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Hattons Model Railways of Widnes (formerly Liverpool).


tractor_37260
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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

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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 by 40F
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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 by leopardml2341
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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

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Guest eddie reffin

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!

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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 by Butler Henderson
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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

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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:

 

post-26975-0-04502000-1512716377.jpg

 

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 by BWsTrains
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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.

:)

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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 by Chamby
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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

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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

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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.

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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!

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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 by leopardml2341
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