My experience with Taffmeisters.co.uk

Here I'm going to describe why I'm not particularly happy with the service at said online shop. Although I'm going to try to be as succinct as possible, I'm sure this is going to be a long post.


Disclaimer:
This is no post to scold any of the people that work at this shop, it is only based on my previous experience with it.


I have to say I've made previous orders there and everything went smooth. It was my favorite online shop for bike parts! I had even recommended it to a few friends. In one of those past orders, I realised a bit too late, that I was also going to need an extra o-ring. Sent them an e-mail. Since the package was already closed and ready to be dispatched they kindly attached an extra small envelope with the o-ring I was requesting at no extra cost — yep, no extra cost. I couldn't be happier at the time, I had finally found a great supplier I could rely on for husaberg parts.



I had my account on the website, so I went there, picked the items I was going to need and tried to place the order from there. I needed the package delivered to my friend's (also mechanic) house so I was going to need to add a new address there, but for some reason I was not able to add a new delivery address. The "add" button wouldn't do anything. I tried it on different browsers and still nothing. I'm a web developer myself, I'm no interwebs noob — which didn't help either.

So I just sent them an e-mail with the order request and the 2 addresses (billing and shipping).
And so it began...

1 Jun 2015
Placed an order (and paid for it) with a few parts, including the clutch master cylinder repair kit for my 2007 FS 550. I had previously checked the manual and it was 59002032000 what I needed. Then went to the website looking for this part number and encountered this statement: "Suitable for all models 2000-2005". So I sent them an e-mail and in fact I was correct, this was the part I needed!

5 Jun 2015
Asked if they had forgot about me. The next day I got the reply and the package was already on its way.

16 Jun 2015
Still no package. I had sent the package directly to my friend's door and he was obviously aware of it. Asked them about it and how long should it take to get there.

17 Jun 2015
I was provided with the tracking number on this day only, and the package was about to return to the UK. Why is that? Because the person who sent the package, sent it to an address that wasn't even on my e-mail, instead of my friend's house — which I have provided on the e-mail.
The address they used was on my account of their website and the bad thing about it is that it has no door number and the carrier guys usually suppose it is wrong and don't even bother to check.
So I had to call GLS and change the delivery address to my friend's. The package arrived eventually.

23 Jun 2015
My friend gave me a call saying the repair kit was too small, there was oil coming out of it. Since I have ordered the 9.5mm one and it turned out to be small, I guessed I needed the bigger one that was also on the website, the 10mm one (54813008200).
I immediately sent them an e-mail with this information. Got a reply on the same day saying I was going to receive the new repair kit. Was charged another 25.22£ for it.


Here's the first repair kit I've received.

25 Jun 2015
Payment done, package dispatched.

30 Jun 2015
Still no signs of package, asked for a tracking number again. It was about to arrive.

3 Jul 2015
My friend called me again. It still wasn't right! This time the repair kit was [obviously] too big!
I asked my friend for measurements and it turned out that the first repair kit sent to me measured 8.95mm — don't even ask where this came from, I couldn't even find it on their website! The new one was right though, at 9.95mm but it was not suitable for my bike either.
With all this mess, I had wasted about 55£ on parts that don’t even fit my bike.
This time I asked for a refund for the 2 repair kits, which I was only going to be able to send back when I got my bike ready.


Here's the second repair kit.


And a detail.


Here's the OEM one.


And a comparison between both.

4 Jul 2015
They confirm they have the part I needed (59002032000), with 9.5mm and were going to send it. They even said I wasn't charged for the latest one because they trusted I was going to send it back. I was indeed going to send it back, but not until I got my bike ready. And yes, they charged me for it!!

6 Jul 2015
New package sent. I asked for a tracking number right away, and to my surprise there was none this time!

13 Jul 2015
Still no package! Just to be sure, I asked for the shipping address.

14 Jul 2015
Got a reply with the address and... you guessed it, it was wrong! Again!!
I assumed the package would be with GLS, just like before, so I gave them a call. After waiting for 5min for someone to answer my call while being charged to listen to some bad music, I gave up and sent them an e-mail asking for a package addressed to me. They replied asking for a tracking number, which I didn't had, and without it they couldn't do anything.

16 Jul 2015
Called our local carrier guys (equivalent to Royal Mail in the UK). Same story... no tracking number, no package. They would have to check each package manually, that's not even plausible.

17 Jul 2015
Sent a new e-mail to the shop asking what should we do now. Got a reply suggesting that I should contact the nearest post office to the address it was sent to. This sounded like more wasted time... but why not, the package couldn't be too far away.

21 Jul 2015
Contacted our local carrier guys and they specifically said that it is not mandatory that a Royal Mail package would end up in their hands. And again, with no tracking number they could not do anything about it!

I decided I was not going to sit and wait! I have never received this last package (which was sent on 6 Jul) and most probably, never will. At this point I am dealing with this issues for almost 2 months. Too much time, too many phone calls and too much money wasted... and I still don't have the parts I need.

On this day I sent the shop one last, long and honest e-mail resuming all of what happened. Politely asked for some kind of identification (part number was fine) for that 8.9mm repair kit I got in the first package which doesn't even seem to be on their website.

I said I was not expecting this last package to arrive, but I will send it back if it ever does.
I was not going to send the other 2 repair kits back and I was not expecting a refund for those either.

I then tried to make them see what went wrong, the mistakes they have done, and tried to give them some advice for the future. They seem to have valuable knowledge and will to help people around, that's good! But that's not enough to run a business! Maybe I was misunderstood but I never got a reply to my request regarding the 8.9mm repair kit and at this point I don't think that will ever come.

At this point I have roughly 55£ on parts that I'm going to need to sell locally and still can't ride my bike...

During all this time, I have been chatting with a few people from this forum which surprisingly have had similar issues with this same shop. This is very sad.
I just wonder why haven't someone ever made such experiences public...



Notice how I haven't used any names on this post. That's because I don't have anything against the individuals that work on this shop. It's the service this shop provided that I'm not happy with!

I honestly hope this helps either the service to improve and new customers to be aware of it.

Cheers!

Well well well, this comes as no surprise to me, I waited for 10 weeks to get the right piston and rod kit for my 650, I received the wrong piston twice, incomplete gasket kit, valve guides that were totally wrong and the list goes on but im not gonna waste any more time on the subject.

Definitely will not be using them again

The best place for Husaberg parts in the uk is - Trevor Pope Motorcycles, Parts, Spares, Accessories and more

They have an online Husaberg parts fiche, all parts are easy to find, fast delivery and first class service - professionals.

That boy Taffy is a bull shiter or is in the early stages of dementia.....

I and my colleagues have never had a problems with Taffmeisters.

Wow, I brought a bike from taffmeisters, lets just say, the absolute worst dealer I have ever brought off, bike was supposedly fully serviced and mint!
The bike rattles from cold had a bone dry air filter and 6 yes 6 oil leaks!
I mean it is completely my fault for not test riding or anything, I was the stupid 1 to believe that it was going to be ok as it came from a dealer.

my experiences with this source are well documented here but for the newer members .. yes these kind of things are commonplace from this vendor, not bad for oem parts if you crawl up his backside and nothing goes wrong with your order.

every business or employee will make mistakes but its how they deal with cust service after the fact that is important, in this case .. you're invariably screwed with no lube.

I still regularly get messages from people "screwed by taffmeisters" "taff ripped me off", "sent wrong parts".. ."parts damaged in post" ..... fitted taff parts my bike is crap but taff says its my fault, taff parts don't fit so i sent them back but no refund etc etc.

most of the affected EUROs end up using Dave Clarke racing or trev pope in the uk or find a good berg supplier in germany

there is some hope in that through sharing of information and feedback like this thread that customer service and even product quality may improve ... unfortunately i don't think it will .... on the other hand i now know where to get good products and real service for my bikes from genuine honest people

Taffys mistake said:

Wow, I brought a bike from taffmeisters, lets just say, the absolute worst dealer I have ever brought off, bike was supposedly fully serviced and mint!
The bike rattles from cold had a bone dry air filter and 6 yes 6 oil leaks!
I mean it is completely my fault for not test riding or anything, I was the stupid 1 to believe that it was going to be ok as it came from a dealer.

Click to expand...

Not the case with all but I hope a good point to make:

I consider a dealer a sales center who sells a brand name such as a franchise. The dealer will have a name brand and is authorized by such to sell their product. They will also have a strict guideline to follow as they are watched by the name brand company, most brands will not give authorization to sell their product without a proven track record in the industry prior. I have worked for many "Dealers" throughout my career and have seen pride in the service they give during as well the extended service after sale. Thus the reason most will take to a dealer when all other shops fail. Proven and educated staff.

The used sales center. Not authorized by any brand to sell, sell to make money fast and most have no accountability to anything, do as they please as they can not loose the brand they sell as they sell all brands used. Most will never ever get franchise rights to sell a name brand. They sell aftermarket parts that are not tested or proven in any way other than by word of mouth by those who don't know better, they manufacture parts to make a quick dollar without any experience testing done or by any engineering company.

My advise to anyone shopping for anything. Research everything, go to companies that are accountable. Not taking anything away from small ma and pa shops as I have one but. Check qualifications of those working, if they are qualified they will have no problem showing their credentials and giving background to where they have worked, They will take pride in the service they give and help any way they can to resolve issues but Most are backyarders without any qualifications or titles and firmly believe they are experts without taking any dealer schooling. Anyone can turn a wrench and change oil and make the repair, but mostly will do it over and over or have premature failure as due to lack of education, but a good technician will solve the problem first time without a comeback and the repair will be done to spec that it was sold as. The difference Check for associations in which they have to loose such as better business bureau's etc.

I am a qualified and ticketed Master Technician in both Canada and the USA for over 30 years with experience instructing at a university level and with this being said, I still ask questions and do not know everything and will always check a second opinion just to be sure. So just because they have a store front does not make them an expert.

Buyer always beware. Believe nothing what you hear and half of what you see

Nothing wrong with checking the water prior getting in

I'll chime in here with a positive review. I've not had any problems with Taffy's online shop. I've always received the parts I've ordered promptly and in good condition. Indeed, his forum presence is sometimes a lightning rod for different opinions (which sometimes evolve into thread-killing ad hominem attacks rather than a debate over differing opinions as to a particular topic), I can say I've always received the parts I ordred in undamaged condition. That said, I haven't had to engage in how his shop deals with issues such as damaged, incorrect or substantially delaed parts so I won't speak to that issue.

I have received 2 IWIS camchains, a clutch friction plate set as well as a few other items
over the years from Taffmeisters. I have had no problems and everything has arrived
in a timely manner here in San Diego Ca.

pollo

Hello Old Man

I'll say publicly that I'm sorry that my service hasn't been up to scratch for you. I won't make any other excuse than to say that I'm under immense pressure, the hours are long and I guess something went wrong. today I did 11.15 hours and I've come back to the computer in the Garage at 20.49. I'm pooped and it has been like that all year. shall we call it 12.30 hours today.

so i've allowed myself one excuse which is no excuse for you because as an individual order your order could have been put right. I'll say no more here.

If you care to get in touch i'll try and put things right. that goes for anyone. I tried but failed.

regards

Taffy

I totally understand your point Taffy.
It's not always good for everyone, and I was not happy this time.

The clutch problem is finally solved. I'm picking my bike up tomorrow, after almost 6 months without riding.

Maybe next time things will go smooth, as it has been in the past.
Thanks for your time.

I have placed many orders from Taffmeisters and have always received excellent service and speedy delivery. I have never had one issue with them. They carry hard to get to almost impossible to unobtainable anywhere else parts. I live in the San Diego, California area.

Obtaining Husaberg parts in general and getting the correct part can be a daunting task. I have ordered parts from local sources / dealers to internet sources / dealers and have received the wrong parts sometimes. It happens. I usually just keep the parts as I have a few Bergs and will probably put them to use someday. Husaberg parts are getting rarer by the minute so I just add them to my stash.

If it were not for Taffmeisters existence I would eventually lose interest in keeping my older Bergs going and move on because there quite simply is no where else to easily get parts for them.

The Husaberg community in general should be a bit more tolerant because there is no one else that is ever going to provide you with what you need to keep going now and in the future. I am not saying that you should purchase everything from Taffmeisters just to keep them in business but it would be in your best interest to do so.

Unfortunately, you never hear about the thousands of customers that have received good service from a business. You usually only hear about a few complaints.

I own a small service business also so perhaps I am somewhat more sensitive to the fact that some customers are harder to please than others and that sometimes I screw things up too. All you can do is learn from your mistakes, try to do the right thing and apply what you have learned in the process going forward to increase customer satisfaction and build your business. Without customers there is no business.

I will continue to patronize Taffmeisters and expect to receive the same good service as I always have. Those that have had trouble getting the right part may want to try and work things out. I know that Taffmeisters would not intentionally try to mislead anyone or take their money without giving value in return.

Eric

the increasing number off us who have been repeatedly ripped of abused attacked and mislead are doing fine without buying anything from this source

we have seen the attitude to differences of opinion by this source in online postings .. the customer service attitude is the same. in fact ill bet that of all the forum based motorcycle parts suppliers this source has the most negative reviews of them all.

respectfully disagree that there is nowhere else to get parts for the older bikes, by definition all a parts dealer does is move parts around and organize things .. it is not difficult to go direct to the source of the parts or have your own better ones made elsewhere.

it is in our best interest to patronize every vendor who is able to offer good polite service + quality products and avoid those who don't

i suggest that putting all our eggs in one basket is more dangerous than you might think .. what if something happens to the one source you've supported exclusively.. then all the other sources who faded away because they got no business are all gone as well.

ask some of the more mechanically minded members here where they get their parts .... for the most part we all feel the same about this issue.

bushmechanic said:

the increasing number off us who have been repeatedly ripped of abused attacked and mislead are doing fine without buying anything from this source

we have seen the attitude to differences of opinion by this source in online postings .. the customer service attitude is the same. in fact ill bet that of all the forum based motorcycle parts suppliers this source has the most negative reviews of them all.

respectfully disagree that there is nowhere else to get parts for the older bikes, by definition all a parts dealer does is move parts around and organize things .. it is not difficult to go direct to the source of the parts or have your own better ones made elsewhere.

it is in our best interest to patronize every vendor who is able to offer good polite service + quality products and avoid those who don't

i suggest that putting all our eggs in one basket is more dangerous than you might think .. what if something happens to the one source you've supported exclusively.. then all the other sources who faded away because they got no business are all gone as well.

ask some of the more mechanically minded members here where they get their parts .... for the most part we all feel the same about this issue.

Click to expand...

Well said

I must have been lucky then i have 3 bergs and ordered a lot of parts from Taff always got them no problems ..

No problems here either. I like ordering from the UK. I usually get it faster than it will arrive from the U.S..

supply of oem parts is not difficult and generally never goes wrong

the issues arise when there is a problem

the best feedback anyone can get is a story of how the vendor made some errors then went out of their way to make things right

most of the vendors I use have these kind of stories out there or have never made a mistake

there are no such feel good stories about the source mentioned here but there are certainly many mistakes and as many unhappy former customers.

You can lead a Horse to water but you cant make it drink

I have not heard one story on this Forum about any negative issues with any company or other vendors but one. So this should say something.

Due to this, I always post great experiences when a shop has gone above and beyond and this is what one should always look for.

For every one unsatisfied customer will bring many.
For every one satisfied will bring a couple

So I go out of my way to tell about great companies when I can

I too own a Berg (FE 650)
I too have purchased parts from both Taffy & US supplier for recent rebuild.
My only regret is not purchasing all my parts from Taffy
Parts delivered promptly from UK to Australia.
The extra service and advice from Taffy was truly valuable.

Unfortunately anyone with access to the internet can leave negative feedback to small businesses.
Trolls are everywhere.

Taffy spends an enormous amount of time on this forum trying to help us less skilled keep our much loved babies running sweet. ( l have read hundreds of posts Taffy and other have written)

Why not find some positive comments and if you have a concern or complaint deal directly and help keep SME ( Small & Medium Enterprises) alive and prospering.
I dont see staff from Multi-nationals companies giving up their own time to post advise daily on this forum.

How about next time anyone on this forum needs parts for their beloved Berg contact the supportive suppliers on this forum first .

Yes I too have made mistakes (many)

Thanks Taffy for all you information and support

Daffysaurs

daffysaurs said:

I too own a Berg (FE 650)
I too have purchased parts from both Taffy & US supplier for recent rebuild.
My only regret is not purchasing all my parts from Taffy
Parts delivered promptly from UK to Australia.
The extra service and advice from Taffy was truly valuable.

Unfortunately anyone with access to the internet can leave negative feedback to small businesses.
Trolls are everywhere.

Taffy spends an enormous amount of time on this forum trying to help us less skilled keep our much loved babies running sweet. ( l have read hundreds of posts Taffy and other have written)

Why not find some positive comments and if you have a concern or complaint deal directly and help keep SME ( Small & Medium Enterprises) alive and prospering.
I dont see staff from Multi-nationals companies giving up their own time to post advise daily on this forum.

How about next time anyone on this forum needs parts for their beloved Berg contact the supportive suppliers on this forum first .

Yes I too have made mistakes (many)

Thanks Taffy for all you information and support

Daffysaurs

Click to expand...

I concur with your observations "daffysaurs" . I have just recently dealt with Taffmeisters again and must say his passion for the brand, knowledge and thoughtfulness have exceeded my expectations. I would prefer not to deal with any other parts source if I didn't have to. Every business experiences growing pains. The vast amount of Husaberg parts that are available through Taffmeisters and no where else is staggering. Soon Taffmeisters will be the only place left to get parts for your Husaberg. That will not be a bad thing. Thanks for all your help Taffy! Your efforts are absolutely appreciated.