Do all Bee Keeping Suppliers give rubbish service?

[NoBBy]

I am a novice Bee Keeper just starting out. But my experience of suppliers has been very poor never had these sorts of problems with other hobbies.

Ordered a Hive from a very well known supplier along with a few people on my course. They had all got theirs so I gave them a call.
Call 1, ‘sorry we aren’t dispatching anything this week we’re preparing for Stoneleigh’.
Call 2 a week later, ‘Yes your Hive has been dispatched be with you tomorrow’.
Call 3 another week later, ‘sorry but our Carrier says you have received your Hive’
At this point had a major argument with them and asked to speak with someone who knew what was going on. Spoke with someone again said I have received the hive. Several phone calls and arguments later someone finally found the problem. I have a quite rare surname and they had sent my Hive to someone else with the same Surname.

Thought I would give them a second chance and order some feeders and other odds and sods, still waiting after 2 weeks.

Ordered another hive from an EBay supplier and they do supply hive via their own website also. On their listing gave deliver in 3-5 days. It is now 2 weeks and they said that it’s going to be another 2 weeks even though their listing said 3-5 days. They are listing stuff as buy it now on EBay and they haven’t got it in stock, I feel Negative feedback is a must.

How are these people staying in business if they were selling anything else they would have gone bust by now.

 

[Dishmop]

Just report it to ebay that you havent got item you paid for and you should get your money back if it is that long since you paid..

 

[Friar Tuck]

there is plenty of very very good hivemakers on the forum.. i always buy from the forum sellers now. bit harder to get odds and sods but hive parts... a must/

Hivermaker and Tom Bick the ones

 

[Juststarting]

I have always found that Wynne Jones give excellent service. Orders delivered very quickly and checked up if theres been a delivery problem (many couriers cant find me) and lots of updates on stock position whilst a manufacturer was sorting out their production.

And no I dont get commission from them although if they'd like to thank me ...

 

[Polyanwood]

I think the BuzzyBee shop is fantastic...

 

[Poly Hive]

I will back Wynne Jones too.

Never had a real prob with T*****s either.

Vision express now.... I DO have an issue with.

PH

 

[plumberman]

Part of the problem is that we live in a world where generally you can order on the internet and expect your item to be with you in 24 hours if in stock. A lot of the Bee keeping suppliers haven't caught up with this, and things seem to take longer as a result. I'd stick up for Th**nes as well - slow yes, but generally very willing to put things right when and if they go wrong. Phoning them seems to be the best way of resolving problems.

Having said that, where is the order I placed a week ago??????

 

[Stiffy]

I will back Wynne Jones too.

Never had a real prob with T*****s either.

Vision express now.... I DO have an issue with.

PH

Sorry can't resist!
Are Vision Express selling beek stuff now ? .....don't you just hate a smart arse
S

 

[Hebeegeebee]

One of the reasons the suppliers have winter sales - as well as to get some cash in during the winter is to encourage us to think ahead and get what we want early. They are generally smallish companies and are run ragged this time of year - just as we are with our intect mistresses!

Last year a new beekeeper I speak to now and again said that he would get some stuff and kept putting it off. And off and off. I said that he cannot expect next day delivery in June the suppliers have been overwhelmed by demand (as a Thornes agent told me) - he then complained that they didn't have stock!

We have to predict what our bees will do and always have equipment ready.

It must be difficult for a business to predict demand. Was last year a 1-off good one or will demand still be the same this year. The wrong bet and a business goes bust!

 

[NoBBy]

Looked at Wynne Jones and they have a poor web site that said most Bee Keeping stores have rubbish web site, hard to navigate and find stuff. Everything listed separatly so you have to get the caculator out to compair prices.

I am also into Land Rovers and MG's I order something for my Land Rover over the weekend and it arrived today. That is the service I want.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I am also into Land Rovers and MG's I order something for my Land Rover over the weekend and it arrived today. That is the service I want.

Best stick to Land Rovers then,beekeeping is not going to be your thing...as bee's won't work to your rigid plans either......"Bees do nothing invariably."....lol.

 

[nelletap]

Not sure whether I have just been lucky - most suppliers I have had no problem with but Wynne Jones, Paynes, Bee Basic seem particularly quick off the mark and I would also endorse the fact that for hive parts etc people mentioned on the forum seem very good and qaulity excellent. More recently ahd a small order from Maisemore - also a speedy transaction. Th***** seem good unless they have something out of stock and their packaging does not seem as good as some of the others (items able to move around and often being right up to the box edge rather than with packaging between the outside to take any stress from knocks in transit.
Tricia

 

[Winker]

I placed an order with Th***ns 7 weeks ago for foundation, white queen marker and press in cage.

Took them 4 weeks to ship the order, and they ignored 6 of my emails. Then when the order gets here its short of the press in queen cage.

So i have to wait another 4 weeks for them to ship the part they missed out! Total time 8 weeks for a simple order.

Then i bought the bees on a budget bee hive and it came with a plastic QE one of the harmless ones not the orange ones. Which was not letting the bees up to the super. So far they have ignored me for 3 weeks on the subject and 3 emails ignored.

Th**ns have to got have the worst customer service i have ever come across and i wont be using them again!

 

[timk40]

I Placed an order for thee hives from Modern beekeeping early yesterday morning. Recieved them this morning!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Ordered some frames and foundation (50 super 30 brood)from Paynes in February which went to my mother's house (the next working day after ordering) as I i was away with work and then holidays and then work again! - six weeks later opened the box and realised there was no super foundation contained, phoned Paynes to explain, no quibble, foundation arrived the morning after, I call that better than reasonable.

 

[coraesgairwen]

Hi, I'm new to beekeeping again after 26 years and had to buy new equipment. I first ordered a Cedar wood hive before realising there was a 6 -8 week turn around but a delight when I got it. The second and third new hive I purchased was a Polyhive (National Hive with 14 x 12 brood box) great service and great hive. Only two days delivery. Why not get your money back from ebay (especially if you purchased via Paypal) and go to a beekeeping suppliers in person ?. Good Luck.

 

[region2]

I live near Paynes - they're always open when I go there during opening times. They always want to sell me stuff and they usually succeed! P&P to my car is free. Highly recommended.

R2

 

[nonstandard]

I started beekeeping last year and have used one or two suppliers:

I ordered frames and foundation from Wynne Jones at 2pm one day and they were here 8am the following day.

A suit from BB wear and a child's suit from Modern Beekeeping both great service (thanks Rooftops).

A sale order from Thornes which arrived reasonably promptly with great after-sales service to replace a couple of faulty parts.

All in all I would say good service so far.

 

[Moggs]

Although there is no excuse for poor service, it's not really surprising that delays are the norm and mistakes may be made. This time of the year sees the bigger suppliers absolutely flat out on production of bees and bits. A well known supplier not so far from me was (last year) working 6 days / 12 hours. OK, arguably time to get more staff in but suitably skilled workforce is difficult to find.

Perhap not always possible but a 'lookahead' for your bits a little earlier in the year would almost guarantee better results.

I have no real vested interest btw!

 

[fredbloggs]

"Th**ns have to got have the worst customer service i have ever come across and i wont be using them again!"

Whoaa there....... Never thought they'd be a day when i stepped into bat for the T's but today is the day!!

In my dealings with Th**nes the staff have been very helpful & polite with one exception and that is the man at the top. The delivery driver for this neck is charm personisfied and has carted my stuff into the garage and stacked it!! ??

I recognise that comments are based on personal experience. Obviously my dealings with that company differ from yours and in my experience they are pretty good at customer service

Regards

FB