Morley Controllers

[Benbow]

Hi

I am considering a Morley controller as the price seems very good for what you get and at the moment they are offering them with no VAT increase. Does anyone have experience of them? I have a mix of older locos Airfix, Mainline, Hornby and latest Hornby, Bachmann. I am looking for decent slow running. Have considered DCC but the cost of conversion and difficulty on some of the older locos has put me off. They are all steam types. Any info gratefully received.

Roger

[Theakerr]

I must admit to being a bit concerned about their service. I live in Canada and was very interested in their products. I have sent two e-mails asking if they could substitute a 110V transformer so that I could use it over here. They have not replied to either e-mail. I am afraid this leaves one with rather a negative impression.

[robgregson1]

My dad bought a dual controller from them for his n gauge layout. It is excellent. Good speed control, built in cdu and two walk about controllers. Service was spot on. Also sell cheap toggle switches.

[Benbow]

Thanks Rob that sounds encouraging. They certainly seem good value for money

Roger

[Linesman]

Hi Roger,

 

I have recently acquired a Morely Vector Zero Two controller.

 

It's a very nice piece of kit and excellent value. It is a dual controller (non-feedback) with auxiliary 12V DC and CDU outputs. It is compact and well-made and comes with a pair of hand-held controllers that you can optionally plug into the main unit for 'roaming' control. All my motive power (mostly newer Bachmann steam outline) runs nicely with it.

 

I would recommend the Vector Zero Two unreservedly.

 

The only downside is Morely's customer communications (or rather lack thereof). I placed my order on their website and received no confirmation email (other than a WorldPay payment receipt) or estimated delivery date. When I asked them about this, I received a rather terse email saying that they considered it a waste of time 'duplicating the WorldPay confirmation'. After several more days I emailed them asking when I might expect delivery to which I received no response. The unit arrived the following day.

 

So in summary, great product but let down by poor customer relations.

[Benbow]

Hmmmmm that's a pity, two reports of bad customer relations. Makes me wonder what would happen if there is a problem with the controller. All very well having a guarantee but if you have to fight to get it acknowledged it's not much good. I can't understand why some manufacturers and indeed dealers are so off hand with customers.

Thanks for your input

Roger

[shortliner]

I must admit to being a bit concerned about their service. I live in Canada and was very interested in their products. I have sent two e-mails asking if they could substitute a 110V transformer so that I could use it over here. They have not replied to either e-mail. I am afraid this leaves one with rather a negative impression.

Since you are in Canada - it might be worth trying to get hold of a guy called Ken Stapleton - He makes Varipulse controllers and sells them on ebay as well as direct. It is a handheld unit and you add it to your own transformer - I have one (in UK) and it is a superb DC controller This page has his address - but the site link does not work

http://www.classixau...docs/851_06.DOC

[Kenton]

I can't understand why some manufacturers and indeed dealers are so off hand with customers.

Same old reasons, it is a small company that dedicates what time it has available to sending out its product and possibly answering real queries.

Another impatient email is only going to annoy the seller, and use valuable time, especially when the item is in the postal system. Most small traders just don't have the resources or the profit and turnover to dedicate someone to customer service.

 

In the past buyers were more patient and didn't expect things to happen over night. Amazon has a lot to answe for for raising unrealistic expectations.

[Linesman]

Same old reasons, it is a small company that dedicates what time it has available to sending out its product and possibly answering real queries.

Another impatient email is only going to annoy the seller, and use valuable time, especially when the item is in the postal system. Most small traders just don't have the resources or the profit and turnover to dedicate someone to customer service.

 

In the past buyers were more patient and didn't expect things to happen over night. Amazon has a lot to answe for for raising unrealistic expectations.

 

With all due respect I don't think it's unreasonable to expect an aknowledgement of the order, and order number and an estimated delivery date.

 

I needed to know approximately when my order would be delivered so that someone would be there to sign for it.

 

Does that somehow make me guilty of having 'unrealistic expectations'?

[Pannier Tank]

With all due respect I don't think it's unreasonable to expect an aknowledgement of the order, and order number and an estimated delivery date.

 

 

Quite right.

[Kenton]

Does that somehow make me guilty of having 'unrealistic expectations'?

I'm afraid so.

No seller can guarantee a delivery time or day unless they are using a courier ... and even then ... Even amazon don't seem to be able to do it. We all do it though we sign up for next-day, or we get so involved with this new instant gratification of the internet and expect the world to revolve around us in the same way.

 

I include myself in that - I placed an order at the beginning of last week from a well-known model railway supplier I have done quite of business with. I placed an order by email (no shopping cart for them) In the past they normally respond within 24 hrs, by email or telephone, to say the order has been processed/ in the post. No reply, and I was starting to have a panic, did my email order arrive, is there a problem, But I told myself not to be so impatient. If I had sent the order by post, I'd still be no wiser and still be waiting. The order arrived in full yesterday.

 

Perhaps it is just my age, and the fact I have worked with many small businesses and have had the pleasure of being one myself, but I know the way things used to work was just fine and still do work that way. Customer expectations are often totally unrealistic.

[Linesman]

I'm afraid so.

No seller can guarantee a delivery time or day unless they are using a courier ... and even then ... Even amazon don't seem to be able to do it. We all do it though we sign up for next-day, or we get so involved with this new instant gratification of the internet and expect the world to revolve around us in the same way.

 

I include myself in that - I placed an order at the beginning of last week from a well-known model railway supplier I have done quite of business with. I placed an order by email (no shopping cart for them) In the past they normally respond within 24 hrs, by email or telephone, to say the order has been processed/ in the post. No reply, and I was starting to have a panic, did my email order arrive, is there a problem, But I told myself not to be so impatient. If I had sent the order by post, I'd still be no wiser and still be waiting. The order arrived in full yesterday.

 

Perhaps it is just my age, and the fact I have worked with many small businesses and have had the pleasure of being one myself, but I know the way things used to work was just fine and still do work that way. Customer expectations are often totally unrealistic.

 

Perhaps it's just your age?

 

I'm 52. I've been running my own business full time since 1987.

 

There seems to be some perception amongst the old lags that British railway modellers must accept second best, second rate, slack and unprofessional service.

 

If Morley (or whoever) are serious about being in business then they should act professionally and put their customers first,

 

I don't care how good their product is. If they treat me like I'm some sort of annoyance, I will not do business with them again.

 

I wasn't expecting an exact delivery time, just a rough estimate and that they would tell me when it was on its way.

 

 

If you hadn't noticed Kenton, we are no longer living in the past.

[Coombe Barton]

My dealings with Morley - placed an order - got acknowledgement - controller arrived. No probs.

 

They deal with 230v countries - not 110v - that would be a more expensive special. and I'm not surprised that they don't do it.

 

Agree with Kenton regarding responses.

[branchie]

Surely a simple acknowledgment of an order is the least you should have expected linesman. I think that your requests were extremely reasonable and you should have been given them as an act of common courtesy.

[Linesman]

My dealings with Morley - placed an order - got acknowledgement - controller arrived. No probs.

 

They deal with 230v countries - not 110v - that would be a more expensive special. and I'm not surprised that they don't do it.

 

Agree with Kenton regarding responses.

 

If they don't do 110V, don't you think they could have taken the time to make a brief and courteous reply to that effect?

[Coombe Barton]

We are going over and over ONE person's non-communication. I have had query andswered promptly and then after ordering the goods delivered promptly. How they run their business is up to them, but I'm satisfied with my dealings with them.

[Linesman]

We are going over and over ONE person's non-communication. I have had query andswered promptly and then after ordering the goods delivered promptly. How they run their business is up to them, but I'm satisfied with my dealings with them.

 

Well no actually. If you read through the thread you will find that Theakerr and myself have had problems communicating with Morley. That's TWO.

 

How they run their business is indeed 'up to them' but don't expect the customers to put up with it.

[Coombe Barton]

How they run their business is indeed 'up to them' but don't expect the customers to put up with it.

 

Then don't buy from them.

[Linesman]

Then don't buy from them.

 

I will certainly not in future.

 

I can forgive most shortcomings in trade, but being curt and obviously indifferent to your customers' needs and expectations is just unforgivable.

[bertiedog]

I cannot possibly comment on why Morley did not explain, but supply of electrical goods for use in other countries is a very complex legal and regulation nightmare, especially for a small company. The solution is however in the hands of the 110 volt user, a stand alone 110 to 240 volt auto transformer, which you plug in the 110 volt mains, and it has plugs for the 240 volt equipment.

 

As long as equipment is not frequency dependant it will work fine.

 

But modifying the controller with a new transformer internally, would require Canadian or US electrical specifications to be meet, radio interference tested, safety tested, insulation tested, and approval certification sought from the authorities in each country. It is complex and very expensive to do this, which in the EU , we have an advantage of being a standard market for approvals, very different in supplying Canada or the US, the US in particular use the regulations to reduce imports from foreign suppliers, (except from countries they "approve of" and regularly import from, like Korea or Taiwan.

[bertiedog]

And I should add to the original enquiry that a friend uses Morley controllers with no problems at all, well built units in a fairly limited market these days. No controllers are inexpensive these days, but these remain good value for the build standards.

Stephen

[Kenton]

We have had the same discussion on another thread regarding another supplier.

 

It also revolved around the failure of the supplier to engage with the internet to the same level as internet savvy customers and their standards of communicative expectation.

 

.. and yet another on the MRJ thread regarding them not using the internet.

... and probably plenty of others too.

 

The fact is that many of these suppliers are old, set in their ways, and have very limited time or capital to invest in what is in reality a hobby not a true business.

 

We here are all internet regulars - we interact using a forum and probably buy nearly everything on-line, paying bills and goodness knows what else. But there are still many people out there (possibly more elderly than young - though I know a few youngsters) who do not use the internet or ever want to. That is their choice. We cannot force the way we do things on them or they simply turn their backs on us, and rightly so.

 

If you don't like the way someone does business then live with it or find an alternative - but please stop using RMWeb to sound off negatively about them (in general), because some of us who are quite content with the way a supplier chooses to do business, do not want to see a perfectly good supplier loose business or think it is not worth their trouble in supplying our hobby needs. Or one day we will wake up and find there is nothing left but the Gaugemasters and Hornbys and Hattons of this hobby.

[Linesman]

We have had the same discussion on another thread regarding another supplier.

 

It also revolved around the failure of the supplier to engage with the internet to the same level as internet savvy customers and their standards of communicative expectation.

 

.. and yet another on the MRJ thread regarding them not using the internet.

... and probably plenty of others too.

 

The fact is that many of these suppliers are old, set in their ways, and have very limited time or capital to invest in what is in reality a hobby not a true business.

 

We here are all internet regulars - we interact using a forum and probably buy nearly everything on-line, paying bills and goodness knows what else. But there are still many people out there (possibly more elderly than young - though I know a few youngsters) who do not use the internet or ever want to. That is their choice. We cannot force the way we do things on them or they simply turn their backs on us, and rightly so.

 

If you don't like the way someone does business then live with it or find an alternative - but please stop using RMWeb to sound off negatively about them (in general), because some us who are quite content with the way a supplier chooses to do business, do not want to see a perfectly good supplier loose business or think it is not worth their trouble in supplying our hobby needs. Or one day we will wake up and find there is nothing left but the Gaugemasters and Hornbys and Hattons of this hobby.

 

I could not have been more positive about their product on this thread if they had paid me. It really is a great little controller.

 

I'm not expecting Amazon-like levels of speedy service, just some kind of human contact.

 

I didn't care whether the item would arrive in 2 days or 20 days. I just wanted some kind of acknowledgment that the order was received and in the works. I really don't think this has anything to do with the suppliers level of engagement with the Internet. They could have phoned me or sent a letter if they'd wanted to.

 

It all comes down to how you treat your customers. With care and personal service, or plain indifference. The Internet hasn't changed that.

[Markeg]

Hi Roger,

 

I bought a Morley a few years ago and it is a very nice piece of kit. When I had a bit of trouble with a short, they fixed it very promptly. As I am In Australia, we have a distributor & agent here. Communication was excellent. It takes some time to get used to the control knobs as there is no off switch such as Gaugemaster, it is just centre off. The fan makes a little bit of noise too. I will eventually box it in and hoepfully cut down the noise.

The Hand helds are great feature and are about a metre long.

 

Mark

[Theakerr]

Folks,

Since i am the one who lives in Canada, I would like to clarify a couple (or more points). 1. Benbow asked for feedback and I provided my experience. 2) I will not buy from this supplier because of my personal experience. 3) and most significant, if one has a web page I EXPECT to recieve a response to an electronic communication. There are suppliers who have decided that the electronic media is not the way they want to go and ask for a letter. I respect that position and I will send them a letter.

 

Thanks Shortliner, Will follow up