Rutlands Covering Tracks

[Alexfn]

trustpilot is a joke, when a company points out to me that they are on trustpilot i automatically write them off as a scam company, if trustpilot is the best you have you cant be trusted,

trustpilot remove reviews as a form of self protection the same as rutlands, they are worried that if a company gets too much bad reviews on trustpiolt then companys will stop using trustpilot

i check facebook, if a company allows reviews and comments on facebook they are probably decent and willing to deal with any issues that arise

it wouldnt take much to get a webpage together called rutlands real reviews that ranked as high as rutlands on google,that would teach them

 

[AJB Temple]

I don't know much about Rutlands, however these negative threads about them arise quite often. As far as they can see they are an on-line retailer (i.e. they do not make anything they sell) serving a market for cheapish tools, generally imported from the Far East.

People criticise these tools in reviews - but often I wonder if this is fair. It is easy to compare cheap imports with much more highly priced tools made by well known brands - but the price points are greatly different too. Context is important here: Rutlands may take the view that for the money marking a tool as one star is unreasonable. Occasionally I buy things like the Screwfix own brand. I only do it for one off jobs - and I don't rate it based on a Mafell or Festal at five or six times the price.

Rutland presumably own their website and can publish whatever they like on it - we surely don't have a right to have our views aired?

I'm not defending them as such: I have never bought from them, just thinking that they are filling a different market niche than say someone like Classic Hand Tools.

 

[lurker]

I never had any problems with stuff I bought from them.
My issues were all down to their dishonourable behaviours, basically I bought and paid for an item.
They told me there was no stock when I chased up none delivery.
But their website showed it as available the next day for twice the price.

 

[Wizard9999]

I think with Rutland most people on here, and I suspect other forums, know what the deal is. They sell some rubbish, they sell some stuff that is not great but priced accordingly and they do seem to have a few decent items that are sometimes cheaper than other places. But they are clearly a very sharp operator, not sharp as in clever but as in 'sharp practice' i.e. probably just the right side of the law but nothing the likes of Axminster would do. You just have to hope that what you buy is in category 2, or 3. I guess.

I just wish John Lewis sold all the tools I will ever want, then I would not have to look anywhere else :lol:

Terry.

 

[Copes]

Funny you should say that, i'm often quoted as saying axminster is the John Lewis of the tool world.

 

[Wizard9999]

Well, Axminster are good but they are still not John Lewis IMHO. I see they are moving towards something like "Never Knowingly Undersold" but only on some products and the conditions look a bit more difficult to satisfy and they exclude "exceptional sales", whatever that means.

Terry.

 

[ComfortablyNumb]

I bought a couple of the cyclone extraction but they were rubbish and collapsed when connected to a festool ct midi. Rutlands reply was that my vacuum was to strong??

 

[RogerS]

That can be true, however what about "independent" 3rd party sites like trustpilot?

Also, reviews on Amazon and Axminster seem to be uncensored, I have put both good and bad reviews on Axi, and they all made it to the review section.

Trustpilot is about a worthless as it gets. It is such an utterly pointless website that I'm surprised people trust it. Any negative comments are usually pulled by al the suppliers in my experience.

 

[RogerS]

It was my understanding that the only person who can change a trust pilot review is the author.

No, see my other post. Any company that receives a negative review can ask to have it removed.

Trustpilot = worthless IMO.

 

[RogerS]

.... but a lot of what they sell (with seemingly dramatic price reductions) looks like tat to me.

That's 'cos it is. Ah, Dakota.....the sign of quality. Are they still selling that junk ?

 

[delboy47]

Over recent months I have read a couple of newspaper articles regarding Trustpilot. These were nothing to do with Rutlands or even tool purchase but other issues. Effectively the articles were saying don't trust any reviews posted through them as they filter out any negative reviews and only good/better reviews get published. Appears to support what has been said here.

 

[wcndave]

People criticise these tools in reviews - but often I wonder if this is fair. It is easy to compare cheap imports with much more highly priced tools made by well known brands - but the price points are greatly different too. Context is important here: Rutlands may take the view that for the money marking a tool as one star is unreasonable. Occasionally I buy things like the Screwfix own brand. I only do it for one off jobs - and I don't rate it based on a Mafell or Festal at five or six times the price.

Rutland presumably own their website and can publish whatever they like on it - we surely don't have a right to have our views aired?

I'm not defending them as such: I have never bought from them, just thinking that they are filling a different market niche than say someone like Classic Hand Tools.

I think it's ok if you know what you're getting into. I don't mind what they sell at the price point. However if you pull negative reviews, you don't really know what you're buying. Now, if for example they pulled some reviews as "unfair given the price point", but kept, or discarded the stars, that would be different.

What they are doing, that I find dishonest, is sending me an email saying "buy this XXX rated 5 stars by our customers", when that is just not true. Rated 5 stars by "some" customers...

BTW: back in the day, I bought things like dakota clamps, and they are pretty good. Even the cheap cheap flimsy plastic and alu ones that deform met my needs at the price point. All I wanted to do was put a review saying that "heavy duty" was pushing it...

Maybe I am biased from that visit to Axminster, however they seem genuinely concerned about customers, very customer focused etc... I have no complaints ever, after years of buying.

 

[Hartwood]

Hi, just joined the forum with a bee in my bonnet about Rutlands. I find your comments informative and have confirmed my suspicions.

I have previously found Rutlands to be exactly what they are, cheap box shifters. As other contributors have said they have provided some products which whilst cheap and tacky fit the bill. I have been using them for several years and have found that as long as the item is unsophisticated then it will normally suffice. If I want accuracy or longevity then I go elsewhere. The exception is with the Xact Router motor and lift that I bought at the back end of 2015. The first motor failed after 6 months and was replaced by Rutlands. The replacement has just failed after less than 10 minutes of use and the email I have received from Rutlands clearly indicate that there was a design fault in the speed control. As it is over 12 months since I made the initial purchase they will not refund the cost of the motor and have offered a replacement which I will accept.

I too have made negative comments about this product and not seen it published. Our local trading standards office has indicated that if the star rating of the product induces you to buy and it is in reality inaccurate because negative comments are excluded then this is in effect mis-representation under the sale of goods act, i.e false advertising. Perhaps pressure can be applied by complaining to trading standards. Sadly I am in Scotland I

It is a shame that a company like Tabwell tools bit the dust and morphed it to the likes of Rutlands, however as has been said before they have a place in the market with excellent delivery and low prices, but it looks like their honesty could be called into question.

I still continue to take advantage of the low cost deals on items that I can treat as disposable, but I pass on anything more sophisticated.