Diana Mod 30 at Protek

[micky]

As well as updating the website more often, they should increase the number and tiny size of the photos, which are a disgrace now most people have broadband. I always trust a dealer in proportion to the size of the photos in their adverts, same as I would a private seller.

The smaller the pics on a dealer's website, the more you have to rely on their written descriptions of condition, without being able to make up your own mind. Apart from the internals, you should know just about all there is to known about an airgun before you pay for it.

OK, so by law dealers must refund goods if they are faulty or misdescribed, but distance selling is a bit of a one-way street these days, with it being impossible to post air rifles back to a dealer with adequate insurance if something goes wrong during shipping. I bet plenty of people would return them, but don't for that reason.

Of the various vintage airgun dealers with websites, Protek Supplies are easily the worst for this, providing viewers with little more than a thumbnail pic to go on, apart from the description.

They are followed closely by McAvoys. JCMilitaria and Henry Krank are quite a bit better, but still far from great.

Compare all the above with the pics provided by this German dealer, which leave virtually nothing about the external condition to the imagination.

Ideally, of course, we'd only ever buy airguns in person. But that's not always possible, unfortunately.

l have to agree that they should put more photos up, especially close ups like a lot of the BBS members do when selling on here, that said l have had good service from them in the past. and l would think it doesn't take long to update a website? which would make things clearer.

[Binners]

Just to update their web site...

The Diana Mod 30 has now been sold!!!









































Some Fat bloke from Surrey bought it, allegedly

[Garvin]

Why don't you take 20 good pictures of an air rifle, sort them out and post them to a website using an old slow laptop. Now try doing that at work in between your normal job.

Er, if you sell airguns in your shop and also sell them on the internet, then your website is part of your normal job.

Blaming poor web pics on a slow laptop is daft, if that's what you're suggesting. If you have a website and use it as an extension of your shopfront, then buy the right technology to do a proper job of it - and learn how to use it, or get someone who does to do it for you.

Protek seems to have a lot of satisfied customers (I am not one of them) so must be doing something right. They sell spare parts that help to keep old airguns serviceable, which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

But if you sell to the public at a distance, you should bend over backwards to help your customers make an informed choice. If you don't, then you should expect to be criticised for it.

[Bjacobs571]

Er, if you sell airguns in your shop and also sell them on the internet, then your website is part of your normal job.

Blaming poor web pics on a slow laptop is daft, if that's what you're suggesting. If you have a website and use it as an extension of your shopfront, then buy the right technology to do a proper job of it - and learn how to use it, or get someone who does to do it for you.

Protek seems to have a lot of satisfied customers (I am not one of them) so must be doing something right. They sell spare parts that help to keep old airguns serviceable, which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

But if you sell to the public at a distance, you should bend over backwards to help your customers make an informed choice. If you don't, then you should expect to be criticised for it.

You are living in a dream world. What part of Both staff members are busy and don't have the time to produce a master class website is giving by you trouble. In a perfect world their turnover would justify employing someone to run their website but back in the real world like most independent shop are making a living but not rolling in money.
What you are forgetting is the cost of new technology would wipe out any increased profit the improved website would bring in.
With airguns listing them on a website is mainly to get customers in the shop as mail order adds £45 to the cost of any new airgun with shipping and RFD costs.

[slow_runner]

Based on never having bought anything from Protek, I agree with everything that has been said before.
I do know they answered my one and only email enquiry very promptly; great service. I apologise if it caused them to be tardy in amending a listing or two.

Suggestion; hire more staff, increase the overheads, lift retail margin and watch the lot decline


That was quick Bjacobs..or I'm slow????

[slow_runner]

Back on topic.
They do have some beaut gear. A shame its such a long walk from here to there and back

[cptman]

I have always found their service top notch whether face to face or distance selling.

[DCL_dave]

I have never met Vic or Phil at Protek in person, but I have spoke with them both on the phone and by email on a number of occassions, and have had a few dealings with them as a result...they have always been straight, honest and fair with me so I'm a happy customer.

[DCL_dave]

Just to update their web site...

The Diana Mod 30 has now been sold!!!

Some Fat bloke from Surrey bought it, allegedly

Ha...nice one Pete, but don't keep us in suspense...what does it shoot like?

[ogilkes]

Whats all this Protek bashing? Yes their photos are small, so is my brain, it has not stopped me collecting!

An excellent, if tiny, emporium full of marvels from the past (no not Vic and Phil) who have enhanced the lives of hundreds of Relum collectors, and other people.

This kind of shop barely exists any more, long may they reign!

[trick cyclist]

LOL,if you want gold rim glasses and la-de-da-airs pop over to rustington ;weve got loads of that
even our relums have gold embossed monograms.

Okay Yah! Be right over.

[Garvin]

Whats all this Protek bashing? Yes their photos are small, so is my brain, it has not stopped me collecting!

An excellent, if tiny, emporium full of marvels from the past (no not Vic and Phil) who have enhanced the lives of hundreds of Relum collectors, and other people.

This kind of shop barely exists any more, long may they reign!

Hardly a bashing! Encouragement to improve, maybe. They obviously have lots of loyal supporters, and all credit to them for winning them.

But nobody in retail should be beyond criticism. Why should anyone have to squint to work out what they're looking at on the internet these days? And that goes for all the other airgun shops mentioned above too.

[slow_runner]

Whats all this Protek bashing? Yes their photos are small, so is my brain, it has not stopped me collecting!
An excellent, if tiny, emporium full of marvels from the past (no not Vic and Phil) who have enhanced the lives of hundreds of Relum collectors, and other people.
This kind of shop barely exists any more, long may they reign!

The UK could be entering another full moon phase, getting close to Armistice Day? Perhaps a combination?

AFAIK, we have only got one remaining airgunshop like those of old, where the owner is the operator. Where he and the staff have knowledge, hours that cater for his clients and friends and it doesn't function like a mcdonalds franchise.
The monthly bulletin is 4 or so pages of available stock and NO pictures A phone call and trust in his word, and yours, is enough.
I think that a time for complaining is when places such as these are no longer with us. In the meantime talk to them, make suggestions. They'll likely thank you, ignore you or banish you
More importantly, buy their product if it suits.

[red bob]

"here here" slow runner[apology's not knowing your name]most likely they will listen to kindly put advise as would we all.empathy seems short these days.
interestingly i have several friends in the retail trade most small scale and with careful attention to costs and margins etcetera a living is a finely balanced act; when as can happen trade drops through the floor for a week or two the proprietor/s either take reduced wages or none! that's the bottom line.when you are in the position of working for a company that week in week out plants a regular x hundred into your account as are most of us as employees its somewhat easier to be forward looking and invest in the latest hi tech for personnel use and artificially points to shortcomings elsewhere .indeed as in the case of a friends relatively successful cycle shop, its his wifes income and IT support that gives the impression that its fully self perpetuating ;not everyone is in this enviable position and has to do the best one can.

[Binners]

Well I think Danny has a point about picture quality (and I am renown for my work ). If this can be sorted with a slightly better camera, then that would be ideal.

As for the point about late updates and deletions, I think Phil is 'on the ball' It appears that if you click on a google link, for Protek, it can land you back in time, but by clicking on the home page, all is rectified.

I think the pair of them should spend more time in the shop and less time on Brighton seafront dressed as ladyboys

Only my opinion