Lensesforhire.co.uk experiences?

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urbanx

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Hey,
I was expecting a bit of L glass yesterday, but the courier phones me at 17:00 yesterday to say he couldn't find me! And would try again today!

I've had to make arrangements for two families I had booked in already this morning, and still no lens. I'm well into my hire period now, but lensesforhire don't want to know, as far as they're concerned the lens ha left them.

Anyone else had and good / bad dealings with them?
 
Stuart is a member on here.

Opinions are all good as far as I know.

Did you have a look at the What if a lens that I’ve ordered arrives late? section.
 
Not sure what you expect Lenses for hire to do apart from being sympathetic. You have to ask why the courier didn't phone you when he was actually looking for you - surely he would have been fairly close to where he had to drop it off....
 
urbanx said:
but the courier phones me at 17:00 yesterday to say he couldn't find me! And would try again today!
Click to expand...

This is courier-speak for:

"You were at the end of my run and I couldn't be arsed to fit you in today. You may have better luck tomorrow."
 
Yeah speaking to couriers at the mo.

They've given me the option that I drive to their depot to pick it up (140 miles away). I politely declined and they've said they will try and find me today.

Oh I'm getting it delivered to the largest, easiest to find building in the village, an office block with 400 employees and it's own postcode!
 
Had a few hires from LFH and nothing but great communication, packing and delivery.
Everything it says on the tin. :) I always allow for the hire to start a couple of days before a job though.
 
[QUOTE="mercedes" I always allow for the hire to start a couple of days before a job though.[/QUOTE]

I wish I had done this!
 
Most hire companies in the US that I've used state that the hire-term begins when the lens is either delivered or the 'delivery is attempted', not when it leaves their warehouse...
Similarly, the hire-term ends when you despatch the goods via the preferred courier service, not when they recieve it back through the door.

I you can prove that someone was present to recieve the goods then the delivery company is to blame and should foot the bill for any additional charges levvied by the hire company or your charges if you have to extend the hire period (usually an option, but at far greater expense than booking a longer period initially) - they're a delivery company - it's their job to find you.
If they can't find you, they're supposed to ring you and ask for specific directions - that's why they have mobile phones.
 
I'm sure Stuart will see this and explain your / their position, but for what its worth this is taked direct from their website:

But if a lens does arrive late, you have several options. The first is to go ahead with the hire and return it as scheduled. That means you’ll have had it for a day less than planned, but we’ll make it up to you by refunding two days’ hire charges. (So if you’d hired it for 7 days, but it’s delivered a day late, you end up hiring it for 6 days but paying for 5 days.) Another option is to cancel the hire contract; return the lens directly to us and we’ll refund all your charges. Or, if there isn’t another customer waiting for the lens, you can extend the return date so that you end up with the same period of hire that you’d originally planned.
 
urbanx said:
I wish I had done this!
Click to expand...

Its always a good idea to allow extra time when ordering anything that has to be delivered for a specific job, you never know what might hold it up enroute. However, Stuart and LfH have worked hard to build a fanatastic reputation so I am sure they will see you sorted once the couriers have actually decided you really do exist and have found you! If its any consolation, I live in a london in a house built 60 yrs ago but Home Delivery Network still insist the road doesn't exist, never mind the house :bonk:
 
Yv said:
I live in a london in a house built 60 yrs ago but Home Delivery Network still insist the road doesn't exist, never mind the house :bonk:
Click to expand...

:lol: Perhaps I should be in charge of the local HDN depot, seeing as I found your place with ease :D
 
with lens hire in general, I've had good & bad experiences across a variety of hirers. sometimes the process has worked perfectly, sometimes it's been a pain.

these places don't have warehouses full of lenses, maybe only a couple of copies at a time. it's not an exact science, so if the lens you're assigned is received late by the previous 'owner' then it can throw the whole system.

I've also had experience of a Canon lens being delivered when I ordered Nikon, and orders being cancelled completely for reason in the previous paragraph.

As mentioned above, in future I'd place the order for a couple of days before I needed the lens... which makes it more expensive and kind of defeats the object, but if needs must...!
 
The overall hiring experience was good. Well packaged lens, clean lens, good instructions included and all packaging and labels to return the lens at the end of the hire period, with email reminders.

However, two weeks on from the return of the lens and despite three emails and one phone call I've still not received an invoice, so couldn't claim back the hire on expenses, leaving me to cover all the costs personally. For this reason I won't be using this company again.

Thanks heavens for CPS loan equipment whilst my lens was out for repair.
 
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