I bought a Bachmann 70 tonner at the TCA show at York in April brand new, ran it about 10 feet, and it started smoking. I sent it back with a power pack that I got in a set as a gift that worked for about 15 min. Both items were brand new. They will not replace them without a $20 service fee each.
Has anyone else had problems with them?
Next time I have to send something back I will cover the box with labels that say brand new
Bachmann has had a policy of charging a service fee for all repairs. About 7 years ago I sent them 3 large scale engines, a 4-6-0, a Climax and a 2-6-0 for repair. They had requested at that time a $25.00 per item charge.
I had called before sending them anything to see what they would say. They said write a note explaining the problem and enclose a check with each engine. That was 3 boxes, 3 notes and 3 checks.
I sent them in in May and had them all back in a little over a week.
Yep, that's the Bachmann Life-time guarantee...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Bachmann's warranty states as follows:
"Bachmann's Lifetime Limited Warranty covers motorized units only. Under the warranty, Bachmann can decide whether to repair or replace an item at their discretion.Items less than a year old are fully covered and will be serviced or replaced at no charge when accompanied with warranty card or proof of purchase.For items more than one year old, there is a nominal service charge for repair or replacement".
This is from their website:
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/service.php
Seems to me that if you have the proof of purchase and warranty, you should be able to call them up, politely quote their warranty, and ask them to help you out, at least for the engine.
And since I'm sure that someone else will jump all over your case, let me be the first to point out that buying things at a train show leaves you open to a little exposure happiness-wise. If you had bought the engine at your "friendly local hobby shop", you could have taken the engine back to them and let them replace it. [Note that I'm personally not criticizing your purchasing decision...I do the same thing.]
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
It is sorta the ol', "You get what you pay for." If you pay top dollar, or a sale dollar, at an LHS, you have a proof of purchase dated. At a flea market or a train show, unless the person is a dealer and issues a dated receipt for a "new" item, you get the bargain and little else. If you submit the warranty card, however, with your cancelled check or other receipt, I don't see how they could refuse to honor the warranty for a previously un-opened boxed Bachmann warrantable product.
-Crandell
So do you or do you not have a proof of purchase?
If so, you have a legit complaint.
If not, what's your point?
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
It has been my experience that most of the time (not always) a warranty is only given for piece of mind at the time of purchase. It has been very hard for me to get companies to honor their warranties, and I don't mean just model railroading, I mean EVERYTHING.
I just went through it at Farm & Fleet with a set of tires that I bought new there 6 months ago for my wife's car. I bought them "Cash & Cary" and installed and balanced them myself (I am a mechanic). One of the tires went bad and I tried to have it replaced. The lady at the tire desk told me that since I didn't have them "professionally" installed the warranty was void (I took this as a personal insult). What she said was also NOT true. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act protects the consumer in this case.
Maybe the lady at the tire desk didn't know that. But either way, I will never buy tires at Farm & Fleet again knowing that their best interests are their pockets and not their customers satisfaction. Really... what would it have been to her personally to just replace my tire? I mean come on, it wasn't coming out of her paycheck was it? The tire was BAD, It wasn't even a year old and had only a couple of thousand miles on it for crying out loud.
OK I am done ranting, LOL!!
Bachmann will honor it. They are a good company. Just send them a copy of the receipt.
Be sure to insure your shipment and get a tracking number. Wait about 6 weeks, and you should have your engine back.
My sympathies about your problems.
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
Let's figure too, for you to fix the engine, or replace it yourse;f, would cost more than 20 buucks anyway. I loved the service I had wwhen I sent in my Plus Daylight 4446 that had the split axle.
If you haven;t sent it back yet, you might make a note that you want that scheme if they have to replace it, and if they can't match the scheme (limited run from a year back, a shortline not produced in this batch, etc) to send you the shell or the entire loco back. It seems to me that the 70t could just have the chassis replaced in a case like this, but it's worth noting
-Morgan
my05hammer wrote: It has been my experience that most of the time (not always) a warranty is only given for piece of mind at the time of purchase. It has been very hard for me to get companies to honor their warranties, and I don't mean just model railroading, I mean EVERYTHING.
Reminds me of the movie Tommy Boy, where our hero is trying to sell brake pads to a new dealer. Dealer says he wants to stick with his current vendor because they have their guarantee on the box. Tommy says that his product is better, but dealer says that product in box must be good because of the guarantee. To cut story short, Tommy tells him that all the guarantee on the box means is that the product is a guaranteed piece of crap (Um, am I allowed to say that word?).
I bought a Bachmann Climax when they came out--from Trainworld, if I recall correctly. On the track, it made nice whirry motor noises but didn't go. I called Bachmann and did what they said. My total cost was the cost of shipping to them. It took "awhile" to get back a working Climax; but it isn't like I'm short on locomotives, so not really a problem. I suppose I could argue that they should pay my shipping costs, but I decided that I could leave that concept alone.
I was quite happy with Bachmann in the matter.
Ed
maxman wrote: my05hammer wrote: It has been my experience that most of the time (not always) a warranty is only given for piece of mind at the time of purchase. It has been very hard for me to get companies to honor their warranties, and I don't mean just model railroading, I mean EVERYTHING. Reminds me of the movie Tommy Boy, where our hero is trying to sell brake pads to a new dealer. Dealer says he wants to stick with his current vendor because they have their guarantee on the box. Tommy says that his product is better, but dealer says that product in box must be good because of the guarantee. To cut story short, Tommy tells him that all the guarantee on the box means is that the product is a guaranteed piece of crap (Um, am I allowed to say that word?).
That's funny!
But sometimes it seems oh so true.
tstage wrote: Yep, that's the Bachmann Life-time guarantee...Tom
Bachmann life time is 20 minutes, so whats the problem? (sorry, I couldn't resist)
Update: Since my call to Bachmann didn't do anything, my dad called. He talked to a repair supervisor, and I will pay $15 and get a new 70 tonner and power pack and my old 70 tonner and power pack back.
The interesting thing, is that when my dad told the supervisor that he had heard of lots of other people having problems with Bachmann, the supervisor said yes, there are thousands. I thought it was weird that a guy from the company would tell you that.
santafe347 wrote: Bachmann life time is 20 minutes, so whats the problem? (sorry, I couldn't resist) Update: Since my call to Bachmann didn't do anything, my dad called. He talked to a repair supervisor, and I will pay $15 and get a new 70 tonner and power pack and my old 70 tonner and power pack back. The interesting thing, is that when my dad told the supervisor that he had heard of lots of other people having problems with Bachmann, the supervisor said yes, there are thousands. I thought it was weird that a guy from the company would tell you that.
He's being honest is surprising? Okay, I should know better than that in today's buisness world...
Consider how many they deal with though too