I know id be advised against, but im going to order a hull from Chris at FineDesign

[kfxguy]

Thanks for all the replies and information guys, I really appreciate it.

But unfortunately (or rather, fortunately? whatever lol) I am not going to proceed with this transaction, so the outcome that im sure some of you were curious of will not happen. I ended up just biting the bullet and purchasing a T5 scale Miss Bud from Phil Thomas, so although I had to dish out extra $, ill have no worries whatsoever, and even better, an absolute beautifully ideal hull of my dreams :) cant wait to finally get it on my doorstep.

I could really use some help with the setup, as its my first electric build. I already made a thread if anyone is interested:
http://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/...387#post618387

Good deal. You just dodged a bullet.

[JMSCARD]

I will say if you are close to Middletown NY ( I am within about 4 hours, and sometimes go by there when I travel other places as I've lived in Vermont, and Maine) then you will be fortunate to be able to buy directly from Chris Fine at his shop directly... then I would buy from him no question. I have visited his establishment and will say he has a lot of nice boats sitting on the shelves no question... his shop is chuck full..... problem is definitely when ordering, and some of his people skills are to be admired at times... but again, if you're ever in the area of his shop I still recommend stopping in... hes not opposed to wheeling and dealing on his boats, and for the most part his RTR boats are built very well.... not sticking up for him as I know a lot of you have had bad dealings with him... maybe its because I'm close and can pay him a visit, but back in the day (7 years ago or so) I bought a few boats from Chris and had good outcomes... I would myself only buy from him if I stopped in, saw the merchandise and left with it :)

[ray schrauwen]

H&M is dealing with some pains from updating their website and they have gotten backlogged since. I think Oliver is a bit overwhelmed at this time.

[fidelity101]

Ive read countless horror stories now (and for every few, ive read a good one here and there) about FineDesign and just overall conniving behavior discussed here on OSE. I didnt think I would end up placing an order after hearing all this, but earlier today I sent Chris an email regarding a hull I have been in search for.... a Hydro & Marine T4 hydroplane to be specific. I didn't expect to hear back from him but I figured it was worth it a shot, as I was close to ordering directly from H&M in Germany despite my dreading the long shipping. But Chris gave me a phone call not long ago and I talked with him for about 15 minutes, he seemed very friendly, and helpful in getting my up and running with my boat. He told me that he doesn't have any wing kits or decals, but he should be getting some new wings in about 3 weeks. Also he told me that he had recently helped a gentleman whom lives in the same state of Washington as me and helped this man with his boat of the same T4. If I want the boat I could simply Paypal him and it would ship with Fedex ground on Monday, and that he can send me pictures as such around that time as well.

Im very aware of any potential underlying motivations that may be at play, but I have been using Paypal for a long time now and I trust in their protection and security. I hope posting here and using a little caution can lead to a real and smooth transaction....

thoughts?

I made the same mistake so I know exactly where you're coming from. I stood up for him on several forums and it took less than 3 months for me to deeply regret that decision. That being said, follow the advise of others and document, document, document! Don't send a penny until you know exactly what you're getting and make sure it's in writing. If something gets damaged in shipping, be prepared for a lot of nasty/poorly written emails. If you have questions post sale, be prepared to wait unless it involves another possible sale. If you didn't receive all of the pieces/parts you were expecting, be prepared for a lot of hostility if you ask about them.

As jmscard pointed out, going in person and haggling may be a good option provided you live in another state...but I would still avoid it.

[Pedro Ramos]

i just ordered two boats from Chris, one at a time and he was very helpful during the selling process, he also came thru after the sale with tracking numbers and follow ups to see how me and my son we were doing with the boat. I was so pleased that I end up getting a second one.
I also heard so bad news about him as well but so far he has 100% of my present business and 100% of my future business as well. No more proboat or aquacraft for us.
Another this is his craftsmanship is extremely good, I'm very demanding when it comes to my hobby and specially after spending over 1k for a rtr boat but on this case, I'm 100% satisfied. IMHO.