Late delivery of Mann Lake order

[sipa]

I placed an order on the 23rd Feb, arrived next day.

 

[idg]

Something is not adding up here, i to ordered some National BB`s just to see the quality and how the company did business, ordered on the first day had an email today delayed until 11 march, sent an email stating i was surprised the stock did not even last the first day ! i then had a phone call stating a different reason for the delay incorrect side bars!! not sure what is the truth now.

Funny you should say that. I ordered 10 National BB and 12 National supers on the first day of the sale. About 2 weeks ago I had an email telling me they would be delayed until 11th March. On Monday I had another email telling me that I would get a delivery on Wednesday.
Only the 10 BB were delivered, and the supers are on back order for 11th March.
Looking at the BB's, they are bound in bundles, but interestingly, the bottom side bars are not included in the bound bundle. It seems they have been changed.
Having said that, yes the order was late, but communication has been good. The quality of the BB's is better than Thornes 2nd's which is what I normally buy, and you cant beat the price. All in all I am very satisfied.
I'll put it down to Mann Lake being taken by surprise during their sale.

 

[Chrisfnvs]

Yes the problem was that they were sent out with the wrong profile on the bottom side bars, straight not angled, and there was not enough fat on them to re-machine them, so the delay was as I was told they were waiting for replacements to arrive, i think the big two manufactures should look at their prices now.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Think I'd rather pay a couple of quid extra for kit made in this country than poorly bashed together stuff that's traveled half way around the world

 

[Chrisfnvs]

"Poorly bashed together stuff" that is certainly not what i received in my delivery, as i said before it was quite good actually, and a very competitive price, i will be ordering from them again when i need some more kit.

 

[Honeybeeco]

Top service and product once again from Mannlake UK and the USA.

This is our first time experiencing any delivery delays on National stuff from them, so we aren't grumbling with that.

All but one of our several bulk orders placed from the 5th feb sales period with Mannlake have arrived, so the only delayed items now are the national supers in cedar but for the price and quality we have from Mannlake we are not bothered about waiting for them - and there is a lot of cedar products we've had from them this time

Delays are not unique to Mannlake as many know and have experienced with other sellers and manufacturers. We have waited when we ordered a in-house built national hive for a customer from Thornes in the past, at full retail cost ( and not one sold in their sales ) and we have had to get the Thornes MD involved to push things along for us after no communication from them at all - and they make their stuff on site. ( we have the emails and paper trail to back this up! )

Overall, like many other bee product buyers now a days, we are happy to have made the move to Mannlake UK for our hive products because their quality and cost are very good - all year round, and apart from the wood perhaps, I'd say there is very little beekeeping products sold by most, that comes from the UK anymore.

If you've never bought from a company then it's not really fair and you really can't put a viable point across as its all hearsay what your saying. So go and live a little and try buying from another source with the confidence that if you buy over the net by delivery, you have rights under long distance selling laws, so if you don't like it - send it back at their expense.

I'm off now to power down my PC that came with bits all the way from China and the USA.


Andy.

 

[Suzi Q]

I'm not satisfied with Mann Lake, and won't buy from them again. I don't mind waiting for an order, but I really would expect them to supply runners and the correct size nails. I had read on here about the mistake with the bottom rails, but still they sent out my order with them included. Not good enough, and won't get my custom again.

 

[bjosephd]

Well they have another mini sale on now for those who can bare to ever buy from them again!

I've got a few items in my basket waiting... just trying to think what I might have forgotten to add to the order before I click the final button.

Anyone tried their smoker?
With the big yellow bellows. Might be worth ot for £20?

Hmmm... what else have I forgotten to hit my first season running without emergency purchases in a month or two?!

BJD

 

[Swarm]

Can't you get a smoker cheaper than 20 quid from your association?

 

[bjosephd]

I already have a knackered old smoker... and yes, I could no doubt get a slighty less knackered less-old old smoker fromy local friendly beeks... but id I was fonna bother sourcing a new one I'd want a new new one and they have one spangly and new in the sale.

My current one has so many bits missing that I'm surprised I can get it workig efficiently at all!

 

[Bee Bumble]

Anyone tried their smoker?
With the big yellow bellows.

BJD

Yes, I have one. It is better quality than the usual sales smokers - well finished. I also have a Dadant which is more strongly made but which sells for £45 and up.
However, I recently bought a Chinese smoker similar to the T's sale ones but for only £6.25 which will do the same job. The bees will not notice the difference.

 

[bjosephd]

I think one of my swarms are of Italian origin, and they will not behave or take me seriously unless my smoker is made by bialetti.

My bee suit is Prada.

 

[Bee Bumble]

I think one of my swarms are of Italian origin, and they will not behave or take me seriously unless my smoker is made by bialetti.

My bee suit is Prada.

Do they pinch your bum and throw tantrums?

 

[bjosephd]

Do they pinch your bum and throw tantrums?

Bunga-bunga bees!

 

[Swarm]

I did mean a new one. First thought I had was association shop.

 

[bjosephd]

I did mean a new one. First thought I had was association shop.

Association shop? I see. Don't think we have such a thing in our neck o' the woods. I'll check though.

 

[dpearce4]

I did mean a new one. First thought I had was association shop.

Whats one of those?

 

[Leigh]

new hold up

I'd ordered a few supers to keep me going pending milling of my WRC.

Got this today: "It is with sincere apologies that we have now been informed that our container has been randomly selected to be held and searched at port customs. We cannot provide an accurate eta as to when we will receive this shipment until the Port Health Authority release it. However we are hoping that the container will be with us between the 16th and the 22nd March. Once again we apologise for any inconveniences this may cause. "

Frustrating, but I guess there isn't much they can do about it. Looks like I'll me making supers out of my own wood before these arrive!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Got this today: "It is with sincere apologies that we have now been informed that our container has been randomly selected to be held and searched at port customs. We cannot provide an accurate eta as to when we will receive this shipment until the Port Health Authority release it.

Now that is definitely a load of made up flannel no such thing as 'port customs' and PHA would not be involved in releasing or detaining if it had been selected for customs examination (and random selection is not something that happens nowadays either.)
Looks like a made up excuse to me.

 

[Into the lions den]

Now that is definitely a load of made up flannel no such thing as 'port customs' and PHA would not be involved in releasing or detaining if it had been selected for customs examination (and random selection is not something that happens nowadays either.)
Looks like a made up excuse to me.

From past experience this is actually a fair probability.
Only needs there to be something like pollen supplement patties in the shipment for questions to be asked and paper trails needing to be fulfilled.

I had such a container from Mann Lake held up that way a few years back, the four pallets of patties were the issue. Took about 10 days to get it cleared after being able to prove there was no natural pollen in the product.

Then there could be beewax too, either as foundation, bulk pack, or sprayed on plastic. Have known wax to be held up for a good long time awaiting documents and health checks.