railmaster support

[olly]

how long dose it take the hear back form railmaster support ?

 

I need to get them to deactivate my copy as it was previously used on my old laptop that had completely failed so i couldn't do it myself . 

 

sent the request at about 1pm uk time .it said that I would get an email in a few minutes .haven't got anything from railmaster . i have looked in my spam folder  

[Fishmanoz]

How did you contact them, from the email in the Help window of RM (preferred) or support@rail-master.com?  Not HCC I trust?  And not with out the dash in the middle of railmaster.

 

The answer is a day or two is a long time for them to get back.

[olly]

I contacted them through the help section in railmaster 

 

I will give it a few days 

[Chrissaf]

As Fishy says if you used "customercare@hornbyhobbies.com" then that is not the correct e-mail for RailMaster support. The correct mail address is the one in Fishy's post support@rail-master.com

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However, it would be preferable to use the help request support function within the new working copy of RM on the replacement PC. Look in the 'Help' window of RM (icon in top navigation bar). Using the internal support request process usually generates an automated acknowledgement if the message has been delivered.

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I haven't used the internal support request process that often (maybe three times in total in the last 3 years), but my experience ranges from a proper response within an hour to being completely ignored and having to chase a couple of days later. By proper response, I mean a response from a HRMS support person and not an automated computer generated reply.

[Chrissaf]

Your reply to Fishy got posted whilst I was typing, thus I didn't see it.

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I found the level of response seemed dependent upon what I was reporting. If it was something they knew about and were working on (or had already fixed in an update) then the response I got was very prompt. If the request needed more info, then I found they would come back fairly promptly to request it. Either that or I got a stock answer of 'download the latest version' and install over the top of the current one and report back if that didn't fix it (which it invariably didn't).

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Based upon other forum users reported experiences. Requesting key deactivation seems to take several days and invariably needs chasing (going by some of the forum reports I've read).

[WilliamDavid]

That is why it is worth buying another activation code/disc from Hattons for £5 plus £2 p&p

A cheap backup while waiting on Hornby Support. They will sort you in the end, but in the meantime you can still play choo choos. (my choo choo mad little grandson's term)

[westernwill]

I contacted them through the help section in railmaster 

 

I will give it a few days 

If your PC is dead how did you manage to send an email via Railmaster ?

[Chrissaf]

Presumably when installed onto the replacement PC in 'Evaluation Mode' awaiting the old dead PC to be de-activated so it can be activated on the new. The 'Evaluation Mode' still has the support request function enabled.

[96RAF]

I reported a zoom artifact problem to HRMS last week end, got the auto-reply immediately, followed next day by a request for my planfile which I sent, not heard from them since.

 

Patience is required at times.

[olly]

sould I have got an auto-reply ?

[Chrissaf]

Yes.....completely automated and within a few minutes. Did you also get a pop up in RM saying that your message had been successfully sent. If you didn't, get either of these two distinct events, then your message was probably not delivered (most likely blocked by your Anti-Virus and/or Firewall).

[96RAF]

I have found that once the help request is initiated then it is best not to fiddle with anything, either in RM or even elsewhere on the pc/laptop until the th eyellow bar has tracked along and the box confirms it has sent the request successfully.

 

I have occasionally had a flag to say something went wrong but then got the auto-response so it got through anyhow.

[PJ_model_trains]

HRMS are a small team, I received confirmation from them when I reported the signal issues to say that several members of staff are off work with cold and flu, so this also may be why you have not heard from them. They are normally very good at replying to issues reported but they could be struggling to cope due to team size and health issues.

 

If you haven't heard within 5 working days, I would send them a polite email with details as previously reported.

[Yelrow]

A small team with several sick, must mean, very few at work. I dont use the email facility in RM, but email them normally. You get an acknowledgement, as said before, then 2-4 days, which to me, is quite acceptable.  As with Doctors, secretaries, i would not have their job, at any price. Dedicated bunch. john

[PJ_model_trains]

Hello John

It may be a technical problem and that they haven't recieved the email as stated by others above, but it could also be they are stretched to the limit, anyone who has been part of a small team knows what it is like when your colleague(s) are off ill. (Or even on holiday)

[olly]

I will give it a few more days and then try them again  😆

[Fishmanoz]

Olily, did you get your auto reply?  If not, it didn't go and likely being blocked by your AV.  Use the support email instead.

[Chrissaf]

Doesn't bode well. If it didn't go through because of being blocked by your AV, then likelihood is that when your RM key is released by HRMS your fresh activation will fail too for the same reason.

[olly]

 I have just sent a email to support@rail-master.com  will see if I get a reply from that .

 I have sent it from my Mac this time so that I know railmaster or antivirus is not blocking anything.

  if not my elink is going back under the layout for another few years like last time  😆

[RDS]

@olly85

On this forum, we have seen many examples of excellent out of hours support from the RailMaster Support Team at Hornby.

However, this can not always be guaranteed and on the basis that you only sent your initial request at 1pm on a Friday aftenoon, I think you should give them a little longer to reply.

[Fishmanoz]

Olly, you haven't told us if you got the auto response from your email from within RM, but I'm assuming not.  To the support address, it wouldn't matter which computer you sent it from, it is only RM that may be blocked by your AV.

 

AV blocking should be very fixable.  You have a whole PDF document on it downloaded to your desktop by RM.  As said above, you will need to fix this before you can activate.  Also, from the top locked thread in this forum, it will take you to AC's excellent separate site where he has even more on fixing AV blocking.  If you still have no luck, HRMS can log into your machine remotely and can most definitely fix it.

 

There is definitely no need to put it back under the bed.

[olly]

 I still haven't had an auto reply yet from the email sent from railmaster or the one sent to support@rail-master.com 

 

can anyone confirm that support@rail-master is the correct email address?

I work with computers so I know all about antivirus 

thanks 

olly

[Yelrow]

Olly, support@rail-master.com, is right, but they deal with in strict rotational order. If this was my problem, i would long since have spoken to Mark Lodge, on  01843 /233/525.  He is Hornby Customer Relations Manager.  A, he needs to be aware of these delays, and B, he will probably be able to fix it for you. Others have different views, but he has never let me down, great bloke. john

[96RAF]

 I still haven't had an auto reply yet from the email sent from railmaster or the one sent to support@rail-master.com 

 

Don't expect an auto-reply to a direct e-mail, only in initial response to an RM generated question. 

[Fishmanoz]

John, one of the things Mark can't do is fix activation code problems, he can only refer on to HRMS who manage the database with the codes.  No problem mentioning delays to him though, he can assist by contacting them directly.