Dallas Model Works wrote: Trainman2008 wrote: I'm not ordering too much as it is as the postage to Canada from the US is OUTRAGEOUS!!William Postage from Canada to the US -- now there's a horror story!
Trainman2008 wrote: I'm not ordering too much as it is as the postage to Canada from the US is OUTRAGEOUS!!William
I'm not ordering too much as it is as the postage to Canada from the US is OUTRAGEOUS!!
William
Postage from Canada to the US -- now there's a horror story!
Hey: All those machines to irradiate, x-ray, and bomb sniff every package so the we in the home of the brave won't be afraid to open our mail, are expensive...
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Actually, it depends.
If you order just a couple of small things, yes it probably is. Order a lot of stuff at once and you'll save on a per item basis. The USPS has a couple of flat rate options which means a $50 order or a $500 order could ship for the same price. (Box size is a factor here.)
Model train stuff is also duty free and quite often (although you can't count on it) Canada Post doesn't hit you up for the GST (and PST in some provinces) even though they are supposed to.
Craig
DMW
I use both Trainworld and M B Klein.
I have ordered many times from them with never a problem.
Tom
Rude? HAH.
Have the product, manufacter, part number and the information from the ad itself if possible when you call. Save the chit chat, small talk and irrevelant stuff for your home.
They will take your information and make it happen.
Dont waste thier time with missing information or your lifestory. They are business and will execute your order.
No, no rudes here.
There is a difference between a east coast Mcdonalds and a West Coast one:
East Coast: "Yah! Whadda ye have?"
West Coast: "Good morning! What would you like to order today?"
Maybe there is something about Pacific time that makes people nicer to deal with.. I dont know.
PaWhit wrote:My only experience with an on-line seller was not very good; this was maybe four years ago and i have been shy to repeat any order. However, i noticed Trainworld (of Brooklyn) is having an inventory reduction sale and lists a few items (Cornerstone structures) that have been out of production and/or classified "retired." This of course is the same scenario just a different outlet AND i am tempted to see if my luck has changed. But now being a MR forum "peruser" have decided to ask y'all if you have had either good or bad experience specificly with Trainworld. Could these out of production items really be in their inventory or might this just be the old "thanks for your order but . . . we will keep your $ on account for any future order of items . . . " I will appreciate the time anyone takes to share Trainworld experiences.Thanks,Whit
My only experience with an on-line seller was not very good; this was maybe four years ago and i have been shy to repeat any order. However, i noticed Trainworld (of Brooklyn) is having an inventory reduction sale and lists a few items (Cornerstone structures) that have been out of production and/or classified "retired." This of course is the same scenario just a different outlet AND i am tempted to see if my luck has changed. But now being a MR forum "peruser" have decided to ask y'all if you have had either good or bad experience specificly with Trainworld. Could these out of production items really be in their inventory or might this just be the old "thanks for your order but . . . we will keep your $ on account for any future order of items . . . "
I will appreciate the time anyone takes to share Trainworld experiences.
Thanks,
Whit
I can't help you when it comes to Trainworld, although I do think I may have ordered from them about 15 years or so ago, and I don't recall any problem, but like many others have said I knew exactly what I wanted before I ordered. But I can tell you about two online vendors that I have had good luck with. M.B. Klein (www.modeltrainstuff.com) is very good to deal with. I've placed several orders from them. They have an online inventory system that tells you how many of each item they have in stock, and generally I've received my packages within about 4-5 days (just using normal freight).
Another place that I'd like to mention is Toy Train Heaven (www.toytrainheaven.com). The very first order I ever placed with them somehow got lost. I waited for about a month and nothing showed up, and I kept checking my credit card and nothing was ever charged to it either. I emailed them a couple times and got a reply from a very apologetic salesman explaining that the order was accidentally misplaced, and that he would take care of it right away...and about 3 days later I got everything I'd ordered. I decided to try them again later and give them a 2nd chance, and this time I got a confirmation email about a day or so later and got the merchandise within about 4 days. So I'd order from them again...anyone can make a mistake.
<>There is one place I'd like to warn you about though...it's called Internet Trains. They claim to be "The Original Internet Model Trains Superstore...online since 1999". Well, I don't know about this, but they're not very customer oriented. I placed an order from them awhile back for a number of HO scale rolling stock items. Their website showed the items available and at great prices, so I figured I'd try them out. I waited about a month and nothing had been shipped, nor had I received any confirmation emails...however, there were two seperate charges on my credit card equalling the total for the entire order. I sent the first of many emails. They never replied. I waited a few days, sent another email, inquiring about the order. A few more days passed and I emailed them and told them that if they didn't actually have the merchandise to please send what they did have and cancel the rest, or just cancel the order completely. Approximately a month and a half later I sent an email in the early part of the week informing them that if I did not hear anything back from them or receive my order by the end of the work day on Friday that I would be contacting my credit card company and having the money charged back to them. Still no reply, but a couple days later, I FINALLY got an email confirming that all merchandise was in stock and the order was being shipped. I did get everything I ordered but it took over a month and a half and a half dozen emails not to mention a threat to cancel the order and charge back the money. I don't consider this to be a good experience at all. I would absolutely not recommend Internet Trains to anyone.
As I've mentioned I've dealt directly with MB Klein, Toy Train Heaven and also Walthers online ordering a number of times...all with good results. I've also ordered an item or two here and there from several hobby shops scattered about the US (rare items I couldn't find locally and got lucky during a barrage calling spree to dozens of shops abroad). Other than Internet Trains I've always received the merchandise as promised in a timely fashion for the advertised prices.
I know this doesn't help you much with Trainworld, but from the good reviews from other posters I think they must fall in the same category as MB Klein, and the others I mentioned. I'd say go for it with Trainworld.
I use Trainworld regularly.
If you have questions, be sure to call the question phone number, not the 1-800 number for orders. I've never found the order people rude, but they are all business, so have your stock #'s, quantities, and road names (plus a few alernates) ready. The question people have always been polite and helpful.
Shipping is very fast. I live in Philly, and normally get my stuff the next day or the day after.
Nick
Take a Ride on the Reading with the: Reading Company Technical & Historical Society http://www.readingrailroad.org/
I started buying Lionel stuff from Peter Bianco mail-order in the early seventies, before he even started TrainWorld - back when his "catalogue" was a couple of mimeographed sheets of type with no pictures. I've never had a problem with them in 35 years of mail ordering. Pete died a couple of years ago but I believe his family still runs TrainWorld(?). TrainWorld as often as not has the best price on stuff, only downside is they aren't yet set up for online ordering. You can browse their website or catalogue but then you have to either call in or do a mail or fax order.
Hey, if it's good enough for the Sopranos, it's good enough for me!!
I've ordered from Trainworld a few times. They know what's in stock, and they ship promptly. I live in the Boston Burbs, and most of my shipments have arrived the next day. I only paid for basic Brown shipping, too.
They're businesslike on the phone, but I didn't find them rude. Of course, I was born in Brooklyn, so maybe it's still in my blood. They are mail-order people, though, not train people, at least not the ones you get on the 800 number. So, while they can look up stock numbers and road names, they won't be able to give you advice on things like which decoder to order for which locomotive.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I've ordered from Trainworld dozens of times, with no problems. Great prices, good service. Last year, I was looking for Arnolds Drive in Kit, for a 50s layout. Walthers was sold out. They listed several dealers that had ordered it in the last year. No one had it. I tried Trainworld on a hunch, They had it, at a nice discount! But if you want something, you gotta call. Their website doesn't list roadnames, or if something is in stock. But if you call, they will tell you if they have it and you will have it in two days, if you call early enough in the day. I was amazed, when I ordered a loco on a Monday morning, and it was delivered Wednesday.
All business, no chat, good prices, dependable, no problems.
I have bought from Trainworld twice. The first time was to buy the NYC redbird subway set. The price was half what my local hobby shop had just sold an identical set for two weeks earlier. It arrived 3 days after I ordered it, and was exactly as described in their add. The second time was the new DCC and Sound equipped Bachmann Spectrum 4-6-2 K-4 Pacific. They told me it was not in stock and they could not tell me when it would be at the time I ordered it. It arrived two weeks later, and also was exactly as described.
I would recommend them without hesitation.
PaWhit wrote: My only experience with an on-line seller was not very good; this was maybe four years ago and i have been shy to repeat any order. However, i noticed Trainworld (of Brooklyn) is having an inventory reduction sale and lists a few items (Cornerstone structures) that have been out of production and/or classified "retired." This of course is the same scenario just a different outlet AND i am tempted to see if my luck has changed. But now being a MR forum "peruser" have decided to ask y'all if you have had either good or bad experience specificly with Trainworld. Could these out of production items really be in their inventory or might this just be the old "thanks for your order but . . . we will keep your $ on account for any future order of items . . . " I will appreciate the time anyone takes to share Trainworld experiences.Thanks,Whit
There is not way of knowing if they actually have the old stock you are referring to, but call them on their toll free number and ask the question.
Trainworld has a lot of stock and many of us on this forum have purchased from them. They are New York "busy" type people and you need to know what you want ahead of time. Being all business is not bad, but I wanted you to know they want to take the orders and not just chat. The order takers are just that and the ones I have talked to do not know trains, but know numbers and I have always received what I ordered at a very good price.
I would say they are worth the call to get the price.