Hattons Model Railways of Widnes (formerly Liverpool).

[JCL]

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.

I can agree there, they're keen that's for sure. I think I might have just been lucky that they slipped through. I try not to do a big order in one go now, because if the label shows $100 or so, then I get burned on the duty. Thinking about it, I really must have been lucky because Canada Post are generally pretty pants.

[TheSignalEngineer]

Usual good service, ordered a lot of small items on Tuesday around noon and in my hands on Thursday morning.

[jsp3970]

I can agree there, they're keen that's for sure. I think I might have just been lucky that they slipped through. I try not to do a big order in one go now, because if the label shows $100 or so, then I get burned on the duty. Thinking about it, I really must have been lucky because Canada Post are generally pretty pants.

Yes. I did one big order that was about 140 quid, it got shipped by DHL and I ended up paying the brokers fees but fortunately didn't get hit by customs fees. Since then I have been making smaller orders but I understand it is only a matter of time.

[Removed a/c]

I usually make small orders too. Anything under about a kilo will go regular mail not signed for so I generally do not have any fees. 

[250BOB]

Hattons are moving then...????

 

I understand that the shop in Smithdown Road and the warehouse in Widnes are moving to one new business premises in Speke, close to Liverpool airport, and only 5 mins walk from Hunts Cross station on the mersey rail system.

 

I think the move is planned for about September...ish.

 

Logistically....this must be a real plus for their operation.   The stock in place where the shop is.  When you go to the shop currently, to buy an item that is showing in stock on their website.....you cant have it there and then sometimes, because its in the warehouse in Widnes.

 

Good move Hattons.

Edited March 29, 2014 by 250BOB

[jpendle]

Living in the US I use Hattons BECAUSE they offer tracked shipping options. There's nothing more frustrating, to me, than placing an order for a couple hundred of dollars worth of loco's and then have the shipment dissapear into the ether.

About 5 years ago I placed an order with Hattons using Royal Mail Airmail and it never arrived, I called them and they redid the order no questions asked, but in all it took over 6 weeks to get the goods. Nowadays I use their DHL option and typically receive the orders within 2 business days with full tracking.

I recently ordered some stuff from another well respected Model shop in the UK. I placed the order at the beginning of December hoping to get the goods before Christmas, and they acutally arrived in under two weeks using their standard Royal Mail Airmail option, so far so good. BUT the loco I had ordered didn't run, so I sent it back to them mid January and used the US Postal Service Tracked option which cost an extortionate $50, the loco only costs $100!, but I didn't want to wait months to get the loco sorted. The loco arrived at the model shop within two days, they fiddled with it for a while and then replaced the chassis and returned it to me by standard airmail on February 18th, It's still not here and I have no way of figuring out when it arrive or whether its been lost.

 

For me, personally, I'd always rather have the peace of mind that tracked shipments give you, even if its 2-3 times the standard airmail price.

 

John P

[250BOB]

Living in the US I use Hattons BECAUSE they offer tracked shipping options. There's nothing more frustrating, to me, than placing an order for a couple hundred of dollars worth of loco's and then have the shipment dissapear into the ether.

About 5 years ago I placed an order with Hattons using Royal Mail Airmail and it never arrived, I called them and they redid the order no questions asked, but in all it took over 6 weeks to get the goods. Nowadays I use their DHL option and typically receive the orders within 2 business days with full tracking.

I recently ordered some stuff from another well respected Model shop in the UK. I placed the order at the beginning of December hoping to get the goods before Christmas, and they acutally arrived in under two weeks using their standard Royal Mail Airmail option, so far so good. BUT the loco I had ordered didn't run, so I sent it back to them mid January and used the US Postal Service Tracked option which cost an extortionate $50, the loco only costs $100!, but I didn't want to wait months to get the loco sorted. The loco arrived at the model shop within two days, they fiddled with it for a while and then replaced the chassis and returned it to me by standard airmail on February 18th, It's still not here and I have no way of figuring out when it arrive or whether its been lost.

 

For me, personally, I'd always rather have the peace of mind that tracked shipments give you, even if its 2-3 times the standard airmail price.

 

John P

 

Agreed.............tracked/recorded delivery is more expensive, and most people are reluctant to use it for that reason........UNTIL ONE GOES MISSING.

[Free At Last]

I recently came home to find a Royal Mail Tracked Delivery package in my porch that was for a different name and address than mine, so Tracked Delivery doesn't necessarily mean it went to the correct address.

[250BOB]

I recently came home to find a Royal Mail Tracked Delivery package in my porch that was for a different name and address than mine, so Tracked Delivery doesn't necessarily mean it went to the correct address.

 

Doesnt a tracked delivery have to be signed for.??

[MarkC]

Doesnt a tracked delivery have to be signed for.??

 

In theory, yes...but I've had several 'signed for' deliveries simply left in the porch...

 

Never had one for another address left like that, mind.

 

[jbqfc]

Doesnt a tracked delivery have to be signed for.??

no I use the second class tracked service that hattons use a lot and never have been asked to singe for it

[woodenhead]

Hattons are moving then...????

 

I understand that the shop in Smithdown Road and the warehouse in Widnes are moving to one new business premises in Speke, close to Liverpool airport, and only 5 mins walk from Hunts Cross station on the mersey rail system.

 

I think the move is planned for about September...ish.

 

Logistically....this must be a real plus for their operation.   The stock in place where the shop is.  When you go to the shop currently, to buy an item that is showing in stock on their website.....you cant have it there and then sometimes, because its in the warehouse in Widnes.

 

Good move Hattons.

It will be easier to get to there as well, I hope they have some parking this time.

[Ian Hargrave]

no I use the second class tracked service that hattons use a lot and never have been asked to singe for it

No burning issue,then?

[Ian Hargrave]

Doesnt a tracked delivery have to be signed for.??

It is electronically scanned when it leaves the delivery office or individual postman on your doorstep.Your signature is not needed.

[250BOB]

It is electronically scanned when it leaves the delivery office or individual postman on your doorstep.Your signature is not needed.

 

I only use the following......

 

1st or 2nd class Recorded Delivery......which is not tracked, but is signed for

 

or

 

Special Delivery, (next day before 1pm)......which IS tracked and signed for.

 

I'm struggling to find the service which is tracked but not signed for........?????

 

Can you tell me which service it is on the Post Office website....????

Edited March 30, 2014 by 250BOB

[oreamnos]

I have been doing business with Hattons for almost 9 years from California.  I have never (and I do mean never) had any parcel go missing and I have never used any shipping service other than their standard Royal Mail Airmail option.  Furthermore, I have never had a parcel I returned to Hattons (and given the QC of Farish and Dapol in recent years, there have been plenty of those!) go missing, either.  Again, only using standard, non-insured U.S. Post first-class airmail.

 

From plenty of eBay purchases from UK sellers who insist on "signed-for" delivery, I can attest from personal experience over the past several years than I have received half a dozen deliveries of parcels where I had to pay for "signed-for" and the parcel left at my doorstep was clearly marked "signed-for" - but no one at my home ever signed for the parcel!

 

All those fancy shipping options are IMHO a complete waste of money.  Sure, if things I buy start going missing all of a sudden on a regular basis I will re-evaluate.  But 9 years of no problems is hard to argue with right now.

 

Matt

[Removed a/c]

Have to agree with you Matt as I am in the same boat never had any issues in 10 years of online shopping using regular mail. 

Edited March 31, 2014 by thebritfarmer

[Colin_McLeod]

 

All those fancy shipping options are IMHO a complete waste of money.  Sure, if things I buy start going missing all of a sudden on a regular basis I will re-evaluate.  But 9 years of no problems is hard to argue with right now.

 

Matt

 

IMO the fancy options are not so much to protect against the item getting lost in the post, as to protect the seller from the dishonest buyer who claims that the parcel never arrived (even though it did). I suffered from this once and because I had not used a tracked service I ended up refunding the buyer money. (He knows who he is)

[leopardml2341]

no I use the second class tracked service that hattons use a lot and never have been asked to singe for it

 

 

No burning issue,then?

 

 

And to add to the humour - I just noticed this:

 

"i'm a man on fire"

 

in jbqfc's 'tagline'

[Free At Last]

And to add to the humour - I just noticed this:

 

"i'm a man on fire"

 

in jbqfc's 'tagline'

His name might be Burnie.

[jbqfc]

No burning issue,then?

 

 

And to add to the humour - I just noticed this:

 

"i'm a man on fire"

 

in jbqfc's 'tagline'

 

 

His name might be Burnie.

one day I will learn to spell and also read things before I post

john

[Stevelewis]

Re  HATTONS  2nd  hand  listings:

 

Just to  report,  that  although  most  of  my  purchases  for  model railways  are  new items, having  learned  the  pitfalls  of some (but not all) S/H items over  many years!

 

I have  recently bought some  items  from HATTONS, with which i have been very pleased, 

 

When  they quote 'LIKE NEW'  it  means  just  that

 

one item  I bought  was £45 less than  the equivalent price for the  new item  ( had the new item not sold out!!)

[oreamnos]

Re  HATTONS  2nd  hand  listings:

 

Just to  report,  that  although  most  of  my  purchases  for  model railways  are  new items, having  learned  the  pitfalls  of some (but not all) S/H items over  many years!

 

I have  recently bought some  items  from HATTONS, with which i have been very pleased, 

 

When  they quote 'LIKE NEW'  it  means  just  that

 

one item  I bought  was £45 less than  the equivalent price for the  new item  ( had the new item not sold out!!)

 

I'm glad that has been your experience.  However, I can say that the N gauge second hand listings have regularly seen items listed as "like new" that hardly are.  Some indeed have serious faults visible in the pictures even though they are still listed as like new.  Bargains on second hand items in N have also been few and far between.

 

So...while my own personal experience with purchasing a few second hand items from Hattons has been positive, it has only been thus because of my own careful examination of the items for sale.  Caveat emptor is certainly the rule with these items.

 

Matt

[Stevelewis]

I'm glad that has been your experience.  However, I can say that the N gauge second hand listings have regularly seen items listed as "like new" that hardly are.  Some indeed have serious faults visible in the pictures even though they are still listed as like new.  Bargains on second hand items in N have also been few and far between.

 

So...while my own personal experience with purchasing a few second hand items from Hattons has been positive, it has only been thus because of my own careful examination of the items for sale.  Caveat emptor is certainly the rule with these items.

 

Matt

Having  been  in  N  gauge   for  longer  than  I  care  to  remember ( even  before  Graham farish  started to munufacture n gauge!)  I can  agree that  one  has  to  be  careful with  2nd  hand   purchases,  although Ii  have  bought a number of  n items  from Hattons, which were like  new,

 

I would  add that   should you ever  receive a faulty or damaged  item then  Hattons  will  deal  with  it  satisfactorily.

[DropTheTap]

Living outside the UK, I like to use either Hattons or Rails, based purely on price and exchange rate- Hattons bargains are hard to beat.

 

However, in ten years of semi- regular ordering (probably a loco or three a year on average, plus other "bits"), Hattons delivery times have proven to be be quite random: despite always selecting Royal Mail Air it can be anywhere from one to five weeks. The five week item scared me somewhat. I emailed to let them know it hadn't arrived, to which I received a curt and somewhat irritating response. While considering my options, the order arrived a couple of days later. Whew!

 

Currently, I am awaiting a Bachmann DMU which has taken four weeks thus far. I am contemplating sending an email but may wait a few more days. Plus, I don't want to actually *not* receive the item this time; based on the above, I'm not confident in how they would handle that...

 

Can't beat the prices though.

Edited April 4, 2014 by DropTheTap