WAGENWERK - A Warning

[Guest notascoobie]

Good evening,

 

Following some discussion on this site, I checked out the Wagenwerk site and purchased a couple of cast cranked driving axles online. I did not receive my goods and 2 emails (using Google translate) sent via the online email link went unaswered. Foolishly, I did not pursue the matter further sufficiently quickly and the PayPal dispute period has just ended. I guess I'll have to go through my credit card now.

 

The Wagenwerk site shows the items in stock.

 

I strongly recommend you do not use this supplier.

 

Regards,

 

Vernon

[Padishar Creel]

Hallo Vernon,

Did he ever reply to you? Do you want to get in contact with me via the private messaging, give me details of the contract/sale and I can write to him in his own language? Remember not every German speaks fluent English and Google translate is not the greatest.

 

Shall we continue this outside the forum?

Regards

PC

[Kenton]

Once again we have a damnation of a supplier without all the facts disclosed and with far too many assumptions.

 

I think you need to be a little more complete. How long did you wait, how can you be sure your emails were delivered or understood, were there any other communication attempts, telephone, post? Is this an unfortunate one off or have others suffered the same problem? Many things that qualify your recommendation to send this business to the wall.

[Guest notascoobie]

Once again we have the damnation of a poster with far too many assumptions.

 

Order placed 19 Jan - over 7 weeks ago.

Query email 1 sent 14 Feb - no response

Query email 2 sent 29 Feb - no response

Goods shown on web-site as available.

No communication excepting the auto receipt for the funds.  You work it out.

 

Still, the strange power of RM web has had its effect overnight.  I received an email this morning from Wagenwerk stating that they were awaiting the goods from their own supplier.

 

If/when I receive the goods, I will happily say so on this forum.  However, at best, customer care doesn't seem to be the strong point.

[Kenton]

Hmm, 7 weeks is too long without any notification. Though I do wish people would not just assume that emails sent are actually arrived AND read at their destination. Once the first one didn't elicit a response what was wrong with a simple civil telephone call? The language is no so big a barrier as the majority of Germans speak adequate English or can find someone who can. In fact most I know seem to very proud of the fact and go out of their way to make a point of it. (which cannot be said of some other countries).

 

We have also had other long discussions on other threads about the pros and cons of back ordering and sites that are not expensively real time connected to stock control systems.

 

Good to hear that they have now been in touch - even if the items are out of stock. I hope you do receive the goods soon and that you are happy with them when they arrive. Late is better than never but still worth a warning for others. Though a tempered warning would be more appropriate to start with.

[Horsetan]

Those crank axles are the product of Modellbahnmanufaktur Crottendorf, who produce their castings in limited batches, from what I understand. Wagenwerk only stock them when they come in, so they themselves are entirely at the mercy of Crottendorf.

 

It doesn't look like as though Wagenwerk's online shop software is designed to show when things are in or out of stock, which would have been helpful at point of sale.

 

I'm also after Crottendorf crank axles for an experiment, as well as their expansion link / die-block assemblies (better even than Weinert) which are designed to allow valve gear to be fully-reversible.

 

I think you can deal direct with Crottendorf, but I'm not sure whether the proprietor speaks English either!

[Padishar Creel]

Once again we have the damnation of a poster with far too many assumptions.

 

Order placed 19 Jan - over 7 weeks ago.

Query email 1 sent 14 Feb - no response

Query email 2 sent 29 Feb - no response

Goods shown on web-site as available.

No communication excepting the auto receipt for the funds. You work it out.

 

Still, the strange power of RM web has had its effect overnight. I received an email this morning from Wagenwerk stating that they were awaiting the goods from their own supplier.

 

If/when I receive the goods, I will happily say so on this forum. However, at best, customer care doesn't seem to be the strong point.

 

My offer as translator still stands (I live in the German language), and please remember Google Translate will never be able to get the message across in the way it is supposed to. 7 weeks may not be all that long if he is dealing with another small supplier who only produces after receiving a certain number of orders. Many (larger) UK suppliers do not have websites which are auto-linked to their stock balance

 

Thanks

PC

[Padishar Creel]

 

I think you can deal direct with Crottendorf, but I'm not sure whether the proprietor speaks English either!

 

I've just read his AGB (T's&C's). He guarantees neither price nor delivery date and only accepts money as a bank transfer in advance. The village of Burkhardtsdorf is in the deepest "East", where English is still not that widespread

 

PC

[Horsetan]

I've just read his AGB (T's&C's). He guarantees neither price nor delivery date and only accepts money as a bank transfer in advance. The village of Burkhardtsdorf is in the deepest "East", where English is still not that widespread

 

Well, there we go. He does offer some very fine models, though. It's almost worth going through hell to have them.

[Guest notascoobie]

My offer as translator still stands (I live in the German language), and please remember Google Translate will never be able to get the message across in the way it is supposed to. 7 weeks may not be all that long if he is dealing with another small supplier who only produces after receiving a certain number of orders. Many (larger) UK suppliers do not have websites which are auto-linked to their stock balance

 

Thanks

PC

 

PC

 

Thanks very much for your kind offer.

 

However, I'm happy to report that, in a sudden flurry of activity, I have now been notified that my order is ready for despatch by DHL. Two emails in one day now.

 

I will be happy to report when my goods arrive.

 

Best wishes.

 

Vernon

[Guest notascoobie]

To whomsoever it may concern.

 

I received my goods by DHL this morning.

 

I was disappointed by the apparently poor customer care exercised by Wagenwerk but I am happy with the items.

 

It seems strange that having had no response for 7 weeks, there was a burst of activity featuring 2 emails and the goods delivered within 6 days of my raising the subject on this site.

 

Perhaps it's simply that RMWeb reaches the parts that other forums fail to reach?

 

My caution over Wagenwerk remains.  I consider their customer care to be too poor for me to consider using again.

 

But others may wish to check out the company for themselves.

 

Regards,

 

Vernon

[Kenton]

Thanks for reposting with the clarification of your position.

 

I have to reiterate for every customer of every small business: Do not rely on emails alone in communication - there is no proof that it has arrived let alone been read or even understood. Any perceived delay or missing order should always be followed upu through a telephone call regardless of who you are doing business with. Only then you should start to voice complaint more publicly once you have satisfied the basic steps of determining results.

 

I suspect that the result in this case may well have been due to coincidence but it may be down to the business being aware of RMWeb (or indeed the attention being drawn to this thread by a RMWeb member). Either way I guess it is a result and let's hope the business thrives.