Down cleaning

Montgomery Wick

27/02/2012 at 12:46

I need to get a down bag cleaned but I'm having trouble getting contact info for W.E.Franklins. The website seems to have vanished. Anyone have a telephone number?

Is it possible they've gone bust? In which case, are there any alternatives to get down items professionally cleaned? I've only used Franklins before.

Spiritburner

27/02/2012 at 13:02

0114 268 6161

I spoke to them in Dec & they had issues with their website. I have a link to their new site at home but it isn't an obvious address from memory & didn't come up on any searches I did

GOF

27/02/2012 at 23:25

I cant find them - and all the internet gossip appears to be pointing to a change in business (they havent gone buts but it isnt clear if they are still doing cleaning)

Alpkit now suggest another company

stove man

28/02/2012 at 07:30

Definitely still in business, called them y'day to ask about getting a couple of bags cleaned. Same place, same prices (£38/bag including return postage).

Rab still recommend them and the address/phone is as given by Rab.

http://rab.uk.com/love-your-rab/down-care.html

Peter Clinch

28/02/2012 at 09:24

Echoing Ross's experience I called them last time this came up (within the last month) because I couldn't really find them through the web and I was concerned that a Really Good Company might have gone... and I was assured that although they had web problems business was very much as usual if you wanted a bag cleaned.

I've never heard a bad word about their cleaning service, and I know plenty of folk who've used it.

Pete.

.Matt.

28/02/2012 at 22:05

Just so it's on the record for whoever finds this thread at some point in the future, the company Alpkit is now recommending is currently:

Mountaineering Designs

PO BOX 20,
Grange-Over-Sands,
Cumbria,
LA11 6WR,
England, UK

+44 1539 536333

Bedouin

29/02/2012 at 17:38

Any idea why Alpkit (appear) to have changed there recommendation?

Spiritburner

29/02/2012 at 19:08

As have Rab. Were Franklins then someone else & now back to Franklins.

Alpkits recommendation is also a quality outfit

Montgomery Wick

10/03/2012 at 09:45

The Franklins number worked and they gave me their new address. Bag was posted off, but unfortunately this was on March 1st, when all the Post Office computers were down. I took a chance on First Class rather than Special Delivery - and of course, the bag has failed to arrive at its destination. £250 worth of Montbell 'lost' - or, rather, stolen, with little hope of compensation. To say I'm pissed off would be something of an understatement. Lesson - wait and use Special Delivery (or, better, a private courier) even if it's massively inconvenient.

Edited: 10/03/2012 at 09:46

Peter Clinch

10/03/2012 at 10:42

My kids sent my dad a Get Well card so-called first class recently and it took over a week to get there, so extremities crossed they're just being a bit crap... but it isn't looking good

Metric Kate

10/03/2012 at 20:31

Cr@p, Monty, I hope the bag turns up.

Montgomery Wick

20/03/2012 at 11:35

Amazingly it did turn up - 12 days after posting...!

Peter Clinch

20/03/2012 at 11:47

Was it amazing to the point of not having bought a replacement yet? In any case,

Montgomery Wick

20/03/2012 at 12:36

Fortunately, you can't start the PO compensation claims until 15 working days have gone past, or I might've bought a new bag, yeah.

Montgomery Wick

10/04/2012 at 06:05

Thought it worth noting that I got the bag back from an outfit called Elite Cleaning, based in Rotherham, rather than Franklins. Here we go. I guess the latter are subcontracting out to the former, so you might as well cut out the middle man.

Spiritburner

10/04/2012 at 07:50

That's the company Rab were recommending for a while.

Have they done a good job?

Montgomery Wick

10/04/2012 at 08:27

Cleaning was fine, packaging a bit flimsy - it got torn in transit and could easily have resulted in the shell fabric getting ripped open.

A fair bit of down in the hood area has gone south, but that process was already underway so, while we're here - any recs based on personal experience of companies that restuff sleeping bags and, possibly, stitch up internal seams?

Spiritburner

10/04/2012 at 08:46

I've used Mountaineering Designs (see above) about 20 years ago to have down topped up in an old bag & it was a good job. They wil also reshell down. Dunno about shell repairs - worth a call.

I think I will give them my business for the bag I need cleaning.

geekinthesticks

10/04/2012 at 09:05

Rab used to do this. I remember watching the man himself topping up my ME Redline bag in Sheffield. However, that was a long time ago and I don't know if they still offer the service.

Montgomery Wick

11/10/2012 at 10:19

Closure.

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