UKC

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum.

I'm just putting this up to say what a brilliant store V12 is.

For the past week I've been trying to get my hands on a MSR Whisperlite but everywhere I have tried has been sold out. I tried V12 yesterday and emailed them asking if they had it in stock as I really need one before friday.

They have just replied saying they don't have any but instead they got in touch with the supplier, first ascent, and have arranged for one to be sent driect from the supplier today and I should get it tomorrow.

I've used them quite a few times and every time they have been excellent, I'll be using them a lot more in the future. Must be one of the best retailers on the net.

Andy

In reply to AndyH1710:

That's good service.
Don't you love it when retailers do that little bit more than they really need to to help you. It's a better advert for them than anything they could pay for!

In reply to AndyH1710: Well and all you had to do was email you southern friend down in london where about a squillion shops have them in stock ..... he he he he he. I think you should go knarlo with an MSR pocket rocket (ideal for camping in the pines .... I am so glad you'll have a proper stove

In reply to AndyH1710: They are a bloody good shop. You go in and ask for an opinion and they'll actually give you one instead of the bulls**t most shops love to feed you. And they are actually decent climbers allegedly so it doesn't make you feel like you're talking to some no-clue muppet who's been given a ten minute product training course...

In reply to AndyH1710:

Second your comments there Andy, a fantastic shop offering great kit with a high level of service and honesty. It's a shame the same thing can't be said for the majority of outdoor shops.

In reply to mike kann: I'd say most independent 'proper' climbing shops are good. Saying most shops love to feed you bullshit is pretty unfair. I'd say alot of the chains have outdoor staff rather than climbers working and therefore they aren't going to be that knowledgeable on technical climbing gear. I'd say go into Needlesports, Outside, Rock and Run, V12, Rock On, Urbanrock etc you're going to have to try pretty hard to find a no-clue muppet.

In reply to AndyH1710:
Second that - when my old tent had a fixing point snap in a gale on Snowdon a year or so ago, I was going to get a cheap 10cm sling to fix it, but they sorted me out with some tape instead for pennies. Extremely helpful, and not wanting to take money if I don't HAVE to spend it - I like that

In reply to styman: I agree most proper climbing and walking shops do have well trained staff. Those are the shops that I prefer to use. What I was refering to were some of the other shops you find in mountainous areas e.g. Cotswolds (not rock bottom though), Ellis Brigham, Blacks et al. where most of the staff wouldn't know their arse from their elbow. If you can go into a shop and start telling the staff about the product they are selling you in more detail than they can, I'd not call that service.

Sorry if you work at one of these BTW...

Back to the point though, have just always found V12 amongst the best in the country, possibly better than all the others...

In reply to mike kann: With most 'proper' climbing shops it's not a case of training, it's a case of actually going climbing. Even in decent shops not every member of staff can have used every single product so there will be a chance that you have used a product that maybe the person in the shop you are talking to hasn't and therefore you may have a better understanding of it than they have. I'd say that as long as the person is open and doesn't start bullshitting then they can still give you a good service.

In reply to styman: For frick sake man I'm not arguing with you! Decent climbing shops give decent service and have knowledgable staff. Having worked in shops myself I know very well what product training is all about and what the process of selling is. But I have been into shops and been told some outragous crap thats patently wrong (e.g. overhearing a Blacks manager informing one of his new staff that 2 layer gore is more breathable than 3 layer because of the mesh lining). I have no problem with people not knowing the intricacies of what they are selling me - generally I find out before hand anyway, but they should atleast be able to give reasonably informed guesses to my questions. I have also been openly bullshited by Staff at Snow and Rock (when buying a tent, the bloke changed his mind 3 or 4 times as to which was the best tent - funnily the best to start with was the most expensive.) had staff at Cotswolds telling me about a softshell which they didn't even realise was waterproof when it was its major selling point (this was at one of their busiest shops as well i.e. they should know through practice), a Rohan shop telling me that their bags trousers are really durable and they had never had a pair back because the fabric had ripped, when I complained that mine had ripped on their first day of use... need I go on?
My point in the first place was that V12 give some of the best service there is, better than Outside & Needlesport which is a pretty heady accolade! Every time I have been in I have been impressed with the way they handle enquiries and are actually able to help you reach a decision, not just tell you that this jacket is made of this fabric etc. after having read it off the label two seconds before...

In reply to Sambo:

Bollocks, why didn't I think of that. Oh well it's all sorted now.

Andy

In reply to mike kann: why do you need to ask shop staff anyway when you seem to know it all anyway. It must be a nice superior feeling coming out of a shop knowing that you are far more knowledgeable than they are!

In reply to styman: Because I'd sometimes like an honest opinion about what they sell. Is that so wrong?