Off-Topic: Warning HobbyKing

Hello List,

It is somewhat off-topic, but I see some of you are buying from
Hobbyking. I have very bad experience with them and want to warn
you based on my experience.

On 2014/11/16 I ordered a number of items from them in the value
of EUR 942.87 or US-$ 1071.43 including shipping by SCS Express.

Until today I have not received these goods, even so I have con-
tacted them many time. They further refuse to do anything about
the situation.

Here follows the story.

I before had ordered from their European store, but they are
unable and unwilling to provide correct procedures regarding
VAT in this case (tax-free intracommunity delivery). Due to that
we have to pay UK VAT in this case, while as a registered company
we would otherwise be free from VAT. This was the reason to order
from their international warehouse - assuming that in this case
the goods would pass German customs and be subject to German VAT
(which we could get refund for).

However I received a note from the transport company in which they
claimed that they had brought it on "bulk shipment" and demanded
20% of UK VAT and a customs duty of 4.7% - whereas the customs
rate on the corresponding code would be 0%! I asked them to pro-
vide a copy of the customs documents, but they refused.

Based on that on one hand I assume they are betraying on customs
handling and putting the money they claim in their pocket, other-
wise they would be able to present the customs invoices. On the
other hand VAT refund according to EU rules of course is not
possible with lack of any documents that customs and VAT have
been paid.

After the discussion with the transport company did not give any
results, I contacted HobbyKing with a request for help - after
all they provide the service of this transport company through
their website and collect the transport charges for them.

But from Hobbyking I get only stupid answers: The VAT is the
issue of your country, you have to pay it, we can't do anything
about it ... . The fact that the goods have not been delivered
to Germany as ordered but to UK, the fact that the money claimed
by the transport company most likely is not taxes and duties of
my country (as can be assume from lack of proving documents and
the inconsistencies regarding customs rate ...) is in no way
accounted by them.

Later on I got the information that the goods are put to their
UK warehouse, instead of being delivered to me - so they keep
the goods that I have paid for for more than a year now and make
profit out of the incorrect behaviour of the transport company
that way!

I contacted German police on the case. They filed the case,
but explained that they do not expect any results. They told
me that in UK there is no criminal violation like plain betrayal,
only heavy betrayal (which starts from about EUR 70000). So the
UK police would not follow on the case.

In fact that leads to the result that from almost thousand
Euros I paid to Hobbyking I did get nothing at all. Be aware
that on the legal situation explained by the German police
officer you are at the same risk, even if ordering from the
EU warehouse of Hobbyking. If they don't deliver, you are
under the same situation as I am: a claim to the police will
not help.

If somebody of you has doubts in the story, please contact me.
I can and am willing to provided all the proves and the con-
versation I had with both SCS Express and Hobbyking.

If you deal with Hobbyking, you gamble on luck.

Best regards,

Thomas Wuensche
--
EMS Dr. Thomas Wuensche e.K.
Sonnenhang 3
85304 Ilmmuenster
HRA Neuburg a.d. Donau, HR-Nr. 70.106

Phone: +49-8441-490260
Fax  : +49-8441-81860
http://www.ems-wuensche.com

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