Modelmaster

[Crosland]

12 hours ago, JohnR said:

 

He needs to shop around. Yes, you could, in theory, spend many thousands of pounds on such a system. But there are also such systems available for a few hundred.  And thats for showing "live" stock levels. If he simply indicated on the website which items were only available on back order, ie taking 3-6 months to be fulfilled etc,  which items were normally in stock and dispatched within, say 1-2 weeks, then that would go a long way towards solving the problem.

You can do that with built in functionality with free open source software such as OpenCart. Surely Prestashop (on which the site is based) can do this?

 

I'm guessing that the owner simply does not have the knowledge/skills/time to do it, so they are at the mercy of the "developers".

[rembrow]

I've just had an order delivered, which was ordered at the beginning of May, two sets of Prairie etched cabside numbers. With the order was a letter from Jim apologising for the delay. He and Elspeth contracted a virus in May, which kept them away from the business for 3 weeks. They returned in early June and have been catching up with the backlog for the last 2 weeks. Jim says he has caught up and cleared the backlog.

 

Edited June 18, 2022 by rembrow
Spelling

[jch21c1]

Does anyone know if Modelmasters are still trading?  I know the owners have had health problems, but when I spoke to them a fortnight ago they were recovered and said my orders would be with me in a few days. However, nothing has been received yet, with one order outstanding for six weeks. They say on their website that it is being updated and they will be expanding into the second hand market, so all looks apparently rosey, but I’ve rung four times in the past 24 hours and no answer with a full answer machine. 

[geoff]

Don't hold your breath. I placed an order on the first of February this year. My money was taken and an email confirming my  order was being processed arrived. Alas the transfers haven't. Full answer machines on both the mobile number and now the landline number although, about a fortnight ago I was able to leave a message on the mobile number still showing in the web page header. No one has contacted me. Oh well £30 down the drain😪.

 

Geoff

[John M Upton]

On 28/06/2022 at 09:39, jch21c1 said:

They say on their website that it is being updated and they will be expanding into the second hand market, so all looks apparently rosey, 

 

Really?!?  They can't even supply the stuff they are supposedly selling at the moment, to expand still further would be beyond crazy.

 

There is another thread in the Smaller Suppliers section here, much the same tales of woe being trotted out ad infinitum.

 

Best advice is to avoid, contact PayPal or your card issuer and get a refund before it is too late.

Edited June 29, 2022 by John M Upton

[Rowsley17D]

Wanting, but not urgently, some 9D shed plates and seeing the tales of woe on here I put in an order on 29 June, got an email on 5 July saying order processing which was delivered today 15 July. I am happy with the service provided. Discounting the day I ordered and the day received that's 11 working days.

[Matty P]

I've been waiting on a sheet of transfers since early March now. Has anyone else had a wait time that long or as long as that? Have tried to call but they don't pick up & their answerphone is full...

[spamcan61]

5 minutes ago, Matty P said:

I've been waiting on a sheet of transfers since early March now. Has anyone else had a wait time that long or as long as that? Have tried to call but they don't pick up & their answerphone is full...

Yes; see previous messages in this thread.

[JohnR]

22 minutes ago, Matty P said:

I've been waiting on a sheet of transfers since early March now. Has anyone else had a wait time that long or as long as that? Have tried to call but they don't pick up & their answerphone is full...

 

The order I placed on Feb 26th still hasnt arrived.  I now needed one of the items in that order, so I ordered some from RailTec at 4.20pm last Friday. They arrived in Saturday's post, 1st class.

 

Edit

I'd paid via PayPal, so I checked whether I could get a refund - I had until 25th August (6 months), so I requested that and its now being processed. I think a wait of over 5 months with no communications is fair enough.

Edited August 5, 2022 by JohnR

[Matty P]

2 hours ago, JohnR said:

 

The order I placed on Feb 26th still hasnt arrived.  I now needed one of the items in that order, so I ordered some from RailTec at 4.20pm last Friday. They arrived in Saturday's post, 1st class.

 

Edit

I'd paid via PayPal, so I checked whether I could get a refund - I had until 25th August (6 months), so I requested that and its now being processed. I think a wait of over 5 months with no communications is fair enough.

I've just done exactly as you've done, it wasn't much but hopefully PayPal get me a refund for it... Glad I'm not the only one having issues with them now. Such a shame...

[mortsy]

Placed my first order with Modelmaster 21st July, phoned today and was treated as more of a nuisance than customer. All I asked was when my order was likely to be shipped, to be told "as soon as possible" and then continued to receive evasive answers when I pushed for something a little more concrete. Definitely the first and last order, bearing in mind their website gives target delivery timeframe of 6 to 12 days. Seems to be a recurring theme with this supplier.

Mortsy 

[brumtb]

I ordered loco number plates back in March and finally gave uo ever receiving them after numerous phone calls to a "dedicated number for enquiries" which was never answered and messages never responded to.

Perhaps supplier is a misnomer?

Edited August 9, 2022 by brumtb

[GD]

I had some transfers delivered yesterday, over a month since ordering so that seems a good result after everybody else's experiences.

[41516]

Decal order placed July 12th, 'Processing in progress' email July 20th, arrived today. 

[Bucoops]

I've had an "order processing" notification.

 

That'll be a nice surprise as I don't recall having anything on order, let alone what it could be!

[Sjcm]

I was one of those who wasn't aware of the problems discussed on this and other threads, so who had the delays and total radio silence when I chased my order up. Luckily I claimed a refund just before my ability to do that ran out. It seems to me 99% of the hassle for him and us could be avoided by simply putting a "out of stock, please enquire/pre-order" message on those items not available, but seemingly the cost/hassle of this is more than the bad press/lost orders? As he won't help himself/us, it falls on us to help ourselves.

 

1. If you can get the parts elsewhere and your project is reasonably urgent then I strongly recommend you do.

2. If you have no alternative then prepare yourself for a 6 month wait. If you're lucky and he actually has the items then you may get good prompt service. If you're the type of person who chases items up, believes delivery dates and expects customer service then MM is not for you.

3. Order with PayPal or credit card and keep a note of when you ordered and when your refund ability runs out. Do not pay with any  other nonrefundable method. 

4. Refund your payment before your cover runs out. Don't swallow the  "just arrived from the suppliers/I'm just sending them out" excuses because you're a nice person. There are loads of nice people who have waited years/given up.

 

I hope he gets his act together eventually because the products are good, but until he does (and it's been years now) you're really gambling on getting anything delivered and  is it worth the hassle of 6 months of unanswered phone calls and staking out at the letterbox?

 

[Bulleidboy100]

I'm still awaiting for a May order of two Merchant Navy etched plates and cabside numbers. It would appear there have been delays in etched plates that require a red background!!  I spoke with them about a month ago - rang between 2pm and 3pm and received an instant reply. Very apologetic - also mentioned another received order where the cabside number was just a black blanking transfer - more apologies - have heard nothing since.

[spamcan61]

On 13/09/2022 at 10:22, Sjcm said:

 

3. Order with PayPal or credit card and keep a note of when you ordered and when your refund ability runs out. Do not pay with any  other nonrefundable method. 

 

 

.. and NOT Paypal friends and family. Other than that clarification agree totally with your post.

[micklner]

7 minutes ago, spamcan61 said:

.. and NOT Paypal friends and family. Other than that clarification agree totally with your post.

Only 6 months to apply as well, do it after 5 or less.

[Bluebell Model Railway]

Reminds me I must call him up see what happened to some etches Ordered in March 

[Sjcm]

20 hours ago, spamcan61 said:

.. and NOT Paypal friends and family. Other than that clarification agree totally with your post.

Yes. I read Engineshed's experience and asking for friends and family as a trading company seems to me to be "iffy". To clarify I think he always intends to deliver the items ordered, but I'm guessing an order that has no chargeback is much preferable if you have no idea when you will be able to deliver!

 

My feeling is while you get the occasional awkward customer in our hobby, the vast majority are glad someone supplies what they want and as such are more than willing to make allowances like EngineShed. Which comes back to him manufacturing his own problems. No-one is going to throw a hissy fit if the item you want is out of stock for 6 months. Most of us have a myriad of projects we can get on with on the meantime, and will either accept the delay and order anyway or place an order when it's in stock. What does annoy people is being given untrue information on delivery times, while his site insists the item are in stock and in some cases announces discounts to new potential customers on items you've been waiting months for!

 

My own personal opinion is he has cash flow problems and uses paid orders as pre-orders before buying from his suppliers. That's fine if he's waiting for 20 orders and you are No.22, but if your No.1 and it's taken 3 months to get to 20.....Obviously I'm sure he suffers from unforeseen delays like every other company but getting that information out and supplying a realistic delivery date is where he  falls down. Again, if you can't actually supply the item currently then tell the customer - most people will understand and still order.

Edited September 16, 2022 by Sjcm
Typo's

[micklner]

1 hour ago, Sjcm said:

Yes. I read Engineshed's experience and asking for friends and family as a trading company seems to me to be "iffy". To clarify I think he always intends to deliver the items ordered, but I'm guessing an order that has no chargeback is much preferable if you have no idea when you will be able to deliver!

 

 

If you select the "Friends and Family" option you will not get a refund from Paypal. He also avoids paying Paypal fees , smells more fishy every day .

 

Simply avoid , decals etc from elsewhere are better quality as well.

[AFG]

I ordered 61605 Lincolnshire Regt 00 nameplates on 9/9/21. After a number of calls over the first few months I eventually had a call answered by Modelmaster Jim Grindlay, assuring me the plates would be delivered, they weren’t. I missed the 120 day limit for credit card refund. After many more calls, and excuses about shortage of brass and managing an 18000 product range, in August 2022, Modelmaster Jim Grindlay said he had my nameplates ready for delivery, he had also reduced the prices on his website, and said he would refund the difference. Another 3 weeks - no nameplates - another call, “the plates have a blemish, I can’t let you have them” - “I’ll take them as they are” I replied. Another week, another call “ It’s a postal strike , there are sackfuls in Ayr Sorting Office” he said. I’m just back from a holiday hoping the plates had been delivered - nope. 
I’m a ‘lone wolf’ modeller, now 73, had a railway since I was 7, first time I felt angry enough to go public like this. I have never come across a more shambolic, dissembling outfit, the job is obviously beyond him. I’ll be ringing again next Tuesday (Queen’s funeral Monday) I suspect the blemished plates haven’t been posted, I also suspect he won’t send more or refund my £13.38 he’s now had for over a year. I’ll update next week.

[Tontosexpandingheadband]

Ordered some transfers online from Modelmasters in January 2021, nothing delivered but I eventually managed to speak to the owner in January 2022.  He said he was surprised, checked the order and promised to post out what he still had in stock, one item had run out.

 

Nothing

 

Out of time with credit card company, and the money transfer handling company not interested.

 

So, in May I sent a signed for letter, requesting a refund plus costs, signed for, but ignored.

 

So, in July I sent a second signed for letter, requesting a refund plus additional costs, signed for, but ignored.

 

So, I've just sent a third signed for Final Demand letter, requesting a response or refund plus additional costs.

 

Not really expecting any response so on Citizens Advice, advice, I am looking at legal action as my only option.  They say they will inform Trading Standards, we'll see.

 

If I walked into Modelmasters unit and just took some goods it's theft, if Modelmasters take my money & refuse to supply the goods, that's OK!  To me it's theft.

 

Also looking on Companies House website, Modelmasters were dissolved in early January 2021.

 

 

[TheEngineShed]

7 hours ago, Tontosexpandingheadband said:

If I walked into Modelmasters unit and just took some goods it's theft, if Modelmasters take my money & refuse to supply the goods, that's OK!  To me it's theft.

I last ordered from Jim in December 2020, so just a month before you.  I started this topic because my £50 order via paypal "friends and family" wasn't fulfilled.  And this topic is actually a continuation of a previous MM complaint topic that ended up being locked.  Jim ignored several of my international letters, and was quick to promise immediate shipping during a couple of expensive international calls.   The day after I expressed the exact sentiment quoted above, I did get the plates I ordered with a couple of substitutions.

 

If Modelmasters have something  one needs, and they are the sole source, I could see placing a small order, but would not let any pay pal or credit card refund dates pass.   I would not trust anything Jim says on the phone, he has a vast library of excuses.  "Worst Customer Service" would be an understatement and personally, I would never order from him again.

 

I consider myself lucky because there are numerous stories from people who weren't.  I sincerely hope that Jim eventually delivers and you aren't out a substantial sum. 

Edited September 23, 2022 by TheEngineShed