Proviation customer care problems
I ordered a Bluetooth GPS receiver worth £90.00 (so my iPad will work when it can't see the sky) and a foam mic sock for a DC Headset worth £5.00.
Package only contains the GPS receiver not the mic sock. Mrs DG phoned the 0800 number which told her to ring the )1582 number. Lady on other end has no answers and will email me when she does.
Package only contains the GPS receiver not the mic sock. Mrs DG phoned the 0800 number which told her to ring the )1582 number. Lady on other end has no answers and will email me when she does.
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1 out of 2 ain't bad
.....considering the general proviation record.
Hope your mic sock problem is resolved quickly Dave, but you won't be getting much sympathy if it doesn't.
Hope your mic sock problem is resolved quickly Dave, but you won't be getting much sympathy if it doesn't.
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Good experiences here
I have ordered a significant amount of equipment from Proviation in the last 6 months and have always been impressed. In particular, they were very accommodating on recent delivery requests for Sennheisers and personal gear to arrive downroute and this was handled very well indeed with liaison with our handler. I have always found them to go much further to offer stand out support than other retailers.
First dealing was in warranty repair for my Zulu 1 which impressed me as they collected the set, fixed it in Germany and sent it back to me within around a week I think.
First dealing was in warranty repair for my Zulu 1 which impressed me as they collected the set, fixed it in Germany and sent it back to me within around a week I think.
Well, it's interesting to compare this thread with the recent Trainsair thread, where one person has complained and many others have leapt to their defence.
Further to last Friday .. no mic sock and no email. Mrs DG has just rung again and "customer services" don't see it as their duty to follow up and tell me where my mic sock is. All they'll do is ask "dispatch" AGAIN to send me an email. When told I couldn't put an email on a DC mike they seem to be surprised and can do no more than ask dispatch to comment by email. Assume their phones only work for incoming calls. At least the GPS receiver works a treat.
Yes I know it's my own fault.
Yes I know it's my own fault.
Last edited by Dave Gittins; 13th May 2013 at 12:53.
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Sorry to perpetuate the negative news about Proaviation, but I am also in dispute with them over the non-delivery of an item.
Difficult to say whether they lack organisation or whether there are more fundamental problems.
In the meantime, might I suggest using your credit card for any purchases, just in case.
Difficult to say whether they lack organisation or whether there are more fundamental problems.
In the meantime, might I suggest using your credit card for any purchases, just in case.
Further to my last and to put the record straight. Proviation had sent me a string of emails which for some reason Norton had categorised as Junk. (perhaps Peter Norton has shares in Transair 
).
Amongst those mails were ones saying the GPS reciever would be sent on Thursday and the DC mic sock on Monday (so I would have been fully informed if Norton hadn't mucked it up).
The things were dispatched when Proviation said they would be and I got them both 24hrs after dispatch.
Case closed as far as I am concerned.
).Amongst those mails were ones saying the GPS reciever would be sent on Thursday and the DC mic sock on Monday (so I would have been fully informed if Norton hadn't mucked it up).
The things were dispatched when Proviation said they would be and I got them both 24hrs after dispatch.
Case closed as far as I am concerned.
Last edited by Dave Gittins; 16th May 2013 at 11:51.
Spoon PPRuNerist & Mad Inistrator
Dave,
Thanks for setting the record straight.
I've had similar problems with messages getting trapped by the upstream spam / junk filter at my ISP, so it can happen to the best of us.
There's a lesson there for us all - check junk / spam folders before putting megaphone to lips!
SD
Thanks for setting the record straight.
I've had similar problems with messages getting trapped by the upstream spam / junk filter at my ISP, so it can happen to the best of us.
There's a lesson there for us all - check junk / spam folders before putting megaphone to lips!
SD
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Proviation customer care problems
I've used them a few times now. The time there was a problem out of their control they seemed to e very keen to make sure I was happy in the end. All good for me and I still use them.
Not the prettiest of websites but the search works well if you know what you want
Not the prettiest of websites but the search works well if you know what you want
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Proviation customer care problems
I ordered an Alpha MA-1 jacket on the 13th April. Listed ex-stock and paid via PayPal. My money was taken immediately. on the 15th April, this company emailed to say- "We are expecting stock to arrive in a matter of 7-10 working days only".
At the time I thought this would be reasonable, little knowing what was to happen from here on in! By the end of the month there was no further contact from them. Several emails were sent to them requesting information, all without reply. We then phoned "orders dept" several times and have spoken to four different ladies, who were all very polite, but could tell us nothing and whilst promising to come back to us, never did. I started to wonder if this company was a "Scam".
I emailed the company on the 3rd May to tell them to cancel the order. The "orders dept" promised to do this and send a confirmation email. They said my PayPal refund would take 3/5 days. No email, no refund. After a threatening email,the owner emailed back offering to get the jacket since he didn't want me to be disappointed. It was supposedly on it's way from the USA. I told him that the order was cancelled and would he please make my refund.
On the 13th May, I received an email from the owner stating that the order had been cancelled and the PayPal refund would be made, but might take 3/5 days! Still nothing,it is now 18th May, so I sent another very strong email threatening legal action! At which time I opened a PayPal dispute. Finally, yesterday, 28th May, PayPal advised that his refund had cleared!
This is the most dreadful on line buying experience that I have ever encountered. I don't think the company is a scam company now. It is just the most badly organised group I have ever come across, headed up by someone who is prepared to come out with the weakest unbelievable excuses which burble along without really telling you anything. The "orders dept" is actually a call centre and have no idea what is going on.
My problems, I think, are based around an ex-stock item that wasn't. If it had been in stock, this review might have been quite different, who knows? I got the impression that this person was prepared to go to great lengths to hang on to my order instead of being "up front" and offering cancellation in the first place.
You make your own mind up whether to deal with them. I would never ever deal with them again.
At the time I thought this would be reasonable, little knowing what was to happen from here on in! By the end of the month there was no further contact from them. Several emails were sent to them requesting information, all without reply. We then phoned "orders dept" several times and have spoken to four different ladies, who were all very polite, but could tell us nothing and whilst promising to come back to us, never did. I started to wonder if this company was a "Scam".
I emailed the company on the 3rd May to tell them to cancel the order. The "orders dept" promised to do this and send a confirmation email. They said my PayPal refund would take 3/5 days. No email, no refund. After a threatening email,the owner emailed back offering to get the jacket since he didn't want me to be disappointed. It was supposedly on it's way from the USA. I told him that the order was cancelled and would he please make my refund.
On the 13th May, I received an email from the owner stating that the order had been cancelled and the PayPal refund would be made, but might take 3/5 days! Still nothing,it is now 18th May, so I sent another very strong email threatening legal action! At which time I opened a PayPal dispute. Finally, yesterday, 28th May, PayPal advised that his refund had cleared!
This is the most dreadful on line buying experience that I have ever encountered. I don't think the company is a scam company now. It is just the most badly organised group I have ever come across, headed up by someone who is prepared to come out with the weakest unbelievable excuses which burble along without really telling you anything. The "orders dept" is actually a call centre and have no idea what is going on.
My problems, I think, are based around an ex-stock item that wasn't. If it had been in stock, this review might have been quite different, who knows? I got the impression that this person was prepared to go to great lengths to hang on to my order instead of being "up front" and offering cancellation in the first place.
You make your own mind up whether to deal with them. I would never ever deal with them again.
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As above. I heard nothing from these clowns despite emails and telephone calls (none of which got through to a human). Opened a Paypal dispute and - well, well - an email the next day saying supplier problems etc. Paypal found in my favour and refund issued, shortly followed by an email from 'Nick' claiming to have found seven emails from me in his spam folder (I had sent three) and promising to refund my money (already refunded by Paypal).
Bull****. Don't touch with a bargepole. Friendly posts on Pprune don't cut it when the reality is rubbish.
Bull****. Don't touch with a bargepole. Friendly posts on Pprune don't cut it when the reality is rubbish.
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Proviation customer care problems
Forgot to mention that in the midst of this fiasco, we re-ordered exactly the same item from Flightstore Pilot Shop on May 10th. The jacket was with us on the 14th May. All this whilst we were still trying to get our PayPal refund from Proviation!
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I am afraid I am another one that has had problems with Proviation. I wish I had looked at the reviews before I ordered.
I didn't actually do the ordering, my friend did who helps me maintain my aircraft. I was looking for a Flightcom 403LSA intercom and a Mingda vertical card compass to fit in to a new panel we were installing in the aircraft.
Looking on their website, it said both items were available from stock on a 2-3 day delivery. This was around 6 to 7 weeks ago and neither have yet been received. We were told just over a week ago (after many attempts of getting through to someone on the phone as it was always and answering machine) that the Mingda was now in-stock and we would receive it on Tuesday (that's the Tuesday just gone). We were also told that the Flightcom would be in stock this Friday for delivery Monday 3rd June. The following day after being told that, we got an email apologising for the delay in the order and that they really didn't have a clue when the items would actually come in. They stated issues with Flightcom as being the reason and no reason why the Mingda wasn't being delivered.
As of today, I was told that the Mingda was now in and being shipped overnight but no news on the Flightcom. Today we have cancelled the Flightcom so we will see how it goes about getting a refund and see whether the Mingda turns up tomorrow.
Incidently, even after this, their website still says that both those items are available from stock. Our panel has been sitting on the floor for a long time waiting for the wiring to be finished and to be installed in the aircraft. All that is there now is a hole for the compass and a hole for the Flightcom. This will now cause us problems as the panel was cut and prepared for a Flightcom going in so we now either have to use something else and modify the holes or try and cover it up. If we had known that the items were going to take this long then we would have either chosen something different or not gone that route. The Mingda is available at many places on the web and in-stock. We could order a Flightcom from someone else but the only places seem to be in America so again we would be playing the waiting game. If they had been up-front and honest at the start then we would not be in this situation and would probably have ordered something else from them or used them again in the future.
They offered an alternative to the Flightcom but you couldn't really call it an alternative. They offered a portable pilot intercom that didn't have any of the features of the Flightcom that it was originally purchased for. I guess it's one they had in stock that they wanted to shift. The alternative was only offered a couple of days ago.
We order quite a bit of aviation stuff each year and will not be making the same mistake again of using them.
I didn't actually do the ordering, my friend did who helps me maintain my aircraft. I was looking for a Flightcom 403LSA intercom and a Mingda vertical card compass to fit in to a new panel we were installing in the aircraft.
Looking on their website, it said both items were available from stock on a 2-3 day delivery. This was around 6 to 7 weeks ago and neither have yet been received. We were told just over a week ago (after many attempts of getting through to someone on the phone as it was always and answering machine) that the Mingda was now in-stock and we would receive it on Tuesday (that's the Tuesday just gone). We were also told that the Flightcom would be in stock this Friday for delivery Monday 3rd June. The following day after being told that, we got an email apologising for the delay in the order and that they really didn't have a clue when the items would actually come in. They stated issues with Flightcom as being the reason and no reason why the Mingda wasn't being delivered.
As of today, I was told that the Mingda was now in and being shipped overnight but no news on the Flightcom. Today we have cancelled the Flightcom so we will see how it goes about getting a refund and see whether the Mingda turns up tomorrow.
Incidently, even after this, their website still says that both those items are available from stock. Our panel has been sitting on the floor for a long time waiting for the wiring to be finished and to be installed in the aircraft. All that is there now is a hole for the compass and a hole for the Flightcom. This will now cause us problems as the panel was cut and prepared for a Flightcom going in so we now either have to use something else and modify the holes or try and cover it up. If we had known that the items were going to take this long then we would have either chosen something different or not gone that route. The Mingda is available at many places on the web and in-stock. We could order a Flightcom from someone else but the only places seem to be in America so again we would be playing the waiting game. If they had been up-front and honest at the start then we would not be in this situation and would probably have ordered something else from them or used them again in the future.
They offered an alternative to the Flightcom but you couldn't really call it an alternative. They offered a portable pilot intercom that didn't have any of the features of the Flightcom that it was originally purchased for. I guess it's one they had in stock that they wanted to shift. The alternative was only offered a couple of days ago.
We order quite a bit of aviation stuff each year and will not be making the same mistake again of using them.
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Oh Dear, I wish i had seen this thread prior to ordering on monday. 
The website states the item i ordered would take 2-3 days delivery (Lightspeed Zulu 2 headset). I placed the order monday so i could receive the item in time for the weekend. Today is Friday and they have just told me that it hasn't been shipped yet !
I also sent an email 2 days ago and tried to contact them via the online help, no response. They have told me on the phone today that they will check to see if they can send it today. I asked if they could send me the item next day delivery so i have it tomorrow, if they cant i want to cancel the order. I am still waiting for the phone call back. All phones now go to voicemail. Arghhh ! You expect this kind of service from discount electrical retailers but not for a specialist aviation retailer !! Sort it out Proaviation !! I will follow up this post with the rest of the story. Lets hope they sort it out or i certainly wont be ordering anything from them again !!
The website states the item i ordered would take 2-3 days delivery (Lightspeed Zulu 2 headset). I placed the order monday so i could receive the item in time for the weekend. Today is Friday and they have just told me that it hasn't been shipped yet !
I also sent an email 2 days ago and tried to contact them via the online help, no response. They have told me on the phone today that they will check to see if they can send it today. I asked if they could send me the item next day delivery so i have it tomorrow, if they cant i want to cancel the order. I am still waiting for the phone call back. All phones now go to voicemail. Arghhh ! You expect this kind of service from discount electrical retailers but not for a specialist aviation retailer !! Sort it out Proaviation !! I will follow up this post with the rest of the story. Lets hope they sort it out or i certainly wont be ordering anything from them again !!
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Resolved
An update.
I got through to them on the telephone, the lady said that she would call the warehouse to see if they have the item in stock. I asked her to call me back once she had done this. She then did it whilst i was on the phone. The number for the warehouse was engaged so she said she would email and then get back to me.
I then got a phonecall back from a previous online message i sent across, they tried to reply a while after i had sent the message but i had the window minimised. I believe the chap was called Nick, he said there has been a mix up and the supplier had sent the wrong headset to them (helicopter connections) they had managed to source another one and they are shipping it next day Saturday delivery !
A bad situation nicely resolved ! Its a shame i had to jump up and down for it but I will give them their dues !
So long as it arrives tomorrow as promised i wont have an issue using them again but i may be paying for next day delivery in future !
Thanks for you help !
I got through to them on the telephone, the lady said that she would call the warehouse to see if they have the item in stock. I asked her to call me back once she had done this. She then did it whilst i was on the phone. The number for the warehouse was engaged so she said she would email and then get back to me.
I then got a phonecall back from a previous online message i sent across, they tried to reply a while after i had sent the message but i had the window minimised. I believe the chap was called Nick, he said there has been a mix up and the supplier had sent the wrong headset to them (helicopter connections) they had managed to source another one and they are shipping it next day Saturday delivery !
A bad situation nicely resolved ! Its a shame i had to jump up and down for it but I will give them their dues !
So long as it arrives tomorrow as promised i wont have an issue using them again but i may be paying for next day delivery in future !
Thanks for you help !
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As an update to my earlier post, I have now put the matter in the hands of my credit card company to try and secure a refund. The matter is ongoing.
On a positive note, I have just ordered two items from Flightstore and had them delivered within 48 hours.
You pays your money and....................................................
On a positive note, I have just ordered two items from Flightstore and had them delivered within 48 hours.
You pays your money and....................................................
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Reply to forum post.
As mentioned before, we can't commit to responding to requests on here.
We'd rather be actually dealing with assisting customers. No doubt we'll come in for more flak on these forums if they are over-used.
Besides, it wouldn't be fair to air all issues publicly, but in respect of these problems, please private message through here - especially @ #Lukesdad: no-one should ever have to go to chargeback. We're keen to find out what order this pertains to and to rectify this with haste.
Note to anyone else reading this: We’re not certain that some of the comments left here are of a real customer of ours. If you’d like to learn more about who we think wrote the review and why, or if you just have some questions about us or our policies, please feel free to contact us.
We are undertaking to drastically improve lead-times shown the website and to make these clearer where necessary. The site is kept up-to date on stock levels and there is an automatic bar-code bases system coming in September.
In some cases, products have become unavailable at UK sources, but the site hasn't been changed to reflect this. In light of the Flightcom intercom- this hasn't been sold in the last three years and subsequently the UK agent for this product had ceased stocking, forcing the supply to come from overseas.
Quite a few avionics companies have adopted a strategy of building-to-order, or with long intervals between production runs, which doesn't speed up procurement on some of the specialist items.
This said, we're committed to providing difficult-to-source items in the UK market, albeit with better communication if items are delayed. Yes, we do expose ourselves instead of playing it safe on some of the run-of-the mill products, but we feel the UK is greatly under-served in terms of the availability of superb, and better-value aviation equipment enjoyed by the rest of the world.
We sincerely regret the negative experiences posted on here - if we can compensate in any way then please, PM this account.
Our stocked range of commonplace items is expanding all the time, and we are pleased to say that most orders ship on-time.
We'd rather be actually dealing with assisting customers. No doubt we'll come in for more flak on these forums if they are over-used.
Besides, it wouldn't be fair to air all issues publicly, but in respect of these problems, please private message through here - especially @ #Lukesdad: no-one should ever have to go to chargeback. We're keen to find out what order this pertains to and to rectify this with haste.
Note to anyone else reading this: We’re not certain that some of the comments left here are of a real customer of ours. If you’d like to learn more about who we think wrote the review and why, or if you just have some questions about us or our policies, please feel free to contact us.
We are undertaking to drastically improve lead-times shown the website and to make these clearer where necessary. The site is kept up-to date on stock levels and there is an automatic bar-code bases system coming in September.
In some cases, products have become unavailable at UK sources, but the site hasn't been changed to reflect this. In light of the Flightcom intercom- this hasn't been sold in the last three years and subsequently the UK agent for this product had ceased stocking, forcing the supply to come from overseas.
Quite a few avionics companies have adopted a strategy of building-to-order, or with long intervals between production runs, which doesn't speed up procurement on some of the specialist items.
This said, we're committed to providing difficult-to-source items in the UK market, albeit with better communication if items are delayed. Yes, we do expose ourselves instead of playing it safe on some of the run-of-the mill products, but we feel the UK is greatly under-served in terms of the availability of superb, and better-value aviation equipment enjoyed by the rest of the world.
We sincerely regret the negative experiences posted on here - if we can compensate in any way then please, PM this account.
Our stocked range of commonplace items is expanding all the time, and we are pleased to say that most orders ship on-time.
Last edited by Proviation; 2nd Aug 2013 at 14:45. Reason: added a new email address for feedback.