Andy Y Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 I am sorry to have to report two further instances of dissatisfaction with Hattons though it has yet to be determined whether the situation was within their control. Two payments were taken from my card account in early February. One is an exact match for value with an order placed around 2 days previously and the other matches in value a part-order of in-stock items with the balance being pre-ordered new items. I received one email advising that one of those orders had been despatched but no word on the second order at all. Neither order generated a picking email as has often (but by no means always) been sent. To date no goods have been received over three weeks later and I have sent an enquiry email to Liverpool asking for their explanation. Both orders had Royal Mail air selected at a slightly higher cost than the cheapest CityLink option in the knowledge of the problems that carrier had experienced and with an anticipated delivery of around 7-10 days from despatch. I await Hattons reply since the problem may genuinely lie with the mail service and not with them but until that is known I have no other course of action available. So you don't know if it's Hatton's fault and you haven't waited for a response? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 9, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 9, 2011 So you don't know if it's Hatton's fault and you haven't waited for a response? To date they have not responded to emails sent over a week ago. That is a much slower service than I have been accustomed to getting from Hattons. Looking through my inbox today there are still no replies. Until their shipping was moved to the warehouse I had received replies to any email enquiry within 24 hours. Edit : shortly after posting this an email was received from Hattons-PM sent to Andy Y copying the text. Second Edit: I replied to their first email asking if they could suggest a reason why mail checks in the US appear to be delaying goods between Liverpool and Australia and have received a further email from Hattons on the subject. The pertinent line is this: " We are assuming that the delay is due to an effect on the Royal Mail as a whole from the increased checks in the US." I am in Australia not the US and my mail is not routed via the US. I am not experiencing delays from other UK suppliers nor from EBay sellers. Most of these items are shipped Royal Mail and typically arrive in 7-10 days from order. Items travelling between Camborne, Ford or Sheffield and here have not been delayed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Piszczek Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 I am in Australia not the US and my mail is not routed via the US. I am not experiencing delays from other UK suppliers nor from EBay sellers. Most of these items are shipped Royal Mail and typically arrive in 7-10 days from order. Items travelling between Camborne, Ford or Sheffield and here have not been delayed. How do you know that some of your mail is not routed via airlines that travel to the US and then on to Australia? Small packets, under 500g, are apparently flying freely, it's the bigger ones that are being held, checked, and possibly shipped by container. Hattons and Rails are both taking exactly the same amount of time to get here, now 5-6 weeks. Dave Cleal managed a small packet for me in five days, bless him. Reminded me of the good old days where I could actually remember what was in the package that showed up at the door... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 16, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 16, 2011 By way of conclusion I can report that the two missing items both arrived today from Hattons. There was no suggestion that they had come any way other than via Royal Mail air direct form the UK and they have not been opened for inspection as sometimes happens (including random checks) for inbound mail to Australia. It was interesting to note however that the date imprinted on the shipping label was after my initial enquiry (and therefore several weeks after the money was taken and the "shipped" email sent) and it is possible that these are therefore replacements for items treated as lost in transit. What ever happened the goods are now here safe, sound, tied with string and in unbranded cartons. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach bogie Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 e-mail from Hattons at 15:30 telling me my Hejan Lion had been packed ready for delivery. DHL had already delivered it 5 hrs earlier at 10:30. The new Hattons TARDIS delivery system. Mike Wiltshire Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Max Stafford Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 I had a similar experience. Email at 15:30, delivery at 13:00. Perhaps Gwiver's stuff got stuck in a temporal vortex en route! Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 . Perhaps Gwiver's stuff got stuck in a temporal vortex en route! See, that'll be the string Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwitrains Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 I hadn't realised that Hattons were having problems with City link when I ordered on the 18th February, nothing arrived and when contacted they said about the problems and that it is taking up to eight weeks to Oz still waiting and have ordered again B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nerron Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 There certainly has been a significant increase in mail time between the UK an Oz,and not restricted to parcels from Hattons.I had an E-Bay purchase recently sent "signed for" that took that took 19 days.With Hattons I find a phone call produces a more satisfying result that justifies the cost of the call. Ron. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Piszczek Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 So who will be the last individual to get a string wrapped package? Someone in Australia or maybe NZ? My Cravens HHYP DMU showed today, the packing email stated 22 Feb. so timing has improved considerably, this one was just a hair over three weeks! That's half the time as the last one, but still about double what it used to be. I did savor cutting that string for what could be the last time... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markeg Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 My parcel took one day under a month to arrive in OZ, when in the past it has taken about a week. I contacted Hattons and they replied stating the delay. I was concerned and when it arrived I let them know that it had done so. I have paid a little extra and got them to send the next order by Royal Mail and will see how long that will take. I will let you know. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Taz Posted March 18, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 18, 2011 I had a similar experience. Email at 15:30, delivery at 13:00. Perhaps Gwiver's stuff got stuck in a temporal vortex en route! Dave. Dave I can do better than that. Ordered Wednesday last week, delivered on the Friday and I received the packing email this Tuesday Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John M Upton Posted March 18, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 18, 2011 Similarly, ordered two cheap £36 Vi-Trains Class 47's late one evening and they were on my doorstep in the new style packaging (all be it two separate boxes taped firmly together and sans string) at nine a.m. the morning after next. The packing e-mail turned up a week later by which time one of them had been stripped, repainted and reassembled again!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave777 Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Just a quickie on Hattons ordering, and this is advice not criticism. Last year I ordered some of the Bachmann Presflo wagons shortly after they had gone out of stock. Not a problem, I thought there would be some more delivered at some point so I left them on back order. I noticed last week that they were back in stock but I hadn’t received anything from Hattons to say they had been dispatched or anything. Fair enough, it was about 10 months since I ordered them (!), perhaps the order had dropped off the bottom of their system or something. Dropped them a friendly email, forwarding the original order email that I had kept in my inbox, and got a polite reply saying that what I had ordered had been discontinued and kindly offered an alternative. This threw me a bit as I could see them on the website, but it turns out that I had ordered something like catalogue number 281-250 and Bachmann had changed the running number on the wagon, and they were now 281-250A. So if you have got something on back order and Bachmann issue it with a new number and thus slightly change the catalogue number, don’t assume you’ll automatically get the new issue! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamouti Ben Yafo Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 What? No more string? How did this happen? I liked the string - it was archaic and reassuring. It won't make me hesitate for a second when Harton's have something else I fancy, though. Perhaps 0.003792s.* *Note: 79.37% of such figures are made up on the spot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gdaysydney Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 I hadn't realised that Hattons were having problems with City link when I ordered on the 18th February, nothing arrived and when contacted they said about the problems and that it is taking up to eight weeks to Oz still waiting and have ordered again B) Glad to see I'm not alone - still waiting for item dispatched on 25 Jan !! Contacted Hattons who advised that there were known issues involving overseas delivery. Orders placed subsequently have arrived after one month - used to be about two weeks. I'm also waiting on a book order from Amazon that was ordered around the same time so I'm hoping that at least my parcel is on a slow boat and not on some posties layout !! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 22, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 22, 2011 Not directly relevant to Hattons but in partial reply to the post above (and since Hattons have flagged issues generally with overseas mail) but today I received two packages. One from Canada (Euro Rail Hobbies) and the other from the UK (Gaugemaster). Both had been mailed last week and both therefore arrived in under 10 days and within what I would consider a normal transit time based on previous experience from those locations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gdaysydney Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Not directly relevant to Hattons but in partial reply to the post above (and since Hattons have flagged issues generally with overseas mail) but today I received two packages. One from Canada (Euro Rail Hobbies) and the other from the UK (Gaugemaster). Both had been mailed last week and both therefore arrived in under 10 days and within what I would consider a normal transit time based on previous experience from those locations. The plot thickens Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Mc Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hi I live in Australia and I sent an email to Hattons enquiring where my class 14 was due for delivery. It was a bit late. Paul emailed me back and asked if I would mind if he rang me. He was good to his word, not five minutes ago I got off the phone Paul from Hattons. He explained what happened, why it had not being delivered and resolved the issue easily. I believe it may be the courier (City link ) in question not Hattons as all the gear I ordered arrives within a week or two. My experience with Hattons has always being positive and I will continue to purchase from them. How many model train retailers will actually take the time to ring and explain and resolve the problem to an overseas customers. My guess not many. Excellent customer service and well done Hattons. Martin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Shipments from the UK to USA now seem to be back to normal. Latest Airmail parcels from both Amazon and Hatton's arrived within five days. Best, Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gdaysydney Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Glad to see I'm not alone - still waiting for item dispatched on 25 Jan !! Contacted Hattons who advised that there were known issues involving overseas delivery. Orders placed subsequently have arrived after one month - used to be about two weeks. I'm also waiting on a book order from Amazon that was ordered around the same time so I'm hoping that at least my parcel is on a slow boat and not on some posties layout !! Looks like it was at least one slow boat - Book from Amazon postmarked 7/1/2011 arrived this morning !! so the problem is confirmed as being with the mail system . Fingers crossed that the parcel from Hattons arrives arrives on a slow boat in the next 18 days Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercury Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 I ordered 18 items from Hattons late on Sunday afternoon. I received an email yesterday (Monday) stating that the items had been picked. I received all of the items today via DHL. Excellent, no nonsense service. Very impressed one again. I have used them in the past and have always been happy with the service. The only time there was a faux pas was when I received a Class 50 in LMS livery (N gauge) within a class 60 EWS box (the class 60 was what I had ordered). Hattons exchanged the item in a helpful and quick manner. I have no compunction in recommending them (and no, I'm not connected to them in any way!). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Spotting a bargain in the form of a Heljan 27 i decided to bite the bullet and place an order. Normally i much prefer to put my hard earned past my local model shop Arcadia as once you have added postage there is nothing in it. However in this instance Tim was never going to do me a 27 for £49. Order was placed Monday lunchtime and only arrived this afternoon via DHL. opening it I found a Hornby railroad 9f and the invoice addressed to some guy in Pwhelli. Phones Hattons - "can I stick it in the post to this guy, he has your order and will send yours to you." No apology. "erm hang on a minute what about the cost" - "Oh yeah just stick the proof of postage in to us and we will refund - sorry" And that was it. Fair do's he obviously sussed that I was not a happy bunny and two minutes later got a call back from a woman who was slightly more apologetic but went on to say that the guy in wales is "housebound and it will be some days before he can get it posted to you". No offer of we will get him to send it back to us and we will send you a new one out right away (yes they have them in stock). Nope Ive got to wait until this chap sends me back the original (and a pound to a piece of sh*t its been running round his layout). So its now cost me the extra petrol to go into town to the post office, the inconvenience, a first class stamp to post off the proof of posatge to Hattons (be interesting to see if they refund me that!) Lets just say they will not be getting any more of my pounds, I wish Id have paid the extra £10 and given it to Tim at Arcadia now. Terrible service, terrible customer relations. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sn Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 I've noticed a distinct slowdown in service from Hattons these last few times I've used them. Once upon a time goods would arrive here 2-3 days tops after ordering them online and now it's 4,5 even 6 days by the same parcel service. They don't seem to be getting packed the same day as they are ordered as they once were. For instance I ordered something very early Friday morning and I've just had an email saying it has just been packed (and that was in response to an enquiry of progress) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Ross Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 I ordered a Bachmann Class 24 on the 23rd March, it was packed on the 24th March and arrived downunder in Melbourne on the 6th April, which is the usual time it takes for deliveries from the UK using Royal Mail and then Australia Post. Two weeks from order to delivery. That's about as fast as any delivery for me from the UK to here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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