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Hattons Model Railways of Widnes (formerly Liverpool).


tractor_37260
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I hate their tag as 'box shifters', they're really first class retailers in my opinion!

I appreciate the humour, but they're much more 'Local boy done good' than, for example, faceless MZ who ballses up every pre-order I made with them!

I even had a nice, and polite email fromHattons to say my Horrorby CCT would not be in stock when advertised as there has been a delay with the supplier!

Better than MZs bloody answerphone customer service failure!

I always appreciate taking my custom to hattons, second to my local stockist.

Regards,

Jon.

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Popped in today to get a few odds and sods, some Evergreen strip and ended up with a selection of woodlands scenics to make a start on my allotments.

Was asked behind the counter to select the plastic strips I needed, always a friendly welcome and spend far too long browsing, (should be in work around the corner) looking for the elusive 1930's motor vehicle to put on the model or just dreaming about the models on display

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I grew up not far from Hattons (in Garston for anyone who knows it!) and I remember being about 13 years old and going in there when it was still one shop on Smithdown Road. The shop was always quite dark, with engines under a glass display counter, however the shop owner was always genuinely happy and willing to have a chat and offer advice. Now I live down south I choose to support my local model shop (as I believe everyone should where possible) but Hattons is ALWAYS the model shop I set the standards of others by. If I still lived local I would happily spend every penny in there, the 'box shifter' title they've earned is entirely unjust as they are a true model railway shop, very knowledgable and more than happy to help.

 

Ps I have no ties to the shop other than being a very satisfied customer from many years ago, and still hear they offer excellent service to friends who go there now.

 

Mark

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  • 1 month later...
  • RMweb Gold

They're experiencing website problems tonight.Everyone has decided to order their Christmas present off their loved ones at the same time. :no: Still no sign of the 72xx though.

Edited by gwrrob
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I havent noticed any Problems with hattons website today, I have had several emails back and to with them, I was requesting info about a large scale item which they replied to almost instantly despite saying it could be 72Hrs before they replied! After that they also sent 3 or 4 supplementary emails with further info on the item.

 

This morning I checked Royal Mail website to see if a signed for item had been delivered to them ( A Faulty N Gauge item which I returned to them) they received it at 10-20 and by 11-10 I received an email from them confirming a credit card refund had been processed.

 

If that is not service I dont know what is!!

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Stunned to have ordered a Corgi Coles Argos crane on Saturday afternoon and have it arrive on Monday morning. Now that is service to someone who was too stupid to purchase one when they were on general sale in LHS.

 

Massive credit to Hattons, even if they don't use string anymore !!

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Has any one had the following happen to them recentyl?

 

Up till now I have always selected delivery via Royal Mail. They confirmed this recent order as via Royal Mail. However the second email stated that it will be delivered via Yodel (which I didnt spot till now).

 

We prefer Royal Mail as we can pick up from the sorting office next to the station before we catch the train to work, so this has worked well on all previous orders from Hattons.

 

We got a Yodel slip through the door the other night with nothing filled in including  no reference on it. The mobile number for contacting them had been crossed out and a handwritten mobile number added. This I was immediately suspicious of as a scam.

 

However, on checking Hattons second email notifying on the order being packed, it sates sent by Yodel. Not a lot of use to us as we are rarely about to wait for couriers. 

 

I have emailed Hattons so will see what their response is.

 

I am curious if others have had this.

 

Ian

Edited by roundhouse
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Yes, I've had that happen a few times.  Though in my case it was generally City Link that got the parcel.  Fortunately the City Link driver always found a way to leave the parcel safely, otherwise it would have had to be returned to Hattons as the depot is over an hours drive away (5 mins to the sorting office...).

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Has any one had the following happen to them recentyl?

 

Up till now I have always selected delivery via Royal Mail. They confirmed this recent order as via Royal Mail. However the second email stated that it will be delivered via Yodel (which I didnt spot till now).

 

We prefer Royal Mail as we can pick up from the sorting office next to the station before we catch the train to work, so this has worked well on all previous orders from Hattons.

 

We got a Yodel slip through the door the other night with nothing filled in including  no reference on it. The mobile number for contacting them had been crossed out and a handwritten mobile number added. This I was immediately suspicious of as a scam.

 

However, on checking Hattons second email notifying on the order being packed, it sates sent by Yodel. Not a lot of use to us as we are rarely about to wait for couriers. 

 

I have emailed Hattons so will see what their response is.

 

I am curious if others have had this.

 

Ian

I have loads of deliveries sent to my business address and of all the delivery companies out there Yodel are about the worst. Well that is my experience anyway. I am waiting for a delivery from Hattons now and it should be coming by Royal Mail.  If I remember correctly there is a delivery option on Hattons site for 2 day Royal Mail or Yodel 24 both at £4, I chose RM and I would advise everyone else to do the same.

 

Gra

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I have loads of deliveries sent to my business address and of all the delivery companies out there Yodel are about the worst. Well that is my experience anyway. I am waiting for a delivery from Hattons now and it should be coming by Royal Mail.  If I remember correctly there is a delivery option on Hattons site for 2 day Royal Mail or Yodel 24 both at £4, I chose RM and I would advise everyone else to do the same.

 

Gra

He did specify Royal Mail, that's how I understand his post.

Best, Pete.

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Hello - I am not a fan of the current situation where lots of different men in white vans thrash around our country lanes all competing with one another to deliver parcels.  When I was at college (before Mrs Thatcher's time) we had supplementary lectures in Economics where we learnt about the economies of scale.  It is time the subject was revisited and not all 'competition' is good.  Back to the thread and I have just checked to see if Yodel is any relation to (My) Hermes.  No it isn't - Yodel used to be DHL and there are a lot of comments 'out there'.  My favorite tale as regards Couriers was an experience with My Hermes.  The parcel was in transit for days maybe weeks.  All the tracking information said was that it was out with the local courier for delivery.  When it arrived  I asked the courier where it had been - oh she said - I couldn't deliver it because we have been 'flitting' (moving house).  Our local Posties are great and I am a great supporter of Royal Mail.

 

Regards Ray

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Speaking from the USA the Royal Mail is great - except in the run up to Christmas when lead times really get strung out to 12 weeks or so for Airmail parcels.

Mind you I've never had to pay custom fees on anything from the UK...

 

best, Pete.

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So am I,Ray. I use their Mail Collect service from my local sorting office . I have the utmost respect and admiration for the  ladies and gentlemen of our ( much maligned ) Royal Mail .Talking of Yodel,a favourite currently of Amazon,they were recently the subject of an unfavourable report on one of the many consumer watchdog programmes in the media. A CCTV clip showed one item being delivered by being hurled over a 6-foot wooden boundary fence.

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He did specify Royal Mail, that's how I understand his post.

Best, Pete.

 

 

 

Correct. I did double check Hattons order confirmation aswell jsut to make sure I had ticked the Royal Mail option.

 

I had a very quick response from Hattons with some options so hopefully it will get resolved.

 

I will post the outcome in due course.

 

Ian

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Hi Ian.

 

I had exactly the same happen to me with my last order from Hattons. When I them to find out what was going on, they advised me that in future if I didn't want things sending by Yodel, then I should make a note asking them to only use Royal Mail in the delivery comments box before confirming the order. Apparently when they have a lot of orders to get out they will use Yodel as they are 7 days a week collection unlike Royal Mail who are Monday-Friday only unless its special delivery.

 

On this occasion Yodel managed to deliver my order to the right address, but in every previous encounter with them they have been utterly incompetent. I'm pretty sure I’m used as an example of "angry customer" for training purposes after I had to call them when they said they tried to deliver a parcel but I was out, when I’d waited in all day for it without so much as a knock at the door and no card in the letter box. Turned out they had tried to deliver to completely the wrong address even though it was correct on the parcel, and then tried to lead me a merry dance with excuse after excuse!

Tom.

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Correct. I did double check Hattons order confirmation aswell jsut to make sure I had ticked the Royal Mail option.

 

I had a very quick response from Hattons with some options so hopefully it will get resolved.

 

I will post the outcome in due course.

 

Ian

Hi Ian

 

I'm sure Hattons will see you OK. I have dealt with them for years and they are one of the best. My previous post was really to warn others regarding Yodel but it is easy to make a mistake when ordering as the RM and Y options are right next to each other so it was worth checking.

 

Gra

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They're experiencing website problems tonight.Everyone has decided to order their Christmas present off their loved ones at the same time. :no: Still no sign of the 72xx though.

 

 That's cos it has to work it's way up the west coast main line!

Appears to be working now (I got the offline message 20 minutes ago) and I've just ordered something....which I shouldn't have! ;)

Blue Pullman? :P

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