Lionel S2 Turbine horror story

[Deputy]

Bought a Lionel S2 Turbine (18010) "new in the box" back on 10/18 online from a store called "All About Toy Trains". Today is 11/21 and I STILL don't have it. Made at least 8 calls to the store (located in Crystal River, FL) and every time I am told "it is shipping Friday" or "it is shipping Monday". Last week on Monday I called and they admitted they "couldn't locate the loco in the wharehouse". They asked me to call back next Monday and they will either give a refund or they will ship it. So I called back one last time yesterday and they said "WE FOUND IT!!!", but we probably won't ship it until AFTER Thanksgiving. Amazingly, I held my temper. I calmly said "okay" and this morning I called VISA and filed a dispute for the charge. Over a month, the loco was billed to my VISA the day I ordered it INCLUDING SHIPPING, and now they want to wait till AFTER Thanksgiving because they will be closing early this week. Amazing!!!! I called the store back today and the guy that's been giving me the runaround said "it will ship tomorrow". I told him "I'm sorry but you have used up ALL your credibility with all those other "shipping Friday-Monday" stories. I told him DON'T ship it....credit it to my account.
What's surprising is we aren't talking about some cheap, crappy, inexpensive loco. The S2 sold for $899 and with shipping it climbed to$925. The good news is I have the MTH version of it so I'm not completely out as far as having one. I really wanted the Lionel version too, but there is a limit to how long I will dance on the end of a rope

Dep

[laz 57]

Thanks DEP for the info.  Hate it when they give you the run around like that.  Oh well now the hunt goes on for another one?

laz57

[Jumijo]

Personally, I think you're being punished for your attitude towards cheap, crappy, inexpensive locomotives.

[sulafool]

Unfortunately this is not an unusual situation with this dealer; check his ebay negatives and you'll see the greatest number of complaints are about slow (or non) delivery

[Deputy]

Laz: Exactly right! I'm hunting again . I sent in an inquiry to another store that advertises one. The Lionel version is REALLY cool and is HUGE. They even made a caboose for it that is made out of solid brass. It sells for $200-$300. I am crazy about the S2 so I was VERY disappointed when this purchase fell through. I am wondering if we shouldn't start a list of "do not buy froms" so that others don't get burned. I have had some spectacularly GOOD buying experiences on both E-Bay and on websites with toy trains.

jaabat: I am a firm believer in "you get what you pay for". Or more bluntly...if you buy cheap...you GET CHEAP.

sulafool: WOW!!! I wasn't aware they had that rep or that they even sold on E-Bay. Thanks for that info!!!

Dep

[jonadel]

Dep,

You were more than patient with this clown, there's no excuse for that kind of "customer service". Fortunately when I've ordered from dealers over the internet they have always been upfront and provide me with the tracking #. This dealer certainly earned the X on his front door.

Jon

Hope you can find another one out there, I'm sure you will.

[phillyreading]

I live near West Palm Beach FL and have never heard of Crystal River FL, is it on the west coast?

I deal with Ready To Roll in Miami FL and never had a problem with them, always send what they say they will send and when!!  At the most a day late once.

Lee F.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Hey Dep,

Make sure you write a letter to the credit card company disputing the charges.  Credit card companies only seem to act on written documentations.  Been there, done that. 

Here's a web page that explains it much more eloquently:

http://www.bcsalliance.com/x_creditcardlegalrights.html

[Deputy]

Hey Dep,

Make sure you write a letter to the credit card company disputing the charges.  Credit card companies only seem to act on written documentations.  Been there, done that. 

Here's a web page that explains it much more eloquently:

http://www.bcsalliance.com/x_creditcardlegalrights.html

 

Thanks Buckeye. Yep...Chase VISA is sending me the forms to fill out. They were very helpful in going through the procedures for getting the credit.

Here is the website for this outfit:

http://www.allabouttoytrains.com/

And here is the webpage with info about them:

http://www.allabouttoytrains.com/about.php

Crystal River is a real place. It is on the West coast of Florida, West of Inverness and South of Inglis.
Looks like it is on Route 98.

Philly: My wife used to live in West Palm Beach!!!

Dep   

 

[Buckeye Riveter]

Dep,

We have a Chase card and this year we put the wrong account number on a check.  Sure enough, it looked like we hadn't paid the bill.  We called Chase and within 72 hours everything was fixed perfectly by them and they didn't call us stupid.

[Dave45681]

Yup, this guy certainly has a rep.  He's a dirty rotten stinking spammer to boot.  I think the thread title needs to be changed though.  The horror story has nothing to do with the Lionel S2, it has to do with the jerk dealer who tried to sell you one. 

Perhaps he didn't even have it to sell.  I forget if it's this particular individual or not, but I have heard of unscrupulous sellers doing that and then looking for one to sell after the sale is made.  As you note, all this while, they have hit your CC immediately.

[Anonymous]

I bought my 675 from this guy.  While I didn't get burned,  I won't do business with him again.  When I bought it, he wouldn't even test it for me.  He had a really bad attitude as well.  After I called to pay for it, I thought of another question and called him back.  He must of seen my name on caller ID.  When he picked up, he said:"Ok Jim, now what do you want?!".  Not a way to win customers if you ask me. If it had a 675 prior to dealing with him, I would have told him to keep this one, or something along those lines...

[otftch]

Try "Main Street Trains".He is reasonable and pleasant on the phone.Have never purchased anything that was not exactly as advertised.He ships quick an is very knowlegable about his products.Phone number is 304-736-6254.

                                                            Ed

                                                                                                            

[Deputy]

Yup, this guy certainly has a rep.  He's a dirty rotten stinking spammer to boot.  I think the thread title needs to be changed though.  The horror story has nothing to do with the Lionel S2, it has to do with the jerk dealer who tried to sell you one. 

Perhaps he didn't even have it to sell.  I forget if it's this particular individual or not, but I have heard of unscrupulous sellers doing that and then looking for one to sell after the sale is made.  As you note, all this while, they have hit your CC immediately.

Dave: I'm inclined to agree with you about him not having one to sell in the first place. The Lionel 671 Century Club Turbine is one of the more difficult locos to get hold of. It wasn't all that popular when it first came out, and new ones go for a considerable chunk of change, and they aren't readily available. It was pretty stupid of this seller to advertise having one and then try and locate one. Selling it at $899, he would have to be able to buy one dirt cheap to make a profit, and that isn't very likely.

Dep

 

[Brutus]

I'm sure I bought something from them on ebay once, but don't remember good or bad.  Will avoid now for sure!  Thanks for the headsup.

[LL675]

the last time I paid for something over the phone with a credit card, it was on backorder. Due for delivery "anytime" (part for my '69 road runner). It was billed to my card THAT day, and was on back order almost a YEAR before I cancelled it. Never should have let it go that long. If I can't use a money order for an in stock item, I pass on it.

and if you do go thru the mail, be sure and ask for the tracking ni\umbers, that way they can't BS you about shipment.

[laz 57]

DEP,

   Good to know about these RAT FINKS.  Don't buy from theses giz.  Notice NO  caps on GIZ.

laz57

[Smoke Stack Lightnin']

I am still working through a "rip off" from a New York MTH dealer (since June 06'). These creeps and horror stories they cause may become more common, as mail order seems to be replacing the local hobby shops. Sounds like you are talking about the scale S2, but wanted to mention that the Williams S2 I saw this past Friday looks incredible! It comes in Brunswick or black, but the Brunswick is about the best (blacker than black) I've seen. Williams closely resembles Lionel, and this one was selling at $199, no fancy electronics, just rock solid performance. Feature wise, not even in the same ballpark as your scale S2, but if you like Lionelish S2's, you might want to check this one out.

Good Luck, and thanks for the warning about this scoundrel!

Rich F.

[underworld]

Deputy

Good to have this info. Good luck on your search.

underworld

[Santa Fe Kent]

This is one several reasons why I buy from my local dealer, even if I hafta pay more!

[Deputy]

This is one several reasons why I buy from my local dealer, even if I hafta pay more!

 

Which is exactly what I would do IF I had a local dealer. There are NO hobby shops in my town. There are quite a few of us in this predicament. We are stuck with either phone orders or internet orders. That's why I suggest we keep a list of reputable dealers. Perhaps a "sticky thread" might be a good idea? Not sure if the mods would go along with it though.

Dep

[Deputy]

I have a "request for refund" letter sent to Chase VISA. Still waiting to hear back from them. No refund from this ripoff All About Toy Trains outfit yet. I suspect Chase will have to put the squeeze on them for the refund.

On a brighter note...I nailed a 671 AND 681 post war loco and tender pair. Both are in excellent condition and the tenders are the 12 wheel versions!! I am tracking some S2 18010 locos, but they are climbing in price steadily. The hunt goes on

Dep

[phillyreading]

Deputy,

Must it be a Lionel?  If not Williams has some nice locomotives for sale, even the S-2 Pennsy. One other note about Williams is that their trains do not have TMCC or other electronics for speed control.

Also you can check out other internet places like Train City Auctions or a place I do business with is Ready To Roll(I never had a problem) in Miami FL    www.readytorolltrains.com 

Lee F.

[Deputy]

Deputy,

Must it be a Lionel?  If not Williams has some nice locomotives for sale, even the S-2 Pennsy. One other note about Williams is that their trains do not have TMCC or other electronics for speed control.

Also you can check out other internet places like Train City Auctions or a place I do business with is Ready To Roll(I never had a problem) in Miami FL    www.readytorolltrains.com 

Lee F.

Hi Lee,
          Actually, I already have the MTH S2 turbine. I wanted the 18010 because it was pretty "loaded" with extras. I have a couple of Williams locos, but I tend to like mine with all the "goodies" on it. I would have to send out the Williams to have it upgraded with Proto2. I already have two Williams GP9s that are gonna need that upgrade. I will be using both TMCC and DCS on my layout, so I am actually looking for locos that have that option rather than the ones that are stripped. The 671 and 681 I got off E-Bay I will use with boxcars that have the Railsounds in them and hook them up to non-scale rolling stock. But thanks for the suggestions!!!!  

Dep

 

[Deputy]

Talked to Chase VISA today. They are crediting my card the full amount that All About Toy Trains charged me. YAY!!!!!

Dep

[rlplionel]

There were two dealers blowing out the Polar Express set on eBay this past summer - this dealer and another one getting about $10 more for the set. I elected to pay the extra $10 to get a set from the other dealer based on eBay feedback and past comments posted on the toy train forums.

I visited this gentleman's train shop in Crystal River a year or so ago. It's actually a few miles out in the country from Crystal River - an unlikely location for a retail outlet. There was a nice layout in the store and a few pieces of beat up, pricey postwar for sale on the shelves. I noticed the rear storage area was well-stocked with train boxes and there was a stack of packages ready to be shipped out near the door. I presumed from these clues that this dealer did most of his business mail order.

[Deputy]

Robert: My guess is that a lot of stuff he sells he hasn't even got in stock. He sells it and then searches around trying to find a "deal" on it so that he can make a profit. That may work for current production Lionel, but the item I wanted went out of production in 1991, and they are far from common or cheap. I have learned my lesson from this guy and won't ever do business with him again.

Dep

[phillyreading]

rlplionel,

Just went to mapquest and found Crystal River FL, it is across from Wildwood FL or across from where the FL turnpike meets I-75.  That is if I got the right info from mapquest, never heard of this place other than on this post.   I do a lot of vacation driving in Florida and have not seen any signs for Crystal River, so I am assuming that it is a small city.

Usually I deal with internet stores that I have been to in person before buying over the internet.  Maybe I am too cautious but I feel that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Had an unusual experiance with an ebay seller so I am cautious about buying from ebay too, got the wrong size caboose, thought that I was bidding on an H.O. caboose and turned out to be an 027 caboose.  Kept the caboose because it was something that I wanted in a certain roadname.  Currently I am using Train City auction site to buy from, will let you know how it turns out.

Lee F.

[Deputy]

Lee: Like you I was avoiding buying on E-Bay. Bought something in the past and got burned bad. Not a lot of money lost...but the part (an intake manifold for my Vette) was a complete piece of junk. Part of the "trick" to buying on E-Bay is to use a charge card whenever possible. Besides being able to dispute the charge with PayPal (another outfit I'm not crazy about...but a necessary evil on E-Bay), I can dispute the charge with VISA. So far on all my train purchases, I have been pretty lucky. I've received everything I ordered and it has all been as advertised. I just bought two S2 turbines that are used, the first time for used train stuff, so we shall see. I have been avoiding buying anything that requires a check or money order, because once that is sent, there is really no way to recoup the money when it is cashed. I am watching a 682 turbine that is a check-money order deal, and if it doesn't get too pricey, I may bid on it. The guy has a 100% rating...not that that means a whole lot.

Dep 

[phillyreading]

Two of the shops that I deal with are; The Depot in Lantana (a few miles south of West Palm Beach) and Ready To Roll in Miami FL.    Currently trying Train City auction as some of the guys here had mentioned it on other posts.

Lee F.