What a sad disappointment the online site is for Caboose Hobbies. Their brass section is so far out of date that they have future reservations for items that were released a few years ago.
I thought that they had a good reputation.
Perhaps, they just are not computer literate enough to know how to update their online presence. A lot of their consignment items have been there for many years.
don7 What a sad disappointment the online site is for Caboose Hobbies. Their brass section is so far out of date that they have future reservations for items that were released a few years ago. I thought that they had a good reputation. Perhaps, they just are not computer literate enough to know how to update their online presence. A lot of their consignment items have been there for many years.
Don
Their reservation list is misleading for sure. After the NP A4 and A5 were came and sold out, they still had the models on their reservation list for three more years with pictures. I will not tell you exactly how I got those off of the list, but they removed them.
It probably is just easy to allow the list to grow and grow until it gets out of hand. Most all of their models are consignment now, with a few exceptions. I look at the list fairly often and picked up an Overland 8500 turbine last fall and it was a bargain. They do get some good consignments in now and then.
CZ
I agree, Caboose Hobbies website is getting antquated. There are much better online sites now and considering Caboose Hobbies reputation as THE mecca of train hobby shops, they could do with a make over.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Have to agree with others. My opinion of Caboose Hobbies has plummeted over the past year as I try to order equipment. Ex. Caboose has had some new IM grain cars shown as reservation item, but one car number was shown as available. So with tongue in cheek I ordered three of them,(I do know how to renumber) and my order was added to the reservation list. I really was not surprised, yet in some respects I was, because they used to be very up to date and accurate in their inventory, but looks like no one proof reads anymore.
Oh well!!!!
Bob
don7Perhaps, they just are not computer literate enough to know how to update their online presence.
Don,
I'm pretty sure that's not the issue. People often think that keeping real-time inventory current is something that just happens if everything else gets done (receiving, sales, and stockkeeping). Not so at all. As a former inventory control clerk, I can tell you it's a lot of work and no small investment to maintain an accurate, up to date inventory.
Then the question becomes -- What else do you want cut to pay for that? Like a lot of things in life right now, everyone has a different idea. Obviously, some folks want those resources to keep the online inventory up to date, which is reasonable if we keep in mind that it may be some other aspect of the store that takes a hit.
On the other hand, if the inventory system is showing enough info that you know what's really going on (item delivered and sold out, out of stock but will be available, etc) is not necessarily what shows on your screen, then it's not perfect, but it works.
As for consignments, how fast they move depends a lot on what the owner determines for pricing. Lots more optimistic owners than buyers right now. Obviously, if they're showing an item and it's been sold, that's frustrating. That's when the Great Leveler of All Inventory Questions, the phone, comes in handy. It's a world run by the internet, but that still doesn't mean all the world's info is online and up to date.
In fact, in my experience the phone is how you can often turn up the nuggets of brass that aren't listed online -- for whatever reason. More and more, I've found that the internet is just the start of finding something. Caboose is hardly the only outfit with this issue. Being mindful that it applies to many others as well and taking steps, like calling, to work around the inaccuracies of online inventory control is the way to find some real gems, too.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
i would have thought their web-site is tied into their inventory system so that they are both consistent (i.e. the Walthers site). Otherwise a lot of manual effort is needed
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
gregci would have thought their web-site is tied into their inventory system so that they are both consistent (i.e. the Walthers site). Otherwise a lot of manual effort is needed
gregc,
That was the point I was making. No system automatically tracks all changes accurately without human intervention. The manual effort necessary to keep it accurate doesn't go away, it's just hidden.
LION sells wine. (Altar Wine). Him has an invoicing program that keeps track of what stock is in the store room. I do not have to go down there and look. Push a button, and it is right in front of my nose.
Ah, but that is NOT tied to our website. As a matter of fact you cannot order wine on line quite like that. You can fill in the form, and if you are already a customer, I will get an email, and reply back to you that I have received your order and that it will be ready for you to pick it up.
To make it all automatic requires quite a bit of work more than just making a website. It means that you have to have a master data base that knows when inventory comes in and when it goes out. For some things this is easy, but for one of a kind stuff, not so easy.
Look, even TRAINWORLD only got fully automated ordering etc a few years ago. The business was designed around a four page ad in MR and the telephone. The four page ad has been gone for years, even though that was about the only ad that I really ever looked at.
Now they ARE automated, but do you think that I can order "Draw Bars"? Not on your nellie! Search Draw Bars and every mention of a drawbar on every description of every steam locomotive is mentioned, but a package of drawbars is not to be found. Maybe they do not have them. Maybe that needs a Walthers Catalog number in the very least. You can call them on the phone, but if you ask questions on the order phone they will cut you off fairly quickly, you will need to call on the non-800 number if you want to stand around and ask questions. Like most big phone retailers or wholesalers, they would give out no informaition. It is ins stock, do you want it or not.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
I made Caboose Hobbies one of my main suppliers when I got back into the hobby several years ago. The ambiguities and inaccuracies of their online database is indeed the most frustrating aspect of doing business with them. The strength of their business is their sales and mail order department people, who are very knowledgeable and genuinely helpful. I've worked in inventory control as have other posters on this thread, and know it is expensive and labor intensive to do well (Walthers makes it look easy). I am sure that eventually Caboose will find a system solution that will solve their issues and repair their reputation.
Wilton.
Walthers has been mentioned for having real time inventory and rightly so but don't leave out Model Train Stuff. They post the quantity on hand for each item.
When I look at the number of different items and the quantities these retailers carry I am amazed.
Don't Ever Give Up
oregon shay I made Caboose Hobbies one of my main suppliers when I got back into the hobby several years ago. The ambiguities and inaccuracies of their online database is indeed the most frustrating aspect of doing business with them. The strength of their business is their sales and mail order department people, who are very knowledgeable and genuinely helpful. I've worked in inventory control as have other posters on this thread, and know it is expensive and labor intensive to do well (Walthers makes it look easy). I am sure that eventually Caboose will find a system solution that will solve their issues and repair their reputation. Wilton.
I visit Caboose Hobbies as often as I get to Denver and it is still a great store to visit and purchase items that are in stock. My thought is they cannot possibly keep the brass list up to date unless personnel are assigned to check and keep it current. I notice they tend to add almost every new HO brass and hope someone wants to purchase it and sends in a reservation. That is great if they reserved some for the store, but that is not the case for most items.
With the prices being very high now for any brass model, I tend to want to see it first before paying four installments of $400 to $500. The lastest Coach Yard and Overland passenger cars list for almost $600 and one of the last cars I purchased was not correct in several details. Had I known that before I reserved it, I would have passed on it.
I haven't bought brass from them, but I've ordered from them a lot and had no issues. They have come through with all of the "pre-orders" and their quantities on hand are pretty accurate on regular HO stuff, I always do ship what you have and cancel the rest for stock anyway.
Another major online model train company put a hold funds on my card, then called me to say the card was declined (because of their hold).
Another major online model train company still has a live link to an order they swear they cancelled in 2009.
Mine doesn't move.......it's at the station!!!
There is no excuse when items that have been out for nearly two years are marked as" to come" plus looking at their consignment items many are now date as 3 or 4 years,
On top of that do not bother contacting them via their web site, they do not return messages.
Yes, i have been there in person and dealing with them directly is the only way to do business, I think they just set up their web site and that no one takes care of it, That sure is a way to loose customers before you have even served them, ignore their e-mails.
don7 That sure is a way to loose customers before you have even served them, ignore their e-mails.
That sure is a way to loose customers before you have even served them, ignore their e-mails.
Responding to e-mails has got to be one of the worst ways to work with customers. E-mail exchanges almost always result in a black eye for the company - and seldom result in any income. And it's a time sink for the employees. As a result, many model railroad businesses don't bother to respond to e-mails. For those few that do, it's a low priority.
E-mail from customers is free-form, with no constraints on spelling, grammar, or (most importantly) content. Look at the posts here as an example. Trying to discern the customer's real intent from most e-mails is not trivial. Look at your post - is your real complaint about Caboose Hobbies' failure to respond to your e-mail, or is it about Caboose Hobbies' failure to maintain their web site? What e-mail response could they possibly give that would make you feel better about doing business with Caboose Hobbies? An e-mail response does nothing to fix their web site problems. All an e-mail response means is that they read your e-mail. If Caboose misses the primary point you were trying to make in your e-mail, you will likely see them as non-responsive. Like I said, re-reading your post several times leaves me unsure as to whether your complaint is about lack of e-mail response or an out-of date web site (or both)? As a Caboose employee, I would try to respond to both points - even though my e-mail response does nothing to fix the web site, and in fact, could be taking time away from doing something about the problem. I picked on your post as an example, but I think your post is not far from the typical e-mail.
And because e-mail is not real time, there is no way to clarify or to ask customer what they really meant without being perceived as "non-responsive". If I'm answering e-mails where I have any doubt what was meant, I pick up the phone and call. I also pick up the phone and call when e-mails have degenerated into a long chain, or a back-and-forth that is going nowhere fast. But I can guarantee that over 70% of e-mail inquiries to model railroad businesses do not have a usable phone number to clarify the intent.
I do agree that a poorly maintained web site is very frustrating for customers. It's better to have no inventory content on the site than information that is in error. The potential customer may not bother to call because inventory is not posted on the web site. But at least they are not as ticked as a customer who got wrong inventory information from the web site.
just my thoughts
Fred W
If you are not going to respond to e-mail do not have a contact by e-mail on your site.
That would be a simple cure.
Caboose Hobbies carries a large inventory on their electronic site. If it is that far out of date, I would estimate two or three years based on the preorder information on items that have been available for two or three years. Why even bother with the site, they should just pull the plug if they do not intend to keep it current.
It sounds like they just got too busy and have been overwhelmed.
don7Why even bother with the site, they should just pull the plug if they do not intend to keep it current.
I agree with your point about being specific about whether email is a viable option. If this is not clear, it just upsets everyone, staff and customers.
On the other hand, why have a site that's not 100%? Because most sites aren't 100%. True, it gets noticeable when left too long without attention. I can see your point about some things being obviously stale here. On the other hand, for every person who just walks away, there's probably someone who calls the store and may end up getting what they need. Not perfect, but it works often enough I don't see why Caboose should take down a website that is still useful in directing business there.
Don: Could you clarify whether your frustration is with the entire website,or just the brass dept.? I can't speak to the brass problems,but the rest of the website works for me. I live in Denver,and go to Caboose practically every week.I always check the website before I go to see if the item(s) I need are in stock. I have never found the website to be wrong. It would be helpful if they showed the quantity of each item in stock,as does MBKlein.
Mike
middleman It would be helpful if they showed the quantity of each item in stock,as does MBKlein.
It would be helpful if they showed the quantity of each item in stock,as does MBKlein.
I wish that all of the Internet model railroading sites used a system like MB Klein. Everything is kept up to date in real time.
Rich
Alton Junction
don7 There is no excuse when items that have been out for nearly two years are marked as" to come" plus looking at their consignment items many are now date as 3 or 4 years, On top of that do not bother contacting them via their web site, they do not return messages. Yes, i have been there in person and dealing with them directly is the only way to do business, I think they just set up their web site and that no one takes care of it, That sure is a way to loose customers before you have even served them, ignore their e-mails.
I have used email for Caboose Hobbies for my non brass reservations many times in the past several years. The latest email was last month for the new just announced Walthers Pine Sleepers and they return my reservation within a day. The receipt for this latest reservation was returned the same day. I have a customer number and just email the item I want and it is either shipped if it is in stock or reserved and shipped when it comes in. In my communication, I use email and it seems to work rather well. One time late last year, I emailed them about some items in stock and received the shipper notice that same day.
For brass items, I always call and verify the product with Don and that has always worked out well. If I want a picture of an item that does not have a picture, he holds the item in reserve until I can see it. They have been extremely easy to work with over the years for brass items. I do contend that most of their brass is now consignment, but I have purchased several great bargains in the past year for sellers listing items for a quick sell. There are bargains and there are items priced way too high on their list. You just need to pick bargains and purchase them.
The list for new brass is not up to date since they do not remove items from the list within two or three years after they were imported. I am used to that, but do think it is a good business practice.
I used to do business with CH but their web site was, for me, hopelessly out of date so I went somewhere else.
Let us hope that CH is reading all our comments and taking them to heart. One of the powers of this forum is to provide information - positive and negative - and I would like to think that the casual reader may make some of their buying decisions based on what we say.
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
Ok, I have done business with Caboose Hobbies for 30 years give or take. If you want to know info on a order just call 1-800-886-1813 and ask for Marcus or one of the other staff for the order line. He will always help you and update anything you want too know about an order. That being said, I do order from them online when I need something but if I need an honest answer about what I am ordering I call the order line. I hope that the future will hold an updating inventory for their web site but until then I just call them for order info and really there is nothing better than talking to a person. I live about 70 miles from the store so I don't have many chances to go to the store but It is by far the Greatest Train Store you will ever see. And when I do go I end up being there for at least 3 to 4 hours. Sooo, I will always do my part in supporting a really fine train store in all scales and if you ever have a chance to go there you will understand what I mean. Caboose Hobbies is truly an Icon. Doug
CAZEPHYRThe list for new brass is not up to date since they do not remove items from the list within two or three years after they were imported. I am used to that, but do think it is a good business practice.
CZ nudged up against a point I wanted to make. Just because something is out of stock or from a run that required a reservation doesn't necessarily mean that there isn't a need for it to stay in the database. With computers, you either have an entry -- or not. If someone comes in to ask a question about an item, if there's nothing in the computer it's as if it doesn't exist.
While it may not be in inventory, there's still a chance it could be ordered. Maybe there are returns or more were produced and could still be ordered even though they're not in stock at the store. Certainly, if you sold some, you also need an item in the computer to process a return or, perhaps, a warranty issue. There's also the issue that oftentimes there is a relationship between the SKU and the sales history; yep, it may be sold out, but do you want to lose the history by deleting the SKU? Probably not. I'm sure if I sat here I could think of other perfectly legit reasons for leaving older SKU's in the system that are sold out, etc.
So I still understand Don's frustration, but I think it's important to keep it in perspective. I'm sure we'd all like everything to be in stock and properly accounted fro at every step of the way. I'd even bet there are managers paid to do the best job they can with that. But just pick up the phone and call if there's a question with such things and you'll usually get an accurate read on availability.
I know that MB Klein has an amazing system, having used it. What I don't think is understood is how unusual that is and how much work, expertise, and resources go into making something like that work. If you insist that's who you'll deal with, I can understand. But this doesn't mean that Caboose is not a great place to do business. Having dealt with both of them, I can't pick a favorite, but I also don't see the differences as failings by one party, rather they're just differences. I usually don;t have any problem getting what I want with either outfit.