Hattons Pre-Owned in quarantine?

[sandwich station]

8 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

 

You can ask them for details though. just click on the link thing that says Ask a question about this product

 

If you were interested they will probably take another photograph.

 

Or just buy them blind and if they aren't right you can get a refund.

 

But as above. I reckon they've come from a collection where they are Mint In Box.

 

I know all of that but that's not really the point is it.

Not so bad if they are new, at least you know what they should look like, so if broken, can get a refund/replacement. A different story with second hand items. I want to know that what's in the box is what it says it is, a picture of the model is all it takes. I've seen many items put up for sale that says what it written on the end of the box is what you are buying and looking at the picture of the item itself is quit clearly not what the description says it is.  

 

I buy a lot of items off of Hatton's and have them shipped to Australia, items can take up to 4 weeks to get here, so sending them back is a costly and time consuming option for them or me.

[Hattons Dave]

On 08/01/2021 at 18:39, Compound1000 said:

 

Hi @Hattons Dave hope it is OK for me to use this thread to comment on a recent change to Hattons preowned listings please.

 

I have noticed over the last week or so that many items are being listed with a photograph of the item in its box. While the visual info about the condition of the box is useful having just “boxed” photos does make visually evaluating the condition of the item inside much more difficult. I notice inconsistency in the listings some items only photographed in their boxes, some unboxed for pictures. Personally I’d prefer “unboxed” or “both”. Can consistency be reestsblished or this change explained please. 

 

With thanks. 

Compound1000

 

Hi Compound1000,

 

Thanks for your question regarding photos of our Pre-Owned items.

 

We’ve recently adopted a new policy whereby our product experts identify items that have been traded in to us which are in extremely good/mint condition. As these items are defect free, there is no need to include an image of them out of the box.

 

This helps us more rapidly process through these kinds of items and then allows us to allocate additional resources to the more time consuming items which do require further investigation and photography.

 

We still have our comprehensive returns policy in place in the unlikely event that you do experience an issue with a Pre-Owned item that you have purchased from us.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

[Compound1000]

Thank you @Hattons Dave  for your explanation on this, very helpful. I will again be able to buy from Hattons pre-owned listings with confidence as I have done on many previous occasions.

Never had cause to return an item yet, fortunately  

[sandwich station]

11 hours ago, Hattons Dave said:

We’ve recently adopted a new policy whereby our product experts identify items that have been traded in to us which are in extremely good/mint condition. As these items are defect free, there is no need to include an image of them out of the box.

 

Sorry Dave, I disagree with you on that. It maybe in mint condition but without the photo you can't tell whether it's an early or late version, metal or plastic chassis etc etc. As I might only be looking for a particular version, a photo helps you determine this.

[adb968008]

2 hours ago, sandwich station said:

 

Sorry Dave, I disagree with you on that. It maybe in mint condition but without the photo you can't tell whether it's an early or late version, metal or plastic chassis etc etc. As I might only be looking for a particular version, a photo helps you determine this.

Catalog numbers don't help you with that ?

 

google is your friend, and if its mint as new, then theres nothing to beware of ?

[sandwich station]

44 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Catalog numbers don't help you with that ?

 

google is your friend, and if its mint as new, then theres nothing to beware of ?

 

You quite clearly don't know much about Triang then, as take the R10 open wagon as an example, there are 16 variations of it in colour alone, not to mention different chassis and couplings.

 

With in saying R10 mint boxed and showing a picture of the box, you have no idea what version is inside.

[Steamport Southport]

15 hours ago, sandwich station said:

 

You quite clearly don't know much about Triang then, as take the R10 open wagon as an example, there are 16 variations of it in colour alone, not to mention different chassis and couplings.

 

With in saying R10 mint boxed and showing a picture of the box, you have no idea what version is inside.

 

But have you asked them about the item you are wondering about? That is what the Ask A Question form is for just below the item. Which I pointed out three or four days ago, but you dismissed.

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/605884/tri_ang_r422b_po28_corridor_full_3rd_coach_in_lms_crimson_2257_pre_owned_fair_box/stockdetail.aspx

 

 

Just below the item.

 

I've used it loads of times to ask about pre owned items.

 

But you're suggesting they open all the items, even ones saying Mint. Just not feasible and will lower their value.

 

 

 

Jason

[woodenhead]

15 hours ago, sandwich station said:

With in saying R10 mint boxed and showing a picture of the box, you have no idea what version is inside.

Shroedingers Wagon on steroids

[Nile]

15 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

But you're suggesting they open all the items, even ones saying Mint. Just not feasible and will lower their value.

Surely the box has to be opened to determine if the item is mint or not?

[Daddyman]

On 11/01/2021 at 11:00, Hattons Dave said:

We’ve recently adopted a new policy whereby our product experts identify items ...

Are these the same "experts" that recently listed a B12 as having "wear on valve gear", and regularly refer to a loco's "running gear" or say that part of the "footplate" is missing when they mean the fall plate? And then there are all those Hornby locos they regularly list as "mint" despite their having the smokebox dart missing... 

 

As others have said, the latest photo-in-a-box thing is pain.   

[Dunsignalling]

22 minutes ago, Nile said:

Surely the box has to be opened to determine if the item is mint or not?

If the box appears never to have been opened when it arrives at Hatton's, potential buyers will include collectors who would prefer it to stay that way and will take "mint" as read on the basis of inspection through the window in the box.

 

Those of us who want to run what's inside are protected by Hatton's returns policy. I've only needed to avail myself of that once, and that related to a new item.

 

John

[Daddyman]

(duplicate)
 

Edited January 13, 2021 by Daddyman

[Nile]

Ones man's mint is another man's humbug.

[adb968008]

Mint...

 

 

inspected and lost value..

[adb968008]

Having inspected them, Ive decieded It wasnt as I expected.

None of them were in their  little black sleeves

Edited January 15, 2021 by adb968008

[JDW]

To prevent future disappointment, may I politely suggest that you send all packs to me for -ahem- checking. 

Edited January 15, 2021 by JDW

[Derekl]

I have just bought two pre-owned locos from Hattons - Bachmann BR Std 2-6-4T and an ex-LMS 3F 0-6-0. Both were listed as pristine condition, good box and roughly £100 each. The BR Std had never been out of its box - there are usually slight marks on the plastic container where it has to be slid out to get at the model and there were not. It is in pristine condition (well, so far - let's see what it looks like after I have managed to open it up to fit a decoder).

The 3F had been out of its box as the front vacuum pipe and screw coupling (separate items) had been fitted, but it had not been run, as far as I could see. it is decoder fitted, the decoder still being set to address 3, suggesting it had not been run. (Runs very well now, though). Intrigued to look up the actual loco and find that it was built in 1899 and withdrawn in 1962. Mostly based at Saltley, nowhere near where my layout is supposed to be, but there we are.

Both were in my trunk - delivery requested Tuesday, arrived Wednesday - superb service, which is all I have had from Hattons. Impressive.

[sandwich station]

On 11/01/2021 at 22:00, Hattons Dave said:

 

Hi Compound1000,

 

Thanks for your question regarding photos of our Pre-Owned items.

 

We’ve recently adopted a new policy whereby our product experts identify items that have been traded in to us which are in extremely good/mint condition. As these items are defect free, there is no need to include an image of them out of the box.

 

This helps us more rapidly process through these kinds of items and then allows us to allocate additional resources to the more time consuming items which do require further investigation and photography.

 

We still have our comprehensive returns policy in place in the unlikely event that you do experience an issue with a Pre-Owned item that you have purchased from us.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

 

This being the only picture. How can this fall under your new policy of extremely good/mint, so no need to take out of the box, when you can't even see the model?

[GWR-fan]

I have been caught out a couple of times lately with their new policy.  A Janus loco described as mint was a basket case with broken/ missing handrails,  missing body mount screws and reverse polarity.  Was told the incident would be thoroughly investigated.  Second case,  a Hornby Signature set with loco, four coaches, HM2000 controller and a box of track.  The box with the track was sealed but inside was just four very used radius 3 curves.  Obviously no one took the opportunity to check the contents per the new listing policy.  Currently there is an LMS excavator crane for GBP17.00.  The model has been badly weathered and the operating wires are a dog's breakfast as far as I can see as the only image is one of the model inside a box.

 

As I reported earlier on another Hattons thread,  a GBP25.00 loco gets three images and is tested,  while a GBP200.00 model is not even tested nor removed from the packaging for testing and only one image showing the item in the packaging.  Some coaches are listed with a single image with the coach still wrapped inside the factory tissue paper.  This is all to satisfy the collector market as the condition of the factory packaging is more important than that of the concealed and untested contents (Edit: verified by email correspondence with the store).

Edited September 17, 2022 by GWR-fan
Additional information

[spamcan61]

I've bought most of my toy trains in recent times from Clark's Railworks, they've also adopted this policy of minimal photography, seldom any close ups of the item itself. Presumably they've decided the time consuming process of providing half a dozen close ups of each item isn't cost effective. At a rough guess they've added a couple of hundred OO items in the last week so it's not a surprising policy, even if it is a tad annoying. I've not had any wrong 'uns so I'll keep using them. Plus a Hornby 4MT from them which took a battering in the post was dealt with quickly and efficiently.

Edited September 17, 2022 by spamcan61

[Steamport Southport]

12 hours ago, sandwich station said:

 

This being the only picture. How can this fall under your new policy of extremely good/mint, so no need to take out of the box, when you can't even see the model?

 

Considering the only people who would really want one would be a collector then that photo is far more instructive than taking it out of the box. All its value is in the box condition. Otherwise it's a few quids worth of old junk.

 

If anyone wanted a Rocket then surely they would buy the new version.

 

 

Jason

Edited September 17, 2022 by Steamport Southport

[GWR-fan]

I continue to be perplexed by the store's current position on the listing of pre-owned items.   I believe the process is open to abuse by unscrupulous people who trade-in items.  If the packaging is mint/very good condition then the chances are high that the item will not be removed from its packaging and the item will be listed with one image only showing the item as boxed.  Of late,  after numerous rolling stock purchases where only one image is shown,  I have had original couplers replaced with non-standard items and original metal wheels replaced with plastic wheelsets.   A single image of a boxed item does not show these substitutions and so one relies on the item description.  Given that the item is not actually removed from its packaging then how accurate can the description be? 

 

A recent Janus NCB livery diesel received was a basket case with most handrails broken/detached, glue around the windows, half the chassis mount screws missing and the loco reverse polarity.  Simply removing from the packaging would have immediately revealed the cosmetic condition and yet the store was most surprised that the item could have been listed in the condition received.  Some compensation (basically the cost of return postage) was offered and begrudgingly accepted as the return process would have taken at least six to eight weeks plus the compensation did not cover the actual cost to return the item.  If it had not of been a smooth running chassis I would have returned the item but was prepared to basically accept the item as a spare chassis.

[Rich_F]

On 09/10/2022 at 03:58, GWR-fan said:

I continue to be perplexed by the store's current position on the listing of pre-owned items.   I believe the process is open to abuse by unscrupulous people who trade-in items.  If the packaging is mint/very good condition then the chances are high that the item will not be removed from its packaging and the item will be listed with one image only showing the item as boxed.  Of late,  after numerous rolling stock purchases where only one image is shown,  I have had original couplers replaced with non-standard items and original metal wheels replaced with plastic wheelsets.   A single image of a boxed item does not show these substitutions and so one relies on the item description.  Given that the item is not actually removed from its packaging then how accurate can the description be? 

 

A recent Janus NCB livery diesel received was a basket case with most handrails broken/detached, glue around the windows, half the chassis mount screws missing and the loco reverse polarity.  Simply removing from the packaging would have immediately revealed the cosmetic condition and yet the store was most surprised that the item could have been listed in the condition received.  Some compensation (basically the cost of return postage) was offered and begrudgingly accepted as the return process would have taken at least six to eight weeks plus the compensation did not cover the actual cost to return the item.  If it had not of been a smooth running chassis I would have returned the item but was prepared to basically accept the item as a spare chassis.

 

Used to be very reliable, but I suspect they've hired lots of new staff on different contracts that don't require as in-depth knowledge about rolling stock. 

 

Majority of items are now "pristine" packaging, "untested" running condition & "as new" condition when these items are clearly a few years old. I used to purchase a fair few items but avoid Hattons pre-owned like the plague now sadly. 

Edited October 28, 2022 by Weeny Works

[rogerzilla]

I bought an N gauge Dapol class 22 last week.  No photos at all, but it was like new and runs as it should.  I may have been lucky, but the three or four used items I've had from Hattons have been perfect.  I've had less luck with brand new items, not just from Hattons, many of which have been DOA!

[Foulounoux]

On 06/11/2023 at 09:09, rogerzilla said:

I bought an N gauge Dapol class 22 last week.  No photos at all, but it was like new and runs as it should.  I may have been lucky, but the three or four used items I've had from Hattons have been perfect.  I've had less luck with brand new items, not just from Hattons, many of which have been DOA!

I purchased 4 Bemo Rhb coaches all perfect and for <20 £ a coach I was expecting at least one to have a problem but all good