Maplin reviews

Overpricing would be acceptable for good products

I bought three jack plugs, one after the other. First I thought that I'm not using a good solder, which wasn't the case. Stereo was inverted on the jacks, the ground line would move when it should have been the most fixed part on them and to top it off, the jacks were around e3.6.

But... I really wanted to fix my headphones so I went ahead and bought them, hoping that the next one wold be better than the one before. My bad for purchasing three ones (two the same and one different).

I later purchased a german plug for e1 from a specialised company in Dublin. Yes, one euro. Works fantastic, it took solder like nothing I've seen before and it's got a golden connector aswell, for a cherry on top.

I'd give it two stars since the lads in there were helpful and glad to be of assistance but the actual products are so bad that I can't do that. Maybe when they'll do a 75% discount on every item in there I might consider giving the store a better rating. Until then, stay away folks!

Shit company, with the occasional good offer

I'm forced to deal with maplins semi-regularly simply because they are the only place on the high street where you can get a lot of things without waiting a week for the postman. I must say they have been in a rapid decline in recent years, desperately trying to become an overpriced electrical retailer rather than sticking to what they know.

Returns polocy is basically "no" sales people are just that, sales men, gone are the days of them having a broad spectrum of technical expertise. Online shopping is a joke, and the selection of products (semi-conductors in particular) gets worse by the day. I used to bitch about paying for the catalog, but I'd give anything to have the old maplins back.

Great if you want a £20 USB cable, crap for everything else.

The bells are ringing.

Went to Maplins to buy a new doorbell,they had two different bells on show so i bought one for £17.99.Later when i went into Wilcko's to buy something and i saw the same thing for £7.00,talk about being fleeced.I don't think i will be going back to Maplins again.
Anyway if i don't go back I won't have to witness the men in blue who wander about like
the world is coming to an end and there's no purpose to life

The worst mail order shop there is

I am tempted to say the worst retailer there is but the in-store operation is borderline OK. The phone and internet ordering system is appalling. I run a small electronics business and Maplin is always the last choice for materials or parts. Try Farnell, CPC, Rapid, RS but steer away from Maplin. They appear to have three major problems 1. They employ under qualified staff on minimum wage who don't care about their work - and who can blame them, 2. The 'picking' process in the warehouse has no checking Barcode system to detect errors, so incorrectly picked items are not spotted (and this is an electronics company !), 3 And the customer service department is out of the stone age - you might as well have a room full of monkeys running the show. I avoid them whenever possible.

Consistently woeful shopping experience.

Every time I go into Maplin (only a last resort) I come away feeling angry, unsatisfied and frustrated. I do a lot of DIY electronics so it would be really useful to have an electronics store with competent staff in my local area. Unfortunately there is only Maplins. The staff don't have a clue and it seems the company policies aren't much better. Why don't you keep more than 2 components in stock at any one time? Why sell voltage regulators but not the insulation pads that you have to use with them? Why don't your staff know what an insulation pad is or the grommet that goes with it?
No wonder shops are closing down left, right and center as consumers can get better and more efficient service from the Internet.

Maplins is a joke

The worst shop I ever been to, I paid 150 for a hauppauge system and for that price I expect it to work, and does it work, the hell it does, so I try and take it back to get if refunded and there basically saying the need to send it off which will take about 2 weeks. Nothing takes to weeks and even though it clearly states on the receipt you have 28 days to return it baring in mind I bought it on the 30th so I hadn't had it. A week.
The shop is a rip off, the fact they take 150, then say I have to wait to hear 2 weeks to hear if I. Can have my money back.
Morons the entire company.
My girlfriend works in Argos and she told me if anything of there's is faulty they will refund it straight away no questions asked.
Never using this crappy shop again.

Won't be shopping there anymore.

Bought an overpriced cable connector for the sake of convenience at local store, it broke, no receipt-no refund policy is annoying when you get several receipts a day from shopping.
On balance I think it better to shop online and save 60% + receive email invoices that are easy to keep track of.
I'm not saying Maplin was wrong.
But I think its not worth their prices for convenience alone.
Don't risk it... Use Ebuyer or Amazon or something, they always come through and have fantastic customer service that's mostly idiot proof (perfect for me) >.<

Perfect Customer Service

I recently bought a 44 drawer storage cabinet from Maplin which sadly when it arrived was dented in at the top so I had to force the top back up and dented at the back. This cabinet was usable but at £22 I expected it to arrive in a good condition. Slightly annoyed, I emailed Maplin to complain expecting some sort of discount code as compensation. However, Maplin sent me a whole new cabinet whilst letting me keep the old one. Response was quick and outcome on my part was brilliant! Thanks Maplin! Great customer service!

Liverpool Street Branch Customer Service below average.

Bought Netgear N300 router on Tuesday. Despite exccellent support from Netgear and Plusnet, the device failed to hold the ASDL signal. Took the goods back to Maplin. Customer Service Manager told me that he could only exchange the goods and would not refund . He adopted a confrontational attitude, stating that all goods are tested etc... After quoting Consumer Protection Law i.e.that the goods were not fit for purpose, he changed his mind and gave me a refund. He then said that he wouldn't do it again! I won't be using Maplin again!

Maidstone Branch brilliant service

i have visited the Maidstone store on 3 occasions now. The first was to buy a new lead as my freeview box was not working. I explained this to the member of staff, who not only advised me on this but actually said i didnt need a new lead and to try a different scart. he was correct and saved me £20! due to this i knew they could be trusted, second time i needed a new fan for the PC again helpful member staff who checked all the specifications and gave good honest advice. My last trip was to buy a wireless router on Boxing day. the young chap was very cheery!(more so than i was on boxing day!!) gave me different options and when i explained exactly what i would be using it for he pointed me in the right direction, no up selling and again very helpful and informative.

from reading the other reviews it would seem the Maidstone Branch have it right so perhaps the other branches should take a leaf out of their book

Undercover boss needed !!

So, the new CEO John Cleland plans to invest £40M in Maplins does he, well, he'd better consider spending a good chunk of that on staff training, my recent visit to Cannock left a lot to be desired, no greeting no smile, just a look, yes that look when you walk into a strange pub from all the regulars. The guys didn't seem very happy either, ok I know it's Saturday night but hey, be happy you got a job ..... right ? Mind you if I'd been given that scruffy black top to wear at work maybe I'd be feeling the same way, looks like they'd been issued one top and then worn it solid for two months, and maybe slept in it !! Mr Cleland with his track record should know better than anyone else the importance of a tidy appearance and a friendly manner unfortunately I didn't see much of either at Cannock. Luckily for Maplins there's not much competition on the high street, if you need something electronic and you need it today it's Maplins, but, don't get too complacent Maplins I only bought from there because of the sale and doubt very much if I'll be making a second visit, sorry !

Customer service woeful

Bought a B grade CCTV system at a very good price online. Unit went faulty, I accept this can happen. What I cannot accept is the woeful level of customer service. I was told the quickest way to return the unit was to take it into the local store. They, as usual, were very helpful. I called one week later to check on the progress of the repair to be told it had not arrived with them yet, and "you were told it could take 14 days to repair", quite rudely. Unlike other retailers who tell you 14 days to cover themselves in case something goes wrong Maplin actually design their system to take 14 days. Unit was returned to me exactly 14 days after I sent it, with the same fault. It seems they do not believe there is an intermittent fault and just plugged it in to see if it worked. So, back it goes with a request to expedite the repair/replacement. Lo and behold once again it takes a week to arrive and as I write has still not been looked at. My emails to ask them to please return quickly as this is the second time it has been sent back just get a cursory reply and do not answer specific questions. I was told, eventually, that they would speed through the repair which was just a 'fobbing off' email to get me to go away. It is clear that they do not value their customers and treat you as an inconvenience. 'Customer care' staff are at best disinterested, at worst down right rude. Will never buy from them online again and the only reason I have not asked for my money back is that the CCTV system took quite some effort to fit, and would require the same to send it back, as they demand all cables/fittings to be returned (understandable) for a refund. They need to learn from other online retailers who treat their customers with respect.

"Unwanted goods"

"Maplin reserves the right to levy a handling charge charge. A charge of 20% of the invoice value, with a minimum charge of £10 will be levied on goods 'not wanted' or 'incorrectly ordered', or due to duplication resulting from a confirmation order not being endorsed to that effect."

You can tell a lot about a store that hid that bombshell until I already bought the product and read the receipt...

Unhelpful and unknowledgeable

Went in Canterbury store (Kent) to get a simple 12v mosfet and 1k resistor. The member of staff had no clue what either was. I tried to explain what i was using it for in the hope of being sold the right components but he cut the conversation short and told me he doesnt know. He didnt ask other staff members to help obtain the appropriate components..just brought up the maplins website on screen and i had to guide the staff (I HAD TO SHOW HIM) through the site to show him what i meant and was still sold the wrong stuff! Staff has no knowledge or experience, no real electrical training of any kind or enthusiasm. Useless and unacceptable for an electronics specialist store!

accused of being a theif

i was accused of being thief, right to my face.
i was in the shop, they asked me if i needed help, i said yes, thankyou
the man who helped me, then said to his colleague, watch this gentleman i think he may be stealing.
i wont go back there.
he was a foot away from me, i could hear him very clearly.
portsmouth branch, fat guy with beard and moustache......and cross eyes. i think its called boss-eyed. so fat guy with crossed eyes, if your watching this. screw you

Shoddy online/phone team.

Put in an order online and the postal address was automatically changed to the address linked to my card.

Called customer services who said they would cancel the order; they didn't bother.

Martin the most unhelpful customer service's tool told me flat out it was my fault. He wasn't able to advise when a quiet period was to call back or put me in contact with a supervisor nor the person who said they would cancel my order. Reason stated: There was a long queue to speak with them which I couldn't join.

Long story, short. 3 weeks no product, no refund. Stick to eBuyer!

Mat Ash found this review useful

Terrible!

Selling items not in stock!
Been waiting over a week for order, didn't inform me item is discontinued! Refund money after few calls. Don't care about customers. Never will shop there again

Very bad customer service

First I receive wrong Item, then spent 2 days waiting for some one to pick up the wrong item and now already 3 days waiting for the right one and still don't have it. Every time when I try to speak with customer service I get different information and the are not responding to mails. This was a present now is only nightmare.
Ali

Great Service at my local store

My Local store in Blackburn is brilliant . has alot of the items in stock and click and collect works a charm. hopefully the new shuttl delivery will come up towards Blackburn to make this a 5* Business in my area !
Thanks Maplin !

Incorrect price ticket

I visited the Crayford Store on Monday 10th Sept 12 and found a Mix deck that I was interested in, I asked a sales assistant if it would be possible to reserve this product, the product that I wanted was the "Numark Mix deck Express" product number - N86LN (ticket priced as £299.99), which I did point out to the sales assistant at the time, whilst I was with my partner. I came back in yesterday, to have another look at the product that I was interested in and I was happy with it so I arranged to sort some money out. This afternoon, I have gone back into store to purchase this product and was told that it had the wrong price ticket under it and it should be £479.99 and not £299.99 and was told I had most likely pointed out the wrong mix deck when I had it reserved, which I indeed did not do.

The mis-placed product ticket price for £299.99 was actually for the Numark ICD Mix 3 - Product Code N27JQ not for the Numark Mixdeck Express - Product code - N86LN which was £479.99 the one I originally wanted.

However when the Assistant manager came out after asking for him he changed the prices round and said that a customer may of handled the products and put them in the wrong place, which I doubt that very much as these are heavy and this was my third day visiting the store for them to be moved around.

I was advised by the Assistant manager politely that he could only take 10% of this product, which I was very grateful for but this was not my fault and I was mis-informed with the price and thought the product that I wanted was at the price of £299.99 and also reserved but found out as well this was not the correct product.

I always shop with Maplin and I am so very disappointed that there was a mistake with the product price ticket which was in the wrong place and this was not checked properly.

Horrible, the item is missing, money not refunded

I bought a A65KB 500 GoFlex Port Black hard drive
paid around 50 £, it got broken in one month, so I gave to the store back for repairs, The Maplin didn't get into a contact with me in two months time when I phone them back, the customer services told me that item has been shipped by royal mail and it wasn't delivered back, when I asked for a tracking number I've been told it was delivered by second class and because I didn't contact with them in two months the Maplin don't take any responsibilities,
eventually the item it's gone, and money paid for the item it's gone too
I would not recommend this shop, People avoid having business with the Maplin, thieves !!!

Terrable store & Rude Manager Canock

After having used Maplin for over 10 year without any issues, I started using my new store at Cannock, being open for newly a year now the customer service frankly stinks,

I recently tried to take back a faulty charger with an intermittent fault, but the sale assistant John not me it was not faulty and that there was nothing he could do, basically he called me a lire,
When I started speak to the store manager also called John, well it just got worse, he said because it’s not faulty he would not do anything, and started helping other customers before dealing my complaint the he walked off and refused to speak to me, at which time he advised me he would kick me out the store, because I started to call Maplin head office in store,

Maplin have lost my custom now, be warned!

Can't beat these prices!

Always get my leads and pc accessories from here. Never let down. Great price.

Let down by Royal Mail

Good value, good quality products with fantastic delivery times until they use Royal Mail. Item arrived four days after those sent via yodel and because I was not in I had to go and collect it as they don't deliver if it doesn't fit through the letter box. I would have been happy to give 5 stars if only they hadn't used Royal Mail

reliable and convenient

I use them all the time. Good quality, good service and good stock levels.

Always Impressed at the Speed!!

These guys are sometimes on the over priced side but when they have deals / discounts running, they can be very good. You have to be quick though, some of the deals only last 24 hrs. Delivery is super fast. How things should be when ordering online. What ever they're doing I hope it continues for a long time to come!!!

GREAT STORE

VERY HELPFUL AND ALWAYS GOT WHAT I NEED.

OMG WHAT A SERVICE

HAVE BEEN BUYING ON-LINE AND IN HOUSE FOR MANY YEARS

Maplins shaplins !

Very good online store and very quick delivery. Most stuff on there cheapest around.

Poor product- worse service from maplin

I bought an 'efergy' meter, for monitoring power consumption.
To ensure that it worked over a long period it had to be tested over a period of a month. the unit missed certian days , and did not record the 'monthly readings. the manufacturers said it was faulty.maplins refused to refund saying it was over 28 days old . TRUE ! but the only time we knew it was defective was after a months usage.
the co onlyrelucantly offered a credit note.

Poor service and goods that don't work.

Ordered cable that was in stock when phoned.Ordered the cable (£70 worth) and waited for the goods that never came.
Purchased a small PV charger (last one in stock)did not work credit note not much good to me.

The Glasgow Shop is Excellent, and I like the way they don't BS you on the web site

This shop is truly a treasure for geeks like me who need real parts - not stupid IKEA kits. They have the oddest selections of tools and that - and it rivals B&Q for specifics/electronics. The stock isn't always perfect, and you have to know what you're doing with things, but I am grateful for a shop that still caters to people with a brain.

(PS.> Check the sale shelves - the discontinued merchandise is always incredibly priced).

lovely

this is the place for those with the brain to play with electronics. Just love their services and would recommend it to others.

Extremely fast on-line delivery

Excellent customer service, knowledgeable in-store staff. Great range.

Misleading and deceitful about online errors.

I ordered an item back in February; one of two brands under separate listings. A few days ago, having all but forgotten the order, I received an email telling me that the item was subject to severe restocking delays, and that I should contact them regarding alternatives. I replied to the email, asking what suggestions they might make for alternatives.

I then received, from a different representative, an email stating that the item was on its way. I received AN item the next day - the item from the other listing, of an entirely different brand.

Shortly after receiving the item, I received a response from the first representative stating that the item was now in stock and would shortly be sent to me.

I contacted both, questioning whether there was any internal communication, and pointing out that the item was incorrect, and that I had not yet picked an alternative. Further, that the item did not include a holster, which was my reason for ordering it.

I received an answer from the first telling me that there was never an alternative, and this was the item I had ordered. The second responded similarly, and pointed out that the item description does not include a pouch, and that the pictures are for illustrative purposes only, showing "what it would look like with one".

Upon investigation, I discovered that the two items had been merged into one listing, with one of the four photos now showing the brand sent to me, and the other three showing the brand I had ordered. Two of the original photos show the item with a holster (with the same branding on the holster) - one with the tool inserted, and one with it arranged beside it.

I pointed out that the listing had been merged and that it was decidedly misleading (nay, deceitful) to compound the mistake with erroneous information.

The response received completely ignored the issue of details edited some time AFTER my order had been made (I suspect, merged when the first item proved impossible to re-stock, perhaps immediately following or prior to the communication from the first representative, explaining their apparent confusion). It was pointed out to me, again, that the photos are for illustrative purposes only, and that if I'm not happy, I can send it back.

They lead me to believe that they are incompetent or deliberately obtuse, and that they feel they can brush me off. They have shown no inclination to correct the listing, did not apologise for the ridiculous delay, and do not appreciate the very principle of the matter, regardless of the purpose of the photos, or even whether they are willing to admit that the item listings were merged.

I am keeping the item as it is adequate, even if not the item ordered several weeks ago. However, I will not waste my time shopping on-line with them again. I feel insulted by the experience.

the best

great sells every think

Item was mis-sold and then not accepted back

Maplin sold my wife a univeral laptop power supply. She took it home and tried it immediately. It did not work for her laptop. When it was returned to the store the same day they refused to accept it back in their opinion it was not faulty and the packaging was damaged. The only way to open the product was to tear the cardboard as it was glued shut. Thus it was impossible to open without damaging the packaging and impossible to return with damaged packaging.

Note the universal supply costs more than twice as much as the original dedictated power supply but was bought because we believed that it would enable my wife to use her laptop immedately and not have to wait for the delivery of the normal kind which would have taken a couple of days.

The represents abysmal customer service and I will certainly not be using Maplin again unless they are willing to recify this situation.

Find Any Electrical Item You Can Think Of

Have only purchased a few things in Maplin but they have always had the connections and components that I've needed.Staff are very helpfull and the website is easy to use

overpriced

rip off.tried to purchase a lead for sky box £12.00 on Amazon £2.49

free p & p

Bad experience

I have shopped in there stores for many years now but recently when visiting I keep getting harassed all the time last week when I went in the same happened and I said can you leave me alone please I will ask if I need any help but a couple of minutes later I was asked again I said I have had enough of this I think I will leave and to my surprise I was told by a snotty assistant you know were the door is
I get the distinct feeling by adopting this attitude they don't trust anyone when in the store not a very good advert for customer care