Is America's Hobby Center screwing everyone, or just me ??
Michael Malone
Yea,
I posted the wrong link, but the info is the same
Michael
On Sat, 18 Oct 1997 16:50:47 GMT, MBM...@ibm.net (Michael Malone)
wrote:
>I ordered an 18 x 8 push type wooden prop from them, since they
>offered to give me a 10% discount as a first time buyer.
>
>I receive an 18 x 10 prop (Which I didn't order) at a higher price and
>with 0% discount.
>
>I call, and they say they had they could not verify my credit card, so
>they had to remove the 10% discount, although the charge went though
>just fine, and I have the prop and the bill of sale sitting in my hand
>right now.
>
>I then check their web site for the current price of this prop I never
>ordered and find it a few dollars cheaper than what they charged me.
>
>Now, they will take back the prop I never ordered, less shipping
>charges, and send me the correct prop, but I get no discount, because
>I am no longer a first time buyer and the credit card they charged
>already could not be verified ??? although I could use it again.
>
>What the Hell is this I say ??
>Do they prefer that I just return the thing and never order from their
>company again?
>
>I question them about not receiving the discount I was quoted, or the
>prop I ordered (which I would have kept had it been discounted) and
>question why I was charged still more than the undiscounted price
>advertised on their web site http://www.prop-shop.com/WENG.TXT
>
>Anyway, I have an RMA # and am currently looking for a decent vender
>or larger Zinger wooden props.
>
>Geeezzz, is it just me or has anyone else had similar experiences.
>This company is really pissing me off.
>
>Michael
Michael Malone
Carl Fickling
On Sat, 18 Oct 1997, Michael Malone wrote:
> I receive an 18 x 10 prop (Which I didn't order) at a higher price and
> with 0% discount.
-snip-
> Now, they will take back the prop I never ordered, less shipping
> charges, and send me the correct prop, but I get no discount, because
> I am no longer a first time buyer and the credit card they charged
> already could not be verified ??? although I could use it again.
Forget AMC, and go thru your credit card company to have the charge
reversed, INCLUDING the S&H!! If you didn't order it you don't have to pay
for it. Maybe AMC will then 'ask' you to return the prop. ;-)
Buy the correct prop ANYWHERE else....
Carl Fickling, in Fremont, CA. Corsairs are more fun, Shuttles and X-cells too.
http://www.best.com/~copilot/welcome.shtml for the Bent-wing hangar
for fun cop...@best.com): or for work (ca...@qantel.com)
Fred Herrmann
Michael,,
Simple solution.... Return the prop and whatever else they sent you, then
sit down and write a short 1 paragraph letter to your bank and have the credit
card charges reversed...
Carl Fickling
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RRicha2215
On Sat, Oct 18, 1997, Michael Malone wrote:
>What the Hell is this I say ??
>Geeezzz, is it just me or has anyone else had similar experiences.
As someone told me about 6-8 weeks ago, when I was bitching about my many and
recent contacts with local hobby shops, mail order firms and R/C manufacturers
with employees who lack product knowledge, promises made but not kept,
calls-faxes-e-mail messages ignored and outright lies to make a
sale....."Welcome to doing business in the 90's!"
People have become so used to and accepting of services that range from None to
Poor that we all get what they deserve. There are so many apologists and card
carrying WOW members today that most businesses - R/C and otherwise - don't
give a damn and don't have to give a damn to make a profit!
In fact, I'm amazed that your message, posted at 12:50 EDT, hasn't already been
BOMBARDED with the usual, "ARE YOU CRAZY? AHC is the most wonderful company in
the world! Must be something wrong with you, if you had such a problem with
them!!!, replies.
My suggestion: return your prop. Refuse to pay ANYTHING for their mistake. And
then, cause them as much annoyance and trouble as you can.
Of course, the rebutal that you'll hear is 1.) Everybody makes mistakes, and
2.) Hell, for that little bit of money it's not worth the time and effort!
Which, is exactly why these companies are still profitably in business!
Bob Richards
Michael Malone
They were rude to me too.
Same woman both times I called.
Michael
On Sat, 18 Oct 1997 19:13:16 GMT, bo...@asbank.com (Bob Adkins) wrote:
>I called them once to place an order, and the sales person was so rude
>that I just hung up. Who needs to deal with rude people when there are
>very nice people to deal with!!??
>
Red Scholefield
On Sat, 18 Oct 1997, Michael Malone wrote:
> Geeezzz, is it just me or has anyone else had similar experiences.
> This company is really pissing me off.
> Michael, don't think you are getting special treatment. They have been
working this way for years.
Only in NYC.
REd S.
cool
No it is not just you! about 6 years ago I bought a futaba super 7 at
a price that was cheaper than everywhere else (I thought) until I got
the bill which included a $20 insurance fee on top of the $7 S&H
charge! Its funny how they failed to mention that insurance fee when I
ordered it over the phone! $20 is a lot when you are a college student
just scrapping buy!
Lawrence Dorn
Lawrence Dorn
Silverdale, Wa.
ld...@hurricane.net
"It was once said that a million monkeys banging away on a million
typewriters would eventually write the complete works of Shakespeare,the internet has proven this not
to be the the case"
**remove
Call your credit card company and ask them to cancel the charge and stop
payment. American Express is very good at doing this (shops hate AmEx for
this reason... too easy for dishonest customers to swindle the shop. Cuts
both ways don't you know.)
VISA and MC are a bit more rigid about cancelling charges. They'll first
ask you to negotiate directly with the dealer. If you already have done so,
then THEY will talk with the dealer about it. Then, at their discretion,
they will cancel the charges.
And don't think that this is an isolated occurence. Even reputed businesses
and corporations need to be humbled at times. I've had to stop payments to
reputed places like Hilton Hotels because of their clearly dishonest and
illegal business practices. But they don't care. It doesn't hit them
financially and their reputations are so big that one dissatisfied customer
means nothing to them. It's the sad state of society. Only way is to hit back.
pip pip,
Gussie
Michael Malone
Michael
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WEEDHOPHER
I don't think they deserve the prop back. Just have the charges returned. Sell
the prop to someone if you don't want it.
Demetrios Georgopoulos
Maybe this lack of service is due to the fact that "doing business in
the 90's" means slimmer profit margins??? Everywhere you go the little
guy with the honest shop has been squeezed out by the faceless
monolith with the lower prices. This is none other than the Amercian
consumer's fault who will sell their mother to get a "deal".
I have made the mistake in the past of buying at the lowest possible
price and SURPRISE!!! Got screwed in the process, never again. I now
patronize decent establishments even if it means I have to cough up a
little extra cash.
If there weren't so many cheap bastards that want to pinch a penny dry
there wouldn't be so many bastards willing to screw them over. :)
Kevin Kline
Exactly! And this goes hand in hand with the latest topic on late
membership cards. People have become so fat and lazy (socialy as well
as physical) that they are will to put up with almost any level of
service. As long as they get their product/service in the end they're
willing to put up with crap. What happened to the American ideal of
fighting for what is right?
K. Kline
RRicha2215 wrote:
>
> On Sat, Oct 18, 1997, Michael Malone wrote:
>
> >What the Hell is this I say ??
> >Geeezzz, is it just me or has anyone else had similar experiences.
>
Clay Autery
Michael Malone wrote:
> Geeezzz, is it just me or has anyone else had similar experiences.
> This company is really pissing me off.
Michael,
Cancel the charge with your credit card company.
Then tell AHC that you intend to trash them to anyone who will listen.
Keep the prop. You didn't order that prop, and according to the ICC,
it's yours to keep.
--
_______________________________________
Clay Autery Work# (209) 587-1602
Hanford, CA FAX# (209) 587-0365
AMA# Pending NSRCA# Pending
Michael Malone
Yea, and they'll just charge it to my credit card again.
Michael
sfa...@avcomproductions.com
Whats with the following;
Re: [Reposted due to Enlow UCE cancel]: Re: Is America's Hobby Center
screwing everyone, or just me ??
This is the message that I get on a lot of the subject lines in Free
Agent. Is anyone else seeing this, or is this on my end only? What is
a 'UCE canel' ?
The following usually is appended to the message
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Red Scholefield
On Mon, 20 Oct 1997, Demetrios Georgopoulos wrote:
> If there weren't so many cheap bastards that want to pinch a penny dry
> there wouldn't be so many bastards willing to screw them over. :)
And they should be thankful they don't get EVERYTHING they deserve!
Red S. AMA 951
Brian
Michael Malone wrote in message <34547631...@news1.ibm.net>...
>Yea, and they'll just charge it to my credit card again.
>
>Michael
>
Pray that they do!!! Do you have any idea just how bad that would be for
them? You would be able to sue them bigtime and report them to the
government and Visa. If they tried to fradulently charge you like that,
unless they have great insurance, with a good attourney you just might take
posession of the business!
Brian
Sid Washer
Hi;
I have to admit that I'm not understanding something here. We all seem
to be in agreement that AHC is out to screw everybody equally, without
favouritism or prejudice. They are equal-opportunity pasgudnyacks who
have screwed and annoyed many people for many years.
With that as a given why are they still in business? Are there that
many newbies who don't read the messages? Is information not getting
through?
To paraphrase Pat Nixon, just say "no" to AHC and they'll fold and
Marshall will no longer be able to feed the pet raccoon that he wears as
a toupee. Its constant scratching probably accounts for his
distractedness. bye, sid
Cain Fly
In 1948. I mail-ordered my first gas engine/CL plane from AHC. Living in the
backwoods of East Texas, I used them several times. Then I found out about Don
Still's Happy Hobby Haven in Beaumont, TX. Don took good care of the dumb kid
from the "Big Thicket". (now a national preserve) You old CL fliers will
remember the Stuka Stunt later kitted by Ambroid.
Later in military days I again used AHC with no problems. Then in 1969, I had
my first visit to NYC. I couldn't wait to visit AHC. DISAPPOINTMENT CITY!!!
The retail room was abput 8' x 12' as I remember. The area was a slum. All
in there, 3 or 4, (been a while) were extremely rude and condescending,
especially after they found that my primary interest at that time was still CL
Stunt, "C" Free Flt. and OHLG
I have, several times, called for their specials, but they are always
out-of-stock on that special, regardless that it may be advertised again the
next month. been a long time since I've tried for one.
"RC REPORT' magazine has a reader questionaire every so often. AHC has always
placed at the bottom of the list for customer satisfaction of the MO houses.
'nuff said! AHC has a long history, not all bad, but I see no recent good.
Horrace Cain/TX
Demetrios Georgopoulos
They're still in business because if you live on the island of
Manhattan they're the only game in town.
Bob Smith
Sid Washer wrote:
>
> Hi;
> I have to admit that I'm not understanding something here. We all seem
> to be in agreement that AHC is out to screw everybody equally, without
> favouritism or prejudice. They are equal-opportunity pasgudnyacks who
> have screwed and annoyed many people for many years.
> With that as a given why are they still in business? Are there that
> many newbies who don't read the messages? Is information not getting
> through?
I thought that was Nancy Reagan...
Skadar
On Tue, 21 Oct 1997 09:51:49 -0700, Sid Washer <was...@is4.nyu.edu>
hastily mentioned:
>Not quite the only game in town, just damn near it.
> Since I live in Brooklyn and work in Manhattan, it doesn't make that
>much difference where I shop. I'd much rather phone order from Bruckner
>Hobbies in the Bronx or OmniModels in Illinois and have UPS deliver
>rather than suffer either 3-4 hours of less than 50-mile round-trip
>driving (plus spending an hour schmoozing in the store) or spending 10
>seconds inside AHC. There's also Mach 1 Hobbies on 28th St, but they're
>smaller and more expensive than Bruckner, AHC or Omni.
> In New York City, instant gratification is for those with personal
>shoppers. And I still don't understand why people patronize AHC.
> bye, sid
Yeah, I also work in the city... and occasionally I go to AHC during
lunch when I need a specific small part. Although, they rarely seem
to have exactly what I need. They have never tried to screw me or
give me bad advice, but then again that's mostly because I buy only
small items. Actually, now that I think of it... they have messed
with me a couple of times regarding charging items. It seems
everytime I go there, they quote a different "charge minimum" to me.
If I buy $17 worth of stuff, the minimum charge is $25. If I buy $30
worth of stuff, the minimum charge is $50. etc.
I have never fallen for that though, as I either don't buy or I pay in
cash when they confront me with this. Or I'll tell them that the last
time I bought something here, the minimum was X.
I have certainly heard them shoveling loads of crap to obvious newbie
potential buyers. Now that I realize how they conduct business with
other people on this group, I will refrain from going there. I have
recently found a nice place to shop in Norwalk, CT called Al's
Hobbies. Difficult to locate, but a nice friendly neighborhood store.
Steve
-----
Steve - ska...@JABBAntr.net
Please remove the "JABBA" from my email address if sending mail.
Like every other decent person, I'm trying to foil the evil Spammers.
Sid Washer
Peter Lopez
The AHC and Marshal Winston it's owner have never been known to get an
order right, or give a damn about anyone in this hobby. I live in the New
York City area and the AHC's reputation is well known. The don't even
limit their questionable behavior to their mail order business. You have
not lived till you go into the rat trap of a store on the lower west side
and they do it to you in person. I am sure they must have a long rap sheet
with the better business bureau.
Michael Malone wrote:
> I ordered an 18 x 8 push type wooden prop from them, since they
> offered to give me a 10% discount as a first time buyer.
>
> I receive an 18 x 10 prop (Which I didn't order) at a higher price and
> with 0% discount.
>
> I call, and they say they had they could not verify my credit card, so
> they had to remove the 10% discount, although the charge went though
> just fine, and I have the prop and the bill of sale sitting in my hand
> right now.
>
> I then check their web site for the current price of this prop I never
> ordered and find it a few dollars cheaper than what they charged me.
>
> Now, they will take back the prop I never ordered, less shipping
> charges, and send me the correct prop, but I get no discount, because
> I am no longer a first time buyer and the credit card they charged
> already could not be verified ??? although I could use it again.
>
> What the Hell is this I say ??
> Do they prefer that I just return the thing and never order from their
> company again?
>
> I question them about not receiving the discount I was quoted, or the
> prop I ordered (which I would have kept had it been discounted) and
> question why I was charged still more than the undiscounted price
> advertised on their web site http://www.prop-shop.com/WENG.TXT
>
> Anyway, I have an RMA # and am currently looking for a decent vender
> or larger Zinger wooden props.
>
George Hostler
New York City Better Business Bureau has a web site that you can check on a
company before you buy. I can't tell you right off hand because I recently
rebuilt my hard disk and have not restored my old internet files. However,
a web search should suffice.
As I recall several months ago, AHC wasn't at the top of the heap regarding
customer satisfaction according to the BBB. Perhaps they have gone the way
of most of the camera stores in New York. (Only store I'd order from now is
B&H.)
Years ago, I used to order from them. Then, they were decent. Seems ever
since they spruced up their adds with color and dropped listing the C/L and
free flight stuff, things have gone down hill. I've also noticed they don't
advertise as often as they used to in some of the model magazines such as
Flying Models.
I've learned that it is better to spend a few more bucks at a reputable
place, than save a few with the "low bid". Life is too short to haggle.
George Hostler
"where seldom is heard, a discouraging word . . ."
Gallup, New Mexico
ghos...@cia-g.com
Don RInker wrote in message <62lcef$6sp$1...@news1.fast.net>...
>In article <344DB6...@erols.com>, kli...@erols.com wrote:
>>Maybe guys, just maybe everyone with a bad experience with AHC should
>>let the magazines know and perhaps they will stop carrying their adds!
>
>Dream on.... AHC has been rude to and shafting everyone for years and
years.
>
>They don't single anyone out, they treat every customer with the same
>contempt! :-)
John Konstantakatos
Michael Malone <MBM...@ibm.net> wrote in article
<3453ea4e...@news1.ibm.net>...
> Yea,
>
> On Sat, 18 Oct 1997 16:50:47 GMT, MBM...@ibm.net (Michael Malone)
> wrote:
>
> >I ordered an 18 x 8 push type wooden prop from them, since they
> >offered to give me a 10% discount as a first time buyer.
> >
> >I receive an 18 x 10 prop (Which I didn't order) at a higher price and
> >with 0% discount.
> >
> >I call, and they say they had they could not verify my credit card, so
> >they had to remove the 10% discount, although the charge went though
> >just fine, and I have the prop and the bill of sale sitting in my hand
> >right now.
> >>
> >What the Hell is this I say ??
> >Do they prefer that I just return the thing and never order from their
> >company again?
> > >
> >Geeezzz, is it just me or has anyone else had similar experiences.
> >This company is really pissing me off.
> >
> >Michael
Dear Michael,
welcome to the club!!
I had my first similar experience back in 1968 on a mail order. He claimed
my check has never reached him. I managed to provide a copy of the cashed
check. Still expecting my props. Friends that went in this shop in person
had similar bad treatment.
John Konstantakatos
<re...@ath.forthnet.gr>