Mail Order Follow up

"Mike" wrote

All of the orders we received yesterday (17/12) were shipped the same day and I know some have already arrived - thanks to the excellent work of the Post Office.

John,

53A Models, Hull.

Well that would be unacceptable to me! I expect next day delivery and I always get it even from the furthest point of the country away from me. Maybe that's why I only used Hatton's once and haven't since.

Nick

Well that would be unacceptable to me! I expect next day delivery and I always get it even from the furthest point of the country away from me. Maybe that's why I only used Hatton's once and haven't since.

Nick

I have to say that when I have used, 53A, Holt, Engine Shed, Mid Sussex and others the time from order to delivery is usually 3 days! This is why I raised the question about the extra cost! Richard?

You fellas don't know how lucky you are to have the good old GPO working for you. I mail a parcel to my son in Inuvik, NWT, from central BC and feel I'm lucky if it reaches him in 10 days! It only takes me 3 days to drive the 1800 miles there from here. Aah, but then Canada Post sends the parcel by air ... that explains it! Mike in Burns Lake, BC

I expect next day delivery and I always get it even from the furthest point of the country away from

I must comment that at this time of year to expect next day delivery is going to be pushing it a lot Unless you pay extra for specialist courier carriage

Although I prefer to go to my local shops of which I have at least 6 to choose from and find what I want and get a few browse around sometimes finding something else I "need" but didn't realise it

-- Regards

Gray

I ordered my Q1 from Hattons on the day it was relesed. It got here today.(Atlanta GA ) Rob

Hi

I think I've already covered all the main points in my first reply (there was probably no need to start a new thread anyway)

Your trial was rather unscientific because to make it relevant and relative you should have ordered the same items from all the other companies you mentioned at exactly the same time and seen how long it took them to get them all to you.

To have made it a fairer trial you should also have not announced it to the group or sent me an email, so that Hattons staff were not aware of it. If it had been delivered the day later then it would just have brought cries of "They must have prioritised your order because they knew you were testing them" - for the record we paid no special attention to your order and it went through the system in the normal way (5 days at Christmas and including a weekend isn't bad going in my book anyway)

In your earlier message you suggested that maybe the new system at Hattons is having an effect, but I said that it wasn't going to be implemented till next year - so it's impossible that any improvement is because of new policy and infrastructure. ;-)

I will be conducting my normal tests of all the major mail order companies in March (described in an earlier post) - so the results of that will be a greater indication to me of how we rate.

Take care, thanks again for your order.

Richard Hattons

For £4 I'd expect next day (assuming I'd ordered in the morning) the day after at the latest unless special circumstances applied.

Then it's another 3 days' drive back! But would anyone drive to Inuvik in December? It's pretty wintry up there, according to The Weather Network (overnight temps -25 to -30C; daytime - not that there is any at this time of year - not much higher).

I'm in Ontario (100 km from Toronto) and Air Mail from the UK routinely reaches me in 4 business days - a little more at this time of year.

Phil: Well, I've just been charged 12.50ukp for a delivery by City Link: It cost me only half that (just over) to send it Royal Mail Special Delivery, with next working day by 12.00, in the other direction.

4ukp on an order is a reasonable charge - but equally cannot be considered on its own: the cost of an order/item is the 'advertised cost'+P+Pcost combined. Someone may quote lower on 1, and more on the other. It will also be affected by any bulk deals they have with delivery companies.

On certain 'shopping channels', I sometimes think the P+P is more than the cost of the 'auction bargains' 8-) - used as the 'non-refundable' cost of a possibly returned purchase.

As with other things in life: choose according to need- for a small order, a a fixed fee may seem high - so compare it against driving and parking at a local shop. 'Post Free' means included in the price (possibly with a minimum.

Now I wish Hornby would produce a live-steam Merchant Navy, poste haste 8-)

Phil

Because you don't have to wait for the ferries on the Peel and the Mackenzie Rivers right now!

Actually -30*C is pretty balmy ... so long as there's no wind blowing. Just remember not to lick the gas barrel, or open a car door after just washing dishes. Mike

Or lick a lamppost!

BTW Inuvik is at 68.28 North latitude, which is almost 2 degrees north of the Arctic Circle. According to today's info at

there is no sunrise or sunset, but "Civil Twilight" lasts from 11:14am to 4:26pm, MST. I understand the return of the sun is celebrated with a festival on or about January 6. Temperature at 7:00pm was -23C, windchill -31C.

Do you return Christmas and birthday cards that fail to live up to your punctuality expectations?

You are likely to get a worsening service in the future if my experiences with delivery services this year are anything to go by.

-- Brian "Let's be grateful for our Fridays and face our Mondays with good humour."

What's that got to do with anything as I don't send models back if they arrive in two days instead of next day. Also I don't look forward as much to getting birthday/christmas cards as much as I do to getting new models. Anyway got to go my new Bachmann Deltic that I ordered YESTERDAY has just arrived.

Nick

Anyway got to go my new Bachmann Deltic that I ordered

Great. Enjoy it!

You are not restricted to normal post when you order from Hattons. Don't forget that we offer Royal Mail Special Delivery on locos for £7 so you could have received it from us for £48 + £7 = £55.

Cheers

Richard Hattons

Thanks I will :-)

£7, to expensive! I ordered a Bachmann Deltic and two Lenz decoders and was offered Royal Mail Special Delivery for £5.20

Nick

Hi

Well that produced some very interesting replies. Overall I have no axe to grind with Hattons who I have done a significant amount of business with over the years. The only reason I raised the issue was the price increase in their postage. I still think £4 per order is a little high considering its for second class post. Where as by their own admission for just a pound more you could have special delivery! (cost per weight average 00 loco) Still there is no doubt that the parcels are always well wrapped and safe.

Its a free choice and in the end what influences me is good value and ease of ordering.

So happy Christmas to all and I hope Santa brings your the engine of your choice :-)