S2C Forum Archives
Main Section => Welcome to our virtual Pub Meeting ... => Topic started by: diffwhine on February 19, 2021, 07:57:29 PM
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On Tuesday the 16th, I placed parts orders with:
Allmakes
Paddock
Blanchard
SP Panels
Craddock.
All delivered everything spot on time yesterday morning apart from one of the above.
Guess which one is still outstanding with no information...?
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That's not really a very fair question - no contest :cheers
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I like multiple choice questions. It gives me a chance of getting the right answer. :tiphat
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It has to be Craddocks and when the stuff arrives it will only be a partial order :whistle Been there too many times :shakeinghead
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I thought they had a "lurker" on this forum ???
Doesn't appear to have made any difference.
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I wrote to Craddock's recently having had a grade A shocker of customer experience. Nil response. Clogs to clogs? Their competitors are doing a great job to my mind.
I also recently wrote to Exmoor. They responded, but weren't listening.
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I thought they had a "lurker" on this forum ???
Well I'm not one to complain so take heed Craddocks !! I mostly use Blanchards these days :tiphat
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The lurker has gone :thud
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I ordered something from Craddocks the other week, came before it should have.
I then got an email asking to leave a review for the product, which I duly did.
Title of review: Give me a chance.
Review: I haven’t even opened it yet.
:tiphat
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How did you all guess? :first
Maybe I should have shuffled the list up to make it more challenging...
I raised my concerns directly with their "E Commerce Manager" through a direct LinkedIn connection - still no response.
Sad really - when I first started in this game, they were my "go to" solution for everything. Multiple drives from deepest Wiltshire all the way to Cannock. How times have changed.
I like that review Kev! Its the Amazon ones that really irritate me. Why would I want to rate my delivery?
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I like that review Kev! Its the Amazon ones that really irritate me. Why would I want to rate my delivery?
It's the trend now ... you are pestered all the time to review stuff that costs a penny or 2p.
What's the point of reviewing a trivial item it's not like you are reviewing a washing machine or a car.
Must be a new feature that eBay (Amazon have had it for a long time) have put in.
They should have a price limit below which you are not pestered and we are certainly not bothered, can't be *&%^$ to respond :shakeinghead
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I ordered something from Craddocks the other week, came before it should have.
I then got an email asking to leave a review for the product, which I duly did.
Title of review: Give me a chance.
Review: I haven’t even opened it yet.
Hope for the future ??? hope so :tiphat
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Got a text survey today for recent phone probs
"How well did our rep do?"
Me :OK
"Would you use us again?"
Me: probably
Why did you leave these answers?" ??? ???
Me : I wanted to
They gave up after that.
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I cancelled my order from Craddock's last month. Still waiting for the credit card refund.
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What sucked my stump was they'd take an order for parts not in stock, often months would go by and no delivery !
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Oh dear! Placed order with Craddock’s on the 11th for a NOS item (not available from my preferred choices of Blanchard or Paddock). Being NOS I assumed it must be in stock. Am I being naive? Received confirmation and see that my credit card has been debited but nothing further from Craddock’s. How long should I wait before starting to worry?
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I’m sure they have items on their website that they haven’t had in stock for years.
I haven’t used them since 2010 and won’t use them again, ever. Even if they have the last overdrive input gear left in the world. They’re still pulling the same trick as they did back then.
You can find all of their rare parts elsewhere, just bide your time.
James
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Oh dear! Placed order with Craddock’s on the 11th for a NOS item (not available from my preferred choices of Blanchard or Paddock). Being NOS I assumed it must be in stock. Am I being naive? Received confirmation and see that my credit card has been debited but nothing further from Craddock’s. How long should I wait before starting to worry?
Worry
You've been registered on here for 18 months - have you not seen past posts on this subject ???
Please be careful with your money and who you order from.
As posted ^^^ even if the part is dead rare and you are desperate for it.
There's no point if they can't deliver :thud
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When I was "Chair" I took the matter up formally with them, got to some point a bit further up the management chain. Explained that I thought it incredible that in this day and age their sales system was not linked to stock levels, that they took money essentially under false pretences... I was told a new system was imminent, told that I'd be listed as a VIP customer. I said I was not interested in special treatment, everyone should get the same high level of service.
My next order was.....
You can fill the rest in yourselves.
My go-to is PA Blanchard, I have never had an issue with their service, during lockdown they have been shipping product ordered in the morning that same afternoon.
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Oh dear! Placed order with Craddock’s on the 11th for a NOS item (not available from my preferred choices of Blanchard or Paddock). Being NOS I assumed it must be in stock. Am I being naive? Received confirmation and see that my credit card has been debited but nothing further from Craddock’s. How long should I wait before starting to worry?
I suggest Forest2A that you ring Craddock's customer service, cancel your order any insist on a credit card refund.
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I'm going to sit and wait on this one. Its all gearbox parts for two boxes I'm rebuilding, but not in a rush. If not here by early next week, I'll start shouting. Lucky I wasn't ordering parts for a client, but then if I was, I wouldn't have used them anyway!
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Thanks to all for your sage advice - which I agree I should have perhaps heeded earlier! Perhaps I’ve been living dangerously but have on one previous occasion placed an order with Craddock’s (back in July 2019) which arrived complete and without undue delay. Perhaps I was lucky. Watch this space!
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I do use Craddocks, but with my eyes open.
In normal times I drive up the M6 fairly regularly. If I have time and there are parts I want where they are cheaper than anyone else (and that can in some cases be a significant saving) I drop by and see if they are in the shop or the store. If they are in the shop I have them; if they are in the store I leave it.
I bought a swan neck exhaust manifold from them as the only supplier stating they had stock (Blanchards had sold out). It turned up a week after it was scheduled for delivery, but it did turn up.
I bought spring dowels from them as they are significantly cheaper and I was not in a rush. They turned up earlier than expected.
On both the above occasions I paid by credit card for protection - if they didn't deliver I had the card company available to take it up on my behalf. It should not be like this, but there are some parts where I am prepared to take the risk and ready for the fight if needed.
Alec
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I ordered something from Craddocks the other week, came before it should have.
I then got an email asking to leave a review for the product, which I duly did.
Title of review: Give me a chance.
Review: I haven’t even opened it yet.
:tiphat
I got sucked in to the review game recently for an 89p tube of caulk as they offered a prize and I was feeling lucky!
(https://i.postimg.cc/6Q6QdDz3/179-F7760-AC4-B-41-E1-B458-584-C73-AF4-F91.jpg)
I didn’t win. :'(
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Oh dear! Placed order with Craddock’s on the 11th for a NOS item (not available from my preferred choices of Blanchard or Paddock). Being NOS I assumed it must be in stock. Am I being naive? Received confirmation and see that my credit card has been debited but nothing further from Craddock’s. How long should I wait before starting to worry?
Well, it took them eight months to deliver a couple of small plastic clips for my fathers Puma, which were in stock with Land Rover, so perhaps give them 12 months?
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I used to call in at Bridgetown when I was passing , when they had stock on display in the shop and there were some good bargains to be had , but on one occasion I was there when a couple of chaps came in, who had had driven down from Rochdale to pick up some parts they claim to have been advised were in stock and they could collect that day. A heated argument ensured when they were told the parts were not available. I do still order some parts but they are now my last port of call.
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Yesterday lunchtime I ordered a couple of head gaskets and an assortment of small parts to complete my spare engine rebuild from Blanchards.
The parcel was delivered by DPD about 10 minutes ago - 24hrs from online order to delivery, that's good (and it was the standard post rate).
Right, a spot of lunch then out to the garage to play in the cold/damp!!
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I like that review Kev! Its the Amazon ones that really irritate me. Why would I want to rate my delivery?
I deliver new cars direct to the customer and on the delivery paperwork they are asked to rate the delivery ‘Experience’ . It’s stressed that they are not reviewing the Car or the condition it was delivered in etc....just the performance of the delivery company. One particular leasing company for whom we work will only accept a 10/10 score and anything lower triggers a major enquiry/ complaint to our office.
It’s mostly just any excuse to not pay for our services , and there are plenty of other choices out there for them so we have to be very diligent when it comes to the ‘ Scoring ‘ section !
Andy
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I recall being hounded last year by an Ebay supplier in China to provide a high score....for a product that was never delivered, went astray somewhere ! They must have sent 5-6 messages. The product was valued at less than £10, if memory serves.
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To put my spanner in here: I have ordered from all sorts of suppliers in recent years and all the deliveries from Craddocks have been OK! I think I got a steering box adjustment locknut instead of the one for the drop arm once, but that is about the only thing that has been wrong in the last few years. I have even ordered obsolete items that they have had listed and received them OK.
Maybe I have just been lucky?
Yes their communication isn't brilliant in that if items are on back order, they tell you when they deliver the rest, rather than offering you the option of cancelling the items and obtaining them elsewhere.
I have found Britcar quite helpful if you are enquiring about availability of non-stock items - if you e-mail them, they will get back to you and let you know what is actually available.
Sunny Jim
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I'm with Alec on this one.
They do often have some good specialist stuff at better prices than others, so I don't discount them when they are often the only solution. I just think its telling when everybody else who I ordered off last week gave me an order confirmation, shipping notification, tracking details and even messaged me to tell me the parts had arrived. Apart from an order confirmation when I placed the order with JC, I've heard nothing since and still no parts...
When you are doing this for clients, frankly this just isn't good enough. We need to be able to give clients an ETA for parts COVID or no COVID. That's a poor excuse now anyway after a year into this pandemic.
Luckily, all this stuff from Craddock is specialist LR parts for one of my own projects, so not customer dependent. They are losing business over this and have developed an appalling reputation which as I said earlier, I do find sad as they were my favoured source for most bits in the early days.
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Craddocks have doing this sort of thing for a few years now it amazes me they are still in business though I'm sure their turnover must have dropped ....
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You would think that these negative comments from here and elsewhere would get back to John, I assume he still has an interest in the running of the company? I used to buy all sorts of stuff off him from when he first started up until about 10 years ago when I found the service had started to drop off and the place was being run by a “Manager”. These days I would only buy from Craddocks if I could actually call in the shop and the parts were available.
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I honestly don't think they care.
I suspect the 'Series' world is a complete pain for them nowadays and they are only interested in shifting blinged up stuff to those who want it. If you have been in the shop you will see what I mean!
There might be a gold mine of parts there but no one who works there now has any idea of what they are or can be bothered to maintain the stock system.
I first went there whan living nearby in 1981. Of course there were only Series Land Rovers back then and they knew their stuff, stocked just about every part ever produced - all were good/genuine quailty and at very reasonable prices. Move on a few years, more models are manufactured, market changes as different sort of enthusiasts emerge, staff retire/move on etc.
I pretty much gave up on them some years ago after several of the experiences highlighted on this thread and the last time I was in there (passing through) the two slovenly order pickers behind the counter (when they could actually be bothered to break away from their own converstion) actually picked the order for the other one. So much so it was hard work to convince the one serving (and I use that word loosely) me that the pile of parts he had placed in front of me were not, in fact, mine! Oh, and this was after providing them all the correct part numbers for what I needed. Idiots.
Sad really - and no amount of complaints from the likes of us seems to have made any difference.
Rant Over.
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I honestly don't think they care.
They don't -
If they did care, then they would have put measures in place some years ago.
I believe John Craddock has retired ???
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My very recent (last week) experience of Blanchards isn’t good😳
Order placed and credit card payment taken although postage was over half the parts cost☹️ so I added more to the order to make it worth while.
Order arrived in good time👍
However..... parts were missing. But they didn’t tell me and they did not refund me☹️
So I emailed them asking why parts I’d paid for were missing. They said it was out of stock and would refund me. I replied asking I’d rather have the part so when will it be back in stock. No reply.
I chased email a few days later.... still no reply.
Couple of days later my card got a refund for the missing part. Still no reply to my last two emails☹️
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That's unusual for Blanchard's.
Last month I ordered some parts and while checking the progress on line I noticed somehow I'd ordered the same things twice on 2 separate orders. I rang them and was informed they'd realized what I'd done and had cancelled one of the orders. The parts arrived next day all present and Correy.
I've noticed when ordering on line from them if the item shown on their website is out of stock, there's no price and it can't be added to the basket.
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Placed an order for a small part with PA Blanchard at 11.14.
Email confirming its been shipped by Royal Mail, Recorded Delivery at 15.33
If I'm very lucky it'll be here tomorrow, more likely Sat.
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I, too, ordered a couple of small items from Blanchards this morning.
Just checked and it also has already been shipped using Royal Mail.
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I ordered some parts on Sunday morning.
One order to PA Blanchards for some NOS starter motor parts they were listing.
One order to Craddocks for some Sparto side light bezels that they were showing in stock.
The Blanchards order arrived on Tuesday morning, following two emails on Monday, one confirming the order and the second telling me the order has been shipped.
The Craddocks order has not yet arrived. One email telling me the order has been recieved. I’m not desperate for the parts but I do want them and had no choice but to order from Craddocks as they were the only place showing them in stock...
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I'm still waiting for a credit card refund from Craddock's for an order I cancelled last month. This was promised by their customer services manager Miss Tyler Homer- something. I've forgotten her full surname and accidentally deleted the email.
What's the betting the order will arrive in the distant future.
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I'm still waiting for a credit card refund from Craddock's for an order I cancelled last month. This was promised by their customer services manager Miss Tyler Homer- something. I've forgotten her full surname and accidentally deleted the email.
What's the betting the order will arrive in the distant future.
Miss Tyler Crighton-Homer :tiphat
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I have to say though that what I did order from Craddocks, turned up complete and as requested. For an order placed on the 14th (so effectively Monday the 15th), it only arrived two days ago - 24th. 9 days to send what all the others did in a maximum of 48 hours. Lucky I wasn't in a rush for them...
It goes back to what Alec said. We know they aren't great, but they do sometimes have specific items that others don't. Provided you aren't in a rush for it, its ok. If you need it quickly - forget it.
Their returns / complaints process is dire. I had an issue with a 2nd/3rd gear bronze bush last year. It's OD was too big so the gears wouldn't fit and the ID was too small so it wouldn't fit on the mainshaft. The box said "British Made"... I think they finally credited me about 2 months later...
All I wish is that somebody at Craddock's would listen...
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It goes back to what Alec said. We know they aren't great, but they do sometimes have specific items that others don't. Provided you aren't in a rush for it, its ok. If you need it quickly - forget it.
The problem with that is their annoying/almost fraudulent habit of showing stuff for sale when they do not actually have it in stock. They take your money and only then tell you the product is not available, will take unknown weeks to arrive. Short of ringing them and asking that they physically check that they actually do have that otherwise non-existent part I'm not sure what to do. Frankly given previous incompetence I'd not trust them to tell me if it was dark outside... It certainly means their having a website is pointless, if you have to ring to check before ordering. Linking the stock system to the sales system is not exactly rocket-science.... Who knows, if they did a proper physical stock check as part of the change-over they might turn up all sorts of stuff !
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I, too, ordered a couple of small items from Blanchards this morning.
Just checked and it also has already been shipped using Royal Mail.
.....and just received. A little over 24 hours between placing order and receipt of goods.
So well done P A Blanchard and Royal Mail 👍
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Oh dear! Placed order with Craddock’s on the 11th for a NOS item (not available from my preferred choices of Blanchard or Paddock). Being NOS I assumed it must be in stock. Am I being naive? Received confirmation and see that my credit card has been debited but nothing further from Craddock’s. How long should I wait before starting to worry?
Resolved but NOS item turns out to be not available after all! Having waited two weeks - I thought I should at least give them a chance - I discovered that my CC had been refunded (good!) so I phoned Craddock’s to be told, very apologetically I should say, that my order had been cancelled as they couldn’t get hold of the part (not good!). Begs the question why a NOS item is listed if they don’t actually have it in stock but the chap I was talking to did concede that their website was not always up to date. I should have perhaps guessed this was too good to be true. I was after a hand throttle kit for my late 2a (Part No. 605991) which seems pretty rare. Its the type that fits on, rather than under, the dash. The latter are fairly easy to get hold of but aren’t compatible with the square heater - insufficient room between the top of the heater box and underside of dash. I will continue my search.
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....and there is the Postie with the part I ordered at 11 yesterday from PA Blanchards, next day delivery.
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:-\
I think a pattern is emerging here
Forum users beware and take heed of our experiences - the Covid-19 pandemic is no excuse.
It's not for me to tell people how to run their business, but ...
How much time they must be wasting refunding money, having to deal with irate customers, not to mention lost sales - if only they had a proper stock inventory and control system :thud
Other news ...
I ordered some Owatrol Oil direct from them late Wednesday night - delivered this morning by DHL :first
:RHD
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Indeed.
last week I put orders into Bearmach, blanchard and a couple ebay sellers. All appeared in good time (~2 days) Shame a certain one is standing out as poor. They had a bit I wanted but I paid more elsewhere but I have it. and that's what counts. :first
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To add a bit more.....
Ordered some bits in December, nothing by mid-jan, contacted by email as PHONE CALLS NOT ACCEPTED!, got a reply saying bits not available.
I have sent another mail (phone contact still not available) asking for cancellation and refund, then another mail sent saying that I have other bits for the same money as the original order, but want to be contacted to discuss availability of these bits.
Complained about their service and demanded contact........ nothing!
How can you deal with a company that you can’t talk to, and they won’t reply to mails?
DO NOT USE-it won’t go well 😇
If anyone from Craddocks lurks on here-sort yourselves out! I will be taking legal advice!
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I presume you paid by credit card
I thought under their terms for being able to use a credit card they were not allowed to take payment until the goods were ready for dispatch. am I wrong?
Peter
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I ordered some parts on Sunday morning.
One order to PA Blanchards for some NOS starter motor parts they were listing.
One order to Craddocks for some Sparto side light bezels that they were showing in stock.
The Blanchards order arrived on Tuesday morning, following two emails on Monday, one confirming the order and the second telling me the order has been shipped.
The Craddocks order has not yet arrived. One email telling me the order has been recieved. I’m not desperate for the parts but I do want them and had no choice but to order from Craddocks as they were the only place showing them in stock...
An update-
The Sparto bezels arrived from Craddocks today. Quicker than I was banking on, but a lot slower than should be. They have sent 3 out of 4 parts correct, one is the wrong part but easily mixed up. At least i over-ordered so have the quantity I need.
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I see a Lucas one in there 😇 I have a couple that will go on some of the sparto lenses I have but not on others.
I also have a random single Lucas lens to go with them
Jon
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After reading all the tales of woe on here I will give Craddocks a wide berth unless I ever need something that only they have ( or say they have )
BUT I will say this .... A couple of years ago I ordered some spring bolts and by mistake I ordered ones for a Series 1 as well as some other items . I thought the order sounded expensive ( it was a phone order ) but accepted the price. The order duly arrived and that’s when my mistake came to light . So I ordered the correct items as I had found the correct part number and then sent the others back using their returns form. I was credited back to my card in just a few days .
So they do get it right occasionally.
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Blanchards don’t always get it right.... 😳
I originally asked why the part I ordered and paid for was not received in my order with other bits. They said sorry, they will give a refund.
I said I didn’t want a refund I wanted the part.
No reply
Still no reply
I chased twice and today came the reply.... sorry but ETC5835 (electronics to convert dizzy points) is obsolete.
So they sell on website, took my money and only when I chased to say the part was not received they said it was obsolete and gave refund ☹️
I also wish they’d post more pictures of items on their website as they sell variations of items and I don’t know which to buy from their descriptions (same part numbers).
Anyone know the correct brake pedal switch (push to break contacts). Mines plastic with brass nut and the switch works but the plastic threads no longer hold it properly.
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Still a thousand times better service than some others :first
You were unlucky.
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With Paddocks a fair few of my orders have had problems. U bolts not coming with nuts, sending the wrong side of bulkhead foot, propshaft bolts not coming with nuts, sending exhaust valve seals instead of starter handle clips :stars . But their customer service is brilliant and in all cases they had the replacement parts in the post within a day of contacting them :first
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I thought this recent experience was worth adding.
Having found that what came off USK was a LWB master cylinder, I needed a SWB CB master cylinder and wanted genuine Girling. This limits options severely and they are not going to get easier to find, so I thought I might as well get it done and suffer the financial pain now so it has receded by the time I am using it.
There are currently only two suppliers quoting the part - Craddocks and Blanchards (last year I would have tried Dunsfold but that option has gone). Blanchards list it at £325, Craddocks at £175 (both +VAT) so quite a difference.
I rang Craddocks on Tuesday to check whether the part was actually in stock and was assured that it was. I wanted the casting number off the side to check it was genuine, which they weren't overly happy about but did ring through to the warehouse and got it (when I pointed out that the alternative was that I would have to buy one to check, and if it wasn't genuine they would have to take it back). Having established that it was genuine, and coincidentally confirming it was in stock in the process, I placed the order on Tuesday afternoon.
The part arrived this afternoon, delivered by DPD. I appreciate companies which use DPD as they give a one hour delivery window without prompting, and they take a photograph of the part where they left it, usually in your open doorway, rather than couriers like Hermes which tell you that because they have a record of the driver having been near your postcode on his SatNav that counts as proof of delivery. You can also contact them directly if there is a problem.
The part itself is exactly as it should be - actually slightly nicer than I was expecting, with the tag and blanking caps in place.
I am aware that this is slightly slower than Blanchards may be, but I am not unhappy with a four day delivery, on a Saturday, which is well within their stated 3-5days.
I am also well aware of the numerous issues which people have had, and I felt it necessary to go to lengths that I would not have gone to with Blanchards over checking stock and paying in a way that was easy to recover if necessary, but credit where credit is due - this was a perfectly satisfactory purchase.
Alec
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Thanks Alec,
Maybe... Just maybe, they are finally listening to their customers again at last.
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Blanchards don’t always get it right.... 😳
I originally asked why the part I ordered and paid for was not received in my order with other bits. They said sorry, they will give a refund.
I said I didn’t want a refund I wanted the part.
No reply
Still no reply
I chased twice and today came the reply.... sorry but ETC5835 (electronics to convert dizzy points) is obsolete.
So they sell on website, took my money and only when I chased to say the part was not received they said it was obsolete and gave refund ☹️
I also wish they’d post more pictures of items on their website as they sell variations of items and I don’t know which to buy from their descriptions (same part numbers).
Anyone know the correct brake pedal switch (push to break contacts). Mines plastic with brass nut and the switch works but the plastic threads no longer hold it properly.
I don't recall having dealt with Blanchards until last week. Placed an order of gearbox bits, very quick delivery arrived in time for the weekend of putting it back together so was very happy. Lots of 'genuine' parts ordered and a premium paid for but not one csme in marked LR packaging so I was a little suspicious of this (well aware that many small items come in bulk packets of 10 etc) An oil seal was missing and so it's a good job I hadn't already removed the old one (primary pinion seal, S3 gearbox). It doesn't necessarily need replacing (was replaced last time i had the box apart) but it's one of those things I change as a matter of course. I will send them a message, as whilst it was only 3 quid I have paid for it!
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Over the weekend I have placed three parts orders with Allmakes, PA Blanchard and John Craddock. Just received confirmation that my JC order will be delivered tomorrow...
I realise that tomorrow hasn't come yet, but that's a significant improvement on past delivery notifications and schedules, so perhaps the message has finally got though! If so, I'm genuinely pleased to see progress.
Credit where credit is due. I'll report back on developments!
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Speaking as someone who has just returned to the forum after several years of absence, I have found this thread to be a very interesting read.
Historically, I’ve always thought of Craddock as being one of the best suppliers of Series parts - a reputation based mostly on that of the man himself who often used to appear on tv restoration programmes as ‘the expert’. My personal experience with them is very limited, having only ordered from them a very small number of times over the course of my involvement with old Land Rovers (twenty odd years or so).
For a very long time now, my go to for parts has been Paddocks. I must’ve had hundreds of deliveries from them over the years, and although not without issues, the vast majority of them arrive quickly, complete and are what I ordered.
Ten years ago, their reputation was not as good as it seems to be today, certainly based on what I have read in this tread. Back then, they tended to get slated for only supplying cheap Chinese parts which didn’t last - in fairness, it was difficult to get decent quality of parts back then, and recent increases in the value of the vehicles has driven demand for better quality parts upwards, in turn making them more readily available.
I also think that the paddocks website is one of the best to use. Parts are easy to find, but over the years I have found that a parts book is invaluable - you won’t see half the stuff they have available just by using the menu. But type a part number into the search box, and you soon realise they have an awful lot more than they actually show you!
Another small advantage to paddocks is the loyalty reward scheme, under which you earn points for your spend, and can then get a few quid off the next order. You can also save them up, but beware, they run out a year after you earn them if not redeemed.
I do find that their email communication on the orders is a little hit and miss - I always get an email confirmation of the order, but I don’t always get a dispatch notification or tracking. But the parts always turn up in good time, so it’s not really a big problem for me.
Never used Blanchards or bearmach. I’ve looked on the bearmach website before, and again I find it awkward to use, particularly on a phone. I haven’t tried looking for things using the part number though, to be fair.
Anyway, that’s my ten-pence worth....
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Inflation... All I can afford is a penny's worth...
Allmakes won the delivery race with an arrival this morning. They use TNT but its trade only, so can't really compare. I have a trade account for work I'm supposed to be doing overseas primarily. Waiting for my Craddock's delivery which is due any minute now I gather, as is a one off part from Bearmach. Blanchards have come in last with their delivery coming in tomorrow...
Cant really complain about any of them this time. All are supplying within a reasonable timescale. All have given despatch and ETA details, so all good.
I take the same view with Craddocks - they always were my favoured supplier going back to the 1980s - its only recently that they have slipped up. Or maybe others have improved their game thus showing JC up. Not sure, but I am pleased that at least they seem to be doing a better job now. Prices are reasonable and being able to pick and choose suppliers depending on what quality you want is really helpful.
Craddock and Bearmach's shipments have just arrived! Hooray!
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On Monday I placed a reasonably large order with Paddocks. All the items seemed to be in stock. On Tuesday I received an email saying that some parts needed to be ordered and my order would be shipped in 1-2 days. On Wednesday I received an email suggesting that the order was about to be dispatched. On Thursday I received an email saying that some different parts now needed to be ordered. i called them to be told that the item s that now needed to be ordered might have been in stock if the order had been picked at the start of the week. It now looks like I won't receive the order until the end of next week, although by then, some of the other parts might not be in stock. Not great service really.
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At least they kept you informed and you could actually get to speak to a 'real' person. However taking the money and not having the part in stock looks like par for the course for all of the suppliers now.
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.... who else can we use ???
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On Monday I placed a reasonably large order with Paddocks. All the items seemed to be in stock. On Tuesday I received an email saying that some parts needed to be ordered and my order would be shipped in 1-2 days. On Wednesday I received an email suggesting that the order was about to be dispatched. On Thursday I received an email saying that some different parts now needed to be ordered. i called them to be told that the item s that now needed to be ordered might have been in stock if the order had been picked at the start of the week. It now looks like I won't receive the order until the end of next week, although by then, some of the other parts might not be in stock. Not great service really.
This is a particular pet hate of mine - when some of the parts you want are in stock and you order ahead of someone else, but then those parts are sold to someone else while waiting for your other parts to arrive. In my mind, there is an order to the queue, and you don't sell the parts to someone who comes up behind and takes them out of your shopping basket - the fact that the basket is virtual makes no difference; once they are in your basket, they are yours, particularly if you have then handed over the money. But then there isn't much you can do about it.
Alec
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I have my fingers crossed for a Paddocks delivery tomorrow....
I have received the dispatch email from Paddocks and they show the order being complete but the tracking information says we haven't yet received your parcel yet.
Really want to get 4 wheels back on my wagon....
Craig.
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My Paddock Spares order has just arrived.
Ordered on Monday and I knowingly ordered some items that were not stock items and needed ordering in.
According to the dispatch email it was packed and dispatched on Wednesday evening but not picked up by DPD until Thursday afternoon then delivered at 10.15 this morning.
Pretty good service really.
Craig.
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My Paddock Spares order has just arrived.
Ordered on Monday and I knowingly ordered some items that were not stock items and needed ordering in.
According to the dispatch email it was packed and dispatched on Wednesday evening but not picked up by DPD until Thursday afternoon then delivered at 10.15 this morning.
Pretty good service really.
Craig.
Lucky you. On the up side, a Blanchard order placed yesterday has already arrived.
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I mainly use Blanchards,parts ordered wednesday evening arrived this morning -I have always had excellent service from them - shame they are closing down .......
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I usually try and use Dingocroft. Their service is pretty good.
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On Tuesday afternoon I placed a big order at Turner's and a small one at Craddock's (there were some items that I could not get anywhere else).
The Turner's order arrived on Wednesday.
The Craddock's one came on Friday. I had not paid for 'next day' or any special service.
Perhaps I was lucky, perhaps they're listening...
Andrew
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Thought I would add this, ordered from Turners at 2.30. Found I had order some parts incorrectly.
Spoke to a very helpful lady. By 4pm I had a credit from paypal and a email from DPD to say they are making a delivery tomorrow from Turner engineering. Now thats what I call service.
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Thought I would say that I have used Craddocks regularly for 5 years and apart from a couple of instances where parts had to be ordered in (was informed there would be a delay), I have rarely waited more than a week before delivery. Today received parts ordered on 20.4.2021. I know this is longer than members in the UK might expect but I am located in Dublin , so personally very happy with the service though I accept that there may have been challenges associated with The Pandemic.
David
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I ordered a few sundry parts from Craddocks yesterday afternnon and they arrived in the post this morning.. I dont know whats going on either ??? :tiphat
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On Tuesday afternoon I placed a big order at Turner's and a small one at Craddock's (there were some items that I could not get anywhere else).
The Turner's order arrived on Wednesday.
The Craddock's one came on Friday. I had not paid for 'next day' or any special service.
Perhaps I was lucky, perhaps they're listening...
Andrew
I too placed a small order with Craddocks 2 weeks ago on a Tuesday, and it arrived a couple of days later on the Friday morning.
I haven't used Craddocks very much over the years, and given the number of legitimate complaints I've seen on this Forum, I haven't been inclined to go to them for parts.
But to give credit where it's due, maybe they have been listening. We're a major Land Rover Club, and I'm sure many of our members are also members of other LR Clubs and Fora, so Craddocks would be foolish not to pay attention to their reputation.....
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I used Craddocks for the very first time last Thursday as they were the cheapest for a new radiator.
It arrived yesterday and was nicely packed.
:cheers
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Maybe the worm has turned ???
:jury
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It's possible that their volumes are way down, as a result of general purchaser dissatisfaction, so they have the resources to process orders in a timely fashion.
It could be that the shop has fewer customers as well, thus freeing up a staff member to process online orders.
???
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I've also noticed that they now highlight alternative brands.
For example Front Crankshaft Oil Seal (ERR6490) shows alternative brands at different prices.
(this may not be new, but I've only just spotted it)
Andrew
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Earlier in this thread I posted about my order from Paddocks. The order eventually arrived. My slight irritation was that unlike some more conscientious suppliers they bundle loads of bits in the same bags. All was correct though, except for 2 nuts. I ordered BSF and was sent metric. When I told them this, the response was that this wasn’t possible, but could I send a picture of the nuts I received so that they could check if the thread was correct. Well if you can tell that from a pic trying to show an internal thread then I might have been impressed. Either way, despite me explaining that the nuts didn’t fit a bolt that I know is BSF, they refused to send replacements, because ‘ they might also be wrong’. In the end I got a refund for two nuts!
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It seems Craddocks may well have taken notice of universal bad reviews? Following on from my one day from order to delivery last week, I recieved the following email below...
Thiis is hopefully a good sign but I dont know if I am minded to leave a glowing review based on just one order for a few bolts? I certianly didnt get this email for all the times that they got it wrong. I'll have to think this one over :stars
(John Craddock Ltd)
May 24, 2021, 13:50 GMT+2
Good Afternoon
We hope you have received and are happy with your order.
If you can please take a moment to leave us a review on our Trustpilot account, this will be highly appreciated.
https://uk.trustpilot.com/evaluate/www.johncraddockltd.co.uk
If there is anything further that we can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you
Kind regards
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This sounds promising - let's hope there's been a turn round in customer service.
Keep the reports coming in ....
:RHD
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I ordered some wheel cylinders (Delphi) from Island 4x4 in Kentlast week. £5 delivery but I ordered at 3PM nad the courier was knocking on my door in Lancashire at 9am the next morning
Peter
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Blanchards win again, ordered parts late on Monday, arrived today.
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I thought Blanchards were closing down ???
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I thought Blanchards were closing down ???
They are - but I seem to recall that they are winding the business up over the next 18 months or so. I guess when they run out of a particular stock item it won’t now be restocked?