Life Like Repair support.

[Anonymous]

Last night while running my Nscale Heritage Berkshire, one of the side rods driving the wheels came apart. It was at a joint that moves. It does not look like Life Like used screws. Well, this locomotive is only a few months old. Does anyone have experience with sending a locomotive back to Life Like to be repaired? I assume you get the package insured before sending it. Any information would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Generally speaking LL has been super in the past but recent posts indicate there's
been a little slippage plus their repair man is visiting China. LL carries a lifetime warranty
and if over 90 days since purchase do require a handling/return postage fee. I never
bother with post office insurance. You could send it priority mail with delivery confirmation.
The other choice is through a UPS store with tracking. You can track it daily and it's
automatically insured for $100.00.
Call LL first 1-800-638-1470.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the information. I think I paid $200 and it retails for either $220 or $250.

[brokemoto]

I had an eccentric fly off on mine the day that I bought it. As I had modified it, my F-not-so-LHS would not exchange it. They were not wrong in this (deliberate choice of words). The modification consisted of some cutting and shimming to get the front coupler to the correct height. The statement in the latest MR that the front coupler is the correct height is erroneous.

LL did offer to repair it, but did caution that it would be some time as the repairman's availability was spotty and that no parts were available. I declined, not wanting my two-hundred banana steam engine to become forgotten in some corner of the repair department only to be pitched by some janitor who did not know what it was and have LL say 'aw, gee, too bad, you're out the two-hundred smackers'. I have tried several repairs, none of which has held. I am going to try one more, that will probably work, but I have shied from it for other reasons (if it comes to grief, I am really out the two-hundred potatoes). There is another solution that will give me a functional engine, but will look silly.

LL would not exchange it for the same reason that the place that sold it to me refused. Again, LL was not wrong (deliberate word choice) and did offer me something, but I could not see risking my engine's disappearance.

As I am not sure of the damage< I would say send it back<

[Anonymous]

CALL them first to arrange things - when I did, they sent me a new drive without having to send anything in !!!

[dano99a]

QUOTE: Originally posted by brokemoto

I had an eccentric fly off on mine the day that I bought it. As I had modified it, my F-not-so-LHS would not exchange it. They were not wrong in this (deliberate choice of words). The modification consisted of some cutting and shimming to get the front coupler to the correct height. The statement in the latest MR that the front coupler is the correct height is erroneous.

LL did offer to repair it, but did caution that it would be some time as the repairman's availability was spotty and that no parts were available. I declined, not wanting my two-hundred banana steam engine to become forgotten in some corner of the repair department only to be pitched by some janitor who did not know what it was and have LL say 'aw, gee, too bad, you're out the two-hundred smackers'. I have tried several repairs, none of which has held. I am going to try one more, that will probably work, but I have shied from it for other reasons (if it comes to grief, I am really out the two-hundred potatoes). There is another solution that will give me a functional engine, but will look silly.

LL would not exchange it for the same reason that the place that sold it to me refused. Again, LL was not wrong (deliberate word choice) and did offer me something, but I could not see risking my engine's disappearance.

As I am not sure of the damage< I would say send it back<

If you know what parts broke, call and ask for replacement parts, usually they're pretty speedy with this, dispite the fact that their repair man has a spotty schedule and they say they "don't have the parts???"