Anyone heard from Hilary Stone recently?

(0044) (0)1495 370552

if there are any members of the VCC on here they'll have his address in their membership bumph..

I think I've managed to send a PM to Seymour so hopefully that'll work.

Sorry to drag this thread up, but i have transferred money to the guys account for a crank. No crank delivered, no response to my emails. Cash has been in the guys account for over a week. For a business built mainly on trust i personally think it's pretty out of order.

I ordered some bars and a stem from hilary stone over 2 weeks ago and it hasnt arrived, hes not replying to any of my emails. Not sure what to do really...

^im not sticking up for him just informing you that I know he has been away travelling the uk and abroad again searching for bikes and parts.
Mail him again today or tomorrow and see if you get a reply.

^im not sticking up for him just informing you that I know he has been away travelling the uk and abroad again searching for bikes and parts.
Mail him again today or tomorrow and see if you get a reply.

This really gets my goat.

You cannot run an Internet based business then not communicate with customers even via email. You cannot go away for a couple if weeks and not run your business but still happily take orders (and therefore people's money) but not post the items that have been ordered or at least get in touch with people to say that there may be a delay in delivery. It doesn't matter where you are these days you can get on the interwebs.

To me there is absolutely no excuse for how this guy works and I think that 3 pages on this thread is good enough evidence that people should avoid him.

Items came, but still no response to any of my emails. Basically backing up what everyone is saying. A simple response stating my payment had been received and items dispatched would be great.

I emailed yesterday - got a response a couple hours later.
selective emailing?

what is it with this geezer? i have just found this thread. Sent back some brakes on 24th nov, still waiting money back! Had easy communication up until sale, then he hasn"t answered me back. Mr Stone has form & piss poor service from what i"ve read on this thread. How/why is he in business? if he cannot communicate & return funds! At least i am not the only one, found him abrupt & rude on the dog & bone! Give it 6months might get my money back..

I had to write a letter threatening legal action to get a refund, and even then he was incredibly rude about it.

I would never buy anything from him again on principle.

bit (alot) overpriced imo

Wish I'd viewed this thread before buying from Hilary too.

Add my name to the never again list.

Purchased a set of Cinelli 65s about two weeks ago. Sent an email with the subject title 'Cinelli Handlebars'.

In the email I used his own reference code, named the exact *Cinelli *bars I wanted, clamp size and the price.

A couple of days later I received a set of bars in the post. Happy days, I thought. But no. I was sent a set of 3TTT bars. Not Cinelli. And they're the wrong clamp size so I can't even use them.

Sent a pleasent email to Hilary asking what we can do about it, as I would like the Cinelli's, that was a week ago. No response.

Shite.

Just for balance's sake, emailed him about a frame, phoned him to organise delivery, frame arrived two days later as described. Haven't had to return anything so I can't comment on that part of it but he isn't Wiggle, he's an independent trader.

Basically you're buying bikes off Del Boy

It isnt hard though is it. You list an item for sale. I buy it. You send me it.

I'd expect better service from an independent trader than I would from individuals on ebay for example. But he doesn't give that.

Fairy muff, just communicating my experience

i mailed him a week ago about some rims and got a prompt reply

here's my story with Hilary Stone
I recently bought Hetchins Experto Crede frame+fork, paid by bank transfer with shipping internationally. after payment i asked about 3 times tracking number of parcel - no answers, but box has arrived approximately for 2 weeks. fully packed with tape without external damages. then the fun began)
in box - poorly packed frame and was not fork. really - NO FORK) I wrote a letter to Hilary with photos of opened parcel and asked - where is the fork? the answer was fine - inside) after that, I wrote a lot of letters with no answers - about invoice to verify the weight of the parcel sent and received, about that only the sender can put forward a claim to the carrier, about how we can solve the problem - NO ANSWERS.
now i have hetchins frame without fork in which there's no sense and silence of the seller. 1000 pounds left.
I think i'll send this frame back to Hilary with the illusory hope for a refund.
if I paid through Paypal, refund have been 100% possible, and now remains to hope only for decency of the seller.
that's such a sad story)))

Hmmmm, Have purchased a couple of things off him before with no dramas however ordered a GB girder stem and handlebars off him 2 weeks ago. Only a package with the wrong handlebars turned up (no stem). Phoned him. Something had gone awry with his numbering system with the handlebars (two labeled with the same number apparently) and he can't find the stem. Have sent handlebars back at my cost but poor communication about the stem and still not in receipt of any parts that I need to complete my build. Would use again as he has a mountain of rare parts that I need and have faith that this will somehow work out ok. #touchwood

that's such a sad story)))

Made sadder by the lack of capitals, punctuation and grammar.

Made sadder by the lack of capitals, punctuation and grammar.

Perhaps the poster's first language is not english.

sorry for my english
anything can happen - Hilary could not put the fork or she lost or stolen in transit, but such problems require joint solutions. I do not see any action on his part, just silence.

Your English was pretty good, it was the lack of capitals and punctuation that irked.

Have you tried calling him, rather than emails? Emails are easy to ignore or miss.

i can try to call tomorrow
seller know about problems with parcel, and good seller trying to solve the problem.

I dealt with him recently, spoke to him on the phone, then emailed some further queries, got no response at all, phoned him again, got the answers and got my frame within the week.

I've met Hilary, the dude is very eccentric. His house when he was in Bristol was a proper 'hoarders' house, literally floor to ceiling bike bits. I didn't go in but I could see it. His front garden was covered in bike bits too, and I imagine the entire house and back garden was the same. Wiggle warehouse he ain't. Definitely something a little OCD or similar going on, I suggest phoning him and speaking to him is the best way to get something definitive out of him.

Good luck and hope I haven't offended you at all.

No, they are easy to ignore or miss, for the reasons you give. As I said he's not Wiggle warehouse, having met him I am wary of dealing with him hence the advice. If you don't want to buy from him don't, and tell others not to either.

The jumble sale is a good analogy: buying from him is like buying from a market stall, or a car boot sale, not some highly efficient e-commerce site. Definitely a case of managing expectations.