Hobby Towne — Local services in Baton Rouge

My Son, 10yr old, had saved his money to get a R/C toy. We went to hobby towne knowing the pricing would be higher than ebay and amazon. But their selection and hands on approach seemed to be valuable. He selected an R/C boat for our pool and neighborhood lake. He was very excited! We got home to charge the battery and "go boating." Upon opening the box to charge it we noticed that the leads coming from motor were poorly assembled, too short, and would not stay connected. Scotch tape temporarily helped out. Also the velcro holding the top cover continued to come off and was a pain, but worth the joy I'd see on my Son's face. Once charged and all closed up we set it in our pool for the first test run. It took off great and could move around quite effortlessly. But after about 10 seconds the servo controlling the rudder failed to function. We retrieved it, very glad we didn't start out in the lake.. We then began inspecting for the problem. The engine would still run, but no rudder action at all. After confirming the servo was properly connected and seated properly still no joy. So we decided to return it to Hobby Towne. My Son was upset to say the least. The following Thursday I was finally way over on that side of town again. I brought the boat back in with all original packaging and components. One of the owners/management finally came over to help me. I told him all that I noted above and asked for a refund. He began unpacking everything and said he had to make sure it worked before he could refund... The unit not working is the reason I had returned for a refund. The plan was to return the boat ASAP and then come back on Saturday so my Son could select a different item. He was a little discouraged on R/C boats... After inspecting everything and trying to make repairs the person helping me was puzzled and said a small metal plate and/or spring was missing from the remote and he could not refund without it. I then responded by saying well obviously there are some manufacturing defects and/or mistakes with this particular unit. I again asked if he would issue a refund, stating that he should have been able to deliver me a working product initially. He then said fine i'll give you a refund, but you are not ever allowed to return to the store again if this is how it's going to be. I kept my mouth shut and waited for my receipt noting a credit to my CC. Then I left the store. I was quite shocked. I'm not sure how the Owner/manager at the store came to his resolve. I know I purchased a R/C Plane and Copter about 15 years ago from them. These were a grand total of about $8,000-$9,000. I was really excited that my son was interested in R/C hobby and ready to go full tilt with him as a father-son hobby, but now I will have to find another outlet to support us. I wanted to support the local shop here, but then was told please don't come back. Still scratching my head on...

I’m in this hobby shop all the time lately. My son wanted to get into RC planes so I bought him an Apprentice for Christmas - hands down the best trainer plane you can buy. I shopped online and then went to Hobby Towne. Their price was equal to most online but I did find an online sale that would have saved me $20 with no shipping cost. I decided I would rather support the local business and I am so glad I did. Turns out the battery that came with the plane took one charge but died before my son could actually fly the plane. Apparently this is rare but it happened to me. Thankfully I didn’t have to call a 1-800 number and try to explain this to some customer service agent who may or may not help me. The gentleman at Hobby Towne tried to fix the battery and when it couldn’t be fixed he got on the phone with e-flite and handled it for me. I walked out with a new battery rather than shipping it back and waiting for a replacement. Then, when the plane crashed I needed several parts to fix it. I shopped online to see what I should expect but planned to get them at Hobby Towne. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they had every part I needed in stock and the prices were actually cheaper than what I found online. In addition to that I got helpful advice and friendly encouragement that solidified my satisfaction in spending the extra $20 in the beginning. I will always try to buy local first and Hobby Towne is a shining example of why. I’ve read some other reviews and can only say that perhaps we all have bad days from time to time, but of the many times I’ve been to Hobby Towne it has always been an exceptional experience no matter who was there to help me. And they actually appreciate their customers, unlike so many other business these days. My name is Derek Babcock, I live in Denham Springs, I have no connection to these people but I’m committed to supporting good people who deserve it. If anyone wants to ask me more about my experience I’m happy to reply. In December 2019 I was a regular guy shopping for a plane for my son. After my routine experience with Hobby Towne since then I am now a Hobby Towne advocate. If you’ve been shopping online I would encourage you to consider the total value of buying from Hobby Towne. If we don’t support them with our loyal business they won’t be there when we need them. You might pay a few extra dollars sometimes but you’ll also get the extra value they don’t charge you for. Advice and encouragement can often...

Was quite surprised to have found this place. Stopped by for the first time today and I can honestly say, it is one of my new favorite hobby shops! Amazing selection of plastic scale models, model railroad supplies, RC cars, planes, and boats, books, paints, supplies, and even old balsa wood and tissue kits! The gentleman I talked to there (I believe he is the owner, Frank) was very welcoming when I came in offering assistance in finding anything specific. This place is truly amazing. Very polite and helpful staff, crazy good selection of whatever your hobby may be, and excellent prices. It's also worth noting that they take consignments which means you may find older models in there that are hard to find at a very reasonable price. Glad I spent money there today and look forward to many more trips! Stop by if you're in the area. You'll be happy you did, though your wife and wallet...