What is HobbyCity doing?
 

I went to pick up my latest HC order today at the post office. The gal brings the package to me and the name on the return address was the same as my last name, and the label said "Happy 16th birthday Jason!"

Now I'm 24, and I do look pretty young, but no way can I pass for 16. The gal at the counter notices this and starts questioning me, asking who sent it, asking if I'm trying to skirt taxes/duties, etc. I play dumb, say I don't know anything about why it would say that.

Why would HC do this? They get to declare the value on the customs form as whatever they want, and they put is as gift, why would they need to go further and put "Happy 16th birthday" and send it from someone with the same name as me. Seems pretty weird and stupid considering it's going to raise eyebrows when someone is obviously not 16 and it's not even close to their birthday. I've ordered from HC many times and this has never been done before.

Chinese
 

The Chinese people have a strange sense of humor, and they do not really understand things the way most of us do when it comes to the English language. I doubt that anything was meant by it, and in fact it might have been someones way of saying thanks for all of your business and support with your orders. Plus as long as everything turned out OK, then I would not sweat it. You got what you ordered correct?

IDK, but I was at the LHS back before XMas and we were talking about lipos.

The owner was complaining about the HK companies (HC) who sell super cheap lipos for prices they can't even get @ wholesale. My attitude was basically, good, helps grow the elec side of the hobby. LHS need to wake up to the new reality and adapt. Another LHS buys the zippies and resells them in their shop for a reasonable markup.
(#1 LHS has extremely overpriced Maxamps lipos and other FS just rotting in the case)

So the owner tells me what they are doing is illegal and some battery companies are complaining to the shipping companies trying to get them stopped.

:neutral:

Perhaps he's completely full of it and bitter, or maybe there is a grain of truth. You are not supposed to ship flammable materials like lipos undeclared. If they are shipping a huge volume, maybe they are starting to get some scrutiny. Goes for custom charges as well.
Hopefully not, but I can't think of a better explanation (other than them being wierdos.)

Hmm, #1 guy sounds like my LHS. Except that he has his brain washed followers that buy the extremely overpriced MaxCramps lipos. That is until I started doing a little racing at the track with the same setups as them. Man for some reason, my buggy was more explosive out the holeshot and out the corners. They said it must be the MMM setting or my gearing. So I set everything exactly the same and what happened, it became more explosive out the corners in comparison... No my LHS has a few less lipo customers.

Pissed off.
 

Yea the LHS's are just getting pissed off, because they have had a cash cow working their sales end of things, and now HK is providing better cells for less than half the price leaving them stranded. How are they going to put a stop to internet orders and shipping? This market is soooo huge and we are reaping the benefits. Maybe they should just switch who they are getting their cells from ans stop whining about it. We all know what Maxcramps is doing is hurting our pockets by selling the same cells for rediculous prices.

I agree Jerry. Why don't these LHS buy the same stuff people want?

That's creepy.

I can see you rawbuns, turn around...

































now that is creepy!!!

o.O
uhhhh

Some peeps here also got the same message. But the customs ain't that stupid. (and I still fake Paypal receipts):lol:

How does one fake paypal receipts?

I paste this into the address bar when I'm on the receipt page:

javascript:document.body.contentEditable='true'; document.designMode='on'; void 0

Then I printscreen it.

Ah.
The good ol' java glitch

Batteries are not a "cash cow" for the LHS and they are not part of some racket to rip off the customer. Lipo packs are purchased via distributors just like any other hobby product they sell, with the same markup margins as a servo or whatever else. It's how a business operates... you can't blame the LHS.

Example, here's what your hobby store cost is from the distributor (and Amain's selling price) on a couple of mainstream lipo packs:

Orion 45c/5400: cost 99.99 (129.99)
Reedy 35c/5000: cost 87.99 (109.99)
Reedy 4s 40c/5000: cost 179.99 (229.99)

So the LHS is killing you huh? Markup is @ 30%... they are not buying at hobby city prices and selling at "orion" prices.

My LHS is stocking hobby city products, with a similar markup. So a Turnigy pack that's $60 at hobby city (plus at least $10 shipping) is priced around $100-110 in the shop. Any hobby store could do this. I would, if I owned a store.

This is exactly what we are saying. Retailers have the option, or at least should have, the option to get products from whereever the hell the want. People want cheaper but good quality lipo's and the ones from hobbycity were questionable back in the day but are now pretty proven. So why can't these LHSs get on the bandwagon and supply what people want.

For example: I managed a local tire center while going through college. There was distributors lining up to get our business. So we bought some from this guy, some from that guy, and etc. When got price break from some and not the others, well sorry from the guy that isn't giving price breaks... This strategy proved pretty successful for us. We started out working in a 2 car garage out of my boss's home and moved up to the #2 Firestone dealer in the Southeast district. Not to shabby I'd say.

So when they catch sight of products that are good and cheap, WHY NOT? I don't understand it. Even if I can buy them at the same price as the LHS can, I'd still go get them from the LHS because they have them in stock and when I need them.