Arthur's Chandlers, Gosport. Great Service

greggron

greggron

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I have no connection with this shop other than being a happy customer.

I needed a nylon washer found missing when I came to service one of my Lewmar winches for the first time a week or so ago. I did not know the model of the winch, let alone the part number. They spent some time looking up the right part. It being a sunday, they said they would order it the next day. Sure enough, on the monday they called me to say they had ordered it, requested that it be sent to my home and that it should be with me the next day. Charge? 'Oh just put a few quid in the RNLI box next time you pass one' came the reply. It arrived as stated.

Likely to be a loyal customer now? You bettya!
 
Seajet said:
I've heard good things about this chandlery several times, seems like a place worth supporting, 'use it or lose it' !
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Its always been good, 30 years or more.

We knew the owners back when Haslar Marina car park first opened and they had a portakabin on site as well as the main shop. My missus worked there for a year or so.

Agree, use it!
 
I was in there for the first time this weekend. As said the service was great and there was a good range but I thought the prices a bit high compared to Marine Super Store which is just up the road.
 
lustyd said:
I was in there for the first time this weekend. As said the service was great and there was a good range but I thought the prices a bit high compared to Marine Super Store which is just up the road.
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Maybe so, but if you are working on your boat in Gosport and need something it's very handy to be able to walk round to Arthur's and get it rather than wasting time and fuel driving to Port Solent.
 
Use it or lose it.

lustyd said:
I was in there for the first time this weekend. As said the service was great and there was a good range but I thought the prices a bit high compared to Marine Super Store which is just up the road.
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You're quite right, their prices are higher, but then again, they have very different business models. Marine Superstore uses its throughput on popular items to command good prices from its suppliers, it passes some of this discount on to customers whilst still maintaining a good profit. Arthur's carries a wide range of stock to get your boat fixed and maintain a sustainable business.

It can however be far more cost effective. I bought 2 pawl springs in Arthurs, total cost 30 pence. I have just looked up the Marine Superstore site and if I wanted the same two pawl springs I would have to buy them as part of a winch maintenance kit - price £42.95! what would you rather pay?
 
parsifal said:
Maybe so, but if you are working on your boat in Gosport and need something it's very handy to be able to walk round to Arthur's and get it rather than wasting time and fuel driving to Port Solent.
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Which is what I did, obviously :D My point being that the decision to "use it or lose it" is harder when they are charging double for an item available just up the road. The one opposite seems cheaper as well but I've not used either very much.
 
greggron said:
You're quite right, their prices are higher, but then again, they have very different business models. Marine Superstore uses its throughput on popular items to command good prices from its suppliers, it passes some of this discount on to customers whilst still maintaining a good profit. Arthur's carries a wide range of stock to get your boat fixed and maintain a sustainable business.

It can however be far more cost effective. I bought 2 pawl springs in Arthurs, total cost 30 pence. I have just looked up the Marine Superstore site and if I wanted the same two pawl springs I would have to buy them as part of a winch maintenance kit - price £42.95! what would you rather pay?
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Well that depends. I can't imagine the springs wearing before a service was due so I'd probably buy the kit because everything else would need doing as well. I'd then keep the old ones as spares :)
Did you ask MSS if they could get the springs for 30p?
 
lustyd said:
Which is what I did, obviously :D My point being that the decision to "use it or lose it" is harder when they are charging double for an item available just up the road. The one opposite seems cheaper as well but I've not used either very much.
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Yes - somewhere there's a break even point. The problem is knowing where it is.

For something like electronics or an anchor, I would probably compare prices but for lesser items I would probably just go to Arthurs.

Last year we drove down to the boat intending to sail to France. Everything was ready, engine running, sails ready for setting etc when The Old Guvnor said 'Put your lifejacket on!' accompanied by that look that says 'no arguing'. A good job she did because we had left them at home 80 miles away.

Was it worth spending £40 on petrol to drive home to get two 14 year-old lifejackets? We didn't think so. Rather than miss my tide we dashed round to Arthurs and bought two there. Probably cost a bit more than at Marine Super Store but who cares when you're on holiday? :D
 
Just a further endorsement.

Whilst collecting a boat from Royal Clarence, I was impressed to find an "old-fashioned" chandlery like this just down the road, with loads of loose bits in boxes and bags on the racks rather than in bubble packs.

I couldn't identify the correct matches for some missing bulbs, so despite being a total stranger, in order to save my legs, they gave me a selection of the most likely candidates and trusted me to return with the rest and pay for those I had actually used.
 
lustyd said:
Well that depends. I can't imagine the springs wearing before a service was due so I'd probably buy the kit because everything else would need doing as well. I'd then keep the old ones as spares :)
Did you ask MSS if they could get the springs for 30p?
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I was servicing the winches, nothing else needed replacing like circlips etc. and I had replaced the pawls. I needed the springs because one fell out and disappeared amidst the gravel in the boatyard. MSS may well have been able to get them for 30p but Arthurs had them in stock, so I could take them from the shop there and then and install them before reassembling the winch and having the boat craned back into the water that afternoon. If I had ordered them I would have had to wait a day at least!
 
Agreed-great service

Used them for years-always great service and I am sure they will try and price match if you ask. I have certainly had conversations along the lines of I want x and have seen it priced at y-can you supply for that and mostly they have. No connection etc
 
lenseman said:
On what specific part/component were they charging you double?

It is a 25 mile trip to Port Solent and back not counting time spent driving. :confused:
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Just some cable. I didn't realise it was that far but you're right, at that distance fuel cost would have come into play (although that's no excuse). The component was some cable.

I'll coninue to use them in the future, I quite often do pay over the odds for things in chandlers for convenience. It just annoys me when people say "use it or lose it" like there's nothing the chandler could do to help themself.
 
I should add as well that they do at least have prices on things. My "local" doesn't price anything up and whether they are more or less than anywhere else it's infuriating to guess until you're at the till!
 
lustyd said:
I should add as well that they do at least have prices on things. My "local" doesn't price anything up and whether they are more or less than anywhere else it's infuriating to guess until you're at the till!
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I think I know where you mean! I complained about it years ago and got a 'take it or leave it response'. I left it, then and ever afterwards; preferring to drive a couple of miles to the next nearest chandler. It is annoying, especially when there's a queue. I can't see any acceptable reason for not pricing the stock. Other chandlers seem able to do it without any problem.

Our local greengrocer doesn't show prices. He has recently taken over the business from the previous owners who knew how to run a business and keep customers happy. The new man is grumbling that he is losing trade.
 
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parsifal said:
I think I know where you mean! I complained about it years ago and got a 'take it or leave it response'. I left it, then and ever afterwards; preferring to drive a couple of miles to the next nearest chandler. It is annoying, especially when there's a queue. I can't see any acceptable reason for not pricing the stock. Other chandlers seem able to do it without any problem.

Our local greengrocer doesn't show prices. He has recently taken over the business from the previous owners who knew how to run a business and keep customers happy. The new man is grumbling that he is losing trade.
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The only way to deal with shops like that is to take stuff off the shelves to the till. When they price it up you say no, it's too much and let them put it back on the shelves.

Sooner or later they get the hint.
 
Ex-SolentBoy said:
The only way to deal with shops like that is to take stuff off the shelves to the till. When they price it up you say no, it's too much and let them put it back on the shelves.

Sooner or later they get the hint.
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I couldn't do that, they are actually very useful for advice and have many bots and bobs as well as being very friendly. It's tempting though
 
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