FOLLOWING THE RECENT PURCHSE OF AN 'SBACH 342' FROM HOBBY KING, IT WAS NOTICED SOME HARDWARE PARTS WERE MISSING FROM THE KIT.
When contacted about this, Hobby King responded quickly and commented as follows:-
Hi (Taildragger)
Thanks for contacting the HobbyKing Support Team.
We are sorry to learn that some items are missing from your order. Our warehouse utilizes bar code identification, product scanning, RFID security, final item counting and parcel weight recording to ensure each order is full and correct. We take our shipping and dispatch accuracy seriously.
To open a claim file, you must do the following within 48 hours upon receiving the parcel:
1) Do not throw any of the packaging or product materials away. Keep the entire package 100% as you received it.
2) Weigh your parcel and its content. You can use a kitchen scale for this. It must be accurate to 5g.
3) Photograph the parcel and its contents. The photo must show products, parcel and packing materials clearly with the following information: Order ID, Parcel Weight, Missing item(s), and then attach photos of the parcel and contents, as stipulated above.
* Failure to follow the procedures above will subject to rejection of claim.
*Never accept a parcel that is crashed, damaged or has been left open - possibly allowing the contents to fall out.
Thanks for emailing support.
If you have any other questions, please let me know.
Regards,
Judith
Well. What would you read into this?
* Bathroom scales accurate to within 5-grams. That's a 'cracker' HK! 
* Photograph everything. What will this prove? The missing parts won't appear in the picture!
* Thought. Ascertain from H K the ambient humidity reading noted when the parcel was so accurately weighed. This will enable a calculation to be made to find the weight of moisture absorbation in the packaging materials. The result can then be adjusted to compensate for the different humidity level recorded at this location. Remember. We're talking about an accuracy of better than 5-grams.
* Pity that, when HK weighed the parcel, they weren't able to spot the fact that some parts weren't included. Maybe their scales were a bit off that day. There was however, an abundance of screws, washers and nuts which were surplus to requirements. Maybe this goes some way to explain their error in 'final counting' and 'product scanning' etc. etc..
An itemised parts list is not included in the kit. It's not obvious if smaller items are missing until you are at a stage of the build and go looking for them.
The model is of excellent quality. I'd score it 9 out of 10.
Anyway. I think I know where we are going with this! It's a 'good-bye' from them, and it's a '.............' from me.
If you read this and can come up with a helpful, constructive and polite reply, please send me your thoughts. I might give them another 'go'.
'Taildragger'
A further email received from Hobby King explains:-
Hi (Taildragger)
Thanks for contacting the HobbyKing Support Team.
We are sorry for the inconvenience that is caused. Please kindly be advised that it is normal procedure and necessary for us to check the photos for the missing issue shipped , and we need to record and claim with various department when necessary as well.
Look forward to serving you again in the near future! If you have any problems, you are kindly advised to contact us.
Thanks for emailing support.
If you have any other questions, please let me know.
Regards.
Rachel
HobbyKing Support Team
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!