Farish / Dapol Collectors clubs ?

[austinbob]

I was with the Bachmann club, but they never offered Andy loco's of interest to me, so I decided to leave and take out the Dapol one.

The Dapol one was good, until I found out it ends in December (I took it out in September  ). When I joined, they said you got a mug and all sorts, but it never turned up and after 20 emails to Dapol they are still yet to reply.

Dapol have brilliant loco's but  customer service.

I joined the Bachmann/Farish collectors club the same day as the Dapol Club. I got my membership card and a lovely N gauge wagon within a week. I also got access to the collectors club specials and bought a named black 5 and a nice set of private owners wagons at prices better than Hattons. I think I've already got my moneys worth out of the Bachmann/Farish club with absolutely no hassle
Dapol should be ashamed of themselves. I'm seriously considering contacting trading standards about this. I know its only £25 but its £25 a pensioner could be spending on something else.

[austinbob]

I believe that Joel Bright is MD of Dapol. Does anyone know his email address as I was thinking of emailing him about my dissatisfaction with the collectors club. Online searches seem to have him fairly well hidden. Perhaps not a surprise!!
Help if you can please.

[NOE 544R]

I was with the Bachmann club, but they never offered Andy loco's of interest to me, so I decided to leave and take out the Dapol one.

The Dapol one was good, until I found out it ends in December (I took it out in September  ). When I joined, they said you got a mug and all sorts, but it never turned up and after 20 emails to Dapol they are still yet to reply.

Dapol have brilliant loco's but  customer service.

I joined the Bachmann/Farish collectors club the same day as the Dapol Club. I got my membership card and a lovely N gauge wagon within a week. I also got access to the collectors club specials and bought a named black 5 and a nice set of private owners wagons at prices better than Hattons. I think I've already got my moneys worth out of the Bachmann/Farish club with absolutely no hassle
Dapol should be ashamed of themselves. I'm seriously considering contacting trading standards about this. I know its only £25 but its £25 a pensioner could be spending on something else.

This is the problem I have with dapol. I prefer their loco's, especially with their new weathering which is amazing. However, when it comes to customer service, it's non existent. At shows they are fine, but as a so called professional company they fail.

I wish they would just stop for a few days, re organise everything, sort out their customer service and then resume trading, as it is the only way it will be done.

[mod]Post edited - please do not make potentially libellous comments on the forum.[/mod]

[austinbob]

Well!! I've waited the two or three days Nicola suggested to receive the two parcels she promised and all I've had so far is a Dapol catalogue. Time to ask for a refund methinks. The Dapol catalogue isn't even mentioned as part of the membership pack!!

Second parcel never arrived - what a surprise. So all I got from Dapol for my £25 was a catalogue I didn't ask for.
Sent off an email to Nicola asking for a refund. Got a reply from Nicola from BACHMANN!!! saying 'are you sure you've got the right collectors club??'  Fancy them both having the same name - wow!!
Had to do grovel, grovel reply to Bachmann saying how sorry I was for getting it wrong and that I was more than happy with their club 
Reposted email to Nicola of Dapol requesting refund so lets see what happens?

[NOE 544R]

Well!! I've waited the two or three days Nicola suggested to receive the two parcels she promised and all I've had so far is a Dapol catalogue. Time to ask for a refund methinks. The Dapol catalogue isn't even mentioned as part of the membership pack!!

Second parcel never arrived - what a surprise. So all I got from Dapol for my £25 was a catalogue I didn't ask for.
Sent off an email to Nicola asking for a refund. Got a reply from Nicola from BACHMANN!!! saying 'are you sure you've got the right collectors club??'  Fancy them both having the same name - wow!!
Had to do grovel, grovel reply to Bachmann saying how sorry I was for getting it wrong and that I was more than happy with their club 
Reposted email to Nicola of Dapol requesting refund so lets see what happens?

Still no reply to me either. Ah shame really.

[austinbob]

Well!! I've waited the two or three days Nicola suggested to receive the two parcels she promised and all I've had so far is a Dapol catalogue. Time to ask for a refund methinks. The Dapol catalogue isn't even mentioned as part of the membership pack!!

Second parcel never arrived - what a surprise. So all I got from Dapol for my £25 was a catalogue I didn't ask for.
Sent off an email to Nicola asking for a refund.

Never got a response to my email to Nicola at Dapol collectors club requesting a refund. (waited nearly a week).
Sent email to Joel Bright, MD, yesterday. Got a read receipt but no reply. Maybe he's busy, maybe he'll contact me next week. Still I know he's probably got other things on his mind. After all I'm only a customer and nobody of importance!
In any event I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that my £25 has been fraudulently appropriated by Dapol and I'm not likely to see a refund or a membership pack. Don't really have any other options now, not worth pursuing this from a legal point of view as its not a lot of money and I can't be bothered with the hassle.
From now on, as far as I am concerned, Dapol no longer exists and I will no longer purchase anything from them.
Next port of call is the ehattons web site to cancel all my Dapol preorders.
This is just an appalling way to treat customers.

In contrast I've just received the latest Bachmann Times from the Bachmann Collectors club and very nice it is too.

[Newportnobby]

Sorry to hear that about Dapol, Bob.
It just reminds me of the Q & A session on a certain other forum which turned out to be a debacle

[MikeDunn]

Or their marvellous appearance @ the NGS meeting (I think it was) about a year back ...

I treat Dapol kit with a great deal of caution these days ... if it's not perfect, I won't touch it.

[austinbob]

Or their marvellous appearance @ the NGS meeting (I think it was) about a year back ...

I treat Dapol kit with a great deal of caution these days ... if it's not perfect, I won't touch it.

Unfortunately I quite like some of the Dapol stuff. To be honest its just as good as Farish. (or bad depending on your point of view). However I can't accept rubbish customer service - in my opinion fraud in this case.
So on principle I will no longer buy Dapol products. If I see a second hand Dapol  product in good condition then I would buy it because Dapol would make no money out of it.

[austinbob]

have just got a dapol collectors club mag today i left the club over a year ago 

The magazine comes from the printer directly, mine arrived as well today but nothing from Nicola at the Collector Club. I left a post on Facebook which Joel Dapol disliked but nothing done until I posted it, he offered to refund my Membership which I have now confirmed I wished to do and am waiting for a refund. The N'thusiasts Club was far better run than this new multi gauge venture which is a shambles.

George? did you ever get your refund?

[austinbob]

Just ordered a very nice Pullman brake from Farish collectors club. Will complement my rake of Pullmans from Farish very nicely when they arrive.

[georgehgv]

have just got a dapol collectors club mag today i left the club over a year ago 

The magazine comes from the printer directly, mine arrived as well today but nothing from Nicola at the Collector Club. I left a post on Facebook which Joel Dapol disliked but nothing done until I posted it, he offered to refund my Membership which I have now confirmed I wished to do and am waiting for a refund. The N'thusiasts Club was far better run than this new multi gauge venture which is a shambles.

George? did you ever get your refund?

Hi Bob, did send you message.

Yes I did get refund  . I never got a membership card etc despite being assured it had been sent days before requesting refund, anyway I got refund.

I posted a not very complimentary post on Dapol Facebook page to which Joel responded privately, let's say he did not like what I posted but he sorted the refund straight away.

My suggestion is to do similar search Dapol in Facebook search and post the facts, sit back and wait, have a look at mine if you are there.

I like Dapol products, will still buy them as I know where to buy very competitively and if repairs are needed DCC Supplies are very good, warranty work no problem. Better than Farish who you have to pay your own postage to return even for warranty work.

So anyone unhappy with service or gets no response rattle on Facebook it works without exception in my experience, have had cause to complain on many occasions to different places and Facebook is the place to do it. Name names if you like just make sure facts are true.

Good luck all.

[austinbob]

Thanks George but I don't do facebook or other media stuff so am  resigned to hoping for refund. In any event Dapol have lost my business for good unless I see some evidence that they care a damn about their customers

[georgehgv]

Thanks George but I don't do facebook or other media stuff so am  resigned to hoping for refund. In any event Dapol have lost my business for good unless I see some evidence that they care a damn about their customers

Make an exception Bob, can use Facebook without posting much if you want but believe me if you need to kick butt it works.

[simong]

Not sure if it has been mentioned earlier in the thread but you can contact your local trading standards office who should be able to help or try Citizens Advice.  Really a shame to hear of such blatant disregard for customers from Dapol, we need them to ensure Bachmann keep their game up. and their Class 56 and 58 are brilliant.