Chan suggested that we start a thread on what people's experiences are about ordering online from RC outlets outside India.  

So here it is !  Please discuss your experiences with international online stores, especially in terms of shipping (charges, delays, quality of packing etc).

I dont have much experience ordering online outside India.  But recently, i had got two small packages (one containing 4 props and the other containing my VPP motor) from http://www.aircraft-world.com.  It landed in Chennai in 4 to 5 days flat.  And shipping was $2.40  !! Good customer service and awesome delivery times.  Highly recommended.

How are Hobbycity delivery times, services and shipping costs??

Chan

I started in this hobby in the year in 2001 and since then to 2008 I had imported 11 model plane kits of which 3 are speed-400 sized ARFs and the rest being speed-600 sized wood kits including a 2M sailplane and all the tools and equipment required to build balsa wood model planes and fly them. From T-pins to Computer Radio systems I  imported everything involved in this hobby, everything even glues because I could not locate a shop in India which can supply my modelling needs especially in the early years. I love building planes from kits and now I have a totally complete hobbyroom so that I can even scratch build Balsa planes If I could find a balsa supplier. I imported all these except Flight Batteries ( all my planes are Electric Powered ) From TOWER HOBBIES, USA. I purchased the batteries as loose Ni-mH cells and wire and connectors from www.cheapbatterypacks.com. All my purchases from TowerHobbies were shipped by Surface Mail.and they arrived through the foreign Postal customs office located in Chennai and delivered at my local post office.The most amazing thing is I WAS NEVER ASKED TO PAY ANY CUSTOMS DUTY. My last model plane kit purchased from Tower Hobbies was ordered on 26-12-2007 and it was delivered in last week of January 2008. Then disaster struck. Tower Hobbies STOPPED SHIPPING BY SURFACE MAIL TO INTERNATIONAL ADDRESSES. Now tower Hobbies is offering only USPS Air Mail and UPS worldwide saver only which makes it beyond my budget.The last thing I purchased from Tower Hobbies is a book on Aerobatics costing $11-00 and the shipping charges were $14-00(Postal+Handling charges) by airmail.I don't think I would be ever able to buy from Tower Hobbies again like in the good old days.However for those who could afford UPS Worldwide Saver shipping charges which is the only option( because of the size restrictions most of the ARFs  are too big to be shipped by USPS airmail) available to international customers of Tower Hobbies. I think Tower Hobbies is the best On-line stores in the world.Their prices are the lowest among the foreign RC Suppliers.Their website is the most comprehensive I had ever seen.From their excellent product specifications pages you could know all the details of the product you want to buy before you buy it.

I learned about RCFORALL and Indian Hobbies a few months ago and happy to know that they could supply my RC requirements at incredibly low prices.I placed a sample orders with both of them and their customer care too is very nice and they deliver the goods super fast.

I too purchase frequently from Tower Hobbies.  In fact, my recent purchase was one that most people find hard to believe.  I got a Futaba 12FGH FASST radio with a 14ch FASST receiver for 50% of the listed price at all other stores (in December 2008) !  Tower's email offers are a great value, and one such deal helped me buy the radio.  During the US holiday season (Thanksgiving and Christmas), they reduce prices significantly on many items, and send out email offers like an additional 25% off ! I was going to get a 10C, but realized that with this great deal, the price difference was only 15% between them, so I went for the 12.

Glad to hear about good service from the local stores also !  Good job Sai and Sunil !

For myself - towerhobbies, hobby-lobby and cheapbatterypacks. In each case the service and the delivery was pretty good. Hobby-lobby even sent free brochures for some time. Especially, liked the discontinued items, seasonal discounts, bargain hangar items on hobby-lobby. In fact bought only from those special offers.

Now, nothing seems to be better than the local shops. Hoping to see more special offers, especially seasonal offers, bargain items, discontinued items, re-sale stuff from the local vendors also. Even these international vendors have stuff on re-sale.

i have ordered couple of stuff from ebay.au and didn't have any problems, the stuff always arrived in 3 weeks via airmail

mostly containing brushless speed controller, servos etc and all my orders costed less than 70AUD including shipping

charges!

i have bought some stuff from sai, i consider this stuff to be better priced then other Indian stores and fast shipping !

sahil

does anybody have any experiance with hobbycity.com? if so, please share some info regarding the delivery time for international air mail and EMS express....and...whether u have been charged custom duties for certain amount of pkg or not? etc..etc...

I don't have direct contact with any online store although I've bought stuff from Horizon and Tower, I identify what i want and send the link to my friends who travel frequently and they make a local order and I get it roughly the same time or earlier than it would have reached if the store sent it.
Like I ordered for a AR6002 Rx and got it at my doorstep in 1 weeks' time. The only drawback is it has to be small stuff.

i purchased one E-Fly 100C radio system kit from Hobby city. the purchase process was easy as usual and delivery time mentioned was approx 2-3 weeks. actually the parcel landed in Mumbai the 9th day, but due to communication gap between the Customs and me, i have to dig out information about my parcel from customs. Due to strict vigilance in customs department and Thanks to the new customs commissioner, She has changed the entire parcel dispatch process. i was able to take out my parcel in three working days, and i have paid only 258 as customs charges, as the radio was a toy part and for personal use. Cant say about other cities customs department.

I have ordered from Rotor Enterprises Singapore. Very fast delivery by DHL, decent prices. Shipping cost with Tower seems to be higher, but has the best range. Amain hobbies is great and has reasonable shipping cost.

Has anyone tried liquidrc.com?

I have also ordered on and off from Amain Hobbies, and a fellow flyer gets pretty much all his stuff from them.  Good so far.

Hi Guys,

Am off to Seychelles and Dubai tonight for 10 days!! I have about a couple of days in Dubai and I want to stock up on some spares for my YS engine and also loads of Klotz!  Someone please let me know which would be the most economical place to source the same in Dubai! Might also take a look at any small ARFs that I can carry along! Stores with websites would also be very helpful.. Did a meagre search on google and hit nothing..

- Chan

no economical shops in dubai   

santhosh

http://www.hobbycentre-uae.com/


santhosh

Two parcels ordered from Hobbycity....

1) Ordered 6th Aug - 09 - ordinary post
    Material posted from warehouse 12th Aug , Arrives in Mumbai (material for Delhi) on 18th, custom clearance (as per PRO at foreign post office) 7th Sep. Final Status yet to receive

2) Ordered 28th Aug - EMS post
   Material posted 28th Aug, Arrives in Delhi 29th as per Hong Kong Post but 2nd Sep as per Indian Post, Custom clearance 3/4, RECEIVED 5th afternoon.

In both cases, problem is at our end and not at the Hobbycity or HongKong post

Pankaj

Ha ha ha ...........Your r rt Pankaj.......Prob. is here only. .......long back i ordered on E-Fly Rx system from Hobby city and it took 3 days to take out that parcel from Customs by paying **********.

Try the DragonMart (chinese shops).  They have couple of shops, one with electrics and one with regular ARFs that can take glow engines.  EEC009 is one if I remember correct, the other one is a few shops after that one.

BTW, you can find ARF kits at prices better than India at Hobby Centre itself.  My brother got a better deal on a profile Yak from Dubai than I got from India.

OK Guys,
Finally, the first packet arrived on Friday 12-Sep. So essentially it took about 40 odd days to reach home, out of which 30 days or so was 'in-transit' in India.

The reason I was actually fretting for this packet was that I had booked Spectrum Dx6i with receiver - in ordinary post....
I had read about hoobycity and browsing I came across a deal for 6ch 2.4GHz Spectrum Dx6i for - guess what? USD 170 + post.... Seemed to be a very hot deal so I grabbed it and then was the 1 month wait for the packet to arrive.....

Yesterday  was indeed an eventful day  - on one hand I got the packet (custom cleared it without duty) and on the other hand my iPhone fell into a bucket of water  and the trouble is that I leave for Europe tonight and need to find an alternative fast.....

Hi Guys,

My father is travelling to Dubai in some days and I wanted to know if anyone knows any good hobby shops there ?

A detailed address would really be helpful.

thanks

atul g.

Two main choices are "Hobby Center" on airport road (it is like within 2 or 3 km from the airport itself), and the DragonMart. 

Earlier posts in this same thread should give you a fair idea about the DragonMart shops, and here is the contact information for Hobby Centre.

http://hobbycentre-uae.com/location.php

BTW, HobbyCentre has smaller outlets in malls, but they have limited stock.  Better go to the main one.

Does anybody have experience with bananahobby.com...?
If so please share your experience regarding delivery time and services.