Why maplin sucks
So, I’ve been wanting to make some cello pickups for a while now, and I finally get off my ass (metaphorically) to get the bits to do it. I use maplin, as I quite like the look and feel of their website and they have the bits I want at a reasonable price.
I find all the bits I want and go to checkout. I create an account (they demand an easily guessable security question, I enter garbage, but that’s another rant). Finally I come to enter payment details. I enter all my card info (It’s a VISA connect debit card). They ask me for a maestro issue card even though I told them it’s not a maestro card, and ask for the start date which is never normally used for card validation on VISAs in my experience. I finish off the form and click order. Oops. ” Error 28. There was a problem attaining funds from your bank. Oh well, I try entering my card details again, thinking I typo’ed something. Oops - same error. Getting annoyed now, I try a third time, meticulously checking all details. Same error. A nagging feeling made me go and check my online banking balance. Now, I always keep a known small value in my debit card account precisely for this reason, so I notice if I get charged when I shouldn’t, and to limit my losses if someone nicks my card info. (I know a credit card would provide more safety, but I’m not elligible for one). Now here’s the problem: My bank balance equals the balance I always leave it at minus 3 times the total order value. So, Maplin showed an error claiming they failed to charge my card, when actually they took my money just fine and dandy. Also, the icing on the cake, my order does not appear in in the “Order history” section for my account on the maplin website. So, they took three times as much money as I told them to, told me they didn’t, and aren’t sending me anything in return.
Now I’m going to go and sit down and calm down a bit and see if I can get this sorted out tomorrow. Luckily the items I ordered were not terrifically expensive, but I would be in a serious mood if somebody stole this much money out of my wallet (Which is in essence what has happened).
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Maplins have been going down hill for years. In fact I can’t remember the last time anyone I know bought anything off them.
For Audio gear these days try Studiospares. Even there own brand gears better than most of the stuff Maplins sells…….
People go to maplins because they don’t want to go through the hassle with online companies. Indian call centers, bad support, unable to return things easily, etc etc.
So, silly me things Maplins would be a good choice, after all I should be able to nip in and nip out with the product that does the job. Yeah, that was the easy thing until taking it back.
I would attach the receipt saying “We will give you a full refund within 14 days providing blah blah”. Sounds good, but in actual practise its like squeezing human blood out of a stone. Credit notes??? What do i want a credit note for?
Anyway, I waited and waited and was asked if they could serve the next person in the queue. I was like, em, okay but don’t forget about me. Funny thing was all three people consequtively wanted a refund for their crappy products. They were quick to sale, but extremely slow and difficult to refund me. Comparing to an online shop its identical on a worse case scenerio – only difference is I’m standing in a shop when I could be at home with my feet up annoyed at them.
I finally got a refund after telling the guy we can take the matter at the back of the shop.
They sell crappy products with a bullshit agreement on every receipt. Maybe someone should scan the receipt in and put “BULL SHIT” over it.
Anyway, I better calm down and get on with my life now.
***DONT BUY FROM MAPLINS***
maplins are shit.
neaver buy a laptop charger from there
they are all SHIT tbh and end up brakeing your laptop.
the shop should be closed down =D
I agree, I purchased the same laptop charger, the gray one, 3 times in 3 years, they have damnaged the battery on my laptop, it doesn’t charge up anymore, and the power supplys that purchased ended up with the same problem, the connection where it connects to the laptop rips easily, causing it not to work properly, I believe that they purchase these power supplys for £2 from china and sell them for £45, maplins are con-artists.
Totaly agree with the above, I worked for maplins for a few years and there was always loads of returns every day, in fact it was something like 20% of stuff was returned. Quality is very poor, their mini laptop they sell is the worst product in the world, cheap quality and doesnt run any decent programs. AVOID Maplin like the plague
After trying to order something from maplin myself and going through some different payment problems i have come to the same conclusion as you, they are just useless and not worthy of getting my money anymore. I tried buying something with a debit card and they refused it because of credit card checks.
Bought a PC case today from Maplin, it cost £40. Drove the 18 miles back home to open it and find the front smashed to bits.
Last time I went I bought a PA system for my car, it cost £25. When I got home and opened it I discovered one wire shorter than the other, stretched and badly stripped. Apon powering it up I found the amplifier to be blown.
Time previous I bought an LG 19″ TFT monitor. It had 3 dead pixels and blew up in 2 months. LG screwed me around for 3 months before returing it to me with a note for Maplin to refund me. Which they did 4 weeks later.
Time previous to that I bought a soldering iron and a multimeter. The soldering iron did not work and the meter had a faulty display.
In fact the only 2 things I have ever bought from Maplin that wasn’t knackared was a can of PCB cleaner and some solder.
I have learnt my lesson now. If your thinking of going, don’t do it!
Also one spotty teen member of staff at the Poole Maplin told me today how they came in early on a Sunday morning for “Store Cleaning” but in fact just play with all the gadgets untill opening time.
I reckon it’s these morons blowing everthing up and then putting it out for sale.
Yeah, I know what you mean about spotty teenagers. – Mind you they seem to be overstaffed and under worked. – Last couple of times I visited there were loads of ’spare’ staff hanging around doing nothing whilst I had to wait ages at the ’till to be served, for no apparent reason.
Mind you, I bought some rechargeable batteries last time I visited which I’m sure I was undercharged for – they were marked up at the wrong price I’m sure (having seen them selling for much more online!). – So it can’t be all bad! – I might go in and buy some more before they realise.
I worked there, fucking shithouse
I bought an item off maplins website just before xmas. It was a gift for my dad. Anyway … I checked it on arrival which was about 2 days later.
I Noticed some items where missing so sent an email to their “tech support”, a week later after no reply I sent another one.
Another week past and it was xmas time still no reply.
After the xmas break and the shops opened again I called maplin customer services who where not at all helpful but did give me an RTX number to return the item for a refund giving me the option to take it to my local store which I did.
The manager of the store talked me into trying out another product of the same type and price which I regrettably done. The product was unsatisfactory (like maplin as a whole) and so the very next day I returned it and asked for a refund.
The checkout assistant was very unhelpful and said I could not return it because of the 14 days policy. I asked for the manager who happened to be the same man I saw the night before.
After explaining that his tech support was s*** and that I had an RTX number to return the item for a refund he agreed to refund me as he rightly should.
I left the store thinking my credit card (which I had used to purchase it) would be credited soon.
1 week later I call the store to find out why I dont have my money. They tell me to call their customer support line to find out where my money is … im on the line for 10 min no answer.
I give up and call back 30 min later … same thing happens … I then call the SALES number and what do you know someone answers, I tell them I was trying to call the customer support line and she replies that she is also the customer support, so why not answer?? Stupid b****
Anyway she doesnt have a clue where my item is, said it hadn`t arrived back with the head office and only once it has then a refund will be issued and so I should call the shop to find out if they have sent it.
Anyway I was chasing my tail and so called my credit card company to sort it out as ive had enough.
What I think they have done is put my returned item straight back onto the shelf for someone to purchase and thats why its not at head office and I have not recieved my refund. (very likely)
Either that or it got lost in the post (highly unlikely)
Anyway like I said im done with Maplin and have added them to my business s*** list which includes pc world and burger king. I will never do business with these companies again and I reccomend that everyone does the same.
I worked for Maplin for 4 years.
Trust me, most of the products they sell are of dubious quality – the staff know that and head office know it. but the people buying the products in for the compamy simply ignore the return rates and carry on selling the same old crap.
There was one [particular item, a “Trust” branded laptop power supply. i swear to god every single one of them we ever sold came back with the same fault. i got to the point i knew what the customer wanted if i saw them holding the receipt and the product waiting to be serverd. it went beyond a joke! and yet, for months and months we kept getting them delivered to the store.
If you are given a RTX number, send it back to their head office yourself (they have a freepost address if you ask). The stores will eventually send it back, but only after a couple of weeks – when they can no longer fit any “returns” on the shelf usually. and you were promised your money back within seven days, weren’t you? ha ha liars.
oh yes, and it it not uncommon for “faulty” returns to end up on the shelves again. mostly because everything they sell is faulty, or has known problems.
never buy from Maplin
ex employee duty manager
Spooks, I agree with most you say. But since you were the duty manager, were’nt you the one responsible for not putting it back on the shelf?
I have worked for Craplin Electronics long enough to understand when to call it quits. They treat their employees worse than their customers.
Those who keep buying from Maplin deserve the overprice low quality crap they get.
As a Maplin employee you have the right to shut up. Since hurting the company will cause you to get fired.
I hope the recession cause them to go bankrupt, and they would without help if it was’nt for them stupid customers…
People that shop in Maplin think they have it bad, haha, try working there?
I work understaffed, usually 2/3 of my colleagues are useless morons, I have to clean, change tickets EVERYDAY because Head Office can’t decide on their prices and keeps creating FALSE promos, I have to do management duties such as stock accuracy checks, admin work and preparing for audits, WHILE THE MANAGER STANDS AT THE FRONT DOING NOTHING, the cashiers at the till are forced to ask customers if they would like a £39.99 additional video sender receiver to go with their video sender kit which will probably not work anyway, plus a 3.99£ catalogue (did I mention I work next to Argos?) and on top of that if they would like to receive the Maplin promotional letter.
Not to mention our customer base, mostly being men over 50 who think they are gods gift to earth, probably earn 5 times mroe then you do and aren’t afraid of literally spitting on your face because they know they can get away with it.
All for £5 an hour. I agree with all the bad Maplin product reviews in this website, I know how bad all the products are, it’s freaking terrible, prosound, Nikkai, Sentient, all other names of ranges are ALL Maplin, we manufacter our own products in China using the cheapest and lowest quality parts, it eats my soul inside every time I am forced to sell a Mini Notebook or a HDMI cable from our range, but what can you do? When you have a house to pay for ,a girlfriend to look after and yourself, finding a job isn’t easy. I’m just a young chap so my experience probably isn’t as good as most people reading this, but please don’t blame the “spotty teenager” who served you because he probably feels worse then you do.
To our head office team: I sincerely hope you read this, you are a waste of time, you are a bunch of over paid morons with too much spare time on your hands and you know it, I hope this firm goes bust , I really do, why people still shop here beats me and yes I know I’ll lose my job, but like I care, it’s not like finding another retail job is hard.
Sincerely yours,
a Maplin employee
Oh and I forgot to add, probably the worse part of this job, I have to do all this while listening to tunes like Meat Loaf, The Spice Girls, Sex Pistols and Britney Spears!
Most terrible music choice I have ever experienced in a shop and anywhere else my whole life.
DF you’re moron. If you don’t like it quit. Spooks, I think you were sacked for stealing?