Jump to content
 

Gaugemaster - Poor customer service


Andy7
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold

Well my experience this time around with gaugemaster was very poor and with no effort to resolve it on their part I am going to share it on here.

 

Placed an order for a few modelling items quite late the night before last (couple of paint pots and plastruct bar). Within an hour I realised I had forgotten a paint that was required by me, no drama I will email them and they can pick it up in the morning before processing my order.

They did indeed get the email and replied a long time before order was processed. The answer to the email was there was no way to add the paint to my order. I would have to place a new order and pay a small item handling fee of £2.50 on a £3.30 product which is stupid. Especially as I had paid the £2.50 fee for the original order that had yet to be handled. What followed was them essentially wasting lots of time replying to my emails asking to speak with a manager, so much time (as in all day) that they got the order processed and sent out minus the extra paint before I spoke with the manager and that’s on the free delivery (economy) option. The cynic in me says the order was rushed through on purpose. No doubt I will hear from the manager this morning (when it is arguably too late).

 

So all in all I am an unhappy customer that was fobbed off all day and all I wanted was to add a single paint tin to an existing order that had not yet been processed.

Thet literally could not have been more unhelpful.

 

I will report back on here when the manager has had his/her 5 mins with me, if he/she can be bothered. Not been so far.

 

Wait out.

  • Funny 1
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

That is a wee bit daft of them.  It is not like they are Amazon!  I noticed last night they had a £2.50 order handling fee (not sure when this came in?) so in reality there is no “free” delivery option IMHO.


Edit: My apologies, did not realise the handling fee is removed above £15.
 

Kind regards

 

Paddy

 

Edited by Paddy
  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

That’s extraordinarily poor form, and would be enough to stop me ever using them. They’re my local shop and I already (ironically) only buy small items that are impractical to post. 

  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't know where you are hiding but in the real world there is a pandemic raging out of control. Many people have lost their jobs. Others are stretched near to breaking point. Think yourself lucky that some hobby suppliers are still open for business. If you cannot stump up £2.50 then I think it is a pretty poor show on your part.

Bernard

 

 

  • Like 2
  • Agree 13
  • Round of applause 2
  • Funny 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

When my Gaugemaster controller developed a fault, I dropped it off at their

shop, on my way to Chichester. Not only did they honour their pledge to repair

it free of charge, they also returned it by Royal Mail and paid the postage.

 

Excellent service by any standards.

Edited by trevor7598
  • Like 4
  • Agree 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
35 minutes ago, Paddy said:

That is a wee bit daft of them.  It is not like they are Amazon!  I noticed last night they had a £2.50 order handling fee (not sure when this came in?) so in reality there is no “free” delivery option IMHO.

 

Kind regards

 

Paddy

 

 

Free shipping is on orders over £15.00


Roy

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
Just now, Roy Langridge said:

 

Free shipping is on orders over £15.00


Roy

Oddly free shipping appears to be any order regardless of price but anything below £15 Is subject to the handling fee of £2.50!

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
7 minutes ago, Andy7 said:

Oddly free shipping appears to be any order regardless of price but anything below £15 Is subject to the handling fee of £2.50!

 

But that is rather the point, the website clearly states that free shipping is on orders over £15, so the statement that " in reality there is no “free” delivery option" is incorrect. Paying £2.50 below that is not unreasonable given the packaging and postage cost may actually exceed the cost of the items ordered.


Roy

Edited by Roy Langridge
  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold
26 minutes ago, Bernard Lamb said:

I don't know where you are hiding but in the real world there is a pandemic raging out of control. Many people have lost their jobs. Others are stretched near to breaking point. Think yourself lucky that some hobby suppliers are still open for business. If you cannot stump up £2.50 then I think it is a pretty poor show on your part.

Bernard

 

 

The world does keep on turning though. Not downplaying the pandemic at all but if they want to remain open then they need to sell goods now and ideally have returning customers to keep them going.

 

Just to clarify, I did forget to include the paint tin in the first place, my bad. I merely wanted to add it to the existing order that had yet to be processed, I don’t think I asked too much of them.

  • Agree 4
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I don't want to pass comment on your case but I will highlight my situation where Gaugemaster were helpful to their own detriment but shows how stretched they have been.

 

In lock down 1 I placed an order for 6 or 7 items to get into the free delivery bracket. Parcel arrived about a week later with only 3 items in it. I called to see what was up and they explained (like everyone else) their deliveries had gone haywire and they didn't know what was coming in when so they had sent what they had. They noted on the phone one item had come in that morning and they would get it out that day. I said not to rush and wait until the rest had been delivered but they insisted as the picking system they use had allocated etc. and holding stock aside would be more problematic.

 

Over the next few months, as things got going again, I received a succession of 3-4 parcels until the order was filled. Given these were mostly items that can't be sent by regular carrier my order must have ultimately cost them money but they kept going rather than cancel the outstanding items with an apology as would have been quite reasonable.

  • Like 4
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Completely coincidentally I received this from a (non-Railway) model shop this morning as a standard response to a query I had about an order. I've deleted the shop name.

 

Hi, I’m here at XXXXX picking and packing right now, I'm even sleeping here!!!

Please read to the end.

 

Just like many other online retailers, lockdown is seriously causing huge restrictions for businesses.

 

I understand you may require support or help for order related issues etc - I will get back to you.

 

XXXXXX has a fantastic reputation for fast dispatch. However, we are getting thousands of orders which is great for business, but we don’t physically have the manpower to get orders out that fast.

 

"All of a sudden,  over night 1000’s of orders flooded in!"

 

We are getting lots of emails asking where is my order and replying by email is seriously slowing down the dispatch time. As every email I do takes me away from packing your order.

 

When we pick an order the system goes into a dispatched status, because normally your order will go out the same day. This status also generates a tracking reference. However, we have still got to pack your order and give it to the carrier. As soon as the carrier has your order you will be able to track it.

 

As this stage we cannot ammend your order.

 

We love our customers and appreciate your custom and apologise for any delay.

 

What I'm trying to say is "we are on it!" we will get your order to you as fast as we can.

 

 Chris

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Andy7 said:

The world does keep on turning though. Not downplaying the pandemic at all but if they want to remain open then they need to sell goods now and ideally have returning customers to keep them going.

 

Just to clarify, I did forget to include the paint tin in the first place, my bad. I merely wanted to add it to the existing order that had yet to be processed, I don’t think I asked too much of them.

But other people do think that way.

Any business is free to decide on its T&C.

If you don't like it go to another supplier.

Bernard

  • Agree 4
  • Interesting/Thought-provoking 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Roy Langridge said:

 

But that is rather the point, the website clearly states that free shipping is on orders over £15, so the statement that " in reality there is no “free” delivery option" is incorrect. Paying £2.50 below that is not unreasonable given the packaging and postage cost may actually exceed the cost of the items ordered.


Roy


Hi Roy,

 

My. Apologies to GM and thank you for highlighting my error with regard to £15 minimum for free delivery.  I have also edited my post to reflect this.

 

Kind regards

 

Paddy

Edited by Paddy
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Seems pretty much a storm in a teacup to me .   We are in the middle of a pandemic after all .  You talk to a manager for £2.50 and a pot of paint!  Definitely a first world problem 

  • Like 2
  • Agree 4
  • Funny 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...