Just a warning to anyone in the UK ordering solvents etc from Darrant (darrantchemicals.co.uk) - it seems that they are experiencing financial
troubles and are not fulfilling orders. They'll quite happily take your money though. It's unfortunate as I've ordered from them in the past without
issue.
They are essentially un-contactable and I've had to open a claim with paypal.
I always get my reagents from APC Pure or Proton Scientific, they sell on eBay too, just a heads up if you or anyone else needs any alternate sources.VSEPR_VOID - 3-3-2018 at 00:54
I originally found these two just by searching for reagents, they’re somewhat common on the UK site. Here are some others, but I have no experience
with them so some caution is recommended -
[Edited on 3-3-2018 by LearnedAmateur]DavidJR - 3-3-2018 at 08:51
Yes I'd definitely reccommend APC Pure / Atom Scientific (same company): apcpure.com. Always had great service from them. I had only ordered from
darrant as they had very good prices on various solvents.wg48 - 3-3-2018 at 10:27
When I have received solvents from the The Solvent Shop they come with a Darrant label on them so I assume thay are the same company. Their web site
says they are in the process of moving and they can not fullfill orders. Their address is in the same area as Darrent was.DavidJR - 3-3-2018 at 12:11
I don’t know if they are moving or not but it’s really not excusable to take peoples money and not bother to fulfil the order or answer
emails/phone calls. aga - 3-3-2018 at 13:20
While being ripped off is inexcusable, it is very unfair for one disgruntled customer to publicly slate a company without detailed justification.
E.g. if you clicked 'Buy' and the item was not delivered next day, then it might arrive tomorrow. Stuff like that happens.
Their trading premises being up for rent etc is irrelevant. People (and businesses) move.
Please substantiate this by detailing what you bought, how much, what methods of contact you have tried, what responses you got, and importantly : the
Timings.
Many thanks, aga
Chief PayPal Negotiator, Europe
[Edited on 3-3-2018 by aga]DavidJR - 3-3-2018 at 17:14
While being ripped off is inexcusable, it is very unfair for one disgruntled customer to publicly slate a company without detailed justification.
E.g. if you clicked 'Buy' and the item was not delivered next day, then it might arrive tomorrow. Stuff like that happens.
I understand that sometimes things don't go to plan but I've given them more than enough time to sort their shit out. Also, it isn't just me. Check
out their recent eBay feedback and some recent reviews on trustpilot and yell.
Please substantiate this by detailing what you bought, how much, what methods of contact you have tried, what responses you got, and importantly : the
Timings.
I placed an order totaling about £36 via the darrantchemicals.co.uk website on Sunday 11th February 2018. The front page of the website states that
they have a next working day delivery aim, so nominally I should have received my order by the following Tuesday (13 feb). That didn't happen but I
wasn't too worried.
I logged in to the website at the end of the week and it showed as dispatched on Friday 16th - no tracking info. Ok, bit slow but again wasn't too
worried, I assumed I'd get it at some point the next week.
Again I waited a week with no parcel, so on Friday 23rd I tried to call the phone number listed on their website and was unable to get an answer even
though I tried multiple times during working hours. After reading the reviews I linked above I figured they were probably lying about having
dispatched my order so I opened a paypal dispute on the 24th.
I gave them a week to respond and got absolutely nothing, so on March 2nd I escalated the paypal dispute to a 'claim', which means apparently they get
up to 10 days to respond before paypal will make a decision.
wg48 - 3-3-2018 at 23:00
Assuming Darrent is in the process of moving then they should have warned their customers just as the Solvent Shop did on their ebay shop. If during
the move their email and phones are down it suggests they failed to plan the move very well. You would think they would leave the old premises running
until the new one was working. Of cause it may be they did attempt that but their internet provider, phone company or moving vans let them down. If
the cared they should be able to post a notice on their web site from anywhere. I guess they don’t, so at the very least their customer service is
crappie
I should also add that an other sci’mad member has complained about the lack of a response from their attempts to solve a no delivery problem. aga - 4-3-2018 at 01:53
Much better, thanks for the extra info.
Justifies everything you said about them.DavidJR - 4-3-2018 at 12:01
Also I've had a poke about on the companies house website, seems the sole director of Darrant Distribution Ltd (Darren Martin Smith) has been a
director of 4 companies dissolved by compulsory strike off.aga - 4-3-2018 at 12:11
Ufff !
4x stricken off ! Must be an idiot.
Edit:
If you got the address from the CO data, perhaps this would be of interest:
[Edited on 4-3-2018 by aga]DavidJR - 4-3-2018 at 12:27
Oh, that is golden! aga - 4-3-2018 at 12:34
Need to be sure it is the same address - could be a different bloke with the same name.
Unlikely, but easier to chuckle if you're sure.DavidJR - 4-3-2018 at 12:53
Well, his stated age in the article matches the companies house record (his DoB is 5 Dec 1978 so that would indeed make him 22 at the time of the
offence as stated in the article you linked).aga - 4-3-2018 at 12:58
Excellent DavidJR - 13-3-2018 at 13:34
Update: they didn't even bother to reply, so Paypal refunded me today.NEMO-Chemistry - 14-3-2018 at 15:54
I gave info on this weeks ago in legal and social, its a nasty cycle. To be fair a certain other mentioned company brought from these and had them
repacked, darrent is indeed the solvent shop.
The company who was a major customer went to the wall and then phoenixed and is mentioned here. they undersold Darrent and my oppion was/is they did
this to get rid of a supplier/competitor. The mentioned company people have good things to say about is not always good and has deliberately got rid
of alot of the competition, Atom is a 'Brand name' for APC.
Same chemicals different packing (most the time), they also had serious money trouble while trying to take the solvent shop under. The biggest
creditor was the courier company so they did a deal and now the courier companies Director is a director and shareholder of APC.
One director we are told was sacked, however he has been seen about the place. personally i wont buy from APC and as soon as the comp has gone they
will up the price to Atom levels.
I ordered a large amount from them and they offered free delivery, but wouldnt put an order from Atom on the list for APC. So I paid £40 extra
postage (no choice), when it turned up it was from the same place and arrived the same time in the same box on the same van.
I have spoken to them many times on the phone, personally i refuse to use them anymore. Walters domething or other on ebay is another good supplier.
APC is also in the process of moving most of the acids etc like sulphuric over to Atom brand, Atom will only sell to the trade but has no trade
counter, APC same building does have a trade counter! To quote a phone call with a director " APC is our brand for plebs, Atom is same company
different brand and B2B. As we grow we will be dropping APC".
I have ordered from them many times, but not anymore.DavidJR - 15-3-2018 at 06:44
Interesting, I had thought that you were referring to another company than Atom...
