Force4 Chandlery Online

alexm · 12 February 2007, 16:31

Anyone else had any problems with them?

I have waited patiently for two weeks for my antenna ordered online. Last week I was told it would be with me by the end of last week. That never happened because they were 'moving warehouse'. And now I have been told they 'have tracked one down at my local Force4 store' and it should be with me in a couple of days. So it was never coming from the warehouse then!

All the while my order on the site said 'Status: processed'.

To their credit the staff seem helpful on the phone but you know something must be amiss when you are chasing up an order on the phone and you can hear their colleague in the background also on the phone trying to placate another annoyed customer!

codprawn · 12 February 2007, 17:53

I find most of the main mail order chandlers a pain. Force4 were better than mailspeed though who sent me what I wanted in 3 seperate parcels over a 4 week period!!!

Then again that's nothing compared to Cactus!!!

I find people on Ebay are much more reliable.

bedajim · 12 February 2007, 18:23

I've used them a couple of times and no problems

mark-f · 12 February 2007, 19:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

I find most of the main mail order chandlers a pain. Force4 were better than mailspeed though who sent me what I wanted in 3 seperate parcels over a 4 week period!!!

Then again that's nothing compared to Cactus!!!

I find people on Ebay are much more reliable.

Aghhhhhh Cactus!!

dont get me started

codprawn · 12 February 2007, 20:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark-f

Aghhhhhh Cactus!!

dont get me started

Why not - do tell. It is only right that people should know what dealers are like - good and bad!!!

Cactus sold me a radio that was a grey import - not set up for the UK channels. They also made a mistake and lost a fishfinder - then they ended up sending 2. Of course the idiots in Guernsey wouldn't send 1 of them back so Cactus threatened to take ME to court!!! Nice way to treat customers.....

Neal · 12 February 2007, 20:53

I dont tend to use on line shops much, like to play with things before i hand over the money but just got a plotter from Marine Super store on line and they were very good.

mark-f · 13 February 2007, 00:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Why not - do tell. It is only right that people should know what dealers are like - good and bad!!!

Cactus sold me a radio that was a grey import - not set up for the UK channels. They also made a mistake and lost a fishfinder - then they ended up sending 2. Of course the idiots in Guernsey wouldn't send 1 of them back so Cactus threatened to take ME to court!!! Nice way to treat customers.....

bought an E120 at september boat show complete with navionics plat chart and navpod. I finally recieved a E120 with gold chart and the wrong navpod after 3 months, then they took another 3 months to get me the right navpod and even though I had a reciept to say I bought a platinum chart they insisted the price I paid at the boat show would have been for a gold chart and they wrote platinum by mistake. finally got everything sorted out by march, 6 months after i paid for it all and had to pay extra to get the platinum chart.

codprawn · 13 February 2007, 00:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark-f

bought an E120 at september boat show complete with navionics plat chart and navpod. I finally recieved a E120 with gold chart and the wrong navpod after 3 months, then they took another 3 months to get me the right navpod and even though I had a reciept to say I bought a platinum chart they insisted the price I paid at the boat show would have been for a gold chart and they wrote platinum by mistake. finally got everything sorted out by march, 6 months after i paid for it all and had to pay extra to get the platinum chart.

I always thought if you treat a customer right they will come back - a lesson they seem to have forgotten. They also seem to forget the power of personal reccomendation!!!

Mugshot · 13 February 2007, 17:46

Here's a recommendation. Ordered two new lifejackets on Sunday, got them this morning.

well done www.marinescene.co.uk
I even got a free floaty key ring.

MikeCC · 13 February 2007, 20:21

Oh dear!

Mugshot · 13 February 2007, 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeCC

Oh dear!

Me?

codprawn · 13 February 2007, 21:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeCC

Oh dear!

Keep forgetting you run a mail order business - you should push yourself a bit more.

I had excellent service and a great price from Mike when I ordered some time ago.

Mugshot · 13 February 2007, 21:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Keep forgetting you run a mail order business - you should push yourself a bit more.

Very true, I bought two Seago lifejackets through allgadgets a couple of years ago, happy with the service, very happy with the price, happy with the product. Decided I should have a couple more this year for additional passengers and my first port of call was allgadgets, life jackets now listed as "value", not an issue for me but I always shop around anyway. I found Seago 175n life jackets on marinescene with rearming kits for each of them for approx £2 more than two 150n "value" lifejackets with no rearming kit on allgadgets. That sounds like the better deal to me I'm afraid. Sorry Mike.

Mouldy · 14 February 2007, 10:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

I find people on Ebay are much more reliable.

Probably due to the highly visible feedback system.

There's informal feedback in the forums here - how about something similar to the eBay system? E.g. a list of vendors/service providers by category recording positive and negative bullet points with a click to expand on the sinful and praiseworthy?

MikeCC · 14 February 2007, 10:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mugshot

Me?

No, no, not at all. I meant 'Oh dear' re disappointing service.

Competition is fine. Some deals you can match/beat, others you can't, c'est la vie!

alexm · 14 February 2007, 14:26

Well my antenna did indeed arrive today, all present and correct so fair play to them (force4), they got there in the end!

G L · 15 February 2007, 16:24

Ordered a spot light on Sunday form force4, got it Tuesday.