We do have stocks of most of our products and colours, however Solartex is selling fast and we do not have a large amount of this product.

It is very sad that we can no longer produce, as this is not viable for us, so Andrew decided that it the right time to retire early. This will probably not be for 12 months atleast, due to the stocks we have.

We have looked at different ways to carry on the Solarfilm Brand, but unfortunately this does not look like it will happen.

Andrew is working hard, dismantling everything, juggling the closure and moving stock to a new unit etc.

Thank you for using our products over the years.

Best Regards
Valerie Hardman

[Trevor Crook]

My favourite ARTF of all time is my Avios 1400mm Spitfire. No UK model shop has stocked anything of equivalent scale fidelity or flight performance. I never had a problem with delivery, and must have spent well into 4 figures with them. They declined over the last few years though, and ordering from the EU Warehouse is all too much hassle.

[Cuban8]

11 hours ago, Outrunner said:

No, sadly Derek Hardman died and his son ran the business for sometime but decided eventually to cease production.

The end of Solarfilm is a sad story for a once very successful business that was in its time a world leader. However, along with so many other British manufacturing companies in various sectors and of all sizes, they took their eye off the ball, didn't modernise production (look at the article that appeared in RCM&E just before they threw in the towel) and didn't diversify outside of what was a clearly shrinking (no pun intended) market. I am surprised that some way to continue the manufacture of Solartex wasn't found, given its global following and popularity.

Oracover still continue to trade after over forty years of business https://www.oracover.de/about-us.html  so clearly they're doing something right and are able to fend off cheaper opposition.

 

 

[Martin McIntosh]

I was not aware until now that HK UK had closed down. Last two shipments recently ordered from EU arrived very quickly and well under £2 postage.

The UK branch was useless anyway. I sent back a 10ch Tx plus a few Rxs of the same brand because they would not bind; I even had to send a video of them not working, rather difficult. They just sat on it for six weeks and did nothing so I told them to send it all back (I have a 6ch Tx which binds OK). They sent my Rxs plus a complete 10ch set so I won in the end. They refused to refund the postage of £40 on a rubbish engine and had to give up with that one.

[kevin b]

On 20/12/2021 at 17:05, kc said:

I understand that some people don't want to buy from HobbyKing, but where else can you get things like  5 metres covering film for £11.77 or a 3S2200 Turnigy Lipo with XT60 for £10 .20?    Ok that's without shipping but where else can we buy such items at reasonable prices?

How about here ?    covering film

If you look it is shipped free from the U.K.

 

3s 2200 lipo ?

My LMS has them in stock at £11.99.

 

For the last couple of years I have shopped around comparing quality and price and have only managed to put one order in to HK and that was because I couldn't get the part anywhere else !

[Kelly]

last year I ordered a model,  " Hobbyking P-51 Galloping Ghost Mustang".

Model was  taking some time to be delivered, After according to tracking, several delivery attempts and on each date I was present at the address  informed model had been rejected at delivery address???

Contacted hobbyking ,informed by hobbyking that a refund or new model would be sent.

Time went by when  I contacted HK they said I had refused delivery and the model (package) had been destroyed????

No delivery attempt was made at my shipping address, HK refused to accept this saying I had rejected Delivery, not only had I no model and £140 out of pocket but making out that I was a liar.

I will never use Hobbyking again, the customer service rubbish, it is like talking to a brick wall.

I will make a video on youtube when I get time to give more detailed account because this went on for several months.

I believe the package/model went to my post code but the post code covers 70+ house numbers on a  mile or so of road, the carrier must have delivered to the wrong house number.

Will stick with MotionRC in future ?

 

[Engine Doctor]

Try including " What three word" when ordering this gives a location to within a three meter square. No arguing then by delivery driver about right post code wrong house.