On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 04:06:05 -0800, wrote:

Today amongst some builders metalwork and stainless screws I ordered, I
got a pack of plastic plumbing fittings I didn't order. Random
additions and (less so) deletions appear to be getting more common from
Screwfix. I'd say roughly 20-30% of my orders are "different" to what I
ordered through the website.

Now they are very good at patching up mistakes, after a single quick
phone call, and next day delivery seems to be working consistantly
again, after a wobbly phase when they had a major expansion.

Their unbranded tools are still very often utter junk though (I've sent
most of them back). Everyone else's experiences roughly the same?

I am significant customer of S/fix (they call me a "key account holder"
and are extra nice to me if I complain). Since I make on average two
orders a week I am in a position to know whether there are any changes.

A few years ago the most common fault (may be 1 in 20) orders was getting
someone elses stuff (and they presumable getting yours?). That has not
happened at all in the last couple of hundred orders.

Recently for the first time in a long time they made a mistake by not
including all of an item. I've never known them miss out an item in it's
entirety, perhaps I've been lucky but I do make a hundred orders a year.

Sometimes (a couple of times a year) they misunderstand their "pack size"
and "quantity" this is in your favour and sometimes not.

They almost ceased to function when they first moved the warehouse from
Yeovil but after a few weeks they were back to normal.

An irritation that I find is that they don't tell you when they _remove_
stuff from their catalogue. e.g.
1) Fuses wire.
2) Both square and round flue terminal guards.

Sometimes they replace the product with a better equivalent though.

If you buy the £20 quid cordless driver it is not the same as £350 Makita.
You get what you pay for and specific larger items are almost always
available for less elsewhere.


Single radiators and 5 litre paint _will_ always arrived damaged unless
you are fortunate.


--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html
Gas Fitting Standards Docs he http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFittingStandards