I apologise to all members of Armorama that my first post here is this one but I have to get if off my chest and possibly warn others so that they can avoid the problems I have had with Cromwell Models.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~cromwell/

In the spring of 2005 Cromwell informed the world about their new series of resin models for the Churchill tank and its variants.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~cromwell/35Church.html
I happily faxed an order for one bobbin carrier and one fascine carrier.
I did this mid May 2005, on the 17th of May my credit card was charged the amount to pay for these two kits. When they failed to turn up I got anxious and tried to get in touch with Cromwell but without success.
Sometime in the early autumn of 2005 , August/September the fascine carrier turned up and I finally got in touch with Mr Gordon Brown of Cromwell Models. He said that the bobbin carrier wasn't quite ready yet but it would be a matter of weeks. I waited and waited and waited, in June this year, 2006, I managed to reach someone (Gordons wife??) on the phone and she said that the bobbin carrier had been ready for many months (still not shipped to my address though). In September this year I finally got irritated enough to file a complaint with VISA but it turned out that this has to be done within one year of the transaction, i.e. I should have filed the complaint before the 17th of May 2006.

I'm posting this to advise others that You should NEVER wait more than a couple of months before filing a complaint with the credit card company.
I'm also hoping that communicating this way will finally get the attention of Mr Gordon Brown.
kind regards / Robin

Hi Robin,

Sorry to hear you have had a bad expeience with Cromwell.

I've bought stuff from Gordon in the past (round about the same time if I remember correctly) and didn't have any major problems, there was a delay in their response but this was casue by personal family illness. I found them to be really helpful, in fact Gordon apologised for the delay and reduced the price of the items because of it. My delay was only a short one, but I know there was other difficult stuff going on around that time they had to deal with. I found a phone call was the best way to contact them.

Hope you finally got your kits.

Al

I'm still waiting for the Bobbin Carrier and I suppose
I can probably wait for ever.
I have also been informed about the family illness but
now 18 months have passed since I paid over 100 £
for that Bobbin carrier, I consider this way beyond a
reasonable delay.
I have tried to call many times but it is always the
phone answering machine, tried faxing reminders
as well but one period the fax-number didn't connect
at all, not a busy-tone but rather as if the line had been
disconnected at the switch.
I guess I could try calling once a day until I have spent
another 100 pounds on international phone calls but
that doesn't really help since Gordon doesn't pick up the
phone ...
/ Robin

Hi Robin,

Sorry but I don't have an answer for you. That's an EXTREME wait my friend. Perhaps your post might generate a bit of action on the part of Cromwell Models.

If not, it will at least inform others to think twice. I can not see how not sorting out your problem could possible be in their interests.

Good luck with your campain to get the kit or your money back, or better still both after all this time.

Cheers

Al

Gordon Brown posts over on
Missing-lynx
if that helps you.

THANKS for the hint!
I have applied to be accepted as a member but I haven't heard
back from them yet, sort of halfway through the procedure.
I'll bring it up there as soon as I get a chance.
regards / Robin

Robin, sadly, you aren't the first that has this kind of problem with Cromwell.There have been quite a number of people who have had similar problems - many of them have posted here, and on ML.

Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of cases have been resolved - Cromwell ISN'T running a scam. So my advice is to keep pushing and you WILL get resolution...

I am pushing :-)
To the best of my ability.
Talking to an answering machine doesn't seem to help.
Sometimes I get through on the fax, sometimes not ....
I even asked someone to bring this up with Mr Brown
at Telford but he didn't show up so that plan failed.
As soon as I get access to ML I'll there as well.

Thanks for the encouragement :-)
/ Robin

Hope this works out well for everyone.I got the impression from last ML posts of Gordon's that he was not attending Telford and that Friendship Models would rep Cromwell Models at the show.Maybe they could have more info for you? I do not have any more info on Friendship Models but I believe they are in the UK.
Good luck!
Rick

Hi,

Friendship Models is run by Ian Hanratty a really nice guy, here's the link if you think Rick's suggestion might help.

http://www.friendshipmodels.com/

Cheers

Al

Emmm... Let me see if i'm reading this right. Robin used his credit card to purchase two (expensive) kits (directly from Cromwell). The CC was charged and no kits turned up...

Friendship Models are not going to be any possible help in this - the responsibility is ENTIRELY Gordon Brown's. Whether Friendship was representing Cromwell at Telford is completely immaterial. The company responsible is Cromwell - no-one else.

To be honest, and speaking entirely personally, after the litany of complaints about Cromwell, both here and on other sites, I'd need a strong guarantee from them that I wouldn't have to wait nearly a year to have an order satisfied.

On the other hand, Friendship Models have an EXCELLENT reputation...

A little misunderstanding here I think,Jim. I only mentioned Friendship Models so that they might shed some light on what's going on with G. Brown and Cromwell. Friendship certainly has no obligation in this event that we are speaking of and in no way was I implying that they should share any shred of responsibility in this matter.
I too,have been leery of Cromwell after seeing many postings of non-delivery and communication failures on the company end.
Gordon offers outstanding products of great interest and quality and I will readily do business with him when he decides to run Cromwell like a business instead of a side hobby.Yes,I know this sounds harsh,but this is what all the posted complaints are indicating.
Perhaps Cromwell should have a business manager to take care of that side of the company in order to allow Gordon more time to create and execute his designs. A secure order page that handles CC transactions/Paypal would greatly boost sales IMO.
The bottom line is,it's hard to be positive about a business when all you hear about it(outside of it's web page) is responses to complaints.
Like I said in my first post,I hope it works out well for everyone.
Rick

A perfect summation in my opinion. I only brought up Friendship Models in case the owner's reputation was in an way tarnished with any connection to Cromwell. As i said previously, I doubt there is any bad 'intent' on the part of Cromwell - little comfort though, if you've lost a large amount of cash....

Also posted separately to inform everyone concerned about
the issue with the carpet material / Robin

-----------------------------------------------------------
Hello Gordon,
Thanks for the update! Most informative. May I suggest including it on your web-page presenting the Cromwell
series?

As for the kits and my current order: Please ship the Bobbin carrier without the carpet, I'm willing to undertake
finding my own material for the carpet and if I should fail it is my own decision and nothing that in any way reflects
upon the kit as such.
I will get back to you via fax to purchase the ARV separately (new card details mainly).
I will post this reply on Armorama a.s.a.p
Best Regards / Robin



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: gordon brown-cromwellmodels [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: den 3 december 2006 19:00
To: Robin Nilsson (KI/EAB)
Subject: Bobbin


Hello Robin,
I've been made aware of you post on Armorama.
I can only repeat what I've already said, I am still having trouble finding a new material to represent the'Carpet' and as such cannot fill your order. The offer to replace the Bobbin with the ARV mk11, a much more expensive kit stands. This offer has also been made to a number of people, some like you I have still to hear from. For the record all orders to Cromwell are always filled, would we still be in business 21 years later if we didn't.
I am having trouble with my log in on Armorama, and for some reason cannot re-register. So I would be obliged if you would let me know what you want me to do for you and also post again or even copy this post.
my best, Gordon.



My best,
Gordon.

Robin, if Gordon Brown had already contacted you (previously) regarding the problems he was having over getting material for the Bobbin 'carpet' why didn't you state this before?

Just when did he contact you about this? Before your original post last wednesday?

From my original post:
"Sometime in the early autumn of 2005 , August/September the fascine carrier turned up and I finally got in touch with Mr Gordon Brown of Cromwell Models. He said that the bobbin carrier wasn't quite ready yet but it would be a matter of weeks. I waited and waited and waited, in June this year, 2006, I managed to reach someone (Gordons wife??) on the phone and she said that the bobbin carrier had been ready for many months (still not shipped to my address though)."

Maybe this wasn't explicit enough but when I e-mailed with Gordon in September 2005 the kit seemed to be a few weeks away.
Last bi-lateral communication with Cromwell (before today) was
in late May - early June 2006.
Since then I have been listening to cheerful messages on
the ansaphone, sent e-mails (without getting any replies) and faxes
where I asked for an e-mail-answer. I didn't expect them to call me on
the phone since that would be an international call.
Posting here was the first successful attempt at reaching Gordon since May-June 2006, i.e. in a little more than 5 months.
I must say that it was efficient, I just wish that Gordon would be more
communicative, the Cromwell web-site could be used to spread the
information to all interested instead of spending time on individual
e-mails, hinted in my reply to Gordon this morning, he seems to be
up and about early at least since I got the second reply within minutes ;-)

best regards / Robin

Hello,

Back in December 2011 I bought from Gordon Cromwell (Cromwell Models, [email protected]) some resin models after having checked with him that they were in stock and that he was ready to ship them. I have paid via paypal 189GBP for two models. I have not received anything yet, in spite of the fact that he told me twice that the models were on the point to be shipped. He failed to answer to my requests for information. After this, I started looking on the Web, and I discovered that this person is unfortunately known for receiving payment and only very rarely delivering the purchased goods. You can find some statement about his behavior in the following links:


http://cs.finescale.com/FSMCS/forums/t/27166.aspx?PageIndex=2
http://www.network54.com/Forum/47210/message/1329641712/more+troubles+for+Gordon+and+Cronwell+models
http://www.network54.com/Forum/47211/thread/1327360897/Gordon+Brown+%26amp%3B+Cromwell+Models+-+A+Warning+to+all.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cromwell-Models-complaints/324422457600569
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cromwell-Models-complaints/324422457600569?sk=info
http://armorama.com/forums/88887
http://cs.finescale.com/FSMCS/forums/p/27166/1294245.aspx

On some web sites his address and phone number are listed as

Owner: Gordon Brown
Address: Units N 1 & 2, Glasgow North Trading Estate, 24 Craigmont Street, Glasgow, G20 9BT, UK
Phone: 0141 942 8596
e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] or [email protected]
Website:

But at least the phone number does not appear to be a real one. Please pass the word, this person is getting your money and not delivering anything,


Best, fca

By the way,
I also filed a report at

https://reportfraud.actionfraud.police.uk

Dear All,
Just to let you know that, as posted in this forum, I bought in December 2011 from Mr. Brown two Kassbohrer trailers 1/35. After months of posting in forums, emails and phone calls I have finally received the two kits, with some (very appreciated) extra castings in form of an apology. Anybody can make his (her) own judgement on the whole story, and whether the gain is worth the pain, but I felt obliged to let you know that I had to wait ten months, but I did not lose any money and I have two beautiful and rare kits to build. Best regards,