Marinescene = muppets!

[Dyflin]

A friend of mine is having a real debacle with Marinescene in Cardiff. He bought a cooker for the boat a few weeks ago. He also bought gimballs as part of the package. When the cooker arrived he got it down to the boat, organised for a guy to come and fit it and everything was good with the world. Guy installing rings him up; "they've forgotten to include the gimballs". So my mate rings Marinescene, "oh no sir, they are sellotaped to the cooker." So he drives down to the boat to confirm and no they're not...

So he rings up and confirms, and they promise to send them out. Two weeks later he gets an envelope in the post. Opens it up to confirm it's the gimballs, no, it's a packet of screws /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

As he gets an email from marinescene's "dispatch department" every time they send something he rings up and asks to speak to someone in their 'dispatch department'. "Our what department?" is the reply. Eventually he gets to speak with someone who promises to send the gimballs out again. But god knows what will turn up in the post two weeks later this time... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I have had the complete opposite experience buying some electronics from the UK recently, delivery time - two days. The right products every time, tracking emails, fast responses to my questions, really excellent service. But Marinescene have lost two future customers and I would urge others to be cautious in their dealings with them if they can get such a simple & small task so badly wrong.

Dyflin
P.P. Disgruntled of Dublin /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Rowana]

They are not alone!

This year I had to replace the heat exchanger on my Beta engine. Phoned Beta and gave them all the engine information from the makers' plate. As you have to take the thermostat housing apart to get the heat exchanger off the engine, I thought it would be a good idea to fit a new thermostat as well.

Bits duly arrived, and I went up to the boat at the weekend, about an hours drive away, to fit them. Thermostat didn't fit. They'd sent the one for the bigger engine. Phoned on the Monday morning, and to be fair, they put the correct one in a jiffy bag which I had by the Wednesday.

Saturday came and off I went again. Thermostat fits. Great! Only trouble is that the heat exchanger doesn't line up. Back on the phone Monday morning. Found out that I should have been sent a spacer and extra gaskets to line it up, which wasn't sent. These arrived on the Wednesday and come Saturday I went back to fit them. All now bolted back together.

Three attempts to get all the bits I needed, and three journeys to the boat to fit. At least they identified the problems and resolved them in short order, but how much nicer it would have been to get all the bits correct in the first place!

 

[maxi77]

Re: They are not alone!

On the other side ordered some stuff from Gael Force on Sunday, stuff arrived on Tuesday, well packed and order complete, so it can be done.

 

[graham]

Sounds like a complete cock up for your friend but I have to say I use Marine Scene all the time and have never had a problem.

 

[Dyflin]

That was my understanding too Graham, and it was me who told him about them /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Next time I'll keep my mouth shut! (actually, should have that tattooed on my arm!)

 

[graham]

I have it tatooed across my forehead. Problem is i cant see it when Im speaking, especially after a couple of beers /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[matelot]

I've often used marine scene in the past with good (if expensive) results. however, the last time I visited I tried to get them to order an aluminium anode from mg duff and the guy I was dealing with didnt know his job and didnt seem to have much of a clue. It doesnt help that items like cookers will normally be delivered to you direct from the wholesaler rather than via the chandlery.

There's no answer. You just move onto the next chandlery and eventually you find you've been let down by them all and you're back at the beginning of the cycle.

 

[Pete735]

I can only speak from my experience, but I've used them 5 or 6 times in past 18 months and never had a problem, in fact they have an order of mine at the moment for some items they do not stock and I found them helpful on the phone when I wanted to order "non standard" bits.

 

[alec]

I think we have to accept certain things when we buy from web General chandlers .

First we expect a very good price. This does come at a price however. The staff probably get paid around the legal minimum and most probably know nothing about boats. Hence the nuts and bolts instead of gimbals.

Also, when you ring or E Mail , don't expect them to know about the probable 5000 lines that they are advertising. Also expect them not to hold much stock of anything. To give good prices they cannot afford to hold stocks. Just wait for the probable 2 weeks while they order it from the suppliers, then send it to you.

My rules for buying on the web are :-

1. Do not ask questions.

2. Do all the backroom work yourself and know everything you can about the product.

3. Do not deal with a company who takes money from your card before sending the goods.

4. Expect things to go wrong sometimes.


If we continue to use web chandlers, fair enough, but expect the local ones to start falling away. There is no way they can survive by selling screws and tide tables.

That's 't my pennyworth !

" The object of work is to gain leisure "

 

[Zephyr362]

I've used Marine Scene many times, great prices and service.
I bought a cooker from them, checked itout in the shop and then haggled a further discount as they contacted their supplier. It had a minor fault, stripped thread in one of the screws and its head stuck out a bit, a cosmetic issue, they knocked £25 off and gave me a free pack of screws! Can't argue with that. They had already screwed the supplier for a hefty discount on my behalf after I had found another web based chandler who was using old stock and hence old pricing.
Another instance where I ordered a Radar dome, it arrived just in time to be fitted as the mast was down, but the internal mountings on the dome were shot. Took it straight back to MS, they phoned the supplier and quoted the serial number, two interesting points, their supplier tried to fob them off with the 'send it in and we'll take a look' routine, Richard from MS was having none of it and got a bit stroppy with them to get it replaced right away. Next day, new dome arrived in perfect condition. The second part of the problem with the original dome was that according to the serial number, the supplier (Marathon Leisure) had sent it out in error as they were to have sent it back to Raymarine.
MS saved the day and with a good price, find the best price you can on the web, give them a shout and they will often better it. Sure it often depends upon who you speak to as with any shop, Richard is one of the owners and is very helpful, if he doesn't know he will find out.
As for shipping out the wrong parts, you are assuming that their supplier sent out the right items to MS. If you need a kit or something out of the ordinary, then ask them the options after all you are effectively ordering from a catalogue and if you don't know exactly (part number etc etc) what you want, then you will get just the component you asked for or they presumed you meant.
We're lucky to have them on our doorstep, a quick trip down the road to Force 4 and you'll realise just how good they are and importantly MS will haggle a price unlike our fairweather friends.

I'm just a happy customer of theirs after shopping there for around 10 years and spending untold thousands of pounds, in fact I just leave the credit card behind their counter as it saves time!

Neil

 

[Dyflin]

Cooker, with pot clamp and gimballs, how hard can it be /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif They even admitted it wasn't the first time they got it wrong by not including gimballs.

TBH, going into a shop and dealing face to face is always preferable, but with sterling on the floor against the euro, we are making huge savings by shopping in UK. Also, just bought £350 worth of electrical gear from two UK suppliers and they were a dream to deal with. If you are going to run an online service, then keep it simple and make it work, or else people will shop elsewhere.

 

[Csail]

They are normally really good. Maybe just a one off.