Westaway Sails / John Pollard

[Hamma]

Hi,

I ordered and paid for a used sail from Westaway over a month ago. It has not arrived despite phonecalls and promises from them that it would be despatched.

Don't spend any money with them until you ensure they are not about to go bust - I don't know exactly what's up - but I suspect I've lost £1000.

PM me for details if you're concerned.

I realise there are two sides to every story so I'm not going to rant here - just beware.

Jon

 

[Hamma]

... power of the internet - they've called and told me it's been despatched. If it arrives I'll note it here ....

 

[Kwik Decision]

I hope you paid by credit card. After being sent the wrong secondhand sails twice, and getting no joy from them, I got my money back from the credit card company. It was then amazing how quick and efficient they were at arranging collection.......

 

[ribrage]

Hi,

I ordered and paid for a used sail from Westaway over a month ago. It has not arrived despite phonecalls and promises from them that it would be despatched.

Don't spend any money with them until you ensure they are not about to go bust - I don't know exactly what's up - but I suspect I've lost £1000.

PM me for details if you're concerned.

I realise there are two sides to every story so I'm not going to rant here - just beware.

Jon

I had my card debited twice by them for the same sails - took over two months to get my money back - wouldn't use them again

 

[Hamma]

I didn't pay by credit card - even though I knew about the protection, I just assumed they'd do what they said.

Now I've written it I can see how naive that seems.

I actually anticipated that I'd had a uniquely bad experience with them and others would say they are OK. I'm more worried than ever now.

 

[PaulR]

seem to think westaway are exhibiting at soton show if that helps? certainly their stand was manned on tuesday when I walked by

 

[clyst]

I wouldn't do business with them again after being told that they had an excellent secondhand sail that fitted my requirements that was approx 6-30pm. I arrived as they opened the following morning ......guess what ? that sail had just been sold but they did have a ropey baggy one ,which looked as if it was pulled out of a skip, which would fit ......for the same price !....... You decide ......coincidence or set up ??

 

[robertt]

Westaway is the same company as Yacht Exchange Sails
I bought a used sail from them at the beginning of the season. Although I had read a few adverse reports it was the only used sail close enough to my requirements that I could track down online that was within my budget. So I ordered it, with a little trepidation. My fears seemed to be confirmed when it didn't come within the expected time frame. But after a couple of calls the sail came quite promptly thereafter.
I'm actually quite pleased with the sail. The measurements are exactly as stated and the condition is better than the description had suggested.
So I don't have any problems recommending them and would buy another sail if I had to.
Hope your sail arrives soon and fulfils the needful!

 

[Carl s]

I had a terrible time getting a mast track system that had been paid for , got it eventually but way later than expected, plenty of emails and promises, lies ? Hard to believe they are still in business, said then would never use them again and made sure people I spoke to new

 

[Just_sayin']

Friend of mine sent them some sails to sell. Absolutely torrid time.

 

[Seajet]

Hamma,

it's a great shame you didn't get to see the several threads about Westaways - new and secondhand sails but the secondhand bit seems worse.

They used to be a good outfit, I always used them and have some good sails, with no problems.

It seems something drastic has happened, loads of stories of woe on here of orders not completed, sails nowhere near the descriptions, money hung onto...

I hope you get your problems sorted quickly and satisfactorily; it's a shame you are in the Algarve - I'm surprised they are at Southampton Boat Show, if I wanted to embarass someone into doing the right thing I'd make a point of visiting their stand - could a chum visit on your behalf ?

 

[savageseadog]

I found them OK when I bought a secondhand sail from them. It was a few years ago and I collected and paid in person.

 

[Hamma]

Hamma,

it's a great shame you didn't get to see the several threads about Westaways - new and secondhand sails but the secondhand bit seems worse.

They used to be a good outfit, I always used them and have some good sails, with no problems.

It seems something drastic has happened, loads of stories of woe on here of orders not completed, sails nowhere near the descriptions, money hung onto...

I hope you get your problems sorted quickly and satisfactorily; it's a shame you are in the Algarve - I'm surprised they are at Southampton Boat Show, if I wanted to embarass someone into doing the right thing I'd make a point of visiting their stand - could a chum visit on your behalf ?

I don't know why I didn't check first - and I don't know why I didn't use a credit card. I just trusted them. However...

In the interests of fairness I need to say the following:

I said last night that they'd failed to deliver the sail. In fact - at that point they had delivered it to my office and I am now in possession of it (I'm not actually in the Algarve right now). It took them a month and despite about 7 or 8 phone conversations with them - I'm no nearer finding out why they didn't deliver it, or what they thought they stood to gain by not sending it. They say sorry a lot but there is no adequate explanation offered. They say they believed I didn't want to take delivery. Since I was hoping they would deliver it within 24hrs of payment, and gave them an address and told them the hours during which it could be received, I'm at a loss to explain how they could have concluded that.

I have some on-going issues with them so I won't go into any more detail at the moment because despite everything I believe they probably have positive intent. It's hard to know. Maybe I'm just a sucker.

The sail appears to be in very good condition and if they'd sent it in the first 5 days like a normal business would have - I'd be full of praise!

What a waste. I'm pretty annoyed. I wanted a relationship with a sail maker that I could return to. This is a major disappointment and I feel foolish.

 

[helpinghand]

Having stated that you had not received the sail and started this thread, you now state the sail had been delivered to your office, should you not have checked with your office whether it had been delivered first?

 

[Seajet]

I have to say I really don't believe in secondhand sails from pro' suppliers of such, likely to be the ultimate false economy on a sailing boat; with my hanked headsails I'd rather have a good working jib & forego storm jib & genoa for a while if I had to, rather than have all 3 in mediocre form.

I know other places which tout secondhand sails and while I think their service might be better than current Westaways I have real doubts about their knowledge of sails.

I have swapped sails with a friend once, my used main was a lot better than his current one - not a super-keen sailor - so he got my old main when I bought a new one, and I got his barely used conventional spinnaker - suited us both though on reflection he did better out of it as I ignore the trad kite and use the tri-radial asymmetric I bought - from Westaways !

Nowadays after a recent discussion on here, I'd go to Crusader for value ( sailcloth a few notches up from basic ) or Kemp for a touch more quality, both good.

 

[Hamma]

Having stated that you had not received the sail and started this thread, you now state the sail had been delivered to your office, should you not have checked with your office whether it had been delivered first?

Yes - probably.

I sent them a message telling them I'd start this thread in the morning if it hadn't arrived - then sat around stewing on the fact that they'd promised it (again) on Monday and it was now Wed evening and apparently no sail. I just did it anyway.

I really thought at that point that I'd been conned. I'd been promised the sail repeatedly over the space of a month and it never arrived. I told them I was worried they were dodgy, and I told them I was worried they might be going out of business with my money. I gave them an ultimatum 5 days ago: proof of delivery and a tracking number by 5pm or the deal's off. They ignored that.

I got a bit let down by my office who failed to inform me that it had been delivered in the afternoon.

As I said earlier- I really started this thread to have people tell me that they'd nothing but praise for them - a bit of reassurance. I had no idea (because I didn't check first) that they'd done this to other people.

Everyone seems to have got their stuff or their money back in the end as far as I can see. In my case - apart from being an entirely different sail to the one I ordered and paid for - I've got what appears to be a decent item.

People can draw their own conclusions.

 

[ronsurf]

They serviced my genoa & replaced the sacrificial strip. No problems at all. Advised me my genoa had plenty of life in it and didn't need replacing.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Everyone seems to have got their stuff or their money back in the end as far as I can see.

True, but they shouldn't have to fight for months to get there. If I order a book from Amazon, I expect it to turn up in a few days. I don't expect six promises of book dispatch, then the arrival of the wrong book, then an argument lasting months to get a refund, which seems to be a common story with this bunch.

 

[Dockhead]

I am amazed they are still in business. Their business model seems to sell sails which don't exist and send any old thing lying around, then make you fight for weeks or months to get your money back, while using your money in the mean time. Classical sign of a struggling business doing anything for cash flow, however temporary.

I had an absolutely horrendous experience with them along these lines last year. They sent a completely different sail to what I bought, it arrived late, to the wrong address, etc., etc.. Then tried to sell me another one, which obviously didn't exist. A few months later I eventually got my money back, after tremendous aggro.

Avoid at all costs.

 

[Laysula]

I've just had a new main and my genoa serviced with a new sacrificial strip. Completely satisified and delivered on time.