(COMMERCIAL) Navwar order by letter

[CollarSarge]

About two weeks ago I ordered some Navwar Armada models by letter. Although I’ve read a lot of praise about their usually quick response, there even was no direct debit from my credit-card yet.

So I don’t know whether the snail-mail was extremely slow or they maybe never received my order form.

Or maybe my order was too small? Since there are any pictures of a ship of that range available, I just wanted an English squadron set (and added other sets as an alternative). Next order would have been far larger, since I’m thinking about a 1588 fleet battle scenario.

I’ve learned that Navwar works old school only and offers contact by letter, phone and fax. That's basically fine.
Unfortunately, I don’t own a fax-device. Calling them by phone (from Germany) would be expensive.

Any similar experiences? Shall I wait another two or three weeks and then write a second letter?

[grant]

Honestly I'd pick up the phone. Can't be that expensive? I used to do phone orders to the UK from Canada and it was never more than a couple of dollars.

[Wachaza]

UK airmail is 4-10 working days so they might not even have it yet.

[CollarSarge]

Many thanks to all for your hints! 

So the letter still might be on its way (perhaps to nowhere). Usually I order by e-mail (or online form) and pay by credit card/PayPal. Which means that I’ll receive a parcel from the UK within 7 to 10 days. Now my good old letter needs twice the time just for one way.

Calling Navwar by phone will be hard. Not because my cutthroat  type of provider will charge 1 Euro per minute. I now found out, that their phone is operated only during their shop opening hours. Which exclusively are on Saturday afternoon between 12.30 pm and 16.00 pm.  Next opportunity will be in 7 days, but I’ll have to work then, too…

It seems I’ll write another letter or have to ask my friends. Some are businessmen and probably will own a fax.

“Old school” can be frustrating sometimes, compared to today’s communication standard. But on the other hand: I’m looking for English galleons. Back then, it took Francis Drake three years to return to England and say “Hello, I’m still alive”. At least “20th century old school” is much faster than  “16th century very old school”. 

[Wachaza]

If the shop is only open one half day a week they might only pick up the mail once a week as well.

Old school wargames mail order. Like going back to the seventies.

[grant]

wow, only open one afternoon?

That's ... ridiculous!

They seem to be not only old-school, but complete luddites as well.

I would suggest writing a letter to cancel the order, but who knows how long that would take?

[RoyWilliamson]

My experiences with Navwar have always been great. The owner (I can't remember his name) even went so far as to send me replacement models and a postage refund when I contacted him through the mail about a model that was missing its masts. The shipping from Navwar is always extremely fast.

I would contact Navwar as soon as you can.

Tell him what has happened.

Send him your order again, and ask that he ignores the first order should it ever arrive.

[CollarSarge]

Thanks again for your hints!

On TMP they say that Navwar’s owner already reached retirement age. Probably that’s why he won’t want to change his established way of running his business. Maybe opening times are more a kind of ‘open house day’ than a regular shop. He also will need time for casting and shipping. Better this way than shutting down the whole business. It also confirms the high customer satisfaction. I salute the owner for that.

But ordering from Germany might be difficult. English postal addresses are very long. Rather turn-by-turn directions, compared to our 5-digit-zip code. That leaves much room for scanning errors.  It is a pity that Navwar has no answerphone.

So I’ll put my project on hold and invest another 3 Euros in a registered letter and an hour to visit the nearest surviving post office.  Just to order a surprise bag. Don’t understand why Navwar won’t provide drawings of their models. One sample to illustrate a range would be better than nothing. That was common already in 1890…

BTW: An international registered letter doesn’t mean much today. German Mail (Deutsche Post) will only state online that the letter has left Germany. But I’m allowed to request a search if there will be no response after some week.

In the meantime, I’ll try to learn some 3D construction. Perhaps at this time next year, some simplified 1/1200 galleons will set sail out of a 3D-printer.  That will be old school, too. At least in 2065 ;-)

[Ahistorian]

I've contacted Tony by internet fax before - just type in "free online fax" and pick a provider 

[Golgotha]

Many years back I ordered Navwar from South Africa and had no issues. I would not worry just send another letter perhaps explaining the situation certainly do not want a double order issue either.

[CollarSarge]

Again many thanks! Today, I’ve sent a second letter. This time registered with a big printed postal address and a fat priority sticker. I told Navwar what happened before to avoid a double delivery (which in fact at least would be better than no response).

Maybe ordering from South Africa is easier than from our backwater part of the German coast. Some call us the first space colonists in history, because we live far beyond the dark side of the moon. 

I’ve checked some free fax providers. All around were not really free of charge, just offering x-days free testing periods. But I would have to give them my bank account data first (and maybe later have to struggle with canceling the contract). Also I hesitate sending an order with my credit card data via a free fax service.

Hope Navwar will accept my second attempt and charge my credit card within the next weeks. 

[CollarSarge]

Thanks for encouraging me to try a second order!

Yesterday my Armada range ships did arrive. Like them very much and will order more. But after the Christmas-mail-mayhem.

My second letter (registered this time) successfully came through. But it took 10 days from Northern Germany to Navwar in England. 25 years ago I covered the same distance in one day. On a trip to Scotland by road and ferry, driving an old Volkswagen Beetle. So much for modern airmail… The German mail ‘performed’ the slowest part of that snail-relay-race, taking 6 days just from our post office to the airplane.

Funny, because the way back was much faster. Less than a week. So Navwar must have started shipping immediately after receiving my order. Great! 

[Gunbird]

Funny, because the way back was much faster. Less than a week. So Navwar must have started shipping immediately after receiving my order. Great! 

Yup, that's Navwar service. Old school rocket service.

[RoyWilliamson]

I'm glad it's worked out okay for you in the end 

[CollarSarge]

Right, I wish our modern logistics companies (who have the possibilities) would also have that old school rocket spirit.
In the end it really worked out perfectly. Next order will be a registered letter again. 

In the 'Pikes, Muskets and Flouncy Shirts' section I just posted a pic of some hulls and parts. In case that someone else some day wants to see how the Navwar Armada range kits might look.