I coulkd not believe the postage cost from Force 4 Chandlers.

Now living in Malta I expect to pay higher postage costs from UK but these are dam right extortion.

I wanted to buy the Gill Masters regatta watch not a particularly expensive watch at around 74 pounds sterling, but it was for my friends birthday.

I placed the order online and the postage cost came up in the box at checkout at ..........

Wait for it......

50 pounds sterling

I cannot believe that a watch could cost that much to ship, especially knowing the last watch I bought from UK and had shipped out to Malta cost me 12 pounds sterling, including insurance from Parcelforce from a company called SailGB, looks like I will be going back to them.

Now I don't mind paying over the odds but that is just taking the p***s

I did email them to check if the postage was correct but as yet they have not had the decency to reply, good old fashioned customer service.

Have to agree-two brass bunk lamps-cost £14 each-Royal Mail to Highlands about £3-Force 4 via carrier £14!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-Oh yes and I could have got them from Towsure(Sheffield,Southhampton and Birmingham)£4-50 carraige as it turns out!

-and I had to wait about three weeks before they were dispatched

To put it another way they could have sent them as an Easyjet Passenger for this!!!!!!!!!!

Phil

PS-no excuses please-Gaelforce Marine based in Inverness dispatch UK wide by carrier for about £4-50-what Force 4 need to do is renegotiate with their carrier-only Parcel Force surcharge inward to the Highlands(not outwards?)and as the Royal Mail act as their carriers there is no excuse for this-whether within or outwith the UK.

Another firm based  on south coast lost my business for headlining material because their carrier wanted a min.of £20 to carry £10 worth of material carraige cost £3 to Scotland!!!

Remember Royal Mail parcels will carry up to 20kg with no surcharge UK wide.

Suggest you go to Gaelforce who have considerable experience to sending stuff worlwide and their prices are as good as anyone else.

Phil

Sorry togo on about this but do feel that our sponsors should seriosly look into issue of carraige.

Just looking at prices of Mailspeeds storm jibs but noticed that they surcharge to Highlands-sorry but why?

Royal Mail will carry a parcel up to 20kgs anywhere in UK including offshore no surcharge.

If you send it Parcel Force they surcharge £10 to Highlands but Royal Mail deliver Parcel.

Across the market place most carriers no longer surcharge to Highlands and many now have their own Inverness based distributions Depots.

Mail Speed Force 4 etc-you will loose business to Gaelforce in Inverness who do not surcharge and have a far greater buying power backed by  their commercial fisheries operation.

Also why not offer a small item rate as CruiserMart used to do?!-if I could buy a shackle off you at cost plus postage I would do as it would be far cheaper than a trip into Inverness.

Phil

Further emailing to Force 4 has resulted in them just replying, the postage cost will now be £9.95, much more reasonable.

Looks like the order will be placed after all.

The answer to anyone being expected to pay extortionate carriage charges is not to buy from companies who seem to think that the Scottish Highlands and Islands are somewhere in Siberia and choose to ignore the reasonable prices of the Royal Mail. As Phil says, there is an excellent chandlers in Inverness who have an impressive catalogue and who charge a modest standard fee for delivery anywhere in the UK.

To be fair to Force 4 though, I recently bought an inflatable dinghy from them, it arrived the following day, was heavy enough to need two to carry it into the house - west of Glasgow - and the carriage was £10. I reckon that's good service at a fair carriage price. Mind you, I'm glad I don't live in Malta and had bought a watch from them!

Problem is that its a post code lottery-if you have a PH post code-Perth which includes Fort William and Fort Augustus you will get a far better deal than an Inverness post code.Used to be the same when I lived on Bute in Clyde where despite being an Island -with a Paisely Post Code-no extra charge. The £10 for a dingy is of course great against its value but for a couple of light fittings! or a watch.

Phil

We even had some companies trying it on when we lived on the Isle of Wight!!!

W.

I've used both Gael Force and Force 4 and found them both OK. 

With one order from Force 4 I thought the postage was too high - phoned them up and got free delivery!!!

 Well, iIf you don't ask.

Fair comment if you don't ask you don't get. A dinghy for 10.01 sterling makes my watch for 9.95 sterling look a little sick now.

Thought I had achieved something with the 9.95 Sterling.

Thing is there are not many shops willing or even stock the Gill watch I want, so I am limited to where I buy, but hey ho, such is life and I am no philosopher.

yes my postage was over the top as well and I wont be using them any more... Not to mention two items ordered were "processed" but never dispatched and neither were they charged either fortunately.

 I have since bought elsewhere and experienced quite good communication prior to the purchase.

Ya win sometimes and ya lose sometimes .... 

Sorry Force 4 but this was my experience-just general lack of response to communications-made me feel very insecure and would not like to buy an expensive item off them!-being told after several weeks of non delivery that not to worry-they hadny deducted from my card.

Might be wrong but think this might be a business that doesnt hold large levels of stock-rather orders itself when it recieves an order

As for my local Chandlery-Gaelforce-nearly anything you see in their catalogue is on the shelf apart from some of the specific variants of very expensive electronics.

Sorry Force4 am I missing something-hot knife plus £30-BandQ less than £20

Life jacket light almost £20-independant safety Equipment supplier £6

Fender step almost £40-alternative type thru your competitors around £30

Everything in your Christmas catalogue apart from electronics-radios etc appear to be overpriced compared with your competitors-dont get it?