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DO NOT buy anything from this company. I made the mistake of ordering wheels from their site and i have been almost amazed by the level of incompetence within the company. When my order didn't arrive i sent an email only to be fobbed off, so i called and i was told they would look into it. Eventually i was told there was a mix up with the order and it had to be re-ordered, fair enough you think but now it gets funny, when i asked how long would the wheels would take i was told they had no idea as their system is automated and basically it has a mind of its own. Skynet is here i feared but after some research online i found loads of bad reviews for this firm and claims that they actually advertise items they don't even stock. To be told by a company that they can't tell you when the item you have already paid for will be despatched is appalling and i have a distinct feeling that this has all been a way of fobbing me off. Surely when things go wrong with your despatch system its as easy as going to where ever you keep your stock, picking a set of wheels off of the shelf, posting them and voila one happy(ish) customer. I have asked for a refund but i'm guessing that will also be a long drawn out process.
In summary DON'T USE DAVE HINDE OR THEIR EBAY STORE 'FAST PARTS FOR BIKES', there are loads of decent, honest bike shops online. Chainreaction, wiggle, merlincycles, leisurelake bikes, evans cycles, basically anybody but Dave Hinde.
P.S if you (the shop) are reading this, if i don't get my refund as previous reviewers have claimed i'll pay a visit to your shop and either take my wheels or something of equal or greater value (to cover my inconvenience)
..and in other news, Terry Wogan turns out to be Irish...
Blimey is that shop still going.
christ, i remember people complaining about him in the 90's.
*cue suspiciously new member bigging them up*
sorry you learnt the hard way what we already knew
yep not really news... although I'd be careful about making threats on the internet ( especially on this forum)....
I'm yet to find an online bike shop that does stock all the items it advertises tbh. CRC not included.
At this point I normally link the court ruling but now get a 404 for the page.
DaveHinde does just keep on giving doesnt he!
I am used to people sticking up for shops but I guess since this isn't the case so far, they are really that bad. Will avoid!
I'm not new, but I've never had an issue. Saying that I always drop in and collect
I'm not going to go in for a refund, i was just angry when i wrote this as it messed up my riding holiday a little. Luckily i used a credit card as i always do when purchasing from a new company. If i don't get the refund on the promised date i'll be calling the bank and reporting it. They may have more success with this lot.
3dvgirl - Member
christ, i remember people complaining about him in the 90's.
Me too. What's his secret as plenty of good bike shops have gone to the wall in that time.
He must have some satisfied customers.
I've only ever had one dealing with them. About 10 years ago, ordered an XT groupset which all turned up OK. Seems I was one of the few lucky ones.
Having read the many tales of woe since, I wouldn't touch again.
What's his secret as plenty of good bike shops have gone to the wall in that time.
It's* a** front for* a** meth operation*, a** la*** Breaking***** Bad.*********
*Allegedly
**Allegedly
Allegedly
*Allegedly
**Allegedly
Allegedly
*Allegedly
**Allegedly
***Allegedly
****Allegedly
*****Allegedly
*********Allegedly
I've used them for decades and only had one problem when two front Tioga XC's turned up instead of a F&R.
Though when I order online I'm happy to wait a month'ish with them for wheels.
Bit like 'off the peg' frames that take 6-8 weeks to deliver?
OP
How long have you been waiting, and are they factory or handbuilts?
Used him twice in the past with no problems, but given the experiences of others I may not try again
they are factory built (hope) wheels that i was told where on the shelf. its been two weeks and they still have not been sent let alone received. i have since called them and told them to keep the wheels as i want a refund. To which i was told they only do refunds on a friday? sounds odd to me but i will give them another chance to shine, but come next friday i'll be calling the bank if i have not received the refund. To be fair i spoke to hope and they said they hadn't had an order from DH and that the had no records of them ordering Pro3 Sp Am-4 wheels so how they can have them "in stock" bewilders me.
Every real person I know who've used him has been completely shafted inc receiving a derailleur in pieces in a bag!
*real as in know in flesh and blood rather than internet persona only.
The thing that puzzles me is that he has accounts with a lot of top brands and can do good prices. That would suggest he sells a lot of kit?
Edit;
I’ve got a couple of hundred custom built wheels to finish, a stack of new bike orders on the go and yet I have still found time to finish Simon Smyth’s custom frame/bike for Cycling Weekly’s long term test.
yeah he does sell a lot but does he send it to the customer? i'm not saying this guy is a con artist i am merely pointing out the despatch procedures and customer service they have are truly shocking. This kind of service may of been excusable back in the mail order days (before the internet) but in a day and age where for £5.90 delivery charge i can get a reverb seat post purchased on a sunday evening from Germany delivered to me wednesday morning this slow paced service doesn't cut it. Imagine taking an item back to telcos and being told yes you can have a refund but it'll not happen until next friday as we only do refunds then? HUH?? Well as i said they have a chance to refund me by friday as per their word and i will update this come friday. I only posted this to warn others, i wish i'd spotted the warnings other posted in the past, to be fair i was attempting to order some wheel last minute for a trip to france.
and can do good prices
I'm guessing he employs too few staff on absolute minimum wage hence the utterly shite customer experience. Still, he still seems to be in business despite a terrible reputation - bit like the Ryanair of the bike world.
Wogan's Irish?
Refund by a set date ?
Did they tell you they don't do any refunds until the end of the month when accounts do them enmasse.
Funny how quick they take your money, but seem incapable of doing a refund.
They just dicked about, where rude very unhelpful etc etc, refund never happened, so my bank must be at fault, credits have been sent out, go to bank and get statements, waste my time, etc etc, will have to wait until the end of the month etc etc.
Took 3 months and jumping through credit card company hoops and they got my money back, and this was back in the late 90's.
Since i got the internet about 8 years ago i now use it to pre-check anywhere i might online shop with.
Good luck with getting your money, most do but it might take a while.
i'm NOT a new poster but, i ordered a pair of wheels and recieved what i ordered in good time at an excellent price.
I'd be careful about making threats on the internet ( especially on this forum)....
Why?
i'm NOT a new poster but, i ordered a pair of wheels and recieved what i ordered in good time at an excellent price.
You are David Hinde and I claim my £5!
i'm NOT a new poster but, i ordered a pair of wheels and recieved what i ordered in good time at an excellent price.
You're a David Hinde sleeper cell, and I claim my free spokey dokeys.
i'm NOT a new poster but, i ordered a pair of wheels and recieved what i ordered in good time at an excellent price
Me too. Twice. Wheel builds on each occassion.
The only minor issue was one was despatched without a skewer, which turned up the following week. No probs.
Personally I think they are bunch of crooks. Bought 3 full bike builds from them quite a few years back all in one go and they just took the p*ss from day one. The number of telephone calls to find out where things were when everything was meant to be in stock. They just lied through their teeth time and time again and were so abusive on the phone. In the end I got my credit card company to sort them out, cancel the order and reclaim the lost money. I am truly amazed they are still going and anyone buys from them.
Custom wheels ordered 15/08/13, waiting for me today. As ordered, cheap and true 😕
Stone the unbelievers!
Well true to form i still haven't had a refund and shock horror when i phone up i am told it is yet another department that has now dropped the metaphorical ball and this department again don't have a phone. So thats the despatch team and the accounts team without phones, sounds like a well oiled retail outlet.
I've had enough of their excuses and i have contacted my bank and reported the transaction. thank god for insured cards. Ordered the same wheels from wiggle and i should expect they'll arrive after the bank holiday as advertised. For those who are pro-DHR well done you must be one of the lucky ones who got their goods as promised, i am not on a smear campaign i am purely advertising the shocking consumer experience i have had (and i have all the emails saved as evidence). This whole thread/advert was supposed to act as a warning to others, whilst i appreciate you have had "good service" and you feel this balances the scales i disagree we are the customers and should get good service 100% of the time especially once they have taken your money. a shop shouldn't have any cases like these plastered all over the internet, if this kind of thing happened once it should of lead to a change in procedures and possibly personnel not just be yet another case of DHR screwing someone over with little or no remorse.
Top tip if you must use this bunch of cowboys use a payment method thats insured such as mastercard or paypal. Because chances are you'll need the insurance.
Peace out and ride safe!
All I can assume is, with the number of new people taking up the sport in recent years, they are all drawn in by the adverts and low prices.
How else are they in business?
It's nice to see some thins have not changed over the years. I was getting fed up with all the change in the trade
When I were a lad I had to buy all my bits from the local shop (Birds of Colindale) If you wanted anything higher spec than Sturmey Archer you had to order it. That meant cash up front and wait for the van to turn up Wednesday, back then all vans turned up on Wednesdays. Come 4pm I'd walk to the shop expecting my little exotic bit of kit, only to be told the van didn't show up. Me and my mate Robin used to laugh about it. I'm sure he waited nearly a year to get his Campag bottom bracket, two months was pretty normal.
Problems aside it taught me to always have spares, to maintain my bike after every ride and replace things before they wore.
There are certainly two Hinde camps. He still seems to be very well respected, and he and his staff put a lot into the local scene.
This though has put me off, which is a shame because I've had nothing but very very good service from them.
As above. I simply can't believe they are still in business. I've never gone to them because I was reading bad reviews back in the 90's but they've obviously nailed some key selling point on the head. They should write a book.
[url= http://toolhaus.org/cgi-bin/negs?User=number1bikebits&Dirn=Received+by&ref=home ]Dave Hinde's Ebay Feedback[/url]
Some of DH's responses to negative ebay feedback are actually quite amusing (in a WTF - are they seriously running a business way).
They definitely could make a compelling reality TV show set in their shop
What I'm experiencing now is nothing short of criminal behaviour. I urge anyone who has ever or is currently experiencing problems with said company to issue a complaint with trading standards. I don't want anyone to experience the level of customer support I am receiving.
It's horrific.
i've never seen my refund i have started proceedings with my bank and they are going to get the money back. sorry to hear of your troubles too matey.
Yup - I've been promised a refund over 30 days ago. Reported the transaction to the bank and compiling evidence. Trading standards report filed. Same story as yourself I imagine. Ordered wheels - fobbed off with excuses - cancelled and asked for a refund - loads of excuses why it hasn't happened. They have been earning interest on my money for two months now. FIle a report mate!
Why don't you walk into the store and demand it? I'd feel angry enough to make the trip....
Why don't you walk into the store and demand it? I'd feel angry enough to make the trip....
If the comments I've heard on the Internet are even half true, going into the store would result in the staff offering a two word reply, last word being "off"
Bought a rear wheel of them years ago, took ages and every phone call was lies
1st call -"it's in the post"
2nd call - "it's just been finishe din workshop"
3rd call - "we're waiting on a part which is why it's delayed"
Eventually 2 wheels (front and rear) turn up, only paid for the rear so I felt justified in not telling them! 😉
Have never been back
Haha. I had a cracker the other day.
"I sent you an email yesterday Mr Smith"
"No you didn't"
"No worries I'll send it again"
"Don't bother just tell me what you wrote in the email"
"I'm afraid I can't do that"
"Why not?"
"I don't know what the email says"
"You said you wrote it?"
Silence...
"So somebody else wrote it?"
"Yes"
"Then check it again..."
"I can't"
Useless...
And a 9 hour round trip to be sworn at is not very appealing...
how do you file a report with trading standards? i've checked their website but i couldn't see a file a report tab or link.
report filed, cheers for the link. lets hope they get closed down.
Hahahahahha... No, it'll never happen he's a Teflon coated little shit.
Bump. Never order. Two months and no refund. Terrible shop etc. Warning to people thinking about placing an order.
i've still not had a refund i'm just waiting on my bank reclaiming the money from them. I second never order from these thieves.
Why isn't this a sticky*?
*On every bike forum in the land.
Loving the excuses about different 'departments' screwing up on the bottom of the previous page. There's Dave and 2 others, (possibly 3) working out of a shop.
And don't worry, they dick local riders around the same way as mail order purchasers, you're not special. 😆 The amazing thing is loads of these locals keep going back for more!
And don't worry, they dick local riders around the same way as mail order purchasers, you're not special. The amazing thing is loads of these locals keep going back for more!
The amazing thing is they are still going after 20+ years of the same service.
The shop isn't near anything, I can only assume he is pretty much rent free and surviving on small turnover
"Not near anything".... are you mad there is a fabulous chemical works just down the road... i'll call it ICI to show my age... The shop hasn't changed in over 20 years (i used to go there back in the day to get x-lite Ti bolts). IME Dave was never that friendly... i once asked for some some mudguards and was told told "get a wet arse!", which was kind of funny but i dont think he was joking. Last time i was there i was lied to about fixing my wheel but they were cheap which i guess is why they keep going. For those who have not visited the shop just imagine a specialized concept store and then the absolute opposite!.
Why isn't this a sticky*?*On every bike forum in the land.
Couldn't agree more. I am just in the process of finding out the hard way too. I keep thinking, why oh why didn't I spend more time on the STW forum, so I knew about this unscrupulous retailer ...
In my experience, if you've not come across Dave Hinde Racing then you can expect:
1) Your money to be taken, but no or slow delivery
2) Very poor customer relations (how do they get any repeat business?)
3) When you phone the number they provide to be told they can't help you as you need to get in touch with the despatch team, and they are in a different building with no telephone (really!!!). You can only e-mail them.
4) No or limited replies from the despatch team. When they do reply their mails will be full of lies, lack key details and be infrequent. Like when I asked them to confirm they had sent my item and provide the name of the courier and the tracking ID ... they only replied with the name of the courier (not much use, except the courier was good enough to tell me that they had nothing for my address despite the retailer telling me that it had been despatched twice)
5) To be told that your order is ready for despatch (more than once), because there is always an excuse why it didn't go when they said it would. So you'll have the feeling that they are selling stuff they don't have and stalling all the time.
I am certain that others have had bigger problems with them. I'm not looking for any sympathy as it is my own stupid fault for buying from them. I've had enough of trying to get my goods from them after only a few days and refuse to waste any more of my time talking to them. I do want to keep this post current so that other people know to avoid them.
I got some advice from CAB, and have done the following ...
1) Sent them a letter (recorded delivery) cancelling my order and demanding a full refund. The letter quotes relevant sections from the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations.
2) Contacted my credit card company and opened a dispute.
3) Now going to find out how to report them to trading standards.
One way or another I WILL get my money back from these scumbags. I don't care how long it takes.
Do they still have an ebay shop?
I feel like a chuckle at the feedback section!
Now going to find out how to report them to trading standards.
What a good idea............bet no-one else has thought of that 🙂
Who do you report trading standards to when they do b^gger-all about it, I wonder?
Do they have a chimney?
Chimney +1
Huzzah
They have 2 chimneys?
Excellent.
Pass me the All-Bran.
I'm not new, but I've never had an issue. Saying that I always drop in and collect
I bought quite bit off stuff off them via eBay a few years ago and never had an issue. Delivery was sometimes a bit slow but nothing I couldn't live with.
That said, given the bad press that they've had I'd never order off them again.
I wonder how much of their s**t-house attitude is down to their customer's s**t-house attitudes though? I do think that a lot of complainers (especially the serial type (and I'm not saying that that includes anyone here)) do tend to go into these situations all guns blazing and then get upset when they get it back.
I've never heard anyone say a good word about Dave Hinde beyond 'I went to the shop and they sold me something that was visible on a shelf without swearing at me.'.
No one's ever said 'They really went the extra mile for me.'.
They may have some difficult customers but it can't be the *only* type of customer they attract.
I wonder how much of their s**t-house attitude is down to their customer's s**t-house attitudes though?
Other shops seem to manage considerably better. Hinde has always struck me as operation where costs are cut to extreme levels, and that includes customer service. Which seems to me to be the real cause of their attitude towards any problems. They've not budgeted for it, so they don't want to sort it.
Even answering simple questions over the telephone(back in the day, ive not been back) seemed too much for them. I was glad that I did phone them in the end. Highlighted quite clearly I didn't want to deal with them.
And that was just asking about what cassette ratios they had available in Deore LX or whatever it was. There was no guns blazing involved.
All Bran? Amateur. You want prunes.
I wonder how much of their s**t-house attitude is down to their customer's s**t-house attitudes though? I do think that a lot of complainers (especially the serial type (and I'm not saying that that includes anyone here)) do tend to go into these situations all guns blazing and then get upset when they get it back.
Not had any experience with Dave Hinde but I do think online retail is very easy to get right.
1, place the order and pay.
2, Order processed, packed and dispatched.
3, If the courier gets it right then order received and everyone is happy.
If there are any issues then communicate.
How the hell can this be complicated or more importantly get complicated.?
All Bran? Amateur. You want prunes.
Washed down with a strong coffee to really loosen things up.
All Bran? Amateur. You want prunes.
Curried prunes a la Guinness.
I'm also tempted to suggest that we start a little campaign. Anyone who has been done over by these lowlifes, simply send them a kipper. In the post. Second class stamp, of course.
With insufficient stamps too
All Bran? Amateur. You want prunes.
No. I want All-Bran. I know exactly what consistency, and fireplace, I am aiming for.
It may well be customer attitude sometimes but that last time i was there i was asking for a new rear wheel as my old hope bulb had finally died. the guy at the counter really didnt seem interested until i said my budget was around the £200 mark and to be honest he said he would have to order the parts to build it so at that point i thought better of it and left. I went to a nice man in a shop in chester and he couldn't have been more helpful and he got the buisness (and i got my wheel!). As an OT i met some very nice chaps in PUSH in ambleside over weekend just wanted to say good luck with thier shop!
No one's ever said 'They really went the extra mile for me.'.
They trued up a wheel for me for free.
Also, I ordered a set of hope road wheels from them online, and they rang me saying last set had just been sold, but they would hand built me a set to the same spec for the same cost, later I worked out would have cost £46 more.
Extra mile?????
I'd have been happy if they'd gone the first mile rather than stall me for days with a pack of lies.
Oh, and I don't think the word "sorry" is in their vocabulary.
As an aside, three other retailers have exceeded my expectations in past few days in terms of delivery and service: CRC, Merlin, and Charlie the Bikemonger.
They trued up a wheel for me for free.
If only they could do the same with the wheels they build for folk.
saying last set had just been sold
That old chestnut, eh? Selling stuff they don't have, classic.
built me a set to the same spec for the same cost
How does the same spec cost £46 more? Should it not be 'the same'?
You've been lightly bummed, and think they've done you a favour. That's a lesson on how they're still going, I suppose.
They did build the wheelset for me.If only they could do the same with the wheels they build for folk.
ok, not the exact same, but a different more expensive rimHow does the same spec cost £46 more? Should it not be 'the same'?
just like buying a new bike is often cheaper than buying the exact same parts separately and putting it together yourself.
You've been lightly bummed, and think they've done you a favour. That's a lesson on how they're still going, I suppose.
No, they HAVE actually done me a favour. Just like currently they are doing a discount for the "breeze" ladies sky riders at the min too
spuddle is Dave Hinde and I claim my £5.
gotta love that hits 5 and six on google are from threads on here about how bad dave hinde racing is, scarey really