Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Topic started by: Gingerbusiness on August 28, 2013, 09:15:20 AM
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Hi All,
I don't know if many of you have dealt with this company, and your personal experiences, but they are the one who generally work through eBay selling Adidas merchandise - apologies of this is in the wrong forum.
This is my experience (Unfortunately... :()
My mum, decided while I was away working abroad, to buy me a new bat for Christmas (Bless her). She did a pretty reasonable job and brought me an Adidas Incurza Elite from the aforementioned company. 2'9, light pickup, club member has one and it goes like a train for £140... I thought she made a reasonable effort... Except for the disgusting stickers.
Like all my bats, I fully prepared it (oiling, 6h knocking, breaking in at nets... All that). Was playing really well, then 3 games in... CRACK! I look down, expecting the toe to be broken... There is a huge crack, like an earthquake has opened up through the MIDDLE of the bat! (Even the oppositions wicket keeper was 'stumped' as to how this happened!).
So like any normal person, I contacted UK Sports Warehouse. At first, they were polite and helpful. I returned the bat as instructed and waited a month... No reply. I emailed again and got a very rude reply, along the lines of 'We have sent the bat to Adidas. It is not our fault it broke and they are assessing the damage'.
I left it another month, got in contact. This time, I was ignored. 5 emails later, including one saying I am very close to going to trading standards, still nothing.
The bat was returned in May... It is now August. I wouldn't be incredibly fussed, but I am 29 and too old to be lying to my elderly mother about there my bat has gone. I have now educated her in the words Salix, Newbery, Hell4Leather etc.
Cheers.
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I would hope that you have now reported them to Trading Standards as well...
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That length of time is unacceptable,missing the bat for the whole of the season!! email to the company you bought it from with a copy to adidas and trading standards
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Is this the company? http://www.sportswarehouse.co.uk/ (http://www.sportswarehouse.co.uk/)
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think he means this one...
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/U-K-Sports-Warehouse (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/U-K-Sports-Warehouse)
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Morning both,
Thanks for the replies - thought I was the one going mad for a while. :-[
They are incredible :o. I have done all that you guys have suggested and nothing. It's an aberration. Bare in mind that I have played County 2nd X1, Minor Counties, Top club cricket... Etc. Firstly was told I didn't understand how top bats 'work' (I am an RH Off Break Bowler/All-Rounder but still!). It's a piece of wood with a handle... Not like building the Hadron Supercollider in your shed, is it! Then they decided to tell me that, legally, I didn't know what I was talking about (Which is a bit silly from their point of view as I lecture and teach Civil and Criminal Law as my career away from the middle).
I know they don't have to give me a full refund (even though this is what I want now after this time - I'd buy from someone here), but they haven't even offered a fix or refund - shoddy company (If you go to their website, they still have the bare bones there with the template info added!!
Beware all. :(
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That's the one, Ayrtek :D
Check their website out - http://uksportswholesale.co.uk/ (http://uksportswholesale.co.uk/)
Looks good for about 5 seconds... Not quite what it appears!
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Morning both,
Thanks for the replies - thought I was the one going mad for a while. :-[
They are incredible :o. I have done all that you guys have suggested and nothing. It's an aberration. Bare in mind that I have played County 2nd X1, Minor Counties, Top club cricket... Etc. Firstly was told I didn't understand how top bats 'work' (I am an RH Off Break Bowler/All-Rounder but still!). It's a piece of wood with a handle... Not like building the Hadron Supercollider in your shed, is it! Then they decided to tell me that, legally, I didn't know what I was talking about (Which is a bit silly from their point of view as I lecture and teach Civil and Criminal Law as my career away from the middle).
I know they don't have to give me a full refund (even though this is what I want now after this time - I'd buy from someone here), but they haven't even offered a fix or refund - shoddy company (If you go to their website, they still have the bare bones there with the template info added!!
Beware all. :(
This post made me laugh, until I thought about your poor mum shelling out her hard earned to buy her son a bat.
Those scoundrels must be reported and brought to heel. Shameful behaviour.
You can add Blank Bats to your mums vocabulary - they will always look after you.
I hope it all works it well for you.
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You will need to contact citizens advice, you cannot contact trading standards. Citizen advice will tell you what you will need to do. This will involve you sending a recorded letter to them. Your best bet is to ring citizens advice today as going through this will still take a couple of months to sort.
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Hi d7bow,
That's very true but its trading standards will the end result once the ball is rolling.
It's a shame as all they had to do was return the bat to Adidas and give me a replacement, or have it fixed... If possible!
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If you want a resolution quickly, the best thing to do (if you can) is go to their address. Face to face questioning and a clear indication that you aren't leaving until you get what you want usually sees whoever has the bad luck of dealing with you give you what you ask for.
So many companies are used to dealing with customers at arms length, via email or maybe on the phone, allowing them to get away with terrible service and saying things they wouldn't dream of saying in person. If you turn up and cause a stink, often they don't know what to do and crumble very quickly.
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Hi d7bow,
That's very true but its trading standards will the end result once the ball is rolling.
It's a shame as all they had to do was return the bat to Adidas and give me a replacement, or have it fixed... If possible!
Yes but people seem to think you just ring up trading standards and everything gets fixed. It doesn't. I've just gone through sending three letters to a company to sort out an issue. The next/final step was court action. This was all done through citizens advice. This was started in June and has now been sorted, but could of gone on for another x amount of months.
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True.
Looks like I am going to have to wait till next season to get a new bat. :(
Thanks all. :)
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Just thought I should update this thread.
I have had a face to face, where I confronted the owner of the business. Baring in mind the crack in the bat opened up through the middle of the bat, and had been fully knocked in and Hammer Edge sheet applied, his words were 'I am sure it was user error on your part and not an issue in manufacturing' and asked me to leave. Please bare in mind that I play a very good level of cricket and people actually use good quality equipment, not sports direct cricket balls. The only way I would have ever broken the bat by 'user error' would be to stick it through the windscreen of his car.
I am livid, angry and will never, ever buy from this business again - Also I encourage people not to make the same mistake that I did and buy from them - I have been treated with absolute disdain and faced every conceivable obstruction in trying to sort this out - including being regularly ignored.
I have spoken with Citizens Advise and there is nothing more that I can do. They have offered to take the case to Trading Standards, and I have provided them with all the appropriate information. Their advice was to still try and settle the issue amicably, but with the level of resistance I am getting, it is a massive issue - The lies I have been provided with, by the company, have only made the situation worse.
Any other advice anyone can offer would be extremely helpful.
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Trading Standards will sort it out.
I had an issue with Tesco Mobile, basically charging me for a service I couldn't use due to poor reception and a house move. It took some time but had my contract cancelled and I received a substantial refund. Any business in the UK cannot really say no to Trading Standards without getting into hot water. They can't force them to offer a refund unless they have broken the law but they can apply pressure to resolve things.
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Did they ever respond to say what Adidas had said once they had seen the bat? (sorry if ive missed that in the thread somewhere)
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Apparently, they sent it back saying there was nothing wrong. However, when I asked for the bat back, they wouldnt return it.
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So they have your money and your goods?!
You have plenty of grounds to take action through small claims court. Speak to citizens advice and trading standards immediately.
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I agree with jake. They cannot refuse to give you the bat back regardless if the state it is in
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Will do guys.
I'm too nice for my own good. I just let it run hoping good will will show through.
Idiot maybe the right word :(
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If anyone with experience, or legal background, wants to have a chat with them for me, they are more than welcome!
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What a awful story,i am sorry to hear all this.I dealt with this guys a few years ago and it was a terrible service then i tell you.I hope you get a full refund and a new bat! Dont give up thats what they want you to do.
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You've spoken to citizens advice and they have said the next step is for trading standards( I presume ) to take them to court so there is your answer.
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No way am I giving up. They have pushed me past the point of being nice.
I have given them one final chance. Replace the bat, full refund or I will go for legal action.
I think they are disgraceful and I am happy to make an example out of them.
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No way am I giving up. They have pushed me past the point of being nice.
I have given them one final chance. Replace the bat, full refund or I will go for legal action.
I think they are disgraceful and I am happy to make an example out of them.
good to hear