Why is Rapido Trains order book method different?
Here at Rapido Trains UK, we don’t want to over produce or under produce. Both are bad. Therefore, we will only produce to order.
The order book normally opens as soon as an announcement is made and a physical sample is ready to show and will stay open for a minimum of two months. This will apply to orders placed by retailers and direct customers. Once the order book deadline closes, that’s how many models we’re going to make in the first production run. Sometime products will be announced early and the order book will not open until later in the project.
We will keep you informed about the status of the order book at all times.
Don’t delay placing your order either direct or with your local retailer – you might miss out!
Why do you charge a deposit?
Very simply – it helps us bring other projects to the market quicker. We always have projects ready for tooling and we budget for these to take place at certain times in our plans. However, these dates can be brought forward if the money is available – so why not buy direct and help us keep producing more amazing models even quicker.
Why can’t I order different locomotives in the same order?
Unfortunately, this is a technical limitation of our website. Our products are made in batches (of the same type) which means that they will arrive (and be sent to you) at different times.
If you order say, a 16” Hunslet and a 15xx they will arrive a couple of months apart. The website sees your order as one item and therefore won’t let us process it until both items are in stock – which leaves you waiting. To avoid this and ensure you get your models as soon as they are available the shop will only allow you to purchase items with the same expected delivery date – it will allow you to buy multiple liveries/numbers of the same product.
Unfortunately, this means you need to place two orders if you wish to purchase two different types of model. We know this is not ideal but we know that you will want to receive your models in a timely fashion so have taken this decision whilst we search for a better solution.
I’ve seen your products cheaper elsewhere. Will you match this price?
All the products that we sell direct on our website are sold at full retail price. We do not discount our prices. This is part of our policy of supporting model shops because we do not want to get into a situation where we end up under cutting our own stockists.
I have placed an order but have had no confirmation email?
Please check your spam email – occasionally our emails can unfortunately be treated as spam. If you still do not have an email after a few hours please contact us using the form on our site or by email to customerservice@rapidotrains.co.uk.
I’ve placed an order, but it has not yet been shipped?
For items in our warehouse, we aim to ship within 14 working days of the receipt of your full payment. Usually, it is a lot less! If we encounter issues or have a period of high demand we will let you know.
My order has arrived but it is faulty – what do I do?
Please accept our apologies. Unfortunately, these things do occasionally happen, so please contact us using the form on our site or via email to customerservice@rapidotrains.co.uk and we will resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
What payment methods do you support?
We can accept credit / debit cards, and PayPal.
Can you take orders over the phone?
Yes, call us on 0330 460 9496 and select order enquiries on our menu system.
Can you take orders from outside the UK?
We certainly can for most parts of the world. If you are in the USA or Canada please speak to our colleagues at Rapido Trains Inc as they will be able to take a ship your order. For Europe and other selected countries you can use our website to place your order. If for any reason your country is not accepted at checkout simply contact us we we ill do what we can to help.
If I am ordering from outside the UK can I do so without VAT?
Of course you can! Whilst you are shopping the prices will show including VAT. However, once you get to the checkout page and enter your non-UK shipping and billing Address, and the website will automatically remove all VAT from your order.
Will you be attending model railway shows?
We certainly will be attending all the major UK shows.
Mystery Box FAQ
What will be in the box?
That would be telling…
Our £100 boxes are guaranteed to have a total RRP value of more than £150, and our £250 boxes are guaranteed to have a total RRP value of more than £400.
I have bought a box from you before, will I receive different items in my next box?
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee this, we pick our boxes at random based on inventory in our warehouse at the time.
Can I request specific items for my box?
No. It wouldn’t be much of a mystery box if you could.
How will the box be presented?
Despite the name, there isn’t any special packaging. We chose this route as our models are delicate and we want to ensure your items arrive to you securely and in one piece.
Can I return my mystery box?
Yes you can, but all items that were sent out to you as part of the mystery box must be returned to us, including any promotional items. We do keep track of what items make up each mystery box.
I’ve received a faulty or damaged model, what do I do?
Our normal warranty applies to all items sold as part of a mystery box. Only the faulty item needs to be returned as part of the warranty. We kindly ask you to fill out our warranty form at the link below:
https://rapidotrains.co.uk/warranty-form/
Why are these limited to the UK only?
Unfortunately as a mystery box we can’t determine the box size and weight, providing accurate shipping costs is impossible. We are also concerned with customs declarations as we do not specially package up the mystery box items specially and thus the declaration may not match what an inspector sees on opening the box.