***WARNING TO INTERNET PURCHASERS***

[Barney]

Over the years I have purchased an awful lot of golf equipment from internet sites and have usually stuck to the usual half a dozen tried and tested sites.
Recently I made a huge mistake of trying to use a new website called GOLFCENTREONLINE.CO.UK.

I basically purchased an item, it never arrived, I contacted the site to be told they didnt have any in stock and I would have to wait for an unknown period whilst they tried to get me one. After explaining my thoughts on them advertising for sale what they dont have in stock I asked for a refund. Unfortunalety when I did this the website owner became unobtainable, refused to answer the phone, return my calls or emails and refused to give me my money back.
This male runs this website from the Alice Springs Golf Club in Monmouthshire and after speaking with staff there the male is not a member of staff at all but approached the club late last year asking if he could use their pro shop as a base and probably paying some form of rent.
They also informed me that they are sick to the back teeth of him and he was about to get thrown out as they had received numerous complaints about this male 'ripping customers off' and this painting a very poor picture of the golf club itself, which I agree it unfortunately does.
I was lucky enough to get my cash back through PAYPAL but still wanted to pass my words of warning to you before anyone else falls foul of this websites antics.

 

[Parmo]

Thanks Barney.

As you said I usually stick to the normal stores, infact I have just bought the wife a new pair of shoes and a putter from Onlinegolf this dinner and when I saw the thread title I worried for a mo.

 

[Ken_A]

Thats mad - Therte is some scum bags about.

 

[mansell]

Glad you got it sorted, if not I would have been tempted to pay a visit

 

[CarpeDiem]

Great example to stick with the tried and tested, unfortunatly its guys like him that stop new respectable sites being set up because no one is willing to put their details on the line.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've just purchased a new wedge from onlinegolf and not only were they the cheapest but they are very quick as well

 

[Midnight]

Thanks for the warning.

Midnight...

 

[Range_Ball]

Sounds like you have had a lucky escape with this site stick to the tryed and tested we may pay a little more but at least we get peace of mind. saying that just brought a cart bag from cg discount golf so i will see if it turns up tommorrow as promised.

RB

 

[Fore]

i have encountered this problem before but not with a golf site. I usually phone up first and double check they definitely have it in stock before hitting the 'add to basket' button.

Thanks for the warning Barney.

 

[Smiffy]

I ordered a "Benny" driver from proshopdirect on 26th December (there was nothing on the telly) and was very surprised to get a phone call from the guy that runs it that afternoon (it was Boxing Day).
He informed me that he was going on holiday for a week so wouldn't be able to dispatch the club until the 5th January. I said OK but the following day when the AG website played up I got hold of the club for £25.00 cheaper and it was in stock.
I immediately sent an email to proshopdirect cancelling the order. On the 5th January I received an email back from them to say that the order was now "complete" and the club was being dispatched. I rang them straightaway to draw their attention to the cancellation email I had sent them, to which I received the reply "Well the club has been dispatched now, you'll just have to post it back to us when it arrives!"
I asked why they hadn't taken any notice of my email and was told it was because they hadn't checked their "in box" on return from holiday!!
I waited a few days for the club to arrive, it didn't. After a few more days, what with work, I had forgotten about it to be honest until about 3 or 4 days ago. I rang them to find out what had happened, the club had never arrived and my paypal account had not been refunded. The guy apologised and said that he had managed to cancel the dispatch of the club but had "forgotten" to refund me. How long would it have been before he had remembered??? Good job I checked my paypal account. To be fair, the refund hit my account about 10 minutes later.

 

[mrmotorbikeman]

i tried to buy a titleist bag from them before xmas, and after about 3 days happened to look at their website and notice that it had been updated to show that they now didnt have any in stock. i used the contact number given on the site, and was told the guys mobile number. managed to contact him on that, and he said that he had updated the site the next morning after i had placed my order, but that there was no stock and therefore wouldnt be able to fulfil my order. he said he would refund via paypal, which he duely did, but i was always left wondering if i would have got the refund had i not contacted him. im thinking, based on the story above, that there would have been no contact, and my order would ahve been lost in the mists of time as he had no intention of supplying something he didnt have, or indeed telling me such.

i think i had a lucky escape tbh.