News from Cooper Craft/Blacksmith/Slater's/Kirk LNER/Mailcoach Kits.

[M.I.B]

 Received by email server does not mean that they have been READ

 

It could simply be anything from abandonment of the server or email address right up to actively ignoring you.

 

Just like the snail mail postal system never assume a message sent has actually been read or even received by the addressee until a reply or acknowledgement has bent sent back to you. Maybe the replies are even being lost by your email host?

I have sent emails from three different accounts with three different hosts...............

 

and he couldn't put pen to paper either in 14 months..................

 

 

 

 

Please dont try telling me again that:

 

I am too hasty in expecting a reply.

 

The guy needs a break because he might be on holiday or ill.

 

I should be thankful that someone puts effort into producing kits and  he shouldn't be faulted.

 

 

I am not alone in having spent money via his website and not received goods, or an answer, email, letter or had a phone call answered.

 

I am not in the country on the date of his next show booking, and even if I was, I wouldn't drive all that way to remonstrate with him at a show.

[Kenton]

 

I have sent emails from three different accounts with three different hosts...............

 

and he couldn't put pen to paper either in 14 months..................

 

 

 

 

Please dont try telling me again that:

 

I am too hasty in expecting a reply.

 

The guy needs a break because he might be on holiday or ill.

 

I should be thankful that someone puts effort into producing kits and  he shouldn't be faulted.

 

 

I am not alone in having spent money via his website and not received goods, or an answer, email, letter or had a phone call answered.

 

I am not in the country on the date of his next show booking, and even if I was, I wouldn't drive all that way to remonstrate with him at a show.

I do sympathise with your predicament and the apparent lack of communication skills from him. However, there is often a complete lack of understanding displayed on here (and other forums) about exactly how emails are sent and delivered (let alone if they are actually read)

 

A classic example that happens all too frequently is the use of a "freebee" email account aka hotmail, gmail, (others available) then the person changes the address and fails to link old with new or fails to update ALL occurrences. This is sometimes required when the old email falls foul of extreme spammers. The one-man-band type of business generally has little IT knowledge. So customers get messages to the old email server but the seller never sees them as he is busy using another email account. If at all.

 

I suspect (only suspect) in this case you are either being ignored or are in his junk email box (effectively same thing) and in both cases any amount of further emails is a complete waste of effort. You need to revert to recorded/SD snail-mail to get your message to him.

 

It is very unlikely that he reads this forum, I would have expected some response if he did, so no matter how much the complaint is made here it is just failing to get any message delivered to this supplier. I don't know the guy personally otherwise I would have a word in his ear on your behalf. I have only spoken to him at a couple of shows where my opinion was very much along the lines that he had taken on more than he could cope with probably paying far more than the business is worth or could return. (ie requires a full time job to pay the bills, leaving only a small amount of time for the business which takes second place to family) Sadly a very common way things go in all walks of life.

[Talltim]

People moan about small suppliers not using the internet to sell. I am firmly of the opinion that unless you are going to do it properly you are better not doing it. Definitely don't sell from a website unless you can maintain it properly.

I would much prefer a simple list website than a e-commerce site that has not stock levels and allows you to pay without the non-IT literate suppliers even realising an order has been placed.

I wonder if there is a place for something like Walthers in the UK? They deal with all sorts of small suppliers and seem to do OK. This would take all of the customer ordering pressure off the small suppliers, they just need to batch produce for the distributor to retail/distribute. Sadly I suspect there isn't the profit in it to keep it going in the UK. I also don't know whether they pay suppliers up-front or sale-or-return. Even if it was sale-or-return I can't see if being any worse for suppliers to have stock sat with the distributor than in their house.

[pete_mcfarlane]

I wonder if there is a place for something like Walthers in the UK?

Mainly Trains used to fill that role. but they drastically cut back their range about 5-6 years ago. It made things a lot easier and more straightforward - your bits either turned up or you got a refund.

[M.I.B]

This company produces a great range of excellent kits and parts.  Many uniqu eto this company, and highly sought after.

 

 

 

But it is badly run.

 

 

 

I would advise anyone wanting what stock he seems to have left, to physically put your paws on it at a show, and hand over cash or your card.

 

Phone and internet orders - the delivery of your goods is uncertain, to be polite. I am certainly not alone in experiencing this.

 

I, and many others who have expressed similar feelings to me via this site, all hope that someone can rescue these ranges and run the company properly in the future.

 

 

 

A shame.

[teaky]

Re: Kenton's comment "It is very unlikely that he reads this forum, I would have expected some response if he did...".  I agree.  It was Kits from Somerset (aka Paul who owns Coopercraft) who started this thread though so he must read RMweb at intervals.  However, his last response appears to be October 2013.

 

Kenton's suggestion of recorded delivery snail mail sounds sensible to me M.I.B. but there would be no harm in trying to PM him too even if that does risk it disappearing into his e-mail black hole.

 

It would be a shame if these kits were lost to us.

 

Anyone live in Taunton?

[M.I.B]

 

Kenton's suggestion of recorded delivery snail mail sounds sensible to me M.I.B. but there would be no harm in trying to PM him too

I have PM'd andf emailed him.   I can't send recorded mail from here,only letters and cards, and that would be a waste of a stamp.

 

His company is going down the tubes, and he's selling off what stock he has left at the shows he can afford to attend.

 

Please can someone rescue this company and run it properly, selling the kits we want to buy. 

[Oldddudders]

 

Anyone live in Taunton?

I believe there was a substantial RMweb presence in that very town only yesterday. However, doorstepping the chap en masse might have effects everyone would regret......

[Kenton]

 

His company is going down the tubes, and he's selling off what stock he has left at the shows he can afford to attend.

Sadly, I think you have got it right with that comment. This deterioration has been ongoing for a while. Several of these kits used to be stocked by model shops and other re-sellers at shows. From what I have gathered most of these outlets are in the same position as joe public and if they are having re-stocking issues then it is looking terminal.

 

 

 

Please can someone rescue this company and run it properly, selling the kits we want to buy.

It is never that simple, or we would all do it.

 

Many of these kits are very old and undoubtedly the moulds for them are well life expired. Producing new moulds is EXPENSIVE (very expensive) and not really for the small operator with little to invest. I suspect that the problems indicated are not just machine related. The individual businesses were possibly purchased with more heart than head and very little expert advice taken. Often as a result the business goodwill is over-valued and the stock and capital items inflated so that the seller (often retiring after years of expertise) gets the 'pension' he sees as his life investment. When the dust settle the buyer finds all is not well with the ship. Further financial investment is required to sort things out and the business goes into a rut it rarely recovers from. Also running a business takes more skill that just turning the handle or simply dispatching stock on time in exchange for money. Very few businesses seek advice when they need it, at the start, instead of when things go wrong (which is so often about 18months into the game when taxes fall due and money is running out.

 

So these kits may well go the same way as so many others with no one with bottomless pockets to raise them from the ashes for our benefit. It would probably be better to start from scratch than go out of your way to inherit someone else's problems.

[Horsetan]

.... individual businesses were possibly purchased with more heart than head and very little expert advice taken. Often as a result the business goodwill is over-valued and the stock and capital items inflated so that the seller (often retiring after years of expertise) gets the 'pension' he sees as his life investment. .....

 

See Crownline, etc.

[pete_mcfarlane]

See Crownline, etc.

 

The Blacksmith range had survived one such encounter by the time it ended up with Cooper Craft. It doesn't look hopeful that it will survive a second.

[Coombe Barton]

I posted this on 30th November in this topic - post 74 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/66297-news-from-cooper-craftblacksmithslaterskirk-lnermailcoach-kits/?p=1245819

 

As far as I know nothing has either changed or progressed.

 

Maybe we see him at ExpoEM, maybe we don't.

[Adams442T]

Cooper Craft is listed as appearing at expoEM on the 17th/18th May, but I wouldn't hold your breath......................

[David Bigcheeseplant]

Paul at Coopercraft called me a few weeks ago confirming he would be at Railex

[Nile]

You'll probably find more of his kits for sale on the members sales stand, sadly.

[Shadow]

According to his status, he hasn't logged in on RMWeb for quite awhile. At least, not with his old user name.

 

[Horsetan]

You'll probably find more of his kits for sale on the members sales stand, sadly.

Oh, the Bring and Buy....

[Kenton]

 

The Blacksmith range had survived one such encounter by the time it ended up with Cooper Craft. It doesn't look hopeful that it will survive a second.

Oddly enough this range has the best prospect of the phoenix rising as it is not quite so dependent on major investment as the Coopercraft/Kirk kits which are heavily into moulding. However, now it is "all one company" it would prove difficult to break up.

 

I can only see the list growing. The old one-man expert who invested a great deal of time for little return does not appeal to the instant profit approach desired by the next generation of entrepreneur. It also is now far more demanding to run any business than it used to be - just look at the mess IT alone can bring to any business.

[Jol Wilkinson]

Many of these kits are very old and undoubtedly the moulds for them are well life expired. Producing new moulds is EXPENSIVE (very expensive) and not really for the small operator with little to invest. I suspect that the problems indicated are not just machine related. 

I think that the moulds for the Slaters products at least are probably still in good condition. I had been informed that the problems related to the moulding machine being somewhat unsuitable for the moulds he had acquired (I was given rather more technical detail but have forgotten it)

 

 Oddly enough this range has the best prospect of the phoenix rising as it is not quite so dependent on major investment as the Coopercraft/Kirk kits which are heavily into moulding. 

 

 While that would seem logical, I believe that he had set out to "upgrade" the the designs - at least for the LNWR kits - which would involve designing new tooling and more expense. The obvious move would have been to re-introduce them as is, with the promise of a later upgrade if anyone wished to wait.

 

However, given the delay since he took over the range as well as the other issues, I don't hold out much hope for anything happening soon.

[Horsetan]

.... - just look at the mess IT alone can bring to any business.

...or indeed any level of government, local or national. Or public service....

[M.I.B]

if he is going under, and as long as costs ( petrol & hotels) aren't too steep, there is a high probability of a failing business attending shows like these.

 

What a brilliant way of clearing out the stock and keeping a wad of cash just as the business crumbles.

 

So get your Kirk/Blacksmith/Cooper-Craft kits and spares at the shows while you can.

[Siberian Snooper]

I've been trying to get me mits on some Blacksmth kits that I ordered from the previous owners of the range, the only thing that I have managed to get is GW gangways, everything else has been waiting for castings. At last years shows he was flogging the kits as etches only.

 

When I attend ExpoEM next month his ears will get another pounding, it will be intersting to see what excuses he comes up with this time. Fortunatly for me no filthy luecre has changed hands.

 

SS

[Jol Wilkinson]

If he does look at RMweb without logging on, then he may decide not to go to ExpoEm  or Railex.

[Taz]

I believe Paul has another 'personal' sign on to RMWeb so we shouldn't necessarily read no activity from Kits from Somerset as no activity from Paul here.

[Kenton]

Difficult one for him to make progress on now it has been a running sore for so long.

 

If you intend to make a scene at ExpoEM or RailEx please don't spoil these shows for the rest of us.