Anyone shopped online at Baby time London?

[pregdeb]

I will point out now I am not some competitor posting untrue reviews about Babytime London, like the Babytime representative on this thread thinks there are out there. I am a customer and I have found babytimelondon to be Utter rubbish. I can't imagine a competitor would need to write bad reviews about Babytime, enough genuine customers are doing that.

Wish I'd read the reviews before ordering. Ordered a car seat for my baby, stated as IN STOCK. Two weeks later still no seat. Owner guaranteed del for following Monday but never happened. I cancelled order and paid another shop to deliver the seat. We are now 3 weeks on and no refund in my account from babytime, so currently i have paid double. DISHONEST TRADER.

Your should note the following:

THEY NEVER PICK THE PHONE UP. EVER.

THEIR FAX MACHINE NEVER ACCEPTS FAXES.

THEY NEVER RESPOND TO EMAILS.

The only way I have been able to contact them is to get staff from the shop opposite (Found using Google Street view!) to walk across and tell them to call me.

I cannot say enough to NOT use this shop. Their website will say something is in stock but if you do ever get to speak to someone they will say its a technical gliche. I fell for that the first time I got through to them. The owner will say its a technical gliche. Then of course you can't get hold of them when your delivery still fails to turns up. If they didn't actually have a shop i would be thinking this was a scam because the customer service is so poor.

Save yourself the hassle, I really wish I had. If you think you're going to save a few pounds like I did, the reality is you wont as it wont turn up and you'll end up buying your product elsewhere and waiting months for the money you paid them to come back. You'll stress about where your product is and spend hours trying to get in touch with them, all a waste of time as they never respond.

This is the last thing any parent needs just before Xmas. Disgusted.

I see someone from Babytime is dealing with customer complaints on this thread so i will update the thread if my refund has been dealt with. Babytime - i have emailed you my details today on both your email addresses so you will have my details there.

This is, pretty much word for word, the exact same experience we are having. In our case, it's a buggy, which we're going to have to order from someone else. We were promised a refund, with the lack of contact blamed on a technical glitch. Not heard a word since, and simply cannot get through to them. It's horrific.

 

[Caziali]

Do NOT use this site. I cancelled my order when it didn't arrive on time but they have still charged my card. I have emailed so many times, have tried to phone but it is always busy and then when I do get through they are useless.

A couple of months have gone by and I am now starting legal proceedings against them.

Please please please do not shop here. I am over £200 out of pocket and will now have the hassle of going to court!

 

[Emj]

I have had exactly the same experince, placed an order for 4 items at the beginning of November, one item (Isofix base) arrived in a matter of a week or so, since then i have wasted hours of my life chasing them. Initially chasing my order and now chasing a refund for the 3 items that never i arrived and that i no longer want.

The one item that i did recieve is useless without the car seat and pram. But my priority is getting my £425 back for the items that never arrived. After weeks of chasing them i finallly got through last tuesday (7th) and was promised a refund that would be done that day -be back in my account 3-5 working days later. Suprise surprise no refund.

They do not answer the phone 99% of the time and do not respond to emails. This company should not be trading. I have contacted trading standards. I will take legal action if they do not respond to a letter sent recorded delivery today.

Babytime give me my money back, this is essentially theft!!!!!

 

[hkz]

I have joined this forum to post my experience of Baby Time Londo. I ordered an infant carrier and booster seat from them in november totally £114. They were, and still are listed as IN STOCK on their website. After a week nothing turned up, despite my card being charged instantly. I emailed to find out where the goods were, no reply, I emailed again and again and again, no reply. I phoned over 100 times, no one has EVER picked up.
My thrid child is due in 3 weeks, I now have no infant seat and no booster seat for my eldest. It is an expensive month, I desperately need tese seats, but can not risk being so out of pocket and so can not order seats elsewhere until I know I will be refunded.

I have contacted Consumer Advice via Trading Standards, Watchdog and my credit card company. DO NOT BUY FROM THIS COMPANY. I wish I had found this thread before I ordered.

 

[pregdeb]

Ok - so my wife finally got through on Friday and Pat answered the phone. Having tried to get through for 2 or 3 weeks the missus was a little shocked and the stress of the whole thing resulted in her just blubbing down the phone! Pat explained that she couldn't deal with the situation herself as she only does in-store sales, but she promised to refer the matter to 'Satish' - the guy in charge of online - possibly the company manager.

In fairness, she was as good as her word, and my wife missed a call from them later that day. She managed to ring them back and Pat put her straight on to Satish. He checked the system and said it was showing as refunded and couldn't see why we wouldn't have the money back, but would do some further checking and promised faithfully to call back before noon on Saturday.

The call never came. I rang the store at 1.30ish and spoke to another lady (a Mrs Morgan or Morris I think) who told me that Satish was stuck in snow and couldn't make it to the shop that day, hence not calling us back. She was a little helpless really. She took all the details (AGAIN) and then asked "what would you like me to do". I didn't really know what to say to that, other than 'tell me when I'm going to get my £345 back!'.

I'm imagining that Satish will still be stuck in snow today, so not expecting much progress. But at least we've managed to get through on the phone 3 times in 2 days! Keep trying, everyone.

 

[Mrs Shifty]

Ok, I am pretty much in the same situation as a lot of you.
Purchased the Maxi-Cosi Tobi car seat over a month ago, paid online got a email confirming payment. Then nothing since....except one phone call when I managed to speak to a lady who said that delivery was delayed because of the weather and my ordered would be marked as urgent.
I have sent emails, phoned about 100 times, either engaged or no answer, requested a ring back, sent a text and last week sent a letter requesting a refund, was sent recorded delivery, but have been tracing the letter and the shop has not took delivery of the letter or collected it from the sorting office.
I paid by debit card, and I may or may not get my money back.
What I was wondering was has anybody been to the shop in London after their goods they purchased online have failed to be delivered, to collect their goods in person. If so what happened? I live 75 miles away from the shop and am willing to give it a try as I am desperate for my car seat as my son has outgrown his baby carrier.
Thanks!

 

[SKATERBUN]

No I dont want to by the sounds of it, why are there so many new members on this thread?

 

[BabyJayne]

They have obviously all found the thread through google and registered to give their views. One to avoid by the sound of it. Good luck to all trying to get goods/refunds.

 

[cherryglitter]

Yeah Wobbles said if you google it this thread comes up second
So people sign up to comment hun. xx

It's shocking to be honest and I think I would personally be going to the shop to tell them what I thought!!x

 

[2016]

Darn it! Wish I had read this before buying from these crooks. Now I am out of pocket too but am getting my credit card company to revoke the transaction.

 

[LankyDoodle]

I just went on the website and it's still up there running like a normal website! I think this stinks.

Have trading standards come back to anyone at all?

 

[Mrs Shifty]

Have just tried ringing BabyTime again, but this time it went through to an answer machine, so left a message asking them to contact me urgently......lets wait and see what happens, will keep you updated!!!!

 

[jolleybaby]

I just want to urge people to keep ringing until someone answers. This is what I did and I just kept shouting at the guy until he did my refund there and then - and the money was back on my credit card within a week. So there is hope!

If I lived within driving distance i'd have been straight round there (but i'm way down in Devon!)

I only joined this board to post on this thread as I wanted other people to know what this company is like.

I'm lucky - i got my money back and ordered from Boots instead (came within 3 days!).

good luck everyone!

 

[littlechickie]

I too have my money back, paid with debit card, went to my bank halifax they requested a charge back to my account from babytime and within 2 days money back in the account, id say dont waste time emailing, phoning or writing letters go to your banks and credit card company
good luck everyone

 

[pregdeb]

Yep - I also have my money back but no thanks to Baby Time London. My credit card company refunded us that money after we lodged a dispute with them.

Baby Time London is an absolute shambles and I would implore people not to do any business with them. Ever.

 

[scgh]

I am another victim of Babytime London. I ordered a carseat, which has not arrived. Babytime will not reply to messages or answer their phone. It was only after becoming suspicious that I did a Google search and found this thread. I wish I had seen it before!

I can't believe they said on this thread that it is their competitors posting negative comments about them. Couldn't possibly be the hundreds of angry internet customers that have been scammed out of their money!

I was trying to find out the owners name, so I did a search on Companies House website. But that shows that the company has been dissolved.

Name & Registered Office:
BABYTIME LIMITED
35B BELLEGROVE ROAD
WELLING
KENT
DA16 3PB
Company No. 03101564
Status: Dissolved 16/06/1998
Date of Incorporation: 13/09/1995
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Company Type: Private Limited Company
Nature of Business (SIC(03)):
7499 - Non-trading company
Accounting Reference Date: 30/09
Last Accounts Made Up To: (NO ACCOUNTS FILED)
Next Accounts Due:
Last Return Made Up To: 13/09/1996

Not sure what company name they are trading under now, but they must have had cashflow problems in the past. Obviously they are having cashflow issues at the moment - why else would they take the money, refuse to communicate with customers and withold orders?

Has anyone actually been into the Babytime Welling store? Does it actually exist?

Thanks newly-wed77 for posting the link to watchdog. I have just contacted them. Looking forward to seeing Babytime on Watchdog very soon.

 

[Iheartarnie]

I think that someone who posted previously contact the store next door and asked them to go into Babytime London on their behalf if i remember right. They just used google maps to find something close by.

I had a problem with them but was just very very persistent and called 10 times or more a day for weeks until I got my order. I heard every excuse under the sun but I did eventually get what I paid for.

Good Luck with getting your money back/eventually getting your order.

 

[mandy174]

OMG!!! I cannot believe what i have just read!!!
I went into baby time in welling today to complain that I cannot get through on the phone and that they are not repsonding to emails.
The shop does exsist, but to be honest I was not impressed by the 'managers' repsonse and he promised to call me today by 3pm to let me know when my furniture set would be delivered but surprise, surprise I did not hear anything. That is what made me do a search for reviews on them.
They have also taken £499 off the credit card.
After reading this I will go back there tomorrow and not leave the shop till my money is refunded!!!
I am so sorry for all of you that are still trying to get back your money.
I will let you know how I get on tomorrow

xx

 

[scgh]

Wow - the company does exist. Surely they can't have any repeat customers!

Their website says that they provide "the highest standards of customer service".

mandy174 - when you visit them tomorrow, can you ask them exactly what they mean by this?

 

[proud_dad]

We have spoken to trading standards and although it's been over two months since we bought the goods they don't reckon that we'll ever receive our order. Initially, they advised us to wait the full 28 days for delivery and once that period had elapsed we contacted them again and they advised us to send a letter (via recorded delivery) demanding a full refund because they were in breach of contract (there is a template letter on the Consumer Direct website). No-one at the shop would sign for the letter and it still hasn't been collected from the local post office! Now trading standards are advising us to simply contact the credit card company to file a dispute - I could have done that over a month ago! Trading standards haven't helped us really. Soooo frustrating. We have contacted the BBC Watchdog (via the website) and I would ask everyone else to do the same. Babytime London are thieves. Pure and simple.