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Hattons Spring bargains, are they really bargains?


GWR-fan
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No disrespect intended towards the store as it is my only source of many, many (perhaps too many) purchases,  but their latest Spring bargain temptations just do nothing for me.  Perhaps I have been spoiled by their past bargains which were just too tempting to resist.  I received multiple emails detailing the latest offerings,  took a quick look and then deleted them.  Have I reached bargain burnout?  I am so disillusioned with constantly rising retail prices that bargains just are not bargains anymore.  What were once only recently normal selling prices are now bargain discounts.  Combine this with no updated pre-owned listings for a week, it has been a well needed addiction withdrawal process from eagerly reaching into my wallet.  Perhaps they are doing my wallet a favour.   

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12 minutes ago, lofty1966 said:

Several of their goodies are available elsewhere for less.

Gotta shop around.

 

For UK buyers shopping around does pay dividends,  however, in my case goods need to be shipped to Australia.  I have dealt with many of the big boys and as soon as Hattons accepted PayPal payments some years ago I have not dealt elsewhere (apart from securing several unbeatable bargains at model Railways Direct a month ago).  Hattons offer unbeatable shipping costs downunder and one is able to work out exactly how much a purchase will be including shipping before taking the plunge.  Several stores that I dealt with you need to await an invoice for shipping and the rates are usually not as competitive as Hattons are.  Also,  some stores do not offer VAT discount nor offer PayPal as an alternative so using a credit card incurs an additional international monetary charge on the sale.

 

I remember the days when Bachmann Mk1 coaches were thrown out the door at GBP12.00 each and Bachmann 4-CEP sets at GBP69.00 each and that is only around six years ago.   Prices these days are more like triple these costs and still considered a bargain. 

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1 hour ago, GWR-fan said:

For UK buyers shopping around does pay dividends,  however, in my case goods need to be shipped to Australia.  I have dealt with many of the big boys and as soon as Hattons accepted PayPal payments some years ago I have not dealt elsewhere (apart from securing several unbeatable bargains at model Railways Direct a month ago).  Hattons offer unbeatable shipping costs downunder and one is able to work out exactly how much a purchase will be including shipping before taking the plunge.  Several stores that I dealt with you need to await an invoice for shipping and the rates are usually not as competitive as Hattons are.  Also,  some stores do not offer VAT discount nor offer PayPal as an alternative so using a credit card incurs an additional international monetary charge on the sale.

 

Rails are cheaper, they take off VAT and they accept PayPal. The one thing is that they don't calculate shipping at checkout, it's priced at cost; but I've not found their shipping to Switzerland to be onerous.

 

I've also had good experience with KMRC and Derails (I don't think that I've used PayPal with them though).

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4 minutes ago, truffy said:

 

Rails are cheaper, they take off VAT and they accept PayPal. The one thing is that they don't calculate shipping at checkout, it's priced at cost; but I've not found their shipping to Switzerland to be onerous.

 

I've also had good experience with KMRC and Derails (I don't think that I've used PayPal with them though).

 

Rails was my personal choice for years before Hattons offered PayPal as a payment method.  I always received excellent service from Rails but find the unknown shipping cost until checkout and the cumbersome search software enough of a turnoff to not make me return.  I used Kernows several times and would continue to use them only if they offered PayPal.  The credit card imposes an additional cost around $10.00 Aud which to me is an unnecessary cost.  That said the service from the store was exceptional and I do regularly look at their limited edition commissioned stock and their bargains but that credit card burden turns me back to Hattons.  I am growing old and comfortable with Hattons and find it like an old sweater that is not perfect but fits so comfortably and is always my personal choice.

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For me in the USA, Hattons is still the way to go. Both Rails and Hattons take off the VAT for me. I can receive my orders from them in about a week with their default cheap shipping. For Rails, it is hit or miss on when I will get their order and their shipping is usually double of Hattons. I average about 2-3 weeks before I receive a Rails order. Rails though, seem to be getting new releases faster than Hattons as of recently and do update when stuff will be coming.

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2 hours ago, GWR-fan said:

 

For UK buyers shopping around does pay dividends,  however, in my case goods need to be shipped to Australia.  I have dealt with many of the big boys and as soon as Hattons accepted PayPal payments some years ago I have not dealt elsewhere (apart from securing several unbeatable bargains at model Railways Direct a month ago).  Hattons offer unbeatable shipping costs downunder and one is able to work out exactly how much a purchase will be including shipping before taking the plunge.  Several stores that I dealt with you need to await an invoice for shipping and the rates are usually not as competitive as Hattons are.  Also,  some stores do not offer VAT discount nor offer PayPal as an alternative so using a credit card incurs an additional international monetary charge on the sale.

 

I remember the days when Bachmann Mk1 coaches were thrown out the door at GBP12.00 each and Bachmann 4-CEP sets at GBP69.00 each and that is only around six years ago.   Prices these days are more like triple these costs and still considered a bargain. 

I live in Canada.

I use whoever is good on price at the time.

Hattons, Rails, Model Railways Direct have all been used one time or another.

Rails were 20 quid cheaper on the 1361 so that's where I headed.

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1 hour ago, GWR-fan said:

 

Rails was my personal choice for years before Hattons offered PayPal as a payment method.  I always received excellent service from Rails but find the unknown shipping cost until checkout and the cumbersome search software enough of a turnoff to not make me return.  I used Kernows several times and would continue to use them only if they offered PayPal.  The credit card imposes an additional cost around $10.00 Aud which to me is an unnecessary cost.  That said the service from the store was exceptional and I do regularly look at their limited edition commissioned stock and their bargains but that credit card burden turns me back to Hattons.  I am growing old and comfortable with Hattons and find it like an old sweater that is not perfect but fits so comfortably and is always my personal choice.

Rails of Sheffield also take Paypal.

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These bargains are being pushed hard, regularly on Facebook and emails as separate offers, and recently combined to the Spring bargains as mentioned and I think Eastern Region bargains.

 

That being said, the four or five I was interested in were all cheaper around Christmas or today from elsewhere and in some cases significantly so.

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36 minutes ago, dpgibbons said:

I'd add that Hattons deduct VAT from their pre-owned stuff for non-EU buyers whereas Rails (via their eBay store) do not - and eBay adds another 10% GST for Australian buyers. 

 

Yes, I am a big devotee of Hattons pre-owned stock.  A daily ritual (well more nightly due time zone differences) is to check for the day's uplift of pre-owned stock.  I have a few catch phrases to input the search program so that even if the pre-owned list is not updated for the day if new items are available but not "official" then the search software finds them.  My only "complaint" with the Hattons pre-owned list is if a loco or coach is removed from a trainset then the site still lists the weight of the item as the full trainset weight and not that of the actual item.  An example a loco removed from a set weighing around 500 gms would cost me around GBP4.60 or possibly GBP6.50.  Alas,  when the full trainset weight is displayed on the site the actual shipping cost would need to be a courier and the cost could be GBP30.00 upwards.   Similarly,  if a loco body only is listed the weight on the site reflects the full weight of the loco itself and not the actual weight of the body alone.  I have missed many good bargains over these issues.

 

As regards Rails eBay store I used that often until the GST was applied.  An employee at the store,  Ben,  was brilliant to work with.  If I was interested in the contents of say a trainset then normally Royal Mail limitations prohibited its shipping,  but Ben and others would kindly repackage the items to a suitable size for postage.

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2 hours ago, GWR-fan said:

 

Rails was my personal choice for years before Hattons offered PayPal as a payment method.  I always received excellent service from Rails but find the unknown shipping cost until checkout and the cumbersome search software enough of a turnoff to not make me return.  I used Kernows several times and would continue to use them only if they offered PayPal.  The credit card imposes an additional cost around $10.00 Aud which to me is an unnecessary cost.  That said the service from the store was exceptional and I do regularly look at their limited edition commissioned stock and their bargains but that credit card burden turns me back to Hattons.  I am growing old and comfortable with Hattons and find it like an old sweater that is not perfect but fits so comfortably and is always my personal choice.

 

my CC charge a high 2.75% on foreign tranactions however, it still works out cheaper than Paypal. They give the mid-market exchange rate and Paypal give a lower rate closer to a bureau de change.

OK for small purchases but on big ticket stuff avoid Paypal!

 

I was surprized recently on a used Rails purchase by VAT being shown at the full rate of 20%. Quite often businesses use the margin scheme for used items where VAT is accounted for on the difference between the puchase and retail price. This is not reclaimable by the purchaser nor is shown separately on the invoice.

Edited by maico
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24 minutes ago, truffy said:

 

How odd. I find the Rails search/filter far superior to Hattons'. Indeed it is true that YMMV.

 

When Rails announced its intention to release the search programme several years ago it asked for any input.  Along with many I responded that the search was not self explanatory and was cumbersome compared to the then existing search programme which I enjoyed using.  That was the last time I used Rails.  Similarly,  I do not like the beta Hattons programme but then my search needs are basic and I input key words only in the simple search bar on the website and then troll through what could be hundreds of items as I like to see the pre-owned stock as well as new stock.  Sometimes the search reveals pre-owned items that do not display when selecting the pre-owned sub-heading.  

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3 minutes ago, maico said:

 

my CC charge a high 2.75% on foreign tranactions however, it still works out cheaper than Paypal. They give the mid-market exchange rate and Paypal give a lower rate closer to a bureau de change.

OK for small purchases but on big ticket stuff avoid Paypal!

 

I agree the buying exchange rate is always worse for the buyer than the selling rate.  When using an "American company" credit card,   such as Mastercard,  in say the UK,   I believe that the amount is converted to American dollars first and then to the local currency of the buyer, in my case Australian dollars,  thus two exchange rates are encountered.  Thus apart from any additional expenses with exchange rates their is the international monetary charge.  I find PayPal to be convenient and simple to use and not being the owner of a mobile phone I am unable to receive a verification pin number on a phone to transact a purchase so that is an additional complication.  I refuse to own a mobile phone, but that is a personal choice.

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Another tip to save money if you are using Amazon International sites is to tick pay by credit card on checkout in the local currency. They try to guide you towards either Amazon's own payment channel or credit card in your own currency. Both use Amazon's poor exchange rate. So, if I use Amazon.de I pay in euros and my credit card company (Mastercard) bills me in that.

Amazon and Paypal make billions from these intermediary charges.

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10 hours ago, AlexHolt said:

More expensive than they are from other retailers. Nothing that really stands out either. The bargain section of Rails has much better deals.

I've by no means been through their full list, but several of the Hornby steam locos at least are considerably cheaper at Kernow. As I said, this may not apply to everything.

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I want to thank Hattons and others for discounting items. I have rarely paid full price for a locomotive or rolling stock thanks to the practice. Which in turns means I can purchase more products than I could if I paid full price for each 

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I have  just  purchased  a  Hornby 2 HAL EMU  and  a  Heljan    Metropolitan  Bo-Bo Electric  loco  from a  well known  Lancashire  retailer  for  a Tiny Smidgin over £200 inc postage,

I have  dealt with Hattons   since  the  early 70s  but sadly  these days  my purchases  are  relatively  small and a lot  less frequent.  The inability  to  purchase  Bachmann 00 & 009 items  from Hattons, has not  helped either

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14 hours ago, Stevelewis said:

The inability  to  purchase  Bachmann 00 & 009 items  from Hattons, has not  helped either

It hasn’t done either party any good. Hatton’s website was the place to go to check for releases that had got under the radar. It was also good at supplying some sort of estimate of availability dates. With a leading manufacturer gone, that is no longer the case. From Bachmann’s point of view, the loss of the biggest (probably) retailer in the country can’t be good either. Convenience and postage matter. If some modelling odds and ends can only be obtained from a given retailer, then it makes sense to me to order the latest goodie from the same retailer, provided, of course, that the price is right.

 

I am aware that some retailers offer free postage. A boon to those who want six shiny locos a month but can only afford two.

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3 hours ago, No Decorum said:

It hasn’t done either party any good. Hatton’s website was the place to go to check for releases that had got under the radar. It was also good at supplying some sort of estimate of availability dates. With a leading manufacturer gone, that is no longer the case. From Bachmann’s point of view, the loss of the biggest (probably) retailer in the country can’t be good either. Convenience and postage matter. If some modelling odds and ends can only be obtained from a given retailer, then it makes sense to me to order the latest goodie from the same retailer, provided, of course, that the price is right.

 

I am aware that some retailers offer free postage. A boon to those who want six shiny locos a month but can only afford two.

I don't think Bachmann or the other retailers are concerned that Hattons aren't able to stock their products any more.

 

There are plenty of other retailers stocking Bachmann and Hattons are now in competition with a lot of alternative types of retailer when it comes to Hornby as toy shops/model shops are more likely to stock Hornby alongside Airfix and Scalextric than Bachmann.

 

Now if Hattons could made something of the other gap in the UK market - continental models and US models then perhaps they could gouge a new market for themselves, I reckon people would flock to them over imports.

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21 hours ago, GWR-fan said:

I did find one bargain, a Southern wartime black Oxford Rails class 415 Radial tank.  Then next day Rails announce a Hornby wartime black Radial for GBP69.50.   Do I need two Radials?

 

Well I'm on 6 radials now thanks to this. 4 of them 488 in various guises.

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