Beware where you buy

[TF_Bloody ButcherParticipant]

I hope that the moderators will see this post for what it is – a genuine attempt to warn anglers of all types to be very careful when dealing with a set of companies based in Rotherham and trading widely on ebay and the internet.
The ones I know of are No14 Fishing, Fishing Republic, Yorkshire Game Angling and Lureflash.
I wanted a fly tying vice and found No14 Fishing on ebay to be marginally the cheapest. I looked at the 98.7 feedback rating and was happy to buy through Paypal. The estimated delivery time was disappointing but not excessive.
Two days before it was due I received a blunt message to say it was out of stock and new ones would be ordered from the suppliers. No sincere apology or, crucially, any offer of a refund.
I made contact through the ebay system but never received a reply. I could not start the ebay refund procedure before the estimated delivery date transpired. Meanwhile I rechecked the listing. Because of huge sales numbers the 1.3% of negative feedbacks actually translated into almost 600 people being let down in the past 12 months, very many of whom faced the out-of- stock situation.
I tried to make contact again through the email address given in the item listing and, surprise , surprise, it doesn’t exist.
I finally managed to get an email through, addressed to company boss Stephen Gross, to tell him that I had contacted Rotherham Trading Standards and the local press in his area and would be lodging a full complaint with ebay and hopefully getting the Beeb consumer programmes interested in his business practices. All of which is true.
I got a refund the next day which was at odds with the experiences of many, many others who waited weeks.
The dissatisfaction with this company is evident even on their own Facebook page – check out the one star ratings there for angry punters.
Undoubtedly many people are happy to use this set of companies but 600 badly treated customers is a disgrace. This operation clearly has no concern for its customers and no qualms about letting them down. My advice is don’t risk being one of them.
Even more disgraceful is that ebay allow them to continue trading.

[TF_OliverQueen]

THIS POST HAS BEEN REMOVED WHILE THE SUBSTANCE OF IT IS INVESTIGATED.

[TF_ziggy169]

Thanks for the heads up, another one to avoid!

I know we all like a bargain and try and find the best price, but unless I know someone who has used a website, I wont buy online. Don’t think you can beat shopping at your local tackle dealers anyway, apart from the obvious points like being able to handle and look at anything you’re interested in, there’s the advice, the banter, or is it mickey taking? And I know Duncan at Solihull Angling and other tackle dealers will match most genuine internet prices.

[Anonymous]

The problem in many cases is not with the tackle company supplying your items but with the power seller on e-bay. They are known as drop sellers or drop shippers. They are middle men selling on e-bay. Usually, the item your after is cheaper on a different selling site such as Amazon. E-bay fee,s are high and Amazon offer there own delivery service which is often cheaper than usng other courier services. So, there is money to be made to a drop seller though fee,s and the costs in delivery.

When you make your purchase. The drop seller passes on your delivery details to the supplying company and pays them. In most cases you get the item ordered on time. However, if the company are out of stock. The buyer has massive problems. The drop seller has completed his part of the sale. Thats why its difficult to get a response to messages on e-bay. Your item might also be coming from anywhere around the world. So, could easily be damaged or lost.

As a manufacturer and seller on e-bay. Drop sellers are my biggest problem. They sell in high volumes at cheaper prices. So, they are very high in the rankings. If a seller is high in the rankings. They usualy sell there items. Simple case of being seen more often. However, the buyer is often buying at his own risk. If something goes wrong. Its a big effort to get things sorted.

Pleased to say that my products get on the first page in the ranks (Wooden planters). However, of the 50 items for sale on that first page. From what I can work out. 26 items are drop seller items. That gives you some idea of the size of the problem.

[TF_cjsid1Participant]

Tbf for every bad experience their are many good experience’s , I have used this company and had no problems as I would think so have many others , at some point things can and will go wrong the positive feedback on ebay far exceeds the negative . Afraid you pay your money and take your chance if you don’t want to chance it use your tackle shop . Must say I have nothing to do with these company’s .

[Author]

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