loathar, if it’s over 1 year old you have to send $20 with it so I don’t think warrenty matters anymore. I didn’t return it because I wasn’t really into MR at the time. And it has NEVER run since day 1. I actually did take it to the LHS a few months ago and they had a guy fix it. Then I took it directly to the guy- after that I gave up and sent it to B-man.
dingoix, if Bachmann comes thru with this then it will be amazing. There are not many manufacturers of anything that would be able to repair a 7 year old model that had been worked on by another. Who knows what was changed or altered by the previous attempts at repair. They may have made it worse. One of the biggest problems may be available parts for the model. If the current generation is different the parts may not be interchangeable. One of the potential short comings of limited production runs is that parts may become scarce. I do think that it is a poor showing that they have not provided you with any feedback, even if it is to say that they can not repair the loco.
well it looks like buchmann is changing its procedure
I was told that the 2-10-4 I have can only be exchanged for there $30 stanard loco
I guess they dont cover the older units like befor
last time I got the spectrum and now its no deal
K
You’ve had it for seven years and still expect it to be fixed for free? Not even Mercedes Benz has a warrenty that good. How much running has it had in those 7 years? How many times has the tender been unplugged from the engine? I know from experience with other steam locos that frequent disconnection between loco and tender will eventually cause some wires to break. BTW I’ve had my B’mann 2-8-0 for at least 4 years (but only took it apart a couple of times) and it still runs great.
The Spectrum steamers are all around great, but there are lemons. I’ve got a 2-8-0 and a light 4-8-2. I broke the connecting wires on my 4-8-2 (my own fault), and the 2-8-0 is still going strong. I’ve been meaning to send in the 4-8-2, just keep forgeting…
Their engines are J class so why would their service be anything but J class?
Call though, email stinks with train companies.
It hasn’t even moved 1/2 inch in 7 years. The tender has been unplugged once or twice. But THE WIRES WERE BROKE BEFORE I EVEN PLUGGED THEM IN FOR THE FIRST TIMEThis loco was stored in it’s box for that 7 years. As I stated earlier IT HASN’T RUN SINCE DAY 1 Not fixed for free, they make you send $20 with it.
Here is a copy of the warranty. I think dingoix is right. http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/service.html
I also think you should call them.
Jim
We need to dig a big hole and use this junk to fill it!!!
That’s why we call it “Botchmon!”
I once had a 44 Tonner axel gear crack from dropping the engine on the floor. After sending in the proper part request and payment, a month later nothing had happened. So I called them and talked to them directly. Instead of sending me the part, they sent me a brand new engine! It took a while, but that is service. Of course, if I could just get the part then I would have TWO engines to run!
I can’t understand I had to send $35 Plus pay $9 to mail it to them the told me it was $20 for steam and $15 more if its a spectrum wow cost me over $120
now I know they sead just send it in and if its over a year then I have to pay
I think they are getting sick of there own policy
man I never sead free
If they don’t answer my e-mail within a few days, I’ll call them.
can someone clairfy
is the 2-10-4 taxas class, A (j class) as I cant seem to find a replacement on the wesite
I sent in an email regarding getting the a spectrum car apart before as asked this list for help. I got an email back stating they will forward the question to their technical people that was almost 2 months ago and I never heard from them.
The Bachmann people would do themselves justice by reading this fourm daily.
Thanks Bachmann
Don’t feel bad, I had a question for Wm K Walthers tech support. They FORCE you to leave a message, no way to get a real person. Then they promise a return call in 48 hours. I left a message on 3/7. Heard nothing so called back and talked to reg cust service at the end of the week (72 hours later) Woman said she could see that I called but could not help me and the best I could do was leave a second message in the tech support mailbox. It’s now 3/20 and I haven’t received a return call from EITHER message.
Just for the record Wm K Walthers service blows too.
Thankfully I found my answers elsewhere. But if you are going to commit to a 48 hour turnaround on phone messages and then not call back for more than two weeks? Might as well just tell me to take a flying leap up front. At least that way my expectation is that your service will suck.
I have had excellent service from Bachmann on several occasions. They have even called me to make sure what I wanted to do when they had to replace an engine. They even sent me a complete new engine and my old custom shell.
This is opposed to my experience with Walthers [8], which has been giving me fits over the past year. I sent a Proto in and I have been getting the runaround from them for over nine months. I know that they bought LL in July last year and had some organization problems and stock issues. Janet Schwarz, the head of customer service, called me December 1st and said they were sending me a replacement engine. Then Jerry, the repairman, called Dec.27th and said they HAD FINALLY FOUND MY ENGINE BUT WERE WAITING FOR PARTS ???
I call once a month now just to hear their voices. This is a 2-8-4 I had a week before it let the smoke out…I returned it with the bill of sale and warranty card, USPS, delivery confirmation & insured … I asked if they would just send it back and I could put it on the shelf next to my Genesis 2-8-2 so I could at least look at my money . [:D]Last time I called Janet, on Feb. 22nd, she was going to have Jerry call me back …I’m still waiting…
I feel I know Jerry well: I’ve spoken to him so many times; every month since July.
It is a shame. I have 8 or (9) of the LL steamers and 25 of the diesels and never had a problem up until this point. … By the way, the waiting for parts line was what LL told me last Feburary so I called them every month until Walthers bought them out. I think I’ll send them copies of my phone bills…
So it’s March 22nd, I wonder whom I should call today??? At least I didn’t pay Walthers’ new price for P2K…
So much for sour grapes.
[banghead][V][V] Tom
My experience with Bachmann Spectrum locos has been excellent. No problems, fine runners. I am wondering if the complaints on this thread are more about the standard Bachmann range, which I do not have any experience with. Earlier locos in the LifeLike/Bachmann standard ranges were cheap and cheerful, no where near the Spectrum/PK2000 quality and some certainly ran like aussie kangaroos.
dingoix i like mine. i havnt had any problems at all.
i dont know about the US but in england if it is less than 14 days old then they have to offer you a refund or offer to swap it with another. if it is more than 14 days old then they repair it.
also if it hasnt worked since day one then why didnt you send it back on day 1!! why did you settle for a faulty loco? it is your own fault.
Peter
As I said earlier, I didn’t send it back on day one because I wasn’t really into MR at the time. Actually, that’s pry why I didn’t really get in that time because this engine did not work.
I have to say that this sounds to me as though the repair guy got the wires crossed - the sparks and power pack shutdown would suggest a short to me. Does this type only have pickups in the tender or is it one of the ones with all the circuitry (including DCC socket) in there?