URGENT UPDATE
Our International Warehouse based in Hong Kong has been affected by changes in Hong Kong Customs policy. The new Customs Department policy is to inspect ALL parcels leaving Hong Kong (not just HobbyKing) and is refusing to accept shipments containing certain items.
This has caused two major issues that I wish to address:
Issue One
All orders containing lithium-based batteries that were placed between the 23rd of September and 2nd of October have been refused by customs and are being returned to our shipping dock in Hong Kong. Some orders not containing these items could also have been affected. This has also caused further delays to orders containing these items due to the backlog.
To remedy this, we at HobbyKing are upgrading all returned shipped items to a premium courier provider that will deliver your parcels to you shortly.
Issue Two
Due to the above issue, our Customer Service channel has been overwhelmed. This means that unfortunately all customers will have difficulty contacting Customer Service and for this we sincerely apologise.
If you are trying to contact customer service, please know that we WILL get back to you as soon as possible. To improve efficiency and improve response time, we request that you create just ONE support ticket. Your help on this matter is greatly appreciated.
To ensure that this does not happen again, we are:
- Implementing a Russia Direct Entry shipping method. The company for this shipping option have their own in-house Customs officers which will streamline the process and ensure faster dispatch and delivery.
- Establishing another Customer Service Centre in the United States which will be staffed by modelers and will be able to answer all technical product enquiries. This is in addition to our two other Customer Service Centers.
- Expanding our existing EU warehouse range and looking to open more regional warehouses so that more customers can enjoy lower shipping costs and receive their orders quickly
- Negotiating with different shipping companies to be able to offer a complete range of shipping options.
As you can see, we are urgently taking steps to fix this issue. We have all hands on deck packing orders and answering emails (from Senior VPs to secretaries to janitors) to ensure that this backlog is met. We expect to be up-to-date within the next couple of weeks.
Please know that we strive to provide you with the best possible service. We regret any inconvenience or frustration that you have experienced.
Your patronage is important to us, and we hope that you will continue to give us opportunities to serve you.
Sincerely,
Anthony Hand
President
HobbyKing