Yet another Dapol moan thread

Started by TheEdge, March 21, 2017, 04:50:30 PM

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TheEdge

*puts tin hat on*

I'd like to thank Dapol for helping my choice to go continental that much easier. If it wasn't for my experiences in their awful quality control in OO, which by all accounts continues to purvey in both OO and N, I may never have ruled the UK N market as too much of a Bachmann monopoly and have never seen the light of Minitrix, Fleischmann, PIKO, Arnold, Brawa, the list goes on.

*keeps hat on, runs away*

austinbob

Quote from: Nik96 on March 22, 2017, 07:59:34 PM
I've only had a handful of Dapol products but never had a single problem with any of them I couldn't fix in 30 seconds.

Long may Dapol prosper and keep delivering quality I've come to know.
You shouldn't have to fix ANY problem on a brand new loco!!

I've had problems with around 20percent of my 70 odd locos whether they be Dapol or Farish.
My view is that neither Dapol or Farish deserve a 'tribute' thread. If we want British outline N gauge then we are a captive audience and have to suffer a quality/fault rate that we would not dream of accepting for any other consumer product in the universe....
:thumbsdown:
Size matters - especially if you don't have a lot of space - and N gauge is the answer!

Bob Austin

austinbob

Quote from: Sprintex on March 22, 2017, 08:24:45 PM
Quote from: austinbob on March 22, 2017, 08:13:37 PM
My view is that neither Dapol or Farish deserve a 'tribute' thread.

Why post a reply then rather than just ignore the thread if it's not to your liking?


Paul
Don't have a problem with the thread Paul there are many valid positive posts. Just have difficulty with the apparent acceptance of poor quality, whatever the excuses.
:beers:
Size matters - especially if you don't have a lot of space - and N gauge is the answer!

Bob Austin

Nik96

Quote from: austinbob on March 22, 2017, 08:13:37 PM
Quote from: Nik96 on March 22, 2017, 07:59:34 PM
I've only had a handful of Dapol products but never had a single problem with any of them I couldn't fix in 30 seconds.

Long may Dapol prosper and keep delivering quality I've come to know.
You shouldn't have to fix ANY problem on a brand new loco!!

I've had problems with around 20percent of my 70 odd locos whether they be Dapol or Farish.
My view is that neither Dapol or Farish deserve a 'tribute' thread. If we want British outline N gauge then we are a captive audience and have to suffer a quality/fault rate that we would not dream of accepting for any other consumer product in the universe....
:thumbsdown:

Its the nature of anything manufactured... They wont be perfect and when you deal with small volumes, these issues are just amplified. There isn't the ability to tack 10% extra volume to an order because you know you'll have faults. To expect everything to work faultless first time out of the box is quite frankly ridiculous. This is the purpose of warranties because this isn't an ideal world...

This is the issue of a niche market. That said if you do want to take up a fault free hobby there's always stamp colllecting  ;D
4 Layouts in, I've never got further than ballasting track. 5th time lucky?

broadsword

Buying toy trains is like buying a lightbulb, fridge, pizza, should work straight from the box.
Mind you the laptop I'm using for this post is the worst I've ever had (Acer). That taught
me to beware of Argos bargains.  :(

Fardap

Have said it before and will say it again, the unhappy few are more likely to post about a problem than the happy many who don't have an issue with a purchase.
I work in Aviation and even these high tech systems have rouge units and poorly performing systems, but they are few of many.

I have had problems that I have solved myself, it is part of being a modeller that you have the ability to modify and rectify minor issues, from what I have seen both major manufacturers seem pretty good on replacing models that are not performing.

So yes you can have a moan, that is what freedom of speech is about, just be aware there are many people out there the silent majority who haven't a need to moan.


austinbob

Quote from: Nik96 on March 22, 2017, 11:15:34 PM
Quote from: austinbob on March 22, 2017, 08:13:37 PM
Quote from: Nik96 on March 22, 2017, 07:59:34 PM
I've only had a handful of Dapol products but never had a single problem with any of them I couldn't fix in 30 seconds.

Long may Dapol prosper and keep delivering quality I've come to know.
You shouldn't have to fix ANY problem on a brand new loco!!

I've had problems with around 20percent of my 70 odd locos whether they be Dapol or Farish.
My view is that neither Dapol or Farish deserve a 'tribute' thread. If we want British outline N gauge then we are a captive audience and have to suffer a quality/fault rate that we would not dream of accepting for any other consumer product in the universe....
:thumbsdown:

Its the nature of anything manufactured... They wont be perfect and when you deal with small volumes, these issues are just amplified. There isn't the ability to tack 10% extra volume to an order because you know you'll have faults. To expect everything to work faultless first time out of the box is quite frankly ridiculous. This is the purpose of warranties because this isn't an ideal world...

This is the issue of a niche market. That said if you do want to take up a fault free hobby there's always stamp colllecting  ;D
Stamp collecting is a good hobby too and I collect British stamps. However not a good comparison for quality and faults. Stamp collectors WANT and NEED faults in their stamps cos they're worth more!!  :)

And.. the purpose of a warranty is to ensure that the 'occasional' problem is quickly resolved by repair, replacement or refund. A warranty shouldn't be the manufacturer's method of quality control, relying on the poor old customer to find the fault and return the product.

I spent 20+ years as a consultant designing quality assurance and control systems for dozens of companies
of all sizes. The main objective has to be good quality (fit for purpose) all the time with the resulting happy customers.
There are many posts about how smaller companies can't afford such objectives but in most cases it costs more to resolve issues with a product that has been shipped faulty than it does to make sure its right in the first place.
Happy customers are essential for a thriving business. Yes, we only hear about the problems with locos in the main. That's because people expect things to be 'fit for purpose' and have a right to complain if things aren't. Most people don't want or expect to have to fix 'small' problems themselves. Even if only a few people complain this will tarnish the reputation of the manufacturer/supplier.

Don't get me wrong - current N gauge models have advanced in terms of detail and accuracy but they have, in my opinion, got worse in quality with higher shipped fault/failure rates. This is true to such an extent that I only buy locos from my local model shop where I can see them working before I buy and choose the best of the bunch.

Buying online, although not the fault of the retailers generally, is a bit of a lottery.

Lecture over - lets just encourage the manufacturer's to do better in terms of quality rather than making excuses for their poor quality.
:beers:
Size matters - especially if you don't have a lot of space - and N gauge is the answer!

Bob Austin

broadsword

Just as well Dapol don't make parachutes  :D

Sprintex

Just as well Farish don't make them either!

Since they can't seem to make simple plastic gears that don't split I certainly wouldn't want a parachute from them. BR Lines would be no help as you plummet to Earth at 125mph  :goggleeyes:


Paul

austinbob

Just an aside.. I'm not singling out Dapol for quality issues, Farish have their moments too.
On the other hand Union Mills seem to be the other side of the quality coin. OK You don't get the detail and sophistication of Dapol/Farish, but you know what you are going to get and you have a very high probability of getting a loco that does what it says on the tin. Result... loads of very happy customers.
That's what quality is about.
I thank you......
:beers:
Size matters - especially if you don't have a lot of space - and N gauge is the answer!

Bob Austin

broadsword

Simple solution, UM sell their chassis to Dapol who add
the detailed body, of course you'd be stuck with mostly
inside cylinder 0-6-0 locos .....................

austinbob

Size matters - especially if you don't have a lot of space - and N gauge is the answer!

Bob Austin

Newportnobby

Quote from: Fardap on March 23, 2017, 07:59:02 AM
it is part of being a modeller that you have the ability to modify and rectify minor issues

I don't and won't.
If it doesn't work from the box, back it goes. I don't expect to pay over £100 for a model and then have to 'fettle' it myself.
This applies regardless of manufacturer or what I'm buying.

joe cassidy

Quote from: broadsword on March 23, 2017, 09:05:24 AM
Just as well Dapol don't make parachutes  :D

Or nuclear power stations !

railsquid

Quote from: Fardap on March 23, 2017, 07:59:02 AM
Have said it before and will say it again, the unhappy few are more likely to post about a problem than the happy many who don't have an issue with a purchase..
That's what I thought when getting into British N gauge a couple of years back, and was prepared to accept that there might be one or two duds, but compared to the wide range of Japanese and German stock I have the British stuff is much more likely to fail (Farish with split gears, Dapol with the electrickery), and I think I have a large enough sample now that it's not a statistical fluke. I also don't see the same level of complaints about German or Japanese stuff.

Where there's smoke there's fire (or a faulty Dapol class 33 which went poof! on me a few laps out of the box - though the replacement is fine).

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