As someone returning to the RC car hobby, I've been searching for a good local shop to get expert advice and support from. Much has changed since I last ran and RC10!
My first experience with this store was pretty decent. The salesman was helpful and really seemed to understand where I was coming from. I left the store with just what I needed, a battery charger and a LiPo battery for my RC18B2.
I'm new to Lithium rechargeable batteries. With a new charger as well, I made sure to read all the directions on both the charger and the battery. I learned that LiPo batteries are prone to swelling under certain conditions, and in fact can be very dangerous in this state and should not be charged. When I looked at my new battery, I found that the top, sides, and ends were firm and square, but the back side was rounded and puffy, like it had an air pocket. I wasn't entirely sure if this battery was indeed swollen, but given the grave warnings of possible fire or explosion, I wasn't going to take a chance. I was unconcerned, however, as I had purchased from my local hobby shop and I was sure they would be able to let me know if this battery was normal or needed to be replaced.
I returned to this location today, less than 24 hours after having purchased the battery and charger and explained the situation. They young man behind the counter immediately called me a liar. He said there was "absolutely no way" they sold a battery in that condition. The older gentleman who immediately came over to help also left no room for there to be any explanation other than I must certainly have damaged the battery myself. I was defenseless. How could I prove a negative? I had not even plugged the battery in, let alone charged it nor run it in my car, and now rather than getting expert advice and HELP, I was being accused of lying. Worse yet, it was several rounds of back and fourth with both sales people before ANY suggestion was made as to how to rectify the situation was made. I was told that I would need to take it up with the manufacturer as a warranty issue, something I've never had to do for a brand new, never used item. And if I wanted to deal with the hassle of making phone calls or emails to get what I needed, I would have just shopped online in the first place and gotten a better price while I was at it.
Eventually the older gentleman relented. They first tried to exchange the battery for the same or similar battery, but they had none in stock. I suggested a store credit would suffice until they got new stock, but he went ahead and refunded my money. There was no apology for the inconvenience, or the immediate accusation of my guilt. Despite having my money back, I was very bitter about the situation. I attempted to let it go, trying to see their side of the situation, but after several hours, here I am at my computer.
I'm sure that they must deal with plenty of people who try to claim that they've been sold defective products because it is the nature of the RC hobby that stuff breaks, but they really need to find a better way to deal with these situations than accusing their customers of lying or deceit. And remembering that their customers are the reason for their existence wouldn't hurt either. In the days of so many businesses succumbing to the competition of online retailers, the best weapon a local business has is good, face to face customer service. I suspect Hobbytown USA, being a large national chain store relies on their volume to keep them afloat, at the cost of the individual customer. read more
