Bl***dy glass suppliers...

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Ordered up some glass from a local supplier. Not far short of a grand's worth. Had to be sent off for toughening after cutting and polishing etc, so 'about 2 weeks'

Phoned them after the two weeks. 'Should be the end of this week' Phoned them again - they'd get back to me. But didn't. Went round this Tuesday. 4 weeks after ordering and paying the full price.

'It's here - waiting collection'

I'd made a point of getting it delivered when ordering - far too big to fit in a car.

'We'll deliver Thursday before 09.30'

It's now 13.35 and just come off the phone to them. They don't know, but think it will be today. Sometime.

Perhaps it's just me, but paying in advance seems to take the urgency out of things. ;-)

[Tim Watts]

It's typical Britain...

I have been buying floorboards from Alsfords. The wood is good, but the idiots can't read the order note which says "max length 2.6m" or on the

3rd order, "44x2.4m" - every time the lazy bastards converted that to "whatever number of 5.x metre planks make up that".

I'd mind less if they said they couldn't cut it. I'd not mind paying for a cut straight in half.

I mind when they say "no problem" then I'm left cutting up 40 planks in the drizzle outside.

Reminds me - need to ring the manager and give him a bollocking - they've lost a very significant celotex and plasterboard order to Travis because of that.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Not just me, then. ;-)

Just phoned them again, and they actually put me on hold and contacted the driver (they said) And it should be here between 4-4.30. Seems that in these days of mobile phones etc many seemed less inclined to keep you informed, when they are running late or whatever.

Of course the next thing is whether it has been made correctly to my drawings. ;-)

[Roger Mills]

Indeed. Bad mistake!

[Robin]

Would anyone supply toughened glass in non-stock sizes to an irregular customer without payment in full in advance? AIUI if the customer cancels/disappears they can't even cut it down to sell to other customers.

[Jonno]

Dave Plowman (News) scribbled

Once it's sorted, I'd be posting shit about them on Twatter, Failbook and any other site that will piss them off.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It arrived. Well sort of. Two long shelves, one broke in transit, they said. Others look OK but I've not measured them.

The table consists of three shelves. Bottom two are identical. Top one thicker and also larger holes for the leg tops. Pretty standard for this type of (TV) table. They got the thickness correct, but the same small holes as the others. On the drawings I gave them, the larger hole sizes were in red. As well as being obvious by the drawings. ;-)

On the phone, they said they'll collect it on Saturday and attempt to enlarge the holes. Can you actually do this with toughened?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - I can see that. But something like a 50% deposit and balance on delivery might have speeded things up?

I'm a lover of Grand Designs, and glass not being delivered when promised seems to be the norm there. ;-)

[R D S]

I'm sure there's a proverb to that effect.

I worked in an opticians years back, "Britains most trusted", the boss would regularly be in the lab, going through the jobs and putting them in order with those with most left to pay at the front.

[Robin]

I think some might offer that sometimes. I was last time I ordered a bit of toughened glass but that was only ?30-odd in all. And the supplier is still at risk of loss (assuming they don't have a 50% mark-up!) if you refuse delivery/start to haggle about the final payment. One upon a time I used to have meetings with small business reps. and the tales they told in the margins were scary about the - then - increasing numbers of people who treated a contract as just the means to get goods delivered, at which point they'd started haggling as if they were buying carpets in an Eastern bazaar.

I've wondered if that's sometimes "when promised before the 4 changes to the specifications" :)

[Tim Lamb]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

I watch it, hoping for inspirational ideas. I'm still waiting for an owner to admit thermal gain issues with all that glass and wondering what they will say if someone builds in front and blocks the view.

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[Dave Plowman (News)]

Can see that. So didn't really mind paying for it up front. But was hoping prompt payment got prompt service.

Remember selling a Hi-Fi bit on Ebay - normal auction. The winner opted to collect and asked if I'd take cash rather than Paypal. Which I did. When he arrived, he tried to haggle the price down - and it was already a bargain. Told him to get lost and I'd re-list it. He did then pay up. Felt like telling him to go away - so he'd wasted his time and petrol. ;-)

[Robin]

Oh aye - I never meant to imply they had any excuse for giving you shoddy service

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I was just so looking forward to getting it all assembled and looking nice. If it does. I can never 100% trust my mind's eye with something like this.

[Adrian Brentnall]

That'd be interesting to watch! Expect another delay while they make another new piece with the holes the right size.... Adrian

[pamela]

That's not very British. He probably doesn't queue either. :-)

[Tim Lamb]

The glass shop I frequent have a set of diamond core drills for holes. Only ever seen them used them on laminate glass though.

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[Adrian Brentnall]

I've got a set of those as well. Work well on 'normal' glass (underwater) - but toughened has been heat-treated, and it doesn't like being messed with! A

[ss]

My theory is pay for the product as a deposit the balance which is their profit on satisfactory result. Difficult to estimate but thats what I try and work to. The larger the company then less deposit.

[Capitol]

and frequently with foreign suppliers!