Respectfully, fellas, it is what it is for each of us, but I had hoped to convince people that things change in time. I must have changed as I have aged and experienced new things, not just in life and in retirement, but in this still-new hobby to me. Perhaps the culture of trainworld has morphed as well? I was willing to give them a go once more, and wanted everyone to know that it was a markedly different experience, and one I would have to rate as quite positive. So, if anyone is demurring, I would urge you to try again. Clearly, there are many who continue to 'try again', and have no problems of any kind. If the price is right, and if you get the item in a reasonable length of time (I have waited for a replacement QSI Titan-U from Tony's for two months now...the first disappeared in the mail), why not take advantage of their business ethic and price? Help them to continue to help you. God knows we like to beef and bellyache about the cost of the hobby these days.
Crandell
I think that Motely and Phoebe Vet should go back and edit one of the words in their posts before the moderators catch on and lock the thread.
I have ordered online and been to both their Brooklyn and Lyndhurst stores in NY. Of the two ways to shop, I prefer visiting their store. Their Lyndhurst store is the HO store as the Brooklyn store has a limited amount of HO products, mainly O. There is a large amount of O in both stores. Using either method of shopping, you are no doubt dealing with New Yorkers; and I mean that in the nicest way. I live in NC but work out of NY. I am used to it. Personally, to me and like many Southerners, Im the type of person who has never met a stranger. Most NYers, particularly NYCers, are no nonsense/whaddaya want? type about alot of things. Im used to it and I actually find it both humerous and refreshing as they dont really mean to be terse about it, its just how they are. If you remember that "your not in Kansas anymore" when you deal with Trainworld both on the phone, email, and in their stores, youll be all right. If you cant/dont want to deal with that, then this store is not for you.
Gee Whiz...New Yorkers are fine people...I know, I am one!!! I am from long island and I have shopped their long Island store numerous times. My last trip back I was buying a locomotive, and they didnt have my road in the LI shop, but they had it in Brooklyn. The staff at the LI shop is mostly nice. The woman behind the counter broke out her photo album of her and her husbands layout. Cool store. The Brooklyn location is nuts. They have a 'phone room' with about 3 or 4 NY women answering phones and taking orders, with what seemed to be on floater going back and forth to the store and the phone room. There were people in their from all over the world spending 1000's of dollars. I suppose they were businessmen in NYC, and stocking up before they returned home. They had my loco behind the counter when I got there. They seemed very nice, if not incredibly busy. the brooklyn location is huge, and it only has a small store. I ordered from them on the phone once, and I had a pleasant experience, with my order arriving in CA within a few days.
Ease up on the New Yorkers!!! we are people too!
When I lived on Long Island, I used their Long Island store, and I had been to their Brooklyn store many times but always by train. (You take the (F) to Ditmas Avenue). One day I was driving in from my parent's house in Pennsylvania, and so I called them to ask for directions. They asked where I was coming from and so I said "North Dakota". Then I told them ok, I was going to come over the Verrazano Bridge. At least that made the job somewhat easier for them. I got there just fine, but the item I wanted was in the Long Island store. They told me it was about a half an hour drive. (HaHaHaHa...) LION is a native Noo Yorker, and him knows better than that. You could not do that even at 2AM in the morning! But the LION made the drive anyway, hadn't been out there in years.
It does not matter where you are going in NYC, by train or by car, nothing is less than one hour.
ROAR
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Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
BroadwayLion When I lived on Long Island, I used their Long Island store, and I had been to their Brooklyn store many times but always by train. (You take the (F) to Ditmas Avenue). One day I was driving in from my parent's house in Pennsylvania, and so I called them to ask for directions. They asked where I was coming from and so I said "North Dakota". Then I told them ok, I was going to come over the Verrazano Bridge. At least that made the job somewhat easier for them. I got there just fine, but the item I wanted was in the Long Island store. They told me it was about a half an hour drive. (HaHaHaHa...) LION is a native Noo Yorker, and him knows better than that. You could not do that even at 2AM in the morning! But the LION made the drive anyway, hadn't been out there in years. It does not matter where you are going in NYC, by train or by car, nothing is less than one hour. ROAR
Nonsense. I can get from GCT to Times Square in about 10 minutes.
On foot.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
Being from Staten Island, I used to frequent their Brooklyn store a lot. However you cannot depend on their back ordered items ever comoing in (My Wife is still wating for a Lionel M & M car she ordered two years ago as a present to a tinplate modeler). Once in the store the staff is knowledable.
BUT with the Verrazano bridge being $13 toll I could order online from MB Klien or Toy Train Heaven for less even with shipping.
Joe Staten Island West
joe323 Being from Staten Island, I used to frequent their Brooklyn store a lot. However you cannot depend on their back ordered items ever comoing in (My Wife is still wating for a Lionel M & M car she ordered two years ago as a present to a tinplate modeler). Once in the store the staff is knowledable. BUT with the Verrazano bridge being $13 toll I could order online from MB Klien or Toy Train Heaven for less even with shipping.
Backordered LIONEL is a LIONEL problem, not a Trainworld problem.
$13 toll bridges, another reason to stay away from NYC.
Sheldon
I, too, have been a victim of their rudeness. They are very difficult to deal with in the case of defective merchandise. Their technical help is extremely limited as well. Once the sale is made, they don't want to know you. They would prefer no foot traffic or face to face transactions. They really are more a telephone/internet enterprise. As big as the internet is, I suggest you do some shopping elsewhere. In spte of what they may say, all sales are actually FINAL. Buyer beware.
I have to say this is a first in exchanges with LION; I actually agree with everything he's said! LOL
He's hit the nail on the head about Trainworld. They have alot going on (not to say they don't think you're important). I would tell anyone visiting trainworld/trainland (try catching the F train after work and getting there before they close on a weekday, that's an adventure, lol) not to expect to casually walk in there and expect to shoot-the-**blank** with the staff for the following reasons:
I prefer to phone my orders in with them rather than use their online system. I've never been comfortable with it and noticed that it was inconsistent with their real inventory. I don't knock them for it as I've been accustomed to calling in or walking in there for years.
I've found them pleasant to deal with (in-person and over the phone) in a sense that they answer my basic questions about availability. I don't expect to ask anything else beyond that. You'll have to best experience if you do your homework before you go. The way I see it, it's the least one can do for good prices .
I can see how some folks can be put off by the perceived "attitude" of whoever is answering the phone but it's not personal. Being a New Yorker, I inherently understand that. They simply operate on a "let's keep it simple" principal. I'll email an inquiry regarding a particular product and they reply, without the "thank you for your email and your interest in yada yada yada...." (lol) simply with a copied and pasted table showing the entire inventory of products associated with that item number showing all paint schemes, roadnumbers or variations. Blunt, but effective (for me) as I can make an informed decision, especially if the number I want is available but others are. It saves both of us time.
The key is to just have the correct product number ready when you call! They'll even verify the description and availability for you before you confirm the order
~Kyle
The Mary Lindsay Railroad - Featuring Amtrak Model Trains Your HO Rail Journey Starts Here.........
www.marylindsayrr.vze.com (Last Update: 5/31/12)
Hi,
I have ordered sevrals time Nscale locomotives from them and receive them in Europe, Belgium two or three days later.
Great sevice as well, low prices and good opportunity of deal and no problems whith the locos.
However I just regret they don't charge directly or give an estimation of the shipping cost.
Another thing missing for me, they don't use Paypal system, it's extremly safe for credit card especialy for overseas paiement because nothing appears on the net about the card but only the invoice amount and it's extremely easy and fast to use.
Just my opinion of course.
Marc
Re: shipping charges, it is good to know if you are ording via the internet how it affects you total and how much it is, that way you can determine if it is worth it or not.
Toy Train Heaven, which I have order from few times has a higher base shipping charge of $9.95, which just isn't worth it if you want to order a low cost order. This IMO discourages people from baking smaller orders, I know I only order from them if I can batch something that makes the shipping a smaller percentage of the order charge. The down side for both the buyer and TTH is that folks may opt to not order at all since they only one to order something worth say, less than $25 and the shopping of that is just too high in terms of percentage. For example for an order of $25, 40% of that cost for shipping is nuts IMO, so not worth ordering. If the order is more like $50 or higher, then it's more tolerable but still, even 20% is rather high. Some places at least have a lower shipping charge of more like $6 on a single item, makes it something that many of us can stomach.
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ksax73 I have to say this is a first in exchanges with LION; I actually agree with everything he's said! LOL He's hit the nail on the head about Trainworld. They have alot going on (not to say they don't think you're important). I would tell anyone visiting trainworld/trainland (try catching the F train after work and getting there before they close on a weekday, that's an adventure, lol) not to expect to casually walk in there and expect to shoot-the-**blank** with the staff for the following reasons: There's a huge possibility that the knowledge of trains is VERY minimal (depending on who you talk to) They are taking calls as well as dealing with other customers I prefer to phone my orders in with them rather than use their online system. I've never been comfortable with it and noticed that it was inconsistent with their real inventory. I don't knock them for it as I've been accustomed to calling in or walking in there for years. I've found them pleasant to deal with (in-person and over the phone) in a sense that they answer my basic questions about availability. I don't expect to ask anything else beyond that. You'll have to best experience if you do your homework before you go. The way I see it, it's the least one can do for good prices . I can see how some folks can be put off by the perceived "attitude" of whoever is answering the phone but it's not personal. Being a New Yorker, I inherently understand that. They simply operate on a "let's keep it simple" principal. I'll email an inquiry regarding a particular product and they reply, without the "thank you for your email and your interest in yada yada yada...." (lol) simply with a copied and pasted table showing the entire inventory of products associated with that item number showing all paint schemes, roadnumbers or variations. Blunt, but effective (for me) as I can make an informed decision, especially if the number I want is available but others are. It saves both of us time. The key is to just have the correct product number ready when you call! They'll even verify the description and availability for you before you confirm the order
Thanks. I was in the store last summer, and they *knew* exactly what they had in stock, right there on their computer. They even knew which building it was in and what floor it was on. But that is an OLD computer system and cannot interface with modern systems. (DOS Screens on the sales floor?) That is why you will get better service at the door or on the phone.
Likewise, they do not seem to know what the shipping will be until they made the box and brought it to the shipping department for weighing and measuring.