Absurdity in searching for Losi parts on Horizon Hobby

[mytimac]

They just made some changes that makes searching for parts a lot more difficult and pointless when using the Horizon Hobby site.
Here is what you can't search for: (using a3078 as example)
1. THE ACTUAL PART NUMBER, like a3078. Nothing will come up.
2. a30, or start of a part number.
3. losa30, or the start of the Horizon part number
4. losa30* which use to do a wildcard search for parts starting with losa30

The only way now is by exact Horizon part number, losa3078.

BUT, this is the really dumb part, you can just go to Losi.com and do all those searches except the losa30* type of search.
The Losi page is tied into the same Horizon database.

I sent them an email, maybe they will actually fix this, not holding my breath.
Maybe I am the only one that ever used Horizon to search for Losi parts.

Happy searching.

[Kayne]

I just went to the horizon website and it is down for maintenance. I just picked up a eight e for sixty bux from a guy at hobbytown and wanted to check on parts and prices. Well like I typed the site is down.

[Mindwarp]

It's difficult to find losi parts everywhere. Anyone know why Tower Hobbies don't carry any Losi parts??

[madweazl]

Tower and Horizon are competing distributors I believe.

[Mindwarp]

Tower and Horizon are competitors I believe.

I don't follow. Tower sells pretty much every brand except Losi.

[madweazl]

Tower and Horizon are competitors I believe.

I don't follow. Tower sells pretty much every brand except Losi.

Losi was dropped when they were sold to Horizon. Neither of them carry the same products that I can recall. Pretty sure they're exclusive distributors for specific products.

[klavy69]

Horizon is a distributor and retailer of Losi. They don't want to be undercut by towerhobbies with their own products if that makes any sense...
Todd

[Mindwarp]

?? Then what about the other rc stores that sell losi? Or am I still missing something?

[klavy69]

You ever see one of those signs in a store or restaraunt that say "we have the right to refuse service to anyone". Kinda like that in a way. They can't keep it all for themselves to sell only Losi because it would be a monopoly and they could charge whatever price they wanted. They just don't want towerhobbies bulk buying and listing below their prices taking away from their retail market. Most of the hobbystores you see selling Losi don't have the buying power to do that so they sell for suggested retail or close enuf to Horizon's price it doesn't hurt them.

And to re-iterate...

Pretty sure they're exclusive distributors for specific products.

Losi is an exclusive to Horizon. Horizon sets who does and does not sell their products .

Now I even am getting confused

Todd

[Mindwarp]

Oh, I get it now. Kind of makes me regret buying all these losi's, but I have so many now

[Lowgear]

Tower no longer carries Kyosho products either.

[Lonestar]

Tower is not "just" a shop - it's a US dimporter for many many brands... it used to be the historic importer for Kyosho and one of the many shops that also sold losi.

When Kyosho America was created to bypass tower (for exact reasons I don't know but can imagine), then that was the end of the Tower-Kyosho collaboration.

When Horizon, who's a direct competitor of the importing business of TH (they import other brands, obviously) bought losi, then that was the end of the Tower-Losi collaboration.

It's all "normal" business practice. You don't want to help your importing competitors make more money by selling their stuff yourself...

[mytimac]

Also, if you haven't noticed, you can't buy Team Associated,HPI, and Axial stuff from Horizon any more.
Thunder Tiger (team associated) negotiated exclusive deal with Tower Hobbies (Great Plains) and a couple other distributors.

[Mindwarp]

*sigh* Mean while, us poor shlubs who just want some mini-t turnbuckles have to jump through hoops to find them. I wonder if the AE RC18 turnbuckles will work.

[madweazl]

*sigh* Mean while, us poor shlubs who just want some mini-t turnbuckles have to jump through hoops to find them. I wonder if the AE RC18 turnbuckles will work.

Jump through hoops? Try this. Losi parts house and amain ship right away and your local shop can order them too.