Equus website - is it rubbish or did i just have bad luck?!

[ginatina]

I made my second order from the online tack shop 'Equus' last week and yet again i've waited 8 days and they haven't even dispatched my order, nor can they give me an expected dispatch date. I guess they must be out of stock on my items, which i could forgive if the exact same thing hadn't happened the first time i ordered from them, way back in the summer!!

So I guess i'm saying - i don't recommend this website!

 

[eggs]

They will not be the only website with those issues - I can name a few that haven't been great at communication or getting the right order out to be in a timely manner but everything has always arrived eventually - well apart from a pair of socks that I have been waiting over two months for from another company ....

 

[Birker2020]

I've often wondered what makes ebay or amazon different from normal selling websites insomuch that they can offer 'real time' stock so you know if the item isn't in stock it will tell you.

I presume its a cost prohibitive service to most internet vendors. But it can't be hard. One product left, someone orders one. That leaves nil so a note comes up to say out of stock.

We have the same problem ordering stuff for site. We order from our normal supplier off their website, wait a very long time for delivery only to be told by delivery note that the item is out of stock and on back order. So frustrating.

 

[Kaylum]

They will probably be doing preorders and their suppliers havent got the supplies yet. They really should inform the customer of this. Customer service is everything. There are quite a few online sites that are terrible including some that do live auctions. Not good service.

 

[Starzaan]

The best place for being made aware of stock issues is Pet N Pony. If something is out of stock or delayed they will email and offer a refund or you can wait for it to come in. They will give you an estimate of delivery date. They’re absolutely brilliant.

 

[Otherwise]

I've given up on using them and just buy elsewhere, if they had an accurate website of what is actually in stock or if they emailed promptly to say stuff is out of stock would you rather wait or be refunded it would be fine but their communication is just awful.

 

[teddy_]

EQUUS definitely not the only online retailer failing to deliver.

I placed a large order with Hope Valley Saddlery on Black Friday, they still haven't despatched it, are missing two items from stock and to top it off, you cannot get through to a human being on the phone - you can only leave a voicemail or email, both take them about 48 - 72 hours to respond to. Absolutely dire customer service.

 

[Roxylola]

I've had decent service from them but I don't order anything urgent. I've ordered from hope valley and been kept waiting and waiting before now. In the end I requested a refund, I'd found the same thing at naylors, rang them and was answered promptly and assured if its on the website its in stock. They were right, was with me in a few days. They're about the only place I'd order anything urgent from now.

 

[teapot]

EQUUS definitely not the only online retailer failing to deliver.

I placed a large order with Hope Valley Saddlery on Black Friday, they still haven't despatched it, are missing two items from stock and to top it off, you cannot get through to a human being on the phone - you can only leave a voicemail or email, both take them about 48 - 72 hours to respond to. Absolutely dire customer service.

Hope Valley are SO hit and miss as they have multiple warehouses.

I've just had a fun conversation with My Breeches.com because they think it's ok to say 'x pairs in stock' but their in stock actually means being requested and sent from Germany

I've found GS Equestrian pretty good recently. Ordered a pair of breeches that said were in stock, let me know a few days later that they were unable to dispatch due to quality control so would refund automatically. Now whether they weren't in stock, or it was a quality issue, least they bothered to contact me!

 

[asmp]

EQUUS definitely not the only online retailer failing to deliver.

I placed a large order with Hope Valley Saddlery on Black Friday, they still haven't despatched it, are missing two items from stock and to top it off, you cannot get through to a human being on the phone - you can only leave a voicemail or email, both take them about 48 - 72 hours to respond to. Absolutely dire customer service.

I recently ordered a coat from Hope Valley Saddlery. It was in the sale and although showing in stock, apparently they‘d sold out BUT they did ring me and apologise and then refunded me pretty quickly so good service IMO.

 

[holeymoley]

Equus have been like this for a while- prior to brexit etc etc. I waited two months for a ride on fly sheet. It was a german make- Busse, they have to wait for it to ship to them so they don’t always have things in stock to send out right away. A bit sneaky if you ask me.

 

[McGrools]

I ordered a £140 cost from equus a couple of weeks ago. Got all the delivery notifications, tracking, your order is on the way emails. And what turns up at the door? A 3 pack of socks! Loll

to be fair as soon as i pointed out the error the coat was sent next day. And i still have the socks! ??

 

[greenbean10]

I ordered a jacket from them once and heard nothing for over a week. I emailed them and they said the jacket was out of stock and would I like a refund?!? Err, yes please! I wonder if I hadn’t said anything if they would have just kept the money.

ETA that one company I have been very impressed with is Redpost Equestrian. I sent back a pair of boots and they had a replacement delivered to my door 3 days later.

 

[ApolloStorm]

I work for a large online horsey retailer ( thankfully not listed here!!) and most of us work in the same way in that we hold a certain amount of stock in but most of it is with suppliers and any “in stock” items are really “in stock with supplier” and 9/10 times this works, as most things can be gotten in 1-2 working days from suppliers but at times of year with sales and Christmas suppliers just are taking longer for things to come in - Le Mieux for example are about 5 days behind.
Though I do totally agree with the sentiment that customer service is everything, with 800 parcels having been shipped from us today alone sometimes things slip through especially when the entire staff is only 4 full time staff and 3 part timers!

I shouldn’t tote another retailer but I also have had nothing but good experiences with Redpost!

 

[WelshHoarder]

I had a similar situation with Hope Valley - ordered a pair of reins, size/colour I wanted wasn’t on a low stock warning like others, and it had “estimated dispatch: today” on the page (and I know I didn’t miss the dispatch cut off, as I ordered at about 00.15!)

A week later, with no dispatch notification, I emailed them to query when they were being sent, to be told they were out of stock but should be arriving that week from the supplier, at which point I queried why they were still showing as “in stock” on the website - I was told this was just a glitch.

Another week, another chase, another “should be received soon” response. I said I didn’t mind going for a slightly longer pair, which were showing as in stock still, and was told to wait and see if the delivery arrived, they’d be in touch in the next couple of days. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and decided to give them another week before requesting a refund.

By this time I was losing hope and other places seemed to be going out of stock - I finally found them somewhere else (R&R Country), ordered them, dispatched same day and arrived the following morning. A few days later I had a parcel tracking notification out of the blue from Hope Valley, and the reins were delivered on the day I was going to ask for a refund, almost a month after the original “in stock for immediate dispatch” order was placed. I now have two sets of reins, I could have returned one but to be honest, baby Welshie steps on hers with depressing frequency, so I figured a spare was a good idea!

For what it’s worth I’ve had brilliant service recently from R&R, Derby House, Redpost and Griggs Equestrian - all really quick dispatch times and good communication.