Andy Green Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Is anyone aware of an issue with these people? I ordered last Thursday, had email confirming order, but nothing in post, they have ignored email and yesterday the phone was engaged all day and today there is a BT message saying the number doesn't take incoming calls. A bit worried as payment was with bank transfer so I have no protection. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monz Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 These issues normally arise when they are away at a show or expo. Scale Model World Telford 8th-9th Was their latest, so breakdown the 10th and travel, then today catching up with admin etc. So I'm sure you're being looked into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew767 Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Andy.....My last order arrived last wednesday and had taken 10 days (not unusual). I always take the 14 day payment option so if it doesn't arrive i owe nothing. To be honest all my orders have arrived but the times do vary and like you,i hardly ever get a reply to emails. As Monz says,when they're at shows it puts a real spanner in the works and it seems to take a while for them to catch up.It's a shame that they don't employ someone just to deal with mail order full time as their products are superb and the current situation must be costing them business.Having dealt with them for a number of of years, i now factor in the time it's going to take for the goods to arrive when i place my order. I think the phone line issue has been brought up on here before and clearly has not yet been resolved but i suspect yet again this is to do with a lack of staff. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 Thanks guys, I wont panic too much just yet. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted November 17, 2014 Author Share Posted November 17, 2014 Had email last Friday saying my glue was being packed. Not good enough really, over a week since I ordered. Appreciate they may have been busy, but that doesn't cut it I'm afraid. It occurs to me that my last few posts have been moans about suppliers, maybe I'm becoming a grumpy old man at last. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 Have decided its not me being grumpy, order still not arrived, its now holding me up. 2 weeks since I ordered. In spite of email last Friday saying that my items were being packed, still nothing. Phone still not accepting in coming calls and no reply to emails. Very poor indeed. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I agree it's not very good service, however I still regard Starlock as a good firm to deal with. They are online here on Modelflying quite often & attend shows such as Alexandra Palace in Jan if you want to get advice. Very helpful people. I dont think it necessary to pay in advance - they will invoice you so you pay after receipt. Keep faith Andy and I reckon it will turn up soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted November 20, 2014 Author Share Posted November 20, 2014 I know kc and I'm trying, but its the not knowing - if they'd said we are busy / away / out of stock or n weeks that would have been fine, I could decide whether to cancel / buy from somewhere else / rearrange my build program whatever. From here they have my money and I cant get in touch with them. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 It's the usual thing with small firms - you can speak to the very people who know all about their products but these same people cannot go to shows and be in the works at the same time! or you can go to a local shop, pay more, get immediate service from someone who just sells boxes & knows nothing..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engine Doctor Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Do let us know the out come . I believe they had issues some time ago when a friend of mine never received his order. Their stuff is good so hope you get it soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 20 days since order, and nothing. They still don't answer emails and the phone doesn't even say cannot accept incoming calls anymore, it just beeps. What can I do. I paid by bank transfer so not a lot I don't expect. Trading standards? report it as fraud? Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben goodfellow 1 Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 this has been up before on here ..they will come on here and say the normal we always answer the phone and emails when through my experience they dont .i do not want to slate 5star as there products are quite good. but at the nats i stood and watched them talk to one customer for almost 20 mins while me and several others waited to be served ..FACT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marsh Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 I know he goes over to Bulgaria to supervise the production and sometimes the UK side gets behind until his return. The glues are good and I've ordered over the post and got the items ok. Just a shame every now-and-then it goes wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted November 26, 2014 Author Share Posted November 26, 2014 It says on their website 'UK Manufactured adhesives', so what is here to do in Bulgaria? Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 At shows they often explain what they make in UK and what they do in Bulgaria, they are very open about this so its not any sort of a worry. One thing I heard him say is that it's often cheaper to post items to the UK from Bulgaria than to post them from England! I am amazed you are still waiting though..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Jones Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 Hope you get success Andy... I cancelled my last order for some Polymorph (or whatever their brand name is for it) after reaching the same packing stage as you and two further months of waiting. They are nice people, I've visited their premises at Runcorn but all the same it's no way to treat customers. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masher Posted November 26, 2014 Share Posted November 26, 2014 I've found the only way to deal with them is to buy at shows - buying on line is very hit and miss in my experience. If you just want Cyno, there are much better deals on Ebay anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 I specifically ordered some low expanding polyeurethane glue and padded out the order with epoxies and cyano. I posted the question as to where my glue order is on their Facebook page, but they have been removed. What is worrying is that they have over 50 domain names registered, and seem to use them all for glue selling. Just discovered they were once called 5 Star adhesives, wonder why they changed their name? Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Apparently you are not the only one complaining **LINK** and **LINK** Edited By Dave Hopkin on 28/11/2014 08:59:20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 I know Dave (and a lot more besides) - Wish I'd checked before I made my purchase. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I like the guys at 5-star - their products are excellent and they really know their stuff. They are very helpful and I've seen them give ages of their time to advising modellers - at shows. All great stuff. But boy do they struggle to run a "tight ship" regarding internet supplies. I know that they are frequently away, not just shows but due to other commitments. But would it hurt so much to just put up a notice on the website and a message on the answer phone to that effect? Its such a pity - great bunch of guys, great product, being very adversely affected by a simple lack of business common sense. Sad. BEB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted November 28, 2014 Author Share Posted November 28, 2014 I've seen them at the shows going back years, so just assumed they were established and OK on mail order. Its a real disappointment that I'm now stuck having to source some more glues. They happily sent an order confirmation with payment details which I paid immediately via bank transfer, and it this that makes me most angry, as I have no recourse except to wait on them. Trading Standards just send you to Citizens Advice, but I have to wait 30 days before it becomes an issue, the bank won't help as I sent the payment. Luckily this was for me, had this been for a client build I'd have had my own reputation to worry about. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 Lesson Nr1 - When shopping on the Internet Always use a credit card even if paying via Paypal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 I think they are still called 5Star - you can see they are due to exhibit under both names at the forthcoming Alexandra Palace Show Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarLoc FiveStar Adhesives Posted November 28, 2014 Share Posted November 28, 2014 There are some delays.....almost upto date with orders, but orders will always possibly take a week, many,many orders go out the same day as they are ordered. We get a backlog when we close for eg a holiday or a show , we can do nothing about this, we put it on the main page of the site People order when we are closed, and we get a backlog, there are limits to how many can be packed per day when we reopen, we closed for about 3 weeks in September that made us 3 weeks behind!, and we have now caught up almost, we packed new ones and old ones ( from both ends ( and the middle ) of the orders ) Telephone is on outgoing only as we have no time to answer it! , every time we stop to answer it takes parcel packing time, we used to end up putting it off the hook and now its off for now till we catch up with orders A new phone number will be listed soon, but will be answered in Bulgaria ( by an English speaker! ), The same problem with emails, a contact form will soon be on site and only emails through that will be answered to help filter out the spammers, we get tens of thousands of emails a week and there are too many to try and filter out ones that need answering, we try but many get missed DO NOT PAY BEFORE YOU GET YOUR ORDER ! we give free credit! Anyone who orders will get there order, but do not pay before you get it!.....if an item is out of stock for some reason we will be able to alter the total, everyone gets free credit after order receipt, FAR SAFER THAN PAYING BY CARD! The names of the company have NEVER changed! and any names we trade as are all still used. We own somewere between 950 and 1200 domain names at the UK addresses , manly for adhesives , all owned by Five star products our UK VAT registered name, another 100 or so domain names in my own name in the UK, and a few in Czech republic and Bulgaria Our original company is in the UK called Five Star Products we still are called Five Star Products upto 2 years ago it had a prefix FMK ( FMK/ FiveStar Products) , we took the FMK off when I moved kit manufacturing ( FMK ) to Bulgaria, Most of the other names are brand names, each name for different range of products, many have there own website , hence the number of websites StarLoc the chemical manufacturing company in the UK, not connected to most of the Bulgarian products, but does manufacture some StarLoc products for sale not in UK All glues sold from the UK ( in the UK, with English labels from English websites ) are manufactured in the UK 100% My other Bulgarian companies have there own range of purely industrial bulk adhesive products , with Bulgarian Cyrillic labels so easy to identify as not being from the UK Edited By StarLoc FiveStar Adhesives on 28/11/2014 21:45:47 Edited By StarLoc FiveStar Adhesives on 28/11/2014 21:46:53 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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