Latest ill-informed grump on YouTube

[Bigskybirds]

Your constant Hornby criticism does not go unnoticed ColinB and we are all entitled to our opinion so I will have mine.

Hornby unlike many of its competitors make the full range of products for model railways, Locomotives, Rolling Stock, Track, Buildings, Control etc etc, they do not just cherry pick what to make. Without Hornby many of us would never have got in to the hobby.

[Aussie Fred]

So HF, why is these and the other threads are so full of people complaining so bitterly about Hornby delays, Hornby pricing and Hornby deliveries. Move to Australia, we have it SO GOOD out here

[Bigskybirds]

Some people just like complaining.

No I do not want to move to Australia.

[Aussie Fred]

Unlike here in Australia where you have to pay up front for pre-orders and then if the store goes bust (as one did with me) you have done your dough.

Do you not have the equivalent of our UK Consumer Credit Act "Section 75" protection if you paid by credit card? I've used this in the past to get a refund on event tickets when the promoter went bust. Failure to deliver the goods or service paid for.

Whilst I use Paypal for quick convenient payments to trusted firms, things like pre-orders where I pay up front always go on the credit card.

 

 

Yes we have those protections but they are only for so long and then they expire. From when I pre-ordered the loco and the firm went bust was over 18 months, and as a matter of interest, I pre-ordered again through a UK supplier, noting better price that Hornby direct and half the postage cost, That was over a year ago and the loco is still on the "coming sometime" list from Hornby.

[Aussie Fred]

Some people just like complaining.

No I do not want to move to Australia.

 

 

Hoping not to get the ire of the moderators, but we call them "whinging poms"

[PeterM67]

Personally I think Charlies indiscretion was fairly minor this time around and probably not worthy of this attention generated by this thread! I generally enjoy his content as they explain a lot of the technical details around DCC, automation etc etc... which are likely to come in useful to me down the line when I finally get around to designing a layout.

I suspect that some people have never forgiven him for that not too flattering Easterner trainset a review from a few months back.

Incidentally when I finally took delivery of my DCC Scotsman set I made a point of checking out the track to see if I experienced the same issues with the 3rd radius curves as was reported by the 1st gen products. I'm happy to say it went together without any issues however I will admit to having performed the destress yoga moves on the curves before assembly so I cannot say if I resolved any issues before testing or they have improved the manufacturing process.

As for Sam. I have a mixed opinion of his content some of which I find a little childish but then he is young and probably aiming at the teenager market. I used to find his product reviews interesting and informative however when I decided to go TT:120 reviews of OO gauge products became much less interesting to me so I tend not to watch. In fact the only time I do watch his content is when stuck in the kitchen cleaning dishes where he becomes background entertainment and only then because YouTube has decided to randomly play his stuff!

[Rallymatt]

Looking at the posted accounts for the majority of the UK model railway producers makes interesting reading, it’s clear no one is doing this to make their fortunes! Some companies really are living on a knife edge. To compare ‘costs’ between a cottage industry type manufacturer and a PLC is naive. It’s clear which ones are structurally capable of weathering the challenges of business and some that need a huge amount of good luck

[Les-345151]

Looking at the relatively inexpensive production design of the Steam Punk range, I would think this was no more than a 'market tester' of Hornby, and of a very different nature to the determined launch of UK outline TT120.

Dyed in the wool critics of the company need to view its whole range, consider just how large a stake it represents in the overall model/hobby field and its need to develop new markets. Many a YouTuber and their followers seem to occupy bubbles of their own particular interests to the exclusion of any wider picture.

[ColinB]

A cottage industries costs should be higher as they don't have the buying power, now I know Hornby aren't that big now but I imagine they buy considerably more parts than a smaller outfit. Even going to the bank for a loan will be considerably easier. That is how it generally works in virtually all industries. Anyway if you guys are happy, who am I to complain. As I say both Sam and Charlie are just stating the obvious.

[Rallymatt]

In reality Colin, the purchasing power is rarely that significant at the level of even the biggest players in model railways. The biggest cost in business is always payroll and pension provision, usually runs between 60-75% of direct costs. Put in perspective, Hornby Hobbies PLC accounting costs (a legal requirement) dwarf many of the UK manufacturers turnover.

[Skelton Junction]

I don’t care about media negativity, I’m thoroughly enjoying the TT120 ride

[Rallymatt]

@skelton Junction , absolutely the right approach in my mind, and the others are not real media, they are just trying to skim a few quid off enthusiasts.