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Trade suppliers, the downside of buying from them!
Through the years Ive avoided trade suppliers like the plague, preferring to do most of our work in house. However got a nice job recently, with potential for a nice profit, set of brushed aluminium letters with 15mm return for a church building. Anyway to cut a long story short, paid in advance, received goods on time, excellent quality except a full stop was missing. Installed what we had as there was an opening date to meet but do you think I can get the relevant UK company to supply me with the full stop they left out> not a chance. Eight weeks ringing them, initially given crap excuses but they wont even answer the phone now. Infuriating as they have my money and architect has held up the payment at my end. Tempted to name the company
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32 Replies
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Go for it! As a trade supplier ourselves I find that shocking behaviour! Yes, we all make mistakes (ourselves included – though thankfully not too often) but it’s how you deal with them that is key. A full stop would only take about half an hour to make and they are prepared to put that over the loss of a potential repeat customer??
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Hi Any. They were an outfit called the smart group..don’t know if you ever heard of them. Incidentally, for future orders, do you supply that type of lettering to the trade?
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The reason we invested in our own sign studio was poor quality work from trade suppliers who damaged our business and lost us clients, so for us every cloud etc
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I had a terrible time with a company by that name years ago, from memory they were down near Bournemouth somewhere
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Cant find an address for them but heres the website I contacted them from.
Are they the same? http://www.smart-group.co.uk -
SG manufacturing limited
7 Old Brickyard Rd, Sandleheath, Fordingbridge, SP6 1TEIt speaks volumes that you can’t find their address on their website
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Hi Kevin, yes we do supply letters to the trade but I believe forum rules prevent me from saying who we are as it’s advertising. (sorry)
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Bugger ive just ordered a couple of hundred pounds worth of panels from these people. That was a week ago and ive not yet recieved my order. Should i be worried?
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quote Andy Thorne:Hi Kevin, yes we do supply letters to the trade but I believe forum rules prevent me from saying who we are as it’s advertising. (sorry)Not if it is requested by a member that isnt following up on a business promo type post made purposely to generate such a reply/post.
so no problems Andy… :smiles:
Andy Thorne
Simplex Limited
Director
Unit 3, 16 Peter Road,
Lancing Business Park,
BN15 8TH
01903750333 -
quote Jean Oakley:Bugger ive just ordered a couple of hundred pounds worth of panels from these people. That was a week ago and ive not yet recieved my order. Should i be worried?
You might be ok if you get original order right but in my experience, forget it if you have to get a problem sorted. Horrible people to deal with in first place too.
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quote Andy Thorne:Hi Kevin, yes we do supply letters to the trade but I believe forum rules prevent me from saying who we are as it’s advertising. (sorry)
Rob says it’s ok so can you pm or email for future reference Andy ?
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Thanks Rob.
Our contact details are;
e-mail sales@simplexltd.com
tel 01903 750333
http://www.simplexltd.com
http://www.look-signs.co.ukAsk for myself or Trev and we will be glad to help. Smaller items like built up letters we ship nationwide via overnight courier but anything too big or special we ship door to door to prevent any damage in transit (which unfortunately can add to the cost depending where you are – we are on the not so sunny (today anyway!) south coast). We’ve just found our customers would rather pay a bit more and have the goods turn up without any added dents or scratches!
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I used Smart Signs many years ago on a job, never ever again! I paid up front & when we collected it was not finished, poor job & poor follow up. As for not having an address, I believe all UK companies have to have a contact address on their website. As this lot are shady as, it does not surprise me. What does surprise me is that they are still in business!
Seems the directors have set up another company called Sidsigns limited, can only presume why they would do that.
As for all Trade companies are the same, I agree with Andy, anyone in manufacturing can & will make mistakes, its the nature of the business. If Rolls Royce, who are market leaders, can make jet engines that fail, that will mean anyone can. Its how you deal with the mistakes. We are not all the same, like Andy, we have spent many years in the game & do our best to make sure the Client gets what he wants. You will be in good hands with Andy for future work, you won’t get the same level of service as SG Manufacturing, I would never put them in the same sentence any other time than now.
Please, anyone who feels that Trade don’t offer service, you are not dealing with the right Company to begin with
Rant over
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Just my luck to have found those twats. Still learning after 35 years
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Dealt with Smart group myself before, their attitude is extremely poor, us trade suppliers aren’t all bad though :shake:
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Still waiting
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Have you paid in advance by any chance
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Yep rung almost every week and been told loads of stories. They have promised (again) that I’ll get it Monday but I’m not holding my breath
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quote Jean Oakley:Yep rung almost every week and been told loads of stories. They have promised (again) that I’ll get it Monday but I’m not holding my breath
A guy called Mac by any chance
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Well its out for delivery, lets hope its correct and no problems when it arrives
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I used Mac / Smart Signs once. Only got my sign after disputing transaction with my CC company (non delivery). Took 6 weeks to come in the end.
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update
So theyve arrived. ordered
PDF 1 4 off
PDF 2 10 off
PDF3 10 offGot
PDF 1 10 off
PDF 2 4 off
PDF 3 10 offSo although i have 24 panels not the right quanities. Thought id use the 4 that have come to start the job.
ordered 297mm x 420mm items arrived 590mm x 420mm so not correct size.Looks like its going to be a long drawn out job if others experiences are anything to go by.grrrrr :bangshead:
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quote Jean Oakley:update
So theyve arrived. ordered
PDF 1 4 off
PDF 2 10 off
PDF3 10 offGot
PDF 1 10 off
PDF 2 4 off
PDF 3 10 offSo although i have 24 panels not the right quanities. Thought id use the 4 that have come to start the job.
ordered 297mm x 420mm items arrived 590mm x 420mm so not correct size.Looks like its going to be a long drawn out job if others experiences are anything to go by.grrrrr :bangshead:
Your experience was even worse than mine. Wish you luck getting it sorted. Can’t understand how these messers get any work
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well ten weeks and still waiting, calling and emailing ( to which i request ever time to reply to me and they never have). Sent email yesterday saying they have till Monday to refund me, as they said they would on the 14th January or i will be taking them to the small claims court. Has anyone gone this far with them or do you eventually get paid/give up? :bangshead:
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I had a similar situation with some acrylic ordered from a supplier that I’d paid up front on a debit card last January. They were late delivering and I suspected I might never get the goods so I ordered them elsewhere then phoned to cancel the original order. They told me it was too late but I contacted my bank and explained the situation and they refunded me the whole payment. I had no idea before that banks would do this for debit card payments.
The order did arrive about three weeks later and despite several emails they never picked it back up.
Probably too late, but may be worth a call to your bank.
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Thanks i paid by credit card, will give the bank a call thanks
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Its one of the down sides of the internet, chancers can appear as reputable on their websites. Thankfully there are forums like these where others can be warned.
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Post removed after speaking to supplier.
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Well after TEN weeks of chasing by phone and email, After "Holidays" Funerals x 2" and other excuses i threatened court. Amazed but they have paid me back. Im happy with the result but my god why not just pay it back straight away and not give yourselves such a bad name.
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quote Jean Oakley:Well after TEN weeks of chasing by phone and email, After “Holidays” Funerals x 2″ and other excuses i threatened court. Amazed but they have paid me back. Im happy with the result but my god why not just pay it back straight away and not give yourselves such a bad name.
Did you get the one where the guy who manufactures the letters was out with a broken arm or leg or something ?
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I used Smart Group once, took about six weeks to get my job (only got it after disputing the credit card payment). Absolute to$$ers.
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No Kevin but sickness holidays and funerals featured heavily in my calls. Never spoke to anyone else same guy sitting on the phone no doubt fielding calls like mine all day
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