I must tell you this story. The Royal Mail used to leave parcels, now they put a card through the door, and where you could collect in two or three hours, now it's 24 hours. I often manage to catch up with the postman and collect the package. Recently this happened and the foreign postman asked for proof, like a driving licence; my wife didn't have it on her. We told him that he put the card through the letterbox, and the only way we could get it was by unlocking the door, his reply was 'I am only allowed by law to deliver to the address on the package'; fortunately a postwoman with him knew us and gave us the parcel. Earlier this week there was a knock on the door and this same postman said 'I have a package for XXX, they are not at home, can I leave it with you?' I said NO, and added 'You are only allowed to deliver to the address on the label' and shut the door on him.

gentlemen, when ever you send a heavy item such as a projector through any courier, regardless of there name, you really need to make sure it is well, and i mean well packed. i worked for the gpo for 22 years and can well remember the treatment parcels of all shapes, weights and sizes received. they were man handled, thrown down shutes, droppped, thrown onto backs of vans, total disregard as to what the item was. when i say pack well, i mean really. really well.

I pack projector in bubble wrap in a box then bubble wrap and a bigger box. Seem to work well

I remember Ian of Perry's telling me that when he sends out a highly valuable projector to say France in one particular case, he put it inside a Washing Machine box wrapped in a duvet he purpose bought for sending it!

After reading Clyde's post (if you pardon the pun), It only cemented what i had suspected for many years!

The only thing safe in transit with these guys is a well wrapped inflated football by the sounds of things!

Come the time, I will always drive my projector to a specialist from now on or just send them the faulty PCB if possible.

Maurice Leakey has it spot on when he drives several of his machines once a year to his service guy in Nottingham all the way from Bristol.
At Maurice's age, this is some going there and back twice for his beloved machines...total dedication I'd say!

I thought about going to Nottingham with my projector, but in the end used a courier. There was a programme on Channel 4 years ago about the Mount Pleasant Sorting Office in London and how parcels marked Fragile were thrown about. I would say NEVER use Parcelforce. My biggest concerns sending a B&H 16mm projector by courier was protecting the loudspeaker cover, so I placed stiff cardboard in front, and the carrying handle getting broken. I used about about 4 rolls of Bubble wrap or maybe more, and bought a box of the right size, plenty of 'Fragile' labels, and marked 'This way Up'. When Kevin returned it he put my box inside another one. Hopefully, it will now last my lifetime.

There was also one recently on one of the private carriers where a competition was held on who could throw them furthest!
On the subject of Parcelforce, when you have opened a box where everything purchased is buried in builders foam, you don't
know what bad language is, or had a gallon of white gloss let loose on your porch floor, a cement mixer motor smashed, a tin of
film cleaner crushed and a 16mm projector damaged ( fortunately repaired that night ), these lads have made it an Olympic event.
Fortunately, I always double box, polystyrene between the boxes and bubble wrap, usually if it is my Fumeo, it goes packed in its own case. I know stuff sent by myself will get there in one piece, stuff coming through is something else, I forgot to mention my first GS1200
that was put through the gauntlet of Parcelforce, it had its casing smashed, luckily I was awarded £500.00 for that little misdemeanour, a guy came out to view the damage, cheque paid out in post.

Wenn Sie hier auf Links zu eBay klicken und einen Kauf tätigen, kann dies dazu führen, dass diese Website eine Provision erhält.

When my Aunt died her son said he was sending some large framed Victorian photos by courier, I emailed him to say don't use Parcelforce, too late, when they came the glass was all smashed cutting into the pictures, I managed to touch up the pictures and have new glass (Perspex) fitted. They wouldn't compensate me because I was not the sender, although I renumerated my cousin, but he never claimed.

About 8 years ago I purchased from a company called Marriott Photographic, a Bolex H 16mm camera with 3 lenses. After a couple of weeks I rang to find out if it had been posted, it had, but never arrived. It's not the sort of thing you could lose, so I reckon some Royal Mail employee with sticky fingers took it home, then probably put it on Ebay. The sender insured it, but they refused to pay. I told him not to give up; he told me he had had problems like this before, so he kept on at them and eventually they paid up. How can you accept extra payment for insurance then refuse to pay out when it goes missing..

The worst company I ever dealt with was The Widescreen Centre (Tony Shapps); I would pick up 'Movie Maker' on the day it hit the stands, and send off an order the next day. I tried three times to buy something from them, and each time they told me the price had gone up. I told them the advert had just appeared and I placed an order the next day. Their excuse was that the adverts were sent in 3 months before publication: but wasn't this the same for everyone, Perrys, Derann, etc. I never had this problem with anyone else, just reinforced my views on London wideboys. I should have reported them to Trading Standards, as it's an offence to advertise something at one price, then try to charge a higher price. After three times I gave up on them.

I wonder if the MP Grant Shapps, you know Mr Green, his alias, is some relation of Tony Shapps, its just such an unusual name.

The Widescreen Centre was always expensive for films. They seemed to try and charge RRP. They did both scope titles and 'CentreClassics'

I can't remember what I was trying to buy, possibly some reversal film. I remember someone stocked B&W very briefly, we are talking late 70s/early 80s.

The only time I ever had dealings with them was about 12 years ago to get some S/8 film developed.

I never said anyone on here were wasting Phil's time. However you do get them. People getting stuff laid aside and not buying
it. Constant enquiries about some print then not buying it when it arrives. Or asking details about something then buying it elsewhere.
It does happen. However when it comes to secondhand prints just try asking a dealer what they paid for it and compare that with the asking price.
I think you will be very shocked at the mark up "certain dealers" have. Just saying so beware.

I know exactly what you're saying David, when selling a film on the 8mm forum, it was an ordeal where members had you checking print
numbers on the edge of the film, then after all this carry on would decide to pass, yes I can understand Phil or anyone else being a bit
"testy" but in Robert's case, all he wanted was a quote for postage for his spool. My favourite story is from a well known dealer who had a "buyer" from "across the pond", that wanted him to check out a print of "Pale Rider" opt. feature, for stock number and colour, the response was "Like hell I will, the films here if you want it, I can't be watching every bloody film I stock, life's too short!!", that's the way to do it, to paraphrase "Mr Punch"
When I think back, we bought hundreds of films on trust, no descriptions, no screen grabs, no checking film stock numbers. Derek Simmond's, give him his due, when collectors were "cutting up rough" about the odd lab splice, told them straight, there's nothing that can be done about it, so you'll have to accept it, chances are they did.

I know what you mean David, by dealers mark up, 6 x 200ft standard 8 sound films were sold on ebay for £24.99 the lot, the dealer who purchased them is now selling them for £20 each plus P&P, dealers buying on ebay stop collectors getting a real bargain or the film they really want, they seem to have endless funds and always put auto bids.

There's not that many dealers, so you have no choice. The alternative is buying on Ebay, which is risky, and you could end up paying more than you wanted, and if the seller wasn't honest in their description, then you pay return postage.

There is a chap named Sam Lavington, he was advertising in another forum that he had too many 16mm films and projectors, and was either thinning out, or getting rid altogether, so he asked members to send their email address and he would endeavour to send them a list, saying 'Collections like this don't come along every day, this is your chance to get that rare film you always wanted'. He also runs a Cinema Trust in his hometown. I emailed him, nothing; I emailed again, nothing, so I found his mobile number and texted him. He said he was busy with his cinema trust. I asked him if he could send the list he advertised, he replied 'No, sorry', then tells me he has a huge collection of 16mm coming in next week. What's the point of that if you don't know what's for sale?

Yes Robert I know ebay is risky, but a lot of dealers get their stock from ebay, so are they selling the 'risky films' on, at a mark up?.

Do they check the films first Steve before selling, Vidar got some from Ebay, supposed to be colour, some were black and white, others had titles missing, or no sound. You wouldn't expect to get something like this from a dealer.

One dealer was criticised for always being first in the queue at one of the film fairs, grabbing the films and selling at a higher price, denying the other visitors a bargain. If I wasn't now collecting 16mm I wouldn't be collecting at all as Super 8 is way too expensive. I don't have any complaints about the prices I have paid for 16mm, some of them I consider a real bargain, and this on a limited budget.

Well all I know Robert is 6 x 200ft for £24.99, standard 8 and then on sell for £20 each plus P&P is a £16 mark up per film, these are silent films with a sound track by the way, I know they have to make a profit but come on. I've also seen some of the screen shots of some films on sell at ebay and these turn up with dealers, and they are not the best prints.

No, I agree with you Steve. You would think a dealer could get a decent stock just by advertising 'Films bought and sold', without resorting to that. The same thing happens in the secondhand book world, I knew of two dealers who would tour other bookshops to see what they could buy to sell at a profit.

Wenn Sie hier auf Links zu eBay klicken und einen Kauf tätigen, kann dies dazu führen, dass diese Website eine Provision erhält.

Go no further than the organiser of the Blackpool Convention, he doesn't miss a chance to pour scorn on 8mm, 16mm is the best, he
reputedly has 200 8mm features to sell, he has no time for, or knowledge of them, asked folks to send for lists, then decides to take them to Blackpool anyway, he knew from day one he was going to do that, was trying to drum up interest for his event, has been advertising odd ones to gauge a price, no doubt the majority of this stuff will be sold on ebay later on, or maybe a pyre on the Pleasure Beach if they don't sell, like the projector he was going to destroy if it didn't sell on ebay. If someone like him wants to sell something, do so, as Robert has already highlighted, it is bad form to ask peoples interest, then fob them off, not only is it bad policy, it is also bad manners.

I know what you mean Hugh, I asked for a list, I never received one then I see some of the films on eBay 400ft reel £6 p&p when the average is £2.80 - £3.00 p&p. The person has a very strange out-look as to selling things, I too was interested in the said projector, but certain things put me off, and some sound advice from a friend on the forum put me straight.

He's very minimal in his descriptions, and if someone asks a question, then doesn't buy, he blocks them on Ebay; one time he boasted that he had blocked 7 people. Call them timewasters. I have never bought from him, or attempted to do so.

Regarding the Super 8 projector Hugh, he said he would get his son to film him smashing it up and post on Youtube; after he sold it, someone posted that they had been looking forward to the video as they like a good Hammer Horror.

Don't you just hate it when someone makes a huge profit on postage.

Yes I do Robert, it's not the price of the film, it's the postage mark up that I begrudge, some are ridiculous and put me off bidding, but then if the film is cheap enough I pay the higher postage but moan to myself.
Regarding the projector I think Vidar bought it in the end and was pleased with it, or so I read on another forum, perhaps he could put me straight on this.