Axminster Again!!!

[Freetochat]

Bought a few items from Axminster, including one of their straight edges.
(Yes I know you get what you pay for, but I don't need anything acurate to .0005 of a millimetre). Good next day delivery, except the cardboard tube containing the straight edge resembles a fruit of the yellow variety. It is obvious that the straight edge is no longer straight so the item is refused, and the driver takes the item away again.

On phone to Axminster customer service to explain my action, and would they send out another one please.

Reply, when we get the other one back from ANC, we can dispatch another to you. I ask, why don't you just use ANC's parcel tracker? We won't be able to do that, until later. So I have to wait for their administration.

What annoys me is that the implication from this conversation is that I am lying in some way to con them out of an item costing £15.75, but I have to accept their honesty in paying for my goods before I get them in good condition. It doesn't seem quite right to me!!!

Perhaps Axminster can do without another customer.

 

[ike]

Well maybe it's a case of "the computer says no". Perhaps Axminster's IT system constrains their "Customer Service Operatives" from doing more to help you, even if they wanted too. My advice - lighten up! - cut them a little more slack and you'll get your new straight edge in good order.

 

[martyn2]

got to go with ike on this one i have always had excellent service from Axminster even when I had to returned goods there are not many company’s look after their customers like they do


Martyn

 

[Alf]

FTC,

Yep, it makes me fume when they do that too. Apparently the policy is if you're willing to stump up the cost again they'll send out a replacement immediately, and refund your money when they receive the dud. Otherwise you're a small-time crook trying to pull a fast one - or something. It's annoying, especially when it's not your fault it's having to be sent back, but not worth shooting yourself in the foot for.

Cheers, Alf

 

[paisawood]

Suspect that you have been a bit unlucky here. I received a straight edge from Axminster in a banana shaped tube last year and it appeared to be a few thou out of true. I phoned Axminster and they immediately sent out a second (better packed) straight edge and they also said that they did not want the first one back.

Having said that, I have to say that the second straight edge was not noticeably straighter than the first and both have been relegated to marking and card cutting guides.

Suggest that you would be better off asking for a refund and putting the money towards a better quality straight edge. A search on the forum will throw up a recent thread on this subject.

Regards

David

 

[paisawood]

Chesterman straight edge currently on ebay would probably be very good value although there is a risk that it won't be.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-foot-Cheste...553908011QQcategoryZ64814QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

good luck

 

[Jake]

Grrrr

 

[The Restorer]

Suggest that you would be better off asking for a refund and putting the money towards a better quality straight edge. A search on the forum will throw up a recent thread on this subject.

Can you point me in the right direction for this thread, searched under straight edges, but there are way to many pages.

Thanks

Stephen.

 

[paisawood]

This is the one.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5970&highlight=straight+edge

 

[matt]

I think we need to take a mature attitude towards distant buying, at least from reputable companies.

It's not unreasonable for Axminster to assume that you could be a no good scallywag. After all, there's enough about. Whereas I am sure that you feel confident about Axminster honouring their side of the deal.

It just comes down to everyone having to re-think the retailer/customer relationship and accept that retailers have to take precautions, otherwise we will all be paying for their wastage.

Just don't take it personally.

 

[Freetochat]

Matt

This is the attitude that is most offensive, that Axminster doesn't believe that I refused a package because it had been damaged in transit. All facts are verifiable with parcel tracking, if they wanted to check. As a customer who spends a lot of money with them, records my personal and credit card details on their system, where is the two way street of trust.

 

[Jake]

They said they'd be able to track it later, didn't they?

 

[Freetochat]

Jake

Yes you are correct, they did say that could do that, but were still insisting that the product be returned first.

 

[matt]

Jake

Yes you are correct, they did say that could do that, but were still insisting that the product be returned first.

Did you give them attitude? :wink:

I take it you've heard the old retail joke, about the customer who barges in and rudely interupts a sales assistant who was serving another customer:
Sniffy Customer: Young maaan, young maaan... Tell me where I pay for this.
Sales Asst: F*** you! Madam.
Sniffy Custemer: I beeeeg your pardon?!
Sales Asst: Far queue madam - you can pay at the far queue...

Not directly relevant, but retail is full of stories where employees try to restore their self-esteem by getting one over on the customers with attitude.

 

[Anonymous]

Bought a few items from Axminster, including one of their straight edges.
(Yes I know you get what you pay for, but I don't need anything acurate to .0005 of a millimetre). Good next day delivery, except the cardboard tube containing the straight edge resembles a fruit of the yellow variety. It is obvious that the straight edge is no longer straight so the item is refused, and the driver takes the item away again.

On phone to Axminster customer service to explain my action, and would they send out another one please.

Reply, when we get the other one back from ANC, we can dispatch another to you. I ask, why don't you just use ANC's parcel tracker? We won't be able to do that, until later. So I have to wait for their administration.

What annoys me is that the implication from this conversation is that I am lying in some way to con them out of an item costing £15.75, but I have to accept their honesty in paying for my goods before I get them in good condition. It doesn't seem quite right to me!!!

Perhaps Axminster can do without another customer.

Free to chat

Take the opportunity to tell them to stick their 'straight edge'

If you do a quick search, you'll see that I had to send mine back as it was in fact worse than 0.5mm out, never mind 0.0005. when I told Axminster about this, they refund immediately (agreed before actually receiving the edge back).

They are absolutely awful, a joke in fact, even before the ANC guys get their hands on them.

They are really intended as a guide for cutting card, paper etc. not as a straight reference aid. In fact my £2, 2m ali ruler was straighter :wink:

Worse than 0.5mm!!!

 

[Alf]

when I told Axminster about this, they refund immediately (agreed before actually receiving the edge back).

I think that's possibly the most annoying thing - they're not consistant.](*,) Axminster peeps, if you're reading this (and I bet you are), please, could you at least apply the same rules right across the board? Not let it depend on a lottery of which customer service person you get at the other end.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Freetochat]

Alf

I think you may be right.

After being told that I would have to wait until the first item was returned, my new edge arrived by Royal Mail at 9 this morning.

What can I say, but well done Axminster! If only the customer services were consistent in their advice and approach and disgruntled customers wouldn't be left feeling bad.

 

[Jarviser]

I have always had superb service from Axminster, even when I bought a leather case for my L-N carcass saw that had "Axminster" embossed on it instead of "Lie Nilesen". They sent out a replacement immediately, with a returns label to send the other one back freepost. Maybe its because I have been a customer for a few years and they trusted me. I do regret to a certain extent their producing own brand copies of things and not always quite meeting the quality, (the own brand leather case was not such nice leather IMO) but service, speed and packaging usually are excellent.

 

[devonwoody]

Straight edges are a perennial problem, how do you check that your newly delivered item is straight? Then what a price you pay for an item of scientific engineering.
I sometimes wonder if there is not a natural answer to this requirement like hanging a plumb line from your rafter in the workshop and placing any items that needs to be checked against this line, and voila you can save yourself a small fortune :wink:
You can even then make a straight edge and regularly check its accuracy.

 

[Alf]

Maybe its because I have been a customer for a few years and they trusted me.

Hell, I hope not. That means we've been customers for a few years and they don't trust us! Actually, I don't think that can be the case, or they wouldn't have entrusted a TiteMark to me to review - which I sent back like a good girl. O :lol: Nope, reckon the customer service bods need a bit of a prod, especially judging by FTC's result.

Cheers, Alf