Biasco fiasco

Just a wee warning to all considering Biasco for any major purchase. I ordered a Cooker Hood on 3rd October 2004. At every stage there have been problems - firstly they claim the manufacturer has not put these items into production yet - believe that you'll believe anything. Isnt the whole idea behind manufacturing products that you keep sufficient stocks to ensure swift sales? Apparently not - apparently (the world according to Biasco Fiasco) they make them almost to order!

Then, they claim the have attempted delivery. I work from home, so am at home all day every day. Their delivery company left no note to say they had been. On chasing the delivery I am told that the order will now not be delivered until 1st November 2004... 10 days indeed.

Take my advice. If you are considering Biasco, consider the fiasco that comes part of the package. I know that I will not be using them in future. Sometimes it is worth spending the extra £10 to get the quality of service one expects when spending several hundred pounds!

Naj

I'd be inclined to wait until they attempt to deliver, refuse delivery and cancel the order. This will involve them in maximum cost . That is if you don't want to wait for the same thing somewhere else.

Most of the online electrical places don't hold stocks. That's how they keep costs down. Normally, the goods are delivered directly from the manufacturer, so the online retailer is simply giving you the story he is getting plus some of his own spin to stop you cancelling and ordering elsewhere..

In that sense they have not been honest with you. Remember though that this type of organisation, because of their low margins, is not likely to employ the sharpest knives in the drawer.

Manufacturers have always operated batch manufacturing and less and less hold stocks of finished goods. There is no need to do so if the customer will accept the inherent lead times. Finished goods on shelves that don't move quickly are money tied up and there is a cost associated with that. If the manufacturer can still win the business with a 4 week lead time, it doesn't make any difference to him if it is always 4 weeks and he runs that as a backlog. Most cooker hoods sold are made by Elica with various labels. So another factor is how well their OEM customers forecasted their requirements. It's entirely possible that you had to wait for a manufacturing run on a particular product.

Unfortunately, all of this is an inevitable consequence of the price competitveness in the market. You can pay the lowest price, or you can go somewhere that may have stock.. A lot of the bricks and mortar places are more expensive and still don't have stock. Unless consumers are willing to say that they will pay more money for availability then it's hard to see how this will change.

.andy

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