Steel Developments-prop repairs

[Hightower]

I think that £160 is pretty good value for a pair. I paid £80 locally just to get my prop balanced and checked over recently. I got the welding and dressing done myself and was fairly hard work too.

[Itafa]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Has anyone used this company for prop repairs? As already mentioned elswhereI dinged one of my props at the weekend. The chandlers that I use recommended Steel Developments, & I see that one other member has use them in the past. Anyone else?

I sent a bronze propeller to be repaired. Matter of emergency as was on East Coast of England.
Four days later I got an email and refund saying one blade could not be straightened. I emailed requesting my propeller be returned so I can get a new one made up for £100 less than what was quoted.
I kept emails coming to say I needed propeller back urgent.
A week after refund I get an email saying staff are on holiday but workshop is still open.
So I phone up asking where my propeller is. This stroppy woman answered first and then me onto this chap called Dave.
I asked him why my propeller was not returned. He replied he was not a mind reader. These people are talking online orders and someone is sending customers emails yet they are not able to respond to emails requesting their property back.
Not once did they ask me if I wanted bronze propeller back and I personally think this is a deliberste scam to get scrap metal.
Avoid like the plague. Something very suspicious about this lot and his reaction was far from convincing.
I will be taking legal action.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Itafa

I sent a bronze propeller to be repaired. Matter of emergency as was on East Coast of England.
Four days later I got an email and refund saying one blade could not be straightened. I emailed requesting my propeller be returned so I can get a new one made up for £100 less than what was quoted.
I kept emails coming to say I needed propeller back urgent.
A week after refund I get an email saying staff are on holiday but workshop is still open.
So I phone up asking where my propeller is. This stroppy woman answered first and then me onto this chap called Dave.
I asked him why my propeller was not returned. He replied he was not a mind reader. These people are talking online orders and someone is sending customers emails yet they are not able to respond to emails requesting their property back.
Not once did they ask me if I wanted bronze propeller back and I personally think this is a deliberste scam to get scrap metal.
Avoid like the plague. Something very suspicious about this lot and his reaction was far from convincing.
I will be taking legal action.

Interesting first post

I have used Steel Developments several times over the years & never had anything but excellent service at very reasonable prices. I have visited their premises in London & dropped off parts in person, I probably met the "stroppy woman", she seemed perfectly fine to me.

Good luck with the legal action

[Fenlander]

So did you get the prop back in the end?`

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

So did you get the prop back in the end?`

It might be a while before he checks back in. He'll be busy visiting all the other boaty forums he can find, hoping to drum up support & spreading the word. He has a bronze prop, not often found on RIBs

[paddlers]

Have to say I've had nothing but great service and excellent results with the repairs I've had done at Steel Developments!

[A1an]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

It might be a while before he checks back in. He'll be busy visiting all the other boaty forums he can find, hoping to drum up support & spreading the word. He has a bronze prop, not often found on RIBs

Sharp.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

It might be a while before he checks back in. He'll be busy visiting all the other boaty forums he can find, hoping to drum up support & spreading the word. He has a bronze prop, not often found on RIBs

maybe we were the last one on his list - and that's why it took him 4 yrs to comment on this thread!

[willk]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

He has a bronze prop, not often found on RIBs

I think Shiny Shoe may have one on his SIB. Concur OP is a Revenge Porn stylie poster...

For the record - I've used Steel Dev. Some friends have too and Redbay Boats use them as their go-to propists. Never any bother from them or the results. They're certainly not a scrap metal scam. I hope the OP's legal lad explains the term "Libel" to him.

Oh yeah, the burd on the phone has always been very nice to me, but then, I've always been very nice to her. Maybe she takes no sh1t from people who give her "attitude"?

[mick]

So what we guessing itafa stands for then 😆

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by mick

So what we guessing itafa stands for then ��

It's
That
Arrogant
Fecker
Again

[Landlockedpirate]

Been using Steel Developments since the 80's, probably had 20+ props repaired over the years. Very happy with service and quality of work and never had any kind of problem with them.

Im guessing there is more to the unhappy posters story than he he is saying.

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by willk

I think Shiny Shoe may have one on his SIB.

Premium 1973 Alloy here AFAIK. Rest assured if it needs replacing I wont be getting a new one made for £100 - the engine didn't cost that much!

[mick]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

It's
That
Arrogant
Fecker
Again

👍 like it

[Itafa]

No, I have not been searching the boaty forums for support. I was searching the internet for reviews of Steel Developments and only found Pikey Dave' s post.
I find some assurance with the fact that so many claim to have had exemplary service, however, I clearly have not.
I sent a propeller in to be repaired as a matter of urgency as I was disabled in Great Yarmouth. The chap came back to me saying he couldn't repair it which is fair enough I got a refund and asked for the propeller back as I needed it desperately as a template for a new one.
Unfortunately, to cut a long story short, I never got it back despite multiple requests for it.
So, to conclude, it's great to see so many happy customers but as the original post asked about them, then it's only valid that the negative experiences be known too.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Itafa

So, to conclude, it's great to see so many happy customers but as the original post asked about them, then it's only valid that the negative experiences be known too.

Sounds fair enough to me. Welcome back btw.

[Fenlander]

Assuming it is all as you report I can't believe they "lost" your old prop... or kept it for devious means. Did you ask for a refund of it's value as a damaged bronze prop?

My last experience of SD was buying a non-gen cheaper new prop for a 15hp from them and finding (nit picking but a legit issue) it didn't meet the performance of the original. I'd used the new one for a week long holiday in Scotland and it was probably some weeks from the original purchase date I made a brief phone call to report the problem. They sent me a new OE Mercury prop at no extra charge for its much higher retail price or the extra postage.

Service over and above as far as I was concerned.

[Pikey Dave]

As previously stated, I have visited the premises which is a residential property with a workshop in the rear garden. It looks like a husband & wife small business, so the claim that someone's on holiday is probably genuine. On previous experience of dealing with them, I'm sure that they would resolve the situation, given the opportunity.
As an aside, if you look at current scrap metal prices, I'm surprised they aren't charging to store the old prop, seeing as the 4rse has dropped out of the market.