Name: International Dance Supplies
Address: Harlequin HouseForde CourtForde RoadNewton AbbotTQ12 4BT, ,, Newton Abbot
Rating: 4.31

“I understand that Covid has caused problems for many businesses but I have to say I am very disappointed in the service now. I had to wait over a month for a delivery and certain items are never in stock. Some of the stock items I have ordered are still waiting on a date. If IDS don’t know a stock date maybe this should be stated on the website under that item. From a company that had one of the best services pre-covid, it is a shame to see such a drop in standard and service.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for your feedback about our current stock availability. We know we currently don’t have enough stock of what you and your customers want and it is our No.1 priority. We currently have three full warehouses in Newton Abbot, and we are ordering more than once a week from our key suppliers. Our in-stock position is over 90% overall and has been throughout the pandemic. We believe we continue to hold the largest stocks of any dancewear supplier in Europe. The vast majority of orders are being shipped immediately from stock, but we know there are products that you need which are not available and/or going onto back-order. The pandemic has challenged every business – it’s impact has been felt by our customers, our suppliers and ourselves. Even now that it is 18 months on, it continues to create challenges for supply chains globally. From Chinese factories in late 2019, to Italian fabric mills – and even greater impact today in India one of the world’s largest producers of leather footwear and Turkey one of Europe’s largest clothing manufacturers. Global logistics were already under strain before Brexit and the Suez Canal blockage were added into the equation. Throughout all of this we have done our best to manage our inventory, in stocks and continue to ship to our EU customers. Our Purchasing Manager has been with IDS for 19 years and has used his experience and supplier network to manage stock during the last year of uncertain and unpredictable demand. Forecasting and planning has been almost impossible with the uncertainty and related to lockdowns and reopening dates. Most important, we have a plan to ensure we have the product our customers want, when you want it and better manage our stock positions. We are increasing our warehouse capacity to hold more stock and we are working to shorten our lead times and as such, are moving to more and new local vendors as much as possible. We are making the necessary investments in product across brands, freight, logistics and our own infrastructure to better serve you. We want to be your first choice in dancewear, costumes and accessories and we hope that you are reassured that we’re taking important steps to being your preferred partner.

Posted 2 years ago

“Items took ages to be dispatched with no notifications it would take that long.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

I am sorry that you had to wait for your order. We are advising on the website that an order can take up to 3 days to process at the moment and unfortunately yours did indeed take the full 3 days and then there was a weekend in the middle so your parcel was further delayed. We value the feedback and are working tirelessly to improve the situation. We’re sorry we’ve fallen short of your expectations on this occasion.

Posted 2 years ago

“Low stock rates and difficult to navigate the sizing charts across the ranges”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Whilst we hold over double the inventory of any other competitor, that doesn’t always mean we ourselves aren’t impacted occasionally by our own suppliers during this time. Whilst we always hope to despatch everything from stock, sometimes there can be delays. We value the feedback and are working tirelessly to improve the situation. We’re sorry we’ve fallen short of your expectations on this occasion. Manufacturers all work to different sizing standards and we publish their sizing charts to try to help you get the correct size.

Posted 2 years ago

“Wrong sizes sent. Still awaiting a response from Customer services. Very disappointing!”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

I am sorry you have not had a reply from Customer Services, I will chase this up for you.

Posted 2 years ago

“Low stock of necessities and a ridiculously long wait before restock. Standards have definitively slipped”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for your feedback about our current stock availability. We know we currently don’t have enough stock of what you and your customers want and it is our No.1 priority. I have emailed you with a more comprehensive explanation.

Posted 2 years ago

“Slow on deliveries, and keeps locking me out of my account”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

I am sorry you are having problems. If this happens again please contact customerservices@ids.co.uk and someone will help you.

Posted 2 years ago

“Hi, I find the very brief opening hours very frustrating. Also my last 2 orders have resulted in wrong items being sent and I find it tedious having to visit post office to return. Rather a lot of unavailable stock too.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

In April we temporarily reduced our phone lines opening hours to 9am-12noon, and a week ago we extended them to 1pm for all UK lines. The team are still responding to emails and queries outside of the reduced hours. Traditionally our phone lines are quiet during the afternoons when classes may be underway and we will be reverting back to our standard hours as soon as possible.

Posted 2 years ago

“IDS was brilliant before, now everything is out of stock all of the time? I am considering changing supplier”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Please can you tell me what you need and I will check with the buying department about delivery dates. Please email customerservices@ids.co.uk. Whilst we hold over double the inventory of any other competitor, that doesn’t always mean we ourselves aren’t impacted occasionally by our own suppliers during this time. Whilst we always hope to despatch everything from stock, sometimes there can be delays.

Posted 3 years ago

“The time between placing an order and dispatch has increased a lot. I appreciate the added restrictions with Covid but previously orders were sometimes dispatched the same day and now it takes at least 2 days.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

I understand that the current delay in shipping is hugely inconvenient for you and your customers, for which we apologise. We are working as fast as we possibly can to rectify matters. As you can imagine we have had to implement various new measures such as one-way systems meaning orders cannot be picked as quickly as they could have done in the past, screens on the packing stations resulting in fewer stations, limited the amount of handling of each order, and many other measures to ensure the safety of colleagues and customers.

Posted 3 years ago

“The service has gone hugely downhill since being taken over. I stubble with items being in stock and generally feel the service has lacked for a year or so now.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Whilst we hold over double the inventory of any other competitor, that doesn’t always mean we ourselves aren’t impacted occasionally by our own suppliers during this time. Whilst we always hope to despatch everything from stock, sometimes there can be delays. We value the feedback and are working tirelessly to improve the situation. We’re sorry we’ve fallen short of your expectations on this occasion.

Posted 3 years ago

“The dispatch service could improve greatly. It would also be very helpful if for such a large company selling dance wear, that the staff know about the costumes and sizing. ( well as much as possible). I understand that they have other things to do. Other than the above, costumes are lovely.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Thank you for your review. One of our team leaders just reached out to you as we always strive to improve our service. Our current lead time between order placement and dispatch is up to 3 working days which is also advertised on the website and I can see that your 2 most recent orders were within this timeframe. With regards to product knowledge, we always provide new starters with product training however with sizes varying so much from brand to brand it can occasionally be difficult to provide concrete advice. We do however understand that product knowledge overall needs to be improved as working from home has unfortunately removed the opportunity to access the stock on a regular basis.

Posted 3 years ago

“Not very happy with the delivery options to be honest. I place an order on the 08/12/2020 for an exam on the 14/12/2020. Paid £9.95 for express delivery, and messaged on IDS chat live to follow up on my order... Order arrived on the 15/12/2020! Had to spend another £7.50 to send my order back tracked delivery! Very disappointing to find after reading the small print that my account gets credited, rather than a refund! And I’m down a total of £17.45 in delivery charges for an item that costs £29.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Thank you for your review. I'm sorry to hear that the parcel was delayed and I can see that you have already been in touch with our customer service team who have requested a postage refund for you. We can certainly refund the item for you as it is being returned within our usual returns policy and I have left a note on the account regarding this. Apologies for the inconvenience caused.

Posted 3 years ago

“Delivery is shocking; we used to get things the next day without fail, and the latest order took a week. It makes you look at other stores who can deliver quickly. And ids never apologise or do anything about it! It’s getting worse and worse, please go back to the old system it was 100% better.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

We would love to go back to the old system but unfortunately we are unable to do so at the present time. As you can imagine we have had to implement various new measures such as one-way systems meaning orders cannot be picked as quickly as they could have done in the past, screens on the packing stations resulting in fewer stations, limiting the amount of handling of each order, and many other measures to ensure the safety of colleagues and customers. There is a note on the website to advise that you should expect delays of up to 3 working days until your order is sent. We are doing our best to get orders out as soon as possible but the restrictions mean that we are not as quick as we used to be.

Posted 3 years ago

“I have used the ids for many years, but unfortunately the past year I have the service slow and a lot of orders received incorrect. I don’t know if there was a change of staff or what happened.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Dear Sandra I am sorry you feel this way. Due to the lack of performances and after a prolonged absence of classes, we are seeing higher than normal levels of Dancewear purchasing . This is channelling most of the fulfilment activity into just one of our three warehouses. Whilst we hold over double the inventory of any other competitor, that doesn’t always mean we ourselves aren’t impacted occasionally by our own suppliers during this time. Whilst we always hope to despatch everything from stock, sometimes there can be delays. As you can imagine we have had to implement various new measures such as one-way systems meaning orders cannot be picked as quickly as they could have done in the past, screens on the packing stations resulting in fewer stations, limited the amount of handling of each order, and many other measures to ensure the safety of colleagues and customers. We also extended our returns criteria to enable teachers to return stock they bought for shows that are no longer taking place, which many teachers have taken advantage of. We value the feedback and are working tirelessly to improve the situation. We’re sorry we’ve fallen short of your expectations on this occasion.

Posted 3 years ago

“Website server delay is still SHOCKING and has been for far too long. The items I wanted weren’t actually in stock so had to buy more expensive equivalents which is great for you but not so good for me. It’s a shame IDS as you are being badmouthed all over the dance groups on social media and people are swift to recommend other suppliers. Get your act together before it’s too late!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Thank you for your review. We had an update on our website which caused a few issues but the IT team are aware of it and have been working hard to correct it. We are also seeing higher than normal levels of Dancewear purchasing and whilst we hold over double the inventory of any other competitor, that doesn’t always mean we ourselves aren’t impacted occasionally by our own suppliers during this time. Whilst we always hope to despatch everything from stock, sometimes there can be delays. We value the feedback and are working tirelessly to improve the situation. We’re sorry we’ve fallen short of your expectations on this occasion.

Posted 3 years ago

“Very rare that IDS have all items ordered in stock. Also, I have had to pay postage for back orders (which is not fair). I have just moved to an alternative provider.”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

I am sorry we have let you down. Following a conversation with you I can confirm that I will be looking into the points you have raised.

Posted 3 years ago

“Usually I rave about IDS and have always had great service, however this month I have had to wait ages (way more than the 2-4 working days I pay for) to receive my items and SO many jazz shows are out of stock that I can’t supply my students for weeks and have had to look elsewhere. Very disappointing!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Dear Hayley I understand that the current delay in shipping is hugely inconvenient for you and your customers, for which we apologise. We are working as fast as we possibly can to rectify matters. We have extended our warehouse opening hours, added in additional shifts and brought in more staff to supplement our own operations team - who are all back from furlough. As you can imagine we have had to implement various new measures such as one-way systems meaning orders cannot be picked as quickly as they could have done in the past, screens on the packing stations resulting in fewer stations, limited the amount of handling of each order, and many other measures to ensure the safety of colleagues and customers.Due to the lack of performances and recitals, and also after a prolonged absence of classes, we are also seeing higher than normal levels of Dancewear purchasing and understandably fewer costume orders. Whilst we hold over double the inventory of any other competitor, that doesn’t always mean we ourselves aren’t impacted occasionally by our own suppliers during this time. Whilst we always hope to despatch everything from stock, sometimes there can be delays. We value the feedback and are working tirelessly to improve the situation. We’re sorry we’ve fallen short of your expectations on this occasion.

Posted 3 years ago

“Items are never in stock anymore, delivery takes forever. You used to be fabulous, I hope that things get better soon!”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Dear Emma, Thank you for your review and the acknowledgement that we "used to be fabulous". I understand that the current delay in shipping is hugely inconvenient for you and your customers, for which we apologise. We are working as fast as we possibly can to rectify matters. We have extended our warehouse opening hours, added in additional shifts and brought in more staff to supplement our own operations team - who are all back from furlough. As you can imagine we have had to implement various new measures such as one-way systems meaning orders cannot be picked as quickly as they could have done in the past, screens on the packing stations resulting in fewer stations, limited the amount of handling of each order, and many other measures to ensure the safety of colleagues and customers. We have had a significant number of teachers set-up My Dancestores during the Summer to allow them to have items delivered directly to the parents and students without interaction and contact. This has meant we are shipping unprecedented numbers of smaller orders on behalf of Teachers. However, we continue to endeavour to prioritise all our wholesale customers. Whilst we hold over double the inventory of any other competitor, that doesn’t always mean we ourselves aren’t impacted occasionally by our own suppliers during this time. Whilst we always hope to despatch everything from stock sometimes there can be delays. We value the feedback and are working tirelessly to improve the situation. We’re sorry we’ve fallen short of your expectations on this occasion.

Posted 3 years ago

“did a large order on monday morning , paid for it all, took 5 days to be picked by which time a lot of my order had gone out of stock , took over a week to receive my order. still waiting for over £500 worth of goods”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Dear Gillian. Thank you for your review. I understand that the current delay in shipping is hugely inconvenient for you and your customers, for which we apologise. We are working as fast as we possibly can to rectify matters. We have extended our warehouse opening hours, added in additional shifts and brought in more staff to supplement our own operations team - who are all back from furlough. As you can imagine we have had to implement various new measures such as one-way systems meaning orders cannot be picked as quickly as they could have done in the past, screens on the packing stations resulting in fewer stations, limited the amount of handling of each order, and many other measures to ensure the safety of colleagues and customers. We have had a significant number of teachers set-up My Dancestores during the Summer to allow them to have items delivered directly to the parents and students without interaction and contact. This has meant we are shipping unprecedented numbers of smaller orders on behalf of Teachers. However, we continue to endeavour to prioritise all our wholesale customers. Due to the lack of performances and recitals, and also after a prolonged absence of classes, we are also seeing higher than normal levels of Dancewear purchasing and understandably fewer costume orders. This is channelling most of the fulfilment activity into just one of our three warehouses. Whilst we hold over double the inventory of any other competitor, that doesn’t always mean we ourselves aren’t impacted occasionally by our own suppliers during this time. Whilst we always hope to despatch everything from stock, sometimes there can be delays. We value the feedback and are working tirelessly to improve the situation. We’re sorry we’ve fallen short of your expectations on this occasion.

Posted 3 years ago

“Delivery time was much longer than anticipated”

Helpful Report

Posted 3 years ago

Thank you for your review. I understand that the current delay in shipping is hugely inconvenient for you and your customers, for which we apologise. We are working as fast as we possibly can to rectify matters. We have extended our warehouse opening hours, added in additional shifts and brought in more staff to supplement our own operations team - who are all back from furlough. As you can imagine we have had to implement various new measures such as one-way systems meaning orders cannot be picked as quickly as they could have done in the past, screens on the packing stations resulting in fewer stations, limited the amount of handling of each order, and many other measures to ensure the safety of colleagues and customers. We have had a significant number of teachers set-up My Dancestores during the Summer to allow them to have items delivered directly to the parents and students without interaction and contact. This has meant we are shipping unprecedented numbers of smaller orders on behalf of Teachers. However, we continue to endeavour to prioritise all our wholesale customers. Whilst we hold over double the inventory of any other competitor, that doesn’t always mean we ourselves aren’t impacted occasionally by our own suppliers during this time. Whilst we always hope to despatch everything from stock sometimes there can be delays. We value the feedback and are working tirelessly to improve the situation. We’re sorry we’ve fallen short of your expectations on this occasion.

Posted 3 years ago


Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Postal Service, Courier
Average Delivery Time	Next Day
On-time Delivery	Greater than 93%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	100%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Email, Telephone, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour
Customer Service	4.8 out of 5

International Dance Supplies Reviews