Horizon Hobby Reviews 487

The support team helped to identify the problem with my plane's receiver. After identify the reciver was bad the product support team sent me a new reciver.

Bob from customer service should be educated on how to speak to customers. Assumed he knew what the problem was and went on and on explaining it to me before I could even communicate the problem. When I asked if he was just speaking to me or was he going to listen the attitude started. Customer service individual must understand the problem before responding. I’m going to buy in store vs online now because the ordering system is so poor. Had to place 3 orders. Two shipped and I only wanted one, I’m now on the hook to pay for return.

Update. No second email came. They clearly don’t want to make customer service bigger. Crazy experience

Hello:
I have found the service and repairs done by Horizon have always been great. Turnaround time is acceptable for repairs and the service and repairs always fix the issues with their products.
Mark

Great products with fast shipping. The elite membership is worth it's weight in gold. I strongly recommend joining if you are going to be making multiple purchases from Horizon Hobby.

If I could have given zero stars I would have

The live chat is bs

Four days later I get a response but not action will occur until I send a dead battery charger back. Proactively I took it to the local hobby shop where I purchased it and they verified it’s dead and being less than 30 days old, under warranty. Customer service is the worst I’ve ever experienced

In response to horizon, I have an account with you, been contacted by horizon by phone and email previously, so I find it odd that you’re requesting my contact info from this site

Pretty much sums up customer care….

So I provided the requested information per horizons request and have yet to receive any contact. I’m sharing this so l can see the words vs actions

Got my order really fast - A lot of times my order ships that day.

I will admit that in the past, I’ve had some issues with Horizon Hobby, most back orders. I found them lately to be a very honest and caring company that sincerely tries to do whatever they can to please their customers. Customer service has gone out of their way to hep me .

I recently had a problem with some LiPo batteries. I had purchased 5 Spektrum Smart 3 S batteries and 2 Spektrum Smart 6s batteries (all generation 1 - have the balance leads) back in 2022. Due to health issues, I only used a couple of them since I bought them. I stored them this winter after placing all of them at storage charge using my HiTec intelligent chargers. A few weeks ago I checked all of my LiPo batteries to make sure they had held their storage charge. All of my older LiPo batteries, plus one of the newer Smart 3S batteries, had held their charge well. The other 4 Smart 3S batteries and the 2 Smart 6S batteries had self discharged to a point where my voltage checker or charger couldn't recognize they were connected.

I emailed Horizon Hobby, not really expecting any results since the batteries were well past their warranty period. A product support person emailed back and said that "The Smart batteries do have a self-discharge feature that will bring a charged battery down to storage charge if shelved long enough. If a battery goes flat sitting at rest with a sufficient storage charge, it may be due to a bad cell that dropped low enough to engage the balance feature of the battery and pulling the other cells down with it." He asked me to send photos of the batteries showing their voltage readings and copies of the receipts and he would see what they could do for me. I used my voltmeter to indicate the voltages of the batteries in the photos (I also included photos of the one good 3S Smart battery plus one of my older batteries that held it's storage charge no problem for comparison sake).

A few days after I sent in the photos and copies of the receipts I got an email back from Horizon Hobby stating that although the warranty period had expired they were honouring the warranty and had already shipped out replacements for all of the bad batteries, which just arrived today.

So, a few lessons here :

#1 - there appears to be a problem with the self-discharge function on some of the Spektrum Smart batteries that Horizon Hobby has become aware of, and is no doubt sorting out in their manufacturing. Due to this potential to self discharge to too low a voltage, I intend to check the storage voltage on these batteries more often than I have done in the past with my other LiPo batteries that have never displayed this issue. As long as the batteries are checked regularly and brought back up to storage level if required, then there shouldn't be an issue with them discharging to the point where they're no longer useful.

#2 - I have heard various people badmouthing Spektrum/Horizon Hobby for their products being overpriced or faulty, but I have serious doubts that any other manufacturers would replace their products free of charge over a year beyond their warranty period. This is not the first time that I have experienced excellent customer support from Horizon Hobby. The first plane I purchased from them back in 2018 was a UMX Timber. When it arrived the flaps wouldn't work no matter what I tried. When I contacted Horizon Hobby and described the issue, they simply sent me a new plane at no cost, so in my books this company definitely backs up it's products and deals fairly with customers who have had legitimate problems due to faulty components in the products.

#3 - this is more housekeeping, but KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS FOR ALL PURCHASES FILED AWAY IN CASE THEY ARE NEEDED IN FUTURE.

Great Customer Support- several ways to reach them but a helpful agent will be there if needed. Knowledgeable and willing to fix the issue

Great customer service and benefits for rewards members

Horizon hobby customer service couldn't be more abysmal. I have a Arrma truck that is two weeks old with a faulty ESC. Horizon has let me know that it will be a month or more before they might see one shipped out. This is 100% unacceptable and not how customer service is done. Trying to get a hold of their customer service is also a futile nightmare.
Run far from this company spend your money with a company that cares about their customers.

They take care of you and help walk a beginner through things..thank you..

The communication with the customer is terrible. They never told me that they could not complete the sale. They should improve this aspect.

Off all the vendors out there I have found Horizon Hobbies products to be off high quality and dependable.

On June 19th, I place an order for an RC plane controller, two batteries, and a charger. At the time, all was in stock. Over the next two weeks, I receive the batteries and the charger, despite the website telling me that the order is still processing. On Monday, July 1st, I send an email to customer support, asking for status. At the time of writing this review, July 4th, no acknowledgment of the email to support, despite the 72-hour rule defined on their site. Checking the order status today, all the items still say, awaiting shipping, but now the remote is out of stock, despite being in stock 72 hours ago and with the initial order. Now, I want to end this relationship and order the remote from someone more reliable, but I cannot cancel the remaining order.

Joe , Nick , and Michael have been the customer support reps for HH in a long time ! Because of these three , I will always be a customer .

Increased Response time

I have been purchasing items from HH for more than 5 years now. So I have seen quite a few changes to what HH is able to provide as an online retailer.

In the last 12-16 months I have watched HH do what appears to be an overall total overhaul of their shopping experience. It has had its ups and downs, but has finally come out of fire with a much better experience.

Shipping has improved, Rewards program has stepped up and Customer Service has supported by the consumer.

Products now have much more consistent shipping times, especially as an Elite member. 3-5 business days are not being achieved much more often than in Summer '23.

The rewards program has been improving with more options to earn and redeem on products of interest. Last years Gift box for members was a welcomed surprise that I hope they continue to do as well.

Customer Service has been quite supportive with questions and support for items that may have shown up damaged (as an example). Replacements have quickly been shipped out to correct the issue.

Looking forward to see the continued progress with HH.

I love Horizon Hobby! I’m an Elite club member and honestly can’t say enough good things of how happy I am with them. Sure I pay for a support program, but it’s worth every penny. Between an included full flight sim, 30% ANY item coupon, 10% off most parts, and the huge reward points it’s a no brainer! Everything I use from the models, to the radio, tools, wing bags, and even most of my batteries are from them. I love the ecosystem, and on rare occasion something doesn’t work I appreciate having a direct line to a fantastic specialized team and they have ALWAYS taken care of issues promptly and more than fairly. 18 planes, 3 surface vehicles and 2 boats, and nearly EVERYTHING I own and use in the hobby came from them! TIP: Take advantage of the 4X points days to get so much free stuff via reward points!

Horizon Hobby had already taken my money for an item they didn't have, (June 9), though it was posted as in stock. Here, on Trust Pilot, they said they would get product out to me, ASAP.(June 14) (Though, they stated in email, they wouldn't have any until maybe the end of June, beginning of July). Surprise, they sent the product out to me on June 16, or so I thought. In order to try and shut my posts down, they sent a flawed/damaged used item that failed on third run on third day. I should have known better, since they already stated clearly, they were out of the product. The $1K+ Kraton 1/5 4x4 8s EXB in the box, had the Outcast assembly pamphlet and owners manual, instead of the Kraton's.
I believe for my new product full price payment, they sent me a "Returned, Refurbished, Previously Owned, and Damaged" product.
I have sent two inquiries, within the 5 days I had it, with no response for an additional 5 days. I just received an email with a list of things I have to provide, before they will even respond. Most of which they already have, as per linked to my email. I'm answering the email today, and see how long they take this time to respond, (their delays waste my warranty time on purpose.) They took the money from my account twice, yet I have one online receipt. I wish I could post all my Screenshots for you all.
To Horizon Hobby, "Scam me once, shame on me. Scam me twice, shame on you, and posted Publicly"
I apologize to everyone, I'm just so sick and tired of Scams being allowed online and nothing is really done about it, not really.
Thank you, have a Great day and be Cautious online.

The Nightmare that is Horizon Hobbyseens to be perpetual.
I had gone back and forth with them over the broken down RC that they sold me for over a month in emails. (40+ total) They finally sent an ESC replacement. The total problem was that someone at HH put an ESC with a very long wire, and the servo wire were folded several times, bound tight enough to imprint the zip tie. Then put it in the receiver's chamber without any air flow, so the casing melted and shorted the ESC and Servo.
I put the new ESC in,(as I was told it wouldn't effect my 2 year warranty at all). I got it running great, but it wouldn't turn.
I contacted HH, since it had already been over a month, to get a Servo sent to complete the repairs. They then decided that I should send it in to them for the repair. To fix the problem would take 15min. But, now it will be at least a month before I will even hear about it, if at all and it doesn't vanish. Though, they could swap this Kraton Copy with a true Arrma 1/5 Kraton 8S V2 EXB RtR since they finally got some in stock, but I doubt it.
I took pictures and videos of it as it is after sitting for over a month signs of rust and packing it up to go back, just in case.
Plus, par for HH, I can't get a hold of them. But, I did keep the body since it has nothing to do with the damaged parts or repairs.
I wish they had sent the Shippingʻ send it back in the first place since it's warranty was only a few days old. It ran for 2 days and Dead for 2 months + by the time they get it to me.
More people need to take the time to write about companies taking advantage of the consumer. Not doing that let's them get away with more and more each time. So, fight back here, never accept the abuse or lies.
Now, watch for lies, slide of hand, bait & switch, bottom of deck dealing, hidden fees and overcharging...
Sorry for my upset rambling. Trying to be accurate, informative and thorough here...
Have a better day, stay alert, and thank you..

I had purchased a plane from Horizon Hobby. This was the new Super Timber that just came out. There was something wrong with the plane, and while it was in the air, it was really hard to control. I have been flying planes for years, and I know how to fly them. All I wanted was the plane to be replaced, because I had a lemon. Horizon basically blame me for the problem and would not refund me the $700 I spent on the plane. I had purchased a few other planes from them, that were fine, but the first time I had a problem, they were not willing to help at all. I will never purchase from them again.