Hickmans are (as far as I can tell) and independent chain of tv/video/hi-fi stores, concentrating mainly on the tv/video/dvd/home cinema end of the market. There are two branches in Swindon, and I believe they have a few others in the West.
I bought a spanky Panasonic widescreen and good ... Read review
Advantages: Excellent product knowledge and after sales service Disadvantages: At least one of them can't count
Hickmans are (as far as I can tell) and independent chain of tv/video/hi-fi stores, concentrating mainly on the tv/video/dvd/home cinema end of the market. There are two branches in Swindon, and I believe they have a few others in the West.
I bought a spanky Panasonic widescreen and good spec VHS from them in 1999, for which no problems, in fact they couldn't have been more helpful.
This year I bought one of the new Panasonic DVD's ... ...great!). On the plus side, Hickmans had them in stock from the day of release, unlike other outlets who were still trying to flog the old "A" series models (Dixons in town still has them on sale, even though they are now nearly six months out of date!). They were poilte and friendly without being pushy - just what you would want. But beware, they sold me a region 1 chipping service that day, saying the chips were due in next week. Ok, says ... more
Hickmans are (as far as I can tell) and independent chain of tv/video/hi-fi stores, concentrating mainly on the tv/video/dvd/home cinema end of the market. There are two branches in Swindon, and I believe they have a few others in the West. I bought a spanky Panasonic widescreen and good spec VHS from them in 1999, for which no problems, in fact they couldn't have been more helpful. This year I bought one of the new Panasonic DVD's from there as well (the RV60, which I've reviewed elsewhere on this site - it's great!). On the plus side, Hickmans had them in stock from the day of release, unlike other outlets who were still trying to flog the old "A" series models (Dixons in town still has them on sale, even though they are now nearly six months out of date!). They were poilte and friendly without being pushy - just what you would want. But beware, they sold me a region 1 chipping service that day, saying the chips were due in next week. Ok, says I. I went in the following week to see if they had come in, proof of purchase in hand, and the guy who served me this time says, no, they won't be out for months, and that the other guy should never have charged me. While I'm thinking of what I should do next, I catch sight of the price ticket on the display model of the machine I've just bought. Guess what? It's only £100 cheaper than the price I paid less than a week ago! Anyway, it all worked out okay in the end - I got a refund of the overpayment, and the chip did come in after a month or so. Also, once the new DVD filtered through to some of the more mainstream outlets, both in clicks and bricks, Hickmans prices were really competitive. But if you get served by a short balding chap with a moustache and glasses, check his maths BEFORE you hand over your cash.
Advantages: Superb salesman/women and after sales service Disadvantages: Shop looks outdated
I went into Hickmans (Canal Walk, Swindon) on a busy Tuesday afternoon. The shop was deserted. There were flashy posters on the windows declaring great savings. I was greeted by a young guy stood by the counter as I walked in. I took a walk around the well layed out, if not slightly old looking shop and browsed around the products which were well ticketed, each ticket showed the basic product spec, previous price, and current price. After a minute ... ...explaining to me the free Hickmans guarentee (2yr parts and labour, plus 6 year parts gtee on the tube for the TV, plus 2 year parts and labour for the combo unit) these are very impressive. Plus they deliver and install free of charge if you are within 30 miles of the store and provide all the basic cabling. You cant get fairer than that. Plus he knocked more off the 2 because they were bought together. Well you cant get fairer than that. He closed ...
DJ_Transa 04.04.2003 (25.05.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Hickmans (Shop)
Good range of stock, fantastic customer service, outstanding D+P 'Diamond Laser' service, price match promise
They have devoured the competition, moved towards the Dixons style, staff not as knowlegable as they were (see review), used equipment and traditional (*)
