jbeech
Elite Veteran
Location: Sanford, FL (Orlando area)
My Posts This: Topic Forum | We went through a horrible situation with blades, which I had purchased out of China, several years ago. Perhaps some of the old hands will recall the unfortunate events.
Anyway, in a nutshell, I was excited to discover a manufacturer of blades (who was making blades for a rather well known manufacturer of model helicopters) who offered me an attractive pricing schedule. After extensive testing here, everything looked golden and thus, we placed a substantial order. We, in turn, offered what we thought were decent blades for a decent price but it wasn't meant to be. We quickly sold about 100 sets (in a matter of days) but before long things started to go south. In short, complaints started to come in (ultimately, about 60 customers called to complain), mostly with issues of delamination in one form, or another.
Frankly, I felt a sense of dread each time the phone rang. After some initial angst, I knew there was really only one right thing to do. I immediately issued a recall, e.g. we contacted every single customer and whether they were experiencing problems, or not, asked them to return the blades to us for a refund. Meanwhile, my vendor, exhibiting the lack of responsability I've subsequently learned is somewhat typical of Chinese manfacturers, refused to so much as acknowledge the problems, much less offer warranty replacement, or take care of us in any manner whatsoever.
Moreover, as you read this account, reflect on one thing. Basically, we're not a giant conglomerate manufacturer based in the Orient, or the largest and most influential mail order vendor in the country. Instead, we're merely a handful of folks in central Florida, e.g. one of the smallest players in the market. Yet ultimately, there was really only one right thing to do - right in my view meaning doing what lets me continue to sleep well at night.
Hence, instead of simply eBaying them off on unsuspecting customers, or offering them as blems to people desperate to save a few bucks and willing to knowingly fly something known to be less than 'right', I knew from the get go I couldn't offer them to anybody - certainly not in good concience. Our course of action was, predicatably if you know me, straightforward, e.g. we took almost 1000 sets of blades to the landfill. To date, quite frankly, this remains the single biggest test of my business ethics because it was a huge financial hit. Believe me, the temptation to take advantage of folks desperate for a deal was huge, but it didn't matter, if you want to be taken seriously you have to do what's right.
Ultimately, I hope whomever is responsible for the blades in question has the integrity to do the right thing. The simple fact is, this could, and may still for someone else in the future, have tragic consequences. Folks be careful in buying blades you don't either know something about, or know someone reputable has your back on the product, the consequences are too grave to risk your safety on a quick buck artist.
John Beech - GM (and janitor)
Audacity Models
AMA # 47381
IRCHA #745 |
