Has anyone actually successfully bought anything of this chap?

I ordered chainring from them on the 8th jan
The website warns that they can take some time as custom machined etc so to allow a month for delivery.

I sent an email on the 26th jan just to check in to find out if there was a expected dispatch date – no reply

I sent another one on the 6th Feb asking if any update on the order, not asking why it wasn’t on my doorstep, just asking if there were any other delays to be aware of and mentioning the fact I thought 10 days with no reply to my previous email was a bit poor.

I then got an email on the 7th of Feb saying it was liekly to be a few more weeks and did I want to cancel the order instead, I said no thanks, I’d rather wait a but would be nice to be kept updated.

I let another month go by with no contact so sent an email on the 7th March asking if any news – no reply

I sent another email on the 13th march saying I was pretty fed up with waiting so unless its already in the post or about to be in the next few days to just cancel the order.

Then got a reply saying it’s been machined but won’t be anodized in time so he would cancel and refund me.

That was 9 days ago, still no refund…

I appreciate it can be tough if you are a one man band and machining to order but I would have thought that makes it even more important to keep your customers updated…

So, am I being unreasonable to be a bit peeved at this point? and has anyone actually managed to buy something off him and how long did it take?

You’ve been jolly patient IMO…

Taking 2-1/2 months to fail to produce a chainring seems a bit excessive…

Out of interest is the part you ordered particularly odd or bespoke? you know abnormal PCD or strange profile?

is it not something you could source elsewhere? – have you tried BETD?

It’s one of their single rings with the old shimano spline fitting to fit old XTR M950 – 952 and similar era cranks like STX RC, LX, XT with the removable spiders.

But it’s stuff they have produced before and have the patterns for so it shouldn’t be especially tricky.

Not found anyone else listing chainrings for that spline fitting but I could do some more digging, I just went to HB because I’d seen some good reviews…and apparently make the product I wanted 😉

I placed an order for an M960 XTR ring.
It took 6 months to arrive after many calls and emails + 4 atemps to ask for a refund.

When it eventually arrived the quality was ok but nothing special.
I also never actually used is because it has taken so long to arrive I had fitted another chainset with a Renthal ring.

I wouldn’t use him again.

The bloke is a bit of a dick but my chainring eventually showed up and it is very nice and very light

I ordered a xtr chainring on the 22nd Jan and still have no chainring, i feel your pain. I have had emails saying that it has been made and will be posted in the next week or so but i can only hope if people are saying they waited 6 months. This is a bit of a joke now and i would not recommend them to anyone!

Oooooh, so not good to hear. When I last bought an M960 ring from him last year it turned up as expected. I’m soon going to need to replace my 33t Jericho Suffering so I hope he gets his stuff together rapido…

glad I’m not the only one 🙂

My experience was positive, 960 ti lovely, light, quality chainring.
Delivered on time with decent comms. It was the middle of last year, OP’s experience not acceptable though.

for anyone that cares:

Sent another email on the 22nd reminding that I was still waiting for refund, no answer no refund.

Still not been refunded today so opened a paypal dispute but it’s well past the 45 day period so looks like that is a dead end.

Being busy and having a backlog is one thing, but this is just taking the pee…

my last order was

6/4/11 – ordered
12/6/11 – receievd

geezer is a grade a ****

Eurgh! I’d like to get one of this guys’ chainrings in the future but don’t tihnk so after this.

amedias, I would recommend posting this thread on MTBR in the Drivetrain forum, I think the guy posts there, if not, it might get his attention.

I think the guy posts there, if not, it might get his attention

thanks, I did think about that, but I also think emailing him numerous times should have got his attention…

I had waited over month for a bash guard from him, I sent an email and got no reply, I opened I PayPal dispute and got a snotty mail back within ten mins along with a refund.
Total dik-ed.

In case anyone still interested….

on the 31st of March I received an email telling me my (supposedly cancelled) order was in a shipping queue and would be dispatched shortly. A tracking number was included.

As of today the tracking info is still advising:

Electronic Shipping Info Received
The U.S. Postal Service was electronically notified by the shipper on March 31, 2012 to expect your package for mailing. This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date. Delivery status information will be provided if / when available. Information, if available, is updated periodically throughout the day. Please check again later.

So from what I can gather it still hasn’t actually shipped yet, nor have I received the promised refund.

Emailed them again asking for the refund, will wait and see….

Any updates on this? I’m in the same boat as amedias and getting no replies from HBC. I’m a bit loathed to cancel my payment yet though as I do need the chainring!

Do you NEED that chainring or want it? Surely there’s plenty of other ones you could use in a bind?

NEED! …no-one makes off the shelf 88 bcd chainrings yet!

I ordered a Middleburn Uno 32T chainring at the beginning of August last year and received it sometime in September, I ordered another Middleburn Uno ring, this time 28T, at the beginning of December and I’m still waiting for it…..
There’s no point bothering to post on the Mtbr forums, in my opinion, as there’s already a thread running to 700 posts or something on the Singlespeed forum.
I’m confident that mine will arrive one day, there’s worse things happen at sea, and I’m not going to get my knickers in a twist about it. For what it’s worth, I don’t think the guy’s a cock – he’s just bitten off more than he can chew.

That USPS Electronic Shipping Info Recd means nothing. Had the same thing with my spiderless chainring. Took over 10 weeks to get here (from order).
Had probably the same email with tracking number and for the next week it wasn’t updated. Chased him and he replied saying it had def been sent. Surprise surprise the next day the USPS tracking info was updated to say they had it in their CA depot. Basically you can asign it a tracking number before USPS get the package which makes it look as though it’s on its way.
He sent it the day I chased it, not a week before like he said…

The USPS system isn’t updated very often though. Mine showed it in CA, then NY, and then nothing until it arrived about a week later.

When the general consensus seems to be that the guy in question is a total d!ck it makes you wonder how the hell they appear to maintain a business.
No way would I have been as patient as the OP ,I d have bought a new chainset instead.

If you need weird BCD or spline pattern it may be worth actually ringing BETD/Goldtec and asking rather than relying on what is shown on the website.

I’ve ordered one in the past and have been happy enough, I was expecting the delay and all in it was around 6 weeks. This was last summer.

PS if you still want one of the chainrings search around for the ceramic coating company that are tied to HBC they carry a stock.

I chased him again today and at first got an automated reply about there being delays…..

but then, lo and behold I actually got an email back saying the tracking number was an error and he thought he had refunded me but must have forgotten and that he would do it right away, 5 mins later I got the refund.

so woohoo, I’m back where I started in January!

suffice to say I will not ever be dealing with them again, not that I really managed to successfully deal with them this time…

oh crap. i paid for a ti` m960 ring a month ago and now find this. poop! any one got one to sell?

Try Betd goldtech

When the general consensus seems to be that the guy in question is a total d!ck it makes you wonder how the hell they appear to maintain a business.

Because the demand for his product far out weighs his ability to supply it.

He makes great chainrings and cogs but he’s only a one man band. If you can’t wait order from someone else.

Because the demand for his product far out weighs his ability to supply it.

so thats reason enough to act like a ****, lie about tracking numbers and shipping etc

?

Buy your stuff from someone else then. 8)

I’ve had no problems with him.

Then again i’m not desperate for a chainring/ cog to arrive.
In fact i’ve still got a new Hombrew rear cog in my toolbox waiting for my Boone Ti cog to wear out first. 😉

ive had several from him, never been in a rush

however, when after 8 weeks you send a polite email only to be fobbed off with an incorrect or someone elses tracking info,

then lied to again and again

to then be supplied a new tracking number a day after the item arrived (which didnt match the new tracking supplied)

then you figure something is wrong

indeed, and there is a big difference between ‘not being in a hurry’ and ‘having to wait over 3 months’

one is perhaps an expectation that it won’t make it in time for that ride you have planned so buying elsewhere or locally, the other is taking the piss.

you can of course buy whatever products you like from whoever you like, and if you have had a good experience with WB then that’s great. I started this thread because I was concerned about the way my order was progressing and the interactions I had had with them.

I kept this thread updated as a few other people seemed to be interested and have similar experience. Just because mine was bad doesn’t mean he is always bad, just because yours was good doesn’t mean it always will be…

Try ordering a custom Ti frame from a certain Fort Collins builder if you think you’ve been messed about…

You want something that’s a bit none run of the mill from a one man outfit you have to be patient.

Order what you want. Forget about it. Then when it arrives it’ll be a nice surprise. 😆

just because it happens it still doesn’t make it right to be messed about! I have had amazing service form other one-man-bands.

Especially when you publish on your website that order can take up to a month, that’s fine, expectation set. But then taking 3 months and not replying to queries is bad form.

Anyway, I now have my refund and have learnt from my experience that I will not try and do business with them again.

Like i said try a few custom Ti builders for non comunication.

See how you feel when there’s a bit more money involved than the price of a cog. 😐

Either wait or buy from else where. It’s only a cog. 8)

I get what you’re saying Stu “other people are worse so chin up”

my point is that just because other people are worse doesn’t make it OK in the first place.

I’ve been waiting since March 9th fot a 31T ring. Tried mailing but just got an automated reply back.
Paypal dispute opened, I don;t need the ring that badly.

Anyone know of any other source of a 30 or 31T ring?

It’s a miracle!! My order has finally started moving!

Priority Mail International Parcels

Processed through USPS Sort Facility
April 25, 2012, 1:23 pm
LOS ANGELES, CA 90009
International Parcels

Depart USPS Sort Facility
April 25, 2012
SAN DIEGO, CA 92199

Processed through USPS Sort Facility
April 24, 2012, 8:43 pm
SAN DIEGO, CA 92199

Dispatched to Sort Facility
April 24, 2012, 6:06 pm
ESCONDIDO, CA 92027

bedmaker, try Andersen machine or Extralite, I have 30t rings from both and would use either again.

I’ve been waiting since e 3rd of feb. he’s a nice guy but as said I don’t think he can handle the volume.
I’ll wait until mid may then start putting the hammer down.

Is this Janesy from OcUK? 😛