Hattons!!!

[austinbob]

I placed an order with them on Friday and it arrived the previous Thursday

signed

H G Wells

I believed they packed that order next week!

[Agrippa]

Way to go, and return faulty locos before they arrive....

[ten0G]

I find this all a bit discouraging, I was hoping to place an order with them next week for delivery to Japan. 

I've looked at a lot of other websites but most of the items I want by Dapol and Farish are out-of-stock or discontinued and at this distance fleabay is probably not an option.    

I've been a bit concerned recently because I started receiving emails for "like new" alternatives to items which I was looking at three or four years ago before some serious family problems stopped me going ahead.  I was particularly not impressed by one email which, when I clicked on the link took me to a completely different "like new" item.   

[snail]

i can safely say I've never bought anything from Hattons, in fact I've only really seen their adverts in the Railway Modeller and been drawn into their competitive prices.

But after reading this thread I'm in two minds to pay a bit extra and have better piece of mind/customer service from a smaller company.

[Chris in Prague]

I'm sorry to read about others' bad experiences but i have always found Hattons to offer excellent service and very reasonable and reliable shipping to me, in Prague. I have also good experiences of DJM and Kernow Models.

[NeMo]

Another thumbs-up from me for Hattons. While I do use other retailers, and regularly visit Kent Garden Railways when I'm in London, Hattons remains my default online retailer for most things. Used them dozens of times.

Service has been flawless thus far. Delivery has not been a problem, usually arrives within a day or two, and the Royal Mail postman knows where the "hide" the parcel if I'm not about (bless him!).

Some of the arguments against seem unreasonable. If you return a noisy loco, while it'd be nice to have a quieter one sent to you, it may well be simpler for their business model to offer a refund. Similarly some people don't like the courier they end up with, but you do get offered the choice of various Royal Mail, Interlink and Yodel options.

Cheers, NeMo

[Roy L S]

Although on the face of it a choice of carrier is offered in the past I have elected for Royal Mail and it has been ignored with items being despatched using Yodel. These days I make it clear that items must only be shipped by Royal Mail and no other way ask the order to be notated to that effect. Thus far this has worked maybe helped by me saying that if they ignore the instruction it will be my last order....but then maybe not who knows...

Roy

[DELETED]

^^ I two have stated RM but got yodel on several occasions.  The printed label they produce on the box even states clearly not to use Yodel in the delivery notes box!  To be fair I stopped buying from Tesco mail order also because they couldn't guarantee it Yodel Free.


...However, no more digs!  I'm just wondering why I think there's a distinct lack of trader presence on here if this is supposed to be the big N Gauge forum?  Is there a reason why the big traders don't post   I'm beginning to feel if they had a presence allot of things could be resolved quite amicably.  It's all very well saying "it's been resolved on facebook" or the likes but some of us don't use social media.

I've been on countless car and other forums -the good traders always had presence.  It was their best way to keep touch with their customers!

[guest311]

Although on the face of it a choice of carrier is offered in the past I have elected for Royal Mail and it has been ignored with items being despatched using Yodel. These days I make it clear that items must only be shipped by Royal Mail and no other way ask the order to be notated to that effect. Thus far this has worked maybe helped by me saying that if they ignore the instruction it will be my last order....but then maybe not who knows...

Roy

when I complained about a Royal Mail order being sent by the yahoos, I was told that if a parcel is too heavy, ie loads of ballast, or too big, ie metre lengths of track, then it is sent by them as RM won't accept them.

having said that, I've had some heavy, and long, parcels delivered by parcelforce, which I thought was the heavyweight side of RM.

or am I wrong in that ?

[PaulCheffus]

Although on the face of it a choice of carrier is offered in the past I have elected for Royal Mail and it has been ignored with items being despatched using Yodel. These days I make it clear that items must only be shipped by Royal Mail and no other way ask the order to be notated to that effect. Thus far this has worked maybe helped by me saying that if they ignore the instruction it will be my last order....but then maybe not who knows...

Roy

when I complained about a Royal Mail order being sent by the yahoos, I was told that if a parcel is too heavy, ie loads of ballast, or too big, ie metre lengths of track, then it is sent by them as RM won't accept them.

having said that, I've had some heavy, and long, parcels delivered by parcelforce, which I thought was the heavyweight side of RM.

or am I wrong in that ?

Hi

No your not wrong but I willing to be yodel are significantly cheaper and they already have a contract with them unlike Parcel Force.

Cheers

Paul

[Newportnobby]

...However, no more digs!  I'm just wondering why I think there's a distinct lack of trader presence on here if this is supposed to be the big N Gauge forum?  Is there a reason why the big traders don't post   I'm beginning to feel if they had a presence allot of things could be resolved quite amicably.  It's all very well saying "it's been resolved on facebook" or the likes but some of us don't use social media.

I've been on countless car and other forums -the good traders always had presence.  It was their best way to keep touch with their customers!

Who's to say they are not lurking?
I agree, if I thought I was a major supplier, I'd at least monitor the forums but, then again, with complaints being levelled at Hattons/Osbournes it could just be a 'no time' issue

[Agrippa]

They could be forum members with names like That Son or Ros Snob, and posting positive
comments about themselves, excellent service, dealt with them for years, helpful staff etc,
that's what I'd do!

[Newportnobby]

They could be forum members with names like That Son or Ros Snob, and posting positive
comments about themselves, excellent service, dealt with them for years, helpful staff etc,
that's what I'd do!

Are you sure you're not from Ikea, 'Apa gari'?

[Agrippa]

I thought Apagari was a volcano in the far east....

[robert shrives]

Hi to add I have had 15 years or so ordering from Hattons and until a few months ago never had a problem. I too had specified Royal mail only and this is now hit and miss despite several amicable emails and assurances.
I have preorders over £2K in value on grounds of the early buy price but given recent Bachmann hikes and not bring able/ willing to honour does make the process useless. I do like however the notes and emails advising progress and advice on price changes and choice to cancel order.
staff have without exception been very good on the phone and emails promptly and politely answered.
I have now added more preoders to RoS as they often equal prices and postage, however Ian Allen in Brum ar good value and no postage, down  the road.
All in all Hattons still get my vote and hopefully the tie up with Dave Jones will work out for N gauge modellers ! despite the comments about the Ore wagons reported at Ally Pally
Robert