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Are the mail order houses still shipping? Dispite the Coronavirus shutdown?

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Are the mail order houses still shipping? Dispite the Coronavirus shutdown?
Posted by dstarr on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 3:39 PM

I am thinking of ordering some stuff.  Will it get shipped?  Any one know?  I just received my new Micro Mark catalog.  Doesn't saw they are, doesn't say they aren't.

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Posted by davidmurray on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 4:09 PM

David:

I got a Micro-Mark digital flyer two days ago.  Hopefully they don't send those if they are not shipping.  Paper ones are always a couple of weeks from being ordered to arriving in a customer's mailbox.

 

David Murray from Oshawa, Ontario Canada
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Posted by gmpullman on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 4:41 PM

I made two orders recently, Factory Direct Trains and Overland Hobbies. Both delivered in normal time frame.

I understand HobbylinC and MB Klein are also shipping but possibly at a slower pace.

Good Luck, Ed

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Posted by tstage on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 4:52 PM

David,

I think some are and some aren't.  It depends on what state they are in.  I emailed Litchfield Station last week and have yet to receive a reply.  (And Debbie is usually very good at replying in <24 hours.)

So, it's probably best to contact the vendor - either by phone or email - and confirm with them whether they are open for business or not.  If you aren't rushed to receive your item then go ahead and place the order and it will arrive if and when they are back up and running again.

Tom 

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Posted by BigDaddy on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 5:02 PM

Since your title is not specific, I will say that I am on the Mainline Hobby's email list and they are shipping.

Henry

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Posted by IDRick on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 5:04 PM

I don't know about shipping but questions to tech support have been unanswered at a few places that usually reply in a day or two... Hmmm, tech support is easy to do from home, but maybe they're getting too many requests...  (shrug)

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 7:52 PM

Yes, but rather get second hand info, why not call directly who you want to order from?  Wink

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Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 8:03 PM

dstarr

I am thinking of ordering some stuff.  Will it get shipped?  Any one know?

Yep, there are no bans on delivery services.

Rich

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 9:22 PM

We just got two cases of wine delivered.  Shhhhh.  They're not supposed to ship to my state under normal circumstances, but they may not know that.

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Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 9:55 PM

riogrande5761
Yes, but rather get second hand info, why not call directly who you want to order from?

+1. Yes  I received my order from CMR Products, but I did talk to them before hand, just to make sure.

Mike.

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Posted by Medina1128 on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 10:34 PM

I ordered some parts from M.B. Klein and they arrived in a timely fashion. I ordered some other parts from Hobbylinc and a tool from MicroMark, so I'll keep you up to date.

 

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Posted by PRR8259 on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 10:45 PM

It depends on the state and the individual company.  In Pennsylvania, Bowser says on their website that they do have people working from home, so orders can still be taken, but they will not be shipped until they are allowed to re-open the warehouse.

John

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Posted by rrebell on Thursday, April 9, 2020 12:16 AM

PRR8259

It depends on the state and the individual company.  In Pennsylvania, Bowser says on their website that they do have people working from home, so orders can still be taken, but they will not be shipped until they are allowed to re-open the warehouse.

John

 

Same with Trainworld.

 

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Posted by Medina1128 on Thursday, April 9, 2020 5:19 AM

Medina1128

I ordered some parts from M.B. Klein and they arrived in a timely fashion. I ordered some other parts from Hobbylinc and a tool from MicroMark, so I'll keep you up to date.

 

 

I got an order update from Hobbylinc and it says that the order will ship on 4/13.

Update: I received my order from Hobbylinc, but my order from MB Klein is still in "Pending fulfillment" status, as of 4/15.

 

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Posted by kasskaboose on Thursday, April 9, 2020 5:32 AM

I know Amazon is placing a top priority on shipping medical-related material, so MR related stuff is probably getting shipped, but a bit slower than normal. 

 

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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, April 9, 2020 6:10 AM

I first noticed this when I started a thread on Delays in eBay Shipments. Not outright stoppages or bans, but delays. Apparently, this is now true for not only eBay but other vendors as well. Thank goodness that patience is a virtue.

Rich

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Posted by davidmurray on Thursday, April 9, 2020 9:21 AM

David:

An update of sorts,  I got an E-flyer from Micro Mark today, with prices in effect until  midnite on April 13.  They must be shipping.

 

David Murray from Oshawa, Ontario Canada
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Posted by kbaker329 on Thursday, April 9, 2020 12:22 PM

I talked with M.B. Klein yesterday.  The gentlemen there told me that they are averaging around 8 days from receipt of order to shipment of said order.  

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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, April 9, 2020 3:14 PM

kbaker329

I talked with M.B. Klein yesterday.  The gentlemen there told me that they are averaging around 8 days from receipt of order to shipment of said order.   

That was true before the pandemic. Laugh

Rich

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Posted by willy6 on Friday, April 10, 2020 10:44 AM

MB Klein is shipping, just a tad longer on getting your stuff and I noticed their inventory dropping on certain items that are normally higher in numbers. Amazon about the same, just a longer wait. 

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Posted by santafe5000 on Sunday, April 12, 2020 9:10 PM

I placed a small order last Friday from Litchfield. Got the email from Debbie Saturday morning it shipped and received the package on Tuesday. In her shipping email she said they would continue to ship unless the AZ gov. placed a "stay at home" order.

James in TexasCowboy

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Posted by York1 on Sunday, April 12, 2020 9:22 PM

I'm getting a package from Tichy tomorrow, four days after the order -- U.S. Mail.

York1 John       

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Posted by jjo on Sunday, April 12, 2020 9:48 PM

Yes, even Amazon is much slower than normal..Placed order few days ago with Walthers.. Still have not rec'd email or acknowledgement...

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Posted by tin can on Monday, April 13, 2020 2:40 PM

Placed an order with MTW on 4/3; was delivered on 4/10.

Remember the tin can; the MKT's central Texas branch...
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Posted by xboxtravis7992 on Monday, April 13, 2020 2:59 PM

I placed an order at TrainLife using the self pick-up option a month ago. I knew I was going to be encountering one of TrainLife's employees at the Nevada Northern Railway that weekend since we were both going to be railfanning the museum, and I figured I'd just pick up my order from him while we were both in Ely. Well, that trip got cancelled as the virus stuff started spiking so my order is probably still sitting on a pile of stuff in their Provo offices, waiting for things to die down before I can go and pick it up myself. Hindsight being 20/20 I should have just paid for shipping Stick out tongue

They are still shipping orders though, but their retail store is completely closed to walk in visitors. So the employees there are isolated from physically contacting their customers and are instead processing online and phone orders to be shipped remotely. 

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Posted by jjo on Monday, April 13, 2020 9:07 PM

Not the best of times.....

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Posted by Motley on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 4:52 AM

jjo

Not the best of times.....

 

 
Strange times indeed.
 
I ordered from Trainworld last week, and I ended up canceling the order. I didnt know their warehouse was closed.
 
Then i ordered from Lombard Hobbies and they shipped fairly quick, got it in  4 days.
 
All the ebay orders I have made have been shipped quickly also.

Michael


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Posted by jjdamnit on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 1:24 PM

Hello All,

I have placed two orders with Walthers:

  • One is a pre-order that I don't expect for a few months.
  • The other is being processed and I expect it in the next week.

I also placed a parts order through Horizon Hobbies- -Athears' parts supplier- -and that shipment is due tomorrow; according to the USPS tracking updates.

My return to Digitrax was delivered yesterday and I hope to get the item back by next week.

On the other hand, I place a parts order with Bachmann; in Philly, PA, and they are not currently shipping. I got an email asking me if I wanted my money refunded or put my order on "backorder" status and ship at first availability. I opted for the latter.

I also sent in a locomotive for service to Bachmann. I did get a delivery notice from the USPS that the item was received. I have not heard back from their service department regarding the status of the repair. Usually, they will call, email or snail-mail an invoice for payment before repairs. Still waiting.

Kadee has suspended shipments and Chooch is going out of business!

At this point, I guess it depends on the business and the state it is in as far as order fulfillment and shipping.

To relate to another thread on these forums, I placed an eBay order last week; the seller is in Missouri, and I suspect they are only shipping once a week. That order is due on Thursday. 

Hope this helps.

 

"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"

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Posted by hegedusmj on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 2:54 PM

I have an order pending from Micro Mark for 8 days so far. Under normal circumstances I would have expected it to ship within 48 hours. 

I have also followed a hobby store on Ebay which says they have closed the store as required by Colorado and are having people check in at the store a couple of days a week to arrange shipments. I presume they would have been shipping daily in the past.

 

Mike

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Posted by jjo on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 9:24 PM

WALTHERS is shipping online orders...I talked with a cust service rep today....

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