It had to happen - Olivia's - get them now rather than later

[Chrom]

Olivia’s Trains Notification

Polite Notice to Olivia's Customers

Due to recent changes in the economy affecting the euro to pound rate we are regretfully having to increase the price of our sound decoders. We have seen an increase in 25% so unfortunately some of this will have to be passed on to our customers. We have avoided increasing the price for as long as possible and it is with deep regret that we are having to increase the price but we are absorbing 10% and only increasing our price by 15% for customers.

From Nov 1s the price of our sound decoder will rise from £100 to £115. Postage on sound decoder only orders will still be free of charge. Our fitting charges will remain the same.

We are pre-warning our loyal customers of this price increase to give you an opportunity to place any orders you may be wanting to place at the old sound decoder price of £100. This old price will be valid until 23.59pm on 31st October.

Orders can be placed in all the usual formats including phone, email and website. As long as we receive the order and payment before Nov 1st we will only charge £100 for the sound decoder.

[woodenhead]

What about disloyal customers?

 

Will this impact Hattons as well who use Olivia's Trains for their sound decoder currently at about £122 fitted.

[Barry O]

Brexit ...

[pauliebanger]

Strange, considering that there is no price increase shown at South West Digital, the UK distributor of ESU decoders.

[micklner]

 So the pound has lost 25% in value?

[colin penfold]

So the pound has lost 25% in value?

1.40 Euro to 1.05 Euro = exactly 25%

[alfsboy]

For once the pounds fall has actually helped me as I get paid for some of my work in euros .I kicked my self for going with euros but its paid off  now .As ever as I model US H0 any gains are wiped out by the price increase of the dollar .At least I have most of the goodies I need  to work on my layout .What has made it  even worse  is the huge mail price Americans demand on ebay these days .

[njee20]

1.40 Euro to 1.05 Euro = exactly 25%

Except the exchange rate is 1.12 and on 23rd June it was 1.31... so yes, your maths is faultless, just irrelevant

[colin penfold]

Except the exchange rate is 1.12 and on 23rd June it was 1.31... so yes, your maths is faultless, just irrelevant

Yes but on 28th August it was 1.05 and less than a year ago it was 1.40. Those are both rates I got personally on actual transactions. Thanks for your interjection, however faulty.

[Oakydoke]

1.40 Euro to 1.05 Euro = exactly 25%

Actually that isn't correct.

The fall has been around 12.5%.

 

Over the last 5 years, the pound has only been above £1.00 = €1.28 during 2015. A year when confidence in the Euro was at an all time low due to problems in the Eurozone (e.g. Greece, Spanish economic and political problems etc,) and a period when the £ was considered to be riding too high.

 

Here's some historical exchange rates.

 

31/12/14. £1.00 = €1.28

01/01/16. £1.00 = €1.36

01/03/16. £1.00 = €1.28

01/05/16. £1.00 = €1.27

01/06/16. £1.00 = €1.28

 

The day before the referendum 22/02/16. £1.00 = €1.30

 

The fall in the £ since then will be damaging and prices are going to be higher. Only to be expected with the degree of uncertainty at the present time.

 

Today (20/10/16) the exchange rate is £1.00 = €1.12

 

25% is way off the mark.

[njee20]

Yes but on 28th August it was 1.05 and less than a year ago it was 1.40. Those are both rates I got personally on actual transactions. Thanks for your interjection, however faulty.

But that's nonsense. the exchange rate has never been £1:€1.05. Some bureaux de changes in airports were doing €1:85p a couple of weeks ago, but that doesn't mean there's been a 40% drop in the pound.

 

What you get charged on a transaction is not the same.

[blueeighties]

Strange, considering that there is no price increase shown at South West Digital, the UK distributor of ESU decoders.

Yet.

[Stevelewis]

Its  inevitable  that ' our Model Railway'  prices  will increase we  are  just seeing  the  Tip  of  the  Iceberg now

 

I buy quite  a bit  of  Kato items  and  their  prices increased by around  20% a couple  of  weeks  ago.

[micklner]

I think shopkeeper needs to go to the naughty room . I have never used them due to the prices , don't think that will change   

 

 

Good info re the pound .

 

 

Wonder what rate it will be when the Euro self implodes which wont be long off, Greece is getting another part of their bail out soon which will never be repaid .    

[47606odin]

I think shopkeeper needs to go to the naughty room . I have never used them due to the prices , don't think that will change   

 

 

Good info re the pound .

 

 

Wonder what rate it will be when the Euro self implodes which wont be long off, Greece is getting another part of their bail out soon which will never be repaid .    

 

i stopped using them as they won't deduct VAT for non EU customer...and Biffo's sounds are better and cheaper than Olivias

[colin penfold]

But that's nonsense. the exchange rate has never been £1:€1.05. Some bureaux de changes in airports were doing €1:85p a couple of weeks ago, but that doesn't mean there's been a 40% drop in the pound.

What you get charged on a transaction is not the same.

You bandy around words like nonsense as if you are the world expert then you say stupid things.

 

The rate you get on transactions is exactly what retailers will get when they buy things in Euros.

 

I will not indulge in further conversation with you until you learn to be polite.

[ELTEL]

Only used them once, I have to say I had a problem which they rectified.

 

But like others I am distrustful of the percentage increase.

 

I will continue to use Leggo biffo & DC Kits

 

Terry

[colin penfold]

So the pound has lost 25% in value?

[81C]

Put your handbags away boys and girls this is a friendly forum, I think.  

[Derekstuart]

Cause of exchange rates falling:

 

Pixies at the bottom of your garden.

 

Or perhaps a mixture of "quantitative easing" being 5% of the GDP each year for 5 years?

 

Or perhaps effectively nil interest rates.

 

Or perhaps even a mixture of all three.

 

Really, this is elementary economics. Go and look at the historic foreign exchange charts for the past 25 years. Simplistic summary:When Lehman Bros. went belly up, investors sought a safe haven- money went to Britain- Sterling goes up. 2008/9 Britain now suffering the same as US- Sterling goes down. 2010, tories promise to re-balance economy and print lots of money. Sterling goes up with increased confidence. 2014 acceptance that QE has failed- Sterling goes down. With the 1.8Tn qe just announced by ECB we will see the euro do the same, though I doubt investors (the real drivers of the exchange rate) will wait for years in this case as nerves are up, patience is down.

 

Brexit ...

 

Throughout the ages people have assumed correlation means causation. The King Canute's tide fable, pre-Copernican "science". Perhaps "I cleaned my windows this morning and now it is raining. It thus follows that cleaning windows causes rain."