horatiog
01-30-2006, 11:09 AM
Hi,
Not sure if this is the right forum for this and it is only really applicable for UK and European riders (or for those Merrycans who want to order helmets from Europe). Anyway here goes...
I thought I had better tell you all of the recent experience with trying to purchase a new helmet for myself and the trials and tribulations that have resulted. I have always been after a flip helmet that I could fit comms gear into and after reading the reviews, I settled on a Schuberth COncept C2. Very expensive but seems to be the best of breed around. I had been saving up for this during last year but eventually "'er indoors" and the rest of the family clubbed together to get it for my Xmas pressie.
Looked around to get my folks the best deal I could and this turned out to be "http://www.moto-plus.com". This site looked like A UK branch of German company as all prices were quoted in Sterling and the support number was a UK number.
From the website, it gave all appearances that they held my helmet in stock. So - attempt 1 at the beginning of December - my girlfriend ordered it through the internet. She received, almost immediately, a email receipt with confirmation of delivery details etc. From this it was obvious that the helmet was to be delivered from germany - fair enough - we're all part of the EU - shouldn't be a problem. Also, the money disappeared out of her account almost as quick - again fair enough, as we were expecting a 2/3 day courier delivery. Then we waited - and waited. After about a week, I decided to try and phone up and chase this order. The UK support number quoted on their website was un-obtainable. Hmmm. Looking around I found their german support number. After several attempts I got hold of them. For a company with an English orientated website, their command of English was not the best but, since my german is basic schoolboy, then I suppose I shouldn't criticise. Anyway, found out that they didn't hold stock and they were waiting for stock from the manufacturer and it would definately be in "next week". Nice of them to tell us without me spending ages trying to chase them via the website, emails and phonecalls. However, decided to play along and wait a week .
After the next week - no helmet! Phoned them again. (Emails ignored!) Same story again. Waited another week. Guess what? - same story - at this point, Xmas is approaching and I started getting a little irate. After several more phonecalls and emails they eventually admitted that they did not have a fixed delivery date from the manufacturer and they probably would not have any in until after Xmas. It was only at this point did they offer a refund which I decided to take. Of course, beacuse of their "false promises", I had left it too late now, and all the other suppliers did not have stock until the New Year. Hence, a very upset girlfriend and relations for Xmas with nothing to give me, etc , etc.
Also, during this period I noticed that the support number on their website, suddenly changed to a german number.
So the New Year started and I put out feelers to all the distributors I had found who do this helmet, including, again Moto-Plus. (Yes - I know - I am an idiot!) All the other distributors seemed to be having trouble getting the precise helmet in stock (I need the biggest size and was particular about the anthracite colour I wanted.) Then Moto-Plus emailed me back to say they had them coming into stock. Obviously, was somewhat nervous and therefore was VERY VERY careful to confirm with them that I would ONLY place an order if they had the helmet IN STOCK and that it would be shipped IMMEDIATELY. They eventually confirmed this was the case and so, on the 16th January, I gave them a second chance and placed my order again.
Same immediate confirmation of my order and immediate debit of funds from credit card. However, I later realised that they had actually debited the wrong amount (£6 too much).
After two days, I started chasing again. They said it had been shipped on the 18th. (How does immediately translate into 2 days later?) When they emailed me back to confirm this, they gave me a "Deutshe Post" tracking reference number and said that they would be able to check "online" the next day as to its progress and would let me know. The weekend passed and no helmet. Emailed them again - no answer. Chased them up by phone. Now their german number was giving a "keine verbindung" message (translated this broadly means- "No Connection") - Uh-oh! Eventually got hold of them by email and they said they would check with "DHL" where it was. After a further delay, I tried the reference they had given me, myself, with DHL. The reference number was incompatible with DHL's format. A couple more chase-up emails and they got back to me again.
Apparently, DHL had managed to send the helmet to SPAIN (!!!!) instead of Scotland. Also, Moto-Plus said that their type of shipments cannot be tracked online. (Obviously, in complete contradiction to their earlier email.) They said they would carry on speaking to DHL and get me a revised delivery date. From this point forward, their emails took the attitude that, they had addressed it correctly so this was my problem with DHL and they were doing me a favour by talking to DHL for me. Of course, when I phoned up DHL, they said that their contract was with Moto-Plus so refused to discuss the matter with me.
To cut the remainder of the story short, this has dragged on through several more rounds of emails (with me constantly having to chase them up for replies.) The latest is that this affair is now in the hands of the Spanish post-office and they have a minimum of 4 weeks to locate the helmet and are allowed up a maximum of 8 weeks under international post regulations. Moto-Plus have said that they will only offer a refund when they have located the helmet (presumably so they can ensure that they can recover it?)
So it is now the 30th January and STILL I do not have my helmet. They are ignoring my demands for an replacement to be sent to me immediately or an immediate refund, plus compensation for all the time and phonecalls I have spent managing their mess. Despite promises to do so, they have not even refunded the overcharge on my credit card nor have they sent me the DHL receipt which they promised me by fax. They refuse to phone me, despite me providing my number on repeated occasions.So, I have now placed it in the hands of my credit card company's fraud unit.
I am telling you of this sad tale as I know a lot of Pan-European riders like me, consider a Schuberth C2 when looking for a helmet and would suggest that, despite the competitive price you stay well clear of Moto-Plus!
If this is the wrong forum then please feel free to move it or delete it.
Thanks for your time.
Regards,
Harry.
Not sure if this is the right forum for this and it is only really applicable for UK and European riders (or for those Merrycans who want to order helmets from Europe). Anyway here goes...
I thought I had better tell you all of the recent experience with trying to purchase a new helmet for myself and the trials and tribulations that have resulted. I have always been after a flip helmet that I could fit comms gear into and after reading the reviews, I settled on a Schuberth COncept C2. Very expensive but seems to be the best of breed around. I had been saving up for this during last year but eventually "'er indoors" and the rest of the family clubbed together to get it for my Xmas pressie.
Looked around to get my folks the best deal I could and this turned out to be "http://www.moto-plus.com". This site looked like A UK branch of German company as all prices were quoted in Sterling and the support number was a UK number.
From the website, it gave all appearances that they held my helmet in stock. So - attempt 1 at the beginning of December - my girlfriend ordered it through the internet. She received, almost immediately, a email receipt with confirmation of delivery details etc. From this it was obvious that the helmet was to be delivered from germany - fair enough - we're all part of the EU - shouldn't be a problem. Also, the money disappeared out of her account almost as quick - again fair enough, as we were expecting a 2/3 day courier delivery. Then we waited - and waited. After about a week, I decided to try and phone up and chase this order. The UK support number quoted on their website was un-obtainable. Hmmm. Looking around I found their german support number. After several attempts I got hold of them. For a company with an English orientated website, their command of English was not the best but, since my german is basic schoolboy, then I suppose I shouldn't criticise. Anyway, found out that they didn't hold stock and they were waiting for stock from the manufacturer and it would definately be in "next week". Nice of them to tell us without me spending ages trying to chase them via the website, emails and phonecalls. However, decided to play along and wait a week .
After the next week - no helmet! Phoned them again. (Emails ignored!) Same story again. Waited another week. Guess what? - same story - at this point, Xmas is approaching and I started getting a little irate. After several more phonecalls and emails they eventually admitted that they did not have a fixed delivery date from the manufacturer and they probably would not have any in until after Xmas. It was only at this point did they offer a refund which I decided to take. Of course, beacuse of their "false promises", I had left it too late now, and all the other suppliers did not have stock until the New Year. Hence, a very upset girlfriend and relations for Xmas with nothing to give me, etc , etc.
Also, during this period I noticed that the support number on their website, suddenly changed to a german number.
So the New Year started and I put out feelers to all the distributors I had found who do this helmet, including, again Moto-Plus. (Yes - I know - I am an idiot!) All the other distributors seemed to be having trouble getting the precise helmet in stock (I need the biggest size and was particular about the anthracite colour I wanted.) Then Moto-Plus emailed me back to say they had them coming into stock. Obviously, was somewhat nervous and therefore was VERY VERY careful to confirm with them that I would ONLY place an order if they had the helmet IN STOCK and that it would be shipped IMMEDIATELY. They eventually confirmed this was the case and so, on the 16th January, I gave them a second chance and placed my order again.
Same immediate confirmation of my order and immediate debit of funds from credit card. However, I later realised that they had actually debited the wrong amount (£6 too much).
After two days, I started chasing again. They said it had been shipped on the 18th. (How does immediately translate into 2 days later?) When they emailed me back to confirm this, they gave me a "Deutshe Post" tracking reference number and said that they would be able to check "online" the next day as to its progress and would let me know. The weekend passed and no helmet. Emailed them again - no answer. Chased them up by phone. Now their german number was giving a "keine verbindung" message (translated this broadly means- "No Connection") - Uh-oh! Eventually got hold of them by email and they said they would check with "DHL" where it was. After a further delay, I tried the reference they had given me, myself, with DHL. The reference number was incompatible with DHL's format. A couple more chase-up emails and they got back to me again.
Apparently, DHL had managed to send the helmet to SPAIN (!!!!) instead of Scotland. Also, Moto-Plus said that their type of shipments cannot be tracked online. (Obviously, in complete contradiction to their earlier email.) They said they would carry on speaking to DHL and get me a revised delivery date. From this point forward, their emails took the attitude that, they had addressed it correctly so this was my problem with DHL and they were doing me a favour by talking to DHL for me. Of course, when I phoned up DHL, they said that their contract was with Moto-Plus so refused to discuss the matter with me.
To cut the remainder of the story short, this has dragged on through several more rounds of emails (with me constantly having to chase them up for replies.) The latest is that this affair is now in the hands of the Spanish post-office and they have a minimum of 4 weeks to locate the helmet and are allowed up a maximum of 8 weeks under international post regulations. Moto-Plus have said that they will only offer a refund when they have located the helmet (presumably so they can ensure that they can recover it?)
So it is now the 30th January and STILL I do not have my helmet. They are ignoring my demands for an replacement to be sent to me immediately or an immediate refund, plus compensation for all the time and phonecalls I have spent managing their mess. Despite promises to do so, they have not even refunded the overcharge on my credit card nor have they sent me the DHL receipt which they promised me by fax. They refuse to phone me, despite me providing my number on repeated occasions.So, I have now placed it in the hands of my credit card company's fraud unit.
I am telling you of this sad tale as I know a lot of Pan-European riders like me, consider a Schuberth C2 when looking for a helmet and would suggest that, despite the competitive price you stay well clear of Moto-Plus!
If this is the wrong forum then please feel free to move it or delete it.
Thanks for your time.
Regards,
Harry.