My mat woes

[Sean Clark]

So having thought things were concluding with my mat order,  I deleted the original post as I didn't want bad publicity for a company in what are very difficult financial times. I thought  the issue was resolved.

Silly me. 27th November I am finally promised the mat I ordered on 19h October along with a free mat as compensation.

It's now 16th December and I still have no mats. Today is D-Day. If it isn't resolved today  I'll  be seeking some other resolution.

I shall report back at the close of business today. 56 days is a long time for a very simple order.

[Smiley Miley 66]

Unfortunately it sounds about right. I had the same sort of experience.
Miles

[martin goddard]

Bad news.
Sympathy and empathy to you chaps.



martin

[Richardwills]

I wonder if I can guess which company.  Not in Kent by any chance?

Richard

[Colonel Kilgore]

56 days - you are a patient man, Sean!

Simon

[Leman (Andy)]

Its just not working out is it Sean. I am utterly bewildered when companies, who obviously rely on customer satisfaction and word of mouth recommendation, do not go out of their way to develop a strong customer base.

[martin goddard]

Inability?


martin

[Leman (Andy)]

Clearly not the entrpreneurship to run a business smoothly.

[Sean Clark]

Contact was made and apologies made. I'm told the order was going out ASAP. Whatever that means.

This is the final chance. No more Mister Reasonable after this. 😆

[Colonel Kilgore]

"ASAP" is never a very helpful deadline...

Simon

[Leman (Andy)]

Again, a well run company would have a despatch schedule. I've never run a company, having been a history teacher, but to me a readily accessible list of orders that have come in, by date, and a shedule of despatching those orders, plus marking off those when they are despatched, just seems like common sense to me. How does Martin's crew keep track of orders in and out I wonder? As far as I know email is free, so a customer can easily be informed of an unforseen delay.

[Sean Clark]

Andy

I think this is the most disappointing  bit. He has implied being swamped with others and difficulty in obtaining his materials. But I've had to tease this information out of him.

I'll be going elsewhere in the future.

[Colonel Kilgore]

I'm starting to think that I should give up the day job and go into the mat-making business. Once the basic designs have been set up, and a decent (?) printer sourced, it seems like (good) money for old rope.

If this particular company can remain in business for many years having had to send out multiple failed orders for (based on the limited evidence among us) a high percentage of custom orders, the profit margin per mat must be astronomical.

Does this sound like a good get-rich-quick scheme?

Simon

[Leslie BT]

Sean, my commiserations for your problem.

How are you doing at the moment.  Things going better and getting some armies painted?

[Sean Clark]

Ho ho yes...you thought you had heard the last of this sorry tale!

But no! I have more! This is the thread that keeps on giving!

So, if you remember I placed a simple order into a mat company and they repeatedly sent out the incorrect mat to me. Now, in some ways, I was lucky in that they never requested the return of the incorrect mats. One of them, as you may remember made a rather snazzy shower curtain. Well, it was made out of the same material - all plastic and shiny. Great to keep water within the shower...rubbish as a wargames mat.

In the end, I got the mat I had originally  ordered. So I put it away until the time came to use it. Which was today. It was sold to me as a 48"×36" mat for both Square Bashing and Regiment of Foote. I didn't ask for grids as I like to mark my own.

Can anyone see where this is going? Simon per chance?

Measuring the length, perfect I think to myself. 48" meaning I made unobtrusive marks for 8 squares. Lovely.

Then.....oh dear. At one end I happily mark off squares across the width  only to come up 2" short for the last square. Instead of 36" it measures 34". Worse, the other end measures just under 34", so it's not even square. Or rectangular.  I think Martin might he able to help, but I think mathematicians call it a rhomboid shape.

I had to sit down in short order. The shock was too great. So,  I have fired off an email to said mat manufacturer, with pictures to help him understand the situation.

Now, one or two of you might think to yourself..."what's a couple of inches between friends?".  I'll tell you what it is. I'm 96²"  short of what I paid for. I think it works out at around 5%. Again, Martin might be better at the sums.

If I ever, EVER talk of going back to that mat manufacturer again, somebody please shake me violently to bring me toy senses. Geek Villain will be my mat of choice from now on.