M G Sharp

[dave_long]

I still don't know what I'm more annoyed by, the fact that he was rude and didn't care about my business, or that he has no intention of ordering the items that he said were on back order?

 

Sad state of affairs all round.

Dave

[Metr0Land]

Dave not sure if the things you need are stocked by Model Junction at Slough? They do lots of US stuff. I don't use them for mail order because I'm local but have no doubt they'd be good - going into the shop is just like a gentleman's club where they know all the customers - usually by name. If it's not on their website it may still be worth an enquiry as they do get stuff in for customers which aren't normal stock items.

[AndrewC]

I've still got a couple of items on backorder from May 2010. I'm going to let them sit so I can claim the title of having the longest backorder from MG on RMWeb.

[Mike Bellamy]

Having just waded through this entire thread I conclude that it seems a place to avoid. Having said that, they must be doing something right or they couldn't have stayed in business this long could they?

 

I don't know the full history of the business but I believe the son took over the business following the death of his father.

[PaulCheffus]

Hi

 

I went to MG Sharps about a fortnight ago and the front door was locked with a notice saying something along the lines of "please knock as the door is locked". The shelves that used to be well stocked seemed to be very empty like the place had been ransacked.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[Talltim]

It was like there last time I went, although maybe not as empty. I find it very sad, when I first got into US stuff it was great having a shop with a load of stuff an easy tram ride from work. However I noticed after going a few times with money burning a hole in my pocket that the US freight stock never changed so I ended up just buying a mag or two. I did place an order with them for some detailing parts that came in in dribs and drabs from Walthers and there wasn't an issue with it. However my last experience, as above has put me off.

[Kenton]

Perhaps a PM to MGSharp may bring a response - on the other hand it may not if Mike's comments are true.

 

It would not surprise me that adverse comments and perhaps a little group of unsatisfied customers have given cause for the business to go seriously downhill, especially in the current economic climate.

 

I have not used them now for well over a year, but as said many a time before there seems to be customers who are content with the service and there are those who enjoy repeatedly scratching at a wound.

 

Perhaps given Mike's comment above we should show some respect, until we know otherwise, rather than simply going over this somewhat old apple again?

[Mod6]

Perhaps given Mike's comment above we should show some respect, until we know otherwise, rather than simply going over this somewhat old apple again?

 

Agreed, this will now be locked until more facts are forthcoming (send us a report) which may justify reopening.

[Andy Y]

Perhaps given Mike's comment above we should show some respect, until we know otherwise, rather than simply going over this somewhat old apple again?

 

For the avoidance of undue concerns I believe Mike was referring to the current owner, Ken Eaglesham, taking over from his later father, Bill, some years ago. http://www.mgsharp.com/Company_Profile.htm

[Andy Y]

Perhaps given Mike's comment above we should show some respect,

 

To confirm that there is no recent bereavement involved as above I have been assured that it was in fact Ken Eaglesham who slammed the phone down this morning. On that basis I've re-opened the topic; please keep the content reasonable and factual.

[roundhouse]

I've still got a couple of items on backorder from May 2010. I'm going to let them sit so I can claim the title of having the longest backorder from MG on RMWeb.

 

Andrew

 

looks like you have beaten my longest wait for an item from a idfferent trader who went some time ago I had to wait 18 months!

 

Ian

[Kenton]

To confirm that there is no recent bereavement involved as above I have been assured that it was in fact Ken Eaglesham who slammed the phone down this morning. On that basis I've re-opened the topic; please keep the content reasonable and factual.

 

Thanks Andy. That is reassuring. These rumours and Chinese whispers are so easily spread that caution really should be first priority.

[Mike Bellamy]

Thanks Andy for the clarification - sorry that my poor choice of words didn't convey the fact that Bill passed away some years ago. My response was to the earlier comment about how long they had been in business - the company profile shows a history of more than 50 years. Bill was always a popular trader at the Derby shows at the Assembly Rooms and having read that history page it's a great shame that his legacy appears to be fading . . . . .

 

Mike

[dave_long]

I just love that profile http://www.mgsharp.com/Company_Profile.htm

 

 

-5 state of the art computers! Yet when I asked to him to find my order details was told 'have you got half an hour?'. Email system totally non existent!

 

-We are modellers too. I dont know of any modeller who sells items that treats other modellers with such disregard.

 

 

-We have more products from more manufactures than I care to list and this is going to expand on a continual basis, but we aren't just looking to sell you that one expensive locomotive, we want to offer you everything that "Your Model Railway" could need & that's what's makes us different from other shops. Well being told that items I've ordered have been put on backorder and that they wont be in stock within 6 months certainly goes against that statement.

 

 

A sorry sad state of affairs.

 

 

Thanks for the advice on where to find US items in the UK. I'm going to use the US ebay shop 'J T Prantle'. Their shipping costs from the US is often less than sharps standard postage from Sth Yorkshire!

 

Regards all

Dave

[kevinlms]

Perhaps a PM to MGSharp may bring a response - on the other hand it may not if Mike's comments are true. It would not surprise me that adverse comments and perhaps a little group of unsatisfied customers have given cause for the business to go seriously downhill, especially in the current economic climate. I have not used them now for well over a year, but as said many a time before there seems to be customers who are content with the service and there are those who enjoy repeatedly scratching at a wound. Perhaps given Mike's comment above we should show some respect, until we know otherwise, rather than simply going over this somewhat old apple again?

 

Perhaps if you ordered something from M.G. Sharp now and found out what their customer service is like today, would be more useful than referring to what it was like in the 'good old days'.

 

Other posters are only relating to what they have experienced in more recent times and are not merely 'scratching at old wounds'.

 

It would seem that the most common complaint is that they are told months after ordering that it is still on 'back order'. If the item in question is no longer available, why not simply say so?

 

It would save a lot of trouble and their reputation.

 

Kevin Martin

 

Kevin Martin

[Kenton]

Perhaps if you ordered something from M.G. Sharp now and found out what their customer service is like today, would be more useful than referring to what it was like in the 'good old days'.

 

It is just that I see this thread as being a small number of customers - who admittedly seem to have a particular grievance with this company, simply hell bent on giving this company a bad reputation. Putting the knife in and constantly turning it to generate more hurt. One balanced post on the thread indicating all avenues of contact to resolve an issue is fair notice to others. Then others may take heed and take business elsewhere. But the repeated vilification by some just seem to me as if they have some other agenda.

It is not that I think MGSharp are without fault, they run their business in an peculiarly, unfriendly way. However, this thread started out with complaints about communication by email, when the fault was the customer not reading the clear information on the website to telephone; and the problem with the back-ordering policy, nothing new for those of us who have used them for a number of years.

This thread has been lying quiet for a long time, and although I can see David's fair point in adding his grievance to the list we seem to have awakened the same old grumblings.

IMO this thread shows the worst of RMWeb at being unbalanced against a supplier. If such a thread was running against Hornby, Bachmann or even other suppliers it would have been dropped long ago (others regularly seem to get locked). I am actually against a "name and shame" policy on this forum for just that reason, it always ends in a witch hunt by the few, who may certainly be genuine in their complaint, and have very little balance.

 

It is also worth stating that I was not referring to the "good old days" and my last order was at the end of 2010 - true over a year ago, but well after this thread received its last airing.

[Andy Y]

IMO this thread shows the worst of RMWeb at being unbalanced against a supplier. If such a thread was running against Hornby, Bachmann or even other suppliers it would have been dropped long ago (others regularly seem to get locked). I am actually against a "name and shame" policy on this forum for just that reason, it always ends in a witch hunt by the few, who may certainly be genuine in their complaint, and have very little balance.

 

I'd challenge that and say that although the content may appear unpalatable it is there as a form of feedback enabling a potential customer to make his choice as to whether to deal with the supplier. Dave has highlighted that there are still problems despite earlier feedback, surely potential customers deserve to have some form of awareness about that? If the topic were rambling on without information, evidence or going off-topic then yes it would be locked. It is also correct to say that 'we are not alone' - http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/shops/18-M.G._Sharp_Models

 

The proprietor has had previous opportunities to respond although he'd have probably had more credibility in the eyes of many if he hadn't.

 

As the business entertains receiving business via their website and via email I find this extension of the patronising management style somewhat off-putting:

 

• 
  Emails;
  

Any Emails We Receive Regarding Orders Shall Be Acknowledged Within 5-7 Working Days..

Emails Regarding General Enquires, Will Be Replied To As Quickly As Possible, This May Be Within A Few Minutes Or It Could Be 7-10 Days Depending On How Busy We Are. Paying Customers Have To Come First. (We Run Our Anti-Spam Software At Its Highest Setting, And Not All Emails Get Through-See Below).

http://www.mgsharp.com/About_Us.htm

 

All we've heard from them really is how wrong or annoying customers can be. Would you blame people for shopping elsewhere?

[beast66606]

I remember the days of Bill's ownership, a very charismatic guy, he taught me a lot about drinking ! (at the 1978 Merseyside exhibition) , my only dealings since those days have been fine, but a good while ago now.

 

Incidentally MG was Maggie, I believe she owned the business, not Bill, when they went their own ways she got the shop, so the inheritance route would have been via Mum rather than Dad.

[Metr0Land]

rmweb is not tripadviser.com - I doubt there is a single subscriber on here who DOESN'T want to see the little guy do well. You only have to look at other threads to see people are fulsome in their praise of good service. They/we also seem to bend over backwards to give the little guy the benefit of the doubt and often there are questions like 'is there a problem with xyz Inc?' 'are they ill?'

 

The fact that so many of the postings here are negative shows THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG HERE, if it is unbalanced against the supplier there is a reason. Pretty much any other thread on rmweb is balanced in favour of the supplier. To suggest people 'have it in' for MGS is an opinion to which you are entitled but one which I do not share.

 

Any other traders would be looking to put things right. There is no absolute requirement for any trader to use rmweb as a resource but those that have have found a wealth of CONSTRUCTIVE criticism on here. Any scratching of old wounds seems to me to be self inflicted. To blame posters here who simply record their actual experiences is to my mind misplaced.

[muddys-blues]

I have had both good and poor service from MG Sharp, and in this present day of tough going for businesses you have to treat all your Customers with respect, they are your cash flow.

 

We run our own Family Garage business, and yes you have off days, and if you do it wrong or B**ls up, you sometimes stand back, hold your hand up and wait for it ....."Apologise".... this can save you a Customer going elsewhere, and in a lot of instances this means more to the Customer in the end than the job itself.

 

It takes a long time to build up a "Good Business" reputation from scratch,

 

But boy oh boy beware because a "Bad Business" reputation can snowball a lot faster than you think.

[Welly]

To be honest, any business website which uses capital letters at the start of every word comes across as very amateurish to me and that alone put me off making any web order with them.

 

If only Alex Pollizi gets on the case of this shop.... http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01bnd19/Alex_Polizzi_The_Fixer_Courtyard_Bridalwear/

[kevinlms]

It is just that I see this thread as being a small number of customers - who admittedly seem to have a particular grievance with this company, simply hell bent on giving this company a bad reputation. Putting the knife in and constantly turning it to generate more hurt. One balanced post on the thread indicating all avenues of contact to resolve an issue is fair notice to others. Then others may take heed and take business elsewhere. But the repeated vilification by some just seem to me as if they have some other agenda.

It is not that I think MGSharp are without fault, they run their business in an peculiarly, unfriendly way. However, this thread started out with complaints about communication by email, when the fault was the customer not reading the clear information on the website to telephone; and the problem with the back-ordering policy, nothing new for those of us who have used them for a number of years.

This thread has been lying quiet for a long time, and although I can see David's fair point in adding his grievance to the list we seem to have awakened the same old grumblings.

IMO this thread shows the worst of RMWeb at being unbalanced against a supplier. If such a thread was running against Hornby, Bachmann or even other suppliers it would have been dropped long ago (others regularly seem to get locked). I am actually against a "name and shame" policy on this forum for just that reason, it always ends in a witch hunt by the few, who may certainly be genuine in their complaint, and have very little balance.

 

It is also worth stating that I was not referring to the "good old days" and my last order was at the end of 2010 - true over a year ago, but well after this thread received its last airing.

 

 

You selected part of my post, but entirely missed this.

 

 

"It would seem that the most common complaint is that they are told months after ordering that it is still on 'back order'. If the item in question is no longer available, why not simply say so?

 

It would save a lot of trouble and their reputation."

 

 

How is that somehow "unbalanced against a supplier"? Unfriendly service is surely something entirely under the managements control - especially if times are tough.

 

I don't see what Hornby have got to do with it. I seem to recall that Hornby are replacing some Class 31s with faulty chassis, surely an example of taking on board customer complaints and dealing with the issues raised. Instead Sharp's seem to be hanging up on customers.

 

Kevin Martin

[Kenton]

I'd challenge that and say that although the content may appear unpalatable it is there as a form of feedback enabling a potential customer to make his choice as to whether to deal with the supplier. Dave has highlighted that there are still problems despite earlier feedback, surely potential customers deserve to have some form of awareness about that? If the topic were rambling on without information, evidence or going off-topic then yes it would be locked. It is also correct to say that 'we are not alone' - http://www.ukmodelsh...G._Sharp_Models

 

As said I have no real objection to the single complaint post David's first post above above seemed very valid and reasonable given the service received. But was there any need for the second post turning the knife? and the following in bad taste humour regarding something that was already on this thread many months ago?

As for the three complaints indicated on ukmodelshops website over an 18 month period and indeed the several posted on this thread is that a true reflection of the total customers that use this business? There must be a bigger silent majority or this business would have gine under a long time ago.

Any business will get complaints, some valid some not and some expressed louder than others. Very few businesses have those who post about their good side. A certain level of service is expected but some do seem to expect a level of service well beyond others.

The owner of this business obviously detests email - and I don't blame him one bit for that. There are plenty people in that position and yet run perfectly good businesses over the telephone but still maintaining some website presence.

IMO the telephone is just as bad, but there is no real excuse for outright rudeness. In Dave's position I too would feel aggrieved but at least the order was cancelled, probably the best outcome.

I think we all need to be aware of the tiny margin there is on small parts before we do our utmost to drive them out of business. We will soon find ourselves moaning that there is no small supplier left.

[Andy Y]

Very few businesses have those who post about their good side.

 

But we do have numerous ones on here, how's this for keeping the customer happy? Nothing but praise over several years and he probably deals with a lot more RMweb members than MG Sharp do.

[Kenton]

You selected part of my post, but entirely missed this.

I did indeed, as the selected part implied falsely that I had not ordered from this business since the "good days". Where as I have done.

"It would seem that the most common complaint is that they are told months after ordering that it is still on 'back order'. If the item in question is no longer available, why not simply say so?

My bold. I fail to see what is wrong here. You say "still on back order" so you are saying that you were previously informed it was on back order, presumably you accepted that state as you didn't cancel. Tou were then informed months later that it was still on back order. That may be unsatisfactory to you but to me that says the business is simply informing you of the latest position. There is a difference between "no longer available" and "out of stock and on back order". At each stage you can always cancel your order and look elsewhere.

How is that somehow "unbalanced against a supplier"? Unfriendly service is surely something entirely under the managements control - especially if times are tough.

If the manager is the one giving that service I would agree though even then there are good days and bad.

The "balance" was all to do with overall nature of this thread (and others) where the vocal few complaints seem to make a lot of noise but are really only likely to be a small number of customers.

I don't see what Hornby have got to do with it.

I was not referring to anything to do with the Class 31 - I was referring to the many threads that eventually get locked when they are set up complaining about the big suppliers. Also remember these are big companies with plenty of staff and profits to spend on customer service, web sites, legal, and publicity machines to defend themselves. MGSharp is probably just trying to make a crust to pay the rent, rates, and find the cash to tie up in loads of stock waiting for some modeller of the obscure to place an order.