rapidoandy Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 Evening everyone! I'm pleased to say we are getting a little closer to our UK launch: See you on Tuesday 1st December at noon! Andy 7 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted November 27, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 27, 2020 Cash only? Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 5 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said: Cash only? Mike. Free, or feel free to donate something in a couple of months if you feel like it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozzer models Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 Paypal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 Bitcoin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted November 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2020 Barter, Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted November 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2020 14 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said: Cash only? 14 hours ago, woodenhead said: Free, or feel free to donate something in a couple of months if you feel like it. 12 hours ago, mozzer models said: Paypal 11 hours ago, woodenhead said: Bitcoin 2 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said: Barter Do I need to listen to the video to understand what you lot are on about? 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozzer models Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 (edited) 2 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said: Do I need to listen to the video to understand what you lot are on about? There having problems opening a UK bank account As a Non UK Ower with Covd 19getting in the way Edited November 28, 2020 by mozzer models 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daltonparva Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 2 minutes ago, mozzer models said: There having problems opening a UK bank account As a Non UK Ower with Covd 19getting in the way They can pay everything into my account if it helps, and chase me if they want anything out. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted November 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2020 I know I am a little slow on these things, but does the MO (railway telegraphic code for Maidstone East, hence that route is the Barley Mow, and was Boat Train Route No 2) sign on the wall tell me where Andy lives? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted November 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2020 32 minutes ago, Oldddudders said: I know I am a little slow on these things, but does the MO (railway telegraphic code for Maidstone East, hence that route is the Barley Mow, and was Boat Train Route No 2) sign on the wall tell me where Andy lives? And don't forget it was CTR 3 as well (although I only went over it once on a Eurostar) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted November 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2020 41 minutes ago, mozzer models said: There having problems opening a UK bank account As a Non UK Ower with Covd 19getting in the way Yes but it ain't that difficult - if Accurascale (Irish owned) can do it and Bachmann (Chinese owned) can do it there shouldn't be a problem - but that does mean they have to register as a business in the UK. And surely it would be helpful for consumer protection (if nothing else) if they did register as a business in the UK - there's already one model railway company trading in Britain and quoting Canadian rules at its customers (not that I am, for one minute, comparing Rapido with what amounts to a largely unknown quantity in business terms). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Andy W Posted November 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2020 Now, without knowing who Accurascale or Bachmann bank with, there are banks that exist both in the Irish Republic and the UK (Allied Irish Banks comes to mind). Bachmann Europe is a plc, registered in the UK, and has been around a very long time (since 1989) and the regulations were different then, but in any case there were banks that existed both in Hong Kong (where parent Kader Industries was based in 1989) and the UK - notably HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation in long form). Maybe the same applies with Canada, but if it doesn't this may explain some of the delay. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 Actually, I do know someone who could help and he doesn't reside in Bootle. He has experience and lives in a Parochial house..... With acknowledgement to http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3p8vfp for the meme. 1 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdvle Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said: Yes but it ain't that difficult - if Accurascale (Irish owned) can do it and Bachmann (Chinese owned) can do it there shouldn't be a problem - but that does mean they have to register as a business in the UK. And surely it would be helpful for consumer protection (if nothing else) if they did register as a business in the UK - there's already one model railway company trading in Britain and quoting Canadian rules at its customers (not that I am, for one minute, comparing Rapido with what amounts to a largely unknown quantity in business terms). Sadly, you are incorrect. Yes, Rapido have registered a UK business for Rapido UK. But it is difficult at the moment to open a business account - if you look at the other thread* the banks in the UK have stopped opening business accounts as they try and deal with Covid-19 fallout, further complicated by that fact that Jason or other Rapido people cannot travel to the UK to deal with paperwork. Which is why Rapido have made an appeal, both in their North American newsletter and via video from Andy, for anyone who can help them get past the current problems. * - 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidoandy Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 Hello everyone. As you would expect we are fully registered in the UK as Rapido Trains Ltd. In its simplest form the problem is that most mainstream UK banks are currently not taking new business customers. I have been given a few reasons, some relating to staffing and operations during the Covid pandemic, whilst one high up person in a certain bank has explained its related to the Bounce Back loan scheme and issues with people being less than honest. Either way the result is they wish to focus on their existing customers during these unusual times and have suggested we talk to the New Year (it has been ongoing since September when I started). There are a number of ‘online’ banks ie those with no real high street presence. Likewise these have been more willing to help now - but they in turn have been more likely to be put off by our Owners being in Canada. Even the banks based in both the UK and Canada have been unable to help. We have a few leads to follow up a d our recent plea has seen a few well placed people come forward to help us. I can’t comment on other manufacturers but I think it’s fair to say they did t have the Covid issue causing mayhem so are not to comparable. Our view was that with Christmas and everything else approaching we are very unlikely to get our account sorted along with having the time to test our systems and still launch our new range. This lead to the decision to announce our product range next month and then follow up with ordering after that. We will keep everyone posted. Until then we are getting more and more excited about our announcement on the 1st December. Take care, Andy 1 1 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rapidoandy Posted November 28, 2020 Author Share Posted November 28, 2020 Oh - yes I am a Maidstone lad. I have a real interest in the railways in and around the surrounding area - one day there may even be a book. Other than a decade in Leeds I have always lived in the area. Andy 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike Bellamy Posted November 28, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 28, 2020 1 hour ago, rapidoandy said: As you would expect we are fully registered in the UK as Rapido Trains Ltd. The company was first registered in May 2018. See Companies House (ref 11390655) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Bazza Posted November 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2020 I can certainly confirm that banks appear to be really slow working at present. It took months for a new business account to be set up with our present bank which was needed because a charity changed its status to a CIO and therefore needed a different account. We were an existing customer and the whole process was protracted with very long waits for someone to speak to about progress, which was excruciatingly slow. They could not look after their existing customers let alone deal with new ones! I can only sympathise with Rapido. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSpencer Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 3 hours ago, rapidoandy said: Oh - yes I am a Maidstone lad. I have a real interest in the railways in and around the surrounding area - one day there may even be a book. Other than a decade in Leeds I have always lived in the area. Andy I used to do the Maidstone toy fair in the mid 1990s so maybe we already met. I'm originally from Gillingham but moved away 23 years ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted November 28, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 28, 2020 Seems incredible you can’t set up a business bank account in U.K. at moment . You would have thought we would be trying to grow the economy . That said, I can appreciate there could well be a good few fraudsters out there trying to claim Covid grants /relief . looking forward to the launch 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke_stevens Posted November 28, 2020 Share Posted November 28, 2020 No one has commented that the picture on the t-shirt seems to be the prototype HSDT power car... Hopefully it means it is back on table... So, at the moment they don't need a bank account as I'll keep saving until it is ready Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted November 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2020 As well as Covid, the UK banking sector is a bit obsessed with Brexit right now. I moved to France in 2004 - from Cranbrook, near Maidstone! - and Barclaycard have been happy to have me as a customer until 2020, when they insisted that I must have a UK residential address...... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold scottystitch Posted November 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2020 4 hours ago, rapidoandy said: Oh - yes I am a Maidstone lad. I have a real interest in the railways in and around the surrounding area - one day there may even be a book. Other than a decade in Leeds I have always lived in the area. Andy Hello Andy, Can I just ask do Rapido UK's pland include british N gauge, or will it be OO only? Best Scott. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted November 29, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 29, 2020 13 hours ago, scottystitch said: Hello Andy, Can I just ask do Rapido UK's pland include british N gauge, or will it be OO only? Best Scott. As the man says, all will be revealed on Tuesday....... Rob. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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