Buying a Mill - Supplier Service

Earlier this year I decided to buy a chinese milling machine. Chester Champion, Axminster or Warco ZX15. Yes, I know that a second hand Bridgeport is better value for money but transport would be difficult as I live in the south of France.

Anyway, I contacted the three companies by email to ask; a) What would their delivery charge be? and b) If I came over to the UK on holiday could they supply one broken down into small enough sections to fit in the back of an estate car?

Axminster didn't reply, despite a second email a week later.

Chester replied that I would have to contact their French agent. I contacted them and found that their price was more than double Chester's so I again asked Chester if they could supply it broken down for collection and their reply was no I would have to do it myself. I could just imagine myself trying to dismantle a milling machine at the side of the road!

Warco replied that yes they could supply it partially dismantled and that they would get me a quote for delivery. A few days later they were able to quote for delivery and, as expected, it was rather high so I asked them to have an imperial version of machine ready for me to collect on a particular day in August when I would be passing close by their works. They asked what car I had so that they could be sure it would fit and told me that they did not require a deposit.

During my holiday I passed Bristol on the opening day of the show there and paid a visit to the Warco stand. I was told that there was a problem in that the container of imperial mills they had ordered from China turned out to contain only metric ones. However after some discussion they offered to give me a pair of digital scales FOC with a metric machine. So, a week later I set off from Devon to Warco's on my way to my sister's in Sussex. However the M4 ground to a complete standstill having been completely closed by an accident. Eventually I managed to reach an exit but of course all the alternative routes wehe jammed solid and it soon became evident that I would not reach Warco's before closing time. I telephoned them and, despite it being Friday evening they volunteered to stay on until I arrived. When I arrived, over an hour after closing time I was greeted by cheerful staff who helped me load the dismantled mill.

I could not ask for better customer service. I know where I will go for future requirements.

Russell.

Reply to
Russell Eberhardt
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I'm about to buy a new lathe and it will be from Warco as all I have heard is good things about them when it comes that little bit extra of customer service.

Reply to
Graeme Hill

Indseed it's a repetitive theme here, and it certainly makes a difference as far as my intentions go...

Reply to
Boo

I've had experience of WARCO and Chester. I've yet to be convinced that WARCO is better to deal with. I bought a chinese mill (similar to the Chester Eagle 25 and Axminster RF-25) from WARCO and needed a couple of new head clamp bolts. These are ordinary 12mm bolts. I rang WARCO a couple of weeks ago, at which time they didn't have a parts schedule for the machine they sold me a couple of months previously and I had to FAX mine to them so they could identify the part. I haven't had time to chase them up [or use the mill :-(( ] but I'm still outstanding a call from them. That's not ace customer service that earns a price premium. It is unfair to judge on one example, but it is reasonable to throw the example into the ring so that an overall view can be taken.

Steve

Reply to
Steve

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