MODELMASTER UK - Order delays

[Mallard60022]

16 minutes ago, Dan Griffin said:

At least I'm not the only one. I ordered and paid for 1 set of transfers over 9 weeks ago, and nothing. Although i do get the weekly moaning email about how busy he is. 
i have used model master for years but i fear i will never again.

whilst i understand delays with covid etc, he sent an email saying he had over 400 orders since Christmas. If he works a standard 5 day mon-fri week, over 9 weeks, thats an average of only 10 orders a day to post. That doesn't seem a great deal considering orders from one-man-band shops on Etsy supply quicker. It wouldn’t be so bad but when you have customers stock waiting and their waiting, it makes it worse. I sincerely hope things get sorted. I don’t want to have to go through an independent to claim monies back. 

Can I suggest politely that you take a step back. The situation is complicated. I have known Jim for a very long time; trust me.

Phil

[Dan Griffin]

7 minutes ago, Mallard60022 said:

Can I suggest politely that you take a step back. The situation is complicated. I have known Jim for a very long time; trust me.

Phil

Thats fine, and any situation he’s in he has my sympathy. I have been a customer of his for years. 
however there is no need to be rude to customers in email responses. People are bound to chase up orders when they've spent their hard earned money on them. 
Just my opinion, but if the situation is that complicated, shut the website for a while until things calm down, and allow himself breathing room to catch up. 

[Colin_McLeod]

17 minutes ago, Dan Griffin said:

Just my opinion, but if the situation is that complicated, shut the website for a while until things calm down, and allow himself breathing room to catch up. 

 Or alternatively pay someone to help clear all outstanding work.  That may eat into net profits but that's a reality of a busy business.

[Mallard60022]

Some of you lot really need to take those words back as you don't know what is up with JIm. It will become evident and then maybe you will eat some humble pie. There but for the grace etc.  

P

Edited March 6, 2021 by Mallard60022
Post referred to deleted thus I deleted my part response..

[cctransuk]

1 hour ago, Mallard60022 said:

Some of you lot really need to take those words back as you don't know what is up with JIm. It will become evident and then maybe you will eat some humble pie. There but for the grace etc.  

P

 

It has already been stated that sympathies are with him in whatever situation he finds himself.

 

Those who are close to him could do worse that to ensure that his (potential) customers are kept advised - privately if necessary.

 

You are correct - those concerned "don't know what is up with Jim" - that is the problem from their perspective.

 

Keeping information confidential is praiseworthy, but practical help to relieve him of his responsibilities to others would be more useful at this juncture.

 

John Isherwood.

[Ben Alder]

This last year has been hard for everyone and people respond to extreme circumstances in different ways so this should be taken into consideration before passing judgment or attempting to run their businesses for them. At the end of the day its is model railways, not a life or death situation, and transfers at that, not large sums taken and never seen again as per another individual seems to have done. He is still supplying goods as best he can, in difficult circumstances, to the best of his abilities and therefore perhaps exercise a bit extra patience until things begin to return to a sense of normality. I would hate to see this turn in to a Falcon brass moment all over again, something that would have a far bigger impact on the hobby as a whole than that range vanishing.

 

[Bucoops]

My most recent order (January 1st) arrived Friday. All good this time - everything there.

 

A questions related to transfers - now I have some of the larger packs they don't fit in my divided plastic storage case - I think I need a single A5 sized hard box of some kind - what do others use?

 

Thanks

[ikcdab]

54 minutes ago, Bucoops said:

My most recent order (January 1st) arrived Friday. All good this time - everything there.

 

A questions related to transfers - now I have some of the larger packs they don't fit in my divided plastic storage case - I think I need a single A5 sized hard box of some kind - what do others use?

 

Thanks

Polypockets in a ring binder.

Easily sorted and easily found when wanted...

[Bucoops]

36 minutes ago, ikcdab said:

Polypockets in a ring binder.

Easily sorted and easily found when wanted...

 

Thanks, that sounds a good idea. I think I'd prefer a case with sides all around though as I don't have a permanent workshop or shelves to keep things on so it needs to be something I can move around and put things on if that makes sense? 

 

Something like this I guess but UK supplied? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/File-Storage-Box-Clear-Plastic-Document-Case-Desk-Paper-Organizer-Transparent/283282203139

[Steamport Southport]

2 hours ago, Bucoops said:

 

Thanks, that sounds a good idea. I think I'd prefer a case with sides all around though as I don't have a permanent workshop or shelves to keep things on so it needs to be something I can move around and put things on if that makes sense? 

 

Something like this I guess but UK supplied? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/File-Storage-Box-Clear-Plastic-Document-Case-Desk-Paper-Organizer-Transparent/283282203139

 

Look in places like The Works. They normally have loads of stuff like that.

 

 

 

Jason

[Metr0Land]

Update from Modelmaster received today:

 

Good Morning,

 

Since the latest 'lockdown' started ten weeks ago, I've had the equivalent number of orders that I normally get in five months, and some stocks, already depleted because of Printers & Etchers also being in lockdown, makes for delays in sending them out.

 

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT LARGE STOCKS OF REPRINTED AND NEW TRANSFERS ARE ARRIVING TOMORROW, WITH A FOLLOW UP ORDER IN

ANOTHER TWO WEEKS!  NAMEPLATES WILL ALSO FOLLOW IN TWO - THREE WEEKS!
 

Now, this is why I need your help -

Understandably, some customers get frustrated, but what has caused me REAL problems recently was the replacement of our oinline Email system, which had to be completely reinstalled with greater security after attempts to 'hack' into my emails.

 

Some customers will STILL only communicate with me by email.  (phone calls average three minutes, reading and answering emails averages twenty minutes), but the job took longer than expected, and I could not read emails for about three weeks between 18th February and 11th March.

 

When I could read emails again, all of the 'missing' ones appeared, but there are too many to answer individually.

(just under five hundred)

 

Since I don't use Facebook, Twitter, etc., could someone please help me to spread the word about why I didn't reply? I would be grateful, as I really DO want to get all orders fulfilled as soon as possible, but am being hampered by complaints to Paypal and Ebay, replies to which take about thirty minutes per 'case' and are holding back the real work of getting you all supplied as quickly as possible.

 

I'm in the office (still alone) most days between 10am and 9pm and am sending out between 20 - 35 orders per day,

so I expect to have most orders completed by the end of the month.  Some of the earlier ones not delivered are

waiting for new transfers / nameplates to arrive, so hopefully there'll be a more rapid 'catch up' with them

when the new transfers & nameplates arrive.

 

Remember, I still have a dedicated two hour 'phone slot' between 11 and 1 every weekday to answer your questions or take telephone orders.

 

Best regards to you all,

 

Jim Grindlay

 

[Dan Griffin]

All, an update from Jim. 
 

posting as he does not use RMweb

[cctransuk]

1 hour ago, Metr0Land said:

Update from Modelmaster received today:

 

Good Morning,

 

Since the latest 'lockdown' started ten weeks ago, I've had the equivalent number of orders that I normally get in five months, and some stocks, already depleted because of Printers & Etchers also being in lockdown, makes for delays in sending them out.

 

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT LARGE STOCKS OF REPRINTED AND NEW TRANSFERS ARE ARRIVING TOMORROW, WITH A FOLLOW UP ORDER IN

ANOTHER TWO WEEKS!  NAMEPLATES WILL ALSO FOLLOW IN TWO - THREE WEEKS!
 

Now, this is why I need your help -

Understandably, some customers get frustrated, but what has caused me REAL problems recently was the replacement of our oinline Email system, which had to be completely reinstalled with greater security after attempts to 'hack' into my emails.

 

Some customers will STILL only communicate with me by email.  (phone calls average three minutes, reading and answering emails averages twenty minutes), but the job took longer than expected, and I could not read emails for about three weeks between 18th February and 11th March.

 

When I could read emails again, all of the 'missing' ones appeared, but there are too many to answer individually.

(just under five hundred)

 

Since I don't use Facebook, Twitter, etc., could someone please help me to spread the word about why I didn't reply? I would be grateful, as I really DO want to get all orders fulfilled as soon as possible, but am being hampered by complaints to Paypal and Ebay, replies to which take about thirty minutes per 'case' and are holding back the real work of getting you all supplied as quickly as possible.

 

I'm in the office (still alone) most days between 10am and 9pm and am sending out between 20 - 35 orders per day,

so I expect to have most orders completed by the end of the month.  Some of the earlier ones not delivered are

waiting for new transfers / nameplates to arrive, so hopefully there'll be a more rapid 'catch up' with them

when the new transfers & nameplates arrive.

 

Remember, I still have a dedicated two hour 'phone slot' between 11 and 1 every weekday to answer your questions or take telephone orders.

 

Best regards to you all,

 

Jim Grindlay

 

 

Now that is the way to communicate - oh that such information had been made available from the outset.

 

John Isherwood.

[Daddyman]

2 hours ago, Metr0Land said:

(phone calls average three minutes, reading and answering emails averages twenty minutes)

Odd. In the days when I still used Modelmaster he used to want to chew the fat for 30 or 40 minutes on the phone; it was me trying to end the call so he could get back to work! 

[Colin_McLeod]

He doesn't use Facebook, Twitter etc

He doesn't do RMweb

He takes 20mins to do an email

He is only available two hours per day for his three minute calls.

He has not taken on any help.

It takes three weeks to upgrade his email.

He is asking others to tell everybody his problems because he "doesn't do" facebook etc.

He claims that he is "hampered" by people complaining about his service.

 

Sorry if I am unsympathetic.

 

[Darius43]

4 minutes ago, Colin_McLeod said:

He doesn't use Facebook, Twitter etc

He doesn't do RMweb

He takes 20mins to do an email

He is only available two hours per day for his three minute calls.

He has not taken on any help.

It takes three weeks to upgrade his email.

He is asking others to tell everybody his problems because he "doesn't do" facebook etc.

He claims that he is "hampered" by people complaining about his service.

 

Sorry if I am unsympathetic.

 

 

Is that a zoomed in picture of the world’s tiniest violin?

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[John M Upton]

I am still utterly stumped by Modelmaster.  He announced he was winding down and stopping it a few months back, something about running for Parliament or something?!?

 

It is this flim-flam indecisive busines "strategy" that has completely put me off ever using them ever again.

[cctransuk]

20 minutes ago, Colin_McLeod said:

He doesn't use Facebook, Twitter etc

He doesn't do RMweb

He takes 20mins to do an email

He is only available two hours per day for his three minute calls.

He has not taken on any help.

It takes three weeks to upgrade his email.

He is asking others to tell everybody his problems because he "doesn't do" facebook etc.

He claims that he is "hampered" by people complaining about his service.

 

Sorry if I am unsympathetic.

 

 

He really does need a computer-savvy assistant.

 

John Isherwood.

[Oldddudders]

41 minutes ago, Darius43 said:

 

Is that a zoomed in picture of the world’s tiniest violin?

 

Cheers

 

Darius

As used by that well-known string quartet Straddy & The Various. 

[Colin_McLeod]

1 hour ago, Darius43 said:

 

Is that a zoomed in picture of the world’s tiniest violin?

 

Cheers

 

Darius

 

No its a picture from a distance of two miles of the world's largest violin lol

[John M Upton]

1 hour ago, cctransuk said:

 

He really does need a computer-savvy assistant.

 

John Isherwood.

 

And a decent website.  The current one (supposedly new but looks remarkably like the old one it apparently replaced) is a mess with many images of the products on offer, missing.

[JohnR]

I find it hard to believe that it takes him 20 minutes to reply to an email? 

[Firecrest]

On the plus side at least something has been said, so we're not as much in the dark as we were, let's try and stay positive.

 

I'm in the same boat as many as you incidentally, I've been waiting just shy of three months for a set of Hall plates and was on the verge of going to Trading Standards when I searched on here for Modelmaster, which stayed my hand. I'd tried to call but kept getting 'mailbox is full' messages, and no email reply (we now know why...). I suspect many of those who've complained don't have the knowledge of our forum...

 

Anyway, I'll sit on my hands and wait... and finally get that blasted thing off the workbench when they turn up

 

Chris

[Darius43]

I gave up on Modelmaster having ordered two sets of decals, receiving only one and having my requests for the second set that I had paid for ignored.

 

Two other providers of decals offer professional websites and fast and competent service as far as I am concerned.

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[caradoc]

3 hours ago, Colin_McLeod said:

He doesn't do RMweb

 

If he did, he would probably think 'why do I bother' and shut the business down. Not making excuses for the slow service some have clearly received but I have never had a problem with Modelmaster, and their range of transfers has been extremely useful to me.