Rails lost almost all my business years ago because of their mailing habits too - selecting one postal choice and having it ignored and the items posted with a locally known problem courier who was legendary for lsoign things and usually did.

When they refused to guarantee that they'd use the postal service they had been told to I moved all my orders elsewhere and they've stayed there.

Not that at current prices I order anything any more...

Not one for the purists but I'm sure @Trainfish will think it's fun (which it's meant to be) whereas @Tank will be throwing a fit

Quote from: Bob G on December 29, 2025, 10:14:37 PMToday my love affair with Rails of Sheffield formally ended.

Before we went on a pre-Christmas cruise, I contacted all my suppliers and arranged with them to hold delivery on any pre-orders that might come in in the three weeks before Christmas until after Christmas. Now neither of us could tell if there were going to be any stuff arriving or not, so this was just a courtesy call so that parcels wouldn't be left on the doorstep (our neighbours one side are too old and ill to monitor for any deliveries, and the others are also on holiday).

About halfway through the cruise a flurry of emails started from Rails saying they had posted certain items, followed by Post Office emails saying they couldn't deliver, or that the parcel was in a safe place. Now we have a Ring doorbell, and the usual postie is kind and considerate, but he was on leave and the Christmas fill in one just left two parcels outside the front door, in the rain, while posting six red "we called but you were not in" notes between 10 December and 22 December. He could see the original parcels rotting on the doorstep and added to them.

Rails acknowledged that they had written instructions not to send, but they did anyway, and apologised. I'm still trying to figure if one of the items (a DCC sound enabled OO Class 33) is damaged or not, but it doesn't work very well on DC.

On the other hand, TMC operate a "Vault" type system like Hattons used to, and my TMC purchases were safely kept in Yorkshire until my return.

Because there is no future guarantee that Rails would do what they had agreed to do with pre-orders, I have moved all my pre-orders to TMC. It's over £2000 worth of BB/WC locos, Ivatts, Moguls, Manors, 33s and Peaks.

Sorry guys. But it's been a pain mopping up after your mistakes, and trying to figure which of five orders had been stolen, sent to the sorting office, returned to Rails, or was just left in the rain.

It doesn't mean that I won't use Rails for instant purchases, or exclusives, but the bulk of my shopping is by pre-order, and I can't tell when they are going to arrive. And expensive electronics doesn't like water or frost.

Bob

Ooyah! Please remember the world is a wonderful place overall.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY

Today my love affair with Rails of Sheffield formally ended.

Before we went on a pre-Christmas cruise, I contacted all my suppliers and arranged with them to hold delivery on any pre-orders that might come in in the three weeks before Christmas until after Christmas. Now neither of us could tell if there were going to be any stuff arriving or not, so this was just a courtesy call so that parcels wouldn't be left on the doorstep (our neighbours one side are too old and ill to monitor for any deliveries, and the others are also on holiday).

About halfway through the cruise a flurry of emails started from Rails saying they had posted certain items, followed by Post Office emails saying they couldn't deliver, or that the parcel was in a safe place. Now we have a Ring doorbell, and the usual postie is kind and considerate, but he was on leave and the Christmas fill in one just left two parcels outside the front door, in the rain, while posting six red "we called but you were not in" notes between 10 December and 22 December. He could see the original parcels rotting on the doorstep and added to them.

Rails acknowledged that they had written instructions not to send, but they did anyway, and apologised. I'm still trying to figure if one of the items (a DCC sound enabled OO Class 33) is damaged or not, but it doesn't work very well on DC.

On the other hand, TMC operate a "Vault" type system like Hattons used to, and my TMC purchases were safely kept in Yorkshire until my return.

Because there is no future guarantee that Rails would do what they had agreed to do with pre-orders, I have moved all my pre-orders to TMC. It's over £2000 worth of BB/WC locos, Ivatts, Moguls, Manors, 33s and Peaks.

Sorry guys. But it's been a pain mopping up after your mistakes, and trying to figure which of five orders had been stolen, sent to the sorting office, returned to Rails, or was just left in the rain.

It doesn't mean that I won't use Rails for instant purchases, or exclusives, but the bulk of my shopping is by pre-order, and I can't tell when they are going to arrive. And expensive electronics doesn't like water or frost.

Bob

Excellent. As I see the December goal has been smashed, I'll leave my donation till next month now.

Cheers,

Chris

Thanks very much Colin.  It's all working now.  Appreciate the kind words about the forum.

Thanks very much everyone.  Always appreciated.

Worked for me.

Quote from: Newportnobby on December 29, 2025, 12:28:40 PMIt's working again

Yep, it seems that I have managed to successfully add a few quid to the pot without issue...