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Hattons Model Railways of Widnes (formerly Liverpool).


tractor_37260
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Hattons does not deduct money from my credit card before they dispatch pre-ordered goods and they send me an email when they are ready to despatch them . I have pre-ordered an 00 gauge BR MK1 horse box and an LMS 6 wheel passenger brake van from other firms. The first I have known about it is when I see that they have deducted the money from my credit card company. Then I have rung them up and they have said that they will be sending the items in a month's time. I had to change the order for the Mk1 horse box because they said the model I had ordered would not be available for a year although they had already taken the money from my credit card.

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I think that pre-order was wisely cancelled.

 

I have read elsewhere of other shops charging for pre-ordered goods far in advance of shipment.  To me that practice reeks of a business desperate for immediate revenue and when a business is so cash poor I worry that they won't survive long enough to fill my order.  Which is why I only place pre-orders with Hattons - no money changes hands until the item is on its way into my hands.

 

Matt

Edited by oreamnos
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My first purchase from Hattons was a rake of four Hornby-Dublo Pullmans in August 1966 for £3. post-17621-0-18343700-1393341293_thumb.jpgThe Hornby-Dublo Pullmans came out in March 1961 and cost 18s 6d each. At the time they seemed like the last word. The picture shows an advertisement in the Meccano Magazine. post-17621-0-78583700-1393341334_thumb.jpg They have given good service over the past 47 years.

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My  first  purchaswe  from  Hattons  was  around  about  the  same  time   a  Hornby-Dublo  C0-B0  and  6  Hornby Dublo  Gunpowder  vans,  cant  remember  the  price  though! 

 

Since  then  i  have  become  a  reqular  customer  only  this  morning  yet  another  2  boxes  arrived  ( 0n30  stuff!!)

 

I only  wish  i  had  bought  some  of  the  Wrenn  Streamlined  Coronations   when  Norman hatton  was  having  a  bit  of  a  clear  out  they  were  on  offer  for  £25.00

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I think that pre-order was wisely cancelled.

 

I have read elsewhere of other shops charging for pre-ordered goods far in advance of shipment.  To me that practice reeks of a business desperate for immediate revenue and when a business is so cash poor I worry that they won't survive long enough to fill my order.  Which is why I only place pre-orders with Hattons - no money changes hands until the item is on its way into my hands.

 

Matt

 

Aah, probably one of the infamous Sheffield shops ? I will give you a conundrum clue ..........G...M...S..H...A...R...P.... !!!! A difficult one, but you should be able to work it out !!! This lot where notorious for getting your order, charging it, then having to chase them for weeks months & years for the items or getting your money back. 

 

But I did not want to detract from the original thread, Hattons, credit where it is due.

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So those 4 HD Pullmans cost 12/6 each or roughly 1/3rd off 'RRP'. At that time general discounting was rare due to resale price maintenance so it was a bit of a bonanza. Hattons of course purchase large quantities of remaindered Hornby Dublo stock from Lines Bros (Triang) following their purchase of Meccano in 1964 and the subsequent winding up of Dublo production in favour of the Triang system. Even in the mid 80s Hattons had odd bits of new/unsold Dublo in their lists, although by that time some of it was at quite considerable premium prices, such as the WR Restaurant Car.    

Edited by andyman7
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So those 4 HD Pullmans cost 12/6 each or roughly 1/3rd off 'RRP'. At that time general discounting was rare due to resale price maintenance so it was a bit if bonanza. Hattons of course purchase large quantities of remaindered Hornby Dublo stock from Lines Bros (Triang) following their purchase of Meccano in 1964 and the subsequent winding up of Dublo production in favour of the Triang system. Even in the mid 80s Hattons had odd bits of new/unsold Dublo in their lists, although by that time some of it was at quite considerable premium prices, such as the WR Restaurant Car.    

And  the  Chlorine   wagons

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Last Thursday (20Feb) I had a pack of goodies arrive from Hattons.  Sadly the Heljan Baby Deltic was a real dog (unlike my other 3 Heljan locos) and made a 'clack' 'clack' 'clack' noise when I ran it.  I did not feel disposed to stripping down a £100+ loco.

 

I phoned Hattons and they were most helpful and agreed to immediate replacement, and agreed to my request to test the replacement before dispatch.

 

I sent the loco back 2nd class from High Wycombe the same afternoon.

 

Yesterday (Monday 24th) I had the replacement in my hands and it ran fine.  SO FAR AS I CAN TELL from the 2nd invoice they've actually sent the replacement before having the 1st loco in hand?  Invoice says Order Source - items did not arrive

which I presume was their way of working around their stock control/financial/system limitations.

 

Even if they didn't disptach until the 1st loco arrived, it was excellent service. Sooo you can be a box shifter and give great service.

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Many years ago, back in the 1980's, I can remember my father getting stuff from Hatton's for me. As I posted elsewhere I recently returned to modelling OO gauge and it was actually an Hatton's ad that rekindled my interest. The only other company I can remember dealing with back then was Beatties, and I didn't even know they were gone until someone told me a couple of years ago.

 

But I admit that dealing with Hattons is a pleasure, they are courteous and fast in responding to any queries I may have.  Only problem however is that it can take a couple of weeks for me to receive my orders, but since I live in Western Canada it is to be expected so its no fault of theirs.

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2  Garratts  NOW IN STOCK  both  LMS livery    I am  sorely  tempted  but  would  they  look  out  of  place  with  my 0n30  Mallets :O

 

Just  to point  out  the  only  16.5 mm gauge  layout  here  is 7mm scale  USA 0n30!! :O

Edited by Stevelewis
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2  Garratts  NOW IN STOCK  both  LMS livery    I am  sorely  tempted  but  would  they  look  out  of  place  with  my 0n30  Mallets :O

 

Just  to point  out  the  only  16.5 mm gauge  layout  here  is 7mm scale  USA 0n30!! :O

They do look tempting.LMS black has an elegant simplicity,doesn't it ? Unfortunately,I have no wagons suitable for that period,so I'll have to wait until May for the 50's versions. It'll be interesting to gain some knowledge of how they perform on a layout,meanwhile...so.I'll egg you on,Steve.
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  • 4 weeks later...

Very impressed by their service. Rang Saturday morning for two wagon deals and they arrived today, excellently packed.

 

Respect!

 

steve :good:

 

If  you suddenly  find   that  you  require  something  urgently and  its  weekend,  if  you  order by noon on Sunday,  and  specify  next  day  delivery  it  will be  delivered on Monday!  ( by Yodel,  but   Yodel's  service  has  dramatically improved in the  last  few  months!) 

 

This  of  course   applies to UK Mainland deliveries. :O

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Called in for some paint last Friday and the staff were very friendly. There was a cracking looking young lady on the counter and she went out of her way to say hello. She was just being nice and  friendly as she looked about 47 years my junior, so unless she is Crackers or needs to go to Specsavers  it was nothing to do with fancying me. :laugh: :laugh:

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Called in for some paint last Friday and the staff were very friendly. There was a cracking looking young lady on the counter and she went out of her way to say hello. She was just being nice and  friendly as she looked about 47 years my junior, so unless she is Crackers or needs to go to Specsavers  it was nothing to do with fancying me. :laugh: :laugh:

 

I hope you are over about 59, or else you are in trouble...!!!!!! :jester:

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I've been pretty lucky in Fernie, Canada, in that my order generally only takes a week. Last year I had the option of having my parcel sent to my wife who was on the Wirral at the time, or to me, over here in BC. It was £4 to the Wirral and £3 to western Canada.

 

My idea of a box shifter is a company that does just that. Shifts boxes of goods with bad, or at best, no customer service. I tend to call Hattons with my order, and they couldn't be nicer.

 

I don't work for them by the way ;)

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Bob,

eight years over 59 I regret to say.

 

Regards, Derek.

You're ok then at that age...you're safe......like me.

Bob

 

I've been pretty lucky in Fernie, Canada, in that my order generally only takes a week. Last year I had the option of having my parcel sent to my wife who was on the Wirral at the time, or to me, over here in BC. It was £4 to the Wirral and £3 to western Canada.

 

My idea of a box shifter is a company that does just that. Shifts boxes of goods with bad, or at best, no customer service. I tend to call Hattons with my order, and they couldn't be nicer.

 

I don't work for them by the way ;)

 

Wow......Fernie......I remember staying there one night in a camper van about 10 years ago...............big ski ing area if i remember.

 

Travelling down from Banff on our way to Yellowstone.

 

Bob

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I've been pretty lucky in Fernie, Canada, in that my order generally only takes a week. Last year I had the option of having my parcel sent to my wife who was on the Wirral at the time, or to me, over here in BC. It was £4 to the Wirral and £3 to western Canada.

 

My idea of a box shifter is a company that does just that. Shifts boxes of goods with bad, or at best, no customer service. I tend to call Hattons with my order, and they couldn't be nicer.

 

I don't work for them by the way ;)

Sometimes it takes a week, most times it takes two weeks to Calgary. I am starting to think this is not Canada Post's doing but the fine folks at the Canada Border Services Agency checking my parcels to see what is in them.

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Does no one else find it takes Hattons five days at least to pack an order, they are always one of the the slowest in my experience.

 

The quickest I've received an order from Hattons (to central London) was less than 24 hours from placing my order with their regular delivery service. The slowest has been about 3 days. 

 

In my opinion Hattons offer excellent customer service. On the rare ocassions I've had a problem it has been sorted efficiently with the outcome that was most acceptable to me as the customer. The fact that they are usually the cheapest is a bonus. I do visit my local model shops (I am going to one this afternoon) but it is difficult to argue with Hattons as a model railway provider (with the exception of their interesting pricing strategy on 2nd hand goods). 

 

Do they shift boxes? Yes they do because they are a great company and not just because they are cheap. Does this mean that they are an evil that should be banished as they are destroying the local model shop? Imho definitely not - esepecially as Hattons has been around for a lot longer than most. 

Edited by sub39h
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