Alternative to Screwfix for basic consumables?
 

As ordering from Screwfix is next to impossible at the moment, I was
wondering what alternative online suppliers for screws, sealant etc are
available?

The range and service at www.comdir.co.uk and http://www.unifix.co.uk/ seem
good and delivery is quick.

What other suppliers can be recommended?

dg

In article , dg
writes
As ordering from Screwfix is next to impossible at the moment, I was
wondering what alternative online suppliers for screws, sealant etc are
available?

Even when the idiots at Screwfux deign to let customers order from them
once more, I would suggest that folk take their business elsewhere.

Any outfit that plainly shows the utter contempt for customer "good
will" recently displayed by Screwfux does not deserve to retain any
customers at all.

--
Paul

In article , dg
writes
As ordering from Screwfix is next to impossible at the moment, I was
wondering what alternative online suppliers for screws, sealant etc are
available?

The range and service at www.comdir.co.uk and http://www.unifix.co.uk/
seem good and delivery is quick.

What other suppliers can be recommended?

dg
http://www.whdirect.co.uk/
--
Zaax
http://www.ukgatsos.com

dg wrote:

As ordering from Screwfix is next to impossible at the moment, I was
wondering what alternative online suppliers for screws, sealant etc are
available?


Toolstation are good for sealants and glues etc, ok for other stuff.
Axminster also have a large range of tools and also do fixings etc.
LawsonHIS are good for tools especially decent stuff.

The range and service at www.comdir.co.uk and http://www.unifix.co.uk/
seem good and delivery is quick.

Not looked at comdir yet (will do so shortly), the unifix site is
complete and utter pants IMHO! Kind of puts you off ordering even if the
service is OK.


--
Cheers,

John.

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Paul C. Dickie wrote:

As ordering from Screwfix is next to impossible at the moment, I was
wondering what alternative online suppliers for screws, sealant etc are
available?


Even when the idiots at Screwfux deign to let customers order from them
once more, I would suggest that folk take their business elsewhere.

Why?

Saying "if you can't give me what I want right now, I am going somewhere
else, and will never come back, so there!" does rather smack of throwing
toys out of the pram.

Any outfit that plainly shows the utter contempt for customer "good
will" recently displayed by Screwfux does not deserve to retain any
customers at all.

Huh?

Other than the issue of leaving the site up and just disabling the order
capability, and given they can't cope with the level of demand at the
moment, what would you rather they did?

--
Cheers,

John.

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\================================================= ================/

Paul C. Dickie wrote:

Any outfit that plainly shows the utter contempt for customer "good
will" recently displayed by Screwfux does not deserve to retain any
customers at all.


This is nonsense. Politely turning away business is not a bad thing to
do - in fact, it's a very sensible thing to do, far better than taking
on orders which you just can't fulfill.

We routinely turn away customers. If we didn't, we just wouldn't be able
to do all the work.


--
Grunff

In article , John
Rumm writes
Paul C. Dickie wrote:
As ordering from Screwfix is next to impossible at the moment, I was
wondering what alternative online suppliers for screws, sealant etc are
available?
Even when the idiots at Screwfux deign to let customers order from them
once more, I would suggest that folk take their business elsewhere.
Why?

Simply because they have the wrong idea of how to deal with their
customers -- and this is *not* something that has only recently
happened. The problem seems to have existed for a month or two.

Some weeks ago, I telephoned them to ask about the availability of
replacement blades for their mini cut-off saw (#26358) as I could not
find any 150mm x 3mm thick blades in the spare blades section of the
catalogue. The lady in the call centre to whom I spoke could not find
them either, so she said she'd ask someone to call me back. I gave her
my 'phone number and email address, but I've still not received a reply.

Saying "if you can't give me what I want right now, I am going somewhere
else, and will never come back, so there!" does rather smack of throwing
toys out of the pram.

No. It indicates that, when one has found an alternative supplier that
is at least as efficient and with prices as reasonable (if not better)
one would be damned silly to revert to a company that seems unable to
give the proverbial **** for servicing its customers.

Any outfit that plainly shows the utter contempt for customer "good
will" recently displayed by Screwfux does not deserve to retain any
customers at all.
Huh?

Please translate that from the Neanderthal dialect.

Other than the issue of leaving the site up and just disabling the order
capability, and given they can't cope with the level of demand at the
moment, what would you rather they did?

I'd rather they'd not taken down the old system until the new system was
fully operational.

I'd rather they reverted to using a pen and paper system -- and carrying
messages in cleft sticks, if needs be -- if they were unable to make the
new system work and if they weren't able to reinstate the old system.

I'd rather they provided the sort of service they once did -- and for
which folk would unhesitatingly recommend them -- than to try to "fix" a
system that hadn't actually broken.

I'd rather they had an ethos whereby they would try to help their
customers rather than one in which the customer appears to be considered
something of an inconvenience.

--
Paul

Paul C. Dickie wrote:

Simply because they have the wrong idea of how to deal with their
customers -- and this is *not* something that has only recently
happened. The problem seems to have existed for a month or two.

Probably coincides with the warehouse move don't you suppose. Having
said that, I have placed orders in the last couple of weeks which all
turned up without any drama.

Any outfit that plainly shows the utter contempt for customer "good
will" recently displayed by Screwfux does not deserve to retain any
customers at all.

Huh?


Please translate that from the Neanderthal dialect.

OK for the hard of thinking....

Why do you feel they have shown contempt for customer "good will"? All I
see is a company that was forced into relocating their warehouse, and
have made a bit of balls up in the process. Since this is probably the
first time they have tried a relocation on this scale, perhaps a few
mistakes are inevitable. Maybe you get everything right first time?

Other than the issue of leaving the site up and just disabling the order
capability, and given they can't cope with the level of demand at the
moment, what would you rather they did?


I'd rather they'd not taken down the old system until the new system was
fully operational.

The "system" to which you refer is a large warehouse full of stuff, and
lots of people trained to take it from the warehouse and post it to you.

The only way they would be able to maintain both "systems" in parallel
would be with a complete duplicate warehouse at the new location. I
doubt this would make good business sense, or be economically sound
management.

I'd rather they reverted to using a pen and paper system -- and carrying
messages in cleft sticks, if needs be -- if they were unable to make the
new system work and if they weren't able to reinstate the old system.

See above.

I'd rather they provided the sort of service they once did -- and for
which folk would unhesitatingly recommend them -- than to try to "fix" a
system that hadn't actually broken.

They had run out of capacity at their original location, the local
council refused permission to extend. That sounds "broken" to me.

Either way, Andy was spot on, assuming they sort this in the next few
weeks it will make little or no difference to the majority of their
customers.

--
Cheers,

John.

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\================================================= ================/

On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 21:07:00 GMT, "dg"
wrote:

As ordering from Screwfix is next to impossible at the moment, I was
wondering what alternative online suppliers for screws, sealant etc are
available?

The range and service at www.comdir.co.uk and http://www.unifix.co.uk/ seem
good and delivery is quick.

What other suppliers can be recommended?

Hi,

Haven't used them but:

http://www.fastfixdirect.co.uk/

cheers,
Pete.

Pete C wrote in message . ..
On Thu, 07 Oct 2004 21:07:00 GMT, "dg"
wrote:

As ordering from Screwfix is next to impossible at the moment, I was
wondering what alternative online suppliers for screws, sealant etc are
available?

The range and service at www.comdir.co.uk and http://www.unifix.co.uk/ seem
good and delivery is quick.

What other suppliers can be recommended?

Hi,

Haven't used them but:

http://www.fastfixdirect.co.uk/

cheers,
Pete.

Toolstation.com have given me excellent service recently.

ken knott

In article , John
Rumm writes
Paul C. Dickie wrote:
Any outfit that plainly shows the utter contempt for customer "good
will" recently displayed by Screwfux does not deserve to retain any
customers at all.
Huh?
Please translate that from the Neanderthal dialect.
OK for the hard of thinking....

One hardly *needs* to think particularly hard to realise that Screwfux
have now screwed up in a rather serious way.

Why do you feel they have shown contempt for customer "good will"?

Good lord man, it's perfectly simple.

All I see is a company that was forced into relocating their warehouse,

Who "forced" them to do that?

The answer is that *nobody* forced these changes on the company. Even
if they had been somehow compelled to move the warehouse -- whether by
the local council, some Whitehall department, nameless officials from
Brussels or Thargian Freemasons from the Planet -- there is still no
reason why the warehouse and call centre have to be at the same
location. They do not even need to be on the same continent.

and have made a bit of balls up in the process.

Yes, in exactly the same way that a wench may be slightly pregnant.

Since this is probably the first time they have tried a relocation on
this scale, perhaps a few mistakes are inevitable.

Are you a professional apologist or merely a "gifted" amateur?

Maybe you get everything right first time?

I am someone who believes in the maxim that one should measure twice and
cut only once. Had the move been properly planned, the cock-ups would
not have occurred, for the old system would have been left up and
running until the new system was working at least as well.

I'd rather they'd not taken down the old system until the new system was
fully operational.
The "system" to which you refer is a large warehouse full of stuff, and
lots of people trained to take it from the warehouse and post it to you.

Gosh! Really? Fancy that...

The only way they would be able to maintain both "systems" in parallel
would be with a complete duplicate warehouse at the new location. I
doubt this would make good business sense, or be economically sound
management.

That's the trouble with bean-counters: they expect savings to commence
from day one. No, it would *not* be "economically sound management" in
those terms, but it would have ensured that there would not have been
the serious problems that they've experienced. As a result, Screwfux
will now have to advertise more extensively again and will have to offer
discounts and deals in the hope of winning back the customers they've
lost -- and just how much "good business sense" do you suppose *that*
makes, bearing in mind that the cock-ups were entirely avoidable?

I'd rather they provided the sort of service they once did -- and for
which folk would unhesitatingly recommend them -- than to try to "fix" a
system that hadn't actually broken.
They had run out of capacity at their original location, the local
council refused permission to extend. That sounds "broken" to me.

Even were that so, it still indicates a lack of imagination. Why should
they have *all* of their products in only *one* location? Why not have
more than one depot? Come to that, why not despatch some items directly
from a B&Q stock warehouse?

May heaven (and sprinklers) forfend that their new warehouse should
suffer a catastrophic fire but, if that were to happen, they'd be out of
business for weeks if not for months. If their depots were distributed
up and down the land, however, they'd hardly be affected at all.

As for whether or not that makes "good business sense", that's pretty
much the way that the stationary and office supplies firm Viking Direct
operates at the moment; if one orders before noon, one can usually get
the goods delivered that afternoon.

--
Paul

In article , Grunff
writes
Paul C. Dickie wrote:
Any outfit that plainly shows the utter contempt for customer "good
will" recently displayed by Screwfux does not deserve to retain any
customers at all.

This is nonsense.

I entirely agree -- what you wrote was indeed nonsense.

Politely turning away business is not a bad thing to do - in fact, it's
a very sensible thing to do, far better than taking on orders which you
just can't fulfil.
We routinely turn away customers. If we didn't, we just wouldn't be able
to do all the work.

There is a world of difference between turning away *new* customers and
treating *existing* customers in the way that Screwfux did.

--
Paul

In article , Ken Knott
writes
Toolstation.com have given me excellent service recently.

Will you willingly return to Screwfux when/if they finally get their act
together?

--
Paul

In message , Paul C. Dickie
writes
In article , Ken Knott
writes
Toolstation.com have given me excellent service recently.

Will you willingly return to Screwfux when/if they finally get their act
together?

Yes.

As a longstanding Screwfix customer (though not exclusively, I use
other mailorder suppliers as well) I used Toolstation (who I had used
before) recently as well, when the problems with Screwfixes website
availability first hit and I wanted to get some stuff.

And it was fine, no complaints, though didn't find the website quite so
good, and they didn't have all that I wanted.

But I've also placed an order with Screwfix, and had it delivered fine.
Screwfix have a bigger range of products than other similar suppliers
which makes placing an order easier as I don't have to go elsewhere so
often, their prices on most things are competitive, and quality OK, in
general I've also found their customer service when dealing with them
very good and helpful

Note I'm really not interested in whether or not you think this is a
sensible course of action on my part, you've made your position clear, I
don't really think here is anything else to add to this debate
--
Chris French, Leeds

Paul C. Dickie wrote:

Who "forced" them to do that?

The answer is that *nobody* forced these changes on the company. Even

If you were in a situation where in order to maintain your current
service level, with an increasing customer base, and growing product
line, you needed a bigger / additional warehouse, then for good business
reasons you have been "forced" to acquire one. If the council decides
that you are not able to extend your current facility (presumably the
most desirable option) then you are looking at moving.

if they had been somehow compelled to move the warehouse -- whether by

location. They do not even need to be on the same continent.

Agreed - I think you may find they spotted that option - that is why
their head office remains in Yeovil, and the new warehouse is now
elsewhere.

I am someone who believes in the maxim that one should measure twice and
cut only once. Had the move been properly planned, the cock-ups would
not have occurred, for the old system would have been left up and
running until the new system was working at least as well.

Were you sat in the boardroom at the time these plans were put in place?
Hence are you *certain* that this was not "properly planned"?

Out in the real world "**** happens", sometimes you still cock up
regardless of the amount of planning. More to the point "all going to
plan" is _not_ the object of the exercise. Arriving at the desired
result is more important.

The answer is neither you or I know, it may have been meticulously
planned, or it may have been jotted on the back of a fag packet.

That's the trouble with bean-counters: they expect savings to commence

True... they get everywhere.

from day one. No, it would *not* be "economically sound management" in
those terms, but it would have ensured that there would not have been
the serious problems that they've experienced. As a result, Screwfux
will now have to advertise more extensively again and will have to offer
discounts and deals in the hope of winning back the customers they've
lost -- and just how much "good business sense" do you suppose *that*
makes, bearing in mind that the cock-ups were entirely avoidable?

I expect all the free publicity will actually win them plenty of extra
customers to make up for it. Getting their name mentioned on TV and the
papers will find a whole new audience who did not even know they existed
before.

Exactly the same happened with the computer parts distribution outfit
Komplett. They made a balls up with pricing on their web site and caused
lots of customer complaints. The management wrote a (quite amusing)
public apology that got reported widely. Net result was a massive influx
of new customers who just went to the site to "have a look" and liked
what they saw.

They had run out of capacity at their original location, the local
council refused permission to extend. That sounds "broken" to me.


Even were that so, it still indicates a lack of imagination. Why should
they have *all* of their products in only *one* location? Why not have

It would be sensible to have some redundancy I would agree. Given the
value of their stock inventory I am not sure how viable this would be
(or even if the lines of credit to support it would be available)

more than one depot? Come to that, why not despatch some items directly
from a B&Q stock warehouse?

I have no idea... I could guess at incompatible IT systems, and limited
product range. (IIRC Screwfix was acquired by Kingfisher rather than
being created by them).


--
Cheers,

John.

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| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , Paul C. Dickie
writes
In article , Ken Knott
writes
Toolstation.com have given me excellent service recently.

Will you willingly return to Screwfux when/if they finally get their act
together?

Yes.

As a longstanding Screwfix customer (though not exclusively, I use other
mailorder suppliers as well) I used Toolstation (who I had used before)
recently as well, when the problems with Screwfixes website availability
first hit and I wanted to get some stuff.

I suspect if all Screwfix customers deserted them and started using
Toolstation instead, Toolstation would soon have to start turning away
customers too as I doubt they would be able to handle the demand. Then
where would we go?

And it was fine, no complaints, though didn't find the website quite so
good, and they didn't have all that I wanted.

But I've also placed an order with Screwfix, and had it delivered fine.
Screwfix have a bigger range of products than other similar suppliers
which makes placing an order easier as I don't have to go elsewhere so
often, their prices on most things are competitive, and quality OK, in
general I've also found their customer service when dealing with them very
good and helpful

Note I'm really not interested in whether or not you think this is a
sensible course of action on my part, you've made your position clear, I
don't really think here is anything else to add to this debate
--
Chris French, Leeds

"Ric" wrote in message
...

"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , Paul C. Dickie
writes
In article , Ken Knott
writes
Toolstation.com have given me excellent service recently.

Will you willingly return to Screwfux when/if they finally get their act
together?

Yes.

As a longstanding Screwfix customer (though not exclusively, I use
other
mailorder suppliers as well) I used Toolstation (who I had used before)
recently as well, when the problems with Screwfixes website availability
first hit and I wanted to get some stuff.

I suspect if all Screwfix customers deserted them and started using
Toolstation instead, Toolstation would soon have to start turning away
customers too as I doubt they would be able to handle the demand. Then
where would we go?

There is http://www.unifix.co.uk and others. They are all much the same in
products and prices. http://www.bes.ltd.uk, for pipes and fitting, etc.

There are is always an alternative.

"IMM" wrote in message
...

"Ric" wrote in message
...

"chris French" wrote in message
...
In message , Paul C. Dickie
writes
In article , Ken Knott
writes
Toolstation.com have given me excellent service recently.

Will you willingly return to Screwfux when/if they finally get their
act
together?

Yes.

As a longstanding Screwfix customer (though not exclusively, I use
other
mailorder suppliers as well) I used Toolstation (who I had used before)
recently as well, when the problems with Screwfixes website
availability
first hit and I wanted to get some stuff.

I suspect if all Screwfix customers deserted them and started using
Toolstation instead, Toolstation would soon have to start turning away
customers too as I doubt they would be able to handle the demand. Then
where would we go?

There is http://www.unifix.co.uk and others. They are all much the same
in
products and prices. http://www.bes.ltd.uk, for pipes and fitting, etc.

There are is always an alternative.

Are is?

In article , Ric
wrote:
I suspect if all Screwfix customers deserted them and started
using Toolstation instead, Toolstation would soon have to
start turning away customers too as I doubt they would be able
to handle the demand. Then where would we go?

On a smaller scale this is just what happens with tradesmen. You
find someone who is reliable and does a good job for a fair
price. They start to pick up more business than they can really
handle and price, quality or reliability goes down the pan.

--
Tony Bryer SDA UK 'Software to build on' http://www.sda.co.uk
Free SEDBUK boiler database browser
http://www.sda.co.uk/qsedbuk.htm

In article , Ric
writes
"IMM" wrote in message
...
There are is always an alternative.

Are is?

It's an alternative grammar...

I note that Screwfux are still having problems; their system seems to be
up and down with the fabled frequency of a harlot's underwear -- more
often down than up and usually off completely.

Meanwhile, I've been looking through other catalogues and their prices
don't seem quite so wonderful as some would have one believe. For
example, there's the 115 piece drill set on page 48 of the current
Screwfux catalogue; one might suppose that it was good value at £36.99,
unless one had seen an identical set in a different catalogue [1] for a
mere £30 -- nearly 19% cheaper. That same alternative supplier has a
similar set, but TiN coated, at £38. Admittedly, they don't sell the
long series HSS drills that Screwfux offer on page 50, but they *do*
sell a set of long series drills -- 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5 and 6.0mm
-- for a mere £2.40. The same drills from Screwfux would cost £5.05.

No, they don't have the range of goods that Screwfux offered but, if all
one needs are drills, it hardly helps for the supplier also to offer
glass wash-basins and other products of the sort used on make-over shows
to uglify one's home.

[1] (Usual disclaimers apply...)
Arc Euro Trade, 10 Archdale Street, Syston, Leicester, LE7 1NA.
Tel: 0116 269 5693 Fax: 0116 260 5805
http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk

--
Paul

In article ,
Paul C. Dickie wrote:
For
example, there's the 115 piece drill set on page 48 of the current
Screwfux catalogue; one might suppose that it was good value at £36.99,

Is this the number and letter set? If so, it's quite the most blunt set of
drills I've ever bought. Can't comment on the steel quality as it only
gets used where it's really needed.

--
*"I am " is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article , Dave Plowman (News)
writes
In article ,
Paul C. Dickie wrote:
example, there's the 115 piece drill set on page 48 of the current
Screwfux catalogue; one might suppose that it was good value at £36.99,

Is this the number and letter set?

Yes.

If so, it's quite the most blunt set of drills I've ever bought.

Really? Perhaps your set was made on a Friday or just after the Chinese
New year celebrations, for the set I bought some months ago seems quite
satisfactory. Having seen the difference in prices, though, I rather
doubt I'll even try to buy the next two sets from Screwfux.

Then there's the set of "blacksmiths drills" -- 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and
20mm drills in HSS with a reduced shank to fit a 13mm chuck, for £24.99.
At Chronos [1] the blacksmiths' drills come in sets of 8, for £32.95 --
the metric set is 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 25, the imperial set is
9/16" to 1" by 1/16" increments. In other words, they're slightly less
expensive and come in more useful sizes.

--
Paul