Jump to content
 

The Hereford Model Centre


GaryHN
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi everyone,

Just want to let people know about the awesome service from The Hereford Model Centre, I ordered a class 105 in BR blue from them on the day they came in stock. Item arrived today down in Tasmania!!!! Total cost 64 GBP including postage!!!!! Also in the box was a little not to let you know they had tested it!!!! That is awesome service. Not sure if to cancel my order for a Class 85 with another shop and use The Hereford Model Centre.

That testing bit really made it for me as have had to send locos back or fix myself due to postage costs!!!!.

Once again Thanks to the lovely staff at The Hereford Model Centre. One very satisfied customer.

Gary in Tasmania!!!!

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

That's interesting to know as I'm in the 'States.......

One of my concerns in doing a British layout is the thought of getting defective goods and doing the old to & fro business.....

Do you have a link to them?

 

Best, Pete.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Their website - http://www.herefordmodels.co.uk/

I used to visit this place with some frequency when I lived in Bath, and could never fault them. One time, when I dared imply that they might not have had a particular item in stock, the owner insisted on showing me their maze of a stockroom. No risk of this place not having the room for something!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I have ordered several items over the years from Hereford Model Centre and they do give excellent service. I am looking forward to visiting in the new year all the way from Australia. I dont think I will come out empty handed either, not planning to. I also have a relative there and it was 20 years ago when I last visited. So Hereford and surrounding area is certainly one place worth a visit in the UK, not only for the Model Shop. I might get some comission from the Hereford tourist board or what!

 

Mark In OZ

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I have always found the service from this business to be excellent.

To the point where I have started to order more with these guys than my favourite box shifter.

I also find their prices better too.

 

Every order so far has arrived the day after ordering and I do like the running checks they do.

You even get a little certificate confirming its been tested and by who.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 11 months later...

About 1000 yesterday I ordered their 3 exclusive Bachmann TTA wagons. Had the Postman bothered to ring the doorbell, instead of putting a card through the door, I would have had them at 0820 today ! As it is, I have them now, so their service is superb (as was the much-maligned Post Office, except for the final link in the chain).

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm using them because of the fact they test models before shipping, saves any hassle in sending defective ones back. Prices are as good , if not better,than Hattons, although perhaps not surprisingly, their website is not as comprehensive . I also find that they tend to have items in stock after they've gone out of stock elsewhere. There are still some Hornby granges in stock and an LNER A3

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

I have not bought anything from them via mail order but have bought items from them at shows and in their shop. Visited. Few weeks ago and picked up a very well priced Farish class 47. The shop is a bit of a maze with shelves full of items from N scale to G gauge from railways to kits and Scalextric. A lot of secondhand railway items aswell. A real well stocked shop that you tend not to see much these days in the UK.

 

PS - There are some good pubs in Hereford and the shop is on the way from the station to some of these pubs.

 

Ian

Edited by roundhouse
Link to post
Share on other sites

I just noticed that my post was in November last year. So that means I visited Hereford in May this year and yes I did manage to visit the shop. As I was with my cousins, I could not spend too much time there as we were to be somewhere for lunch. It seemed a very nice shop. I came out with nothing because I spent a bit at the Bristol ModelRly Exhibition a few days before.

As I said earlier excellent service.

 

Well worth the visit.

Mark in OZ

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
  • RMweb Gold

Just wonder why the website has just told me its 28 June 2004, 17 : 48 Doesn't inspire to venture further

Put your fears behind you. Appearances can deceive--and,in this case,do. Their service is competitive---Dapol 22's at £99.95 plus £3:00 p&p----secure and fast. Ordered !8:30, 17th 01/2012, delivered a.m. 19/01/2012 tested before posting ,working a treat on layout. Every order this year exactly the same--be it new Horby B1's ,Heljan Baby Deltics,Lion. You are missing out if you don't give them a try. Me--I'm just a happy customer !!
Link to post
Share on other sites

Put your fears behind you. Appearances can deceive--and,in this case,do. Their service is competitive---Dapol 22's at £99.95 plus £3:00 p&p----secure and fast. Ordered !8:30, 17th 01/2012, delivered a.m. 19/01/2012 tested before posting ,working a treat on layout. Every order this year exactly the same--be it new Horby B1's ,Heljan Baby Deltics,Lion. You are missing out if you don't give them a try. Me--I'm just a happy customer !!

 

Agreed. There website might not be great but there service is.

 

I have had a lot of locos over the year each with a certificate that says it has been tested.

 

Never had to return any.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 8 months later...
  • 4 months later...

My first experience of them is faultless. Ordered Heljan 128 yesterday afternoon, good price and postage cheaper than most. Arrived this morning before 10am, so thanks HMC & Royal Mail.

Liked the note inside advising testing carried out in store before despatch. Not had that before.

 

Steve

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

My first experience of them is faultless. Ordered Heljan 128 yesterday afternoon, good price and postage cheaper than most. Arrived this morning before 10am, so thanks HMC & Royal Mail.

Liked the note inside advising testing carried out in store before despatch. Not had that before.

 

Steve

Yes they test locos before despatch which is actually quite time consuming when you consider the various types of packaging employed and the ease or otherwise of removing the model. Still this is a valuable service and they should be commended for this action. As far as I am aware it's only Hereford that do this.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

I asked them about the Bachmann Blue Pullman when they came out and how much postage was to Australia.  They said it would have to be divided into two for cheaper postage.  I knew that could be a concern if one was lost.  I did get worried as the 2nd parcel arrived 10 days later.  I was about to email them when the parcel arrived.  All tested and ran very well and cheaper postage.

 

definitely will use them again and hopefully visit them too.

 

Mark in OZ

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Based on the glowing reviews above I placed an order with them from overseas.  I'm very sorry I did.  What a joke!

 

The shop still had domino dot Graham Farish Class 40s in stock for £56.50.  That's an older release of this model but a good price and given who knows now when Bachmann will release a new Farish 40, I ordered one.

 

When ordering online with this shop, you can type in comments so I specifically requested the model be examined and tested so that it was free of flaws.  I received the model promptly in a very well packed parcel and no damage was evident to the parcel or to the model's box proper and inside the model's box was tucked a nice little note that said that H. Smith had tested the model on 22 July, 2014.

 

Unfortunately, one of the bogie side frame assemblies had a completely busted rear clip - the crucial bit which keeps the side frame attached to the model - it was completely cracked though and flopping about, useless and unrepairable.  And one of the yellow nose ends had an large ugly glop of glue right on top.

 

Bottom line - you'd have to be completely blind to miss the obvious problems on the particular model that was sent to me.  The problems it had were not caused in transit - they clearly were there all along and if indeed H. Smith tested the model before it was sent to me then all I can say is that from my personal experience he doesn't know what he is doing and that little note that said the model was tested was complete bunk.

 

I decided not to reach out to this shop to explain and complain.  Why should I have to go through the hassle that I know will follow based on my prior experience with other shops?  That's just not worth doing anymore to me.  I had a spare bogie side frame and even a spare nose end for this model so I simply fixed it.  It does at least run well.

 

I will not buy anything from Hereford Model Centre again.  Based on the comments in this thread I was hoping I'd be able to support another small shop.  Lord knows I've tried to support small shops but like most others (not all, however), Hereford Model Centre is just another small shop that has let me down.  Everyone talks about how you get better service from small shops but I cannot agree.  For Pete's sake, this shop knew this was the first time I'd ordered from them - you'd have thought they would have tried to make a good first impression!  This experience might very well be the final straw for me to simply just place all my orders with Hattons.  As big as they are, I have always received superb service from Hattons.

 

What a pity.

 

Matt

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

HMC is one of the best shops I ever use, either over the counter or by mail order. Every shop will make some mistakes but HMC should not be castigated if a purchaser does not follow up a 'difficulty' to get it resolved. HMC may well have provided something for the trouble caused.

I know the shop itself can be a little 'entertaining' in its' organisation and that a 'Saturday' youngster is often given 'boring' tasks (perhaps checking?) but don't shoot them down if they have not had a chance to put things right.

An example of their customer service is:

I saw at the Donny show I think it was, a pile of 'pre owned' SR/BRSR loco's but couldn't buy any at the time. I emailed them a week or so later and asked if there were any left and noted ones I would like. Someone got back to me after a couple of days to tell me that they had had to dig them out of the 'exhibition stock' at the very base of the store room, had sorted BRSR ones and which ones would I like. Needless to say I purchased a few.............. and they said thanks to me!!!!!!

I also use Hattons and they may be a bit more organised but hey, give HMC a chance to respond.

Phil

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...