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A cautionary tale (to add to the others) which will hopefully be easily found by future searchers.
I was recently in need of a new rear wheel to match an existing front 26" Pro 2 evo / flow ex. Used only going as pairs for almost the price of a new rear, so decided to go for that. Low stock generally about, presumably due to new factory Hope Endurotechs. So a custom build seemed the only option. The only place I could find was Dave Hinde Racing. Great price, stock confirmed and built with the correct adaptors so no extra costs. I'd read a few posts by folk who'd ordered wheels from them before and struggled with non delivery, poor customer service and delays getting a refund. The most recent of these was two years ago and given the general tendency to over-report bad experiences and under-report good I thought I'd risk it. Couldn't always be that bad or surely they'd be out of business.
Ordered Tues 19/5 over the phone to ensure stock and getting the correct hub adaptors, paying by CC. Advised delivery likely end of that week / beginning of next. No confirmation / tracking info given or email details taken to send to.
Chased up following wednesday and after a while they called me back to confirm address details and said it was on it's way. Subsequently numerous calls to the shop generally resulted in pleasant fobbing off. As previously reported they apparently have no way to communicate directly with the warehouse / shipping department other than email, although someone eventually confessed they occasionally get them on a mobile or drive over there ! I find this incredible. Most days Jim (James) was around at some point and would promise to chase things up, sometimes getting back to me by phone, always pleasant. I was given two confirmed windows for delivery, neither of which occurred. Whoever works on a Friday was largely rude on the phone (although to be fair I was grumpy and he probably couldn't actually do anything) complaining I'd phoned the shop rather than the websales dept, however there is no alternative phone number, the shop wouldn't provide one and I ordered via the shop. He suggested emailing them and when I pointed out I'd done that with no response it was suggested I check the address.
Emails however seem to be passed on to the shop as Jim referred to my first email on the phone and promised to reply (which he didn't do). It was my third email before I got any response, again from Jim at the shop, and only because after 27 days I'd asked them to either deliver or refund. At that point a promise of getting tracking info to me so I could chase it up myself was given, but didn't actually happen. I'd been in touch with their purported courier (My Hermes) directly who, despite my lack of tracking info, assured me they hadn't had anything in their system for my name / postcode during the period concerned (I'd confirmed those details over the phone and in each email). Given that I could no longer get hold of Jim to discuss on the phone I asked for a refund by email and the next day (day 28) was told they'd forwarded my emails to the finance dept for a refund. I asked for confirmation of when this happened but received none.
As things weren't looking good I initiated a dispute through my CC company and as I'd still heard nothing and seen no refund after 8 days I informed the shop of this by email. The refund was made that day (I think by the shop as the CC company process was I think still running).
I'd chalk it up to bad luck, but it almost exactly mirrors several other reviews. In summary, a company which is attractive on price but atrociously organised for distance selling with poor customer service. Will never use again.
Someone suggested Merlin as an alternative, who I subsequently ordered a custom build from online. Cost a bit more (£237 vs £195) but detailed order and tracking info and delivered 5 days later. I guess there's a lesson there for me about using price as the decider.
Hope this is able to aid someone else in their decision making in the future.
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OP: have you ever Google 'dave hinde review'?
Elvis is dead.
FENTON! FENTON!
It's past tea time so I shall settle in with edradore
I've eaten no room for more biscuits... Stop it now.
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I googled, I read the reviews I found, I risked it and lost. No harm updating the saga for future potential customers.
Fair point. Just indulge us 🙂
I googled, I read the reviews I found, I risked it
Lazy AND stupid? 😉 If you read the reviews and [i]still [/i]risked it, I think that's a fair comment!
[quote=lazypete ]I googled, I read the reviews I found
and you still ordered? 😯 Brave man - indulge us, like most here I opened this thread expecting to find tales of woe.
I googled, I read the reviews I found, [b]I ignored them completely[/b] and lost
Yep - Hadn't been able to find any other source and needed the wheel for an upcoming trip, hence risking it. So my switch to tubeless never happened and I changed tubes / repaired pinches a lot over a long day in Torridon ! Should have left the old heavy tyres on and not the new Hans Damph I'd got for the wheel that never arrived. Ah well.
Merlins custom build didn't come up in my initial searching - only found that when it was suggested to me later.
I've never heard so many bad things about one place. How the hell are they still in business?
Have you read this thread?
two funny rumors about DH if true:
1 - he agreed to have a fight with a customer in a lay by
2 - Mavic refused to deal with the outfit so they have to bulk buy from elsewhere and scrape the serial numbers off
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Rules are walk into the shop if it's on stock and cheap buy it, if you have to reserve. order it or want to mail order don't bother.You can snag a bargain if you don't stray from these rules.
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Rules are walk into the shop if it's on stock and cheap buy it, if you have to reserve. order it or want to mail order don't bother.You can snag a bargain if you don't stray from these rules.
No, the sole rule is avoid altogether. Don't encourage them...
Anyone got a link to their amusing eBay feedback??
Crickey, if you Google 'Dave hinde eBay feedback' you get a short results list with this at the bottom...
[i]Some results may have been removed under data protection law in Europe[/i]
Never seen that before. Has DH been threatening Google too???!!
In the original post, all the references to warehouse, shiping department, websales department 'drive over there' 😆
Three blokes in a shitty small shop.
In the original post, all the references to warehouse, shiping department, 'drive over there'
I did find this very amusing.
Baffling that you wouldn't ask on [url= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum ]here[/url] [b][u]first[/u][/b]!
two funny rumors about DH if true:1 - he agreed to have a fight with a customer in a lay by
I've heard this also. Certainly a man who isn't afraid to put his views across in a most forceful fashion! Buyer beware..
Crickey, if you Google 'Dave hinde eBay feedback' you get a short results list with this at the bottom...Some results may have been removed under data protection law in Europe
Oh no! This would be a tragedy. The various threads with him getting more and more irate/abusive with customer complaints are comedy gold, bettered only perhaps by the user reviews for Veet hair removal for men on amazon
fd3chris - Member
I've never heard so many bad things about one place. How the hell are they still in business?
lazypete - Member
I googled, I read the reviews I found, I risked it
Unfortunately, I think this may be the answer.
Serious question here. I've been aware of the issues with them for a long time now, hence I've always ignored their existence. Just had a quick Google of DH, blimey I'd forgotten just how bad they allegedly were! All sorts of forums & going back years!
So, with so many examples of people getting trading standards, credit card dispute departments, citizens advice etc involved, it just makes me wonder just what you have to do to make these organisations take some serious action? From a legal point of view I guess so long as you refund eventually it's not breaking the law? But surely Trading Standards would have some grounds to take action? I mean seriously, it looks to have been going on for years!
Clearly, having chosen to give them a wide berth I've no personal experience of this shop so am just going by hearsay on the various forums & blogs.
Couldn't always be that bad or surely they'd be out of business.
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For those that have never been or seen this is Dave Hindes centre of operations.
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What I can't work out from the OPs description is what do they hope to gain from failing to deliver goods? Everyone who fails to receive what they order is going to get their money back sooner or later. Or are they just shit but not deliberately doing people over?
lol@ this whole thread.
lazypete - Member
A cautionary tale (to add to the others) which will hopefully be easily found by future searchers.
If only people read these things 😉
I'd read a few posts by folk who'd ordered wheels from them before and struggled with non delivery, poor customer service and delays getting a refund. The most recent of these was two years ago and given the general tendency to over-report bad experiences and under-report good I thought I'd risk it.
Suspecting over-reporting of bad experiences, I though I'd risk it too. A few years back I ordered a built set of hopes from DH - and got them! Great price, great wheels.. I must've been one of the lucky ones.
I like to live dangerously 8)