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UK Shipping Resumed for orders over £135

Good News! We’ve made changes to our site and have implemented a workaround to the post Brexit UK VAT kerfuffle.  As our attempts to serve UK customers through third-party store fronts (like ebay and etsy) were met with little success, we’ve done what we can to work within the new system to allow delivery to resume to the UK for orders placed directly from this store front.

Effective immediately, In order for your order to process through UK customs, your order must contain merchandise totaling over 180 USD  effectively over the 135 GBP import threshold established by your government.  In this way, we can ship to the UK without collecting and remitting VAT on your behalf.  Instead, payment of UK VAT will be your responsibility and you will be contacted by the courier, to remit any VAT due, prior to final delivery of your order.

While not an ideal situation (we’d love to ship your order without a minimum threshold) this coding change on the site will allow your order to progress.  Please contact us directly if you have any concerns, questions, or difficulties in processing your UK bound orders.

– Bill

A little background (from our post on UK Shipping Suspended): As of January 1, 2021 changes have been made to the UK VAT collection system.  UK taxation authorities are now requiring our small business to collect VAT at the point of sale (stevensaero.com) and then remit this collection to the UK government.  Failure to do so may open us up to certain liabilities and would also result in UK orders not processing through UK customs to their final destination.

Prior to these changes in VAT collection, our business dealings with customers in the UK remained well below the monetary threshold that would require our participation with the collection of foreign VAT taxes.  And all collection of VAT taxes were (as they should be) the burden of entities within the UK.  Under the new VAT system, these thresholds have been removed and we are being asked to collect and remit taxes (for all purchases of £135 or less) too a foreign government.  Unfortunately, our participation in this new system of collection, creates additional book keeping and liability burdens for our small business, that will outweigh the profit received from orders shipped to the UK.

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Store Closed

To our awesome customers!

We’ve have had an unexpected family matter come up that must be tended to, as such StevensAero.com will be closed from September 23rd through September 29th.  In-stock items placed on order during this closure, will ship on October 3rd.  During this closure our phone and e-mail will NOT be staffed – please DO send us an e-mail with any order, billing, or support questions and we will try to respond in as timely a manner as possible.

Note: Pre and backordered kit products will be processed according to the time estimate given on the individual product page (we don’t expect this closure to further delay your kit pre/backorders).

Thank you for your understanding, we apologize for any inconvenience this temporary closure causes.

-The Stevens Family

Store Closed Notice
Note: Store notices like this appear in the red notification bar at the bottom of every site page (until dismissed by the customer).

 

10/03/2022 UPDATE *********************

We are back and hard at work filling orders that were processed over last weeks closure.  If you require specific details regarding an order placed, while we were closed, please use the contact form and we’ll get right back to you.   If your order was for in-stock merchandise, expect to receive a shipping notification today 10/03/2022.  Thank you ALL for your patience as we attended to some unexpected family matters, have a great week!

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Shipping to Germany Suspended

What has changed? StevensAero has suspended all sales and shipping bound for Germany.

Why did we do this? Recent changes, by the German government, to its packaging law (LUCID) will go into effect July 01, 2022. These changes will require our company to register with and pay a license fee to the German government, for the packaging that our product ships in. Our failure to comply with these new regulations will impact final delivery (you won’t get your product) and become a source of needless liability (fines of up to 200,000 euros). Unfortunately, compliance with the new regulation is more burdensome than the collective benefit we derive from servicing German customers.

When does this go into effect? Effective immediately, Stevens AeroModel will no longer fill orders with Germany selected as a final shipping destination.

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2021 Holiday Shipping Guidance

It’s that time of year and many of us are rushing around trying to finalize our on-line Christmas gift purchases.  Please read up on the latest delivery updates and deadlines from our shop.

I’d like to say that 2021 has shown improvement over the situation in 2020, but the general angst pushed by the fear porn industry, of variant viral outbreaks and other global catastrophe, has continued to snarl supply chains – with major impacts to both domestic and international shipping.  I can’t help but think that a collective effort to unplug from the fear pimps, would go a long way towards solving the bulk of our society’s ills.  Despite all of this doom, gloom, and delay we are keeping a positive outlook and doing our very best, to fill and ship your orders in a timely manner.  That said, we ask that you kindly take the same positive attitude and extend a bit of grace to both our staff and our holiday couriers who find themselves buried by the exceptional high 2021 holiday shipping volume.  Consider maybe leaving some cookies out for your carrier rather than Jolly ol’ St. Nick.

Accessory Orders:  Orders containing hobby supplies and accessories are shipping daily with no delay.  Our shopping cart reflects the current inventory as accurately as possible.

Kit Orders:  Orders containing our in-house manufactured, laser-cut kits are typically shipping within 5-7 business days of order placement and sometimes same day!  Obviously we attempt to keep inventory of all of our kit products, but this time of year we sell through stocking inventories quickly.  Given the volume of orders and supply chain shortages, there can be real issues getting production through the shop swiftly.  If you place a kit order, it may ship same day, then again… there’s a good chance that you may have to wait up to 7 business days prior to shipping, for that kit to complete our manufacturing process.  Please allow ample lead time, to ensure your product will ship in time for holiday delivery.  We suggest that all Laser-cut kit orders intended for Christmas deliver, should be placed no later than December 10th.  If you have a question or a concern about current product availability – please contact us prior to placing your order.

Domestic Shipping: This year, USPS is reporting a domestic delivery drop-dead shipping date of December 17th* and 18th* for First Class and Priority Mail Shipping.  And if you buy that line from USPS, I’ve got some cheap ocean front property for you – here on the eastern plains of Colorado!  Last year we saw many USPS packages, that were shipped will in advance of the USPS self-imposed cut-offs, delayed some 40+ days from shipment to delivery. Based on last years experience, we’ve been attempting to ship more packages by UPS (which offers better on-time delivery and tracking).  We encourage you to select UPS as your carrier upon checkout.  If you still insist on having your package delivered by the most affordable means or by USPS, you are rolling the dice and likely should have had your order in to us by Mid November – to ensure a timely Christmas delivery.

*A repeat of 2020!  Regardless of the parcel carriers claims, we have already seen an above average number of shipments dispatched in late November and early December both delayed and mis-routed.  Given that knowledge, we think it best to suggest that our holiday shoppers not push their luck and make the following plea: Please do your best to submit your order to us well in advance of the USPS cut-off dates. That said, we will still work to quickly fill all orders placed between now and our official close of business for the year on December 24, 2021.

International Shipping:  As of 10/22/2021 and until further notice USPS has suspended shipping to the following countries.  If you find yourself attempting to order from any country in the following list, please contact us first to arrange for another carrier to handle your delivery.  In some cases we can still deliver to these locations using UPS international services.

  • Australia
  • Afghanistan
  • Bhutan
  • Brunei
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • Cuba
  • French Guiana
  • Guadeloupe
  • Lao People’s Democratic Republic
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Martinique
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand (Priority Mail Express International packages are still accepted)
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Reunion
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • Samoa
  • Sierra Leone
  • South Sudan
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Tajikistan
  • Timor-Leste
  • Turkmenistan
  • Yemen

Please have patience!  And remember, all products will ship F.O.B. our facility in Calhan, CO – USA. This means that you, the customer, will take control of the products, ownership and risk of loss of the products that are transferred to you, once the products are loaded with the freight carrier at our facility.  As always, we are happy to work with both you and the freight carrier, to process freight related claims and communicate tracking details.  You have a choice of  parcel service options at checkout, if you select “Standard Ground” delivery – we will choose carriers that provide the best shipping rate to your destination (typically this is delivery by your local postal carrier).  You also have the option of selecting “UPS Ground” this is a premium service provider that offers more robust tracking and better on-time delivery.  Ultimately, we can’t control what we can not control – once an order leaves our facility it is in the control of the freight company.

Thank you for your consideration, our prayer is that you and your family have refreshing and blessed Christmas holiday.  Our family looks forward to serving your modeling needs through this chaotic holiday season and again in 2022 (and beyond!).  If you have any questions or concerns, we will be monitoring support e-mail over the holidays and through our closure into the new year, please use our on-line contact form for the quickest service while we are closed.

-The Stevens Family


Don’t forget the gift cards!

Our E-Gift Cards are always available for Christmas Delivery!   Delivered instantly via e-mail in gift amounts of $10 – $200.

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UK Shipping Suspended

It is with a heavy heart that I must inform our United Kingdom customers that Stevens AeroModel can no longer fill orders for UK delivery, generated at stevensaero.com – please read on for our understanding of the matter.

The Issue: As of January 1, 2021 changes have been made to the UK VAT collection system.  UK taxation authorities are now requiring our small business to collect VAT at the point of sale (stevensaero.com) and then remit this collection to the UK government.  Failure to do so may open us up to certain liabilities and would also result in UK orders not processing through UK customs to their final destination.

Prior to these changes in VAT collection, our business dealings with customers in the UK remained well below the monetary threshold that would require our participation with the collection of foreign VAT taxes.  And all collection of VAT taxes were (as they should be) the burden of entities within the UK.  Under the new VAT system, these thresholds have been removed and we are being asked to collect and remit taxes (for all purchases of £135 or less) too a foreign government.  Unfortunately, our participation in this new system of collection, creates additional book keeping and liability burdens for our small business, that will outweigh the profit received from orders shipped to the UK.

Possible solution for our UK customers: While we have always sought to, and will continue to – support UK based resellers of our product line, resellers are often highly specialized and do not stock our entire catalog.  Even with UK based resellers in play, there has always been some level of demand, by UK customers, for direct sales.  Therefore, we are exploring changes to our site that would allow orders over £135 to process on our site, while excluding orders under this threshold – that is not a great option but it is a viable solution that works within the new VAT collection system.

We will provide additional details here with resolutions to this problem as they are implemented on our end.  Watch this space for updates.

As always, thank you for your past and future business.  We will find a workable solution for all.

-Bill

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Amazon Payments

As of 11:59P PST 01/10/2021 Amazon login and Payment services will be removed from our web our store.  This change to our site does not impact transactions processed with traditional credit card payment methods (including  those funded with your Amazon issued credit card).

Stevens Aeromodel, LLC. continues to accept every major credit card type and PayPal.

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The 2020 end of year “pause”.

Stevens AeroModel will be closed December 20 through January 4.  Well sort of…

Just a friendly reminder of our upcoming end-of-year “pause”.  Our production and support offices will be run at limited capacity 12.20.2020 through 01.04.2020 to allow families to celebrate Christmas and New Years together.  Please note that we will continue to fill any on-line product orders that arrive during this closure, however new production (for custom cutting and models that require additional production time) and phone support will not be conducted during this time.   We will be checking in periodically on our support e-mail and will do our best to answer any concerns or questions that are submitted by e-mail within 2-3 business days.  Phone support and requests for call-back will absolutely not be available until we re-open on January 5th, 2021.

Our family is thankful for your business in 2020 and we look forward to serving you again in 2021 (and beyond)

-The Stevens Family

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Why Stevens AeroModel?

A young man prepares to launch a stick-helicopter.
A young man prepares to launch a stick-helicopter.

Aeromodeling is an educational hobby that excites our youth; building confidence, creativity, and life skills. Busy lifestyles and availability of pre-manufactured products have now offset what is arguably the most rewarding aspect of our hobby leaving a generational gap within the community. Time is our most valuable commodity and many would-be hobbyists perceive they do not have the time, skill, or resources available to build from scratch, plan, or conventional kit.

Stevens AeroModel was founded with the passion to inspire a new generation of model builders through increased accessibility to high-quality products that are the gateway to fostering a lifetime of creativity and enjoyment in aeromodeling. With laser-like focus on design, ease-of-assembly, and comprehensive instruction we deliver to the hobby community exciting products that ensure sucess for the novice and time constrained hobbyist.

No mentor? No problem! You can build a Stevens AeroModel kit. BuildIt!™

Made in Colorado U.S.A.