That really is a shame Peteryou are missing so much stuff not being on FB..
That's my reasoning
Peter
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Is this a new pen kit supplier
- Thread starter billyb_imp
- Start date
That's my reasoning
Peter
Bloody glad I ain't trying to sell pen kits init?
We gave Dan a hard time to start with now this poor girl has been burned at the stake.
Ok so she ain't got it right to suit you lot but at least she is trying to earn a few bob.
We gave Dan a hard time to start with now this poor girl has been burned at the stake.
Ok so she ain't got it right to suit you lot but at least she is trying to earn a few bob.
So are pikeys, but it is still prudent to check out who you are dealing with or may deal with.
Peter
Neil
Fellow
You just turned 3,000 Peter, that's loadsawaffle!!
pentrend
Apprentice Member
A very good woodturning friend of mine told me about this site and all of the wonderful and not so wonderful comments that were being made about me, PenTrend and Pen-Kits (Not affiliated with Penkitsuk) so I’m here, Sam Banks to tell you about us.
I am a self-taught Woodturner. Over the passed 20 years I’ve turned bowls, vases, platters and generally most things on a wood lathe but my passion is in pens.
In 2008 I went through a serious bout of depression brought on by a back injury that I had while surveying residential properties for a company dealing in green energy.
I lost my job through this injury and my life almost fell apart. Lets just say that woodturning brought me back to reality.
There are many sellers on eBay and the interweb selling (what we think as) ‘good’ pen kits. After buying from mostly all of them and receiving either poor service or inferior kits with ridiculously high shipping costs and import costs I decided to source my own suppliers.
In 2010, after finding, buying and testing kits from great suppliers in USA, China, Taiwan, Germany and England I decided to start a business selling (and undercutting my competitors) pen kits and accessories.
The company was called LaserLathe.
My idea was to start off selling pen kits then expand into Laser Cut pen blanks. Hence the ‘Laser’ part of the biz name, but the biz was soon confused with a Laser cutting service, understandably like Curry’s and Boots no doubt, but I struggled on for a couple years.
Additionally to this ‘name’ problem I had to hold stock that I couldn’t sell. I’m not a mind reader and could never predict what turners wanted to buy; it would be different every day. So it was time for a change of plan.
In 2012 I decided to start selling my turned pens at craft fairs and the like.
I have regular stalls at Lichfield, Stafford, Stoke on Trent and Macclesfield. Dates and directions are available on request. This side of the biz is called PenTrend. (Pen... - Welcome)
In 2013 I came across the domain name ‘pen-kits.co.uk’ that was now available. Yes I agree it is similar to Penkitsuk.co.uk but even you can clearly see that it’s different. We are in no way affiliated with Penkitsuk and don’t claim to be. As far as I’m concerned we have zero contact with each other.
I reluctantly decided to change Pen-Kits to a ‘Mail Order’ biz which means I don’t hold stock thus reducing my overheads, I buy the kits as requested by our many customers with very little mark-up. I hardly make any profit on the pen kits side of the biz as my full attention is now into PenTrend.
PenTrend is growing fast, I have many corporate orders and bulk orders from various companies throughout UK, along with the hundreds of repeat buyers at the events we attend.
I order from my suppliers on a weekly basis mainly from China and Germany and try my best to include any other items that my customers want to order. This keeps the overall shipping costs low, as the more you buy, the less you pay. It also gives me the opportunity to give free gifts more often.
Some of you may have received free bushings or a free mandrel or even free blanks. We could never easily do this before as a biz holding stock and I know of no pen kit company in England that offer any kind of freebies like what we have done recently.
On our website we state that our customers are advised to allow up to 20 days for delivery. This is down to the many times WE have been let down by the delivery services we use, mainly ROYAL MAIL.
If the delivery companies we use overseas have holidays or go on strike it has a knock-on effect. Generally customers receive or collect their orders within 7 days from us.
Recently I posted one of my pens via recorded delivery to a customer in Cheadle Staffs from my home in Birches Head, Stoke on Trent and it took ROYAL MAIL 10 days to deliver.!
If you order from us and want to collect, you can! Just arranging a collection day/time is all that we ask. Many do already.
We take payments by Paypal, Bank Transfer or Cash. If you want to visit us to pay for an order, you can! Many do already.
We’re not a con company.
We don’t say things that we don’t do.
We don’t promise things that we can’t deliver.
We don’t charge YOU for import costs. (Look at our prices on our website)
If you want to buy from other sellers then do so. (If we can’t make you happy with your order, then we don’t want to sell to you)
If our terms and conditions are not for you, then don’t buy from us.
Both pen-kits.co.uk and PenTrend are home-based. We hold no stock.
My contact address can be found on my websites.
My mobile number and email can be found on my websites.
If YOU want to visit us (for some reason) you can call me on my mobile and arrange a day/time.
If you have any questions you can call me.
If you have any comments you can email or call me.
I don’t answer calls from hidden numbers.
Hopefully this will answer some of your questions, but PLEASE feel free to contact me (Sam) with any queries, questions or comments.
Thanks!
I am a self-taught Woodturner. Over the passed 20 years I’ve turned bowls, vases, platters and generally most things on a wood lathe but my passion is in pens.
In 2008 I went through a serious bout of depression brought on by a back injury that I had while surveying residential properties for a company dealing in green energy.
I lost my job through this injury and my life almost fell apart. Lets just say that woodturning brought me back to reality.
There are many sellers on eBay and the interweb selling (what we think as) ‘good’ pen kits. After buying from mostly all of them and receiving either poor service or inferior kits with ridiculously high shipping costs and import costs I decided to source my own suppliers.
In 2010, after finding, buying and testing kits from great suppliers in USA, China, Taiwan, Germany and England I decided to start a business selling (and undercutting my competitors) pen kits and accessories.
The company was called LaserLathe.
My idea was to start off selling pen kits then expand into Laser Cut pen blanks. Hence the ‘Laser’ part of the biz name, but the biz was soon confused with a Laser cutting service, understandably like Curry’s and Boots no doubt, but I struggled on for a couple years.
Additionally to this ‘name’ problem I had to hold stock that I couldn’t sell. I’m not a mind reader and could never predict what turners wanted to buy; it would be different every day. So it was time for a change of plan.
In 2012 I decided to start selling my turned pens at craft fairs and the like.
I have regular stalls at Lichfield, Stafford, Stoke on Trent and Macclesfield. Dates and directions are available on request. This side of the biz is called PenTrend. (Pen... - Welcome)
In 2013 I came across the domain name ‘pen-kits.co.uk’ that was now available. Yes I agree it is similar to Penkitsuk.co.uk but even you can clearly see that it’s different. We are in no way affiliated with Penkitsuk and don’t claim to be. As far as I’m concerned we have zero contact with each other.
I reluctantly decided to change Pen-Kits to a ‘Mail Order’ biz which means I don’t hold stock thus reducing my overheads, I buy the kits as requested by our many customers with very little mark-up. I hardly make any profit on the pen kits side of the biz as my full attention is now into PenTrend.
PenTrend is growing fast, I have many corporate orders and bulk orders from various companies throughout UK, along with the hundreds of repeat buyers at the events we attend.
I order from my suppliers on a weekly basis mainly from China and Germany and try my best to include any other items that my customers want to order. This keeps the overall shipping costs low, as the more you buy, the less you pay. It also gives me the opportunity to give free gifts more often.
Some of you may have received free bushings or a free mandrel or even free blanks. We could never easily do this before as a biz holding stock and I know of no pen kit company in England that offer any kind of freebies like what we have done recently.
On our website we state that our customers are advised to allow up to 20 days for delivery. This is down to the many times WE have been let down by the delivery services we use, mainly ROYAL MAIL.
If the delivery companies we use overseas have holidays or go on strike it has a knock-on effect. Generally customers receive or collect their orders within 7 days from us.
Recently I posted one of my pens via recorded delivery to a customer in Cheadle Staffs from my home in Birches Head, Stoke on Trent and it took ROYAL MAIL 10 days to deliver.!
If you order from us and want to collect, you can! Just arranging a collection day/time is all that we ask. Many do already.
We take payments by Paypal, Bank Transfer or Cash. If you want to visit us to pay for an order, you can! Many do already.
We’re not a con company.
We don’t say things that we don’t do.
We don’t promise things that we can’t deliver.
We don’t charge YOU for import costs. (Look at our prices on our website)
If you want to buy from other sellers then do so. (If we can’t make you happy with your order, then we don’t want to sell to you)
If our terms and conditions are not for you, then don’t buy from us.
Both pen-kits.co.uk and PenTrend are home-based. We hold no stock.
My contact address can be found on my websites.
My mobile number and email can be found on my websites.
If YOU want to visit us (for some reason) you can call me on my mobile and arrange a day/time.
If you have any questions you can call me.
If you have any comments you can email or call me.
I don’t answer calls from hidden numbers.
Hopefully this will answer some of your questions, but PLEASE feel free to contact me (Sam) with any queries, questions or comments.
Thanks!
Thank you Sam that explains your position very clearly. The only thing I would take out of your statement is that 'We don’t charge YOU for import costs'. Of course you do, you add it onto the price of your goods but apart from that its very clear.
bluntchisel
Registered
Well, Sam has just laid his cards on the table (well done, matey!) so he can't be any fairer than that, right?
Bob.
Bob.
That's good of your old woodturning mate to contact you Sam, Brian is right a bunch of old wimin init, well one at least. If you do not charge for import costs are you doing it out of altruism? At least people now know that you don't carry any/much stock and can understand why there is a 20 day delivery clause.
Peter
Peter
Yep, took some cojones that to come into the lions den.
I still stand by comments that an ecomm website should have a related address on it otherwise it looks to be dodgy to say the least.
Also T&C's and returns policy etc etc.
In fact Google won't give any credit in SERPS if those are missing, so it makes sense to have them if only for that purpose.
Anyway, it appears now we know who they are and what they do and even how they do it. So I guess people can vote with their wallets as they always do ultimately.
Thanks for the info Sam anyone who wishes to purchase from you will now understand how you operate the business.
Vic
Vic
Thanks Sam, at least its cleared it up and know what you can offer.
billyb_imp
Registered
Thanks for coming on the forum Sam & explaining your position regarding both sales of kits & components etc and your completed pens. armed with this information I'm sure we can all feel more confident in ordering from you or contacting you should individuals wish to.
I certainly see things much more clearly and hope that you hang around the forum & join in our discussions / banter and of course show us some of your work.
I certainly see things much more clearly and hope that you hang around the forum & join in our discussions / banter and of course show us some of your work.
There is an address on the site Phil, its where a lot of traders put it on the bottom of the page under 'contact us'.
Wasn't there last night !
billyb_imp
Registered
Its there now Phil and I think with Sam coming on to explain how his sites work should give us all a good bit more confidence in using the site should we wish to, many questions where raised on the thread and many have now been answered, more will be answered by future feedback of any sales made to forum members (its what we do)
Many sites dont give out information that they should do and we still use them and build up trust (or not). Following this thread comments even Dan as complied
Lons
Fellow
Hi Sam, I hadn't posted any comments but feel that you did the right thing in clearing the air. I think everyone appreciates honesty and now armed with the information you've given we can make decisions based on what you've stated.
Good luck to you
Good luck to you
chas_41_uk
Registered
Likewise I hadn't posted anything. But it's good that you have told everyone about yourself and your business Sam