Anyone used the horse bit shop?

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clairencappelli

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Im getting a little bit worried. I bought a bit from them at their tradestand at your horse live and have been given the wrong size. I know you can trial for 30 days and sent back for a fee however the bit is unused still with its tags on and i realised it was bit when i took it out of the packet.

I have sent 2 emails and tried multiple times and never been able to get through on the phone them explained its still unused asking if i send this back ( which i would do recorded delivery ) if they will send me the correct size.

Im begging to worry as they are not responding and i have not got size i asked for?

anyone else used this company and should i be worried?
 

sue12345

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I ordered a bit from them at Bleinham, They said it would be posted the next day. It was 2 months of non arrival, unable to get through on the phone and frustrating conversations of them telling me it had been sent only for the next person saying it was on order that i finaly gave up. I cancelled my order and asked for my deposit back.They said it would be refunded after investigating the non delivery with the post office. That was 3 months ago and i have not heard another thing, frankly i'm not bothered about my deposit any more as i just don't want to speak to them EVER again. AND BREATH.
 

Herts05

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Check previous threads on here as I think there have been a few negative experiences. I haven't used them but general opinion seems to be that The Bit Bank gives better service
 

clairencappelli

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I have a bit its just 3/4 of an inch too big. I could sell it on ebay but as it was their mistake i want confirmation they wont charge me the big hire fee and if i sent it back will i ever see the correct bit?!

Its rather worrying to know what to do for the best!
 

Tammytoo

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Frankly I'm surprised they are still in business, nearly every week there are posts about their uselessness on some forum or other. Try sending a letter recorded delivery and add that you will be seeking advice from Trading Standards if they don't respond. Keep a copy of the letter.

It might be worth getting in touch with Your Horse to see if they have any different contact details.
 

Odders

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Hi there clairencappelli,

Please do not worry, your bit will be exchanged free of charge and postage free as we do with anyone purchasing from us at a show.

I can asure you that you will receive a reply to your email, we are just currently suffering from a back log of emails as we currently receive over a 100 emails a day for advice and enquiries on top of the huge amounts of phones calls for bitting advice - afraid the nature of the beast when we do a show like Your Horse Live - But I can promise you we are burning the midnight oil to catch up!

And in response to sue12345, I am not sure you have the right company as we DID NOT exhibit at Blenheim and never have done. And may I point out that if you check comments on Forums you will see that they are not aimed at our company. There has been confusion as a similar business was set up not so long ago that regularly misleads clients with its familiar colour schemes and graphics and has been leading people into believing they are using The Horse Bit Shop. You will find the The Horse Bit Shop was established in 2004 and is the ONLY bit bank that works on a hire fee basis with the balance due at the end of 30-days and carries over 18,500 bits in stock.

The Horse Bit Shop is a member of BETA, FSB and works in conjunction with the BAEDT and this year presented a number of talks and demonstrations at Your Horse Live Q&A Live with the aim to improve the lorinery education of the equine public.
 

clairencappelli

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A week has now passed since my emails and still cant get through on the phone.

Big show or not i think its fair to say i expected a response of some kind before now. If it takes this long for you not to have got back to me this leads me to believe i will never see the bit i should have been given. If i send the bit back after the customer service i have recieved so far ( or lack of ) it is a serious worry to me that i may never see my bit or a refund again.

I very very rarely complain but i have to say i am very dissapointed.
 

Herts05

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I would make sure you keep a copy of the Company's post here. Agree that you should have received a reply to your email by now. Definitely register your unhappiness with Trading Standards, they do take up matters with companies who have what they feel is an unacceptable level of complaints against them
 

Andiamo

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yep - took two bits on trial. One was great, sent the other back. But in the meantime they had charged me full price for both and taken money from my account.
After loads of emails, and phone calls (they never answer the phone or reply to voicemails), finally got through to someone who said they would get it sorted and refunn to be issued. It wasn't done. A further month was spent chasing. Finally just saw the refund in my account this week - 2.5 months later!

Good points: good selection of bits to trial. They send them out quickly.

Bad points: if you need to return a bit, you could be looking at a very time consuming, lengthy wait to get your money back.

Would I use them again? Probably not, due to their complete unresponsiveness to emails and phone calls.
 

Donnie Darco

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I've used them once before ... Had a NS bit on trial

Paid for next day delivery - brilliant - bit arrived next day!

However turned out it was too small and Lyla didn't like it, so returned it recorded delivery.

Gave them a couple of days before calling to check all received and ok. This took a few attempts to get through ... Yep they'd received the bit they'd refund my card.

Now I am naughty and never check my CC statements, but just this once I did - they hadn't refunded it!

Several attempts to contact them, they said "Yes they still had my money!" Fortunately they did refund and now I ALWAYS check my statements, but if I hadn't I'd be bitless AND out of pocket!!!

I wouldn't use them again. My friend uses another bit hire service, I think they only debit the hire charge upon sending the bit and the full amount at the end of the trial period (if the bit not returned) - wish I'd used them instead.
 

destiny11

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I've had a terrible experience with them. Was promised the owner would get in touch with me and nothing, absolute shambles of a company that deserves to go bust, send out wrong sizes, impossible to get hold of, and when you point out the problems you have experienced they try to make you think you are a one off and that their customer service is excellent, quick search on Google shows different.

Wished I had done that first :(
 

Joeyjojo

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Odders - I'm assuming from your post you work at/run the horse bit shop.

Sorry to say this, but your company really needs to sort out its customer service. Having researched it thoroughly and experienced the terrible service first hand I know those posts complaining are about your company and not any sister/similar companies.

When I ordered a bit on trial, You posted me completely the wrong bit, I posted it back the next day. Irritated at having my time wasted I just asked for a refund plus you covering the cost of return delivery.

Finally after a month and a half (several phone calls and emails later), you have only just managed to process this refund. Only issue is you've not given me the correct amount of postage (despite me enclosing the receipt and confirming the refund amount several times with yourselves).

This was yesterday, am just trying to decide whether it is worth battling the phone lines that are never answered or emails that I have yet to receive a single reply to (in a month and a half - that is a serious backlog!) to see if you can actually send me the correct amount!

I have never experienced such a poor attempt at customer service and suffice to say I will not be using you again!
 

bob

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I have read this thread with interest, Odders suggests they carry over 18,500 bits in stock. Assuming the average price of a bit to be in the region of £30.00, probably an under estimation, given that they include the more expensive bits in their range, this equates to a stock of in excess of half a million pounds. Given that they appear to be frequently out of stock of some sizes, may I suggest there is something seriously wrong with their stock control, or of course, there is always another alternative!
 

scrunchie

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Grrr!

I've ordered a bit on trial from these guys a week ago and it still hasn't come.

I knew one of the bit banks was a bit iffy but couldn't find this thread when I searched for it.

Oh poo! I can foresee trouble. :(
 

Fiagai

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I have purchased / returned goods to/from the BitShop previously and I must admit I found them very good.

Re the HorseBitShop Vs the HorseBitBank Websites - definitly a bit of copycating going on somewhere imo...
 
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I wish I has seen this forum before I ordered a bit from the horse bit shop. I've waited over two weeks for a bit that was supposed to be in stock. I have variously been told that it's not in stock, that it has just come into stock, and then that it will be posted first class recorded delivery on the second Wednesday after I ordered it. When it hadn't arrived by Friday I phoned again was assured that it had definitely been posted on the Thursday. It's now Monday and still no bit so I've placed an order with another company (at a slightly cheaper price). If the horse bit shop can't treat customers better than this they don't deserve to have any. I cannot STAND being lied to, and there is no way I would deal with this bunch of incompetents or crooks again.
 

galaxy

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Agreed, don't go there!!! I ordered an instock bit and took 2.5 weeks to arrive. Nightmare trying to get hold of them and they don't reply to emails!!

Ordered another bit from the bit bank last week and arrived 2 days later. Will use them again!
 
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Hah, the saga of their incompetence continues.
I gave up after two weeks of waiting for my new bit and phoned on Monday 11th to tell them to cancel it. They kept me waiting on the phone while two females had a debate across the room about whether it had been sent or not. Their conversation mostly consisted of yaa yaa sounds. Eventually one of them assured me that the bit had been despatched the previous Wednesday. (They'd already told me that, and then also told me it had been sent on the Thursday.) I said I wanted to cancel the order and would refuse the parcel in the (unlikely) event that it did arrive. I also phoned my credit card company to cancel the payment. The bit I ordered from another company on Monday 11th arrived today, Friday 14th. Also today I received an email from Horse Bit Shop telling me that my bit had been despatched today. My email to them in response was remarkably restrained under the circumstances, but I think they'll have got the message that they've lost a customer.
I don't mind if people make mistakes, or if their stock doesn't come in when they think it's going to, or if they are so busy that they miss the intended dispatch date, or their staff all suddenly go off sick with Ebola virus, or their premises are lifted into the stratosphere by a tornado and deposited 350 miles away. All sorts of things go wrong in life, I can live with that. Just don't tell me a pack of lies or treat me like I'm stupid.
 

galaxy

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Hah, the saga of their incompetence continues.
I gave up after two weeks of waiting for my new bit and phoned on Monday 11th to tell them to cancel it. They kept me waiting on the phone while two females had a debate across the room about whether it had been sent or not. Their conversation mostly consisted of yaa yaa sounds. Eventually one of them assured me that the bit had been despatched the previous Wednesday. (They'd already told me that, and then also told me it had been sent on the Thursday.) I said I wanted to cancel the order and would refuse the parcel in the (unlikely) event that it did arrive. I also phoned my credit card company to cancel the payment. The bit I ordered from another company on Monday 11th arrived today, Friday 14th. Also today I received an email from Horse Bit Shop telling me that my bit had been despatched today. My email to them in response was remarkably restrained under the circumstances, but I think they'll have got the message that they've lost a customer.
I don't mind if people make mistakes, or if their stock doesn't come in when they think it's going to, or if they are so busy that they miss the intended dispatch date, or their staff all suddenly go off sick with Ebola virus, or their premises are lifted into the stratosphere by a tornado and deposited 350 miles away. All sorts of things go wrong in life, I can live with that. Just don't tell me a pack of lies or treat me like I'm stupid.

You DEFINITLY cancelled your card payment??? Because they do NOT read their emails!! The one I sent to them (over 6 weeks ago) has still never been acknowledged!
 

Mariposa

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Just to add my two cents.... I have used this company three times. The first time the service was excellent, the second time the jointed pelham I ordered took 5 weeks to arrive. 5 weeks!! They ignored my voicemails and emails, and when I dinally got hold of them they said they'd been at show and hence the backlog (but seriously...5 weeks!! Crazy long time for a 'back log')

Earlier this year the same thing happened - they told me the bit I'd ordered and paid for was on back order, but it took over a month of chasing before it transpired they couldn't provide the bit I'd bought and offered me another one.

So I've given them 3 chances and now they've lost my business, its not worth the hassle of chasing them...
 
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