Making Warranty Great Again: Horizon Pulls Through!

Introduction

I open my inbox and see, “Your Horizon Hobby order shipped... invoice number xxxxx.”  I was like?  What?  I did not order anything from Horizon recently.  I channeled…What the Hail?” 

I thought someone had hacked my account or that there was a mistake. I have given my son access to my hobby store accounts so he can add things to the cart, but he has never just pressed the “Buy Now!” I thought maybe he crossed the line! This was about to get like that ugly phone call that Ralphie’s mother makes after Ralphie confesses to where he heard “that word.“ (Yes, we just watched “A Christmas Story.”)

Did they Scam You?

So, I logged into Horizon and did not see any orders. Then I did the smart thing. I looked at the invoice, and it made sense. Horizon Hobby stepped up! They did well! I mean, they did really well because they sent me a new ESC (Electronic Speed Control)/RX (Receiver). This is a combined unit that Arrma puts in their Ready To Run Vehicles.

I was shocked! I sent the ESC/RX to them on a Friday, December 12. They received the part on Thursday, the 18th, and they turned it around in less than 12 hours. They sent me the new part. That is pretty impressive. They invoiced me, and you can see that there was no charge.

I notice on the invoice that they identify it as a “thermal event.” Thermal event? The speed control made more smoke than the fans at a Metallica concert when Metallica performed in their prime.

So, I thought that the classification of “Thermal Event” is hilarious. I am not sure that security has ever classified a Metallica concert as a “Thermal Event.” The reality is: they stood by their product.

Why so impressed?

Why the shock? When I reached out to Horizon originally, the CSR (Customer Service Rep) offered to send me a new unit based on my word. I appreciate that level of service as well! But he said the units are on back order. This would mean that I would have to wait till March to receive a new unit.

“March????!!!!!??? MARCH????? Like about 3 months from now March? No, I think I will pass on that offer. How about a store credit?” Well, they had to examine the part before approving a store credit. That is why I elected to mail in the part.

So, when I saw that the new part shipped in under 24 hours, I was happy that I did not have to wait till March.

I am thankful that Horizon stood by their product. The best part is that I did not have to submit a DNA sample, give three proofs of existence, or sign over one of my children. Though… I do have two teenagers. If you’ve raised teens, you understand the temptation. 😄

I always think back to what a new grandpa told me. He said, “Being a grandparent is your reward for enduring your own children.” That keeps me going on the days when the teenager in the house happens to be the smartest person alive. Just think…. endure…. I will be a grandparent one day. I will have my day when I can laugh when my kid is upset with the know-it-all grandkid.

Seriously, thank you, Horizon, for the fast turnaround.

TIMELINE To RECAP

• I mailed the ESC/RX on Friday, December 12

• Horizon received it on Thursday, December 18

• They turned it around in less than 12 hours and shipped a replacement

Will It Work?

This is the process where you get the receiver to talk with the controller. Normally, you want them to be in a cordial relationship and not a shouting match.  It’s never fun when the police have to do an intervention during a race or a bashing session because your receiver is mad at your transmitter.  I can see it now. 

“We got a call about a very noisy electronic disturbance.  Is everything okay?” 

“Yes, officer.  We have it resolved.  The receiver just lost its mind for a moment, but they are talking again.  I think we have this worked out.” 

“I am going to have to talk to the receiver and transmitter separately, sir.  Can I have a word with the receiver?” 

Then it starts all over again! 

Alright, on a serious note, I have never had that happen. Spectrum stuff has been flawless, with only one weird incident when I forgot to change batteries.

PLEASE BIND IN A FAIL-SAFE MODE

If you do not do this step, there is a possibility that the police will be involved if the car decides to run away.  The worst is when it comes back with that Tattoo of regret.  You try to raise them right and tell them to think through their decisions.  Some lessons they have to learn on their own, right? 

The Process

According to Arrma, you attach the bind plug to the receiver, and you turn on your transmitter. There is not much more information than that. If you click the image below, you can download the manual. This seems too simple for me and so let’s see.

So, let’s follow the procedure. It seems too simple and I want to know if it really works.

BIND PROCEDURE

1. Insert the Bind plug on the open terminals behind the LiPO/NIMH jumper

2. Turn on the receiver

3. Wait for the blinking light on the receiver

4. Set transmitter in “fail-safe” mode. (Hold the trigger in the brake position, and turn on the transmitter while holding it in the brake position)

5. The light should stop blinking, and now you are bound together

6. Turn everything off

7. Pull the bind plug

8. Turn the transmitter on

9. Turn the truck on

10. I always double-check my binding.

    1. Put the truck on a stand or make sure the rear wheels are suspended in the air.

    2. Turn on the transmitter

    3. Turn on the receiver (truck power) (You should hear the fun tone that it makes when they are happy with each other)

    4. Give ‘er the beans…. remember that the wheels are in the air… or this thing is going for a RIDE!

    5. Turn off the transmitter

    6. Do the wheels stop, or do they keep powering? If they stop, then you are good to go if the transmitter ever loses power.

The pics below show you the procedure as well.

(Make sure the truck power is OFF.‍ ‍INSERT the bind plug on the open terminal by the LiPO/NIMH Jumper.‍ ‍TURN Truck on

Wait for truck RX/TX to blink REALLY FAST.

HOLD trigger in BRAKE position.

TURN on TRANSMITTER. The ESC/RX will Stop BLINKING

TURN EVERYTHING OFF and BACK ON

Now you are done!  Time to head out and run the beast. This truck seriously takes a beating.  I did not bring a GoPro to the track, but I brought my SLR camera. Here are some images below

Whatcha Learn?

There always has to be a lesson, right? What is the point of doing hobbies if we have nothing to glean from them?

Warranty and Customer Support Matters: I was a little disappointed to have to send in the part when I heard it would take 3 months to receive a new one. I understand that they need to evaluate things. The great thing is that when a three-month timetable becomes less than 24 hours. That is impressive. So, I can tell you that this company stands behind its product. I am not sponsored by them, nor do they even have a clue about me.

Prioritize Problem-Solving: I learned that it is best to take a breath and read the invoice. I turned from initially wondering if someone got the best of me to realizing that a company actually cares about me. Now, I was not about to fire off a quick e-mail or anything as I did want to do my investigation. This is a lesson: do the investigation and then make your conclusion. Sometimes that 30 seconds can save you hours or hassle. Giving in to wisdom now will save your valuable time and credibility when you don’t have to do damage control.

Deliver on your promises: Horizon’s rapid response after examining the part impressed me. I already mentioned that it made me feel like I mattered as a customer. This does more. It communicates that they really stand behind their product. This is an RC truck. It is not like I am going to miss work or anything if the truck sits on my workbench in pieces. However, Horizon admitted that they had a faulty product. They replaced the product, and they just took care of it. No excuses! That is impressive and tells me that they are serious about delivering on their promises. Companies…. Please NOTE: Service like this makes me want to buy again!

Companies, please take note. When you treat people this way, people want to come back to you. They also tell people about it. Horizon! You did very well! Thank you for the fast turnaround around and I hope you stay around for many years.

Conclusion

The best part is that I can go back to testing the stock Fury against the modified brushed Fury. This should be fun! Now we are back on schedule to see how much faster we can make an Arrma Fury without spending a ton of money. It is really impressive that Horizon Hobby really does stand behind its product.

This is a reminder for all of us that it is nice to be treated like a human. It is easy to have customers and clients as numbers. However, it is better to see them as real living people. This does not mean they need to be on your Christmas card list, but showing some respect goes a long way.

Thank you for reading this. Remember to use social media to be social. Get outside, and do something fun!

Updated: 1/7/2026

In this video I show how to bind an Arrma Electronic Speed Control/Receiver unit to their stock radio system.