Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/27/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I placed an order for 3 items on 9/3/2023. Order number was ***************. One item was a pre-order and not yet available to ship. Item 1: **** Remote Receiver, $39.99; Item 2: ***** Remote ID Module (pre-order), $69.99; Item 3: Transmitter/Receiver Programming Cable: USB Interface, $24.99. The pre-order item was canceled due to an unknown date for shipping, bringing my subtotal to $64.98 + $4.06 MA sales tax = $69.04. Applying a $5.00 Loyalty Discount from Horizon Hobbies adjusts the total to $64.04. I used a $100 gift card to pay for this order which covers the entirety of the cost, however my credit card was charged $18.34. In addition, the gift card balance is now zero. Horizon Hobbies should not have charged my credit card and owes me the remaining balance of the gift card. The total owed to me is $18.34 (credit card refund) +$35.96 (gift card balance) for a total of $54.30. I have tried contacting the company numerous times using their chat service on their website and have sent multiple emails. The company does not answer my phone calls.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/12/2023

  We apologize for the delay in getting this issue resolved. A credit was issued to the customer on 10/02/2023. If there are any further issues please contact us via chat or email our customer service team at ********************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/13/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. In the future, I would hope that Horizon Hobby handles issues like this in a timely manner and improves their customer service skills. The chat and email options suggested have largely been ignored by Horizon Hobby. Perhaps they will take customer complaints more seriously moving forward. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/24/2023

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  **** ******* ***** *********** ***** ******** ** *****
  Order Date 06/24/2023
  Order # *************** for $652.49 for a **** ******* ** motorcycle. Order was cancelled today (9/23/2023) by Horizon Hobbies, after numerous emails to Horizon Hobby and emails telling me its coming and that its worth the wait. No explaination at all just we cancelled your order. Totally unacceptable to treat customers so poorly. Horizon Hobbies should not offer items that they can't deliver within a reasonable time frame (2-3 weeks max).

  Business Response

  Date: 09/28/2023

  Customer was contacted via email on 09/25/2023 to explain why their order has not shipped and why the order was auto cancelled by our system. Customer responded on the same day and stated that they were able to find the item at their local hobby shop.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/03/2023

   Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********.  Their communication up to the time I filed the complaint was unacceptable.  After 3 months they cancelled my order without telling me why until I filed the complaint with the BBB.   I rectified my order by fortunately finding the item at a local hobby store.  So am I happy with Horizon Hobbies NO.  I solved my own problem without any help from them.  Bottom line is they shouldn't "PRESALE" any items not in stock.  I was a very loyal customer up to this point.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/11/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a product prior to release date (July 13,2023) with order *************** totaling more than $700.
  
  The product arrived about one month later (that is fine) and was unusable out of the box. **** *** *** truck was of poor quality materials, and suspension components were broken out of the box. The battery purchased with the truck was incapable of fitting into the battery compartment, making the truck useless.
  
  After weeks of waiting endlessly online with the computer chat bot, I am now faced with exceeding the 30 return policy and still unable to receive an RMA number (let alone a simple response) from this company.
  
  At this point I assume that I have been scammed. The Horizon Hobby group is very efficient at taking (pronounced stealing) money in a seemingly legitimate way, however, complete lack of customer support and Made In China quality affirm quite quickly that this is a poor company to buy from.
  
  Save yourself headache and your money and skip this business.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/14/2023

  Customer has been contacted directly with a viable solution to the issues they are experiencing.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/20/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  Product is new and large. Original packaging was immediately discarded. I am unable to return product without significant cost on my end. Manufacturer of the truck would rather play semantics, and after weeks of neglecting many complaints to correct the issue, a response was only garnered when I reached out to the BBB. After repeated photo emails and repetitive generic reaponses, a “shipping label” was as offered. 
  The issue was clearly described by me, the consumer. The issue was acknowledged by the manufacturer’s own words that adequate descriptions to correct known problems were removed from owners manual/literature.

  Now, without significant additional costs out of my pocket to return failed product, I have a beautiful 700 dollar paperweight.

  The one person that reached out was kind, but kindness does (or a free battery offer) not repair poor quality product. 
  

  I either expect a refund of the product order, a proper replacement of expected product, or this BBB claim will remain valid. 

  
  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  Customer was contacted via phone and email on 09/12/2023. During the phone conversation the customer was advised on how to install the 3S battery. For the shock issue, a shipping label was provided on the same day to have the vehicle sent to our service center for further evaluation and repair. The customer will not be charged for this service unless the issue was found to be something other than a manufacturers defect. This is type of issue is not typical and has not occurred during testing nor has it been reported by any other customers. In order to receive a refund on an item the item must be new, unopened, and contain all of the original packaging, this is stated in our returns policy.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/08/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Transaction date of 8-17-23 Among the items ordered was a Spektrum DX8E radio transmitter. It had problems from the beginning. All due to the outdated software contained in the radio. The radio was updated according to the instructions on the website. The radio has been non-functional since. I contacted the software provider and they tell me that my problem is the most common reported to them and gave me specific instructions for downloading the software and how to get it into the radio. These instruction WERE NOT CONTAINED in the manual for the radio. Even after following the instruction "to the letter" the radio is still inoperative. The software provider had referred me back to Horizon. The customer service number hangs up on you the minute it connects. The "chat" system can't handle technical inquires and refers you to the email based support system and while they respond with a "canned response" promising to get back to you in 24 to 48 hours, they don't. I am stuck with a radio that no longer works and is under a one year warrant. They are clearly guilty of breach of warranty and are putting products in the market that are obsolete and unusable. EXPENSIVE PRODUCTS! this needs to be remedied. I will continue to complain to every available resource, including directly to the ownership of the business. If all else fails, my background being what it is, I will force them to appear here in Boone County small claims court and sue for my refund, court costs and legal fees. Nothing less than updated replacement radio will satisfy me, I want what i paid for!!!!!

  Business Response

  Date: 09/08/2023

  We apologize for your experience thus far. Case ******** from 08/21/2023 is in relation to a different item other than the reported item within this complaint. Initial contact with Horizon Hobby for the item in question was on 09/02/2023, a response was sent to the customer today advising them to send the radio to our service center for further evaluation and repair if needed. It is not uncommon for items to ship out with older firmware installed, this is partially due to system or firmware updates frequently occurring to improve the overall customer experience. With our ongoing system updates our response times to customers have been delayed, this is posted in our important service announcement header at the top of our web pages. At no point was the customer denied any warranty services

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/05/2023

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I ordered
  **** ********* *** Transmitter with ****** Receiver on Aug 15, 2023. This is one item on a two-item order. One product was shipped and delivered, but this one has not shipped. It is impossible to communicate with the company, and I've tried as many ways as I know.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/12/2023

  We apologize for your experience thus far. Our records do not indicate any contacts made to Horizon Hobby by the customer since 2022. The item that has been inquired about has shipped and is expected to be delivered within the next few days.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/12/2023

  My complaint has been resolved. I believe the BBB helped resolve this. Complaint rescinded. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/31/2023

  Type:Billing Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I made a purchase on 7-25-2023 and the order contained 3 items for $177.97 and added ***** expedited shipping for $6.99 for a total of $198.14 after tax. 3 days later Horizon Hobby/**** charged me for two of the items ($50.32) and shipped them. On 8-17-2023 Horizon Hobby/**** charged for the third item ($147.82), but did not ship it. On 8-24-2023, they charged my card $5.35 for no apparent reason and still did not ship the remaining item. They do not respond to emails or messages submitted through their website.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/24/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I contacted them on the 15th and they told me it would only be 72 hours before I heard anything well it's been a full business week or 9 days now and still nothing.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/27/2023

  Customer has been responded to and the issue looks to be resolved with replacement parts being placed on order.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/28/2023

   Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/24/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased a battery made by Horizon Hobby under the ******** brand of products. This battery failed within 7 weeks and well within the warranty period. After contact customer service, they refused to warranty the product unless I performed tests on a potentially dangerous LIPO battery and sent them photos of the test results.
  
  Testing a company's products is NOT required for warranty and is not listed as a requirements anywhere in the companies warranty statement. The company is welcome to retrieve their own products and perform their own testing.
  
  Based on my refusal to perform tests and provide photos of the test results, the company refused my warranty claim.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/25/2023

  Customer was informed that we require a picture showing the issue the battery is having. This can be done using either a cell checker or charger with a screen, both of which will not cause any further issues unless they are trying to charge the battery. A receipt was also requested from the customer to confirm the date of purchase. The customer responded with, "I’m not doing all of that, I don’t have 30 minutes to run through a litany of steps." The requested information does not take long to provide, in many cases these steps take ten minutes or less. We have steps in place to ensure the following, proof of ownership, verify they are within the warranty period, verify the issue described, and verify there is not something else that is causing the issue. To ensure the safety of our shipping carriers we do not accept return shipments of LiPo batteries as stated in our return policy. If the customer would like to have their charger evaluated by our service center team they can send it in following the instructions posted below. Please note that shipping costs to the service center are at the expense of the consumer. If manufacturers defect is found during the evaluation, return shipping, labor, and parts will be at the expense of Horizon given that the customer is still within their warranty period.

  As our automatic system is down currently, we ask that you included a note in with the repair stating the issue, and contact information (Name, Address, Phone Number, and Email. A copy of your original receipt must also be placed in the shipping box.

  The Shipping Address for your item is  HORIZON HOBBY LLC SERVICE CENTER, **** ******** ** ********* ** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/22/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Purchased the Horizon product from ****** in July, Lost my new airplane due to a system failure, this is the second Carbon Cub 1300mm RTF from Horizon. One crashed shortly after take off after total failure. ****** replaced it, and the other flew several flight, and then lost it's mind. It would veer to the right extremely hard, could not correct in any of the panic modes. It crashed in a huge beanfield and I could not find it.
  
  After contacting customer service, they told me I had to find the airplane, so I went out and spent an hour an half in 107 degree heat index, never could find it a full grown soy bean field. I am 65 years old. They kept quoting the warranty, but a fly away because of system failure, should be covered. I don't want the same plane again, it is a ***. I have their radios, and now I am fearing failure of those.
  
  Stay away they may have cornered the market but go to someone else.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/12/2023

  We apologize for the experience thus far. Due to our warranty policy we, Horizon Hobby, are not able to offer further assistance with the plane as the plane was not able to be recovered for further evaluation purposes. The plane itself comes with a date of purchase warranty, once the initial pre flight checks and first flight have been performed the warranty is then fulfilled. By the act of use, setup or assembly, the user accepts all resulting liability.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/14/2023

   I am rejecting this response because: They know the issue, there have been multiple issues with the SMART controller, and it is convenient that they do not cover fly aways. I will eventually find this plane in the bean field it went down in, but a reputable company, would have listened to the customer, an experienced pilot. This is the second plane that has crashed of the exact same type, with similar issues. I don't want the same plane again, because it is not stable, but I would like at least partial store credit for the loss. I filed a complaint with the FAA regarding the flyaway issue, because this came close to a major highway, and finally had to let it ditch. 
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/21/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Ordered product on order number ************** on 7-31-23 - product was on back order - cancelled back ordered item. Found out that order was not cancelled and item shipped on 8-2-23. After numerous attempts to contact company by phone and email had to resort to ******** and placing a bad review to get response from company. 8-14-23 Company finally contacted me and said they would send me an Return Authorization RMA - over a week and had to re contact company. Finally had RMA sent to be but is not for my account or for product being returned. Reached back out by the only way possible - email still with no response

  Business Response

  Date: 08/31/2023

  We apologize for the experience you have had thus far. A replacement label was sent to the customer on 08/21/2023.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/06/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  Of their total disregard for resolving this issue. They have sent a number of return authorizations, however the majority were for products that I never ordered

  Business Response

  Date: 09/07/2023

  Customer has been sent an RMA and shipping label for the model that needs to be returned. This was sent to the customer on 08/21/2023, we apologize for the previous mistakes that were made with incorrect RMA shipping labels.