Hi

Placed orders with Screwfix, Plumbworld and BES recently, and had
problems with all:

BES - DHL attempted delivery - had to go 15 miles out of my way to
collect from depot - only to find they hadn't shipped some wire-wool.
Had to return to the depot a few days later to collect it.
Total 60 miles driving and 2 hours time.

Plumbworld - delivered and left in outside toilet as requested (nice
and easy so far). Missed a lockshield valve off order - but put in
£20 worth of some CH system celaner (one letter out in the product
code). Now they won't send me the lockshield until I return the goods
they incorrectly sent - and in a 'auto' email said they only refund
reasonable postage..... cheeky buggers!

Screwfix... ahhhhh
Ordered Monday
Emailed today asking where it was
They have only delivered it to a work address I haven't worked at for
12 months. My order clearly gave my home address - and they still got
it wrong.

Local plumbing merchants are really expensive....

What other options are there?

Simon

In article ,
Simon Hawthorne wrote:
Local plumbing merchants are really expensive....

Perhaps they employ people with brains and have to pay them accordingly?

What other options are there?

Obviously, some method of collecting things yourself.

--
*Why isn't there a special name for the back of your knee?

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

On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 18:08:23 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

Local plumbing merchants are really expensive....

Perhaps they employ people with brains and have to pay them accordingly?

What other options are there?

Obviously, some method of collecting things yourself.

Thanks Dave,

My local plumbing merchants are full of young blokes that unless you
know 'exactly' what you want, don't seem to give a hoot..... and then
charge you silly money. I have found it easier to search this NG, ask
a question and then buy based on the advice given.

Maybe I should have rephrased my last sentence! Any other
recommendations for decent online stores? I don't have easy access to
the local hardware stores that have fairly restricted opening hours
(or don't suit my working hours anyway).

S.

"Simon Hawthorne" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 18:08:23 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

Local plumbing merchants are really expensive....

Perhaps they employ people with brains and have to pay them accordingly?

What other options are there?

Obviously, some method of collecting things yourself.

Thanks Dave,

My local plumbing merchants are full of young blokes that unless you
know 'exactly' what you want, don't seem to give a hoot..... and then
charge you silly money.

Yeah, tell me about it... all the above is symptomatic of not being a trade
customer. The other point is that it always takes *ages* to get served,
all the plumbers hanging around propping up the counter don't seem to care a
jot (why would they, the amount their customers are paying them to be
there...)

Maybe I should have rephrased my last sentence! Any other
recommendations for decent online stores? I don't have easy access to
the local hardware stores that have fairly restricted opening hours
(or don't suit my working hours anyway).

Toolstation? Don't think they've fouled up yet. (although their courier
did
once leave me a delivery on the doorstep - the door opens directly onto the
pavement in an
urban street - one Friday afternoon when I was away - amazingly still there
next morning!)

David

Simon Hawthorne wrote:

Plumbworld - delivered and left in outside toilet as requested (nice
and easy so far). Missed a lockshield valve off order - but put in
£20 worth of some CH system celaner (one letter out in the product
code). Now they won't send me the lockshield until I return the goods
they incorrectly sent - and in a 'auto' email said they only refund
reasonable postage..... cheeky buggers!

Don't send it back - request that they arrange collection. If you send
it back, it's /your/ reposibility if it gets lost, and you have all the
hassle of getting postage refund afterwards.

I've been using Toolstation for most things over the past few weeks
(giving Screwfix a chance to get things all sorted). They've been very good.


--
Grunff

Local plumbing merchants are really expensive....

Are local suppliers that expensive? When I've checked prices seem much
the same or sometimes cheaper than Screwup et. al. The point of
Screwup is the comprehensive catalogue and the promise of next day
delivery which in theory saves hundreds of hours but lately is turning
into a fiasco.

cheers

Jacob

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 01:07:39 +0000, Grunff wrote:

Don't send it back - request that they arrange collection. If you send
it back, it's /your/ reposibility if it gets lost, and you have all the
hassle of getting postage refund afterwards.


Thanks Grunff...

I have told them this - and they refuse - told me I need to send it
back within 7 days or they will charge me for it - and they refuse to
send out the £2 lockshield valve I paid for.

My CC company has said that they can take the money - but will end up
paying it back when I dispute it - so I will end up with £20 worth of
Fernox central heating additive! How much is
http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/93-182 - one of these worth on ebay....?
I just need to make about £2 to pay for my lockshield valve.

Are Plumbworld really stupid?

S.

On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 08:08:30 +0000, Simon Hawthorne
wrote:

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 01:07:39 +0000, Grunff wrote:

Don't send it back - request that they arrange collection. If you send
it back, it's /your/ reposibility if it gets lost, and you have all the
hassle of getting postage refund afterwards.


Thanks Grunff...

I have told them this - and they refuse - told me I need to send it
back within 7 days or they will charge me for it - and they refuse to
send out the £2 lockshield valve I paid for.

My CC company has said that they can take the money - but will end up
paying it back when I dispute it - so I will end up with £20 worth of
Fernox central heating additive! How much is
http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/93-182 - one of these worth on ebay....?
I just need to make about £2 to pay for my lockshield valve.

Are Plumbworld really stupid?

S.

I could almost think that they would be bright enough to try it on -
i.e. stick you with a cost of (probably) nearly £10 to return the
item;. Not good on a £20 item.

However, they hadn't really sold it in the first place as such since
you didn't ask for it and therefore it's unsolicited goods in effect.

They are probably simply applying a standard policy of theirs which is
geared around the Distance Selling Regulations and have not considered
that it was a supply mistake on their part.

I had some similar nonsense with an online supplier recently
(different type of product) and simply told them that I was going to
cancel the card transaction. This involves the supplier in some
degree of work and the customer in very little. I found that at
that point they caved in.

Even in a situation where you return goods as unsuitable etc. and pay
the return cost, I completely agree with Grunff. I've found that
usually the larger suppliers have quite good deals with carrier firms
and simply paying them to collect is cheaper than using the Royal Mail
with insurance, proof of delivery etc. Plus you don't have to tit
around with going to the post office and waiting in line while the old
ladies collect their pensions and discuss knitting patterns with the
person behind the counter.





--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...

I had some similar nonsense with an online supplier recently
(different type of product) and simply told them that I was going to
cancel the card transaction. This involves the supplier in some
degree of work and the customer in very little. I found that at
that point they caved in.

Does that work, ie can you do it? ISTR trying this on myself in the past and
once the order had gone through, it couldn't be 'reversed' - at what point
during the order process can the card transaction be 'cancelled'?

David

Simon Hawthorne wrote:
On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 18:08:23 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

Local plumbing merchants are really expensive....

Perhaps they employ people with brains and have to pay them accordingly?

What other options are there?

Obviously, some method of collecting things yourself.

Thanks Dave,

My local plumbing merchants are full of young blokes that unless you
know 'exactly' what you want, don't seem to give a hoot.....

mine are ok, just bought a new suite £243 complete inc VAT
wastes, taps etc, quality bath, too.


RT

In article ,
Simon Hawthorne wrote:
I have told them this - and they refuse - told me I need to send it
back within 7 days or they will charge me for it - and they refuse to
send out the £2 lockshield valve I paid for.

My CC company has said that they can take the money - but will end up
paying it back when I dispute it - so I will end up with £20 worth of
Fernox central heating additive!

I'd try and negotiate a deal. If it's ordinary inhibitor it will come in
handy one day - it should be changed every few years.

--
*Could it be that "I do " is the longest sentence? *

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

"Simon Hawthorne" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 01:07:39 +0000, Grunff wrote:

Don't send it back - request that they arrange collection. If you send
it back, it's /your/ reposibility if it gets lost, and you have all the
hassle of getting postage refund afterwards.


Thanks Grunff...

I have told them this - and they refuse - told me I need to send it
back within 7 days or they will charge me for it - and they refuse to
send out the £2 lockshield valve I paid for.

My CC company has said that they can take the money - but will end up
paying it back when I dispute it - so I will end up with £20 worth of
Fernox central heating additive! How much is
http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/93-182 - one of these worth on ebay....?
I just need to make about £2 to pay for my lockshield valve.

Are Plumbworld really stupid?

Best for people not to use Plumbworld then. If they do mail order they have
to reach the level of Screwfix in customer care, when they have their system
up and running of course.

What is it. Every dissatisfied customer tell on average 9 other people of
the poor service and company they dealt with. For every satisfied customer
the average is just above zero. In this case far more than 9 got to know.

Thank for alerting us of a poor company, I will not use them.

In article ,
IMM wrote:
Thank for alerting us of a poor company, I will not use them.

Why would a self styled 'heating engineer' use a mail order company? A
decent PM will give bulk discount and incentives that more than matches
them.

--
*Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?

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

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
IMM wrote:

Thank for alerting us of a poor company, I will not use them.

Why would a self styled 'heating engineer' use a mail order company? A
decent PM will give bulk discount and incentives that more than matches
them.

BES are used extensively by the trade. Many merchants are rip off merchants
even after they give discounts. e.g., a local merchant wanted £25 for a 22mm
check valve, when the same can be had from BES for about £3. Many large
companies don't check prices and always like to deal with one supplier for
convenience. If they looked around a bit they could save a fortune. There
is a company that specialises in getting cheaper prices for companies. They
look at what they buy, do some research and do deals for them. Many small
companies have saved many, many 100os by doing this. Even simple things
like changing energy suppliers can save 1000s.

It is alwasy best to let a supplier know, who takes many 1000s off you each
year, that you are always looking around and that you use more than one.
That sharpens the wits.

On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 12:46:31 -0000, "IMM" wrote:

BES are used extensively by the trade.


Well, Screwfix came good - delivered the parcel this morning as
promised (first delivery went missing at an old workplace - ).

I think, on reflection that BES were the best (in this very small
sample) - just need to find an address to get stuff delivered to, to
save the long round trip to the DHL depot...

Will also give toolstation a go.

Thanks all

Si

In article ,
IMM wrote:
Why would a self styled 'heating engineer' use a mail order company? A
decent PM will give bulk discount and incentives that more than matches
them.

BES are used extensively by the trade.

I can just imagine a busy self trader having to wait in for a carrier. Or
waste time going to pick up things from the depot.

--
*All men are idiots, and I married their King.

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

On Sat, 13 Nov 2004 09:02:24 GMT, "Lobster"
wrote:

"Andy Hall" wrote in message
.. .

I had some similar nonsense with an online supplier recently
(different type of product) and simply told them that I was going to
cancel the card transaction. This involves the supplier in some
degree of work and the customer in very little. I found that at
that point they caved in.

Does that work, ie can you do it? ISTR trying this on myself in the past and
once the order had gone through, it couldn't be 'reversed' - at what point
during the order process can the card transaction be 'cancelled'?

David

I meant 'cancelled' in the sense of telling the card company that
there is an issue with the product/service rather than cancelling the
charge. Fraud is a separate issue, but for a goods/services
dispute, I've had a simple form to fill in. Following that, the card
issuer debits the supplier's account and notifies them. They then
have to justify their position. In effect, this is the card issuer
slippery shouldering the issue back to the supplier.
Considering that the discussion is around a £20 item over which the
supplier made a mistake anyway, this can be an effective way to get
the supplier to back down with minimal effort.



--

..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Simon Hawthorne" wrote in message
...

Local plumbing merchants are really expensive....

Are you sure ? Okay for a pack of compression joints they often are (don't
understand why this is) but if you want single more expensive items it often
isn't much difference

"Simon Hawthorne" wrote in message
...

My local plumbing merchants are full of young blokes that unless you
know 'exactly' what you want, don't seem to give a hoot..... and then
charge you silly money. I have found it easier to search this NG, ask
a question and then buy based on the advice given.

Sounds like they're competing with B&Q then.

But there are good merchants out there - find them, build a relationship,
get all the discounts and keep using them.

In article ,
G&M wrote:
But there are good merchants out there - find them, build a relationship,
get all the discounts and keep using them.

Yes. Not surprising IMM doesn't know this.

--
*Why is the word abbreviation so long? *

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

"Lobster" wrote in news:3BPkd.88$%l6.25
@newsfe3-win.ntli.net:

Toolstation? Don't think they've fouled up yet

They have for me. Ordered some 1 gang pattress boxes and they sent 1 gang
dry lining boxes instead. Phoned them up and they duly sent me the
replacements - 1 gang dry lining boxes - to the wrong address!! Third time
lucky, and 1 week later, I finally got the pattresses.

I've also had problems with Plumbworld cocking up with some pipe. I ordered
4 x 3m lengths of 40mm UPVC pipe along with some other stuff. It never
arrived, so I chased it and they took over a week to dispatch a second lot,
by which time the first lot arrived. When the second delivery arrived, I
received 1 x 3m length of 50mm UPVC pipe!!!! I still cannot work out how
someone packed that delivery and never worked out the error
I didn't bother telling them because they made such an arse of it so I've
now got a completely useless length of pipe at the bottom of the garden.