anyone had experience using Wheelspin models ?

[richard cohen]

Evening all.

has anyone used Wheelspin models in Cannock ?

I normally only use model shops that i have visited personally but the website made bold claims so i placed an order. That was back on May 13th and I had an automated email acknowIedging the order and advising that some items were not in stock and might take a few days to come in.

I can't telephone during work hours so have emailled them after 2 weeks but no response. Just returned from a few days away and no contact from them so just emailled again to request some news.

Now i know it might be a case of shutting the gate after the horse has bolted but has anyone else used them and how were the transactions ?

I am not an impatient person but with no contact on the progress of the order one becomes a little concerned that no one cares

 

[Phil 9]

Yes I have used them a number of times. Last order only last week.

I have never had a problem. But because my orders have always turned up in good time I have had no reson to contact them

[TonyS]

Hi Richard,

I've had lots of experience of using them with never a hiccup, however I never ordered anything that was not in stock until recently when my experience turned out to be just as yours.

I think that there is a lesson here as I've found a few suppliers like this - they just seem to think that once you know it's not in stock you'll be happy waiting in silence, indefinitely , for your order.

Hmmmmmm

T

[richard cohen]

cheers Tony and Phil

glad to know they are usually ok. its the usual thing, customers are happy as long as they know whats going on. lets hope they respond to todays email

 

Rich

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Posted by TonyS on 03/06/2011 21:30:04:

 

I think that there is a lesson here as I've found a few suppliers like this - they just seem to think that once you know it's not in stock you'll be happy waiting in silence, indefinitely , for your order.

 

 

The other side of the coin was the well known distributor of glider parts who sent me the blade part of some blade and box wing joiner by return.

 

...and the box arrived a couple of weeks later when they had restocked.

 

...along with a second charge for post and packing!

 

Yes, I know I could have made a fuss but it wasn't really worth the hassle. The result of their actions is that they haven't had any repeat business from me and are unlikely to.

Edited By Martin Harris on 03/06/2011 22:38:31

[James40]

I'm having a very similar experience to yourself and Tony, I've used them plenty of times and the parts usually turn up within a few weeks, I did order a new canopy for a H9 Mustang as mine somehow (blaming the Mrs totally) got cracked ?

 

That was 2 months ago and I've heard nothing from them except of an email to say it will be delayed.

I have tried contacting them but haven't received a reply.

Edited By James40 on 04/06/2011 10:08:57

[Allan Bowker]

I have used Wheelspin many times and generally they are fine.

 

They are RC car specialists and their shop is one of the biggest I have seen.

Unfortunately their aircraft stock is very limited so most items ordered online are delivered to them next day by the distributors.

 

Usually this is a quick and speedy process and you get your items in a few days, however their process seems to fail when the distributor hasn't got stock and is on back order. Wheelspin fail repeatedly to inform their customers of this type of delay, which is what you may be experiencing.

 

If my order hasn't turned up in a week I tend to give them a phone call, they pickup quickly and can give you an update as to your order.

[richard cohen]

well its now over a month since i placed the order at Wheelspin Modelsand all emails to chase the delivery have come to nowt, completely ignored. Unfortunately my work prevents me using the phone during the day which is why emails are so crucial to me ( plus you cant say you never got an email). I have today contacted the main distributor, Horizon Hobby and within minutes i had confirmation that the parts are still on order with the US. Why Wheelspin couldn't do the same and advise customers of this is beyond me. I don't mind a wait if i know whats going on, but i don't expect to have to contact the distributor myself. The temptation is to cancel the order and place it elsewhere but that is probably cutting my nose off to spite my face, so i would have to say that the customer service is pretty poor for online sales and i would advise if you can't visit the shop and pick it off a shelf, dont bother ordering online !

Needless to say i think an old fashioned letter by snail mail will be winging its way to Wheelspin models to express my.............displeasure with their ummm...service? and a reminder that in this day and age (and economic climate) you only treat customers poorly once, then they become someone elses customer.

rant over

Rich

 

 

[Allan Bowker]

Yes Richard, just as I thought in my post above.

 

I had the same type of delay on a Stryker fuselage but didn't cancel my Wheelspin order until I had found parts with Squadron Leader (now closed for business).

 

Wheelspin cancelled my order with no problems but I felt a bit unhappy with how they had left me hanging.

[Wingman]

Yep same problem here - I ordered a motor for my PZ Vapor and a couple of prop shafts for my micro J3 - they were out of stock but that was understandable for these popular indoor flyers and the parts were out of stock everywhere else I looked. In the meantime Micron RC got the parts back in stock and I now have them. Left my order running with Wheelspin as those parts are always useful but they've had my 15 quid for 6 weeks now and haven't heard a squeak from them - it's Paypal so no sweat. Had a rake through their site yesterday and despite the photo of a large well stocked shop most of the stuff is "Out of stock" "shadow stock" or "on order" so looks like a 'smoke and mirrors' operation to me.

[Ben B]

I have to say I had quite good service from them when the item I wanted wasn't in stock IE they e-mailed saying it was out of stock and then it turned up a week later. Not too bad in my book.... But not answering e-mails is not very good customer service eh?

[Andy Harris]

I've have good service on all orders, so not had to test their customer services.

[Allan Bowker]

I received a very nice email from Wheelspin today, I emailed them asking if they would like to have a chance at replying in the forum (they replied to the email same day, nice and prompt).

 

Unfortunately they have tried other forums in the past and have been 'flamed' and are now reluctant to reply here.

 

All I can say is that they are replying to my emails, I've been able to get them on the phone whenever I have a query and they are an honest business and not a 'fly by night' operation in a shed. Tthey have a very nice shop and have been based in Cannock for some years.

 

They say "we are based around cars, but are moving more and more into the aero segment and our stock levels will gradually improve."

 

Hopefully they will ensure that any future customers will be kept informed of any orders that can not be normally fulfilled.

 

Hope this helps guys

 

Edited By Allan Bowker on 16/06/2011 23:04:06

[Roby]

Hi, i ordered twice from them, both of the times i had to wait ages. I tried to contact them and never had a reply.

Roby

[Wingman]

Posted by Wingman on 15/06/2011 08:03:25:

Yep same problem here - I ordered a motor for my PZ Vapor and a couple of prop shafts for my micro J3 - they were out of stock but that was understandable for these popular indoor flyers and the parts were out of stock everywhere else I looked. In the meantime Micron RC got the parts back in stock and I now have them. Left my order running with Wheelspin as those parts are always useful but they've had my 15 quid for 6 weeks now and haven't heard a squeak from them - it's Paypal so no sweat. Had a rake through their site yesterday and despite the photo of a large well stocked shop most of the stuff is "Out of stock" "shadow stock" or "on order" so looks like a 'smoke and mirrors' operation to me.

 

Got fed up waiting so I phoned them - took about half an hour of continuous dialling to get through - spoke to a pleasant sounding guy who explained that the motor order was causing the problem so we arranged to swap the motor for 3 vapor props which were available from Horizon and he said they would just absorb the pennies difference in price - so all settled amicably and the stuff arrived a week later - probably a bad idea of mine to order aeroplane parts from somewhere called "Wheelspin" .
Oh and if I had had a problem Paypal wouldn't have helped because more than 45 days had elapsed, so that's worth remembering

[Nellsey]

.

They are very poor and just not interested in the customer.

I have had on order, for about a month, some bits which I then asked to cancel as I got fed up with waiting. Only found out they were out of stock when I received an email after a couple of days. They took from the card straight away, of course!

I emailed them stating I wanted to cancel but amazingly two days later they said they had now posted them to me.

I received nothing and emailed them only to be told they did not post that time but they have now posted them on that very day. Unbelievably I still have received nothing!

They agreed to a refund in between all this going on but now they are saying I can have a credit for one item as they say the other one is now currently on it's the way.

 

I am hoping that is a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing but I fear I am being kind. Shocking way to do business!

I will never order a thing from them again.

 

Edited By Nellsey on 03/09/2011 01:03:13

Edited By Nellsey on 03/09/2011 01:03:44

[Seamus O'Leprosy]

They have really messed me about. I put in an order about six months ago and in the instructions I said not to send unless all items were in stock, and of course they didn't, they sent half the order.
Now today I get an email saying the rest of the items have been sent. The plane has been built flown and sold at this stage.
Steer clear of Wheelspin!

Edited By David Ashby - RCME Admin on 19/01/2012 19:36:54

[Seamus O'Leprosy]

Just checked that order was actually placed on 16 May

[Adrian Smith 1]

I can only speak as I find and I have ordered spare parts for my OS two & four stroke engines which even though they were classed as "shadow Stock" (ie retrieved from the warehouse) they took less than a week to arrive. This was all done via the website over Christmas while it is patently clear if stuff is "out of stock" and is marked up as so. So the outlet has worked for me. They even had spares in stock for my OS 61FX that I had been waiting over 2 months for from Just Engines. I suppose it all goes to show that the whole process is a lottery no matter who you use.

[Codename-John]

As Adrian above, i ordered a new fuselage for my foam e wot 4, showing as shadow stock but available from supplier, 3 days later it was at my door, the courier they use is good too, you get a text message or email to teel ya the hour when they are going to deliver so your not hanging around all day

 

 

 

[Allan Bowker]

It's disapointing to read another online customer of Wheelspin is unhappy due to a breakdown in communication. Although I have told Wheelspin about their process problem around communicating with customers on back orders, they haven't done anything about improving their customer service.

(See my post on 04/06/11)

 

Surely it would be simple to look at your back orders each week and email your customers?

I can't understand business owners that take customers for granted in this way, it's hard enough to grow a business in this market sector as it is.

 

It seems this is the only problem Wheelspin have and would be very simple to fix. Customers including myself are happy with their service as long as stock is available and doesn't go on back order.

Edited By Allan Bowker on 19/01/2012 21:39:47

[Nellsey]

Yes my order was "shadow stock" which they said would be 3 or 4 days

That was 4 months ago.

BTW, I am still waiting for the refund.

 

 

 

 

[Allan Bowker]

Have you telephoned them for the refund Nellsey?

[Nellsey]

.

TBH I got so fed up I just stopped bothering in the end . I am far too long in the tooth to spend any more of my time with such a shambolic lot

 

It was when I asked for a refund that it all started to go pear-shaped.

I was told I would get a refund , after that they had posted it, after that they had not and had now posted it..........getting fed up??

 

It just depended on who was answering the email on which particular day.

You seem to get somewhere then someone else comes along and completely ignores the previous email which they had sent.

 

All I know is I have received nothing and they still have my money.

I just had a look and the original order was placed in early August.

 

I have recently contacted my cc company about this and hopefully I can get them to refund me.

 

[Major]

I have received my order from them a few days ago. Parcel arrived on time, no damages etc, personally would buy from them again... But after Nellsey's posts I would consider shopping somewhere else...

 

Strange a bit. The shop I would not pay for anything before receiving goods is Speedy Models in Preston. Owner just keeps promissing everything, and that's it. I have been waiting more than 6 weeks for him to bring one piece of foam called "TGPF rudder".