RMweb Gold Colin_McLeod Posted December 7, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2017 I found this the other day. I guess I've been a customer on and off for quite a while: Have they arrived yet? lol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevelewis Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 I found this the other day. I guess I've been a customer on and off for quite a while: Interesting to note that Hattons phone number remains the same ( except for the addition of an extra '1' in the Liverpool code) 0151 733 3655 Even though they have re- located to Widnes whose area code is usually 0151 4xx xxxx Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
40F Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 (edited) Interesting to note that Hattons phone number remains the same ( except for the addition of an extra '1' in the Liverpool code) 0151 733 3655 Even though they have re- located to Widnes whose area code is usually 0151 4xx xxxx Not really you can keep your same number if staying with in the same exchange area Edited December 7, 2017 by 40F Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopardml2341 Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 (edited) Interesting to note that Hattons phone number remains the same ( except for the addition of an extra '1' in the Liverpool code) 0151 733 3655 Even though they have re- located to Widnes whose area code is usually 0151 4xx xxxx In this digital age, phone numbers are not necessarily geographic any more - they're more of a real world identity mapped to a physical line circuit in the exchange. The dialing of the 'numbers' doesn't need have any direct correlation to the transmission path, unless of course you're still on a Strowger exchange: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strowger_switch Edit: still typing when post above added Edited December 7, 2017 by leopardml2341 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevelewis Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 In this digital age, phone numbers are not necessarily geographic any more - they're more of a real world identity mapped to a physical line circuit in the exchange. The dialing of the 'numbers' doesn't need have any direct correlation to the transmission path, unless of course you're still on a Strowger exchange: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strowger_switch Edit: still typing when post above added Yes understood, also notable that non BT landlines tend not to be in the same series as BT codes and lives not 500metres away is 01244 2xxxxx Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forester Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 The Hattons pre-owned rubbish gathers pace. An ancient Hornby R154 Sir Dinadan repainted as Sir Ironside has suddenly become a China-made super-detail R2621 Ironside.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eddie reffin Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 Post of praise for Hattons. Last two orders had an element of human error in physically packed items but on both occasions the issues were handled promptly and efficiently by the customer service team. Mistakes happen but the measure of the company is in how they handle them. Well done to them, especially Amanda for her help. No point in getting het up when things go wrong, its only model trains after all! No connection apart from being a very happy customer! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 (edited) Order place Monday, "Picked" Tuesday, delivered by postie this afternoon - quite remarkable IME. It was for a single piece of track which would have fitted a paddy bag perfectly safely but was dispatched in a box easily big enough for four coaches - in fact when I looked at postie I thought Kernow had sent me another 4TC. Edited December 7, 2017 by Butler Henderson 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dunsignalling Posted December 7, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2017 In this digital age, phone numbers are not necessarily geographic any more - they're more of a real world identity mapped to a physical line circuit in the exchange. The dialing of the 'numbers' doesn't need have any direct correlation to the transmission path, unless of course you're still on a Strowger exchange: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strowger_switch Edit: still typing when post above added Or unreal world, I've had a couple of spam/scam calls purportedly from the Swansea area that clearly came from the Indian sub-continent. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold adb968008 Posted December 7, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 7, 2017 On a completely unrelated matter but it's food for thought, just been looking at the Hattons pre-owned and a large amount of LMS locomotives of various sources going back to Mainline are showing in today's new listings. Not sure how Hattons shows some new items as they seem to appear on multiple days but if all that stock has come from a single source then that's another poor soul of this mortal coil I think. It's quite sad really that when you see large collections coming up for sale it is most likely because the owner has passed away or is no longer able to enjoy the hobby due to age related issues. Makes you think Sadly this has been me since my father passed earlier this year, most of the 2nd half of my 2017 has been spent, finding boxes for 2000 model Railway items, 250 miles from my home, boxing and bringing them home, sorting, cleaning and finding missing bits, deciding what to keep and what to let go. Then after this, testing, photographing and listing them on ebay, and finally wrapping and sending them on their way. In between this travelling for work and spending some time with the family. It’s been a massive and hugely emotional job. I could have let it to a shop, but I would have lost a lot of memories and it wouldn’t have felt like the right thing to do, for what was my fathers lifetime collection placed into my care. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevelewis Posted December 7, 2017 Share Posted December 7, 2017 Not really you can keep your same number if staying with in the same exchange area Smithdown Road to Montague Road approx. 10 miles, so would not have thought same exchange would cover, that geographical distance, could be wrong of course,,although in my local area there are 3 exchanges in a 6 mile radius. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chamby Posted December 7, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 7, 2017 Post of praise for Hattons....No point in getting het up when things go wrong, its only model trains after all! No connection apart from being a very happy customer! I disagree strongly with your comment “it’s only model trains” - it’s hard earned money for what in many cases is an expensive purchase. And October’s shambles was just that. That said, I am finding Hattons service back to normal now. I have been pleased to take delivery of a couple of orders now - correctly processed and delivered next day by Royal Mail, just like they used to before that fateful stock take. Yay! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bingley hall Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Hi Hattons have become a bit of a joke I looked at the Bachmann birdcage coaches in BR livery and Hattons where over £10 dearer than rails of Sheffield so no prices to where my cash is going Thanks Alan As have the majority of posters in this thread. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWsTrains Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 (edited) Hi Hattons have become a bit of a joke I looked at the Bachmann birdcage coaches in BR livery and Hattons where over £10 dearer than rails of Sheffield so no prices to where my cash is going Thanks Alan How about we test this "Bit of a Joke" assertion by looking at some data?. I've had 14 orders during 2017 so plenty of data points, I took the date of each and the order number of each. From this I derived the Daily Orders rate between any 2 of my Orders as follows: (Order no(2) - Order no(1)) / Days between the two orders This is the chart: Data a bit thin between August and November because of travels but clearly my Nov 22nd data point spans the whole "problem period and they've averaged 760 orders a day. If they choose a pricing structure which you dislike it seems reasonable to go elsewhere, I have, but hardly "joke" of a business all the same. People sometimes shop for reasons other than lowest price believe it or not! Edit with PS: anyone who wants to add data (anon of course) just PM me an order no and date and I can better populate my analysis Edited December 8, 2017 by BWsTrains 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 I have generally had very positive experiences from Hattons as well as other rival retailers. Hattons always used to be a little cheaper than others but that seems to have gone by the board since the manufacturers started imposing their own conditions on the retailers. Like any operation run by human beings, they can, and do, make mistakes, but they also rectify those mistakes with the minimum of fuss and cost to the customer.My latest experience with them means they deserve praise for their positive response. I made a large order recently (some new and some pre-owned) for a number of Oxford diecast cars and vans, plus a bus, a Pocketbond car, two DCC Concepts decoders, some Fox Transfers, some Kean Maygib wheels and bearings, a Westward bogie kit, and a DJM J94. The whole package arrived in a sodden state (probably from our recent extremely wet weather), with the outer cardboard box disintegrating and placed into a plastic bag with absolutely no explanation from the Post Office. All of the paperwork and cardboard packaging for the individual items was wet and falling apart. The water had reached some of the contents but with minimal damage to any of them. The J94 had a some moisture on it but none in it, and the decoders also survived (I tested then after making sure they were dried out). Now, none of this was in any way Hatton's fault. I contacted them to let them know all of this (for the record) in case anything was damaged or not working (before I had a chance to test things), and received a prompt response apologising to me and offering refunds or replacement of anything that was damaged. I subsequently informed them that all seemed to be working, although most of the boxes were useless (I don't keep those anyway, except for locomotive boxes). Again their representative apologised, even though I had assured him that I wasn't blaming Hattons, and reiterated that if I did find any problems later, to let them know and they would replace said items. I think that that is wonderful service, above and beyond their duty to the customer. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwich station Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Hi Hattons have become a bit of a joke I looked at the Bachmann birdcage coaches in BR livery and Hattons where over £10 dearer than rails of Sheffield so no prices to where my cash is going Thanks Alan Well if they were, they're not anymore. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.Uni Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Well if they were, they're not anymore. Hattons.jpgrails.jpg I think Thebigshot is referring to the price for all 3 Rails Bundle: £139.50 https://railsofsheffield.com/bundles/6/set-of-3-br-crimson-secr-60ft-birdcage-coaches Hattons: £50.96 X3 = £152.88 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chamby Posted December 8, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 8, 2017 (edited) It works the other way round too. Heljan 2661 - Class 26/0 in BR green: Rails price = £95.00. Hattons price = £61.00. In stock at both retailers now. Many other examples of the price differential favouring either retailer, depending on which model you are looking at. Sweeping comments based on a small sample Can give the wrong impression. The reality is that you need to shop around for the particular model you want at a given time, if you want the best price. I have a number of retailers that I routinely check out before committing to a purchase, sometimes even the smaller guys have a better deal on a particular model. I think it is a fair observation that Hattons are currently the cheapest supplier rather less often than they used to be. So shop around, but don’t write them off as a joke. Phil Edited December 8, 2017 by Chamby 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley Melrose Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 More years ago than I can compute, my Dad took me and my (TrixTwin collection of) model railways to Hattons then based in that originally grubby little shop in Smithdown Road and exchanged it for some Graham Farish stock and track. While I had happily raced the Trix 0-4-0 loco around the track laid out on the dining room table so that it would leap off the track at the end of the straight sections and on to the (carpeted) floor so I could replace it and start the process again, the Graham Farish Prarie rarely, if ever, started without a prod (because of the two pole motor). The layout my father started with Peco Individulay was never finished but it did start me on a hobby for a lifetime. God Bless Norman for starting Hattons in the first place because model railways has given me a lifetime of alternating frustration and pleasure - a bit like the other loves of my life . . . Stan 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Colin_McLeod Posted December 8, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 8, 2017 Yes indeed. A big thank you to Norman Hatton for starting up the shop and to his family for keeping it going. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevelewis Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 Yes indeed. A big thank you to Norman Hatton for starting up the shop and to his family for keeping it going. I first visited Hattons in the 60s, later in the 70s & 80s part of my sales territory for my long time employment with a Major Health Care company would include Liverpool, so when in the City I would always visit Hattons ( No Sat Nav or Spy in the Cab devices in those days you really were your OWN Boss), I often got into conversation with Norman mainly the conversation would be about 0 gauge, which I was into big time in those days, I got the impression that he really admired some of the 0 Gauge models which he came into contact with ( Mostly kit built by experts) One of my big regrets was not buying at least one of the Wrenn Streamlined Coronation class locos which were being cleared out at £25 ( some years later these were selling for high 3 figure prices!) some visits though did result in me spending more than a weeks salary in the shop! They always say that a Salesman is the easiest person to sell to and Norman was definitely a Salesman 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 I agree with Phil, above, but would add that for those of us living and ordering from overseas, Hattons often have rather cheaper postal rates than the others. I also shop with Rails, as a satisfied customer of theirs too, and find that frequently the prices from Rails are very slightly cheaper than Hattons' but then Hattons more than makes up the difference with the lower postage costs, or at least those to Australia. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandwich station Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 I think Thebigshot is referring to the price for all 3 Rails Bundle: £139.50 https://railsofsheffield.com/bundles/6/set-of-3-br-crimson-secr-60ft-birdcage-coaches Hattons: £50.96 X3 = £152.88 I to thought that he might be referring to that as well, except his post was about 8 days before that was announced as an advent calendar special. Or is it not quite as special as we are led to believe! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughbwilson Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 Once again good service when buying pre - owned models from afar. Many thanks. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leopardml2341 Posted December 9, 2017 Share Posted December 9, 2017 (edited) It's dead simple really, if one doesn't like the pricing/the business model/the (insert personal gripe) just don't place your business there. What point is there in griping here, telling the business directly might be a better bet and likely be taken more seriously. If a customer like myself has always had good service from Hattons, or other outlet, some of the content vented here is hardly likely to change my perception. Edited December 9, 2017 by leopardml2341 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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