Black Country Metal Works...a warning

[frangar]

Just a heads up for anyone thinking of using BCMW....I ordered a storage unit from them that was on their website....when it did arrive with them it was damaged...however we agreed a reduced price...it actually just needed a bit of paint...and I then waited...and waited...now Ive just been informed they sold it to someone else and they cant get another one!!! 

 

They were very poor at communicating.....only replying when I contacted to ask what was going on.

 

I had heard various reports about them from others but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt....clearly I was wrong! 

 

They do various canal boat related stuff....Id be very wary of dealing with them....a pity as they do some interesting items.

 

 

[dave moore]

In the main, I’ve been underwhelmed with the quality of the tinware offered by this company. One water can had a 3mm gap along the rear seam from the centre band upwards, making it impossible for it to carry water. I suspect that the stuff is outsourced elsewhere, the manufacturers unaware of the nuances and detail that go in to a decent can.

Having said that, I was approached last winter to paint a handbowl as a gift for the 90th birthday of an historic boat. I didn’t have one and asked the customer to cast around. He got back to me, bringing an unpainted one in galvanised metal, from Black Country Metalworks and I was pleasantly surprised at the weight and quality of it. Perhaps they have done some research and changed suppliers, I don’t know.

[frangar]

54 minutes ago, dave moore said:

In the main, I’ve been underwhelmed with the quality of the tinware offered by this company. One water can had a 3mm gap along the rear seam from the centre band upwards, making it impossible for it to carry water. I suspect that the stuff is outsourced elsewhere, the manufacturers unaware of the nuances and detail that go in to a decent can.

Having said that, I was approached last winter to paint a handbowl as a gift for the 90th birthday of an historic boat. I didn’t have one and asked the customer to cast around. He got back to me, bringing an unpainted one in galvanised metal, from Black Country Metalworks and I was pleasantly surprised at the weight and quality of it. Perhaps they have done some research and changed suppliers, I don’t know.

I think you are right in that they make very little if anything. It’s just very annoying in my case they have taken over a month to decide they have sold it to someone else….this after sending me pictures of the damage and us conversing about delivery and a reduction for the damage. Only last week I was told it was finally going to be despatched…which maybe it was but not to me!  

[Stroudwater1]

I’m sad to hear this. Customer services seems to have virtually disappeared from so many firms these days. I wonder if they can’t get or afford the staff or IT seeming to overrule common sense or doing strange things. 
 

A friend bought a car from a car delivery service (Not Cazoo but easy to think it was) but before it was delivered it failed one of the engine checks. They provided a hire car unlimited miles for him whilst the fault was fixed. 
 

Like you he waited and waited, finally after six months of contacting the firm and very many email replies it turned out they had sold the car to someone else. 🙄 

 

At least he had six months of hire car driving for free bar fuel. 
 

 

[Tracy D'arth]

4 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

I’m sad to hear this. Customer services seems to have virtually disappeared from so many firms these days. I wonder if they can’t get or afford the staff or IT seeming to overrule common sense or doing strange things. 
 

A friend bought a car from a car delivery service (Not Cazoo but easy to think it was) but before it was delivered it failed one of the engine checks. They provided a hire car unlimited miles for him whilst the fault was fixed. 
 

Like you he waited and waited, finally after six months of contacting the firm and very many email replies it turned out they had sold the car to someone else. 🙄 

 

At least he had six months of hire car driving for free bar fuel. 
 

 

Stock rotation.  Pray tell of the firm, I would love 6 months of a free car!

[jonathanA]

1 hour ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Stock rotation.  Pray tell of the firm, I would love 6 months of a free car!

yes thats fine if the hire car is of 'equivalent' value/quality. my experience of being supplied with hire cars is that they are usually very much at the 'low end' of the scale, if the hire car was a near equivalent then he had 6 months of cheap motoring - happy days. 

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

4 minutes ago, jonathanA said:

yes thats fine if the hire car is of 'equivalent' value/quality. my experience of being supplied with hire cars is that they are usually very much at the 'low end' of the scale, if the hire car was a near equivalent then he had 6 months of cheap motoring - happy days. 

 

 

You can't get much cheaper than free, regardless of if its low or high end

[jonathanA]

Just now, ditchcrawler said:

You can't get much cheaper than free, regardless of if its low or high end

its not free if he had laid out 30K for a BMW and then gets a ford KA or similar on his drive 🙂  the other problem i've had with 'courtesy' cars is they often have punitive excess on damage £1000 isn't unusual - i've refused to take several on that basis.   apologies to the OP for wandering off topic 

[frangar]

40 minutes ago, jonathanA said:

its not free if he had laid out 30K for a BMW and then gets a ford KA or similar on his drive 🙂  the other problem i've had with 'courtesy' cars is they often have punitive excess on damage £1000 isn't unusual - i've refused to take several on that basis.   apologies to the OP for wandering off topic 

LOL....thats OK....as an update I did get a full refund promptly but I dont think Im going to be using them as a supplier again.

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

I’m sad to hear this. Customer services seems to have virtually disappeared from so many firms these days.

 

100% agree with this. We got used to limited and poor service during the pandemic and because we in the main put up with it then firms think it's OK now and the 'norm' not to have things in stock or staff shortages.

 

(We had some examples of this in the hospitality sector over the weekend).

[HenryFreeman]

This is 25 quid from BCMW. Who is making one of these in an hour to let them still make a profit? Children, I suspect. And not children from this isle.

 

 

[junior]

On 01/11/2023 at 14:18, HenryFreeman said:

This is 25 quid from BCMW. Who is making one of these in an hour to let them still make a profit? Children, I suspect. And not children from this isle.

 

 

Surely that could be made in a few minutes? 2 pieces of pre cut sheet metal and 2 pre shaped handles. Weld it all together and spray it black.

[FredDrift]

On 01/11/2023 at 14:18, HenryFreeman said:

This is 25 quid from BCMW. Who is making one of these in an hour to let them still make a profit? Children, I suspect. And not children from this isle.

 

 

Probably knocked out in their hundreds in China -  Same scuttle here for £20… 

https://www.charlies.co.uk/mansion-large-black-coal-chute-with-deluxe-cast-iron-handles.html

 

 

[rgreg]

17 hours ago, FredDrift said:

Probably knocked out in their hundreds in China -  Same scuttle here for £20… 

https://www.charlies.co.uk/mansion-large-black-coal-chute-with-deluxe-cast-iron-handles.html

 

 

To be fair and compare like for like, the Black Country one is inclusive of p & p whereas the Charlies' postage is only free if you spend over £75. I've just bought the Black Country one and searched high and low without success to find the country of origin when I received it.

[frangar]

28 minutes ago, rgreg said:

To be fair and compare like for like, the Black Country one is inclusive of p & p whereas the Charlies' postage is only free if you spend over £75. I've just bought the Black Country one and searched high and low without success to find the country of origin when I received it.

Count yourself lucky it arrived!! 

[Heartland]

This firm seems to offer a range of iron products, but they are no where near the Black Country, but are at Oswestry!

[Cheshire cat]

I think the bottom handle should be on the other way up. Form over function?

[rgreg]

1 hour ago, Cheshire cat said:

I think the bottom handle should be on the other way up. Form over function?

And the gap on the handle is too small to get your hand in.