Performance Hobbies

[bigT]

My luck contacting vendors has been almost comical lately except that they have my money. Here we go again. Has anyone had any contact with Performance Hobbies recently? I have been leaving Ken phone and email messages for a month with no reply and his fax machine is not receiving. Gotta throw in an attaboy for Ross at Magnum by the way. He always seems to deliver as advertised.

 

[rstaff3]

Ken is definitely still around. He has never been much on email. Give him a try at 202-905-7267.

 

[Missileman]

Nothing against Ken and preformance hobbies has a history of being a reliable vendor,
But, I think any business that has a website and email contact address SHOULD at least make an effort to take care of the emails recieved or find someone to help in that area if need be.

 

[bigT]

Thanks rstaff3 for the number. Hopefully this will be resolved next week. My previous orders with Ken were delivered without a problem. Is it just me or does poor customer service seem to be a growing trend among several vendors?

 

[Silverleaf]

Boy, does this thread ever hit a nerve with me..

Note to vendors/companies/businesses that have websites advertising rocketry related items.

IF your going to have a website - or curently have one online, you better have an email address that is active and responded to on a regular basis.

This is 2004, and most people would much prefer to send an email for free - compared to talking on the telephone and running up their phone bill just to do business with you.

Sure, a 800 # is nice, BUT email is free, unlike a toll-free number you have to pay for to keep active.

One other thing...IF your website can accept my order via paypal, then you also need to have an active email address to recieve orders, especially from people like me that will never use a check or credit card online.

We now return you to your regular scheduled discussion..8)

 

[DPatell]

Ken is somewhere every weekend, that may be the problem...I know for a fact that he drives all the way up from DC to NY for launches. He definately tries to extend to rocketeers, if you could help him out I'm sure he appreciates phone orders. His turnaround time with phone orders is a fraction of the time that it is for internet orders.

If you're lucky and have his cell phone number, though...

 

[bigT]

This was a phone order placed in early March then confirmed by phone 2 weeks later when I was given a ship date. The ship date I was given corresponds to the date my card was charged. I have been trying to get in contact with Ken ever since. Still no luck with cell number or pager. Mistakes do happen but to not return an email, phone message, cell message ,or pager message over a month long period? If anyone happens to see Ken, ask him to check his email. Please!

 

[Ltvscout]

Originally posted by BigT
This was a phone order placed in early March then confirmed by phone 2 weeks later when I was given a ship date. The ship date I was given corresponds to the date my card was charged. I have been trying to get in contact with Ken ever since. Still no luck with cell number or pager. Mistakes do happen but to not return an email, phone message, cell message ,or pager message over a month long period? If anyone happens to see Ken, ask him to check his email. Please!

Good luck! I'm still waiting for some FSI motors I ordered back in 1998.

 

[tnrocketman]

Originally posted by BigT
This was a phone order placed in early March then confirmed by phone 2 weeks later when I was given a ship date. The ship date I was given corresponds to the date my card was charged. I have been trying to get in contact with Ken ever since. Still no luck with cell number or pager. Mistakes do happen but to not return an email, phone message, cell message ,or pager message over a month long period? If anyone happens to see Ken, ask him to check his email. Please!

I am sorry you are having this kind of experience. I have only ordered from Ken once-- entire transaction was over the phone (I had heard he wasn't likely to respond to e-mail so I didn't try) and handled to entirely to my satisfaction. I talked to him on a Friday in the early afternoon, and got my motors in less than 10 days via snail mail.

 

[Zippy]

I've been having a problem with Performance Hobbies as well. He charged my card over a month ago but hasn't sent the order. Everything I ordered was indicated as in stock on his web page. I've sent him several emails but he hasn't replied. Thats kind of odd becouse he has sent me emails before on a previous order when he didn't have the ejection delays I asked for. I hope Ken hasn't taken a page from the Discount Hobby Center Manual For Business. I don't want to call him long distance, thats like throwing good money after bad. If people are going to do business over the web then they should answer their email as fast as they take my money since they don't seem to have a problem doing that.

 

[eugenefl]

Originally posted by Zippy
I've been having a problem with Performance Hobbies as well. He charged my card over a month ago but hasn't sent the order. Everything I ordered was indicated as in stock on his web page. I've sent him several emails but he hasn't replied. Thats kind of odd becouse he has sent me emails before on a previous order when he didn't have the ejection delays I asked for. I hope Ken hasn't taken a page from the Discount Hobby Center Manual For Business. I don't want to call him long distance, thats like throwing good money after bad. If people are going to do business over the web then they should answer their email as fast as they take my money since they don't seem to have a problem doing that.

Crap...this sucks. I hate to place an order only to come on TRF and find the poor reviews. I ordered some motors on Thursday night. Time to call the credit card company and cancel the charge.

 

[Zippy]

Eugene, I'll probably end up disputing the charge myself. I gave him till next week in my last email (that he probably won't even read) since I have gotten a couple of orders from him before. O f course I can say the same for Dicount Hobby Center and they stopped bothering to even lie to me months ago. I filed with the BBB on DHC and they won't respond to them either. BBB told me to file with the AG of NY. Thats what I get for using a debit card online. Fortunatly I learned a lesson the hard way with DHC and used a real credit card with Ken. He was up at Whitackers wasn't he ?

 

[eugenefl]

Originally posted by Zippy
He was up at Whitackers wasn't he ?

Yeah he was. Great guy in person. It's too bad his online business is suffering. I think I'll be picking up the phone to follow up the order on Monday.

 

[eugenefl]

Originally posted by eugenefl
Yeah he was. Great guy in person. It's too bad his online business is suffering. I think I'll be picking up the phone to follow up the order on Monday.

Hmm. Ken called me today to let me know part of my order wasn't in stock. Low and behold we modified the order over the phone and it is supposed to ship today. Sounds like he's on top of it for now. Maybe this kind of feedback went back his way? Hopefully the order will arrive promptly. I'll follow up. I suppose the best method would still be to call and verify.

 

[bsexton]

OK - I have to throw my $0.02 worth in. Ken is one of the only vendors I know that brings the hobby shop to you. He does travel quite a bit from NY to SC attending launches most weekends. He has always provided good customer service to me even agreeing to meet me in Richmond on his way to/from the Carolinas to drop off my orders. I will admit he may not be the best "mail-order" vendor, but he has always done right by me.

 

[rstaff3]

I have the same experience as bsexton. Ken's a good guy and very knowledgeable. He is my on-site vendor and I do 99% of my business at the field. If he's not attending, he'll make sure someone who is going gets your box to take to the field. He also will do favors, like swapping delays on motors you already have in posession. If I have a CATO, he'll take the dead motor leftovers and replace it (if purchased thru him).

The one thing I have noticed in the past is that he will take orders based on orders he has placed and not received. Give him a call and see what he actually has on hand.

 

[Ryan S.]

I am suprised by this thread. I have never had a problem with Ken, he is very nice and outgoing and gets done what needs to be done. I have ordered stuff over the phone and placed online orders and both times the goods were shipped in a timely fasion (under a week) to my house. I would give Ken a call as he is a really nice guy and I dont know what the problem could be

 

[DPatell]

Put plain and simple, Ken Allen is the man. A great guy to talk to, and in my case one of the best buisnessmen in the rocketry hobby. He is not imposing on you to buy something, he's there to sell, but he will sit and talk to you all day. He has some great stories.

That being said, if you have issues, by all means call him. He does good buisness, I'm sure your opinion will change.

 

[Zippy]

Ken finally got one of my emails through a circuitous route and contacted me. My faith in Performance Hobbies is thankfully restored. I did try calling in the mean time but his phone was acting strange and I never managed to get through.

 

[bigT]

Ken has updated his web page with a direct phone number. He returned my call Wednesday 5/05 within 10 minutes and he was very helpful. My order arrived today with substitutions as agreed. Ken's busy launch schedule I'm sure contributed to the delay in my order but I can live with that. I sincerely hope this thread has not cost Ken any business. I will certainly order from him again. Now if I can just get him to drive a couple hundred miles further west with those reloads!

 

[eugenefl]

Originally posted by BigT
Ken has updated his web page with a direct phone number. He returned my call Wednesday 5/05 within 10 minutes and he was very helpful. My order arrived today with substitutions as agreed. Ken's busy launch schedule I'm sure contributed to the delay in my order but I can live with that. I sincerely hope this thread has not cost Ken any business. I will certainly order from him again. Now if I can just get him to drive a couple hundred miles further west with those reloads!

Thanks for following up with good news. I certainly hope this wasn't a "jump the gun" situation. All is well that ends well. I'm still awaiting my order, but I think everything will arrive as planned. He did call me to notify my that part of my order was incomplete due to items out of stock and gave me the option to change the order. I think Ken is alright. Perhaps a bump in operations?

 

[Jerry Irvine]

Originally posted by Ltvscout
Good luck! I'm still waiting for some FSI motors I ordered back in 1998.

ROFL!

I have very little positive to say about Ken's business practices as a vendor supplying to him.

As someone who has gone from launch to launch as he does (for decades), I can say that is an INVALUABLE service to consumers. Ken, if you read this, mail me about 12 $100 checks.

Jerry

 

[eugenefl]

FYI - I received my order today. All items ordered are present. Ken is A-OK in my book.

 

[richalex2010]

It took a month for my order to get in, and I live within a day trip of DC! I will probably never order from him again, but thay are excellent at the actual launches. Excellent customer service... I even stopped and chatted with him for a little bit while he was setting up... great ittle company, but poor shipping. There are other vendors, though...

 

[AlexM]

Did you order via his webstore, or by phone? I ordered by phone, and he had it to me within a week.

 

[Rocketjunkie]

Originally posted by AlexM
Did you order via his webstore, or by phone? I ordered by phone, and he had it to me within a week.

You can order via the web store but be sure to call a day or so later. Sometimes he's slow on shipping but calling will get things going.

 

[bsexton]

Always call Ken -- he will take care of you.