New to the modelling world, so for me personally while I feel your pain, your video was a real eye opener and incredibly useful. Scammers to me are 'hello dear' emails I would have fallen hook line and sinker for that website and not even thought of doing any of the due diligence checks you did. Thanks for posting and I do hope you and everyone else get your refunds. As for a certain Mr Cann I do hope he enjoys some time at Her Majesty's pleasure.
Admit I had not heard of this guy before but the 20% off sale seemed to good to be true. A Corgi Vulcan aicraft model rrp over £200 was an absolute bargain and I would not have even considered paying the full price. Hopefully like you stated everyone will get their money back as his website is now permanently closed. He opened his business in September 2019 so I would assume he is one of the many business owners affected by covid.Although that is not a excuse for him.
I feel for you and all those scammed, I would be paying him a visit if it was me. I hate scammers with a passion, thank you for warning us, much appreciated.
@Dr Weirdgloves Who mentioned violence, Not me, I'm a disabled man, I would have made him see what he is doing to people and hopefully gotten him to see sense, things can be sorted without violence and I will not be party to any violent actions against anyone, it solves nothing.
They definitely were still in business in January 2022. I picked up 3 sets of accurascale PTAs and received them fine. Guess I was one of the lucky ones!
Sorry to hear of your problems Rob. Hopefully you will get your money back. There is an old saying " If it sounds too good to be true then it is too good to be true" . Personally I only shop at trusted retailers that everyone knows even if it could be a little higher in price.
Denis : His chances of getting his money back are NIL as scammers sell anything and everything and their objective is simply to get your money with no after sales service.
Roy c Horton when you use a credit card that's your guarantee its by paying by cash is non guaranteed get your facts right matey before you state a pointless comment.
@@zuluwarrior1648 You are only guaranteed to get your money back under Section 75 if each item you buy costs £100 or more. Less than that and you have to try to do a chargeback which isn't guaranteed.
Osborns models are similar. They let you order things that show in stock, but are not in stock. They don't follow up to tell you they're out of stock, they hope you forget you ordered them and pocket the money.
Hi Rob, as per my reply to your original post, I too have been scammed but have lodged a claim through my credit card so fingers crossed I get some redress that way. There's no need to apologise but I understand your reasons for doing so however I took the decision to purchase from Canns so I take full responsibility for my actions. We live and learn but it's sickening that individuals like Adam Cann are able to operate so easily. Maybe the phrase, what goes around comes around will come to pass....
Just an idea. When ordering from a company you've never used before you could try placing an order with them by phone rather than online. Yes, I know it's much simpler to go down the online order route but ... if you've never used them before ... it may be something to try. It gives you the added option of asking questions about the business, etc.
Thank you for the video. I fell victim to a scam web site to purchase Hornby spare parts in May 2021. I paid using PayPal. They basically took money, sent a fairly meaningless email confirmation and never acknowledged any further emails. I lodged a dispute with PayPal and got a full refund. It was also a convincing looking site and I was thankful that I got my money back. It's a minefield out there.
I have never heard of this model shop. Glad I didn’t find it and order anything. Hopefully ones who did place an order, is able to get their money back from their bank. Goes to show that scams do exist relating to model railway products and we should only order from companies we know about.
I came across Canns Models last year and was amazed to see even new stock being sold at 25% less than the RRP, I placed a small order (approx £60) and it arrived with no issues, I have over the past 6 months placed several orders with them (some circa £400) and again absolutely no issues and everything arrived in good time. However I noticed in January that they had some new stock of some models that had sold out and put an order in, a few days later I discovered even more models had been advertised at even lower prices so placed another order but this time I paid with paypal. Needless to say neither order arrived, emails were not replied to and the phone line went dead - I can only guess this Company was closing down and saw an opportunity to take as much money as they could, thankfully the paypal payment has been fully refunded to me and my bank as refunded me for the first order so I am not out of pocket but really disappointed that this Adam Cann guy could do such a thing to his customers - I hope someone finds him and he gets prosecuted for what he has done
You are not the only one. Thought his prices were to good to be true but I had no problems with my orders before Christmas and then thought I would get a late order in before his sale finished at the end February. Major mistake but luckily managed to get a refund grom my bank. Anyone who runs a business from their home address should be an indicator that things are not exactly as they should be. Will not make that mistake again.
Rob, it just goes to show that even though you did some research it can still catch people out. As for websites, well with loads of free templates and cheap hosting sites anyone can knock up a fancy looking website in an afternoon... Best advice to anyone placing an order of £100 or more, use a credit card. At least that way if anything goes wrong you have some form of redress to get your money back. Hope you get well soon, and manage to recover your costs
I had 2 orders in January this year with them. The first 2 coaches came through okay without any issue, but the second order seemed to be taking some time. I emailed after about 2 weeks and had a very prompt response apologising for the oversight and the item was delivered within a couple of days. Its a shame to hear others have had trouble with them.
No apology needed. You went _way_ above & beyond due diligence, which is a lot more than most people do. Stuff like these dodgy dealers is why I'm disappointed that 'local' model shops are rare. Mail order is fine but nothing beats actually heading out and actually getting your eyes on what you're buying.
I'd hate to think that anybody would go on to 118 and find Mr Cann's address and go down to Okehampton to have a little 'chat' with him. That would be awful.
I apparently had a very lucky escape. I ordered a brand new Oxford Rail GER 10T covered van from Canns Models on the 19th of February 2022; it arrived within a couple of days and was well packed, no problems at all.
I myself have come across a few of these scam sites before, one in particular sold rare Bachmann gems and new Hornby releases alike for just 70 pounds a piece. This was a new level of scam, and it almost got me. I was really excited to pick up some of the bargains that they had for models I was looking for, and the icing on the cake was the bygones that I was particularly on the hunt for, such as the South Wales Coal Train pack by Hornby. I was probably a day or two away from making significant purchases from them when the second post went up explaining that it wasn't looking very promising, and from there I decided not to take the risk. I am glad I dodged this bullet, but I do feel for those who did not. With this hobby becoming ever more expensive, there is nothing worse than spending one's precious money on something that doesn't pan out, especially if that is for a malicious reason.
Before buying from any new retailer I always pop the postcode into Google maps and eyeball the premises on street view. If it turns out to be a residential property or a business with a different name over the door then I walk away. Canns Models falls squarely into the first category. A retail website that doesn't include a verifiable bricks and mortar address is a red flag too. I want to know whose doorstep to rock up on if things go wrong.
Trouble with Google maps is the photo location recent ??. I've used Google maps to check out a location prior to a visit. Sometimes the photos can be years out of date or the location has changed, ie, building works, road layout changes, ect, etc
Saw their ad some while ago. l live nearby so looked them up as I hadn't ever heard of them. At first I thought they may have taken over the model shop the used to be on Okehampton Station. Couldn't find them as they are not actually in Okehampton, but looks like they were located in a barn some miles away in Bickleigh.
This is the reason I was so scared of ordering or buying anything on line. I eventually bought on line various tools and hobby materials. But even now it doesn't feel safe. Remember anyone can write a review
ALWAYS pay by creditcard online, even if it’s just a few quid. You are insured agains theft or items not being delivered. My wife works at the fraud and chargeback department of a credit card company and believe me getting scammed is pretty easy, as is getting your money back.
Always use credit cards. You have protection and even if the company does a disappearing act, credit card providers will issue a chargeback and refund you any money. I use PayPal, but again always use a credit card with it. I've had PayPal turn around and decline a refund because they said I missed delivery (I didn't). Credit card company chargeback worked (actually think it led to a bit of a big fraud investigation in the end as I got a letter asking to provide more information for it)
Ever so sorry to hear about this :( . Was shocked seeing the retailer as I have used them a few times, last time was December 2021, very responsive to emails and goods arrived in timely manner.
@@LittleWicketRailway Accurascale 24t hopper wagons - used them initially as was after some accurascale cemflo wagons which at the time had become quite sparse and Canns models was on accurascale supplier list. Hope it all gets resolved for you and anyone else.
I always find that if I come across a company who I've never heard of before, I'll buy something small and inexpensive and see how it goes. But it's not nice to be parted from your hard earned and recieve nothing for it.
But if it is a scammer site, you are still exposing yourself to losing your personal information along with all your credit card info to be sold onto the dark web
Sorry but RED FLAGS were all over the Internet that Canns Models Ltd was a major risk. From what I found out it seems to be a one-man show (Adam David Cann) based in a residential location, running a mail-order business. It's typical stated annual revenue is/was around 45,000 a year and virtually no meaningful history. JUst that research would raise flags for me. The golden rule - If it sounds too good to be true then, in this day and age you can bet it most likely is.
I just checked the website for Cann's Models. I clicked on all the tabs at the top of the page and all came up with the same answer - nothing found. They have obviously gone out of business. One warning sign to me was that there was no way of communicating with them - no e-mail, no telephone number etc.
Just a thought - I lived beside a small railway model shop in a village near Okehampton for a while. That was a very small business, which was extremely affected by COVID. While I've never been to Canns, I'd imagine (given it's only 15 miles from the one I'm referencing) the situation was similar. Add in the fact the google search now says it's permanently closed, I'd imply Canns was a legitimate business led by a technically illiterate bunch who failed to communicate these bargain prices were due to liquidation, and that in the heat of closing down shop communication standards fell. That still doesn't excuse failure to fulfil orders though.
Using various free company searches, Google Maps, Streetview and postcode finder, you can find exactly where this person operates from, but what's the worst that can happen to him when the law is very feeble. It's funny there is another company trading from the same address which appears to be a private house.
A similar thing happened with Maelstrom Games. They sold discounted fantasy models etc and went bust leaving many customers without their orders or refunds. It was down to incompetence and over expansion I think. I expect in this case that the website was still taking money after the ship sank. The owner is morally responsible either way - be it from negligence or intent.
Sorry to hear this has happened to you. This is why I am reluctant to buy from small retailers unless its via eBay. The golden rule is that you should try their services first before recommend them to others. I do this because at the end of the day. I don't want to recommend trash to my subscribers and I won't do it. Hattons, Rails etc are always forthright with my orders and 95% of them are fulfilled or I am instantly refunded when an item out of stock in sold in error. Jadlam Models are another reliable company I use a lot and Cheltenham Models are also good. They all ship to Northern Ireland with no issues either. But please be careful folks. They are a few sharks out there to grab your money and take you for a ride.
It's amazing that you did so much preliminary research (far more than what I would normally do when buying from a new retailer or trader I had never dealt with before) in to them but still got taken. I'm sorry, man.
I had a similar problem with a company called Cambridge Model Train Shop. I placed an order to the value of almost £85, but got no acknowledgement of my order. When I called their number (a mobile number) I was informed that the number was no longer in service. I tried sending them an email but was informed that their inbox was full. They still have a working website, stating the same mobile number. Fortunately, I paid via PayPal and eventually was given a refund. Before you are tempted to purchase from them, try the mobile number and/or send them an email with some form of query and see whether they reply. I THINK I saw them at the London Festival of Railway Modelling and (if it WAS them) all the products they were selling were used, in poor condition, and loose in large, tatty cardboard boxes.
Hi Rob, whilst it is possible the company were originally legitimate the later activity you point out looks decidedly dodgy. I think you did all you could reasonably have done to verify the business before ordering (more than I would have). Hope you and others can get their money back and that you feel better soon. Thanks for your videos which I always find to be informative and professional.
The worst thing is we all got caught in the big fish net. Also for no return correspondence either from phone calls or emails was terrible from this company
Well done to you for this information. I feel your pain and have encountered poor behaviour in the past, though not in the model railway environment. I live in Australia and have used Rails and Hattons for the last 20 years. Both new and secondhand items. They are superb in every way possible. I’ve stopped using EBay because the postage rates now far outweigh the savings. When in the UK I went to exhibitions and met second hand dealers and established a connection with them that has continued since I returned to Oz. UK postage is brilliant. Takes 3-7 days from UK to West Coast of Oz. Inside Oz it’s takes from a week up 6 weeks to get a package 🤦♂️
The more complaints that dissatisfied customers make to Trading Standards about the business owner the more likely they are to take action The squeaky wheel gets the grease!
Something similar has happened to me with Osborne's Models, selling stock they don't have at knock down prices that they then struggle to obtain. The website has COVID excuses plastered all over it, but I don't see Hattons, Jadlam, Rails, Kernow or any of the other big online shops struggling to obtain the same items.... I don't think that they are fraudulent, but they shouldn't be advertising things as in stock that clearly aren't, and then taking your money for it. Shame as they had previously delivered quickly at a great price so I thought they could be trusted. Going to ask for my money back.
@@davidwalkley2778after posting the last post I emailed to ask for a refund and got a quick response saying they'd return my money, which was reassuring. Hopefully it's back in my account soon.
Well done you in warning the rest of the community about these thieving bastards 😠😠😠😠 Let’s hope they get there’s ah and black listed by posting this video on 👍
Canns models post code takes you to a unit/house at the back of Springfields residential home. It looks as if canns models has been troublesome since 2018 when they were claiming to be an official Bachmann supplier without that authority.
This sadly happens all the time. A "reputable" small store does too well too quickly or just fails out the gate. Very common in the action figures/toys market. Take the money for the stock they don't have and shut shop. Funko pops are prime targets for this kind of trade as they are a niche market and have lots of imports. Seen it happen a half dozen times over 8 years with Funko shops.
I got scammed with Etsy couple of years ago. I ordered two sets of photo etch for a 1/72 Airfix Skyhawk which was not available anywhere else. I thought it was a French website, but the money went to a company based in Thailand or Vietnam I can't remember! About £30 in total, and I got a refund from HSBC as I'd paid by credit card. The site looked totally trustable. Now I only use hannants, small scale model shop, models for sale and fields of glory all very trusted. Not train related, but relevant. Be careful! Hope you get it sorted 👍
If you want one of the Hornby Mk2d/e/f TSOs, the Airfix GMR, Mainline and Dapol ones are *exactly* the same models made from *exactly* the same moulds. Yes, the Hornby Main Range Mk2d/e/f they want fifty pounds for is an Airfix model from the late 70s. The only differences are that Hornby uses more modern axles/wheels and arguably paints them better.
As of 20/03/2022, they are still coming up as a viable search result on Google, as well as this video. Sorry to hear of the problems. Thanks for the heads up. Cheers!
Internet based companies are always a risk so I only buy from my local model shop and people I know. Also plenty of good retailers at exhibitions but still be careful. You did all that you can and if you buy on line always use a credit card never your debit card that way your guaranteed to get your money back.
I feel your pain a few years ago a work mate sent a link to a shop that was based in Swindon and closing down, I wasn’t aware of the shop having lived in the area previously but it had been a few years so thought it must have popped up after I moved away. I made an order and even tipped my dad off about it, when it had been a couple of days and no dispatch email had been sent, I did some digging and found out the link had been put on Facebook and the shop didn’t exist. Got my money back thankfully, but again it was the same trick of selling at low prices to get you to spend more.
I was the 1st person to review Canns on The Model Railway Shop Directory. Then another 2 people posted comments. Then Canns was removed from their website when it was found out Canns was permanently closed
@@LittleWicketRailway I did all the same research as you did. We were both fish in his big net. I do feel sorry for Adam if his company failed. But he should have taken down his website straight away. Not after I had done a review on his web page, then on The Model Railway Shop Directory. And finally posting me video of my personal experience with it all. Hope everyone manages to get their money back. Cheers and best wishes mate 🙋♂️👍🤝👏🎞👀 Kevin
It seems to me that Mr Cann was doing his best but for some reason failed. Running a business is not that easy. I think when things went wrong for him he didn't react as quickly as he should have. Of course orders shouldn't have been taken, but I don't believe it was an out and out scam, just a guy trying and failing.
He did it with all 3 of his model railway 'businesses' he does it with his roofing business, he does it with his football shirt business, he also lost his driving licence for a number of driving offenses and his personal social media shows he has zero interest in model railways
@@LittleWicketRailway It's surprising (potentially scary) how much information is available around the net/social medi but it's easier when there's wakes of disgruntled customers across multiple interests who've been ripped off by him and a couple genuinely unrelated businesses who's addresses he has used for his out for him too.
I think it's always worth checking the address on Google Maps and Street View. If they claim to be a shop, then they'll have a premises you can see; if they are a mail-order only place, they'll have a warehouse. In this case it looks like a caravan park, which is very suspicious.
Facebook Market Place has got loads of fake ads for 3D printers, same wording in each add from different sellers all over the country urging prospective buyers to buy from their website. The 3D printers are priced stupidly low, £48 etc.
Not related to trains but you need to watch out I was intending to buy an air fryer this one came £10 cheaper m Ebay waited past the time got in touch with Ebay no tracking no checks on the site closed down got the money back sometimes when a price looks OK can be a red flag?
Not your fault my friend. You are the innocent party here. I don’t know how these people sleep at night doing untrustworthy acts like this? Been scammed once on e bay a few years ago and it makes you feel vulnerable. Hope the bank refunds your payment and get the fraud squad involved.
Thats odd as I ordered something a few weeks ago (Railway gun) and had no problems. It was packed well and delivered in a few days. Ive not ordered anything else since though.
@@LittleWicketRailway Just looked back on my emails when I ordered. It was 28/01/22. I had ordered a gladiator railway gun from another model shop and it had obviouslly been used as alot of parts were either broken or missing. Bit annoying. Luckily I got a refund and had spotted Canns selling it for almost two thirds of the price. I guess I was lucky as I didnt really do any checks. I was just too eager. Lesson learned for the future I guess. Great videos btw, hope to see an update on you layout soon 👍
I've been caught out by a shop in Fife, trading as as a maufacturer / retailier etailing several reputable and well established names including Jackson-Evans wheels, and Model Master etched loco name plates. My first order came through, slowly I might add. My second, I'd been informed, had been despatched before Christmas last year but never arrived. Four months, several unhelpful, obstructive and downright incompetent phone calls and an email demand for my money back later, I'm still waiting. Small Claims Courts and Trading Standards are useless - talks with other modellers reveals the shop is well known for this behaviour, yet they're still accepting orders on their website. Am I allowed to name them ?
If you pay for something like this by credit card, notify them and dispute it. They can credit you and charge it back to the merchant, while also taking up a fraud investigation. Paypal might have the same thing, I don't know.
@@stevesmodelbuilds5473 In the UK it is part of the consumer protection laws regarding credit cards. Every purchase over £100 is automatically protected by the credit card company, so if you pay with credit card you can claim with your credit card company and they'll chase the trader for the money.
I've noticed various very professional bogus shop sites which come and go- often using the same shop template over and again as one closes so it may pop up again with a different shop name. Not just model railways. They were all 'Wordpress' sites - there's a 'W' in the tab at the top where it says 'Home - Canns Models' where they haven't set a favicon - so might be a warning sign from now on. It may be that the original canns models are not even aware. Only an idiot would use their own registered company name?
Unfortunately this sort of scam is not uncommon in general. It seems the guy who did this is not so clever at hiding himself though. The webpage, although looking like a lot of work, was likely not so hard given it was for a fake store front anyway. It's a shame that people do this to others. Makes it so hard for genuine businesses to get started. I hope you get your money back from this one. Thanks for the video.
I loaded a video Buyers Beware on my channel over 2 weeks ago trying to warn everyone of my experiences with the company. That was on Sunday 6 March at 0930. Jenny Kirk then mentioned Canns on her Monday live upload, so hopefully the word then spread fast not to buy from Canns
Sorry to hear about you getting scammed. It would have been a good idea to have waited until you received your order to inform followers of the good deals.
Possibly, but similar genuine sales like this will sell out within hours. Model Railways Direct did a sale a few years back where you could refresh the pages every few minutes and see the stock levels drop.
Looking on companies house beta they have never filed any accounts. Only ever been a dormant company. Could be genuine but if a company doesn't accept paypal i never use them. Adam Cann could have genuinely run into trouble but there is no record of a liquidator filing on companies house. If you paid by card then you contact the provider they will be best people to help. If he starts the process of striking the company off, file a complain (takes 5 minutes) and then the company becomes liable and will be forced to either pay it back. Other option is small claims court against the company as the company is dormant but is trading so that is against tax law. Good luck mate
I hate when this kind of things happen. I was scammed by a Chinese vendor who claimed to have some spare parts that were really hard to get (and yes, it looked a bit suspicious to me, but I needed that parts so I decided to try). Never received the spare parts but Paypal made a refund to me.
Hi Little Wicket, wish my channel was as big as yours lol. On a more serious note, having just seen your video I went straight to their site. They list nothing to sell as of now, in all sections. The phone code is Oakhampton, reasonably close to me as I am in Cornwall. I looked at their site for a 'contact us' section, hoping to find a business address. Nothing! My reason for doing this was that I was going to go to Google maps, enter a postcode and look at the street view. Maybe that last point will help viewers who have concerns. Just subbed and looking forward to more videos. Stay safe everyone
hello sorry to hear of your rubbish experience with this company i have just looked at there website with not any stock on there buy like you said looks like a very professional set up. when it comes to prices seem to be untrue then i think they usually are untrue and i do avoid. this is why i do stick to the main retailers that are about this day and age. I do so hope that you get your money back and i hope you do manage to find the products you was after. stay safe online. peter
So sorry for you and all others who were scammed by this company. You should not feel bad about it though - I always search around for potential bargains and may also have been taken in and even recommended to others. A lesson for us all I suppose that professional looking websites don't always mean a reputable company. Hopefully people will get their money refunded and let's also hope that action is taken against the owner.
Glad to say I got my money back from my bank. Only wanted two lner 6 wheel coaches. Good job I didn't see any bachmann stanton hopper wagons because I would spent a lot more. Hope everybody gets their money back ASAP. Cheers for the video
Unfortunately there are scammers everywhere, I do hope you get all your money back and find your train/carriages somewhere else. Take care and get Well soon.
Two points. Your consumer rights are only as good as your ability to enforce them. Legal action is most likely to be successful where the company has the most to lose from a CCJ. However such companies are the least likely to give you a problem.
I notice the telephone number code was 01234 , I don’t think it is the code for the scam business address, town …. It is the code for my town , Bedford.
*sigh* Im about 70% sure that I knew this guy at one point in time. I thought the company name sounded very familiar to me, Cann, I knew someone with that surname. Long story short, when i used to work at Dartmoor Railway in Devon there was a model shop at the station. The guy who owned it I think was Simon, who now owns a model shop in Holsworthy I used to go to. Anyway, Cann used to work in the shop and i became friends with him for a number of years. We chatted, stocked shelves and whatnot for a few years in the time i was waiting for the train in the station to take me to the model railway I used to work on at the time. so.......if this IS the guy that I knew back then, colour me disgusted and disapointed.
CANN, Adam David Correspondence addressBickleigh, Bridestowe, Okehampton, Devon, United Kingdom, EX20 4ER Role ACTIVEDirectorDate of birthJuly 1991Appointed on9 September 2019 NationalityBritishCountry of residenceEnglandOccupationCompany Director
@@LittleWicketRailway Well i was young, he was older and he had a job in a model train shop. I thought he was the coolest guy in the world. He always seemed a stand up guy to me though. I guess people change huh
@@LittleWicketRailway good to hear your got refund. Shame the authorities are not proceeding any further. Needs to be stopped to prevent any future attempts of this happening again…
This is pure speculation but it is possible that there website was either hacked or after the legitimate store shut down there domain was bought by scamers who used then using the name of a real business setout to scam unsuspecting buyer's That could exsplan why the facebook was deleted once the original owners found out about the scam they may have deleted it to try to prevent further damage but if that is the case i guess that they probably would have made an announcement on there facebook
I suppose it's possible, but I don't think so. If that was the case why hasn't he addressed it? And I hear he's done something like this before. The authorities will surely be able to prove the money went to his account.
