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Ashby Trade Sign Supplies disappointing service
I have been using Ashby Trade since March 1998. In April 2014 they refuse to do any more work for me.
My last order was 2 fabricated and painted sign trays with welded corner seams, 1 of these was to have fillet plates so the 2 signs could be fitted together to make a double sided hanging sign. This order also came with 8 colour coded pozi head screws so I could join them together.
On Thursday 10 April 2014 I rung Ashby, spoke to Derek and told him that the two trays had been welded together in the corners so there was no way I could get them apart to allow me to do the work I needed to do on them. Derek told me that they were not welded and that they were 2 separate panels. After several attempts to get over to Derek that they were definitely not separable Derek asked if he could speak to the “bloke” doing the job. I informed him that it was myself doing the job (a female). I took a photo of the welded corners and emailed them to Derek. They then agreed that the sign trays needed to be returned to Ashby to be separated.
I was due to fix the job the next Wednesday 15 April and had arranged access equipment and a fixer. They assured me that the sign trays would be picked up by their courier the next day and they would get them separated and back to me by 12:00 Wednesday 14 April with enough time for me to carry out the work I needed and get it fixed as planned.
The courier company didn’t pick the sign trays up the next day.
The courier picked up the sign trays on Monday 14 April.
On Wednesday 14 April I emailed Ashby Trade to check that I would be receiving my sign trays by 12:00 this day, as last discussed.
I had an email from Ian Blackman informing me that they had not been dispatched, many more excuses and “having had a chance to look at the trays they have not just been riveted together they have also been welded in the corners. We can still separate the trays but they will need re-painting as well which means I can not turn these around for despatch until tomorrow night for delivery on Saturday.”
They did not arrive on Saturday 19 April.
On Tuesday 22 April (we had a bank holiday Monday in the way) after myself sending several emails enquiring where my sign trays where I eventually had an email from Ian saying “it appears that they are still here”.
I had rearranged to fix this job this evening so suggested they arranged a same day courier to get me out of trouble. Ian’s reply was “I did make enquiries about a same day vehicle but unfortunately it is not an avenue available to us so all I am able to do is watch it on to the lorry tonight myself on an upgraded pre-10.30 service.”
Again I had to let my customer down, cancel the fixer and the access equipment and rearrange for Wednesday 23 April.
Wednesday 23 April, 10:30 came and went. Response from Ian was “Tuffnells have advised me that they have had problems in your area this morning but the driver will be with you by 12.”
12:00 came and went.
I rung Ashby Trade and asked to speak to the director. I was put through to Charlie, the director’s son and explained my problem to him. He said he would chase the courier. He got back to me and told me the parcel would be here by 13:00.
13:00 no parcel.
The parcel eventually came around 13:45. Ashby Trade had put the parcel on a next day delivery. NOT A PRE 10:30.
I then had the most bizarre phone call from Charlie (the director’s son). I immediately pointed out that the parcel was not on a pre 10:30. Charlie told me that it was me saying it was on a 10:30. He also said that I would be having zero compensation, they valued my custom but had looked back on my account from the last few months and seen that they have not made any money from me but also pointed out that this was not my fault as it was them who had mucked the jobs up and final told me that they would no longer deal with me.
I took Ashby 13 days to fix there error. -
16 Replies
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Hi
if you introduce yourself you will find you get more response, its polite to use your personal name rather than company.It does seem to be an issue of late with Ashby cocking up and taking no responsibility for their actions and with management like Charlie it could explain a lot. I’m sure that they will have their version of events but either way i cannot understand a company that relies on trade treat their customers in this way.
Kev
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Hi Kev
Thanks for your response. Forums are all new to me. How do I introduce my self exactly?
Tracey -
There’s a section on the forum for introductions, say hello think it is lol, Just nice for people to know who they are talking to.
Haven’t really had much to do with Ashby personally for quite a few years but have read several threads on the forum about them, as Kevin says difficult to understand why a trade supply company would treat you like this.
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Hi i have also over the last twelve months had bad experiences with Ashby. Every panel i have ordered from them has had to be replaced due to damage or poor quality. One panel took three attempts. I must admit its not the company it was 10 years ago.
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This year After 12 years with Ashby I told them to close our account as we ere fed up with the quality of products and service they supplied
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They let us down for a delivery on Tuesday, we have yet to get a delivery date
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I placed a job with Ashby with the understanding it might make it to me Tuesday (yesterday), if not worst case Thursday. I’m now being told Monday despatch. My client has managed to install walls and totally re-fit and re-paint a shop (rather large job), all in time for advertised Wednesday opening (today). I however have not been able to deliver the single sign on my word.
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Seems to be a pattern of poor service arising here…
Surely someone from Ashby will comment here?
Has there been a change in staffing, management or something that has effected the service from these guys?
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I too have had various issues with Ashby and while I am not trying to defend Ashby in any way it is often said on here that of "service", "price" and "quality" you can only choose 2. Why should this be any different with suppliers.
Admittedly in the past Ashby seemed to give all 3.
It is now at the stage where we only order from Ashby if lead time isn’t an issue. Only last month I paid 30% more from Applelec just to be certain we met our already tight deadline.
Just my thoughts.
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can this page not be emailed to the Manager? We all seem to have our gripes with Ashby and we moan at the sales dept but does the manager really get to hear these stories?
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I stopped using them completely about a year ago all for the same reasons and they are even now based down the road from me, I did find it a little difficult to find alternative suppliers but now I have I really am glad I don’t have to deal with them any more.
It is a shame as they used to be very good a few years back so not sure what has changed, the more people who walk the more they will suffer and hopefully not too late for them to turn it around.
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I had a job from them some while back and they made mistakes on the order, the folded pans came in bent in one corner, and the paint finish had a spotted pattern over it.
One of the production guys told me that was due to the bubble wrap leaving marks on the pans because the paint had not cured properly, because they were late getting it out and rushed it. You can imagine my mood when I un-wrapped it.
The best part was when they told me they would not replace it because I hadn’t reported it within 24hrs of receiving the parcel. We had actually left it wrapped for a few days to protect it until we wanted to start work on it, I wasn’t aware of this policy. So they told me the reason for not replacing it after the 24hrs was because I may have tried to install it, damaged the goods and then tried to return it to them. My photos emailed to them were a fair indication we hadn’t handled it.
What got me was that regardless of the refusal to replace because I may have bent the pans myself (apparently), they made no acknowledgement that they had messed up the joining plate and ruined the paint finish, which were reasons enough to have replaced it – but it wasn’t checked within 24 hrs so it didn’t count!
So like all of you, I voted with my cheque book and stopped using them. It still makes me laugh to think that some people think it’s okay to run a business this way.
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Ive stopped using them about 4 years ago now – their loss, my monies appreciated being spent elsewhere.
John
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I can’t say I was a big customer of theirs but, I echo much of what’s been said above, they used to make great stuff at good prices, then it just went wrong. no locking plates on trays, poor finish etc.
as for leaving good wrapped until required, it’s something I do too and yes, it has bitten me in the arse a few times, very recently in fact, I was sent a 10×5 comp sheet, cut into 3 pieces as requested, two I required and one offcut, I got the offcut and one piece I required. That wasn’t from Ashby but again, hadn’t checked it so my fault. some panels have arrived bent but only apparent upon opening them a couple of days later… going to be a lot more choosy where I spend my money from now on.
Hugh
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My above post tells a story that I am a little annoyed at having to receive my order a week late. A week on from that (today) I called Ashby to check that my job was leaving them this evening….. Wait for it……… THEY HAVENT EVEN STARTED IT! 👿 (:)
I should of known better, I’ve been let down several times before by Ashby.
One seriously unhappy customer has also just spent there last penny there!
Think I,ll defiantly hold a late payment on this one, see how they like it!
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Being new to the sign industry, I had the misfortune to using Ashby for the first time.
We placed an order via email for a small directory sign, specifically ordered with metal end caps.
When the order arrived, it had been sent with plastic end caps!
upon calling them to tell them they’d made a mistake, we were chastised for not checking the order confirmation (which has "plastic end caps" listed)
Not the response I’d expected but hey ho. We ordered a replacement with metal end caps, checked they were listed correctly in the new order confirmation.
Replacement arrived….with plastic endcaps!
Called and was told a replacement would be sent out same day.
Arrived the following day…with plastic end caps.
By this time, we’d already postponed the installation twice and the customer was getting restless so went ahead with the rest of the project.
Eventually we managed to get a pair of metal end caps sent on a next day pre 12 delivery. However, this still required an additional site visit to install, costing us time and money.What amazed me was that this was only a small simple order, yet it went so wrong so many times and initially it was made out to be our fault as we didn’t read an order confirmation – even though our email order listed the correct items!
I’m now looking for an alternative supplier to Ashby, mainly for directory type signs – if anyone has any recommendations, please let me know.
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