I placed an order yesterday which included a 600 x 900 double panel
radiator . The end panel was damaged an I tried calling the 0870 777
xxxx number which was on the enclosed leaflet and it was constantly
engaged..
I telephoned Screwfix to ask about that and they gave me an
alternative number which they said was for Kudos Rads but the lady
,who could hardly speak English ,said they had only been supplying
rads to Screwfix for one week which didn't sound like they had
supplied my rad as it was the same model as one I got months ago
( says FIX on the end panel).

I then called Screwfix again and was told the rad was supplied by
Valiant and gave me another number and ,unconvinced by this ,I called
them to be told that they did not supply panels and to contact
Screwfix to have to explain the whole friggin' story again to be told
" Oh we willl just send you another rad out " which was just what I
did not want to be told and I tried to speak to a supervisor but after
several minutes of silence I had to put the phone down and redial

This time ,still with no supervisor,the girl offered again to have a
new rad sent out ...clearly my explanation that it was the end panel
that was the problem and there was no guarantee the replacement rad
would be anyy different ...didn't strike home .She also said I could
take the rad to a local branch ....(but she did admit she had never
lifted a double radiator ).

What she did say was that they knew of the problem with the 0870
number I had been trying to call and they were trying to get that
resolved .. I said I would attempt to get in touch with the company
meantime ..Her reply was that I had 30 days to get an exchange rad.

Not good enough Screwfix...

On 10 Nov, 15:20, Usenet Nutter
wrote:
I placed an order yesterday which included a 600 x 900 double panel
radiator . The end panel was damaged an I tried calling the 0870 777
xxxx number which was on the enclosed leaflet and it was constantly
engaged..
I telephoned Screwfix to ask about that and they gave me an
alternative number *which they said was for Kudos Rads but the lady
,who could hardly speak English ,said they had only been supplying
rads to Screwfix for one week which didn't sound like they had
supplied my rad as it was the same model as one I got months ago
*( says FIX on the end panel).

*I then called Screwfix again and was told the rad was supplied by
Valiant and gave me another number and ,unconvinced by this ,I called
them to be told that they did not supply panels and to contact
Screwfix to have to explain the whole friggin' story again to be told
" Oh we willl just send you another rad out " *which was just what I
did not want to be told and I tried to speak to a supervisor but after
several minutes of silence I had to put the phone down and redial

This time ,still with no supervisor,the girl offered again to have a
new rad sent out *...clearly my explanation that it was the end panel
that was the problem and there was no guarantee the replacement rad
would be anyy different ...didn't strike home .She also said I could
take the rad to a local branch ....(but she did admit she had never
lifted a double radiator ).

What she did say was that they knew of the problem with the 0870
number I had been trying to call and they were trying to get that
resolved .. I said I would attempt to get in touch with the company
meantime ..Her reply was that I had 30 days to get an exchange rad.

Not good enough Screwfix...

What's wrong with letting them send you a new rad, swapping the end
panels and letting them take back the new rad with the damaged end
panel? They probably can't send you just an end panel because they
don't have a part number for it.

"pcb1962" wrote in message
...
On 10 Nov, 15:20, Usenet Nutter
wrote:
I placed an order yesterday which included a 600 x 900 double panel
radiator . The end panel was damaged an I tried calling the 0870 777
xxxx number which was on the enclosed leaflet and it was constantly
engaged..
I telephoned Screwfix to ask about that and they gave me an
alternative number which they said was for Kudos Rads but the lady
,who could hardly speak English ,said they had only been supplying
rads to Screwfix for one week which didn't sound like they had
supplied my rad as it was the same model as one I got months ago
( says FIX on the end panel).

I then called Screwfix again and was told the rad was supplied by
Valiant and gave me another number and ,unconvinced by this ,I called
them to be told that they did not supply panels and to contact
Screwfix to have to explain the whole friggin' story again to be told
" Oh we willl just send you another rad out " which was just what I
did not want to be told and I tried to speak to a supervisor but after
several minutes of silence I had to put the phone down and redial

This time ,still with no supervisor,the girl offered again to have a
new rad sent out ...clearly my explanation that it was the end panel
that was the problem and there was no guarantee the replacement rad
would be anyy different ...didn't strike home .She also said I could
take the rad to a local branch ....(but she did admit she had never
lifted a double radiator ).

What she did say was that they knew of the problem with the 0870
number I had been trying to call and they were trying to get that
resolved .. I said I would attempt to get in touch with the company
meantime ..Her reply was that I had 30 days to get an exchange rad.

Not good enough Screwfix...

What's wrong with letting them send you a new rad, swapping the end
panels and letting them take back the new rad with the damaged end
panel? They probably can't send you just an end panel because they
don't have a part number for it.

The obligation is on the retailer to replace the item - not to try and send
you bits!

On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:31:22 -0800 (PST), pcb1962
wrote:

On 10 Nov, 15:20, Usenet Nutter
wrote:
I placed an order yesterday which included a 600 x 900 double panel
radiator . The end panel was damaged an I tried calling the 0870 777
xxxx number which was on the enclosed leaflet and it was constantly
engaged..
I telephoned Screwfix to ask about that and they gave me an
alternative number *which they said was for Kudos Rads but the lady
,who could hardly speak English ,said they had only been supplying
rads to Screwfix for one week which didn't sound like they had
supplied my rad as it was the same model as one I got months ago
*( says FIX on the end panel).

*I then called Screwfix again and was told the rad was supplied by
Valiant and gave me another number and ,unconvinced by this ,I called
them to be told that they did not supply panels and to contact
Screwfix to have to explain the whole friggin' story again to be told
" Oh we willl just send you another rad out " *which was just what I
did not want to be told and I tried to speak to a supervisor but after
several minutes of silence I had to put the phone down and redial

This time ,still with no supervisor,the girl offered again to have a
new rad sent out *...clearly my explanation that it was the end panel
that was the problem and there was no guarantee the replacement rad
would be anyy different ...didn't strike home .She also said I could
take the rad to a local branch ....(but she did admit she had never
lifted a double radiator ).

What she did say was that they knew of the problem with the 0870
number I had been trying to call and they were trying to get that
resolved .. I said I would attempt to get in touch with the company
meantime ..Her reply was that I had 30 days to get an exchange rad.

Not good enough Screwfix...

What's wrong with letting them send you a new rad, swapping the end
panels and letting them take back the new rad with the damaged end
panel? They probably can't send you just an end panel because they
don't have a part number for it.

I thought I had covered that .The end and top panels are the most
vulnerable part within the box .The last rad I got had 2 damaged end
panels , this one just one .Who is to say the next rad won't have the
same problem ...what do I do then ...wait on a third one coming with
perhaps the same problem . Also it comes in a huge box and is also
wrapped in bubble wrap and polythene and HD cardboard ...u expect the
driver to wait while I unwrap and rewrap it ???

Apart from getting duff gen from Screwfix when I phone the problem is
the phone number of the manfrs being engaged . Last time all it took
was one quick phone call and the replacement panels arrived next day .
I'm not asking Screwfix to send them out ..I know they don't do that .

I guess you haven't ordered rads from Screwfix ? :-)

On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:44:39 +0000, Usenet Nutter wrote:

Also it comes in a huge box and is also wrapped in bubble wrap and
polythene and HD cardboard ...u expect the driver to wait while I unwrap
and rewrap it ???

Are Screwfix covering this loss themselves or are they going to claim
on the couriers? They really ought to be claiming off the couriers
otherwise there is no incentive to the courier to take any care at
all of the goods they are carrying.

Many places are now saying that signing "unchecked" is not good
enough and you should inspect the goods before signing or
(fraudulently) sign "damaged". If the driver has to wait for your
signature after you have checked the goods then they damn well have
to wait. It's the couriers rules they have to take the consequences
of those rules.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:35:52 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:

On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:44:39 +0000, Usenet Nutter wrote:

Also it comes in a huge box and is also wrapped in bubble wrap and
polythene and HD cardboard ...u expect the driver to wait while I unwrap
and rewrap it ???

Are Screwfix covering this loss themselves or are they going to claim
on the couriers? They really ought to be claiming off the couriers
otherwise there is no incentive to the courier to take any care at
all of the goods they are carrying.

I've no idea what arrangements are between Screwix/Couriers/Manfrs
and anyway how does anyone know where the damage was caused . I have
just looked at the box it came in and there is no evidence of any
damage ...however after I saw the damaged panel I had a look at the
cardboard caps covering the ends of the rads and one of them had a
split which suggests the damage was done before it was boxed .

Screwfix is drones selling boxes - that's why they're cheap(ish). They
have no understanding of the product. Even if you make a tech support
call, chances are someone will just read the leaflet to you (there are
rare exceptions, where I've spoken to someone that understands the
product - but it's rare)

Screwfix's business model revolves around low-ish prices, quick
delivery and no quibbles about returns and exchanges.

That's the way it works. You're not happy with it - refund or
exchange. Exchanges still crap - get yer money back.

That's how they're set up - they ain't going to change it for you,
because it works for them.

Don't like it - then go elsewhere.

On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:23:01 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

Screwfix is drones selling boxes - that's why they're cheap(ish). They
have no understanding of the product. Even if you make a tech support
call, chances are someone will just read the leaflet to you (there are
rare exceptions, where I've spoken to someone that understands the
product - but it's rare)

Screwfix's business model revolves around low-ish prices, quick
delivery and no quibbles about returns and exchanges.

That's the way it works. You're not happy with it - refund or
exchange. Exchanges still crap - get yer money back.

That's how they're set up - they ain't going to change it for you,
because it works for them.

Don't like it - then go elsewhere.

Yeah well if you say so ......Can't say I have had much reason to
complain about SF and what happened today wasn't so much about the
product as the hoops I had to go through to get a small problem sorted
.. That's all.

On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:01:11 -0800, Owain wrote:

On 10 Nov, 15:44, Usenet Nutter wrote:
I guess you haven't ordered rads from Screwfix ? :-)

I thought by now we all knew not to order rads and fluro tubes by mail
order from anywhere :-)

In my earlier, naive dealings with CPC I ordered five fluorescent tubes.
They taped them together and put loads of bubble wrap all round.

The couriers appeared to have folded them in two to get them in the van...


--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

Bob Eager wrote:
On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:01:11 -0800, Owain wrote:

On 10 Nov, 15:44, Usenet Nutter wrote:
I guess you haven't ordered rads from Screwfix ? :-)
I thought by now we all knew not to order rads and fluro tubes by mail
order from anywhere :-)

In my earlier, naive dealings with CPC I ordered five fluorescent tubes.
They taped them together and put loads of bubble wrap all round.

The couriers appeared to have folded them in two to get them in the van...


Of course. Or sat on them.

On Nov 10, 6:57 pm, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
Of course. Or sat on them.

The problem is idiot manufacturers & retailers not packaging properly.

Something like fluorescent tubes need to go out in a thickwall
cardboard tube, typically with inserts permitting one-to-several tubes
somewhat akin to an old locomotive boiler. Minor flexing then presents
no hazard with a suitable "look you thick ******* these are glass and
break if you miss-handle and you get the mercury & obnoxious smell" on
the outside.

Something like a radiator must be set in a polyethylene spaceframe
(not piggin polystyrene), then in a box, then in another double-wall
box separated from the first by polyethylene corner pieces linked by
compressed paper L-angle edge bracing.

The latter is almost how Tesco Direct ship a solid oak assembled with
glass side table.
It even has a false bottom with polystyrene under chipboard blocks to
act as a crumple zone if dropped heavily. Ordered many, all perfect
condition.


I have a suspicion the big retailers just pick up the bill rather than
claim. They ship 1M items a year, they get a cheaper no-insurance-
except-loss saving £0.80 per shipment so it covers £800,000 of trashed
deliveries re self-insurance. The problem is the end-purchaser gets
stiffed because some goods are virtually un-mail-order-able. Now
consider the activity based costing and the £800,000 is eaten up not
just by the goods, but the processing & admin of damaged goods (£25/
time?), plus collection & redelivery (£4+4). Then there is the cheesed
off customer where a competitor is just a click away.

On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:42:13 -0800 (PST), "js.b1"
wrote:

On Nov 10, 6:57 pm, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
Of course. Or sat on them.

The problem is idiot manufacturers & retailers not packaging properly.

Something like fluorescent tubes need to go out in a thickwall
cardboard tube, typically with inserts permitting one-to-several tubes
somewhat akin to an old locomotive boiler. Minor flexing then presents
no hazard with a suitable "look you thick ******* these are glass and
break if you miss-handle and you get the mercury & obnoxious smell" on
the outside.

Something like a radiator must be set in a polyethylene spaceframe
(not piggin polystyrene), then in a box, then in another double-wall
box separated from the first by polyethylene corner pieces linked by
compressed paper L-angle edge bracing.

The latter is almost how Tesco Direct ship a solid oak assembled with
glass side table.
It even has a false bottom with polystyrene under chipboard blocks to
act as a crumple zone if dropped heavily. Ordered many, all perfect
condition.


I have a suspicion the big retailers just pick up the bill rather than
claim. They ship 1M items a year, they get a cheaper no-insurance-
except-loss saving £0.80 per shipment so it covers £800,000 of trashed
deliveries re self-insurance. The problem is the end-purchaser gets
stiffed because some goods are virtually un-mail-order-able. Now
consider the activity based costing and the £800,000 is eaten up not
just by the goods, but the processing & admin of damaged goods (£25/
time?), plus collection & redelivery (£4+4). Then there is the cheesed
off customer where a competitor is just a click away.

After spending hours trying to contact the Rad Manfr on an enaged 0870
number I discovered it was DD Heating who are now Heatline in Bedford
and contacted them on another number and the girl I spoke to said that
I had to go back to Screwfix to sort it as it was their couriers who
had damaged the rad ....Questioning her found that the company has
changed it's policy so reading between the lines I'm guessing they
get hacked off having to replace damaged panels or rads....not half as
hacked off as this customer is becoming ...I am still awaiting a reply
from SF to an e-mail I sent them yesterday .....
......I wonder what the chances are of getting them to tell the local
branch to open up one of the 5 rads they have and swap out the panel
from it to give to me ???

On 11 Nov, 13:05, Usenet Nutter
wrote:
On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:42:13 -0800 (PST), "js.b1"
wrote:





On Nov 10, 6:57 pm, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:
Of course. Or sat on them.

The problem is idiot manufacturers & retailers not packaging properly.

Something like fluorescent tubes need to go out in a thickwall
cardboard tube, typically with inserts permitting one-to-several tubes
somewhat akin to an old locomotive boiler. Minor flexing then presents
no hazard with a suitable "look you thick ******* these are glass and
break if you miss-handle and you get the mercury & obnoxious smell" on
the outside.

Something like a radiator must be set in a polyethylene spaceframe
(not piggin polystyrene), then in a box, then in another double-wall
box separated from the first by polyethylene corner pieces linked by
compressed paper L-angle edge bracing.

The latter is almost how Tesco Direct ship a solid oak assembled with
glass side table.
It even has a false bottom with polystyrene under chipboard blocks to
act as a crumple zone if dropped heavily. Ordered many, all perfect
condition.

I have a suspicion the big retailers just pick up the bill rather than
claim. They ship 1M items a year, they get a cheaper no-insurance-
except-loss saving £0.80 per shipment so it covers £800,000 of trashed
deliveries re self-insurance. The problem is the end-purchaser gets
stiffed because some goods are virtually un-mail-order-able. Now
consider the activity based costing and the £800,000 is eaten up not
just by the goods, but the processing & admin of damaged goods (£25/
time?), plus collection & redelivery (£4+4). Then there is the cheesed
off customer where a competitor is just a click away.

After spending hours trying to contact the Rad Manfr on an enaged 0870
number I discovered it was DD Heating who are now Heatline in Bedford
and contacted them on another number and the girl I spoke to said that
I had to go back to Screwfix to sort it as it was their couriers *who
had damaged the rad ....Questioning her found that the company has
changed it's policy *so reading between the lines I'm guessing they
get hacked off having to replace damaged panels or rads....not half as
hacked off as this customer is becoming ...I am still awaiting a reply
from SF to an e-mail I sent them yesterday .....
.....I wonder what the chances are *of getting them to tell the local
branch to open up one of the 5 rads they have and swap out the panel
from it to give to me ???- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Why are you dealing with the manufacturer? You bought it from Screwfix
so your contract is with them. If it's damaged then Screwfix are
liable to refund your money, unless you choose to accept a
replacement. A signature saying you accepted it in good condition,
when you didn't have opportunity properly to inspect it, has no legal
force and doesn't remove those rights.

Cheers
Richard

On Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:28:06 -0800 (PST), geraldthehamster
wrote:

Why are you dealing with the manufacturer? You bought it from Screwfix
so your contract is with them. If it's damaged then Screwfix are
liable to refund your money, unless you choose to accept a
replacement. A signature saying you accepted it in good condition,
when you didn't have opportunity properly to inspect it, has no legal
force and doesn't remove those rights.

Cheers
Richard

Why am I dealing with the Manfr you ask....
Because in previous dealings with this sort of problem Screwfix said
to call the company and they would send out the replacement panel
( which they did) so I believed that arrangement still stood....in
fact someone from Screwfix's Resolution Centre has just told me on the
'phone that arrangement should,to her knowledge ,still be in operation
and she is now going off to clarify things further up Screwfix's chain
cos clearly there is a problem with comms between SF and the Manfrs
.......THAT is why I was trying to get the manfr to resolve things .

The simplest way would either be for SF to keep a stock of replacement
panels which they could send out if required or to get the Manfr to
send them out ( as before) and SF pay the company the costs .or is
that just too simple???

I just want a friggin' replacement panel...I did suggest that the
local SF open up a rad ( they have 5) and I swap it over and she is
going to see if that can be done ..the other suggestion was to send
out another rad and I swap the panel over and they collect it the next
day .

On Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:33:57 +0000, Usenet Nutter
wrote:

On Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:28:06 -0800 (PST), geraldthehamster
wrote:

Why are you dealing with the manufacturer? You bought it from Screwfix
so your contract is with them. If it's damaged then Screwfix are
liable to refund your money, unless you choose to accept a
replacement. A signature saying you accepted it in good condition,
when you didn't have opportunity properly to inspect it, has no legal
force and doesn't remove those rights.

Cheers
Richard

Why am I dealing with the Manfr you ask....
Because in previous dealings with this sort of problem Screwfix said
to call the company and they would send out the replacement panel
( which they did) so I believed that arrangement still stood....in
fact someone from Screwfix's Resolution Centre has just told me on the
'phone that arrangement should,to her knowledge ,still be in operation
and she is now going off to clarify things further up Screwfix's chain
cos clearly there is a problem with comms between SF and the Manfrs
......THAT is why I was trying to get the manfr to resolve things .

The simplest way would either be for SF to keep a stock of replacement
panels which they could send out if required or to get the Manfr to
send them out ( as before) and SF pay the company the costs .or is
that just too simple???

I just want a friggin' replacement panel...I did suggest that the
local SF open up a rad ( they have 5) and I swap it over and she is
going to see if that can be done ..the other suggestion was to send
out another rad and I swap the panel over and they collect it the next
day .

Following up from last message the SF lady was true to her word and
'phoned me back .Arrangements had been made with the Glasgow Counter
for them to look out a rad and I have just been down and swapped my
bent panel with one out of the box ..I was in and out in 2 minutes ..I
hope nobody else gets that radiator ..but I suspect they will.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Bob Eager wrote:

In my earlier, naive dealings with CPC I ordered five fluorescent
tubes. They taped them together and put loads of bubble wrap all round.

The couriers appeared to have folded them in two to get them in the
van...

Of course. Or sat on them.

Well, all credit in this department to the company I've just bought some
custom-cut sheets of glass from. Each sheet bubblewrapped, the whole
stack put into a specially-cut-out block of polystyrene (like a cartoon
cut-out book), extra blocks of polystyrene on each face, then the whole
thing wrapped in tape. Then they build a tight-fitting plywood box
around it and wrapped that in tape for good measure.

The courier probably could have driven the van over it without damage :-)

Pete