Buying from Yacht Shop - dishonourable

Chris_Robb

Chris_Robb

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I recently tried to purchase a couple of Impellors - below.

http://www.theyachtshop.co.uk/items...impeller-johnson-09-10525-9-h19221-detail.htm

Good price so I ordered and money taken from my account at once.

Last night I had a phone message " our suppliers are out of stock and cannot supply".

So I go and find who Johnson Pumps agents are in this country - Aquafax in Luton, and email them - "it is true these are out of stock and you cannot get them".

8 am this morning - email from Aquafax - we have 104 in stock. They give me a price - £15 plus VAT. So I purchase from them.

I email Yacht shop and say that I have obtained a supply, and they email back that they could supply at £19 inc Vat.

I respond that I am annoyed they told me a lie about availability and had put me to trouble to doi their job, and by the way, they were in breach of contract, but please give me my money back. And thanks for nearly making me junk £200 worth of pumps becasue the impellors were no longer available.

No reply.

So I rang, not one hint of an appology.

Stuff 'em - not on my list to use again.
 
It never ceases to amaze me how stupid people can be. To assume you wouldn't look elsewhere and thus try to hold onto your cash is patently not good business.

I also suspect their suggestion that a contract only exists when they actually claim to have despatched the item may not hold up especially if they have accepted your money.
 
maxi77 said:
It never ceases to amaze me how stupid people can be. To assume you wouldn't look elsewhere and thus try to hold onto your cash is patently not good business.

I also suspect their suggestion that a contract only exists when they actually claim to have despatched the item may not hold up especially if they have accepted your money.
Click to expand...

What really annoyed me was that I nearly junked the pumps and bought new ones! ANyway - I have sent them a link to this post!

The law goes like this I think.

1. Web site: Invitation to treat
2. I offer to buy (as yet no contract)
ACTION: They should now check stock and price.
3. Take payment (contract now exists)
4. Despatch and Invoice.

As far as I can see, there are many websites which ignore the action point between 2 and 3, and take money regardless of stock/price position. This is generally no a good robust business process to ignore this stage. (and pisses of customers)
 
Chris_Robb said:
So I rang, not one hint of an appology.

Stuff 'em - not on my list to use again.
Click to expand...

I bought a specific Plastimo anode off them about 2 or 3 years ago.

A small reel of thread turns up. So I call them.

Keep the thread they said - our mistake we'll get the anode to you.

An anode turns up - not Plastimo - no markings, it could have been made anywhere.

Wrong size anyway so I phone them up and asked for the correct Plastimo product to be sent.

Despite repeated calls - nothing.

So I'm stuck with an anode of unknown provenance which is no bl**dy use to me.

Wouldn't touch them again with a barge pole (I suppose they say they sell them too).
 
I recently bought quite a few Yanmar engine spares (including impellers) from marine-power I can report a completely different attitude from the one you found. They were able to direct me to some much cheaper alternatives than the Yanmar ones (£17 for a 1/2 inch water pump seal!), were very helpful on the phone, and did not debit my card until the items were sent, which was at various times.

Highly recommended.
 
Some of its a CON

So you are looking for a specific product. You have already seen what you want but want it cheaper. You find a link to a site offering it at £250 some £70 cheaper than elsewhere.

Now they have you on their site.
The Item is Correct.
They show no stock.

But they have a special offer on something you don't really need. :D

So they sold you something you didn't want that you could probably have bought cheaper elsewhere or even in your local chandlery for less :eek:

Happens a lot. They never have the products they just advertise that they do. Think how many products Plastimo have. Could anyone stock everything.
 
&&& said:
So you are looking for a specific product. You have already seen what you want but want it cheaper. You find a link to a site offering it at £250 some £70 cheaper than elsewhere.

Now they have you on their site.
The Item is Correct.
They show no stock.

But they have a special offer on something you don't really need. :D

So they sold you something you didn't want that you could probably have bought cheaper elsewhere or even in your local chandlery for less :eek:

Happens a lot. They never have the products they just advertise that they do. Think how many products Plastimo have. Could anyone stock everything.
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To be honest most of the online retailers are both honest and efficient. I rarely have problems and on the few occasions they have been out of stock they have told me promptly and when they expect to get the thing in. That is why places that get it wrong are so stupid, they do not just lose the one customer that they upset but many more.

Even on Ebay most of the 'traders' both keep you informed and send out replacement if the post lets them down (if it is a small item most do not even ask for a very late delivery back after a replacement has been sent).

As for Plastimo, even they do not have everything they claim to sell in stock so how can their retailers supply, they tend not to figure high on my list of options.
 
Chris_Robb said:
As far as I can see, there are many websites which ignore the action point between 2 and 3, and take money regardless of stock/price position. This is generally no a good robust business process to ignore this stage. (and pisses of customers)
Click to expand...

There's a very simple explanation why businesses (particularly small ones) do this, it's called positive cash flow! While they hold onto your money they can pay last months bills (or last 3 months bills) eventually get your item in and then pay for it later.
 
vyv_cox said:
I recently bought quite a few Yanmar engine spares (including impellers) from marine-power I can report a completely different attitude from the one you found. They were able to direct me to some much cheaper alternatives than the Yanmar ones (£17 for a 1/2 inch water pump seal!), were very helpful on the phone, and did not debit my card until the items were sent, which was at various times.

Highly recommended.
Click to expand...

I desperately needed a part from them and couldn't collect until they were shut. They walked it up to what was then alladin's cave and stuck my name on it. Outstanding service from both companies, in the case of the latter the staff that made it happen still work for force 4.
Moral is buy from your local marine outfit even if it is few p more, often you'll find the prices competitive anyway. If you only use them when you want a 2p washer NOW, they won't be there for you next time.
 
Good Afternoon Chris,
Following on from the bad experience and poor customer service which you received from us at The Yachtshop we would like to take this opportunity to respond.
We would like to thank you for your honest and frank evaluation of us and we would like to hold our hands up and openly admit we got it terribly wrong and for this we would like to extend our sincere apologies.
We have since put in place a plan to move forward from this incident and would like to assure you that all the points you raised are being thoroughly addressed.
We value all feedback and comments and welcome any constructive criticism all forum members wish to contribute, which will hopefully help us get it right in the future.
Regards
Dave
 
All that reminds me of a well-proven Sales truism...

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression."
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200px-Freenet_logosvg-1-1.png
 
To step away from a boat part supplier, if you order some furniture from Marks and Spencer, they debit your card straight away and almost simultaneously give you a delivery date, in my case 4 weeks. Marks and Spencer then order from their furniture builder/supplier and have use of the credit card money for 4 weeks. I am sure M&S don't pay their supplier until the furniture is dispatched to the customer, or even after that.
I am not disappointed with the product, but it does make me wonder, there was no suggestion of paying a deposit, "I suppose this is really positive cash flow".
 
YachtShop said:
Good Afternoon Chris,
Following on from the bad experience and poor customer service which you received from us at The Yachtshop we would like to take this opportunity to respond.
We would like to thank you for your honest and frank evaluation of us and we would like to hold our hands up and openly admit we got it terribly wrong and for this we would like to extend our sincere apologies.
We have since put in place a plan to move forward from this incident and would like to assure you that all the points you raised are being thoroughly addressed.
We value all feedback and comments and welcome any constructive criticism all forum members wish to contribute, which will hopefully help us get it right in the future.
Regards
Dave
Click to expand...

What about that lump of an effin anode you sent me?:mad:
 
YachtShop said:
Good Afternoon Chris,
Following on from the bad experience and poor customer service which you received from us at The Yachtshop we would like to take this opportunity to respond.
We would like to thank you for your honest and frank evaluation of us and we would like to hold our hands up and openly admit we got it terribly wrong and for this we would like to extend our sincere apologies.
We have since put in place a plan to move forward from this incident and would like to assure you that all the points you raised are being thoroughly addressed.
We value all feedback and comments and welcome any constructive criticism all forum members wish to contribute, which will hopefully help us get it right in the future.
Regards
Dave
Click to expand...

Dave, thanks for your comments, and thanks for the gift voucher as well.

Good luck, as someone said further on, you have to be right first time, and the internet can be a very cruel place indeed.:)
 
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