What does RA Cores mean or where does it come from?"
- In the early 1990s I was getting ready to compete in gliders at the NATS and found
that wings were very expensive. In order to cut down on my costs I decided to learn how to hot wire cut them
myself. In the process of learning, I started cutting wings for local club members as a way to practice and pay
for my hobby equipment. A friend and local club member (Eric Henderson) got a design (the Gremlin) into one of
the national magazines (R/C Modeler December 1992) and asked if I wanted to be listed as a supplier of the wing
cores. He asked how I wanted to be listed and I gave him my existing Software Consulting business name and
contact information (Reith Associates) and that was what was published in the construction article. The phone
started to ring and suddenly I was in business. That following year at tax time my accountant said I couldn't
be in two separate businesses (software and manufacturing) with the same name and had to change one so the airplane
business became Reith Associates Cores but since nobody could ever spell it properly and it didn't roll off the
tongue, it was shortened to the now familiar RA Cores still used today. I have no affiliation with the Sun God,
a common mistake.
Why don't you offer free shipping?
- Free shipping isn't free. I try to set my prices as reasonably as possible (without
shipping built into them as some businesses do). So you will get the same pricing at an event and save on
the shipping rather than pay the bundled shipping and then get a discount at an event when items don't
have to be shipped. Your discount is not paying shipping at the event. We ship the fastest we can for
the cost. We do a flat $10 S&H fee which includes the cost of the box and postage. The further from the
eastcoast, the more expensive our shipping costs and so while nearby orders will get Priority Mail,
something that crosses the country will probably go first class parcel. If you are ordering a small number of
things like props or glue or the like, contact us and we might be able to ship cheaper.
What is my cost to have an order shipped internationally?
- If your order is shipping internationally we ask that you contact us for a quote. International
shipping can be expensive and so we would rather you know the costs up front. We will need your address in order to
calculate it and we will only charge you the actual postage cost. Sometimes ordering multiple things can be cheaper
per piece. Ordering one kit incurs the initial expense but adding a second kit to the order might be minimally more.
When can I expect my order to ship?
- If you order a product in inventory it will usually ship out within a day.
I try to keep a few of each product in stock but if there is a run on an item, there can be a bit
of a delay. Most notably, if I go to an event and sell out of that item, it will get shipped as soon
as I can make more. Products are done in small batches and so it might be a day or two for them to be
back in stock. I do batches of items in the order they are in the order queue. Painted items take a minimum
of 1 day per color as I need to let them dry before doing the accent color.
How do I know you received my order?
- When we get your order through PayPal we create an invoice in Quickbooks which will follow your order through
the process. A paper copy of this invoice will be placed in your order box when it ships. When this is initially entered
we change the order status within PayPal to "in process" to indicate it is in the job queue. When your order ships we will change the
status to "shipped" and enter the tracking information for the carrier used. PayPal will notify you at the email address of
your account. This is why it is important to have a valid email address in place. This is also the email address we will
use for the carrier's tracking notifications.
What is the best way to contact you to check my order status or to change something prior to it shipping?
- The easiest and most reliable way to contact us is to
send an email. We are not near a phone most of the time and with the machinery running
we can't hear let alone talk to people and sometimes we are not even in the office but we check our email regularly wherever we are.
What happens to my order if you are away at an event?
- We try to let people know when we are out of the office. You can always check the online
show schedule to see when we will be away. I try to post a notice
in the Latest News box on the main page stating when we will be gone and when we get back. I try to clear the current
order queue before leaving if at all possible and if your order comes in during an event I try to email you that there will be
a delay. Keep in mind our inventory is packed for traveling to the event a few days before we leave and then there is the travel
time to and from. If we are at an event 500 miles away that is from the 10th-15th of a month, we will probably be traveling the
7th or 8th to have a day to set up and inventory will be packed for traveling as early as the 5th. Then another couple of days
after the event ends for packing and traveling home and unpacking here at home. If we sell out of an item at the event there may
be a short period where we have to generate more kits/order more components or glue.
Can we get a donation for our event?
- We do donate to some events every year. We can't fulfill EVERY request so I am sorry if yours isn't
chosen. A lot of the criteria is our products being relevent to the event and/or the event purpose. We like donating to charity
events where the proceeds go to the cause. But keep in mind we get hundreds of requests every year and can only afford to donate
to a small number.
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