Vinny V.

Having read the other reviews... I agree with everyone of them. This company - if that is what it is... I actually think its some college kid who set up a website and is a dropshipper and delays are due to the supplier not sending out till paid or waiting enough to meet minimum orders.
I was told by a friend about an item I was looking for - and he found it on Lightake - this is the ONLY REASON - I WAS TEMPTED TO USE THIS WEBSITE - big mistake!
Nearly four weeks after ordering and with a fake / none functional "tracking number" I am no wiser as to IF anything is actually being shipped and on the usual slow boat from China. So I went back to the website - I cannot access anything connected to my account and order and I have had no replies from their so called customer service. In the past 18 months I have had dealing with some of the biggest bandit sites China and Hong Kong - but Lightake - is the biggest scam site I have come across so far.
I award 1 star - ONLY because there is no way to award 0 or -1
My advice is avoid these and use BangGood - never had any problems in 60 orders.

Yes I know it sounds crazy - an online store in China and quality seems a fairy tale.
I suppose it was not good a few years ago. But BG is changing and growing.
I have - so far - 21 orders in my trade history - the very first order never arrived - I got a refund to PayPal without fuss. I recently had a au$65 electronic item arrive DOA. It was defective. Yes, I supplied photo and video and a free replacement is currently being shipped to me.
I think BG have realized long ago that its better to keep customers and accept that in some cases quality control in China is absent and they do send out defective items at times. BUT now they deal with it and replacements are sent out. Yes - there is always a delay in free shipping - but you can always decide to upgrade shipping options and pay more - which is fair.
The service and support are good - but I accept in any big business - they deal with lots of customers daily and it takes time to deal with emails and support requests. Made difficult at times because people judge them by the bad way other online stores treat customers.
The store I first used had just changes its web site title - I had nothing but trouble with them - and they do not refund to PayPal - I was forced to take a store credit - they have just changed the title of their website yet again - so they do not learn-
Try Banggood and I am sure it will be OK.

I do not work for them or get any favours or free gifts - or a lot of "points" to cash in later as other stores do.

Hobby King is alleged to be a big company that cares about customers.
They have stores in Australia and UK but these seldom have the items you see on their website. These are all held in their "Global Store", which means you have to pay big bucks for shipping.

I purchased a Turnigy radio transmitter for model aircraft/ drones. It is a simple 5 channel very basic radio, cost only us$32 - but none in Australia! So it cost us$20 to ship and this was the lowest price option for shipping.

I ordered a CC3D RC Flight Controller - it was in Australia so post was only au$6 or so.
It was defective! I have to jump through hoops to make a video to show it does not work!
Then it takes time to get a solution - meanwhile I went on eBay found the same item in an aussie seller and had it delivered in 6 days - while HK are sitting around rather than solve problems. Eventually -rather than send a replacement ( more cost and postage for them) - they offer a refund. Having already replaced this item - I agreed. Mistake!
They do not refund postage - saying its already used!
OK, I know others do this also. BUT why? They sent an item that did not work. So the sales contract is broken by them not me.

HK are OK IF you get a working item and IF you are not forced to buy from "Global store" when you are in UK or Australia and if all goes OK. You will be happy.
BUT if you have a problem... expect a big delay in getting a solution and you will lose your shipping cost.
Also they have a "no quibble" returns option. What they do not say UNTIL you are in the process - is that you only get 80% of the cost charged and paid by you and you lose the shipping cost and also have to pay return shipping and insure the package!

My advice. Check all your options and only buy if you have no other choice of supplier.

I have made two order for 30a ESCS First 4 arrived. I had a problem - I eventually had to buy a ESC programming card and found one was on totally different settings than the other three. So either quality control is none existent or its been used - repacked and sent out again. I discovered the programming card from a forum member who had the same problem - which was just as well because Emax took a long time to reply to their support ticket system.
( this is still a problem! 25/08/2016)

UPDATE:
I wrote this a while ago after I was new into the sport of quadcopter flying/building.
I expected the major store to be better than eBay re sellers or shifting sub standard products and rejects.
Emax did send out a replacement - although typically anything from China takes a long time to ship out.
In conclusion, they sell good products and like most in China - unless you pay for DHL - your order or replacements will take time to arrive.
I have upgraded my review on the quality of items and accept shipping is equal to the amount I wish to pay and in my control not Emax.

Second order for the same 30A ESCs. Again a problem with the quad flipping over on take off. I checked the settings. OK. Still a problem. Then I found this one ESC was getting over warm when the other three were cool.It had not taken off and flown - so it should not be showing any signs of heat!
Reply to yet another support ticket and after yet another delay in days for that reply - I am asked to submit a video! I ask how I can video heat in an ESC? I say I can show a video where the quad flips - but having smashed a $30 flight controller - I don't want to destroy another! So Sean Cosby from Admin said he would send a replacement and ask " your sales manager to contact ".

I waited another week - finally I get a notice to check my ticket. It was wrong - Sales manager Echo - had replied to the closed FIRST ticket and suggested I send the defective item back to them for checking!
Echo obviously did not read that I solved this issue myself and closed that ticket!

Why am I doing this review?

Emax products are basically very good - which is why I pay extra and go direct rather than buy off eBay or the usual lineup of drop shipping online stores in China-Hong Kong - Singapore - Malaysia and Philippines!

BUT if they make the effort to create good products - they should also have a GOOD back up - product support system and Emax just do not.

It took a full month from order to delivery - same slow "free shipping" taking over 21 days - but Emax make a separate charge usually about $8 - $10 and also make a charge for using PayPal!
Second order - same slow delivery at same cost and seemingly - same problem with some item not being 100% as they should be.

Emax do not care ( it seems) that people buy because they want and need items and are prepared to wait delivery... NOT dealing with support requests and having poor internal communication - which in my case resulted in another delay because the "sales manager" is not even on the right complaint!

So two orders placed - two problems - two long delays - all create a bad feeling and do not reflect the quality of their products - its like making a great automobile - and fitting square wheels!
I need more 30A ESCs - but I will not buy from Emax direct.

Ticket #LAJ-******* - #*******025
Please send the FOC replacement and NOT wait for my third order to include it with.
Too much trouble dealing with another order and an expected problem.

I am tired of dealing with these Chinese online stores. They take your money and if you have problems - they build obstacles till you go away.

I usually buy from another store - then noticed that items were marked as CNDIRECT - at first I thought it was just saying from China store. But it really means the other store is drop shipping and CNDirect are the people sending out the item.
I made two orders. The first is OK no issues. The second one item in four is defective,
It was a CC3D Flight Controller 32 Bits Processor With Case Side Pin For RC Quadcopter New$12.46 USD. Its marked as being a genuine OpenPilot item - which I thought was great because most coming from China are clones! Its dead it will not connect to PC or iMac. I was asked for a video - they will not accept the video on youTube... so it was emailed - all time wasting tactics - They say they will refund item and shipping. So I replied. Why not replace item instead. Then nothing happens. I opened a PAYPAL DISPUTE. Then they email they will refund when PP dispute is closed. Now they just ignore me. Be advised if you open a PP dispute never close it... let PP deal with it and it also can cause the store problems PP can withdraw their services.
They may offer discount prices... but if you get defective items or they never send out... paying money and getting nothing is only good business for the store!
Now, I am another Pi**ed off customer who will tell this story on many forums and never deal with them again.

UPDATE: CN DIrect responded to my review asking me to contact them.
I did - I related my problems - which lead to this review and their response.
Its now 8 weeks later - never heard anything from them.
I use Banggood - things can go wrong but they always sort out any refunds within 48 hours or re-send lost items.

On 7th August 2015 I placed my first order with EverBuying - value with insurance and tracking was us$121.40.
Nine days later the order is still in processing which makes the Ships in 24 Hours look pretty stupid!
I send a support ticket to support asking why the delay? Reply was "Sorry no stock item Hot sales may be weeks before we have stock".
I replied asking for refund. Being new and knowing nothing of how these stores work - I expected refund back to PayPal like all other online sellers. But no EverBuying never like to return real money! So it was placed in Wallet as a store credit.

On 11th August 2015 I made another purchase us$118.99 + fast shipping us$17.99 and Insurance us$3.38. Shipping quoted as 3- 7 days.
DO NOT believe this and never pay extra shipping or insurance it just goes in their bank and you get slow "consolidated shipping hub" which takes 3 weeks or more. Insurance means nothing.
My payment was the credit plus us$19.36 more from PP.
When the package arrived it look OK, I assembled it and being late waited till next day, went into the garden and set it up as advised and how I knew from hours on YouTube!
This quadcopter did not react to the radio directions and went off at angles not expected and trying to control it made it worse. I tried a few times the same. After some days I found a shop assistant who was already experienced in flying these quadcopter and he agreed to help. It was crazy he sent it forward it came backward towards him and hit his hand with the fast propellers and cut his fingers.
On 7th of September I submitted a second ticket because the first one was closed by EB ticket for defective item without any action from them. It just creates more days delay while you wait for a reply. They use delay and wait wait wait to grind you down and just go away. They know you will never buy rom them again.

This second ticket started a long process of offers for compensation after a really long in weeks. Delay EB agreed a full refund - not to PP= but another store credit.
I decide now that I will build my own quadcopter and so to use the credit I decided to buy a radio transmitter.
Which cost us$143.46. I used us$16.80 from points accrued. So no payments due.
Amazingly in just 10 days the package arrived. I was so pleased. Maybe its just bad luck that the quadcopter was defective. But no, not bad luck because I forgot to mention that it had already been returned to EB. There were stickers that had been removed and indicated that it had been taken apart. During the refund process EB even offered to check a replacement to make sure it was new. But they did not ask for the quad to be returned!

After it was delivered - I videoed the unboxing of the radio. Everything - again - looked great. I knew I needed to upgrade the firmware and plugged the USB connector into my PC - it would not connect I spent 8 hours on forums and friends I know trying to resolve the problem. Conclusion was it was another return. We found the factory seal had been broken, No receiver for the radio which the manufacturer includes - because without a receiver the radio will not control any model you fly. Also one of the switches was not aligned correctly.

I open another ticket, and start again. There is a standard opening offer from EB.
1. Send it back at my cost - and they will replace.
2. Keep it and pay - in this case another us$93 for a replacement to be sent out.
3. Refund: - for me they offered us$43 - but I know id I can accept weeks of delay - it will increase slowly.
I did not have the patience and determination to go into more arguments about refunds to PP. So I just replied say this and accepting us$45
(I made a typo but they agreed $45)

So now I have us$45 credit! IF I use it - I am convinced they will send more junk and used items.
They knew the radio was no good. Before it was sent - but they dont care they have YOUR money!

So if you do the accounting despite what to some may seem good service with refunds and replacements
I am now us$99 wasted money. A defective radio that is useless unless repaired - which will cost almost as much as a new one from a local store.
EverBuying have over us$99 from me and I have junk that will not work.

AFter re-reading this, I see I forgot to advise that after the last refund sage - support sent me an email offering 300 points for each review to Sitejabber and 2 other similar sites. Adding..." when asked if you get paid for the review. Answer NO". SO you have to decide how many of the 5 * reviews are unsolicited and how many got a load of free points.