Thread: If ordering parts from Triton, do it soon

Stuart, thanks for your advise re part numbers. However, in my experience it is not the part numbers that is the problem. I had a list of 5 part numbers that I had looked up in the Triton parts list and trotted of to our local Bunnings. The chap in special orders there was very grateful to get the numbers, but told me that getting someone to talk to to order them would be a different matter!!!!

He was right, I stood there while he was kept on hold for 30 minutes, I kid you not, 30 mins!. By that stage I had had enough and told him to ring me when he got the prices. This he did the next day, but then I had to go back in to pay as Bunnings policy is customer pays before they order, no exceptions. They also don't take your credit card over the phone. So, another 30km round trip, to pay for the parts. They duly arrived within a week.

How a business can keep their retail store customers on hold for more than 30 min is beyoond me. He told me that this was a special line for retail store orders.

So what's wrong with ordering on the internet, no staff time involved, maybe GMC hasn't heard of computers and internet?

Not going to hear any disagreement here.

My point is that hopefully this means that the Triton owners' lot will soon be on the improve again, and not because of the GMC service desk, but simply because having dedicated staff to a limited range of product means that they become significantly informed of the range, and the parts etc involved.

Originally Posted by Taffy

I asked the young person at Binies why and when Triton became GMC, couldn't tell me when but said that they obtained Triton to allow them into the American market.??

To allow GMC or Triton in the US???
If it's Triton, that young person is full of ?????. I bought my Mk3 10 years ago from the "back door" at the Cheltenham factory. They were an over supply for Canada that had imperial only measurements and couldn't be sold to retailers in Australia without the metric measurements, and it wasn't cost effective to strip and replace the stickers. So myself and a few other "word-of-mouth" customers got a great bargain for cash.

Well they haven't got any better yet !

Went to the Sydney WWW show hoping to get a new battery for my plunge drill - no such luck but was given Malcoms number at Cheltenham - all good so far - on Monday battery on order 3-4 days max from Melbourne.

Not here by Friday - better ring up and check on order - "ah yes" says girl will ring back in a few minutes when I find out where it is - No return call.

Tuesday morning I have to ring back - wheres my battery I ask - "don't know we'll have to ring back when we find it".

Friday morning (BTW I'm getting a bit p!$$ed-off by now) I have to ring again - wheres my battery, what are you going to do about this - "Oh we're very sorry about this, we'll do something about this immediately" I hear. "Oh sorry but the other section is doing stock take - I promise I will ring you back very first thing Monday morning.

Monday morning (today) about 11am ring GMC again - can I speak to ??????? (name withheld) - "This is ??????? - Oh your who?, did I say that - Oh I think I remember something about this - here let me connect you with the person who should help you"

I get an effin answering machine and still haven't had a call returned from this company - do you think GMC deserves my tolerance?

This is for a simple battery - surely they can do better than this

Well my 2 cent experience - and I doubt it's really worth much more. Phoned up GMC/Triton or whoever there called and wanted to order a new switch for my WC2000, they said go and see bunnies. I did that, and the first bunnies I went to said that they were having problems getting parts and to contact GMC.

Not giving up I went to a second and third Bunnies, the second said they don't do parts and to contact GMC and the third said they don't have Triton on the floor!

OK, I'm getting the drift, contacted GMC again and they said they were doing sock take and to call back in a few days. No probs thinks; I called back today, nope they don't have any spare switches and they suggested I try ebay.

So now I have a large orange object that is pretty much useless unless ebay sells spares *sigh* I wish I had never bought one of these things now!

Originally Posted by martink

Well my 2 cent experience - and I doubt it's really worth much more. Phoned up GMC/Triton or whoever there called and wanted to order a new switch for my WC2000, they said go and see bunnies. I did that, and the first bunnies I went to said that they were having problems getting parts and to contact GMC.

Not giving up I went to a second and third Bunnies, the second said they don't do parts and to contact GMC and the third said they don't have Triton on the floor!

OK, I'm getting the drift, contacted GMC again and they said they were doing sock take and to call back in a few days. No probs thinks; I called back today, nope they don't have any spare switches and they suggested I try ebay.

So now I have a large orange object that is pretty much useless unless ebay sells spares *sigh* I wish I had never bought one of these things now!

What's wrong with the switch? If it is the actual switch itself (ie the bit (yes, I know this is the router rather than the workcentre - same principle)

then just head down to Dick Smith and buy a new one - costs $5. Take the old one out first, and take it with you.

If something else is wrong - let me know what the problem is - PM is good, and I'll see if I can't get something worked out.

Finally after "How Many Phone Calls" + The words iv'e printed here on this site + relatively the same words I've printed on their complaints section of the GMC site; the "new" Malcholm has phoned me back and is shipping another battery express post. The new guy wasn't responding to the voice mail I left but alluded to something which was printed - maybe here maybe the customer complaints web site.

Whilst I am now relieved that the matter is progressing, I still consider this to be customer service of the poorest kind. In the next 12 to 24 months when I want a replacement battery drill, knowing that sooner or later I'll need a battery or two, this experience will in all likelyhood steer me in the direction of the trades version Makita, Panasonic or Bosch. The plunge drill is a great product but just to get a replacement battery is too much trouble. Bunnies don't give a rats about special orders for Triton and if GMC don't fix this and fast then they will loose more of what little market share they have. GMC ask yourselves the question, if its so hard to get a replacement battery for a drill and this part should be considered as a "wear part" or consumable, why is it not off the shelf at Bunnies.

Oh well "once bitten".....

I have just received the replacement battery from GMC and surprise surprise it looks like its been previously used.

The date stamp on the base is 2006 03 so its more than 12 months old, its scratched on the base and shows evidence of wear - shiny spots where surfaces rub against another when inserted into the drill.

Obviously GMC doesn't believe I didn't receive the original one sent on the 19 of June and has provided a battery which has probably been returned as part of a credit for a non-working drill. I paid for a new one!

To GMC:
Thanks for nothing - I hope your profit margin is still intact whilst your customer base has just dropped by one. Never again - no more orange.

You can be assured I'll never recommend GMC as a reputable supplier. You might also note that I purchase tools and equipment for a State Government GTE for a living - you can guess the rest.

I'm not going back to GMC - I wouldn't waste the phone call!!!

This thread appears to have stirred up experiences, both good and bad, from both sides of the fence. What are peoples thoughts on starting a thread for part numbers, though this would mainly be of benefit for older models, to facilitate ordering at bunnings or over the phone on the offchance that they have the parts in stock. I have some part numbers somewhere for some Mk3 repalcements that I could contribute.

While not arguing with your thoughts,some of you need to look at the 'Sticky' notes at the start of each sectionwhere the forum moderators say something about them not being libel for our slander of businesses and possible court defemation cases.
Our moderator may wish to clarify this or I may be just reading more into this than possible.

Also if people would do a little research and go into the Triton internet site there you can dig up all the part numbers of every part made. That would make the sales staff at GMC and elsewhere think they were dealing with knowledgeable people rather than dum dums wanting 'the round thing that fits on the square shaft that comes out of the motor' or such like.

OK Ive had my gripe the weather over here is making me narky.

Thanks Tonto, am checking it out with the other mods.

Don't think it's a problem, though.


Cheers...........Sean, moderator