 Poster: A snowHead
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I would recommend anybody to Spend any gift vouchers they have with ANY company as quickly as possible and I will never give a company gift voucher as a gift again that is based purely on the fact that high street companies are going into administration and you appear to have no legal recourse to force them to accept the vouchers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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At the end of the day, it will all boil down to, unfortunately, what Snow and Rocks credit insurance rating is, or has been cut to. When the credit insurance boys cut their ratings, like they did with Comet, Woolworths and lots of others its only a matter of time before the writing is on the wall 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| NickyJ wrote: |
| I would recommend anybody to Spend any gift vouchers they have with ANY company as quickly as possible and I will never give a company gift voucher as a gift again that is based purely on the fact that high street companies are going into administration and you appear to have no legal recourse to force them to accept the vouchers. |
Yep, giving a shop gift voucher is inherently risky - you are betting on the company continuing trading. Personally I have no objection to receiving some crisp new banknotes inside a Christmas/Birthday card as a gift.... 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I had never realised it was and so used to give them.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Quote: |
you appear to have no legal recourse to force them to accept the vouchers.
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you're an unsecured creditor. There are loads of legal provisions which determine who gets what, when a company goes into liquidation. It's just that the holders of vouchers are way down the pecking order.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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pam w, thanks for that. Still will now always go with cheques as gifts and definitely won't be tempted by any of these options to buy a gift voucher and say x% deals they are always trying to flog via our employee benefits partner.
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Only gift vouchers I'd even contemplate giving or buying would be Amazon or iTunes etc.
Tescos vouchers might be a reasonably safe bet too, but they're slightly different.
Wasn't tempted at all when CRC/Wiggle online bike stores were selling vouchers last Christmas at less than face value. They also had a sale basically every week from November until summer! That suggested to me that there was a potential major issue looming. Not so many offers this year though.
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| NickyJ wrote: |
| pam w, thanks for that. Still will now always go with cheques as gifts... |
Unfortunately so forcing people to find an open bank and queue up in it in order to cash the cheque! What's the matter with cash??
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
Unfortunately so forcing people to find an open bank and queue up in it in order to cash the cheque! What's the matter with cash??
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some people are very ungrateful! If there's no nearby bank to pay it into your account, you can always post it. 
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
Unfortunately so forcing people to find an open bank and queue up in it in order to cash the cheque! What's the matter with cash??
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some people are very ungrateful! If there's no nearby bank to pay it into your account, you can always post it. |
Yes perhaps, but the truth is that cheques are inconvenient so it takes the edge off a present - like receiving exactly the thing you wanted but in the wrong size... Cash doesn't cost any effort on anyone's part, and can even be used in the pub after Christmas dinner to buy a round in the donor's name - it's perfect!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Because more often than not it will be put through the post and cheques are safer. Also I don't use cash much at all and it would require a special trip to a cash point to get the cash out for me.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Some people's comments almost seem to be willing trouble onto what I regard as an excellent company. S&R are always my first choice of ski/boarding related retailer. Their staff are always the most knowledgeable and the their range is always the best. For me that wins hands down over some faceless Czech on-line outfit.
I bought some Salomon goggles for my girlfriend a couple of weeks ago. I got them in S&R London Bridge and the quality of the advise from the very knowledgeable staff was first class. The goggles look great and have been cleaning up on the product awards. They fit my girlfriend perfectly but just don't fit my face. Had it been an on-line sale, I would have been sending back 50% of what I bought in the hope of a refund. As foreign operators are not regulated by the MOPS I would be totally at their mercy.
When the foreign on-line business have closed down the last UK high street specialist, will people then be moaning that they can't prod and feel the products they are interested in?
As consumers in a niche sport, we all need to think long and hard about how our money into our sport gets distributed.
| Whitegold wrote: |
| Without hard, confirmed numbers, this thread may be bordering on libel? |
I totally agree and I am surprised that SH have allowed it to run.
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| bar shaker wrote: |
Some people's comments almost seem to be willing trouble onto what I regard as an excellent company. S&R are always my first choice of ski/boarding related retailer. Their staff are always the most knowledgeable and the their range is always the best. For me that wins hands down over some faceless Czech on-line outfit.
I bought some Salomon goggles for my girlfriend a couple of weeks ago. I got them in S&R London Bridge and the quality of the advise from the very knowledgeable staff was first class. The goggles look great and have been cleaning up on the product awards. They fit my girlfriend perfectly but just don't fit my face. Had it been an on-line sale, I would have been sending back 50% of what I bought in the hope of a refund. As foreign operators are not regulated by the MOPS I would be totally at their mercy.
When the foreign on-line business have closed down the last UK high street specialist, will people then be moaning that they can't prod and feel the products they are interested in?
As consumers in a niche sport, we all need to think long and hard about how our money into our sport gets distributed.
| Whitegold wrote: |
| Without hard, confirmed numbers, this thread may be bordering on libel? |
I totally agree and I am surprised that SH have allowed it to run. |
How on earth can speculation surrounding the financial position of a limited company be libellous?
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You know it makes sense.
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| bar shaker wrote: |
| Their staff are always the most knowledgeable and the their range is always the best. |
Spending a season or two in the alps trying to 'correct' their bootfitting might change your view on that one.
In my experience, "These new boots hurt my feet" is just as likely to be followed by, "I bought them in Snow and Rock" as it is by, "I bought them on eBay."
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Also there are plenty of good online retailers in the UK. So this it's bricks and mortar or the foreign devils thing is a false dichotomy.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Just by way of info, on 2 recent experiences of the S & R at Hemel, George in their boot-fitting dept was outstanding.
By contrast, the service at their Chertsey branch was poor, the store was a mess, badly set out and looked more like a discount outlet with piled high gear and poor information. Not at all what it was like a few years ago IMV.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think it's a shame, plus a lot of people forget they do price match online prices. I try their stuff on and give them a chance to match a better price, and in every case they have done it. Rather than try it on, walking out and ordering online elsewhere, give them a chance at your custom.
As others say we will all be whinging when we can't go and actually try/test/get the feel for kit unless ordered remotely.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| slushy wrote: |
How on earth can speculation surrounding the financial position of a limited company be libellous? |
I'm not a lawyer, but... it's not demonstrably true, it could certainly cause damage, seems like libel to me.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Chertsey pissed me off in the middle of summer and there was literally no-one in and certainly no-one in skiing when they couldn't be bothered ordering me a replacement binding part and wouldn't even contemplate a warranty discussion with the importer without a £30 handling charge. Was quite happy to pay for a part but a £30 charge for an uncertain outcome is taking the wee wee.
Fortunately a small independent business in the Midlands was more helpful
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I hope they don't go out of business as I have spent quite a lot of money in there store in exeter and they were very helpful. 3and a half hours sorting the misses out with boots as she is very fussy lol would be a great shame.
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fatbob, wasn't Lockwoods, was it?
Because I had a shocker with them a while back.
Broken ski brake, a simple enough fix but they just didn't have the part. They told me it would be fixed on x date - which was crucial as I was flying the following day. I stressed the importance of that, and the fact that I lived 30-odd miles away. Yep, sure, no problem.
I travelled down on the day in question to collect them and was met with 'Nah, they're not done, the ski tuners are off at the moment... you'll have to come back.'
But I'm flying tomorrow... I told you that?
*Shrug.*
Not even a 'sorry'. I went to see the woman and the front desk.
*Another shrug.*
I took the skis and left and fixed them myself in resort, which I probably should have done anyway.
Terrible service, made all the weirder because I'd had pretty good experiences there until then, and crucially it did two things: it made me shop online (having bought skis, boots and clothing from them and S&R before) and made me wonder why the hell I didn't try minor fixes and repairs myself, which I have done ever since.
The point of my slightly long-winded anecdote being: Lockwoods, Snow and Rock, any of the others - the ONLY thing they have to offer over the net is service.
If I get great service, with a smile, I'll put up with the travelling and the prices. If not, I'm going online.
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fatbob, or - thinking about it, from your smiley - was it SpiderJon?
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So when did S&R close their major Grays Inn Road store? I bought my new jacket there a few months ago and then went down 3 weeks ago (having checked their opening hours on the web) and they weren't there. (There was a notice directing me to their Covent Garden store)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Just wanted to add a voice of support on the price matching. S&R Chill Factor matched teh best price I could find in UK on a pair of Scott Ventures before Christmas. I was in the weekend they were doing their ski trade in so an old pair of P9s came out the loft and added another 75 quid discount meaning in total they knocked off about £150 on the ski and binding package. Jnr got new Gotama jnrs and benefitted from a ski club discount and staff helpfully tracking down some of last seasons bindings. Together with the trade in of his old K2 juvvies the deal was great and saved me the equivalent of selling the juvvies on SHs/Ebay and the hassle that could involve.
Clearly others have differnt views of experiences but staff at Chill Factor are always helpful and knowledgable. Probably helps that we are regulars, or as regular as you can be buting ski kit but obviously if you don't ask for a deal then you won't get one. Personally, I don't see how you can whinge about the state of shops in the UK etc if you support some online operation that may or may not be located here and may not put anything back into the local economy in terms of employment etc. There, rant over!
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FAQ
