Tee Drums / Alan Tocknell anyone know 'em ?

huwmc3

Junior Member
Hey drummers anyone had any problems ordering from Alan Tocknell at Tee Drums ? I'm drawing a complete blank after ordering a snare drum shell and parts last October but getting nothing but fresh air in exchange for my hard earned cash nearly four months later. Anyone know if it's business as usual or if something's up down there ? Cheers.
 
That's sad to hear. Alan has been posting regularly on the Tee Drums Facebook page, so I'm assuming everything's ok. I don't know Alan personally, but he has a solid reputation for superb value for money drums.
 
I bought a bubinga Shell from Alan on Boxing day, shell arrived a few weeks later :) Service and advice I've had from alan has been top notch.

Have you tried contacting him via his facebook page?
 
Does anyone live close enough to this man to go knock on his door?
 
Yeah "end of next week" "begining of week after"... sounds familiar..

If someone is willing to doorstep - the address Ebay shows is 5 Northfield, Folly Lane, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 1SS.

His ebay shop now has nothing for sale... This might be a bad sign. Items were being sold up to this week on his Ebay site, according to his feedback.

I hope I'm wrong but this has all the hallmarks of a failed business. Very happy to take my money and promise a two week turn around but immediately after paying there was a "awaiting fittings" message and I've not managed to get hold via phone ever since, with only sporadic contact via email.

depressing !
 
I emailed him via his website a few weeks back, I was enquiring about the cost of a drum shell but heard nothing back.

Mark
 
15 minute ride...I'm knocking on the door just to tell him how I feel if I order a drum or not
 
He owes you a whole kit and your only fifteen minutes away ? go find him ! I'll be dropping by next time I'm in the area.
 
... And to think I canned a Japanese made Yamaha snare order last year, and spent my money here instead. Damn.
 
He has your money? I would doorstep him in an instant if i were you.
 
This is an all too common tale.A custom builder of musical instruments,with a great reputation,suddenly goes off the rails,and doesn't return calls,dosen't ship when they say they will,and just flat out,falls off the face of the earth.I don't condone thievery,lying or fraud by any means,but something is amiss here....

Sometimes,things happen, that adversly effect our lives,things out of our control.Then,the self preservation instinct takes hold,and our once admirable business model....goes out the window,in favor of putting food on the table.....at all costs.

People don't spend years,establishing a good reputation,and then suddenly ,abandon common sense.Go talk to him...face to face,and not in anger.Something ,I sense,has gone wrong in this mans life,and a mutual resoloution is in order.

Steve B
 
I hope you get your drums, Alan is a great guy, like I say I bought a bubinga shell off him on Boxing Day via Ebay and it arrived about a week ago, I've now made it into this.

1017350_10151840338436104_1255853656_n.jpg


Sorry its not been as smooth a transaction for you. I hope you get it sorted soon.
 
Just noticed that Alan has added a snare drum offer on his Facebook page, basically says that he is working on four Mahogany snares get your now etc etc.

Looks like he's still in business.

Mark
 
I have bought shells from him 3 times the last 5 years i think. There always was postage delays, like 4-5 months from date of purchase to delivery date. Not responding to emails in a timely manner( i have no problem waiting 1. week for an email reply, but 1 month...come on...)seems like he takes the cash, and then has no rush building the shells you order. Once i even bought shells that he advertised to be " ready to ship" still took 4 months...
 
Ok that's interesting. If woeful communication and delivery times are normal for tee drums then maybe I just need to sit and wait. I will post a picture of me being amazed when it arrives.
 
I am in the USA. About 3 months ago I emailed for a price quote on a Jazz Kit..never heard from him. I moved on..there are too many good artisans in the states to keep chasing over seas.
 
I would be banging on his door. Totally unacceptable even if he is busy! If he has peoples money but can't keep up with demand hire more people.

Bang the door it can't hurt.
 
I ordered a set of drums in the middle of last year, 2013 to the tune of over a £1000. He said it would take 5 weeks to do. 8 months later and I still have no drums. All I have had is excuses (usually based on "waiting for parts") and empty promises. There are also long periods of time where he just disappears, can't get him by phone or email. I recently demanded a refund and he actually said he could not do that. I am consulting Citizens Advice and other agencies as to what to do. This man should not be allowed to trade. I am sick to death of this. The stress is unbearable.
This is extremely disappointing to hear. Communication with customers is a critical element that's so often ignored. Even if things are going wrong for whatever reason, telling the truth is always the best corse of action. Most customers will gladly work with you so long as responses are timely & honest. Things do go wrong. Sometimes these things are outside of your control. It happens to companies both small & large, but the moment you start spinning stories, or worse, fail to communicate at all, the game is over. It doesn't take much for a customer to lose confidence, but equally, it doesn't take much to keep a customer informed, & above all else, tell the truth.

I hope this turns around for you.
 
Quite topical really, considering the other thread I was just reading about DW's and are they worth the money? and the recent thread on Yamaha PHX drums.

My "main job" is as a technical dive instructor on closed circuit rebreathers. Very similar situation in that market too. There are the fashions, the fads, the big manufacturers with a bigger advertising budget and the boutique manufacturers that make stuff in their small workshop / garage. The same issues arise - paying large amounts of money to an individual with a reputation only to find that he / she has gone out of business / had a breakdown / is struggling to fulfill orders.

This is why DW, Yamaha, Sonor etc are worth the money. Because they will more than likely be able to fulfill your order and because you normally don't have to pay it all upfront before they even make a start on making something. They don't need your deposit to go out and buy the raw materials to get started. Plus, the pre and post sales customer service is usually better. You can often pay by credit card which means you can dispute the transaction and get your money back if you are not satisfied.
 
Funnily enough, I actually received my kit yesterday (after ordering in August 2013)!!!

He explained to me that there were some problems with Fed-Ex and missing shipments of hardware and also some tragic family news added some complications that meant he fell behind on a few builds...

He said he was really embarrassed with the whole ordeal and couldn't have been more apologetic so fingers crossed your kits come soon :)
that's great to hear, & hopefully that bodes well for others posting here :)

This is why DW, Yamaha, Sonor etc are worth the money. Because they will more than likely be able to fulfill your order and because you normally don't have to pay it all upfront before they even make a start on making something. They don't need your deposit to go out and buy the raw materials to get started. Plus, the pre and post sales customer service is usually better. You can often pay by credit card which means you can dispute the transaction and get your money back if you are not satisfied.
You have a point, but please don't assume that all smaller companies are the same. If someone buys our drums that are already in stock, we ask them to pay for them when we ship. If someone orders something specific, we ask for a 50% deposit with order, the balance directly prior to shipping. We don't need the deposit funds to go & buy raw materials/components, as we invariably already have them in place, but it is both right & prudent to ask for a deposit against specific builds. You can buy our drums with a credit card if you wish. What's more, we're a registered limited company with full annual accounts audit & publishing.

As for pre & post sales customer service, there's as much variation amongst smaller companies as there is amongst bigger companies.
 
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