Important Notice regarding the NGS Shop

Started by Mirrlees, October 26, 2014, 11:53:01 PM

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red_death

Folks

Just to re-emphasise that NGS RTR and kits (if we have them in stock) are still available from the NGS Stand at various exhibitions.

Nemo - the scaled-down shop will almost certainly be phase 1 of the "new" shop.

Cheers, Mike



Ben A


Hi NeMo,

You're right about the quality of TPM kits - it's one reason we are using him to fabricate the master for the van version of the KSA, and had him design several other NGS kits over the years...

cheers

Ben A.



ScottyStitch

My understanding was that the shop was TEMPORARILY closing, and so this issue doesn't cause me all that much, if any, concern. If the shop were closing permanently, then that's a different matter.

Regarding stock, I would rather the shop only stocked items that weren't available anywhere else, plus the items that are required to complete a full kit (wheels, chassis, etc.) Access to the NGS kits is one of the main reasons I joined, that and the exclusives RTR models such as the snow plough, Brake coaches, etc. Not having that available for two or three months, well these things happen. Hopefully a better shop will emerge for it.

Calnefoxile


I can't understand why toys are being thrown out of prams in such a manner by people who are not members and trying to encourage others to lapse their memberships just because the 'Members only' shop is temporarily closed, and is going through a revamp to do exactly what people want it to be, i.e. an online shop.

The fact is that the shop was going to close over the xmas period anyway to carry out a stock take and start the process of creating an online shop. The fact that the resignation of the shop manager has bought that closure to an earlier date has thrown a bit of a spanner into the works because the stock take has now got to include the logistical nightmare of collecting all the stock from the shops current location and find somewhere else to store it all. This is not something that can be done overnight, it is a job that will take some extra time.

On the subject of the Transfers & Model Masters, I have to agree that the 'agreement' with Model masters is somewhat silly, but we are where we are and I'm sure the Committee are talking to each other and trying to come up with a solution as quick as possible.

So even though I'm not a Committee Member surely a degree of understanding and realisation that at the end of the day we are only grown men playing with toy trains and access to the shop is not the end of the world.

Regards

Neal

EtchedPixels

If the shop is back selling the NGS produced components, kits and RTR then thats in reality 99% of things covered except for international modellers who benefit rather a lot from shipping it all in one go. The plans to ensure the RTR gets sorted first seem rather sensible.

The rest is available direct (and usually for less because of the society VAT problem). There was a time when society shops really made a difference because everything was SAE for catalogue, cheque in the post stuff. That time has passed.

I'd also like to see the shop get a hard prune, or perhaps the "non society" stuff become a smaller operation run by the world wide group for the things they actually need and want.

A big problem in fixing it up must be the size of the operation. The 2mmSA has far few members but has about five people running the shop operation which I think carries less (if rather more esoteric) stock. How Ray and Carol ran the entire operation and kept up is a bit of a mystery to me, unless they had a secret arrangement to employ Santa's elves in the off season.
"Knowledge has no value or use for the solitary owner: to be enjoyed it must be communicated" -- Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden

Mirrlees

Quote from: ThePurplePrimer on November 26, 2014, 03:14:02 PM
I did this at around 9.30 am on the very morning after the announcement was made on here at just before midnight on the previous evening ( which I did not see )

There was nothing on the association website to indicate the closure of the shop. I received no contact after making my joining application and payment to warn me of the situation either.

........................


Which association are you talking about? The NGS website was the first place that the information was uploaded to.

Tim Hitch
NGS Display Stand Manager

portland-docks

Quote from: Mirrlees on November 26, 2014, 04:44:33 PM
Quote from: ThePurplePrimer on November 26, 2014, 03:14:02 PM
I did this at around 9.30 am on the very morning after the announcement was made on here at just before midnight on the previous evening ( which I did not see )

There was nothing on the association website to indicate the closure of the shop. I received no contact after making my joining application and payment to warn me of the situation either.

........................


Which association are you talking about? The NGS website was the first place that the information was uploaded to.

really?

because i found out the information then when i checked the ngs website there was nothing about it? it was all over here and facebook but i couldnt see anything on the website...
Visit my heritage Railway "moorside Valley Railway"

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=9280.0

see first post for exhibition dates

Mirrlees

It is still there, on the main page.

It is the second bullet point down.

Not sure how clearer it could be?
Tim Hitch
NGS Display Stand Manager

portland-docks

Quote from: Mirrlees on November 26, 2014, 04:50:34 PM
It is still there, on the main page.

It is the second bullet point down.

Not sure how clearer it could be?

yes its there now, wasnt when i first saw the news, soon as i saw it i went straight to the sight and i garuntee the news wasnt on their
Visit my heritage Railway "moorside Valley Railway"

http://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=9280.0

see first post for exhibition dates

ThePurplePrimer

Hi Tim

If it was there on that day then it would appear I somehow missed seeing it.

It is possible though that my google search ( I was looking for info on joining the N Gauge Society ) took me either straight to the 'benefits of membership page' or the ' join now page '

Neither of those pages mentioned then that the shop was closed ( and I just checked and they still don't )

The ' benefits ' page does however list the ability to buy kits for members only

Please don't think I am moaning - I am simply trying to point out how people could mislead themselves quite easily as to what joining ( at the moment ) will provide them.





Quote from: Mirrlees on November 26, 2014, 04:44:33 PM
Quote from: ThePurplePrimer on November 26, 2014, 03:14:02 PM
I did this at around 9.30 am on the very morning after the announcement was made on here at just before midnight on the previous evening ( which I did not see )

There was nothing on the association website to indicate the closure of the shop. I received no contact after making my joining application and payment to warn me of the situation either.

........................


Which association are you talking about? The NGS website was the first place that the information was uploaded to.
... Rob

keithfre

Quote from: ScottyStitch on November 26, 2014, 03:48:42 PM
Regarding stock, I would rather the shop only stocked items that weren't available anywhere else, plus the items that are required to complete a full kit (wheels, chassis, etc.)
I agree wholeheartedly.

I'd also be interested to know how many potential customers would NOT use the shop if it went completely online. As they presumably won't be reading this, perhaps the question could be asked in the Journal?

EtchedPixels

Quote from: portland-docks on November 26, 2014, 04:52:13 PM
Quote from: Mirrlees on November 26, 2014, 04:50:34 PM
It is still there, on the main page.

It is the second bullet point down.

Not sure how clearer it could be?

yes its there now, wasnt when i first saw the news, soon as i saw it i went straight to the sight and i garuntee the news wasnt on their

Your ISP will quite possibly have cached it for a while even if its marked not to be cached.

"Knowledge has no value or use for the solitary owner: to be enjoyed it must be communicated" -- Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden

Tank

I suggest that if fellow NGS members feel they aren't able to wait for the shop to reopen then perhaps ask the NGS for a refund?

The NGS Shop is a huge undertaking and would be a major task to catalogue and sort out.  It's probably quite overwhelming, so I doubt there would be many volunteers who would be willing to take it on, or have the product knowledge and knowledge/time to upload it to an online shop.  Let's give it time for the new management to find a solution and to keep us updated with any progress.

As EP has pointed out, you may have had a delay in seeing an update on your computer.

DCCDave

Quote from: Mirrlees on November 26, 2014, 04:50:34 PM
It is still there, on the main page.

It is the second bullet point down.

Not sure how clearer it could be?


The second 'bullet point' down:

----

In the interim we will be looking at introducing a temporary system for the processing the orders of Society wagon kits and Society RTR products. Details for the operation of this will also be provided on the Website once it has been organised and put in place.

----

There has been no further announcement on the website that I can see, which I presume means that the operation is not yet agreed/in place. Since there is no date on the post and I can't remember when the original announcement was posted I can't estimate how long this has taken thus far. Would someone in the know care to comment on when the details will be posted?

Dave

red_death

It was almost exactly a month ago that the Shop stopped taking new orders.  The Shop stock is being collected on Friday and moved to new locations. The temporary system has already been agreed and is ready to go but there was no point in announcing when it would be ready for use as we didn't know until recently when the stock would be moved or where it would go too. That is all clear now and then the priority is to count the stock and get the NGS products back on general sale (through an online system).

Mike





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