Guest Posted April 19, 2005 Posted April 19, 2005 Hi everyone, I've been in the fortunate position of setting up a foundation stage almost from scratch with a generous allowance. It still won't get me everything I would like to see but we've got lots to build on now. Anyway I digress- While I've been ordering things I've been appalled at the price of some things you can get cheaper in the local shops. I've also had real problems with some items that have taken me ages to sort out It took me 5 attempts to get a simple Kinder type book trolley No 1.- dropped and broken before it reached me. No 2. castors supplied but when screwed on with ones supplied, screws came through the bottom- very safe No 3. -(Different supplier) Ordered 60cm tall trolley came as 90 cm tall No 4. same trolley still too tall. The lady at the office said maybe they hadn't allowed for the size of the castors in the catalogue. I said I didn't think castors were usually 14c,m tall! I also said I'd had daddy bear, mummy bear but I wanted baby bear size. Then she said that it was a mistake in their catalogue but it was still there in their new one No 5 from Galt -beautiful but more expensive It has taken many phone calls and quite a lot of time sorting it all out Now another saga has started I fear. I ordered a really expensive farm set --5 buildings that stack inside one another and chunky animals -we're a rural setting so it's important Well this set came after Easter and the big farm house had a piece of wood hanging off, so the base would quicly fall out and some fencing had lost the bottom off its posts. Today its replacement came in a worse state than the 1st. I,m glad I didn't open it with the children which I've been doing with a lot of things Thanks for letting me let off some steam. Has anyone else had problems too? Lynda
Guest Posted April 19, 2005 Posted April 19, 2005 Hi Lynda Frustrating isn't it? We have had problems in the past but the best one was recently when I ordered paper towels from a supplier who will remain nameless. The delivery address is the pre-school but invoices etc come to my home. I arrived home one lunchtime, in the rain, to find two boxes of paper towels sitting on my drive! I was livid!! Not only because they were wet but because I was lucky nobody had come along and taken them. There were other items in there too. So I rang up and complained. Profuse apologies and they would send out another two boxes. What should I do with the ones I already had? Oh just throw them away came the swift reply! When I opened the boxes they weren't too bad and I could salvage most of the towels. Needless to add I didn't ring them back!! Linda
bubblejack Posted April 19, 2005 Posted April 19, 2005 I know how you are feeling I spent a large ammount of lottery funding 2 years ago. I received broken things, duplicate room dividers which I didn't return, another nurserys order for floor cushions. It took me a long while to get it sorted. I now .only order a few things at a time so I can keep track of things.The most disappointing peice of equipment was a magnetic bug table with a perspex dome that was impossible to fit. They even sent a rep to my house to help but between her my husband and myself we could not fit it so she agreed that I would send it back and ask for a replacement but they sent me a village instead!!!!! so I gave up.
Guest Posted April 19, 2005 Posted April 19, 2005 I empathise with you all, I currently have 25 ltr of white paint and 20 ltr of PVA glue, I wanted assorted colours of paint (5ltr each) and 2 x 5 ltr of PVA. When I contacted the supplier to return them they arrived, not for collection but with another 10 ltrs of PVA. They've sent me the invoice but I shall ignore them until they "get the price right" and re-look at the numerous email correspondence that has gone on between us. On a better note, just before I opened my preschool 3 yrs ago ( bought from previous owner of 30 yrs) a lot of equipment needed replacing and she only had adult tables and chairs. I was doing an accreditation assessment in Devon and as I left the school premises I noticed a lot of furniture in the playground ( hot sunny day). After some negotiation I said I would like 4 child height tables ( brilliant they fold down and are on wheels - they retail at about £350 each new), small chairs, bookcase, PE apparatus etc. I rang hubby and said " How much to hire a van and drive to Devon? ( we live in Kent) , he said "Too much", Until I told him what a bargain I had. We travelled down the next weekend. So, my point Lynda is, if you want something doing right, do it yourself. If only bargains came along every day Peggy
hali Posted April 20, 2005 Posted April 20, 2005 Took me two hours to put a new trampoline (small one) together today, my hands are sooooo sore, all th staff kept saying 'oh take it home for hubby to do'...but no determination got the better of me.
Guest Posted April 20, 2005 Posted April 20, 2005 Took me two hours to put a new trampoline (small one) together today, my hands are sooooo sore, all th staff kept saying 'oh take it home for hubby to do'...but no determination got the better of me. 29695[/snapback] All I have to say to you Hali is: remember that part of the "good leader" course I missed about delegation...? But then you wouldn't have the satisfaction of knowing you did it all yourself (or the sore hands, obviously). Maz
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