Ruined parts from LHS

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

This is a flamming love letter to those that purchase parts from your hobbie shop, ruin it, take it back and recieve another. You knew you destroyed the part and are either to cheap to own up to your mistakes, perhaps having personal belief of " of what the heck, they make a lot of money, whats it to them and I cant afford my stupid mistakes". Hey bud I have made more costley mistakes then this trivial thing, own up to it, grow up no matter how old you are, and except your responsibilitys in life. Because in my eyes you dont cast a shadow as a man at high noon.

Yep Im a tad ticked off and would love to get eye to eye with these shirkers.

My case in point, bought a few turnouts a month ago from a hobbie shop 60 miles away. Last night I removed it out of the box and started to install it. Noticing the short turnout rail slipped out of the box, I thought I could fix it. Finding someone tried to soder it, melting the ties beond repairing. They returned it to the LHS and exchanged it for another, stateing perhaps they needed a #4 instead of a #6. The employee puts it back in stock and someone is going to be out a few bucks for the mistake.

Granted the shop should have looked at it, perhaps he or she was a regular customer and trusted the lout, I have no clue.

I have no intention of returning this part as I do want to have the owner think for one minit that I did it, and trying to weasel a new turnout from him… However I am calling him to voice my concern and ask him to inspect all returned goods to prevent this from happening to others.

So…to the louts out there…a lump of coal for Christmas…To all the rest… a Very Merry Holiday Season…John

2

No John

Coal’s too valuable a comidity on this man’s MR. I sympathize with you and understand your disdain and disgust. Anytime I’ve found something bust or tdue to flimsy construction it didn’t withstand the job it was meant to do I’ve returned it and advised customer service. No one has ever accused me of being the culprit.

If it wasn’t your mistake or error you are entitled to a full refund and an apolagy, especially in light of the fact that anything returned should be subject to an inspection by the LHS.

If it was me I would have been on the horn, after cooling my jets.

You have rights!

Seasons Greetings
Fergie

3

Take it back to the LHS and get a new one or get your money back…all they are going to do is notify the supplier that they have a bad part and the supplier in most cases will send the LHS a new one and the bad one will get tossed in the trash…they mass produce these items so that you the customer can return them and get another without any skin coming off anyone’s nose…it’s OK…take it back and get another one…simple as that…Chuck

4

If you purchase an item at the LHS and find problems with whatever you purchased, I think you need to point your accusing finger at yourself. You should avail yourself of the opportunity to examine the items you are purchasing and thus remove the chance for later disappointment. This is, of course, just my opinion for what it is worth.

Tom

5

I learned my lesson in the past as well.

After purchasing your item, go ahead and take it out of the box and examine it carefully in front of the store rep or manager. He or she would likely appreciate it if a problem or defect were caught right there and then rather than having to deal with a defect problem later on.

Especially with locomotives. To me a good model railroad store has test tracks for O, HO, and N scale hooked up to a quality powerpack.

10-4!

6

If it’s track work (like a turnout or crossing) and “openable”, then I open it and examine it BEFORE purchasing it. I do the same with the rolling stock kits. Saves me a lot of grief later.

Tom

P.S. Course, on the rolling stock, I’m mainly interested in the BLT date. But I still give the body a once over…

7

Really, there is a limit to the level of inspection you can carry out in the store. Turnouts that are blister packed are hard enough to get out of the package at home, much less in the store. Most track problems aren’t immediately evident anyway and require test operation and the use of an NMRA gauge. Switch machines are another item that inspection in the store isn’t going to do much for. Certainly things like locos should be test run before purchase, but, other than that, only the grossest defects will be evident at point of purchase.

David

8

tpaulsen…Your right and thats what I said to myself. O well since sticking my head in the fridge I feel a tad cooler LOL. I just vented a bit and I dont buy rolling stock without it being shrink wrapped to prevent pilferage. O well live and learn Huh…

You guys have a good day…John

9

Like usual there are a number of different points of view on the situation.

It’s just my opinion, but I wouldn’t call and complain, but I would hang on to the switch and its box plus receipt and return it next time I was at the LHS, explaining your experience. (Depending on how long you think it will be before your next trip back, it might be worth the call just to inform them that you have a problem with an item and will be returning it at a later date.) I assume you are not going to make a special trip just for a switch. And if they exchange it cheerfully, I wouldn’t even ‘complain’ then, but might offer a suggestion regarding checking returned items.

I don’t take the time to open and inspect each package when I make purchases at my LHS. But then again, I feel confident that he’ll make good on any problem I have.

ymmv

Regards

Ed

10

Take it back. Period. You did nothing wrong, and should not have to accept a defective returned item.

Bob Boudreau

11

I agree with Fundynorthern.

When I make a purchase at the LHS, I usually wait for a quiet time and the owner and I will go over the part or loco or whatever. Test track, examining of contents of kit etc. I like to see if there is everything ok with the item before leaving the store.

Once I get it to the home, what I do with it is my own fault. I trashed a tender once via a very bad accident. I simply ate the loss and ordered a replacement from the factory. No need to bother the LHS for that one.

This thread I think reinforces the need to examine everything before you leave the premises.

12

one thing to be said about handlaying your own switches…[:p]

you can spike the parts in place, but if you have already messed the plastic trying to fix, the problem wasn’t yours to begin with. return it and let the dealer or whomever make the determination, they will want a happy customer anyways.
The maker wants to know problems anyways to improve their products so dont wait back and eat it, return it.

13

I actually just had a similar experience yesterday/today, but this was via shopping over the Internet.

My new Lionel Veranda Turbine arrived last night. Even though I don’t have DCC yet, it’s supposed to work on DC, right? So, as soon as my co-engineer (3.5 year-old + new train = no rest tonight!!!) is asleep, I go down to try it out.

Nuttin’.

Listen quietly… sounds like the power supply is cycling. Check the track out, no shorts. Put on a Known Good engine- works like a charm.

Oh, oh.

Take the Turbine over to the LHS (The Inside Gateway in Bellevue, WA, highly recommended if you’re in the area…). They put it on the track and check with DCC first- reports a short. DC doesn’t work either, obviously, although the owner is thorough and wanted to check.

OK, he puts on the magnifier goggles to take a look underneath, and his first impression… everything looks OK on the outside, and it probably ran at some point. He showed me- SOME of the wheels have the characteristic marks of having been run on track. Probably not for long, but they were run.

Odd thing is, it’s not ALL of the wheels- only the trucks closer to the center on each bolster. The end wheels are pristine.

So… did someone at the Nameless Internet Model Train Shop* run the new toy for a day or two, then put it back in the box and ship it out? Maybe Lionel tested it, found something, and replaced a truck (poorly)? Who knows.

You can bet, though, I’ll be running to the nearby Lionel service center (about 10 miles further, rather than just down the street from work) to have it fixed under warranty ASAP. The Nameless Internet Model Train Shop is likely to get a little less of my $$$ for a while.

Brian Pickering

  • Oh, BTW, I do support my LHS… I walked out with about $115 of “stuff” just today. [:)]
14

bpickering

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Its posssable that this was sold and returned and the shop took it back on the buyers word, then restocked it for resale without checking it out.

But its the same in any industry, some people think and personaly feel that someone else (you and me) should pay for thier mistakes, with out any concern what so ever. Someone somewhere will have to repair or eat it. Not counting the time spent, phone calls, travel or postage. What ticks me off is knowing that some inconsiderat baffoon made their problem ours.

I also buy occasionaly from out of state shops. So far items have been new and packed correctly for shipment. I also support my local hobby shops with approx 85% of purchases.

Hop you get the engine up and running to enjoy it, Take care…John

15

Having once owned a LHS, I hate to say it, but you should return it.

It likely was a case of the individual who ruined it slipped it back into stock for a good one. I had a thief who would steal N scale turnouts. He would bring back an old empty box and swap it for a new one. It was fast and easy for him until I caught an old box that I knew I didn’t have any of. I couldn’t prove it, but I banned him and moved all of that stock under lock and key. End of that problem, but there were others…

Return the merchandise if you didn’t screw it up. Unfortunately, the store will have to eat the loss. He needs to know.