Horizon Hobby kinda bugs me too... sometimes...

[tkrahlin]

Yesterday I got what I think is a defective Thunder Power battery from Horizon Hobby, so I contacted them. Here is the exchange we had.

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From: tkrahlin
Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 7:41 AM
To: Horizon Hobby Customer Support


Re. Horizon Hobby Order #xxxxxxx

Concerning part #THP33004SPL2 (3300mAh 4-Cell/4S 14.8V 20C Pro Lite V2 LiPo)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I believe I may be in receipt of a defective battery.

Last evening, after unpacking my latest order from Horizon Hobby, I proceeded to solder an EC3 battery connector to the 4-cell Thunder Power LiPo battery.

All went well until I attached a strip of Velcro to the bottom of the
battery. As I've done for many other batteries, I ran a bead of hot
melt glue down the center of the battery and applied the Velcro.
However, when I turned the battery over to press the Velcro in place, I
got a sputter and spit and a puff of smoke from the top of the battery
where the power leads enter the pack. After retrieving it from the far
end of the bench (where I tossed it), I took it outside where it is
currently soaking in a cup of salt water.

I don't believe I did anything to compromise the battery. I have about
40-lbs of LiPos (90% of which are Thunder Power) and have used this same procedure on every one of them.

Please advise.

Thank you for your time and patience regarding this matter.

tkrahlin

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From: Tracy Cooper <tcooper@horizonhobby.com>
Subject: RE: Contact from New HorizonHobby.com
To: tkrahlin
Date: Friday, May 21, 2010, 3:28 PM

We are sorry to hear about this. We would ask you to contact THP direct in regards to their warranty. 702-228-8883

Thank You,
Tracy

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Well, that kinda stinks, Tracy. As a matter of fact, it doesn't make good business sense.

If you're going to send me back to Thunder Power for this, in the future, why wouldn't I simply cut Horizon Hobby out of the middle and buy directly from any manufacturer?

TKrahlin

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[ATIS]

Like with any company that carries other companies products they will always refer you to the products parent company for warranty issues. HH CS will cover products like EFlite, JR, Spektrum, etc....their products.

[herk1]

:confused: I thought Thunder Power WAS a Horizon Hobby brand...just like E-flite, JR, Spektrum, etc. See link here -> http://www.horizonhobby.com/Horizon/HorizonBrands.aspx

[ATIS]

interesting...I didnt realize that. Ok, so I am out of idea's...maybe Jeff or Dave will answer. I guess it could be like the auto industry.. GM is the parent company of Saturn, Hummer, GMAC, Pontiac, Buick...but they would send you to the corrrect dealership for warranty work.

[WingingIt74]

That list is for HH products as well as the brands they sell. Just like Seagull isn't really HH, the reason why we don't have it listed in the forum.

[jrb]

Wonder what their doing to/with A123s these days?

[ATIS]

I stopped buying the "big" name brand lipos. I have found that this work better and are cheaper and stronger, US owned, and fast shipping.

http://www.xtremepowersystems.net/products.php?cat=16

[brianfp_400]

I'm a fan of Zippy flightmax lipos from hobbyking in Hong Kong

[tkrahlin]

I’m drawn to Thunder Power because they they can tolerate a higher charge rate and they make a lighter battery (their Pro-Lite line). However, I have been looking at other batteries and would consider others.

[tkrahlin]

:confused: I thought Thunder Power WAS a Horizon Hobby brand...just like E-flite, JR, Spektrum, etc. See link here -> http://www.horizonhobby.com/Horizon/HorizonBrands.aspx


Well... that is interesting, isn't it?
.

[tkrahlin]

I spoke with Jason at Thunder Power yesterday. He directed me to the Warranty Return section of their web page. I filled it out and I'm currently waiting for an RMA email so I can send it back to them to be "checked out".

[tkrahlin]

Like with any company that carries other companies products they will always refer you to the products parent company for warranty issues. HH CS will cover products like EFlite, JR, Spektrum, etc....their products.



I order parts at your auto parts store 2-3 times a month for a year.
I pay cash up front before I see said parts.
On the the forth trip I get a defective head light.

Do you:

A. Put it on the Return Shelf and give me a new headlight.

B. Put it on the Return Shelf, give me a new headlight then tell me that funny joke you just heard that morning

C. Tell me to call Sylvania.


If you picked C, you should pull out your cellphone and snap a picture of me, so you can remember what I looked like.
.

[WJCJR1]

I feel your pain, but maybe a potential reason they instructed you to call TP is the staff at TP may be able to help determine more clearly the problem.

Remember customer service departments aren't dealing with only well seasoned, experienced pilots. I have no doubt in my mind many items get shipped back wastefully that are just fine but due to lack of user familiarity, misinterpretation of instructions and just plain ooops I didn't see that.

Lastly batteries are somewhat of a potential area where fraudulent claims can ocurr, you know I am not saying Tim you are doing that so please no-one jump on that wagon again. But the extra step of a diagnosis of the TP rep can help weed this out by making it a little more inconvenient for the person who wrecked a battery being negligent from a crash, over discharge, over charge etc. LIPOs are VERY flexible, BUT they have their faults as well and can EASILY be destroyed and returned to the supplier/vendor when it never really was a defective part.

I am certain your patience for making the extra phone call and contacting TP customer service will be worth it. A lot of people swear by Thunder Power, I have no experience with their customer service, but usually when people are happy about a product it's not just the product it's the service as well so I expect you'll be taken care of good and well. Heck even the Pinnacle of auto production makes a defect every now and again, check out Toyota, so a bummer you got a bad one hopefully the replacement exceeds all expectations.

I have been enjoying the FlightMaxx batteries as well lately. Both the 2200mAH 25C 3S and the 4000mAH 20C 4S are doing great. They deliver consistently to the end and charge/balance dead-on. So if you are looking for a different battery, I know it's in China and not on the shelf in front of you, but Hobby King has my vote. I paid $35.94 for each FlightMaxx 4000mAH 4S battery and 12.99 for each FlightMaxx 2200 mAH 3S, check those prices VS others. Shipping was very expensive at $90.00 however over the entire order of 21 batteries that adds $4.50 to each battery still a bargain and a half.

Let us know how things wrap up for ya.
Wayne

[HHJeff]

Hey guys,

From http://www.horizonhobby.com/Repairs/Request/

"Horizon Hobby services the following brands: Spektrum, JR, Saito Engines, Evolution Engines, Zenoah, E-flite, Hangar 9, HobbyZone, ParkZone, Seagull, Losi, Pro Boat, Dynamite, Orion, Phoenix Simulator and FS One"

Thunder Power is a brand we have exclusive distribution rights to. We do not own the company. Also, considering they are batteries, we really can't "fix" them. Our service department only services the brands we either own or have contracts with to support. (Seagull and JR would be good examples)

Our service center is setup to be the place you call if you bought any of the above mentioned brands from anywhere. If you buy a JR Radio from your LHS and what it serviced, you call our service center. Its the one phone line for all those brands. If you bought something else at your LHS, you call that appropriate manufacturer.

Because you purchased this product from us and it sounds like it may be defective, the appropriate place to call might actually be our Customer Service department, not Product Support. Customer Service (or sales) deals with returns or refunds. (800) 338-4639

[tkrahlin]

... Because you purchased this product from us and it sounds like it may be defective, the appropriate place to call might actually be our Customer Service department, not Product Support. Customer Service (or sales) deals with returns or refunds. (800) 338-4639


Thanks for the quick reply, Jeff!

I’ll phone Customer Service Monday morning.

[WJCJR1]

Thanks for the reply Jeff and explanation of service.

Wayne

[ATIS]

For what its worth... I pick "B".... I love a good joke.

[tkrahlin]

For what its worth... I pick "B".... I love a good joke.

This guy wanted a different a pet, so he went to the pet store and told the owner he wanted to buy an unusual pet.

After some discussion, he finally bought a centipede which came in a little white box for use as his house.


He took the box back home, found a good location for it then realized it's Friday - On Fridays he meets the guys at the bar for beers.


So he asked the centipede in the box "You wantta to go to Frank's Bar to meet the guys and and have a few beers ?"


But there was no answer from his new pet.


This bothered him a bit, but he waited a few minutes and then asked him again "How about going to the bar and having a few beers with me ?"


But again there was no answer from his new friend and pet. So he waited a few minutes more, thinking about the situation.


He decided to ask him once more; this time he pulled the lid off the centipede's house and shouted:


" HEY, DO WOULD YOU WANT TO GO TO FRANK'S PLACE AND...."

Just then the centipede looks up and says, "Jeez man, I heard you the first time. I'm putting my shoes on here."
.

[ATIS]

ROFLMAO!!! Never heard that one.

[tkrahlin]

ROFLMAO!!! Never heard that one.

Can't wait til Monday now, can 'ya? ::very happy::

[ATIS]

after you call monday your 'required" to post theior answer AND post another joke. :)

[WJCJR1]

::cheerful:: That's a good one Tim! ::cheerful::

Wayne

[tkrahlin]

Because you purchased this product from us and it sounds like it may be defective, the appropriate place to call might actually be our Customer Service department, not Product Support. Customer Service (or sales) deals with returns or refunds. (800) 338-4639

Okay, I just called Horizon Hobby, but their customer service phones were down. I left my information with the gentleman and, about 30-mintes later, got a call back from Angelnette.

Angelnette was also sorry to hear about the battery then tried to give me the number for Thunder Power’s warranty service. I told her I didn’t feel I should have to go to Thunder Power, blah, blah, blah. That I already went through this with Tracy Cooper from Horizon Hobby and then told her about the forum here, about HH Jeff, the Horizon Hobby Facebook Guy and that he told me to call Customer Service or Sales.

Angelnette said she doesn’t know Tracy Cooper or HH Jeff.

I’m currently waiting for a Horizon Hobby manager to call me back. While I’m wait, I guess I’ll surf around for some other places to buy my batteries, etc.

Tim
.

[liquid1]

wow...::yell::Hope it all works out and gets cleared up ..I'm a newbie and have very little to contribute..Getting a good USA product or representation is getting almost
im possible these days..keep us posted..

[tkrahlin]

The three legged dog pushes open the saloon doors and says, “I’m looking for the man who shot my paw.”
.

[tkrahlin]

A little kid is sitting on the curb stirring a bucket of poo.

A soldier comes along and asks, “What in the world are you doing?” The kid replies, “I’m making a soldier.” The soldier is justifiably mad and tells a nearby sailor what happened.

The sailor approaches the kid and asked, “What the heck are you doing with that bucket of poo!!?” The kid answers, “I’m making a sailor.” The sailor is furious and decides he’s going to get even. He finds a Marine and tells him what the kid said to him and the soldier.

The old Marine storms up to the kid and says, “You nasty little meathead – I guess you’re going to tell me you’re making a Marine, huh?” Without missing a beat, the little kid looks up and says, “Nope, I only got this one bucket of poo.”
.
::tonguee:

[tkrahlin]

...Because you purchased this product from us and it sounds like it may be defective, the appropriate place to call might actually be our Customer Service department, not Product Support. Customer Service (or sales) deals with returns or refunds. (800) 338-4639

As I said in the opening post of this thread, I had completed the warranty form at the Thunder Power web site.

Last night I got a very nice email from a gentleman named Jason from THP asking for photos of the battery [in and out of the cup of saltwater] as well as proof of purchase.

Jason also wrote, “…although you have used the hot melt glue and press method before, we do strongly encourage that you instead use adhesive backed Velcro(R) (the 'Industrial' kind is typically best) in the future. Unfortunately it is possible for the heat of the hot melt glue to be high enough to cause a LiPo cell to enter thermal runaway (although that does not sound to be the issue in this case), and also for a firm pressing action to create micro shorts within a cell to do the same. The adhesive backed Velcro requires little pressure to apply and eliminate the need to apply heat directly to the battery…”

This afternoon, I got another email from Jason saying that Thunder Power is sending me another battery.

About an hour later, I finally got a call from a manager at Horizon Hobby. She was very cordial, but insisted that Thunder Power were still the people to call. I told her that THP did contact me and that they are replacing the battery, but I let her know that I still believe HH could have handled it better.

[ATIS]

1) I hate the joke about the Marine

2) happy to hear that you got the lipo issue resolved.

[WJCJR1]

Glad you are hooked up Tim.

If I interpret properly no need to send it back to them either, very good.

I can understand you not wanting to have to make the extra call to the manufacturer however I can see how contacting the manufacturer has benefits as well. This way proper technical feedback can be given to an enlightened individual asking the right questions about a defective product rather than a distributor who may not have the in-depth knowledge or background. GOOD manufacturers WANT your feedback on product satisfaction and definitely product dissatisfaction.

Enjoy the new battery and burn some serious Watts!

Wayne

[tkrahlin]

1) I hate the joke about the Marine

I knew you would ::tonguee: But, when you re-tell it, you get to insert whatever group you want.

True Story, Bro'

Fort Puke, Lousy-Anna, September 1971: We were in our last week of AIT and our DIs were finally starting to loosen up. One day, in a class that ended early, our DI asked if anyone knew any good jokes.

I knew I had the right to remain silent, but I didn’t have the ability…

I told that same joke starting with the kid first saying he was making a Lieutenant -- then a 1st Sgt. They were both in the classroom and it got so quiet, you could actually hear brass tarnishing. I ended with the kid telling the Drill Instructor, "No, I only have this one bucket of @#%."

The whole class cracked up... then suddenly stopped and checked to see if the Drill Sergeants were laughing. It's the first time I saw Drill Sergeant Westphall even crack a smile (funny how you can’t forget their names, huh?). He and the other DIs were laughing hard, but not as hard as the Top and LT. As I walked back to my seat, Drill Sergeant Westphall stopped me and -still laughing- looked at my name tag, and said, “What was that name again, soldier?”

Whoa! up until then the nicest thing I'd been called was a 'cruit.



2) happy to hear that you got the lipo issue resolved.

Me too – it will be good to have an extra 4-cell.

[WJCJR1]

I knew you would ::tonguee: But, when you re-tell it, you get to insert whatever group you want.

True Story, Bro'

Fort Puke, Lousy-Anna, September 1971: We were in our last week of AIT and our DIs were finally starting to loosen up. One day, in a class that ended early, our DI asked if anyone knew any good jokes.

I knew I had the right to remain silent, but I didn’t have the ability…

I told that same joke starting with the kid first saying he was making a Lieutenant -- then a 1st Sgt. They were both in the classroom and it got so quiet, you could actually hear brass tarnishing. I ended with the kid telling the Drill Instructor, "No, I only have this one bucket of @#%."

The whole class cracked up... then suddenly stopped and checked to see if the Drill Sergeants were laughing. It's the first time I saw Drill Sergeant Westphall even crack a smile (funny how you can’t forget their names, huh?). He and the other DIs were laughing hard, but not as hard as the Top and LT. As I walked back to my seat, Drill Sergeant Westphall stopped me and -still laughing- looked at my name tag, and said, “What was that name again, soldier?”

Whoa! up until then the nicest thing I'd been called was a 'cruit.



Me too – it will be good to have an extra 4-cell.

Nice story! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: