Customer Service Helpdesk

We hope that any general queries you may have will be answered here. However, if you cannot find the information you need, please send an email (click here) to our helpdesk.

Address, telephone and fax numbers...

If you need to contact the helpdesk other than by email:

The Model Catalogue
24 Heyford Road
Catton
Norwich
NR6 6GB
England

Tel: 01603 817143
(This is a standard BT telephone number, therefore your phone company's normal charges apply.)

Fax: 0870 123 1614
(For more detail and confirmation of the latest BT charges for phoning 0870 numbers please visit http://www.bt.com).

A conscientious business...

The Model Catalogue was established in 2002 to provide plastic model kit enthusiasts a user-friendly online shop from which to buy Airfix & Revell models and accessories at competitive prices. It is very much a family affair with Tom Jolly providing the business direction and web site management while his wife, Kim Jolly, deals with order fulfillment and first tier sales support.
We don't have a presence in the local high street and all our stock is remotely stored off-location. As such, customers are advised not to visit the address provided on this web site.
We work in a 'virtual environment' in that we don't own or lease traditional-style office space. Everyone involved in The Model Catalogue contributes from a place of their choosing and we communicate with each other, our suppliers and our customers predominantly via email.

What we sell...

Several years on we now stock Airfix, Revell & Trumpeter plastic kit models and modelling accessories from Revell, Humbrol, Microscale, Tamiya, Xtracrylix to name a few. As you will already know these companies are leaders in their field and firm favorites with many hobbyists. We stock almost every current model you can buy from Airfix, Revell & Trumpeter.

If you wish to purchase an item that is out of stock...

The ordering option on the site is set to accept orders for items that are out of stock (this was due to customer demand back in 2003). You will know whether an item is out of stock because we publish the number of items in stock on the site close to the price. In such situations a message warns the buyer of the delay to expect before a purchasing decision is made. The wait depends on the point our ordering cycle that you placed your order. We try to find a way to dispatch within two weeks, but sometimes is may take several weeks longer.

It is VERY SAFE to shop online with us...

The Model Catalogue understands the concerns it's customers may have with regard to the security of their credit card details on the internet. In light of this it was decided to draw on the experience and expertise of Paypal and WorldPay, world class internet credit card payment processing companies. As a result no credit card details are taken by The Model Catalogue, only by Paypal & WorldPay. We take your contact and order details, but to complete the payment process we pass these details onto Paypal & WorldPay, where you will fill in your credit card details on a secure server, safe in the knowledge that large amounts of money and research have been spent developing methods to keep your credit card details away from prying eyes. You will know you are on a safe server because you will see the padlock icon at the bottom of your browser window and the URL will begin with "https:".

[An afterthought about online fraud. The real threat facing users of credit cards on the internet is traditional style fraud. An example: if you went to a restaurant and paid with your credit card, an unscrupulous employee might make a note of all your details on a piece of paper while processing your bill payment slip. They take this information away with them when they finish work for the evening and use it to buy products on the internet. Contrary to popular belief, the risk of being a victim of credit card fraud is much higher in the 'real' world than on the internet, so the advice to all our customers is to be vigilant in the real world and the chances of being subjected to fraud on the internet will be a lot slimmer.]

What if your order is delayed...

The Model Catalogue uses Royal Mail and Parcel Force to send your orders to you. Although the service is usually excellent, there are some occasions where the parcel is delayed. (There has only been two occasions within the past 4 years where a customer has told us the parcel did not arrive at all.)

What should you do if Royal Mail does not deliver? Well the first thing to remember is that The Model Catalogue will indemnify you of any loss due to a lost parcel, so you don't have to worry about that. All you will have to worry about is when you take delivery of your parcel. Over the years we have established a reliable procedure to ensure that we give Royal Mail every chance to deliver (as explained they usually do turn up) before we put our recovery plan into action. This essentially involves giving you the option of sending a replacement parcel. However if you choose this option, you will be responsible for sending back and paying the postage for the original parcel when, and / or if, it arrives. As mentioned it usually does arrive eventually and we have found, particularly for overseas parcels, sending a replacement creates a lot more hassle for the customer than if the wait had been extended for a few more days. Nevertheless if you ever find yourself in this position, please email us using the Contact Us Form and we will swing into action to fix the problem.

Complaints and praise...

We naturally do everything in our power to ensure your shopping experience is a positive and rewarding one, however if you have any cause for complaint please (click here to email us). We aim to respond within 24 hours. Likewise if we have succeeded in providing total satisfaction, you are very welcome express you pleasure and satisfaction using the same link.

Our returns procedure...

Products we dispatch leave in perfect condition. We pack them in bubble wrap envelopes or corrugated cardboard for continued protection thereafter. However, if your consignment is damaged in transit, although you are not obliged to, we ask that you return the goods to us using stamps we will mail to you upon receiving email notification (click here to email us) of the situation. Please supply a copy of the dispatch note and the reason for returning the goods. When you receive the stamps in the post, repackage the products in the same envelope that they arrived in, affix the stamps and return to our address. We will credit your debit or credit card immediately with the cost of the products and any postage and handling charged