C&L to have new ownership

[hayfield]

Whilst business rates can be a huge cost for small businesses, there is currently small business rates relief which ok could be withdrawn at any time, but if a business occupies less than I think under 200 sq/m, it is exempt from paying business rates. Local authorities do not directly gain from this which is set and collected by central government.

 

It is quite permissable to use a room in your house for business purposes and not have to pay business rates on that room. If you have a large shed in the garden "for your hobby" then it's a shed for your hobby. Providing you haven't got 40 tonne lorries coming and going every day who is to know? We had 2 40'x40' sheds built in the garden to house our collection of vintage buses as part of "our hobby".

 

Maybe if any of us lives in the area where C&L is now based would like to offer to help on a voluntary basis that may be appreciated by the new owner?

 roythebus, 

 

You are quite correct that you can work from home in most cases and you can employ family, but as soon as you employ non family members you have to obtain planning permission, how do I know my previous employer fell foul of these rules, 

Edited December 12, 2017 by hayfield

[Re6/6]

As I posted previously, please can we give this chap a break.

 

If he has time I’m sure that he’ll be reading this thread and all the adverse ‘comments’ and helpful suggestions might just be putting further pressure on him which won’t be helping. 

 

I don’t know the chap from Adam, but shouldn’t we just let him get on with it and steadily build the business his way and accept that there will be a delay in orders being fulfilled. Recently on here, we’ve seen one small business buckle under the pressure of expectation. 

 

The very last thing that those of us that rely on track components would want would be to lose this unique source of supply.

[hayfield]

 

As I posted previously, please can we give this chap a break.

 

If he has time I’m sure that he’ll be reading this thread and all the adverse ‘comments’ and helpful suggestions might just be putting further pressure on him which won’t be helping. 

 

I don’t know the chap from Adam, but shouldn’t we just let him get on with it and steadily build the business his way and accept that there will be a delay in orders being fulfilled. Recently on here, we’ve seen one small business buckle under the pressure of expectation. 

 

The very last thing that those of us that rely on track components would want would be to lose this unique source of supply.

 

 

 

I think I replied the same that the Previous owner stopped reading RMweb due to adverse comments, Phil also mentioned to me about some comments on here earlier. Thankfully he is fully committed to resolving the few remaining issues whilst keeping up with the latest orders. Quite philosophical about it, realises that a few people have had problems and he is trying to resolve them, some of which hopefully can be simple others may take time if relying on outside contractors.

 

I would like to repeat one of the problems has been with the email system due to a hiccup during the account and website being transferred, For those of us in the UK the simple course of action is to phone and chat through the situation especially if you have not paid

[Lacathedrale]

I've just been speaking to Phil after an order on the website, and as per John's post above found him extremely friendly and engaging, and eager to help out. 

 

EDIT: In the interests of full disclosure I made an order on the 27th, and called through today (30th) because I wanted to add some items and hadn't got a reply via email. I was advised that the order was about to be picked, but I subsequently arranged with Phil to pay by card over the phone and to collect at the Ewell MRC open day on Saturday. 

Edited January 30, 2018 by Lacathedrale

[Rowsley17D]

 

Spoke on the phone today to Phil. Delightful chap. Ordered stuff on the website for collection at York show and paid via bank transfer. He told me to phone back once I had done so and he found the order and will process for collection at York.

[nigelb]

Just seen this  thread, I  had  posted in small suppliers  last year.

I have purchased several items from C&L  on different occasions  , I have always been happy  with Phil's attitude If I had a query  a simple call usually  ended up in a friendly chat  and a sorted problem  the more time passes the better Phil will become  lots of respect to some one taking over an existing small supplier     ( satisfied customer disclaimer)

[RBAGE]

Just seen this  thread, I  had  posted in small suppliers  last year.

I have purchased several items from C&L  on different occasions  , I have always been happy  with Phil's attitude If I had a query  a simple call usually  ended up in a friendly chat  and a sorted problem  the more time passes the better Phil will become  lots of respect to some one taking over an existing small supplier     ( satisfied customer disclaimer)

I must agree that on the few occasions that I have spoken to Phil he is more than happy to take time to solve any problems and is happy to have an extended conversation on many subjects. Lovely bloke and once you've spoken to him you don't mind the delays so much and you realise there are more important things than playing with trains. 

 

I do lose sight of that sometimes.

Edited March 9, 2018 by RBAGE

[Great Western]

I ordered with C&L a few days ago, spoke to the chap on the phone to confirm payment via the account details sent (not ideal but hey ho).

Really nice chap, explained he hopes to get up to speed within a month. It has restored my faith as I was worried about ordering from them again.

[royaloak]

I ordered with C&L a few days ago, spoke to the chap on the phone to confirm payment via the account details sent (not ideal but hey ho).

Really nice chap, explained he hopes to get up to speed within a month. It has restored my faith as I was worried about ordering from them again.

With the best of intentions that is probably 3 months or more, the best laid plans and all that.

 

I just hope he doesnt start to get on top of things and is then inundated with orders as people think he is sorted and all phone in those orders they have been waiting with for the last month or 3.

[hayfield]

Just seen this  thread, I  had  posted in small suppliers  last year.

I have purchased several items from C&L  on different occasions  , I have always been happy  with Phil's attitude If I had a query  a simple call usually  ended up in a friendly chat  and a sorted problem  the more time passes the better Phil will become  lots of respect to some one taking over an existing small supplier     ( satisfied customer disclaimer)

 

 

I must agree that on the few occasions that I have spoken to Phil he is more than happy to take time to solve any problems and is happy to have an extended conversation on many subjects. Lovely bloke and once you've spoken to him you don't mind the delays so much and you realise there are more important things than playing with trains. 

 

I do lose sight of that sometimes.

 

 

I ordered with C&L a few days ago, spoke to the chap on the phone to confirm payment via the account details sent (not ideal but hey ho).

Really nice chap, explained he hopes to get up to speed within a month. It has restored my faith as I was worried about ordering from them again.

 

I think with the growth of online selling and the competition within the big boys its all to easy to expect all firms to be the same, many of these firms have hundreds of employees and spent millions on their infrastructure, we then expect these small traders, often one man bands with some even holding down day jobs to offer the same service standards

 

We had become accustomed to a next day delivery service from the previous owner, however that business model proved unsustainable. Phil suffered with some problems when he took the business over, some perhaps could have been foreseen others being both unknown and unavoidable. Due to a collapse of a deal to sell the business to another company Phil stepped in at the last moment, not an ideal scenario but he has continued to supply the range, all be it with a few issues.  And is working his way through issues in the background surrounding some of the products.

 

I think in the short term we will have to expect deliveries to take a little extra time whilst Phil works his way through the backlog of stock procurement, packing and orders. Dont forget he will be at Ally Pally hopefully with plenty of stock

[Guest Lyonesse]

Two months since my order, no replies to email, no answer on the phone.  But with luck it'll still be quicker than ordering from Ultrascale.  And yes, I am prepared to cut some slack.

[Stanley Melrose]

I spoke to Phil today about an order I placed a month ago not because I was chasing him but because I wanted an initial pack of something to see whether it would suit my purpose and then I hope to place a significant order for considerably more of the same which I would hope to collect at an exhibition next month.

 

He went out of his way to explain his current stock position and suggested he send me sufficient for me to make the judgement I hope to make and his reward could be the much bigger order.

 

I was well satisfied with his explanation and his hopes to get on top of his business asap.

 

It may be worth those feeling dissatisfied knowing that his hand-over of the stock and explanations of who were the suppliers of the wide variety of products apparently lasted all of TWO hours.  No wonder the guy is chasing his tail and managing from crisis to crisis while dealing with our phone calls. . .

 

Stan

[Horsetan]

....I just hope he doesnt start to get on top of things and is then inundated with orders as people think he is sorted and all phone in those orders they have been waiting with for the last month or 3.

I call this phenomenon The Ultrascale Conundrum

[Nimbus]

It may be worth those feeling dissatisfied knowing that his hand-over of the stock and explanations of who were the suppliers of the wide variety of products apparently lasted all of TWO hours.  No wonder the guy is chasing his tail and managing from crisis to crisis while dealing with our phone calls. . .

 

Stan

Considering that Phil had spent many weekends driving the smaller of the previous owner's trade stands around, then flying it solo at exhibitions, this seems shabby treatment.

 

The Nim.

[Greenmodelmonkey]

Considering that Phil had spent many weekends driving the smaller of the previous owner's trade stands around, then flying it solo at exhibitions, this seems shabby treatment.

 

The Nim.

I got the distinct impression the previous owner was on a different page and came across as rather arrogant with broken commitments and promises to me.... so attitude put me right off when business came up for sale (opening a can of worms comes to mind, so backed off).

 

Think things will change for the better now Phil is at the helm!

Edited March 17, 2018 by Greenmodelmonkey

[hayfield]

I think we all have views on how we would run a business, half the time we see the glamorous side only, not late nights filling up packets. Or the time it takes redoing something, or the customer who states some of his order is missing when you know all was packed and double checked. Still that all part of running a business whether its a corner shop or specialist trader, and something factored in within the pricing structure. 

 

Still if multinationals cannot get it right, what hope is there for the small trader. Just try ones hardest and smile

[roythebus]

Speaking of midnight packing sessions, when I used to run GS Models in the 1970s my then wife and I were busy packing a new bus kit late at night when suddenly her waters broke, signalling the birth of our first son...drop the kits, get to hospital.