Maplin - simply the best (Maplin)

Member Name: basboy138

Product:	Maplin
Date:	03/02/06 (1241 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great range, Great service, Great website, just..... great!

Disadvantages: I guess if you live in Penzance, it's a long way to Plymouth

Maplin Electronics is a name which at first scared me, but I could now not do without. It is a chain of stores, with a good website, where you can get hold of all those little bits that nobody else sells, plus a lot more!


WHERE ARE THEY?

Maplin Electronics have 106 stores dotted across the United Kingdom, ranging from Plymouth to Aberdeen. They have an excellent store finder page on their website - www.maplin.co.uk - and if you can't get easy access to their stores, you can purchase over 12000 products from the website too.


WHAT DO THEY SELL?

If you are building your own computer, or if you have just broken a speaker cable and want a new one, Maplin is the place for you. They sell adapters for just about everything, 2-way radios, computers, wires, cables, connectors….. If you are cast your mind back to the days of the Tandy stores when you could buy all those little bits, Maplin have taken the best of those, and present them in an easy to find, and easy to buy way. If Maplin don't sell what you are looking for, it very likely isn't made.

On top of their selling, my experience from the Basildon store shows that they have extremely knowledgeable staff, and no question is too simple or hard for them. If they don't know, they will refer you to somebody who does, or will find out for you. My experience is with a new sound system. I am developing a purpose built sound system for a church, and they have been extremely helpful in find not only the easiest way for me to do it, but also the most useful and the cheapest too.


THE PAST

Maplin began in 1972 when two enthusiasts were frustrated at not being able to find things they wanted. They decided to start their own business, more as a hobby at first, and then in 1975 they opened their first store in Westcliff, near Southend, Essex. Business grew very quickly, and is showing no sign of slowing down. In 2003, company sales broke the £100m barrier, and the Internet site is regularly used by thousands of customers each month. My experience shows that despite the rapid growth, Maplin have not lost the personal touch in their quality and service.


COST COMPARISON

It is hard to compare prices with some of Maplins stock as in some cases they are the only high street retailer to sell them. With some of their more widely available stock, 2-way radios as an example, they tend to be on a par with everyone else. Occasionally they are a little more expensive, but the service to me if worth those few extra pennies. With my sound system project, where else would you find video splitters, VGA cables, screws for computer ports, radios, VGA cables, 3-pin to jack adapters, and sellotape all in the same place?

WEBSITE

The website at www.maplin.co.uk is extremely easy to use, easy to navigate through and easy to find bargains. Right from the menu screen, you can either search for an individual item, or browse around through defined sections. Purchasing is secure and easy, and delivery is extremely fast. I recently ordered some 2-way radios on the Monday at 4pm, and they were delivered before 9am the next day. To me, this can't be beaten.

To find the best bargains, sign up for the Maplin newsletter. As soon as you do this, money off vouchers are e-mailed to you, and although they don't amount to a great deal (£3 off when you spend £30), every penny counts, and there is no point paying full price when vouchers are freely available!


OVERALL OPINION

If you are looking for components, wires, adapters, or those few little bits for any project or hobby, try Maplin. I will recommend them to anybody for service, quality, range of stock, and availability. The website is also fantastic. Great stores - clean, and easy organised. Ten out of ten for Maplin. Keep up the good work!





Thanks for reading


D

Summary: Loads of stores, great service, great website - for all your electronic needs