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KimG

Little Woodworm
Joined
2 Jul 2012
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Location
Pembs
What the heck is the matter with some people these days? I have made several; online purchases recently and about 50% of them have been the wrong item, is it just me or is anyone else finding that people just seem to be slinging the first thing that comes to hand into the parcel?
 
I have had no such problems but I am a bit careful shopping on line and tend only to use places I have seen recommended on impartial places like this.
 
Might not just be you. I ordered some stuff from ironmongery direct earlier this year (I've used them a few times in the past with no problems) and first the package went missing, then the next package contained the wrong goods :-( They got it sorted in the end - but it took a long time and a lot of chasing up on my part.

I did have a problem with Axminster a few years back - they sent the wrong good three times in a row! However, they did sort it out fairly quickly, sent someone to collect the incorrect items, and apologised profusely. Often it's not the fact that mistakes are made (we all make mistakes) - it's the way they are dealt with - and I can't fault Axminster on that front!

I stopped dealing with one company a few years back due to their inability to pack the right things in a box and send it to the right place, plus their total in-competance at correctly invoicing.

Recently, my partner took in his chainsaw in for repair (it needed a new sprocket) - and the repair place were given a real run around by their parts supplier. The repair man ordered the sprocket, expecting the usual couple of days delivery, but nothing turned up after a week. He called the parts company to be informed there were no parts in the country and one was on order from the European Distrubution centre in Holland. Two weeks later, still no part. He phoned again. The part was on still it's way from Holland! Another week, he phoned again to be told that the part had been sent to him. Two days later a box arrives. Inside are some other parts and a delivery note to a company in Scotland (he's in Wales). He returns the box to the parts company and is then told that the Scottish company have not returned his parts, and no, they don't have any others in the UK they can send instead! Grrr!!! He gave up and found the part somewhere else in the end. Needless to say he no longer uses the old parts company.
 
I buy a fair bit of turning and other woodworking stuff online, out of necessity. The only local(ish) shop closed recently so I now have no option. Over the years, I've never had any problems to speak of - even with Rutlands!

Ian
 
I have not noticed any deterioration in despatch accuracy. I use Amazon UK frequently and they are pretty much faultless on despatching the correct quantity on time. There can be quality issues with their products but more likely when the supplier is not Amazon. Also sites mentioned here incl. Arc Eurotrade, Chronos, Model Fixings and various tool vendors on ebay have been fine.I suspect you have been a bit unlucky.
 
I would go against the OP and say that on-line ordering is becoming easier and better. There are so many companies doing it now, that anyone not up to scratch will soon be avoided. I have used many companies without any significant problems. If I get a problem it is often from eBay, where goods are perhaps not quite as good as they have been described. Still, one or two issues over about 10 years and with over 100 buys/sells, I am not complaining.

There are also many courier companies offering collection and delivery services, so there is fierce competition there too. We live in a place that is easily identifyable from an OS map, but hard to find with most satnavs. Couriers always turn up with a smile and a joke that we were not easy to find!!
 

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