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Walthers Customer Service

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  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Friday, November 9, 2018 8:49 AM

My problem was with a Cornerstone kit, the Empire Leather Tanning Company.  It was out of stock at Walthers and may have already been discontinued.  If they had any decals for such an old kit, I wouldn't have expected them to be in any better shape than the ones in the box that I got.

When my Geeps started developing axle cracks years ago, Walthers replaced them free of charge.  Now, though, I doubt that they stock those anymore.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: Chi-Town
  • 7,712 posts
Posted by zstripe on Friday, November 9, 2018 8:19 AM

MisterBeasley

The old decals I got were in a kit I ordered from Trainworld.  No telling how old their stock was, and I couldn't fault Walthers for a problem like that.  I'd be more inclined to get upset about it if I'd ordered directly from Walthers.

 

And if You are a regular customer, they would have shipped You a replacement Free......I have experienced that before, on more than just kits.......

Take Care! Big Smile

Frank

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Thursday, November 8, 2018 9:48 PM

The old decals I got were in a kit I ordered from Trainworld.  No telling how old their stock was, and I couldn't fault Walthers for a problem like that.  I'd be more inclined to get upset about it if I'd ordered directly from Walthers.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    September 2011
  • 47 posts
Posted by Quincy47 on Thursday, November 8, 2018 7:57 PM

willy6

I am finally building my Walthers "Blue Star Ready Mix" structure (933-3086). I am at the point to add decals. The decals dried out and I contacted Walthers for another set that I was willing to pay for. I got an e-mail back today giving the price list for getting parts. Decals are $5.00 which I can deal with, but they want $15.00 S/H. I will use something else.

I had the same problem with a Walthers kit. The decals were old and cracked and worthless, but the end result was Walthers had my money and didn’t much care about my problem 

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
  • 21,483 posts
Posted by MisterBeasley on Thursday, November 8, 2018 10:59 AM

I've had the same problem with old decals.  My solution was to scan the decals into my computer and reprint them on my own decal paper.

Of course, I can't print white, so that can be a problem.  I do a lot of my own decals so I have a supply of the paper, too, but it's expensive if you don't have any.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 4:50 PM

SeeYou190
Service charges can get pretty high when you order single items by themselves.

True, a friend of mine left the smallest, thinnest glove you can imagine in my car, and it cost me $3.50 to mail it back to her. 

Dried out decals are a reflection of old stock.  It's not really Walthers fault nor the OP's fault.  They could have made a happy customer and said "we can stick it in an envelope for $1".  Instead they chose to charge $15. 

A happy customer tells a couple people, an unhappy customer tells the whole forum. 

My suggestion is to get some decal paper and make your own signage.   You will end up spending a bit more but instead of the same sign everyone else has, you can have something like this:

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    December 2014
  • 443 posts
Posted by Wolf359 on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 3:24 PM

You say your decals are "dried out", which I assume means "cracked and/or ready to disintegrate". If you still have the original decals, it may be possible to salvage them. Testors 9200 Decal Bonder would probably work well. Just lay the sheet on a piece of cardboard decal side up, give them a good spray with the bonder and let them dry for about 24 hours. I often make my own decals for small projects using decal paper made for inkjet printers and I spray the decal bonder on them when the ink dries. It creates a waterproof film over the ink, and I believe I have done at least one decal repair using it. I hope this helps.

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 3:05 PM

Can you add the decals to an order from the Walthers store?

.

If so, shipping gets reasonable pretty fast, and they have some good structure kits on sale this month.

.

Service charges can get pretty high when you order single items by themselves.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Ridgeville,South Carolina
  • 1,294 posts
Walthers Customer Service
Posted by willy6 on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 2:49 PM

I am finally building my Walthers "Blue Star Ready Mix" structure (933-3086). I am at the point to add decals. The decals dried out and I contacted Walthers for another set that I was willing to pay for. I got an e-mail back today giving the price list for getting parts. Decals are $5.00 which I can deal with, but they want $15.00 S/H. I will use something else.

Being old is when you didn't loose it, it's that you just can't remember where you put it.

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