That is the last time I buy online !!!!

[Engine Doctor]

Dont be put off of buying on line . I have just bought a new drill .............or so I thought . Advertised as Brand new unopened in original box . Imagine my surprise when it turned up and was scraped and chipped, covered in grease and paint and had obviously been used extensively .

A message and a couple of pics and a refund and an apology  was given.. It may have been a return sent out by mistake , Who Knows ? so the search for a drill starts again . 

Not all dealers are tared with the same brush . Amazon dont sell all of their items themselves but use dealers in their network as do Ali Express and probably a few others . Occasionally a duff dealer get through the checks .

[john davidson 1]

Amazon got a caning this morning on radio 4, keeping third party sellers money for far too long leaving them in financial difficulties.

[Rich Griff]

As a rule I do not buy anything on line but do a lot of window shopping.

 

I will study web shops like Toolstation, machine mart, model shops etc. for prices and availability, then phone an order thru paying by card and stock bring confirmed.

 

I write stuff down like order, supplier, items ticked off, total cost, ETA and to whom I am taking to, my written order if you like.

 

When the parcel arrived it's checked etc. etc. etc .

 

If I am happy, my written order and Thier receipt are stapled together and filled.

 

When the bank statement the wife an I go through it checking the statement to recipes we have collected.

 

Call me old fashioned if you like, it works for us.

 

Do I trust these internet firms and places like eBay, or even the banks for that matter ?

 

I consider bank security to be quite weak, I will not mention why....

 

I do not like the fact that certain firms do not include a receipt with the package !

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Rich Griff

[Futura57]

I ordered and paid for (it's on my credit card statement) over £150 of balsa on 23rd Aug (6 days ago). I called this morning to establish if the delivery was delayed due the Bank Holiday weekend. Turns out the order hasn't gone out the door yet, still waiting for some balsa sheets to be cut. I kept my phone call pleasant but I'm not happy the money came out before dispatch. As a result I will now consider a different company for my next balsa order.

[Cuban8]

On 09/08/2023 at 09:19, Cuban8 said:

Ordered a 3000 3S lipo from Amazon on Monday. Prime member so item arrived mid afternoon yesterday. Checks out OK all charged and ready to go today as the weather's nice for once. £26 delivered, which is considerably less than anywhere else, usually ten quid dearer at least - and then as with one well known supplier, another tenner to deliver.  Will let you know how it performs.

Very satisfied with the battery, used it several times now and performance is fine.

[Cuban8]

24 minutes ago, Futura57 said:

I ordered and paid for (it's on my credit card statement) over £150 of balsa on 23rd Aug (6 days ago). I called this morning to establish if the delivery was delayed due the Bank Holiday weekend. Turns out the order hasn't gone out the door yet, still waiting for some balsa sheets to be cut. I kept my phone call pleasant but I'm not happy the money came out before dispatch. As a result I will now consider a different company for my next balsa order.

A little harsh?

As you say, we've just had a bank holiday and your order was only placed on the 24th. I know that one company did mention on it's website that they had additional closed days due to annual holidays. As for the money being taken before dispatch - I wouldn't consider that to be unreasonable on a bespoke order for material and in my experience with on-line sales of all sorts of things, is not unusual anyway.

Go elsewhere and you'll probably find the same thing. Take the flip side......you could change your mind about the order and cancel after the firm had spent much time and effort on fulfilling it for nothing.

I don't suppose that our remaining balsa supplying companies  like to keep so much stock on the shelf as they used to, and this means that they might tend to cut as required as business dictates - that takes time.  I won't put up with indifferent service from companies as I've highlighted in many past posts, but a bit of give and take is needed now and again.

 

[kc]

Regarding getting 'used' or faulty goods - if you buy anything online ( with some exceptions ) you can return goods within 14 days if they are not satisfactory.    See Consumers Association /Which?  website for advice - seems available to all not just members.

This should make it easy to get a refund if you find goods are not new when received.

[Frank Day]

As above,  I've used all of the above mentioned stores and never had an issue. If unsure I message.

 

Amazon prime is also good but you pay a premium.

 

Batteries, HRB via ebay - Yoowoo or similar name or direct from China.

 

Aliexpress, fantastic prices and service if you're not in a hurry

 

Banggood , Oh dear!

[Futura57]

8 hours ago, Cuban8 said:

A little harsh?

As you say, we've just had a bank holiday and your order was only placed on the 24th. I know that one company did mention on it's website that they had additional closed days due to annual holidays. As for the money being taken before dispatch - I wouldn't consider that to be unreasonable on a bespoke order for material and in my experience with on-line sales of all sorts of things, is not unusual anyway.

Go elsewhere and you'll probably find the same thing. Take the flip side......you could change your mind about the order and cancel after the firm had spent much time and effort on fulfilling it for nothing.

I don't suppose that our remaining balsa supplying companies  like to keep so much stock on the shelf as they used to, and this means that they might tend to cut as required as business dictates - that takes time.  I won't put up with indifferent service from companies as I've highlighted in many past posts, but a bit of give and take is needed now and again.

 

Not wishing to split hairs, I double checked and actually the order was placed on 22nd and paid 23rd. I assumed, like all previous orders it would be going out the door on 23rd or maybe the following day at the latest. Silly me for making such an assumption. Had I been told of a wait for wood cutting I would have baled and bought at one of the shows this coming weekend. I'd have got it quicker and saved a delivery charge. So I am disappointed.

Edited August 29, 2023 by Futura57
Gramma

[Geoff S]

If the company you're referring to is SLEC, then all I can say is that I've unfailingly good service from them over several years.  Another reliable supplier is Sarik Hobbies (and their predecessors). I've ordered both drawings and CNC part kits from them which have arrived quickly and in good order. 

 

The only problem I've ever had was when I bought the drawings, CNC cut parts and a DVD for the Veronica Thames barge from Traplet as was.  There was a significant fault in the CNC cut parts (they'd used the wrong file) and the chine was really wavy rather than straight, which, because of my build sequence I didn't discover in time (IIRC the drawing of the hull frames was wrong, too).  I was refunded the whole amount of over £100 even though I'd managed to bodge it (one of my best skills!).

 

As there are no longer any LMS anywhere near now, the only option is to buy on-line.  I always bought locally but obviously my custom wasn't enough for them to stay in business.  For that matter nor is my patronage of Wilkos sufficient  - though there's hope they may be rescued at the 11th hour 🤞  Local high streets are becoming mostly cafés, charity shops and clothes shops (mostly for females). 

[Engine Doctor]

Buying on line can have hiccups now and then but it usually sorts itself out , yes a little annoying . I recently ordered a new electric drill on thebay . Very dissapointed when an old beaten up very well used toll arrived ! Yes it worked but was well used and covered in grease and paint !The seller appologised and  offered me a 50% refund which i refused. He then asked me to destroy it and supply pics and gave me a full refund . 

By contrast I bought a new battery for my car through thebay and it was fitted last november . Recently it failed . It was under warranty . The retailer arranged collection for which i payed £20 refunded if battery was faulty. They have to do this as they obviously get bstteries sent back that just need charging. Within two days they messaged me telling me a new battery was on its way and refunded me my £20. Altogether excellent service.

The reason for buying online is that the battery locally was at least twice as expensive and from main dealer was over four times the price , same manufacturer same part number. 

Not all sellers are the same so " Never say never" 😉

[FlyinFlynn]

On 29/08/2023 at 12:23, Cuban8 said:

A little harsh?

As you say, we've just had a bank holiday and your order was only placed on the 24th. I know that one company did mention on it's website that they had additional closed days due to annual holidays. As for the money being taken before dispatch - I wouldn't consider that to be unreasonable on a bespoke order for material and in my experience with on-line sales of all sorts of things, is not unusual anyway.

Go elsewhere and you'll probably find the same thing. Take the flip side......you could change your mind about the order and cancel after the firm had spent much time and effort on fulfilling it for nothing.

I don't suppose that our remaining balsa supplying companies  like to keep so much stock on the shelf as they used to, and this means that they might tend to cut as required as business dictates - that takes time.  I won't put up with indifferent service from companies as I've highlighted in many past posts, but a bit of give and take is needed now and again.

 

Any decent web site will have stock deficiencies shown which gives you the choice of waiting for it or having the available stock sent toute suite.. doing away with the 'being charged before available for dispatch'

[Futura57]

7 hours ago, FlyinFlynn said:

Any decent web site will have stock deficiencies shown which gives you the choice of waiting for it or having the available stock sent toute suite.. doing away with the 'being charged before available for dispatch'

 

I actually wanted a number of 3 inch wide sheets of 1/8 balsa which showed as out of stock, so ordered 4 inch wide to avoid waiting. 

[Don Fry]

Right. March up to your local model shop, and pick your quality wood out of their stock, they do 10 sheets of matching 1/16th to cover the latest pride and joy.
 

The likes of Slec, whatever reputation, is still a small outfit, small profit, falls short sometimes. Perhaps can’t afford a decent computer system.

Not alone, Air Traffic Control systems in the UK spring to mind. Money pit of an industry, no traffic lights in the budget?