BUNGLE - by a company with nothing to hide or be ashamed of!!!

Dear All,

Recently an ex customer of ours Bruce Smith (alias BUNGLE) has been visiting a forum called Traction Talk regularly and trying his best to slate our company, products and service.

As a company with absolutely NOTHING to hide we have attached the links of the latest comments he has put plus the response by the normally mild mannered Steve (Baldock) for everyone, customers old and new plus customers possibly of the future to read and make their own judgement on. If you are not already a member you may well need to register to the forum to read the links.

As Steve states his comments are unfair, unfound and unjust and ultimately all over the VAT rise by the goverment of 2.5% which increased his Traction Wagon kit by the pricely sum of:

£6.25 per kit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Due to the increase he cancelled his order and although his deposit was non refundable we even gave him that back.

I'll save my own personal thoughts (and other things) for the day i bump in to him at a rally, however should you wish to show us your support then of course it would be muchly appreciated.

http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/showthread.php?t=16041

http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/showthread.php?t=16041&page=2

http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/showthread.php?t=16148

All the best

Dean

well said and long overdue.

I have posted on here in various other threads that I have had to defend the STW name maily due to preconcieved ideas from early incarnations of the company and I can only say as I have found.

All those who I have dealt with at the factory have always been polite and helpful. The products machined have always been made to a very high standard and any issues have been dealt with promptly and satisfactorily. Having now visited the the factory and seen the enormity and complexity of the undertaking to produce so many kits all at once leaves me in no doubt that those concerned are doing their upmost to keep to difficlut schedules which many outside factors will have an effect. I sadly gave up on the 2nd run of Burrels due to impatience and Steve was still very polite and helpful to me despite having cut and ran. I am now well into the build of the DCC road loco and have found nothing to fault so far.

I am confident that all the current projects will reach completion to produce many stunning models on the rally field certainly more than most other miniature producing companies have made all told. There are very few companies who do what STW do and as a country who invented and exported steam engines all over the world they should be applauded for keeping British Engineering skill alive in the 21st century.

Keep up the good work.

highpressure wrote:and Steve was still very polite and helpful to me despite having cut and ran.

ha ha, steve and dean have been very polite to me despite cutting and running at the start of STW as well

things are different these days, we are no longer under the control of people who just think of the money. this is not the kind of thing that is going to generate huge profits. Ok we are not voluntary workers but we do it because we enjoy it and its a challenge.

we dont always get it right and things are not always on time but we do our best to sort the mistakes and we are open and honest about what we do. with customers wondering about the factory as they please how can we have anything to hide ???

yes, the place is a mess but its old mess that we dont have time to sort out because we are busy on other things, but all that will change very soon

Just my penith worth.

I am building the Showman 4" and I have had nothing but good support right from the start. I phoned them a number of times to ask questions and opinions before I even committed to purchasing and I can not fault them. Courteous, polite and straight talking. I then made the purchase and the same holds true even now after 7 months. Over xmas I had a problem with delivery of the kit. It turned out to be the courier here in Inverness. STW refunded the postage without prompting. I now also get phoned to say when the next kit is dispatched so both STW and myself can keep an eye on the courier. I had a problem with the first kit where the bottle of thread lock had exploded in the packaging. Without prompting again I was offered a completely fresh kit. I only phoned them to say in case it was a problem with how it was packaged.

I have had no dealings with MW so can not compare but on the evidence and conviction of purpose by STW I can only applaud them.

I also offer my support to the cause , just posted on the Traction Talk thread for Bungle to see too.

I had some doubts myself initially to mainly due to the Winson/Modelworks companies that preceeded this. I think a lot of the reputation came from the locomotive kits rather than the traction engine kits. After chatting with Steve at Dorset plus other builders of the Burrel agricultural I was convinced to take the plunge. I have nothing but praise for how the people at STW have treated me and wishe them success with the current range and the new designs.

I have to Say that Steve has done a great job with the designs he has done so far, I am certainly enjoying the challenge of the DCC Road Loco. The kits have been excellent and with only one small problem with one part which was rectified by next day delivery of a replacement, customer service is excellent.

A big thumbs up to STW.

Brian

The service I have recieved has always been first class.

Anyone I have dealt with are always polite and courteous.

Any questions I have had have been dealt with very promptly

I would have no hesitation in recommending the company and its products.

Off to traction talk now to post the same!

Keep up the good work STW !

Kev

Hi Guys,

I Didn't want to post on Traction Talk, but i was so incensed I just had to. What you and your business give to your customers does the talking.

best regards

Rick

Having just had a look at Bungles contributions on that website, I think it's pretty obvious who the wa--er is!!
I have absolutley no doubts about the quality & price of the kits supplied STW. Having built an "inch & a half" engine from scratch which took close on twenty years, it makes you realise the value of building an engine this way. As far as I know, there is nowhere else on the market that even remotely comes close to providing the type of service that STW offer!!
I'm now building my second engine from STW & it is my belief that it is the best yet & will, when completed prove to be as good as anything you'll ever see at any steam show.
What's more, thanks to STW, it means that ordinary entusiasts now can build a very complicated engine without the thousands of pounds worth of machines that you'd need to build it yourself, plus the expertise to use them, let alone the time it would take!!
Hopefully nobody will take the slightest bit of notice of "Bungle" he's too much of a "if it don't fit, you ain't using a big enough hammer" type of person. Not an engineer!!
Tony

What sort of person throws a wobbley like Bungle has over six quid?!!! Come on Bungle, we met at Dorset a couple of years ago when your engine was on the stand and a cracking job you made of building it. Why spoil everything now, if you've got a grumble with the VAT man why take it out on Steve & Dean. Two more honest & decent men you'd be had pushed to find and who together have opened up an avenue of pleasure around the world for hundreds of fellow model engineers.

I have built one of the first batch of Likamobiles, supplied during the demise of Modelworks and completed with STW.

Steve, Dean and Isobel have been always been extremely approachable and helpful and answered my queries and supplied all the information and parts I have needed.

I can only agree with all that has been said in earlier posts and am happy to recommend Stw to anybody.

Well done,

Peter.

I went to the then Modelworks factory while in England. I wanted to know how they would handle sending kits to Australia. We did have a few issues but they were with the couriers and the changeover to STW. Since STW took over everything has run smoothly including the Burrell. I cannot heap enough praise on the efforts of Isobel, who works tirelessly for STW. I think this tight arse bloke has made a bungle upon completion of his engine. Chris

Hi guys

Well this was not what I like to read on here I must say !
But it can happen. As I do know all involved and made my engine at the same time as all this went on. I think that I must say that STW have done me as all of you have sayed a good and happy job.

If I have a prob then it got sorted Wether in the post or just to go and see them.{I love to drive}

As for the trolly and the vat I have one BUT did the vat go down for a bit when we made our engins??
Or is that just me at 3.30 am comeing in from my shead???

Last to say thanks to STW and keep steaming

I tried to post a comment on Traction Talk on Monday but they closed that thread. My son and I are building the road loco, the quality of the kits and the service is second to none. When were building the front wheels some of the rivet bolts got damaged as we had the spokes the wrong side of the outer ring. I phoned STW and asked for some more rivet bolts, they were sent free of charge. I offered to pay but they said it was ok. Our dealings with STW have been a really good experience. So I would have no hesitation reccomending STW. We are looking forward to recieving the boiler, although the kits are running slightly behind I am still finishing the belly tanks and still have to put 1 back wheel together so I am trying to catch up. There are not too many companies that send out the goods and you make the payment when they are delivered! I make furniture for a buisness and certainly do not need any negative comments which seem unfounded, particlulary in the present economic climate. I know the finished engine will speak for itself, so keep up the good work and look forward to the next kits. Regards to all Watts & son.

I am not understanding why someone would have a go at STW, I am dumbstruck really and have nothing more to say.

I initially inquired about a showman engine just before Christmas. Due the increase in January 11 (when I purchased the engine), I paid approximately, £2,000 more then if I had bought it in Dec 10. However, Dean came up trumps and gave a good discount to off-set the difference. Let’s be honest, STW is a business and they did not have to do it.

I am not a professional engineer, but give 100% to the project. When necessary I ring STW and get the answer I need in a friendly and simple way (although I must try Steve’s patience [sorry]).

I think the testimonies on here are a reflection of the pride and passion shown by all the builders (as I know I could not build this type of engine from scratch).

WELL DONE and keep up the excellent work STW.

Brian M.