Scalefour Forum

My apologies if I had put 2 and 2 together and got 5. The fact remains that Exactoscale parts still exist, is in no small part to Andrew putting his hand in his pocket. (more than once I would imagine).

Compares most favourably with another outfit that is recently no more (thankfully I have had no dealings with them), which does not seem to have treated customers half so well. Be very very grateful.

Thanks for the apology, Stephen.
Andrew

I would think it will help Phil in not having to keep a stock of slow moving stock and concentrate on the core business

with PECO,Carrs and now ExactoScale gone , what do you view as C&Ls core business , HINi Rail !!

Their own range of chairs and sleepers, flexible track etc of course. I expect that 7mm scale sales out-perform 4mm. Obviously, the fact is that C&L must be profitable, why else would either Pete or Phil buy it? I can't imagine, Peco, Carrs or Exactoscale were ever part of the core, they certainly were not in the first place.

As for Exactoscale, some information is readily available which may help explain things. I don't know all the facts of course but information, there is. Just be grateful that Andrew put his hand in his pocket to finance it.

I suspect that I should have asked this question a four weeks ago when Andrew Jukes wrote "Exactoscale track and turnout kits will also be taken away from C&L".

On October 28th I placed an order for track components with C&L and sent a follow up email four days later. At that time Phil Reid was saying on the website that he was working his way through orders and emails, though this year he indicted that emails were unlikely to receive a response. After a spell overseas, and having heard nothing from C&L by mid-February, I made numerous attempts to ring him. On my twentieth such attempt I actually succeeded in speaking to him and, now I suspect foolishly, gave him my credit card details. This was on May 2nd. My card was debited on May 8th. As others have reported, Phil was most pleasant when I spoke to him and indicated that, in view of the long time lapse since my order was originally placed, he would expedite dispatch. Having heard nothing from him since then, and in light of Andrew Jukes' retrieval of the Exactoscale range, I am beginning to suspect that I have wasted both my time and my money. The C&L website still shows my order status as "Processing".

I should be interested to know whether others have experienced similar difficulties of late. Is Phil still in business? I am aware that he appears to prefer trading at shows rather than via the website, but, living on the other side of the world, I cannot conform to his business model. Though I plan to be at Scaleforum in September, I fear that, by then, he will be unable to supply the goods for which I have already paid.

Thanks in advance for any light that can be shed upon this. For what it is worth, my order was for L1 bridge chairs, M1 small chairs, both brass and plastic slide chairs and copperclad fibreglass strips to a total value of GBP90.

Hi David,

You are not alone. See 22 pages of discussion at:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... le/page-21

Martin.

Thanks Martin,

I guess there is some small consolation to be had from the fact that there are many other in the same situation. Not a great way to maintain a loyal following of satisfied customers though.

Cheers,

David.

dclift wrote:Is Phil still in business?

The answer is Yes Phil is in business. He was at the DEMU Showcase event last weekend and at RailEx two weeks previously. Phil managed the Bring and Buy stand at Scaleforum for several years so I have got to know him reasonable well. We had a chat at Showcase and there are obviously matters which are not appropriate to post on here. He will however be at Scaleforum in September.

Terry Bendall

Yes C&L is still trading, as reported in the couple of posts above. He remains pleasant and friendly at shows.

However, he also gives an impression of chaotic operation, lacking in clear explanations as to status of stock or orders, and rather too many IT problems to be sensible. So stuff ordered by mail may, or may not be processed "about now" or "next week". Stock on the stand is variable. I was his first customer at RailEx (being an exhibitor, I was there before opening time) and bought the only bag available of a particular type of (C&L) chairs. I wanted four bags, which were to dig a friend out of a hole who's been waiting for months for delivery of his order.

Advice to dclift: what's your credit card issuer's time limit on instigating a charge-back or refund ? ( I know the UK rules for it). Decide if you should instigate a charge back via your card issuer. I think waiting for Scaleforum will offer a random selection of parts, but if much of your order is Exactoscale, there won't be much chance of it being available from C&L by then.

I have read elsewhere (RMweb) that sometime in July has been mentioned as the changeover time.

RM web is just going on what has been said in this topic and the only date mentioned by Andrew above is

Lead times are not certain but new wheels are unlikely to be available before the end of July.

Regards

The RM web thread Martin provides a url for is astonishing.

I will be giving dates here as soon as I can on the end-date for Exactoscale products being available from C&L and the planned date for the start of supplies from Exactoscale under the new regime. There is no point in doing this prematurely and creating lots of demand when we're not ready. It is quite likely that wheels and axles will be launched before track.

There is quite a bit of bleating on RM web about the lack of interest by C&L and Exactoscale in 00. Well, that's unlikely to change much. I do not think Exactoscale will be selling 00 FastTrack in future.

Andrew Jukes
No. 1054

andrew jukes wrote:The RM web thread Martin provides a url for is astonishing.

I will be giving dates here as soon as I can on the end-date for Exactoscale products being available from C&L and the planned date for the start of supplies from Exactoscale under the new regime. There is no point in doing this prematurely and creating lots of demand when we're not ready. It is quite likely that wheels and axles will be launched before track.

There is quite a bit of bleating on RM web about the lack of interest by C&L and Exactoscale in 00. Well, that's unlikely to change much. I do not think Exactoscale will be selling 00 FastTrack in future.

Andrew Jukes
No. 1054

speaking as someone, that also build 00-SF track , I can say that with the arrival of several suppliers of Bullhead track , its entirely understandable that there is a lack of interest in 00 Fasttrack

What I do hope is that a reliable , tech friendly , businesses will exist to acquire Exactoscale track components , especially the various plastic chairs etc , as the current incumbent is quite frankly spinning into a deeper and deeper hole

Rather than continue the endless speculation and tittle-tattle that seems to have become the norm on the RMWeb, I suggest that in taking back control of Exactoscale components, probably at some personal risk, Andrew Jukes is doing us all a great service, and that we leave him alone to sort out his range and make the appropriate announcements in his own good time.

Steve

Hear, hear Steve......

Hi

I am in process of selecting a Back to Back gauge for P4.

As I am not totally aware of the history relating to the current problems, am I to understand it is the intention that the exactoscale gauges will be back on the market at some indeterminate future date?

bordercollie wrote:I am in process of selecting a Back to Back gauge for P4. .... am I to understand it is the intention that the exactoscale gauges will be back on the market at some indeterminate future date?

I cannot help on availability 0f Exactoscale gauges but back to back gauges are available from the Society stores.

Terry Bendall

See http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/135828-exactoscale-track-and-wheel-products/#entry3235778
Regards

I guess one should not expect great accuracy in postings on RMweb but it is a pity when carefully worded announcements have their meaning altered when ‘quoted’.

What is ‘Exactoscale’? I am not the 'owner of Exactoscale’ but of the tooling and existing stock. Exactoscale is not a company and the arrangements described in the announcement are of an informal cooperative group of modellers. The aim will not be to make profits but to 'recover all costs with a small margin to cover risk and the cost of working capital.’

The announcement states that 'we will be offering the full range of P4 and EM track.’ The RMweb ‘quote’ states that ‘it is planned to offer the full range of track in EM and P4’. Why the change? The RMweb ‘quote’ could be read as implying that the pre-existing range of, largely, P4 track will be expanded to cover the same range in EM. Not true. There is no such commitment.

Finally, the announcement does not say ‘he intends to create his own ordering facilities’.

The lesson from this is to read the original if you want to get an accurate picture of what is planned. Announcements will be made soon through Scalefour Society arrangements (the deadline for the EMGS Newsletter decided the timing of the EMGS announcement).

Andrew Jukes

Hello Andrew.
Good to hear the news on the Exactoscale range of track products.
At the risk of getting lynched for asking this question on here, will you also be producing the 7 mm scale range of components?

The attached announcement will appear in Scalefour News

The Exactoscale Products price list will be posted on the exactoscale.com site by 16th September, together with notes on the Pricing Framework.

Andrew Jukes
Membership no. 1054

Great news Andrew,

The Exactoscale Products website is now live.

see exactoscale.com

Please let me know if you spot anything that is not clear or that doesn't work well, or even simple typos, etc.

Thanks

Andrew

When is it expected that the Societies stores will have track components and have pricing available ?

Hi Andrew - this is wonderful progress. Thank you for doing this for us! Clearly a labour of love.

I am thrilled that your timing coincides with my need for turnout kits!