Merchant Warning

[cavscout]

While surfing on Ebay for accessories stay away from the following sellers:

Scotland Shop Direct
Heritage of Scotland
JM Kilts

These guys are all linked back to "Gold Brothers" in Edinburgh.

I purchased a plain brown sporran from them back in February and it arrived damaged (big crack or gash in the top flap). They promised a full refund so now after more than two months I've not seen a refund yet. Their communication is terrible and scanning some of their feedback from last year I found a reply that basically said "over 1000 people love us so we're OK with 1 or 2 who hate us."

Buyer beware!!!

[phil h]

thanx for the warning

[Geoduck]

Thanks, Cav. I've had mixed success on ebay, but I have a feeling I might be avoiding it for anything attached with kilts from now on.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

WOW! I'm sorry to hear that sombody in the industry has that type of attitude!

Thanks for the warning though. that's why I LOVE this plcace soooooo much. With this type of communication, we're not subjected to the crud that others have to deal with.

You da man! 8)

[cavscout]

Thank you Brother Carbomb. You are correct about the cornicopia of information available here.

I mistakenly left the box checked to receive emails from the UK Yahoo group and was flooded with the ignorant ramblings of every juvenile anti-establishment whinner that uses that board as a bitch forum.

It's so nice to have the insights of intelligent and knowledgable people who prefer to celebrate the freedom of wearing a kilt rather than what fun it is to snub their nose at their parents by wearing "alternative garments".

[Geoduck]

I have to agree with you Cav, the UK forum spews mostly worthless rambling complaints from all walks. Xmarks is without comparison a surperior forum. I did however meet quite a few of the UK forum folks a few weeks back, and all in all a good, bunch. I had to unsubscribe from the e-mail portion though, I felt like I was back on my old hotmail account with all the junk mail I was getting.

[kiltie as charged]

I purchased a kilt from Scotttland Direct. I did not recieve any e-mail or any communications from them what so ever. But two weeks after my winning bid I got the kilt. For what I paid for it I think it is a very nice quality kilt. It resists wrinkling very well, has a good wool like feel and is about 13oz in weight.

I am quite satisfied with it. I am sorry that you had such bad luck with them.

[Declan Rowan]

Yeah, I've always seen Yahoo groups as something to be taken with a grain of salt... sure there is some good info on it, but there are also the masses who find it because it is Yahoo, the search engine that advertises non-stop!

Here, I feel like this is a private members club, where everyone knows someone else. makes me feel special.

(Cheers music starts playing in the background)

[cavscout]

In fairness to Gold Brothers I am pleased to let you know that the refund was processed today.

I do not know why their communication is so poor when usually all a customer wants is a brief, simple response that they are not being ripped off but that it will take a few days till "the clerk" is in the office to process the order or whatever the reason.

Is it purely coincidence that the day after I post the issue where other potential clients could be swayed that the refund appears? Could Gold Brothers be among us? I think that would be great. It would at least show me that they know where their market is and want to listen to how they are perceived. I would still use caution with these companies as the effort required to manage the transaction is intense.

I wish I had not acted so quickly to bid for this on ebay and waited to hear the advise of the members here recommending the less expensive, more nicely constructed Buzz Kidder sporrans.

[Jerry]

Thanks for the warnings. I'd like to add one of my own. Stay away from highlander knitwear. I won't go into details, but getting my kiltand the "free accessories" they adveriised was an ordeal to say the least.