Brian Pound

I had difficulty in finding a new handle for my Axe. Etsy had one albeit expensive at £28.25. However I needed it urgently so I ordered it. Then the price was massively increased by shipping costs of£27.34 and tax of £11.12 making my Axe handle £66.71! Stupidly I proceeded. Delivery was awful. Ordered 14th Dec delivery after Christmas.Then yesterday I got a bill from Fedex for customs duty and administration of a further £13.38 making the overall cost of this handle £80. Etsy never explained all these extra costs or that the product was coming from Poland. Never trade with this dreadful company. They are not open and up front and their service is awful. I subsequently found an alternative supplier and acquired an American Hickory handle (far superior) for less than £20!.

I damaged a tiny part of my bodywork yet the folks at LR centre worked through it with me until they identified the part. It arrived a few days later and fitted perfectly. It was the help in finding it that impressed me most. Nothing was too much trouble for them Excellent service.

I ordered a wooden replacement handle for an Axe. The handle itself is OK but the delivery time was excessive. However, the reason for my review is that Etsy invited me to review the purchase but when I starred it low the link was broken so that i could not give a bad review. I tried 20 times. Same result each time. These folks obviously don't want bad reviews. Avoid them like the plague.

I needed new handles for a lump hammer, an axe and a hatchett. Mytoolshed had them all in Hickory, my preferred choice. Excellent quality and speedy delivery. Easy company to work with. One tip. Please make available those little metal expanding wedges that fit into the head of the handle. Fortunately I have some in stock but I need to replenish them.

The service was good and the product and delivery were excellent but the cost of carriage meant that despite the small size of the product (a lump hammer) it cost almost as much as the product. Your carrier obviously goes by weight not size.

I was unaware that I needed to replace my tracker but Bronwyn explained it clearly and made the process simple

I have been ordering the same exterior paints for many years and they always have them in stock and delivery is next day. Brilliant.

I prepared a review of a serious issue with BG and criticised their poor communication. I threatened to change supplier. They sent me a message. Here it is: Reply from British Gas

6 days ago
Hello Brian, I’m really sorry to read that you’ve decided to move to a different supplier after the poor service you received from us. Firstly, I’d like to apologise. We always strive to provide the best customer service but clearly fell short on this occasion, which isn’t good enough.

I'd like the opportunity to put things right. We're unable to respond via X at the moment but we are still available on Facebook. Please send us a private message on Facebook using (they put a link here)
My team and I will then start looking into this for you immediately. Thanks, Natasha

Well Natasha when I followed your instructions the link did not take me to you or you colleagues so I could not get the help you promised. Why don't you simply give me an e-mail address or telephone number to speak to a human. This is why my first post was so critical of your failed communications. Do something about it.

I use Ringo regularly to pay for parking at Havant Station.Occasionally I park elsewhere and use Ringo. Today I tried to book for two days at Havant but their automatic system picked one of the other locations I have used. They asked me for the Havant parking code (which I do not have in my home of course!) So I tried to get the Havant Station code from the Ringo Website. They have very other car park in Havant except that one. As so many people are being fined for not having followed the correct procedure with these electronic payment system, Ringo need to smarten up and enable customers to find the parking location numbers on their website. Very poor service.

British Gas fitted two smart meters for Gas and Electricity over one year ago. They did not leave me with an in house monitor. Every month they ask for a meter reading for Gas. I contacted them to tell them that there was a smart meter. They told me there was not so I sent them a photo of it. They still ask for a meter reading. They pick up the electricity ready and both meters are next to each other. My concern is that trying to talk to a human being to resolve this matter is nigh impossible and after four attempts I have given up. The last occasion, yesterday, they simply switched off the chat because it was taking a few minutes to find the photo of the meter (again). By comparison Octopus are so easy to talk to and so responsive, so I will change.

Delivered as expected and a very charming deliveryman. Excellent.

Excellent. You have the best local delivery driver. VERY efficient and a nice guy

I am a cancer victim but currently very fit and the disease is under control. My oncologist things I am absolutely fit to travel. However so many insurers don't want to know as soon as you mention cancer. Advanti search deeper, ask the right questions and come to the right conclusion that they should and will give cover. Excellent. Thank you. I've got a a few years left and I have lots of places I intend to visit and I will be using Avanti to cover me.

I was tearing my hair out as the new voice phones did not give me access to answer phone and my business was in jeopardy.However, when I spoke to your technician Jake he assured me he could fix it and he did, very promptly. He sorted it and then kept in touch whilst I proved that the system was working. A credit to you. Thanks Jake.

Easy website. Clear product details. rapid delivery.

We have used Certas on and off for many years. This time their prices were right and they delivered within a few days of our placing the order. The driver was charmings and efficient. Wel done Certas.

I had a tye tht went down from 37 psi to 32 in a few hours and then held it at that, so it obviously needed checking. I called and ws told to take it in which I did and they took the car off within ten minutes. It took them a while but they eventually found a screw in the tyre. They repaired it and the cost was minimal. Brilliant service. Nice people. I have used them for 40 years (previously Denmead Tyre company) and will go on using them. Well done guys.

I ordered a Schatz clock from e-bay. The Google chrome website gave me lots of options for the same clock so I chose e-bay as I use them frequently. The price was competetive but not overly so. delivery was scheduled for the 13-18the December. On 20th december I got a letter fromParcel Post requiring£77.20 in duty & other chrged. When I bought it there was no mention of the supplier being based in the EU indeed the only location reference was London. There was also no menton of there being a liability for impoprt duties. It has now become by far the most expensive of the options shown on Chrome. My message is don't use e-bay. They did not highlight thie consequent liabilty and I have encountered this before. I regard this as exceptionally sharp practice.

After choosing our kitchen stools from a good selection, we placed our order and they were delivered next day. Brilliant

As a new customer my critical requirement was a quick installation. On 21st Aug they booked an appointment for 27th. Great stuff. EXCEPT. The following day they congratulated me on a September 10th installation with no comment about the original booking. Then I tried to contact them Impossible. They didn't recognize my account number (which they gave me!!) nor my name, phone number or e-mail address. When I called their number they recommended that I use text as their phone was very busy (Then get more staff ). The text response was pitifully slow. I cancelled my order. If this is what I would face if the system went down, no thank you. Then they wanted me to go through a cancellation process even though I was well within the 14 days within which you can cancel. I just cancelled my Direct Debit instead. It was easier. What a system! How do they survive in a competitive market. Addendum. TalkTalk replied to this much faster than they responded to me during the above process. They warned me that what I had done did not cancel my contract. Needless to say I knew that! Otherwise they could have damaged my credit record by keeping my account open despite my obvious wish to cancel it. By the time they replied I had already followed due process and cancelled. There was not a hint of genuine concern about their failed systems in their response. Their customer service style leaves a lot to be desired.