So on 2-3-2018 I ordered a BNSF TIER 4 LC SET from Charles Ro. It was to be delivered in Oct of this year. Just in time for the granddaughters birthday on 11-8-18. Nope they changed delivered date to 12-10-18 delivery,okay I will give it to her for Christmas,NOT!!! Now it shows 1-10-19 for delivery,Yeah Right! Sorry Lionel but I am done ordering what you can’t deliver!
Sorry to Charls Ro, Not your falt you are working with a F grade supplier. Or is it? [:^)]
I think you have every right to be angry.
Your case clearly demonstrates the importance of manufacturers adhering to their own specified delivery dates.
Most toy manufacturers depend on the increased demand for their products at the end of the year during the holiday season. To blow their deadlines past Christmas is unacceptable. What is a buyer supposed to do…pay for whatever item was ordered and put a copy of the sales receipt in an envelope under the tree? Yes. There’s nothing kids love more than opening an envelope they can stare at while all the other kids enjoy playing and/or using their actual gifts.
Here’s the problem. Lionel is not a manufacturer any more, they’re an importer.
Yes, they do make some of the theme boxcars here in the US but that’s more the exception than the rule. When you’re an importer you’re at the mercy of your supplier. If they’re late, or don’t have the sense of urgency you’d like them to have there’s nothing you can do about it except apologize to your customers and live with the black eye.
We’ve gone through this “Made in China vs. made in the USA” often enough in the past so I won’t start it all over again. The point’s been made.
Kenin this is the reason I refuse to buy anything BTO. I don’t care if it’s Lionel, MTH, or who ever. If I can’t buy it and have it shipped the next business day or two. I don’t want it.
I feel for you, as this is not right, but as Firelock put it, it’s really out of Lionels hands.
Anything that comes out of a new catalog is subject to delays due to shipping/weather/supplier/availability and demand.
This I found out when I was ordering my LC Blue Comet. It was delayed several months before it finally showed.
The lesson learned is this: Wait until it is stocked at the LHS or on line store. The wish book is exactly that, a wish book.
And I wouldn’t say that this is a Lionel only issue, as I have seen similar from MTH and especially Atlas.
Kev I understand what your saying BUT ALL the companys have this problem. Never rely on their announced delivery date. The only chance you have is when the store says they have it in stock.
I can’t think of the sales that they have lost, because, whenever my kids ask me what I want for birthday, Christmas, etc, they have stopped ordering because nothing is available at a given date.
Items are either not yet available OR the supplier that they try to order them from is “sold out.” If they were sophisticated buyers, they would know that if supplier X is sold out, supplier Y might still have the item, but they are not wise in the ways of toy trains, and they do not want to give me a gift certificate, they want something that they can wrap and give to me.
I am far more frugal than my kids. If left to my own devices, I might spend $100 on myself for Christmas, whereas my kids would spend at least $500.
The upside is that they buy me beer instead!
Could be worse!
LittleTommy
You can always buy new old stock Lionel items. You may just have to get by without any warranties, though.
Canceled the Charles Ro order yesterday so will have to figure out something else for the Christmas gift.
I do understand SJ but just because they all do it that don’t make it right. I am thinking maybe Lionel is doing it so they can raise the cost when they do come in to cover the new tariff cost??
Kevin that woudn’t make sense if you paid already they can’t make you pay more once it comes in, or if yu just put a deposite on a set price they can’t come back and raise the price.
Lionel has nothing to do with the delay. Your blaming the wrong company. The problem comes with the ones actually making the product.
They don’t delay because they want too, like RT said the delay is in China and the cargo ships. You want to see delays try Atlas now that IS their fault.
Looking for a Lionel set and need it fast? Go to www.grzyboskitrains.com
The’ve got lots, including conventional tubular track sets priced very reasonably.
That’s what I’d do.
RT, Charles Ro does not charge you till it is shipped. So that would of not been the issue for me,but. They can sure rase the price anytime they want on the sets people ordered and then gave up on after a 11 month wait because at that point it becomes inventory.
Lionel has everything to do with the delay. Their picked supplier = their problem! Simple as that! Can’t any blame China or the boat it is coming on. In the end the fault falls to Lionel. They made the deals and the delivery dates that got them in this mess.
Kev you can go on blaming the wrong company all you want, but Lionel has nothing to do with the shipping of the items. Or the building of the items. The only time it comes to play is when they do a BTO and don’t get enough orders to warrant the building of the item, then they have two choice, completely cancle the item or extend the open time to BTO and see if they get enough orders.
You going to tell me the whole time you worked at Cat that they never had a delay on a item because of a part not being delievered to build the item. Well Lionel can not distrubute an item untill it gets to the U.S. They do not have any idea when an item will really get here. Any more than you do. There given an estimate time an item will be delievered but that is all. So they go by that. Yes your mad because the item you wanted, was delayed. I understand that but you need to look at this as who really at fault. once Lionel gives the order to buils 15,000 of something. It’s out of there hands when it will come in other than what they are told to be a expectant date
I just looked at there shipping schedule and I do not see anything after Dec 2018
Kev I guess you blame xyz company when the package gets mis sent in the mail to. Same princeple. They have no control over the shipping of the item, once it is shipped.
Not saying they do bro, but look at it this way. How old’s your grandaughter?
If she’s a typical child, say 10 years old or younger she won’t care what kind of a train set she gets from Grandpa, it’ll be the thrill of the gift and who she gets it from that’ll be important. Hey, two years ago I gave an eight year old grand-nephew of mine a Lionel conventionally controlled train set with no exotic features and he was thrilled to get it. He’s ten now and still having a ball with it.
Certainly you know your situation far better than I do, but it seems to me you have to go with what’s available. No disrespect or condescention intended, just sayin’, you know?
Look, I don’t like the situation we’re in of all this manufacturing of everything from toy trains to kitchen sinks being outsourced to China and never have liked it. I always thought it was dangerous and was apprehensive about the long-term implications. I avoided buying Chinese made products for as long as I could but now it’s bloody near impossible to do so. I understand why it happened but a discussion of that would turn this topic political and I’m not going to go there. The thing is this i
Thanks Firelock. Your right. She picked it from the catalog because she liked the look of the BNSF engine but at 13 years old I bet there is of plenty of other more girl things she would rather have anyway. Like $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
At the end of the day it is what it is. I just won’t do this pre-order ever again after two times in two years with the same results.
Anytime Kev, anytime.
Wow, she’s 13? She just might be thinking about other things than O gauge trains at this point, but maybe that’s too scary to contemplate? It’d sure scare me!
Wayne
Good point Wayne!! [:O]
As for the point of this post,best I can sum it up is, burn me once shame on you, burn me twice shame on me. Like I said,Sorry but I am done Lionel!.