First steps not good with Slaters

[Steve_O]

Hi everyone

First post, for a couple of months have been exploring gauge 3 online from Tasmania, Australia.

Decided to try Slater's Gauge 3 for my first kit based on previous good experiences from this company in other scales.

Disappointed to open the box and find a large hole in the end of the body.

The white box was sealed and intact, pristine condition as was the external brown box, surviving the trip downunder without a mark.

I can only think the kit was damaged prior to packaging.

Have advised Slater's of the damage, including photos but have not had a reply, perhaps I won't get one.

The damage looks quite easy to repair, but is disappointing given the total cost landed in Australia.

interested to hear your thoughts.

kind regards
Steve

[John Candy]

Steve,

That looks like post-production damage (i.e. damaged between manufacture and packing).

If you were in UK you would be able to return it under the "Distance Selling" regulations and demand a full refund (including mailing costs).
I imagine it is several weeks since you ordered the goods and they were despatched and your rights (which are time sensitive) have expired?
You are protected by the Sale of Goods Act but if they don't play ball you have the problem of instituting proceedings in the Derby County Court.

How long since you contacted Slaters?
What do the terms and conditions on your order form/receipt say about damage/returns?

Regards,
John.

[John Candy]

Steve,

Another thought for applying pressure on Slaters......is it your intention to join the Gauge 3 Society?

If so, then the Chairman (or Secretary) might be persuaded to contact Slaters on your behalf and say that they consider their treatment of a Society member as "shabby" and not a good advertisement for Slaters (bearing in mind that you and other Forum members can "spread the word" via this forum)!

Regards,
John.

[AllWight]

I agree it is bad to have a lot with obvious defects.
However, owing to your location I would suggest a repair to the body work yourself would be more cost effective.
The repair is easy to rectify with a patch of plastic card on the inside and some body filler to give the depth of the missing section of end wall.

Mark

[Steve_O]

Hi John,

thanks for your advice.

Kit was dispatched 17th May, arrived 28th Ma,y which was pretty good from the UK to my part of Australia.

The package was opened immediately (of course !!) and photos taken and email sent on the same day (28th).

It may be that replies take a bit more time, perhaps next week ?

Their standard invoice "Conditions of Sale", damages must be notified within 7 days of invoice date and risk passes to the customer upon delivery, so I probably miss out on these two counts.

I am simply not sure what options I have, this is the first time something like this has happened.
Had it been ebay, I would have some recourse through the feedback system.

Hadn't given much thought to joining the Society, still just testing the water, but it is not a bad idea.

regards
Steve

[John Candy]

Steve,

Give Slaters a few more days to reply, last week was a "short" week here (Monday was a Bank Holiday) and they may be catching up.

The T&C's have to pass a test of "reasonableness" and if delivery cannot be achieved within the specified time for notification of damage, then plainly they cannot pass that test.

Similarly, risk can only pass in respect of damage after delivery : You were unable to be aware of the damage before delivery, so that condition (under these circumstances) cannot pass the reasonableness test.

Your statutory rights (under the Sale of Goods Act and Distance Selling Regs.) override the T&C's.

If you paid with "plastic" (as I assume you would have) then you ask your card issuer for a "chargeback" on the basis that defective goods were supplied.

Keep us (on the forum) informed.

If there is no response from Slaters, I will contact them, advising them that a forum member has aired a complaint regarding their service and that they may care to respond.
They will then be aware of the bad publicity which may ensue, if they take no action.

John.

[454]

Would I be right in thinking that the "heavy" wheelsets were despatched within the body?
If they were not padded, transit shock would make them shift. Happened to a Williams body kit that I obtained as known damaged goods at a reduced price. I wish body box van resin kits were not used as internal containers of other parts, unless packaged & padded in a more secure manner.

Dave
454

[John Candy]

If Dave's suggestion is correct, then the broken section should have been in the box with the packing.

If not, then it was clearly broken before packing.
If one were cynical, one might think they knew it was damaged and thought it could be "offloaded" by sending it halfway around the World, in the hope/expectation that it would not be returned!

John.

P.S. I know I frequently "knock" GRS about the quality of their kits BUT if anything is wrong with what they supply (parts missing or damage) there is never any quibble and replacements are sent immediately.
Slaters parts and kits are sold by GRS and I would recommend purchasing from them in future ....I have even found that GRS have charged me considerably LESS for Slaters wheels than those I bought direct!

[Traininvain]

I would be amazed if Slaters don't send you a replacement. Just give it a little time.

If you hear nothing within say 10 days from now then let me know and I'll contact Dave White. Slater's boss on your behalf.

Ian (Newsletter editor)

[Moonraker]

Steve,

Welcome to Gauge 3. I am probably your nearest Gauge 3 neighbour....in Adelaide. Let me know if you are ever over here and we will have a running day .

Regards
Peter Lucas
MyLocoSound

[MikeWilliams]

Steve,

Welcome to Gauge 3 and sorry to hear that your first experience was disappointing.  Slaters are a well respected firm and I am sure they will do the right thing, but with the time difference they may have had only one working day to respond and may be looking into what went wrong.  I suggest you give them a week and then chase if you have to.  For a third party to contact them on your behalf seems a bit premature to me.

As Dave says, I once had one of my kits damaged in very similar way - the wheels poked a hole in the end of the van body.  It was only once, but from memory it was a Christmas present to a member, so all the more disappointing for him.  Obviously I replaced it and stood the loss.  I now pack them a different way in the box!  I took the matter up with the Post Office at the time because my boxes are very strong and it was undamaged, but it was going to be a long-winded process with little chance of success.  For that reason I now send all kits Special Delivery tracked.

There seem to have been some assumptions on this forum about when the damage occurred.  In truth we don't yet know.

Please tell us more about your interests and why you decided to try Gauge 3?

Mike
www.williamsmodels.co.uk

[Steve_O]

If Dave's suggestion is correct, then the broken section should have been in the box with the packing.

If not, then it was clearly broken before packing.
If one were cynical, one might think they knew it was damaged and thought it could be "offloaded" by sending it halfway around the World, in the hope/expectation that it would not be returned!

John.

P.S. I know I frequently "knock" GRS about the quality of their kits BUT if anything is wrong with what they supply (parts missing or damage) there is never any quibble and replacements are sent immediately.
Slaters parts and kits are sold by GRS and I would recommend purchasing from them in future ....I have even found that GRS have charged me considerably LESS for Slaters wheels than those I bought direct!

Hi Dave,
you are correct, the wheelsets were stored inside the kit body.

I initially thought something like that had happened so I carefully looked through the white box, expecting to see a a chunk of plastic/resin but to no avail, nothing at all.

Back to my initial thoughts that it was damaged before it went in the white box.

Hopefully I might hear something from Slaters in the coming week(s)

thanks for all your friendly welcomes

regards
Steve

[Steve_O]

Would I be right in thinking that the "heavy" wheelsets were despatched within the body?
If they were not padded, transit shock would make them shift. Happened to a Williams body kit that I obtained as known damaged goods at a reduced price. I wish body box van resin kits were not used as internal containers of other parts, unless packaged & padded in a more secure manner.

Dave
454

Hi Dave,
I think you may have been correct.

Vacuuming the floor today, spotted a couple of small grey pieces of plastic on the floor next to the table where the kit was unpacked.

sure enough, they snapped into the hole perfectly.

It would seem they must have been in-place when I removed the van body and fallen as I moved it around.

So best guess is the damage was internal during transit, most likely the wheel sets.
The fracture line seems to suggest the hole was made from the inside.

So good news of sorts, I think I can glue the bits back in and generally repair the surface prior to painting.

thanks for your comments and feedback.

Regards
Steve

[Steve_O]

Steve,

Welcome to Gauge 3 and sorry to hear that your first experience was disappointing.  Slaters are a well respected firm and I am sure they will do the right thing, but with the time difference they may have had only one working day to respond and may be looking into what went wrong.  I suggest you give them a week and then chase if you have to.  For a third party to contact them on your behalf seems a bit premature to me.

As Dave says, I once had one of my kits damaged in very similar way - the wheels poked a hole in the end of the van body.  It was only once, but from memory it was a Christmas present to a member, so all the more disappointing for him.  Obviously I replaced it and stood the loss.  I now pack them a different way in the box!  I took the matter up with the Post Office at the time because my boxes are very strong and it was undamaged, but it was going to be a long-winded process with little chance of success.  For that reason I now send all kits Special Delivery tracked.

There seem to have been some assumptions on this forum about when the damage occurred.  In truth we don't yet know.

Please tell us more about your interests and why you decided to try Gauge 3?

Mike
www.williamsmodels.co.uk

Hi Mike,

just having a dabble in gauge 3, I like size of the track and models.

I have built a couple of LGB empires in my backyard over the last 25 years before up-sizing to 5" ride on railways about five years ago with Maxitrak, Ride on Railways & PNP rail and sleeper chairs.

here is a link to my old web-site
http://gblr.blogspot.com.au/

Unfortunately, some ill health last Christmas put an end to ride on railways, the physical side became too much.

I like the size of Gauge 3 track and it seems a nice fit between model engineering and model railways.

Prior to going 5"inch, I had built a few metres of track and a couple of points in Gauge 3, using old LGB rail and treated timber sleepers, so I have something to work with whilst I ponder my next direction.

The Tasmanian Government railway was heavily influenced by Empire and I like British and British Colonial outline,  so maybe a freelance British outline layout of some sort using Gauge 3 models.
Also toying with 3/4" scale on gauge 3 track to represent the Tasmanian Govt railway's 3'6" gauge,

Incidentally, I have tried to email you through your web-site but your "contact us" button doesn't work for me
(using Google Chrome) any suggestions appreciated, I am hoping you post to Australia.

regards
Steve

[MikeWilliams]

Steve,

Glad you have found the bits and can do a repair.  So the issue is packing and carrier.  When it happened to me the wheels were packed outside the body, but still if they drop the package hard enough on one end something is likely to give.  A learning curve all round.

Sorry my "contact us" didn't work.  I just tested and it works for me.  You can send a PM on here or e-mail direct enquiries@williamsmodels.co.uk  Sorry to everyone else - I don't like to hijack this forum for business.

Mike