I want to complain......but I would much rather speak to someone at H-Partworks. How many issues of Mega bikes are there? My newsagent can't find out. How can I? I have 79 so far. I feel as if I am being held to ransom.
When will it end? I can't stop now..can I? I was (innocently) told by my newsagent originally that they THOUGHT there were 50 issues! They are saying that they can not find out. Is there anyone out there that might know?
John (frustraited) Alleman ... 6 January 2004
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The problems illustrated here are not Unusual. I have experienced similar with a Company called EagleMoss. The solution is extremely simple Establish who the Distributor is and then find out the name of the Managing Director Yellow Pages or the like will assist in getting the Switchboard Number. Then simply call ask for the director by name but do not indicate you are a client with a complaint. This usually results in getting thro to His Secretary and a return Phone call and a Resolution to your problems
Tony Bell ... 9 January 2004
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I ve had problems in the past with companies like these (presently having problems with de agostini) speaking with trading standards has always been helpful. They will usually approach the company on your behalf, and are very very helpful. Note that if these companies (as per some of the comments) are not sending the goods then they are not fufilling their part of the contract. Hope this helps. A Thomson ... 10 January 2004
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I too have a subscription for Megabikes and got upto issue 35 and have not received any more fpr over 3 months. I am waiting for a refund on all the issues i have paid for as one of the last issues i was sent was for singapore and i could not read it. Richard Beecher .... 11 January 2004
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I too had a subscription with this company for this collection for my grandson, but found them a nightmare to deal with, money seemingly taken from my account at will. I cancelled the subscription and placed an order at the local shop. Models now arrive two at a time. As Mr Robbins says, their PR is non-existant. F. Neck... 20 March 2003
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I also have a subscription, I am know on issue 15 and it was issue 6 i sent back because both car and magazine was damaged and after 4 phone calls i still haven't recieved it. i dont want to cancel my order but if this mess keeps up then i'm going to cancel.
Gary Garrett... 12 April 2003
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Still no magazine despite four more phone calls, each promising to send my magazine, one person even telling me it had been sent by recorded delivery, needless to say it has never arrived. As for the wrong size box, I am told that this is a known problem but hachette did not seem concerned about this at all. Next step seems to be the office of fair trading or the small claims court as a matter of principle i'm not going to let this go. Cameron Robbins...19 April 2003
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I sent a cheque the last week in March, for the display stand. After a few phone calls they said it was ready for despatch. It still as not arrived two months later. Alan Morgan... 15 May 2003
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I have received no magazines or models this year, despite many phone calls, and faxes. This company should be prevented from advertising on T.V.again, unless they dramatically improve their performance. I also will take out a claim in the small claims court, as a part book, and nine models from a contracted monthly collection, is no use to me. P.Wainwright....2 June 2003
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I Started buying megabikes, and had a subsciption with Hatchette, we are present up to number 33 we have 25-28 delivered, which was a duplicate, I have also tried to contact these people, they never reply to any letters sent, or even return phone calls after leaving a message, we now have a threatening letter that if we dont pay up they will take further action, considering it is there fault that they sent the duplicate order in the first place. B Copeland... 30 June 2003
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I have a subscription with this company for the Astrology Magazine which I set up two years ago, in that period of time I have had to constantly chase them up for my weekly issues which are supposed to be sent out monthly. I have only just received two issues that should have been sent out to me last year considering the fact that I had already paid for them along with other issues, I have only been able to speak to a supervisor twice whose attittude the second time I spoke to him was appauling.

I managed to speak with one telesales person who confirmed with me that my account had been managed terribly and that it was a right mess and that their system is not good enough, if I had known that I was going to have these problems with subscription then i would have continued getting these magazines through a newsagent. Surely there a governing body that these companies have to follow rules set down by as this cutomer relationship is really not acceptable. Sharon Smith ... 3 July 2003
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I have had a nightmare with this company - we subscribed to the Titanic partwork and since April have not received any issues, despite numerous calls. Also it is impossible to get broken parts replaced. Can anyone tell me what to do with a partly built model of the Titanic which has cost a small fortune? Diana Woodward .. 29 July 2003
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I have a subscription for this magazine and touch wood no problems as yet. A piece of advice I would offer is that, when you ring up to complain ALWAYS (as with any one else you ring), take the option that you intend buying something. Invariably you always get answered quickly (they want your money !!). Then say you think you ahve come through to the wrong department and hey presto they put you straight through. This always works for me. S.Bardsley ... 10 August 2003
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Have been collecting the Megabikes series for my son, and even had a debt collection letter issued. I sent the collection agency copies of all the letters I have sent Hachette and the debt was immediately cleared. I now need a further 10 bikes to complete the collection but am worried about sending money before goods arrive. Bunch of cowboys.
Nicola Funnell ... 15 August 2003
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I have a subscription with this company for mega bikes. I married 18 months ago and they still have not changed my name on my account and they are now taking monies from my credit card twice monthly for over and above the cover cost. Guess what I have been unable to get a satisfactory response and am still waiting for my call back. My advice - order through your newsagents! Shaz G ... 15 August 2003
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I am at present purchasing building the titanic. i phoned after issue 35 to say there was a part missing namly the rudder. I was told i would receive this in the post but as yet I have had no reply to my request. could you tell me why this is for after spending £400 pounds I would have thought I get a better sevice John Chambers.....03 September 2003
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I need a list of all the numbers in which order they go in because my sheets were mixed up and the company has also changed that there is only the collecter file and not the sheet number. Could you please send me a list via email in the order that they go.Other than that I have no complanits. Ashley Fleming ... 23 October 2003
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I started Hachette Megabike collection one and a half year ago from MY NEWSAGENT and strongly advice to do so to avoid disappointment. Let the newsagent deal with all the hassle like broken parts or late deliveries.

More than a year ago, I directly ordered from Hachette a back number and two binders. I have just received the back number but I'm still waiting for the binders.

I have called the Customer service on several occasions but no explanation, help or apologise has been given. I also noticed that for some time Hachette has changed his supplier and ...then the quality. So I come to a conclusion about Hachette Partworks: poor quality, poor customer service & poor management for a relatively expensive collection. NEVER AGAIN.
ALAN ABECASSIS ... 6 November 2003
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I also subscribed to Hatchette for 'A Century Of Cars' and had nothing but trouble. The customer care is non-existent and I was lead to believe it was a collection of 20, only to find there were actually 40 pieces to the collection. They charged me for pieces that I never recived and charged me for a display stand that I never ordered (and frankly did not want). I would never deal with this company again as they are completely incompetent
Phil Carter ... 14 December 2003
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I am writing on behalf of my wife who began collecting 'Understand Astrology around 5 years ago. The series of Understand Astrology was advertised on national TV as being available from participating newsagents. She began collecting and after a short while changed over to the mail order method.

In exchange for a cheque each month, Hachette Publications began sending issues of 3 or 4 together, all in non numerical order, no doubt to commit the customer to purchasing the whole set which my wife had every intention of doing. The system worked fine for a few months. After a while, some issues ceased to arrive and a situation of overpayment became apparent. Hachette then began writing threatening letters on the subject of non payment when my wife was overpaying !

These letters involved threats of sending the bayliffs round and taking goods from my house. All this when we had overpaid. I have tried contacting Hachette and writing a private and confidential letter to the Managing Director all to no avail.

We are now in the position of owning half of a set of non sequential isses of Understand Astrology which cannot be read properly as half the issues are missing.I would strongly urge anyone reading this e-mail to boycott any publications produced through Hachette as their reliability is a non-starter.
Julian Stock ... 23 December 2003
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I too have been trying to complete my set of 'Learn and Understand Astrology' since it came out three year's ago. I am only up to part 38. I have refused to pay any more money at the moment as part 31 is missing. I have written to them on numerous occasions in the past regarding their dreadful service and twice regarding the missing part 31 pointing out that the previous 30 parts are useless without the missing one.

I have today received a letter saying that I have not been in touch with them, despite two previous reminders and threatening me with a bad credit rating if I don't pay the 15.86 that I owe. As you can imagine I am furious regarding their non existant customer service. I have tried to telephone them but all I get are 'holding'messages. I have left my name and address but nobody ever gets back to you. Where do I go from here? Ann Ager .... 30 December 2003