Used this shop for the first time while visiting the area recently (July 2013). Spent £120 on two rods a reel and some feathers. On arriving home I thought I would look at their website, where to my shock I discovered a special offer of a free 650yd reel of Berkley red, sea fishing line with the reel that I had bought over their counter.
I made a special journey from home back to Maldon to discuss this with them. I spoke to the owner whos name I think was Paul, (I heard another customer say goodbye to him). He rather bluntly told me that it was an online offer only. I said that maybe I should have bought the reel online then, in which case I wouldn't have bought two rods which I saw in the rack as well while in the shop? He said that I would have paid £9 postage though.
I think what he was saying was that the line isn't free and that you pay for the line in the postage costs.
This to me is dishonest, it's a con, a have-over. Further, I did not see on their website at the time that the 'free' reel of line was limited to online purchases only, and still isn't today at time of writing this review.
I emailed my sentiments to the shop owner using the contact box on their website and guess what. no reply to date.
In the shop there are warning signs at eye level, mostly at the rear of the shop, hand written on pieces of cardboard, hinting at what they will do to you if they catch you stealing or find empty bags on the floor as result of you removing items from the security tagged wrapping. There is quite a major security barrier at the entrance to the shop as you step in off the high street. This works in conjunction with their security tagged goods, obviously. The inference here is that we're all thieves? I find this to be insulting and a ridiculous attitude towards mature customers such as myself.
The sea fishing rods are in a central display rack in the middle of the shop. Unfortunately, you cannot see much of them due to the mass of dayglo hand written cards detailing price reductions all over the rack. Again, the phantom sign writer has been at work.
I will NOT be going back to JP Tackle in Maldon. read more