Policies and Procedures

Policies and Procedures

 

Checking The Status Of Your Order

If you have placed an order with Tower Hobbies recently and need information about it, the fastest way to find out is to log-on to your account or check the status of your order here.

We begin processing your order immediately after receiving it, so we are unable to make changes to the items within the order, or cancel the order once it is placed. Once your order invoice prints it has entered our shipping process and cannot be changed or canceled.

Note: Our office will close on most major U.S. holidays including New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

Payment And Billing Options

Tower Hobbies accepts Discover®, MasterCard®, Visa®, and American Express® as payment on orders. When using your credit card, please provide your credit card billing address if different from the shipping address and daytime phone numbers. If the billing address or security code does not match that which is on file at the financial institution or if authorization is not given for any reason, we reserve the right to cancel the order without notification. We cannot work out credit card problems with the financial institution; you must settle problems with them and reorder once the problem is resolved. Repeated attempts to authorize your credit card on the same order may result in an additional charge. We do not assume any responsibility for bank fees incurred by using a Debit Card for your purchase or return credit.

 

Third Party Payment Methods

When using a third party payment method such as PayPal Credit or PayPal®, you may be referred directly to them to resolve issues with your payment account. We reserve the right to only ship product to confirmed addresses. We do accept payments in the form of wire transfer, however, you must contact us first. There is important information we need to verify including stock availability and shipping restrictions as well other verification factors before any money is transferred. Please contact us at websales@towerhobbies.com with a complete list of items you wish to order, ship method, shipping name, and address. PayPal is not available on backorder or preorder items and is currently only available in the United States of America.

 

Shipping Policies

Tower Hobbies uses a variety of shipment carriers. For orders shipping free, we reserve the right to choose the carrier. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate requests for preferred shippers. Once the order has shipped, we must allow the carrier a reasonable time frame to deliver. Tower Hobbies and carriers reserve the right to request a signature for proof of delivery. We cannot demand a shipment carrier to leave a package.

We are not responsible for delays in express delivery orders due to pandemics, weather conditions, mechanical malfunctions, or attempted deliveries.

Export documentation will not be provided on packages shipped to a destination within the USA.

Know who you are receiving a package for or forwarding a package to! If you accept a package that was purchased with a fraudulent credit card, you will be in possession of stolen merchandise. You may be responsible for any legal or collection action related to the shipment.

Shipping charges are non-refundable.

 

Shipping Times

Depending on your location and the availability of products, orders are shipped from our Illinois or California warehouses. All international orders will be shipped from our Illinois warehouse. Order processing may be delayed by any incorrect or incomplete information provided by you or your payment provider. You will be notified by email if we need additional information to process your order. Delays due to payment processing are not the responsibility of Tower Hobbies.

 

Change Of Shipping Address

Tower Hobbies' goal is to protect our customers and keep fraud to a minimum. For some orders, to prevent fraud and theft, all changes to the "Ship To" address must be processed by our team. If you need to change the delivery address for a current shipment en route, please contact our Customer Service staff.

Once the package is successfully delivered, we are not responsible for theft or damage to the merchandise.

When using a forwarding company, we are not responsible for lost or damaged merchandise after the forwarding company has accepted delivery. The forwarding company must report shipping damage for a claim to be filed.

 

Shipping And Handling Charges

  • Basic Charge: We charge a flat shipping rate for all orders shipping in the US.
    • Free standard ground shipping on orders over $75.00 for shipping in the contiguous 48 states when placed by members of The Tower Hobbies Super Saver Club.
    • Free standard ground shipping on orders over $99.00 for Non Super Saver Club members.
    • Unless specified differently, we will ship your order via ground which reaches most areas of the U.S. within three to ten days.
    • One-Day Air Delivery within the contiguous 48 states: We'll get your order to you in one business day.
    • Two-Day Air Delivery within the contiguous 48 states: We'll get your order to you in two business days.
    • See our shipping chart below for applicable flat rates for FedEx one and two day air services.
     

    We must receive your One-Day or Two-Day order before 12:00 PM Monday - Friday, Central Time.

    Some size and item restrictions also apply to air shipments. Hazardous and flammable items cannot be shipped via air.

 

Shipping Rates

Some exceptions may apply. (Effective July 22nd 2022)

United States and US Territories

Method USA Under $99 USA Over $99 AK/HI PR/VI
Standard $4.99 FREE $14.99 $14.99
Ground $6.99 $6.99 $19.99 N/A
2 Day* $39.99 $39.99 $59.99 $59.99
Next-Day* $74.99 $74.99 $79.99 $79.99

* Expedited services ONLY run Monday through Friday. Any orders placed on Friday will not be received until the next week.

 

Canada

Method Cost
Mail $14.99
Ground $19.99
Express* $59.99
Priority** $79.99

* Express orders will arrive at the US/Canada border within 2 business days. Customs may delay final delivery—Tower Hobbies is not responsible for late shipments.

** Priority orders will arrive at the US/Canada border within 1 business day. Customs may delay final delivery—Tower Hobbies is not responsible for late shipments.

 

International Orders

We do not offer international shipping at this time.

Backorders

We backorder out-of-stock merchandise whenever possible, unless you specify that you do not want an item backordered. Certain sale merchandise, products with uncertain availability, items priced under $10.00, and discontinued items may not be backordered. Some payment methods may not be accepted for backordered merchandise.

We only charge our flat shipping rate once for orders shipping within the US. Backorders on international shipments will incur a shipping charge on each shipment and we may not be able to publish what this charge will be at the time you backorder. Please be prepared for additional shipping charges if you backorder merchandise. Tower Hobbies is unable to add products to a backorder. We will only ship backorders via an "express" ship method at the customer's request. We do not assume backorders are to ship with express shipping when requesting express for in-stock merchandise.

Backorders shipped at our expense will be shipped via the most economical shipper.

Returning Merchandise

Return authorization is required on all returns. To initiate a return authorization, please Contact Us.

We will accept merchandise with an authorized RA# that was purchased from Tower Hobbies within 30 days of receipt.

  • The merchandise must be in new and unused condition in its original packaging.
  • Mounting and running fuel through a model engine, installing radio parts in a model, cutting up balsa sheets in kits, installing software or discarding the packing material and products with physical damage are a few examples of what constitutes used merchandise.
  • We are unable to reimburse for return shipping costs.
  • We do not accept returns via COD or any other collection method. COD packages will be refused.
  • Packages returned to Tower Hobbies without authorization will may result in a return to sender.
  • Due to shipping regulations, fuel cases, Lithium Ion (LiIon), Lithium Polymer (LiPo) and Lead Acid (Pb) batteries may not be returned to us.
  • Nickel or Alkaline batteries that have been opened, used, or charged may not be returned to us.
  • There is no restocking fee for qualified returns.

Technical Support On A Product

If you have a technical question about a product please refer to the manufacturer of your product. Our list of manufacturers and their contact information can be found here.

For technical, trouble-shooting, or warranty service please refer to your owner's manual or the product page on our web site for the appropriate manufacturer to contact. Please note that we may not be able to answer questions about use of our products beyond what they were specifically designed for.

Product Warranties

If you wish to obtain a warranty for a product sold by Tower Hobbies, you may contact the manufacturer directly or use our Contact Us Form. If you email us for a warranty evaluation, please specify the product's Tower Hobbies stock number (located near the price), as well as the information from your order.

Affiliate Program

Tower Hobbies does not offer an affiliate program at this time.

Price And Description Changes

All prices, pictures, and descriptions on this site and all other Tower Hobbies publications are subject to change. Tower Hobbies maintains no responsibility for inadvertent errors. In the event of typographical errors on our site or in our publications, Tower Hobbies reserves the right to cancel or refuse orders at its sole discretion. Please contact us within 30 days of purchase regarding price or promotion discrepancies.

Limits Of Responsibility

We accept no responsibility for crash damage or loss of kits, engines, accessories, etc. incurred during operation of a radio-controlled model. In most cases it is very difficult or impossible to determine whether crash damage was actually due to radio equipment failure or operator error. Tower Hobbies cannot be held responsible for any purchased components that are incorporated into radio systems or problems caused by incompatibility between radio components, parts, etc.

It is impossible to guarantee product compatibility for product recommendations. We provide information and suggestions to the best of our abilities based on the information available to us at the time. We are unable to guarantee successful outcomes.

We are not responsible for incidental damages caused by defective products.

All of the products we sell are intended for retail consumption by our customers and are not intended for resale. We reserve the right not to sell commercial quantities or to resellers. The Tower Hobbies Satisfaction Guarantee is not transferable. Any consequences arising out of the resale of merchandise purchased from Tower Hobbies is the responsibility of the seller, not Tower Hobbies. Tower Hobbies may revoke the ordering privileges of customers who purchase commercial quantities of our products.

Tower Hobbies reserves the right to cancel or refuse orders at our discretion. We reserve the right to limit quantities and discounts. Please note that most items we offer are intended for use in the USA. International radio frequency and electric current requirements are the responsibility of the buyer. Tower Hobbies cannot provide CE certification documentation.

Model airplane performance claims typically apply to density altitudes under 3,000 feet above sea level. If you will be flying your airplane above this, additional considerations such as motor power, choice of propeller, and aircraft weight should be taken into consideration.

Once your package has been delivered by the carrier, it belongs to you, meaning you are responsible for it. In the case of theft, your homeowner's insurance policy may cover you, but it would be subject to your deductible. Tower Hobbies will not replace or refund an order when we have confirmation of successful delivery to the address you provided or approved for driver release.

Additional policies may exist. Policies are not limited to those on this page.