While I desperately await the arrival of a parcel from Malta, I have decided to put up and maintain this PML-TX01 UPDATES 2025 post for those who bought this item on a pre-order promise and for those who are interested in buying it.
I'm on annual leave during the month of August 2025. Apart from attending my eldest daughter's wedding, I'm just taking some time out to catch up on mostly personal stuff and little R & D so I'm not going anywhere.
There's one exception to my leave however, and that is to ensure that those customers who pre-ordered my PML-TX01 replacement transformer for the Marshall JMP-1, are looked after and that all pre-orders will be sent out as soon as they land.
It's been about a month since I should have received my latest batch of transformers and although not my fault or that of the manufacturer, I feel a sense of responsibility and can only apologise for this unprecedented situation. It's just not happened before and I'm trying my best to resolve it.
LATEST NEWS (31st July 2025)
The transformers are made in the same factory that made the original JMP-1 transformer. TRX Electronics is based in Malta. I've now confirmed that the transformers are being held in UK Customs. Yesterday I sent an email to ParcelForce Customs Processing requesting more information. Of course, I'll keep everyone updated.
Please check in here regularly.
UPDATE - 10th August 2025
No news yet, people. I'm getting annoyed but my hands are tied. I did have an auto response to my email of 31st July just to tell me that someone should get back to me in ten days. Great! Thanks! 😡
UPDATE - 20th August 2025
I've just received an email from ParcelForce confirming receipt of my shipment from TRX Electronics and that all information pertaining to the shipment has been recorded.
Unfortunately, when I look at the tracking information, nothing seems to have changed! 😡
UPDATE - 15th September 2025
I have received an email from ParcelForce informing me that the transformers will be delivered the day after tomorrow (Wednesday 17th September).
UPDATE - 17th September 2025
After waiting all day for ParcelForce to turn up, I decided at 9:00 in the evening, to check the tracking. Here's what it's showing...
I know damn well that I paid Customs charges but I checked anyway. Hmm... Yes, of course I did Mr. ParcelForce. The full amount requested, is showing as having been been deducted from my PayPal account on err... Monday! 😡
ParcelForce is one of the worst organisations on the planet.
If it's going to go wrong, guaranteed ParcelForce will be involved.
I'm so sorry people. Not sure where to go from here. I'll try to sort this out tomorrow.
UPDATE - 24th September 2025
Well, after holding on the phone for almost an hour, I did indeed manage to talk to someone at ParcelForce.
I was informed that there was no record of my shipment from 22nd August and it is assumed that it has been returned to the sender (the factory in Malta). The person I spoke with, confirmed that the duty did appear on the ParcelForce system as having been paid. I questioned this and didn't get a satisfactory answer. I was however, told that it would be refunded if the shipment had been returned. I was also told to "key an eye on email" and to expect a communication from ParcelForce.
The duty paid has not been refunded and neither have I received an email.
Sorting out ParcelForce is my problem but no transformers is my customers' problem. I have therefore, informed the factory to expect the return and we have agreed to use a proper courier. In fact, I'll be using my DHL Express account which usually only takes a few days to ship. I'll be arranging collection myself.
Once again, I can only apologise for this mess but I hope you'll all appreciate that it's not of my making.
UPDATE - 11the October 2025
This morning, I received a note through the front door informing me that I have a package but that there is Customs duty to pay. The package will not be delivered until the duty is paid. The Customs duty required is exactly the same amount as that I paid on 15th September (almost a month ago). It's too much of a coincidence and so I'm assuming that the parcel in question is the parcel containing the transformers.
If you've been following my record of this complete and utter fiasco, then you'll be aware that I haven't been credited (as I was promised), the Customs duty that I paid on 15th September. ParcelForce has not realised that while the refence number on the 'redelivery' package is different to that of the original, the two are in fact the same.
Being a Saturday, I will have to wait until Monday before I can telephone. That will be another hour out of my life while I wait on the phone to talk to someone.
UPDATE - 13th October 2025
After waiting on the telephone for one hour and twenty-two minutes, I got to talk to a real person. I was told that the parcel should have been out for automatic delivery today but it is not and that the request for Customs duty note that I received om Saturday, was a mistake. The customer service assistant advised me that the parcel had NOT been returned to the sender, that it had in fact been only returned to the local ParcelForce depot and is now be scheduled for delivery on Wednesday 15th October 2025. WTF?!?!?!?! The conversation took about ten minutes which means that I've spent over one and a half hours on the telephone this morning to get to where I should have been four months ago.
I'm not going to jump up and down with excitement as I don't believe anything that Parcel Force tells me. If the transformers are delivered on Wednesday, I will of course let you know.
Amazingly, after finishing this update, I received an email from ParcelForce, confirming a Wednesday delivery. Hmm....
UPDATE - 15th October 2025
I've been waiting in all day because today is Wednesday and I was told that the package would be delivered today. At 4:30 I checked the tracking and guess what? At 14:58, the package status was changed from 'Awaiting redelivery' to 'Customs duty to pay'.
It's 4:35 and I'm now on the phone waiting to talk to an advisor.
UPDATE - 16th October 2025
So I was told that the parcel would definitely be delivered today. At 10:10 this morning I just thought I'd check the tracking. As you can see, the message displayed tells me that it's being returned to the sender (in Malta). Well, I don't believe that either so right now I'm on the phone again.
Incidentally, the tracking history has completely changed from last last night. The history between 10th October and 15th October has disappeared!
After hanging on the phone for well over an hour, at 11:30 I was told by the customer services advisor that the case has now been escalated to the management. Big deal! 😡
It's now 4:00 and PML-TX01 UPDATES 2025 is delighted to report that the transformers were delivered about twenty-five minutes ago!
I don't know what to say other than a lot of these will be going out early next week to all the good people who backordered. It looks like I'm going to have a busy weekend. Once again...
THANK YOU again for all your patience. ❤️
I received a notice of shipping from the factory on 23rd June. It's taken almost four months for the transformers to get here and 90% of that time, the package has been sitting in a warehouse in Milton Keynes, about 40 miles (65km) away.
The waiting, the phone calls, the misinformation, the crap tracking and the stress have all been off the scale but I'm so happy that the transformers are finally here.
As has been previously mentioned, I'll be taking measures to ensure that this doesn't happen again.
