Not very satisfied!

[Easy Beesy]

Oswestry? Funny, I know of similar experiences had by driving to a peninsula on the coast. Nuc paid for (£170) but box of bees, no eggs, larvae or sealed brood with caged queen received. Definitely won't be receiving my business.

 

[susbees]

Best if I do publish, if only to protect the innocent from suspicion! - But my other half doesn't think i should - so make do with the hint!

We drove to Oswestry, and the supplier has a very professional website.

I will not be dealing with them again.

Helen

And the supplier is not well liked as an individual in local bee circles....and it's a pretty big circle by the time you get down here! In fact almost bisecting the circle of the "remove foam and run" nuc supplier in the other direction!

 

[DanBee]

Well I never, I thought we were talking about somebody in Gloucestershire who has this reputation!

Sounds like your supplier's reputation is fragile too.

 

[clayfin]

I also purchased a very fragile nuc from Oswestry and was very disappointed with the "final product". Had my association apairy manager look the nuc over and his immediate comment was about the lack of brood and the relative low number of bees compared to a nuc the association had purchased at the same time but from a different supplier.

 

[Ed Woods]

Only ever had cheap pine hive parts from them.

For all those who have purchased bee suits from them they offer repairs - at a price

 

[mbc]

Fragile equipment being sold to fragile minds taken in by some slick marketing but no substance

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Aaaaah - if I had have known we were talking about Oswestry I would have been shouting even louder for you to publish!

He and I are, shall we say, not the best of friends. Indeed, I have not yet met a beekeeper in Shropshire or Montgomeryshire that has a good word to say about him.

Buyer beware indeed!

 

[RoseCottage]

So let's be clear shall we.

I only know of one major supplier (measured by glossy advert size) in Oswestry and they are Fragile Planet.

Helen needn't reveal any identities but no-one should stop me as I cannot think of any more obfuscating references nor why I shouldn't just say it out loud. Like all suppliers they will give good service, sometimes average service, and occasionally awful service.

If this was them and an instance of average or poor service then readers of this thread can make their own choices about how to react.

Another thread on the forum is titled by the company name of a supplier who really has let many down. Helen's giving a location is kind but actually we are all adults and should be able to make a judgement on the balance of comment and service in this thread.

All the best,
Sam

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Interestingly their T&C's regarding nucs say..

"If the queen is either not laying or has disappeared between us sending out the nucleus and you receiving it then we will endeavour to replace the queen, however you agree that this is at our discretion and depends on availability".

So, if they sell you a nuc with a dud queen they have no obligation to put it right. Hmmmmmmm.

 

[chickendave]

Had a look at a nuc brought from them for a guy in our association two weeks ago
He's a new beek first bees he said there was a lot of dead bees in the box they came in hundreds in his words
When I inspected the bees they were hardly covering two and a half seams, there was a small amount of brood,grubs and the queen had started to lay
Due to the lack of numbers I sugested he return the nuc as it did not look viable, but he was keen to keep it so I suggested he took photos and ask for a part refund
On a brighter note I ordered ten sheets of there reclaimed aluminium to make up some roofs waited nearly two weeks and the order finally arrived, a week later another ten sheets on the door step, its a pitty they dont duplicate ther nuc orders as you might be able to make one good one from the two

 

[oliver90owner]

we will endeavour to replace the queen, however you agree that this is at our discretion and depends on availability".

A clearly 'weaseling' type of useless warrant. A shame that all punters don't read or understand the actual meaning of the offered 'guarantee'.

This thread is at least keeping the heat down on the other poor suppliers (or should we say suppliers of poor quality products?).

Buyers beware! They are out there and you do need to sift carefully through all the information offered, and then take (and heed) advice from those that have had some experience of the service.

RAB

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

So let's be clear shall we.

I only know of one major supplier (measured by glossy advert size) in Oswestry and they are Fragile Planet.

I got it wrong then, thought it was Ryan Giggs

 

[susbees]

If you buy from major internet-advertising companies you have an online right to rate the quality of the product and the service associated with that. So why not with bee nucs and queens?

Why can we not have a robust stickied thread linking the Weald Farm fiasco, the Fragile Planet swizz, Jon King's less than helpful service, Mr Package Bee Glos, the Foul Brood Spreader in the East and any more we can think of.

Mind, the basic issue is beekeepers being swayed by a website over local excellent suppliers or recommendations on a forum if not. Living creatures unseen by mail or unchecked on collection? No way.

 

[drstitson]

if the nuc from the oswestry based supplier were ordered online you have a legal 7 day cooling off period in which you can reject the goods. T&Cs cannot over-ride that.

Reject the nuc asap.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

if the nuc from the oswestry based supplier were ordered online you have a legal 7 day cooling off period in which you can reject the goods. T&Cs cannot over-ride that.

Reject the nuc asap.

He's got that covered too....

"Please note that nuclei of bees and queens (being perishable) do not come under the Distance Selling Regulations"

 

[Dishmop]

"Please note that nuclei of bees and queens (being perishable) do not come under the Distance Selling Regulations"

is that what HE says or is that the law?

 

[greatbritishhoney]

That's Frag Planet's T&Cs again.
Whether it is a true statement as regards the law I don't know.

 

[Russel]

Anyone know if any action was taken against the efb spreader or are the BI's etc just paper tigers?
...... and I too thought it was some hard of hearing Dick in Gloucester, just as well we stopped lynching folk!

 

[Beezy]

I had a crappy experience with them recently too - not just poor goods, but then to compound it really rude customer service from the manager there. I complained formally about the products and the service I'd received and they agreed to refund part of my money. It went some way to making up for it but I still was left with sub-standard items. Will def never order from them again.

 

[drstitson]

ok two things:

firstly, substandard goods, however obtained, are covered by Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended). If faulty, damaged or not fit for purpose then they should be replaced or a refund issued. That would include death/damage in transit.

secondly, the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 (as amended) specifically exclude custom items (ie you can't change your mind after ordering that 7.5 frame WBC brood box!) and perishable goods such as flowers and food (ie things with a finite lifespan after despatch). The exact clause is " (c) for the supply of goods made to the consumer's specifications or clearly personalised or which by reason of their nature cannot be returned or are liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly"

There is no actual mention of viable livestock such as bee colonies which one buys with the expectation that the are viable in the long term. So the T&C are again WRONG. So long as you looked after the bees for upto a week after receipt you could justifiably expect them to be fit for transit back in exactly the same way as they were fit for transit in the first place.

However i'd just use sale of goods act which DOES cover livestock and plants. The goods should be: of merchantable quality, properly described
and fit for the purpose. This nuc clearly was none of these.