We just received our 3rd full flow hive in cedar, and the flow box seems inferior timber in as it has the top sides shaved off to half thickness and one of the bottom sides has a timber knot that can’t be shaved away to snug up to a bottom box.
Also the end viewing panel has a 1cm gap on one side, enough to let a bee through, but also SHB, and the top strip falls out even with the lever in place.
Whereas all those pieces from our last pine box would fill those spaces perfectly.
Did anybody else encounter this ‘discrepancy’.
I am a bit of a perfectionist and even though I can deal with things, this is unacceptable. I paid full price, not 2nd grade price.
I had our long Australia Day weekend assigned to tung oil my future boxes. Admittedly, I won’t need these till spring, still, how come this stuff even gets sent out for full price?
If flow wants to keep their reputation for a quality product, they need to quality control what gets sent out under their label. My flow box sure is crap. Nice timber though. But seconds, not worthy for a bee box.
It just depends on if flow is looking at improving quality or cut costs.
I would be for quality and improve on that. Let the Chinese do the other part and fail.
That’s why I don’t understand how come I got this really bad product of a flow box.
There is another issue, ask me about it another time, once this is solved.
What is happening to flow, can they keep up with quality and how do you cope with crap not knowing where to complain to?
I also think flow made their dollars and are not relying for their breakfast on flogging off seconds and thirds to foundation members at full price.
They just need a whizz manager.
I am sure it will be resolved. It’s just hassle, and disappointing.
Only heard good things on how flow deals with complaints.
The 2 parcels arrived 3 days after ordering. That’s quick!
Love that cedar timber. Hope my flow box gets replaced, that way I can be all excited again.
Sorry to hear that part of your Flow Hive arrived in sub-par quality.
I can assure you that the Flow team have been working with our manufacturer to try and rule out all these quality control issues.
Flow is not intentionally making a 2nd grade product. We want all our products to be 1st grade.
You can send your email to customer support who will be able to issue you a replacement.
It is the same contact page as usual - https://www.honeyflow.com/contact/p/3
Select:
I’m a customer
Problems with shipment
Attach photos of the issue
Include your order number or the email address you used when you first ordered
Thanks for the heads up Dawn. We are trying not to put links up anymore on the forum because we were getting so many spammers.
We just try and use the contact page https://www.honeyflow.com/contact/p/3
Hi @Faroe, I managed to get into contact via email and Kieran is helping me solve the issue. My photos are getting analysed and perhaps parts will be replaced. It probably won’t be happening in a hurry, but I had the foresight to order well in time.
I have another entire flow hive ready for my next nuc, and even if I do a split next week, I won’t need the new flow super till that split has expanded.
Thanks for responding and explaining the complaints process.
Cheers from the Byron hinter hills.
No problem. Things are normally replaced pretty quickly from my knowledge. I thought than an email was sent - customers were told to email faults if there were any issues with their delivery?
I even thought it was included now on paper in the delivery…
Let me know, I might have to let the team know about it if it is not happening.
Neither the instruction manual, assembly guide nor the 2 loose sheets inserted into the instruction manual have any information on the complaints procedure.
Also could not find an email with that info (with key word ‘flow’).
It appears my flow super box can’t be replaced in its entirety, because there is no spare available.
Interesting that I can still order an entire Australian made cedar flow hive, the exact product I am complaining about. Something doesn’t add up.
From memory, it is the email with your tracking number that has the returns procedure.
We don’t call it a complaints procedure, it is a standard faults and warranty procedure.
Maybe check your spam box, as we did have issues over the last couple of years, with customers missing email and communication from us.
Unfortunately, because the Flow Hive is packaged in one whole box, and the Flow Super is packaged in another box, they are 2 separate products.
These are sent to our distribution warehouses around the world.
Sometimes one product will sell out, and the other will be available, even though the super makes up part of the Flow Hive, we can’t ask the guys in our distribution warehouse to go and pull out pieces of the Flow Hive box.
It is also very frustrating for us in customer service land when a product runs out because we can’t provide a replacement asap… we have to wait for our manufacturer to make more, and ship to the distribution warehouse, then it is available for sale through our web shops. Or available for customer service to send to customers.
Every reputable business has a complaints procedure, whatever you choose to call it.
However, I am very happy to announce, I just had message my flow super box will be replaced.
By the way, the email subject is ’ customer complaint’ followed by my email address.
I am really happy this is solved and hope quality control will tighten up. There is a lot to learn starting a business that explodes as flow did.
The success is well deserved, and I am proud and happy to be part of the first go live people.
Especially since I am comparing notes with my commercial beekeeping sister in Germany who is outright against it.
I am glad flow decided to be flexible and possibly disassemble a shipping parcel, or it just became available. Who’s the boss?
In any case, I am happy right now and look forward to tung oiling my new box.
Thank you Flow mob.
Whoever that God like appearance was named Kieran, in the name of Cedar or not, he replaced a faulty cut cedar with the most beautiful cedar box I rarely saw. My son Chiron was witness. It’s real!
Thanks flow team for not mucking about and get it over.
Our mob fully stands behind flow. Awesome invention. Big stuff on all levels. Hope they stay the good people they are.
It doesn’t look genuine to me and it’s only $365. Copies maybe? Do you guys have an Ebay presence? If not, you may want to set up a shop if only to let people know that the cheap ones are not yours.
Not that I’m suggesting @Webclan bought a copy but might be some copies out there that are undermining your reputation.
No, have the original flow hive (my 3rd!) and had the faulty flow box replaced. All good and proper.
For my little boutique apiary I ain’t buy or even try the Chinese copies. The flow mob is local to me and I support local. If not local, I support Australian.
Quality is generally more expensive.
Noticed their plastic is bap free. Haha. What is that? Gets dissolved on contact with honey?
Thanks for that. Definitely fakes, as we are not on Ebay yet. We are on Amazon, though. The IT team have been working on getting our products on Ebay, but I’m not sure what the issue is.
I will let the legal team know about these fakes being listed. Interesting looking brood box
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