Hattons Model Railways of Widnes (formerly Liverpool).

[Gwiwer]

Those domains are not blocked here.

[John B]

As a postscript to Dave and Richard (and thanks for your taking interest in the matter):

 

After numerous emails going back and forth last week, where the stories varied from person to person that my order (placed Thursday 11th, all in stock items) had either not been picked or had been picked on Monday 15th, (yet no picking emails sent), I was left on Saturday morning with a further email from Ben Ashwin who was going to try to find out from the Logistics Manager what had happened.

 

This morning (Monday 22nd) I eventually got the "Order Picked & Packed" email and a text confirmation of DHL delivery by Wednesday. All now sorted. It would be interesting to understand why the order took 11 days from placing to packing, though... I should add again that I've been a Hattons customer for many, many years and indeed they have been my first retailer of choice ever since I emigrated to the USA, so this blip in service was very unexpected and unusual.

 

The DHL option, incidentally, is fantastic. Especially now that they send texts or emails offering the opportunity to specify a shipping date / time and also a signature release.

[andyman7]

In my case, having abandoned childhood OO to the great "yeah, one day when I'm retired and have a spare room or loft or something" box of wishful thinking, I wandered into a model shop by chance (here in Tokyo) and happened upon an unpowered N gauge model (N gauge rules supreme in Japan) of the train which runs on my local line and thought it would be nifty to display on a shelf, especially as it was dirt cheap. However a voice kept whispering to me about the possibilities of a short stretch of track and something to run on it, and before I knew it I'd acquired a) some Kato Unitrack, b) a Kato controller, and c) a Kato "Kokuden" train, which set me back something like 60 quid in total, which is a sum I could write off if necessary (I wasn't familiar with N gauge at all). Anyway it all worked wonderfully out of the box, and I was entranced by the "Kokuden" train despite it being a very simple model (no lights, DCC, little detailing, turns out it's a rehash of Kato's original model of that class using the original mouldings from 40 or 50 years ago). And the rest, they say, is history.

 

What certainly helped is having Kato Unitrack available - I know it's not exactly prototypical, but It Just Works™, and made the running of trains (rather than the building of a layout) accessible and pleasurable. Call it a gateway drug, which has lead me to the point where I'm contemplating hand-building track for a sub-project not easily implemented with settrack.

 

I'm not sure how that would translate to the British market, but I imagine access to a "cheap" (i.e. at an "impulse purchase" level) and robust starter set of some kind which shows model trains are much easier and more accessible than that abandoned layout of your childhood would help ease people back into the addiction hobby. Errm, and N gauge could do with being promoted as a viable way of building that 8x4 layout you always wanted but don't have the space for.

I think that track is a big impediment to the casual or new entrant at the moment - the Unitrack system (and Bachmann E-Z track) is not readily available here, and conventional set track is really not plug and play - it can take quite a lot of fiddling if you aren't familiar with aligning fishplates and ensuring good contact. Flexi track is not a good start for someone dipping their toe in the water either.

[railsquid]

It's entirely possible that there's a different problem affecting you... But if you have a moment, can you access either of http://www.google-analytics.com r http://ssl.google-analytics.com ? Those are the domains which, when blocked, seem to cause the "addToCart" button not to work.

 

 

Those domains are not blocked here.

 

Unfortunately I've been unable to reproduce any kind of issue on OS X

 

Hattons kindly told me earlier that the issue I reported on Linux has been fixed and everything seems to work fine now, kudos for the quick response.

[Gwiwer]

I'm still in regular email contact with Graeme Hogg at Hattons regards the issue of the non-working "Add to Cart" button.   We are exploring all options.  Unfortunately I have been unable to access Hattons web site this evening as it refuses to load on any device suggesting they might themselves be having a few issues.  Until I can get in I cannot test the latest attempt at fixing the problem.

[railsquid]

I'm still in regular email contact with Graeme Hogg at Hattons regards the issue of the non-working "Add to Cart" button.   We are exploring all options.  Unfortunately I have been unable to access Hattons web site this evening as it refuses to load on any device suggesting they might themselves be having a few issues.  Until I can get in I cannot test the latest attempt at fixing the problem.

 

Works for me... Maybe Australia's dial-up interconnection to the rest of the world is congested? (In a previous life I had to deal with internet connection speeds from various countries, just be thankful you're not in NZ).

[sandwich station]

Hatton's site is very slow at the moment.

[meatloaf]

all sorted

Edited August 25, 2016 by meatloaf

[Gwiwer]

Hattons site came back up for me very late last night at what would have been around 3.30pm there.  The "Add to Cart" button was tested once more with the result that nothing happens.  

 

So we know this is not a cookie issue as I have managed to isolate and delete Hattons cookies.  www.hattons.co.uk is now on my whitelist of sites.  Everything else works on the site and my computer works perfectly with all other sites.  [mode=scratch head][mode=suck teeth]"Dunno mate"[/mode][/mode]

 

I can order using the phone.  This suggests the issue relates somehow to OSX/Safari as it doesn't show in IOS and is not specific to my account. 

 

Also still awaiting an order notified as shipped on 12th August but we are just still within the normal timeframe of two weeks for it to arrive without being considered delayed.  

[irishmail]

Yes, we plan to take a good look at the courier options once we have optimised our internal Despatch/Logistics processes. We have a fair few couriers vying for our traffic but we need to have a firm grasp of our own capacity before talking volumes and agreements. The Yodel "Collect from Hattons Sunday, deliver Monday" deal stemmed from us needing to work Sundays to keep up with the orders we came into on a Monday. Now we've made the pick/pack system slicker, we aren't too sure how many days Mon-Sun we will run. I think Yodel get a harder time than they deserve, but that was their own fault after rebranding too early when HDNL and DHL UK were merged. 

 

Yes Gwiwer you are right - I have been a long time lurker on here (and have discussed your browser issues on several occasions with several eminently knowledgeable IT people). Am coming out of the woodwork now as we are getting to the stage at Hattons where we think we are on top of all the projects that were required to get the business under control after moving from a high street shop to being an omni-channel ecommerce store (as the marketing people say).  I'm interested in where the market is going, with particular focus in the segment of customers who we call "Entrants", which is typically a 45+ year old guy who is either returning to the hobby or just getting into it.  Personally I don't think that segment is getting enough attention. I'm intending to talk to the manufacturers and magazines about this, to see what their strategy for acquiring new customers is. Just to pre-empt the question, we can see growth in both segments (we call the other one "Established"), but would like to be part of a more considered, progressive and collaborative strategy. You can find out more about me at https://uk.linkedin.com/in/richard-davies-065a7b1b

 

Steve thanks for your order - it will be with you soon. Project MacGyver is just being completed so the team will probably be despatching 1600+ orders a day for the next few days. BTW - the Roco loco you bought came to us from an interesting chap based in Munich who I think has more stuff coming in soon - if I see it in the "Goods in" or "For photoing" area I will let you know

 

R

 

Richard Davies

MD, Hattons

Hi Richard,  do you have any idea when the Paypal issue will be sorted?  I am still unable to use/find option to pay via Paypal at the moment.   It always worked when it was ehattons, but now its hattons.co.uk  the paypal button option does not show when you go to check out.  

 

Regards.

John

[Hattons Dave]

Hi Richard,  do you have any idea when the Paypal issue will be sorted?  I am still unable to use/find option to pay via Paypal at the moment.   It always worked when it was ehattons, but now its hattons.co.uk  the paypal button option does not show when you go to check out.  

 

Regards.

John

 

Hi John

 

We are aware of this problem and we are working to sort it.  In the meantime there are 2 ways of using Paypal on the website:

 

1. Use the guest checkout where the option appears at the very end of the checkout process.  This does mean your order will not be able to be tracked on the website.

 

2. Add a card to your account (must be a valid card) before you place your order.  Then, when you get to the payment section when you are logged in, Paypal will be an option.  You can remove the card again after the order is complete.

 

I hope either of these options help you to access the Paypal payment.  If you have any more issues please do not hesitate to contact us through the usual channels.

 

Cheers

 

 

Dave

[railsquid]

Hattons site came back up for me very late last night at what would have been around 3.30pm there.  The "Add to Cart" button was tested once more with the result that nothing happens.  

 

So we know this is not a cookie issue as I have managed to isolate and delete Hattons cookies.  www.hattons.co.uk is now on my whitelist of sites.  Everything else works on the site and my computer works perfectly with all other sites.  [mode=scratch head][mode=suck teeth]"Dunno mate"[/mode][/mode]

 

I can order using the phone.  This suggests the issue relates somehow to OSX/Safari as it doesn't show in IOS and is not specific to my account.

 

Good news of a sort - I've just noticed that "add to cart" still does not work for me on individual product pages, whether Linux or Safari on OS X. The previous fix solved the issue for me on "product overview" pages (i.e. where there are multiple products on a single page) but accessing the information page for the product, "Add to cart" still does nothing. I'll see if I can dig into the issue and work out what's going on, but not today.

[Tony_S]

Just in a spirit of trying to be helpful I fired up the Mac, latest OS, latest version of Safari and I can add anything I like to the cart on hattons.co.uk

I don't think there is anything special or odd about my Mac though I do use an antivirus program!

[railsquid]

OS X, El Capitan (?, latest version)

 

On this product overview page I can click on "add to cart" for the sole product displayed - works fine.

 

If I click on the product itself and get this product-specific page - "add to cart" does nuffink. Same happens in other browsers on OS X and Linux.

[Tony_S]

OS X, El Capitan (?, latest version)

 

On this product overview page I can click on "add to cart" for the sole product displayed - works fine.

 

If I click on the product itself and get this product-specific page - "add to cart" does nuffink. Same happens in other browsers on OS X and Linux.

 

Sorry. I should have specified El Capitan. Sierra isn't on general release and I forgot about that.

Safari is version 9.1.2

I will go down to the Mac and try the product you mention and report back.

[Tony_S]

Sorry. I should have specified El Capitan. Sierra isn't on general release and I forgot about that.

Safari is version 9.1.2

I will go down to the Mac and try the product you mention and report back.

 

I went down and the button works on both examples. I can add and remove the item from the cart.  I tried changing currency to see if that made a difference and it didn't. The mac is a Mac mini, 4Gb ram with the AMD Radeon graphics.

I have access to other Macs. I will try those too, but probably not tonight 

[RecordEdit]

As a postscript to Dave and Richard (and thanks for your taking interest in the matter):

 

After numerous emails going back and forth last week, where the stories varied from person to person that my order (placed Thursday 11th, all in stock items) had either not been picked or had been picked on Monday 15th, (yet no picking emails sent), I was left on Saturday morning with a further email from Ben Ashwin who was going to try to find out from the Logistics Manager what had happened.

 

This morning (Monday 22nd) I eventually got the "Order Picked & Packed" email and a text confirmation of DHL delivery by Wednesday. All now sorted. It would be interesting to understand why the order took 11 days from placing to packing, though... I should add again that I've been a Hattons customer for many, many years and indeed they have been my first retailer of choice ever since I emigrated to the USA, so this blip in service was very unexpected and unusual.

 

The DHL option, incidentally, is fantastic. Especially now that they send texts or emails offering the opportunity to specify a shipping date / time and also a signature release.

 

It hasn't been quite that slow for me, however it certainly has been a strange circumstance with my last couple of orders taking so long to be packed and dispatched across to me in New Zealand.  Normally I will place an order with Hattons during my daytime, have it processed and dispatched while I sleep, and receive an email when I get up the next morning to advise it is already on its way.  Outstanding service in my view and impossible to fault.

 

However my second-last order with them, placed at 4:40pm New Zealand Time on the 18th August, was not dispatched until 11:46pm on the 23rd.  I suspect it will be a close-run thing between amount of time it took to dispatch and the amount of time it will take to travel from Widnes to here.  Orders from Hattons generally take no more than seven calendar days from the time I hit the "place order" button to the time I am holding the carton in my hands.  Again, outstanding service by any measure considering where I live.

 

My current order, placed on the 24th, is still in the pick-list as of today.  I'm not confident I will see much action on it before next Tuesday with the Bank Holiday Monday over there.  If I could make any criticism it would be that they probably should have signaled the dispatch upgrade work via their website a lot earlier than they did.  I check their website regularly and always pay attention to the news and announcements as my first order of business.  Still, it's only a minor quibble given their generally first-class service.

 

As a matter of interest, anyone have thoughts on the new packaging system?  My initial impression from an order received earlier than the two mentioned above (yes, I need to curb the spending!) was "hmmm, I'm not sure."  The order contained a Bachmann diesel, along with a couple of Farish rolling stock items.  They were simply placed in the carton loose with a layer of that chunky bubble-wrap top and bottom.  My initial thought was that I think I prefer their earlier method of wrapping a big piece of bubble wrap around the items with sticky tape to hold everything together, and the air-bags surrounding that.  It just seemed to me in this order, at least, there was too much room for the Bachmann loco to "roam around" inside the carton, banging side to side especially.  I appreciate the Bachmann packaging itself is quite sturdy ... still, my initial thought was that this new method wasn't perhaps the best.  Might get away with it more on short journeys, but my cartons are coming clear across the other side of the planet ....

 

 

RE. 

Edited August 26, 2016 by RecordEdit

[Hroth]

Placed an order for Hornby R1184 Western Express on Sunday morning, before the shop opened for normal Sunday trading, and after the usual confirmatory emails I saw the status had been set to "ADDED TO PICKING LIST xxx", where its been ever since.   One assumes that staff levels are reduced over the holiday period!

 

On another note, I was browsing the Hornby Bargains and saw that R3458TTS, the Fowler 2P 4-4-0 was being offered at the "bargain" price of £114, though thats not so much a bargain as the TTS Hall 4-6-0 in the R1184 set for £125 where you get the loco plus 3 Pullman carriages, a 3rd radius oval and siding, and an elink controller and software! 

 

Of course, if you need an BR early crest 2P 4-4-0 then a GWR Hall isn't going to be much use to you......

[BG John]

Placed an order for Hornby R1184 Western Express on Sunday morning, before the shop opened for normal Sunday trading, and after the usual confirmatory emails I saw the status had been set to "ADDED TO PICKING LIST xxx", where its been ever since.   One assumes that staff levels are reduced over the holiday period!

I placed an order for two Peco points at 1pm on Monday, and got an e-mail to say it had been sent on Tuesday at 1:20pm. So they may have had Monday off, but soon caught up!

[Gwiwer]

The slightly-delayed order has now arrived and realistically is within the ballpark for a slowish flight.  It might have missed a connection somewhere, it may have been sorted into the "fill before shipping" bin rather than the "priority" one.  Who knows.  What matters is that it's here.

 

I await with interest the outcome of the most recent order which, according to auto-generated emails, has been picked, packed and shipped.  It isn't due for release until December ...... 

[amdaley]

My last order was put on a picking list on 22nd Aug & nothing has happened since.

When I contacted Hattons I was given the spiel about upgrading the packing system etc & was told it would be going out yesterday.

Guess what its still on the same picking list today.

I can understand why there would be disruption due to the upgrading but why they couldn't have kept the existing system until the new system was up & running I don't know ?

[Hroth]

My last order was put on a picking list on 22nd Aug & nothing has happened since.

When I contacted Hattons I was given the spiel about upgrading the packing system etc & was told it would be going out yesterday.

Guess what its still on the same picking list today.

I can understand why there would be disruption due to the upgrading but why they couldn't have kept the existing system until the new system was up & running I don't know ?

I've stuff that was delivered months ago and are still marked as on the picking list.  Sometimes software just doesn't want to know...

 

Mostly Hattons are good at shipping stuff, and if you have a chat (on-line or on the phone) they can try to expedite slow items or at least confirm that they're progressing through the system. The Bank Holiday weekend doesn't help things and I don't begrudge staff taking holidays and things consequently moving at a slower pace, considering the sterling effort they put in the rest of the year!

[Removed a/c]

Placed an order yesterday, email that it was sent today. 

[davefromacrossthepond]

In the past I've always been impressed that there are times when stuff ordered from Hattons arrives to me (in Rhode Island USA) quicker than orders placed the same day to a U.S. firm. Whatever problems Hattons appears to have run into associated with the move and other changes perhaps has been overcome.  I placed an order during the weekend - got the various emails that the order had been received etc and about an hour ago the DHL van dropped off my order.  I'm not sure that anyone can reasonably expect better than that.  As always, totally satisfied customer.  

Edited September 1, 2016 by davefromacrossthepond

[BG John]

I placed an order for two Peco points at 1pm on Monday, and got an e-mail to say it had been sent on Tuesday at 1:20pm. So they may have had Monday off, but soon caught up!

It arrived in the post this morning.