POWSides - patience is rewarded.

[Worsdell forever]

As it was my comment on Stephen's thread that started this discussion I thought I had better reply here, I ordered two sheets of transfers on (I think) 3rd May, a couple of weeks later I emailed and got no response and the same two weeks later, but, today they arrived!!! with a little note apologising for the delay in dispatch. All is good again.

 

 

 

Now, where did I put them GN wagons that were ready to letter???

[Compound2632]

As it was my comment on Stephen's thread that started this discussion I thought I had better reply here, I ordered two sheets of transfers on (I think) 3rd May, a couple of weeks later I emailed and got no response and the same two weeks later, but, today they arrived!!! with a little note apologising for the delay in dispatch. All is good again.

 

 

 

Now, where did I put them GN wagons that were ready to letter???

That's good to hear. I'll wait patiently a while longer - though I'm beginning to feel the pressure on my H&P wagon fleet...

[Lewis Cree]

I've just received one of the two Printed wagon kits that i ordered back in April.

I got a note in the Package saying:

 

0285 Bolsover still to follow.

We have had a technical problem with a batch of transfers which we are replacing.

Our apologies for the delay.

 

I think this may explain the wait on orders. Although it seems like this may be a recurring theme by the looks of it.

 

Hope this helps.

[Worsdell forever]

Yaaay!

 

[Compound2632]

Patience is rewarded. I ordered some L&Y wagon transfers on 25 June, these arrived today together with the unpainted kits I'd ordered. A note was enclosed explaining that they were still waiting on the Huntley & Palmers transfers that were the other item on my April order. (Can't imagine why there would have been a run on those...) So all is well and I'm changing the thread title.

[timbowilts]

given the posts above it's a shame that I'm still awaiting my order placed back in April.

 

Why can't he even respond to emails when that is one of his suggested methods of chasing up on order progress?

 

I doubt if I will deal with him again if I ever get my order fulfilled

 

Frustrated of Calne

[Compound2632]

given the posts above it's a shame that I'm still awaiting my order placed back in April.

 

Why can't he even respond to emails when that is one of his suggested methods of chasing up on order progress?

 

I doubt if I will deal with him again if I ever get my order fulfilled

 

Frustrated of Calne

 

My impression is that they were reluctant to ship a part order - from their point of view I can see that this would eat into no doubt already slim margins. Placing a new order led to them shipping the items they had in stock from my previous order. We've grown too used to next day delivery and forget the constraints under which a cottage industry works. That's why I was all along reluctant to hassle them and would rather probe the collective wisdom to find out if there was anything amiss. If my H&P project is delayed a few months, I've plenty else to get on with.

[LooseHead]

Back in the dim and distant days when snail mail was the fastest ship in the dock, better suppliers would offer three options for items 'out of stock' - place on backorder, delete from order, or hold order until OoS item was available. I can well see that excessive use of the first option, with the senseless pricing structure now operated by the Postal Service, could soon send some traders to the wall. But it should not be beyond the wit of post-internet man to allow some method of indicating whether you want to wait for 100% availability, or receive those items that are available now and try again for those you didn't get. It's not much harder, with real-time stock level software, to actually make it impossible to order items that aren't in the bin. Of course mistakes always happen from time to time, but I can't help feeling the combination of up-front communication alongside choices for the prospective buyer actually contributes to a sensible business model.

Edited June 30, 2017 by LooseHead

[timbowilts]

RMWebbers I can now report that my order was waiting for me when I got home from work. Everything does come to those who wait but,oh, can he not polish his communication skills?

 

No longer frustrated of Calne

[Horsetan]

....can he not polish his communication skills?

 

Maybe he doesn't feel the need to.

[Jol Wilkinson]

RMWebbers I can now report that my order was waiting for me when I got home from work. Everything does come to those who wait but,oh, can he not polish his communication skills?

 

No longer frustrated of Calne

It's probably indicative of the small supplier's usual dilemma. Balancing production, developing new products, "marketing" and dealing with sales. Sometimes they have to scrimp on some activities which we have come to expect as "industry standard" based on the performance of the major multi national companies such as Amazon.

[agt613]

I've just ordered, and received with great promptitude, a 4mm Lochgelly set of transfers. They are made for the PS01 kit which is a Scottish end and side door wagon with those lovely round hinges over the top of the door end. I tried them out on an Oxford Diecast model which comes in grey as a NB wagon and in red with three different PO sides - all very good in themselves at £9.50. I sanded off the lettering, applied two coats of red oxide paint, and then a coat of gloss varnish just on the sides. The transfers themselves are only for the lettering; the background colour must be in place first. They will present no problems to those who used Letraset in the 60s and 70s. Four years at university studying town planning, which my dearly beloved regarded as a degree in colouring-in, set me up not only for an easy ride but a trip down memory lane as the backing sheet bellied and curved as the letters came off one by one under pressure from a biro. I used masking tape along the top to keep the sheet in place while it bellied uncontrollably but the letters fitted nice and straight. One or two of the smaller letters pre-empted the pressure of the biro and fastened themselves down unaided, so watch out for that. There is a line with a triangle on to show the bottom of the wagon and the centre point but be careful it doesn't attach itself or, if it does, clobber it with a sharp knife. Any mistakes in the lettering can easily be lost (and were) under the liberal coat of grime (black paint much watered down) that followed matt varnish on top. I find a very light misting with an anthracite spray paint starts the process of killing the bright colour, especially white, and the paint completes the job with focus on the parts where the letters might have come astray. You can even lose whole letters if you like.

 

I'm looking forward to more, there are 18 Scottish POW sides to add to the Oxford three.

 

Graham

[Compound2632]

I've just ordered, and received with great promptitude, a 4mm Lochgelly set of transfers. They are made for the PS01 kit which is a Scottish end and side door wagon with those lovely round hinges over the top of the door end. I tried them out on an Oxford Diecast model which comes in grey as a NB wagon and in red with three different PO sides - all very good in themselves at £9.50. I sanded off the lettering, applied two coats of red oxide paint, and then a coat of gloss varnish just on the sides. The transfers themselves are only for the lettering; the background colour must be in place first. They will present no problems to those who used Letraset in the 60s and 70s. Four years at university studying town planning, which my dearly beloved regarded as a degree in colouring-in, set me up not only for an easy ride but a trip down memory lane as the backing sheet bellied and curved as the letters came off one by one under pressure from a biro. I used masking tape along the top to keep the sheet in place while it bellied uncontrollably but the letters fitted nice and straight. One or two of the smaller letters pre-empted the pressure of the biro and fastened themselves down unaided, so watch out for that. There is a line with a triangle on to show the bottom of the wagon and the centre point but be careful it doesn't attach itself or, if it does, clobber it with a sharp knife. Any mistakes in the lettering can easily be lost (and were) under the liberal coat of grime (black paint much watered down) that followed matt varnish on top. I find a very light misting with an anthracite spray paint starts the process of killing the bright colour, especially white, and the paint completes the job with focus on the parts where the letters might have come astray. You can even lose whole letters if you like.

 

I'm looking forward to more, there are 18 Scottish POW sides to add to the Oxford three.

 

Graham

 

They can be tricky but I'm learning - I found using some low-tack tape (WH Smith 'invisible tape') to hold the transfer sheet in place - even when doing a side as intended (rather than adapting it) I found it helped to cut the transfer sheet into smaller units. This post shows what I mean. It's vital to make sure the low tack tape doesn't come into contact with any of the lettering already applied!

[SteamAle]

The following was received 20 minutes after I sent my e-mail to him! Need we say more?

Hello Philip

Thank you for your message. No, we have most definitely not stopped trading but we stopped taking our sales stand to exhibitions nearly three years ago, most of our business now being carried out through our website. We have had some serious family health issues to cope with over the past year which disrupted production for a while but everything is back to normal again now.

We make most of our transfers and pre-lettered P.O. wagon kits to order nowadays and our range now covers over 1000 different liveries.

Regards

Robert

Robert Tivendale
Powsides

 On 2017-09-12 16:16, Philip Tuer wrote:

Hi Robert

I was told at Expo EM North at the weekend that you had stopped

trading. Is this correct as I would not like to pass on false

information?

[Penlan]

I ordered both pre-lettered 4mm kits and separate transfers a month ago and have had them in the post, as stated somewhere above, and on PowSides web pages, 'these are made to order - the items I ordered are in their current catalogue -  please allow up to 4 weeks for delivery'.
Any incidental emails twixt me and PowSides have been answered promptly.

Edited September 12, 2017 by Penlan

[Edwardian]

Ordered a pre-printed kit earlier in the year, or, possibly, last year.  Mountains were raised and then crumbled into dust, but, eventually it arrived.

 

A short time ago, I ordered another.  At some point, when I least expect it (or have forgotten I ordered it) it will doubtless arrive.

 

Slow, yes, but not so slow as, say BREXIT negotiations, and, I daresay, a good deal more certain.

 

Not as slow as my modelling!

[Edwardian]

Yaaay!

 

IMGP9993-001.JPG

 

I am intrigued.  I thought you modelled in 4mm.  I don't know of a GN 4-plank currently available in 4mm.

 

Bill Bedford at Mousa seems to have a resin 4-plank in the offing, but you can't order one from the website.

 

Is it 3D-printed? 

 

Could only find them in 2mm scale on Shapeways.

[Worsdell forever]

I am intrigued.  I thought you modelled in 4mm.  I don't know of a GN 4-plank currently available in 4mm.

 

Bill Bedford at Mousa seems to have a resin 4-plank in the offing, but you can't order one from the website.

 

Is it 3D-printed? 

 

Could only find them in 2mm scale on Shapeways.

 

It is a Mousa/Bill Bedford resin moulded 4mm kit, I bought it from him at Scalefour North this spring.

[Edwardian]

It is a Mousa/Bill Bedford resin moulded 4mm kit, I bought it from him at Scalefour North this spring.

 

Thanks.  That would make sense, as such a thing is clearly in the catalogue, but his website won't accept an order as it has no price!

 

I don't get out much, so I'll have to PM Mr B and ask nicely if he'll sell me one or two.

 

Anyway, nice job and sorry to take everyone off topic.

[Compound2632]

 

The following was received 20 minutes after I sent my e-mail to him! Need we say more?

Hello Philip

 

Thank you for your message. No, we have most definitely not stopped trading but we stopped taking our sales stand to exhibitions nearly three years ago, most of our business now being carried out through our website. We have had some serious family health issues to cope with over the past year which disrupted production for a while but everything is back to normal again now.

 

We make most of our transfers and pre-lettered P.O. wagon kits to order nowadays and our range now covers over 1000 different liveries.

 

Regards

 

Robert

 

Robert Tivendale

Powsides

 

 On 2017-09-12 16:16, Philip Tuer wrote:

Hi Robert

 

I was told at Expo EM North at the weekend that you had stopped

trading. Is this correct as I would not like to pass on false

information?

 

 

Thanks - sorry to hear that there had been family/health problems - exactly why I was reluctant to press POWsides without fishing on here first.  

[robmanchester]

Hi,

Anybody any news on POWsides current position with regard to fulfilling orders. Placed an order on 30th June ( just for 4mm transfers )after a couple of emails were quickly answered by Robert at POWsides. Nothing heard since despite two gentle reminders. Don't want to ask Paypal to get my monies back if Robert and family are struggling with the more important things in life. Anybody had orders delivered in the last two months or so ?

 

Rob

[NeilHB]

Rob,

 

I noted yesterday that there was a message on the front page - the recent heatwave has caused them a few problems - quote below taken directly from their homepage:

 

The very hot weather we are currently experiencing is disrupting our transfer production as the manufacturing process is adversly affected by high temperatures. Consequently, delivery times for most transfers and pre-lettered kits are taken longer than normally expected. We will be resuming normal production as soon as the weather breaks.

 

That was posted on the 20th July, so hopefully things will be up and running normally again soon.

[Compound2632]

Rob,

 

I noted yesterday that there was a message on the front page - the recent heatwave has caused them a few problems - quote below taken directly from their homepage:

 

The very hot weather we are currently experiencing is disrupting our transfer production as the manufacturing process is adversly affected by high temperatures. Consequently, delivery times for most transfers and pre-lettered kits are taken longer than normally expected. We will be resuming normal production as soon as the weather breaks.

 

That was posted on the 20th July, so hopefully things will be up and running normally again soon.

 

I suspect that had you received the transfers within a fortnight you would have been too wilting to apply them there and then! 

[Penlan]

Uhmn, I've had good service this year from POWsides, for kits, transfers and a new commission,

though I admit all received before the heat wave(s), but yes it has been mentioned by POWsides,

that they are unable to process transfers because of the heat.

[Rowsley17D]

Recent announcement.

 

 

19/09/18:

Owing to adverse manufacturing conditions during the Summer heatwave and a worrying close family health issue over recent weeks our transfer production has been very seriously disrupted over the last three months. Whilst we are now trying to catch up with outstanding items, new orders for transfer packs and pre-lettered kits are currently subject to a long delay with delivery times 4-6 weeks longer than normal. Please bear with us through this difficult time and only place an order if you are prepared to wait for delivery. We hope our situation will be back to normal as soon as possible.

Please also note that we are not taking any further new commissions until further notice.

The above does not apply to our unlettered kits which we can supply as normal.