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Internet Trains... Any Good?

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Internet Trains... Any Good?
Posted by mikesmowers on Thursday, November 20, 2008 5:23 PM

    I have been doing mostly all my orders from a place called Hobby Linc, and now they must have a new manager. A few weeks ago I ordered 5 packages of Model Power N scale track with 5 pieces of track per package. What I got was 5 pieces of track for around $13.00 per piece. I have been discussing this with them seance then. I got an E mail from them today and they said that Model Power does not make packages of flex track just single pieces.

  I  found some at Internet Trains for less than $2.00 per section.  I ordered 40 pieces for a total of around $75.00. I have heard of them before on these forums and was wondering how good they are to deal with, How fast do they get the order out and so fouth? 

   Thanks for any input.        Mike

Modeling Trains Is Not A Matter Of Life Or Death, It Is Much More Important Than That!!
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Posted by Jimmydieselfan on Thursday, November 20, 2008 5:28 PM

Laugh

I avoid them like the plague

Laugh

Anyone want to finish opening the can?

Laugh

N Scale Diesels......I like 'em

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Posted by CAZEPHYR on Thursday, November 20, 2008 5:30 PM

A search of the subject certainly will bring up opinions and comments about that web site, but I never ordered from them having read comments about their service.  

If you order from them, make sure the products are in stock and not just a dream hoping they can get them.   A bargain is not a bargain if you do not get the item.

CZ

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Posted by lvanhen on Thursday, November 20, 2008 5:53 PM

Too bad the search is still not working on the old posts - you'd find about a gazillion bad responses about them!!Angry

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Posted by blownout cylinder on Thursday, November 20, 2008 5:58 PM
I've heard and had the same. Backordered beyond all belief... lies,lies,lies... Avoid.

Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry

I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...

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Posted by Geared Steam on Thursday, November 20, 2008 6:00 PM

MIke

They keep no stock, they order when you order, it takes forever for you to get your items (if you do)

It took them 8 weeks to fill my order on some WS foam risers, avoid them like the plague. They are a joke.

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein

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Posted by mobilman44 on Thursday, November 20, 2008 6:59 PM

Hi!

I have not done business with Internet Trains, mainly because I do almost all my internet buying for Toy Train Heaven.  I've dealt with them for many years, spent 3-4 thousand with them, and have always had complete satisfaction.  Yes, I know there are other excellent sellers out there, and TTH is one of them.

Mobilman44

ENJOY  !

 

Mobilman44

 

Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central 

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Posted by HarryHotspur on Thursday, November 20, 2008 7:17 PM
1stplacehobbies.com is excellent, as are several others whose names escape me at the moment.

- Harry

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Posted by citylimits on Thursday, November 20, 2008 7:42 PM

I tried Internet trains - eventually I received most of what I ordered, but the experience with them is now something I would not repeat. There are on-line stores out there that do make buying easy and offer a no fuss service. If my experience is anything to go by, Internet Trains manner of doing business will fill you with frustration and annoyance. If, after you have placed an order you need to contact them for any reason, and their way of doing business ensures that this will definately happen - they seem to have absolutely no idea what you are talking about and seem to have people who pop into their phone-room on the way home from kindergarten to answer enquiries.

It's worth passing on that I have enjoyed exellent experiences with Toy Train Heaven and Walthers retail store who, while very expensive, operate in such a way that I don't ever worry about  any of the processes need to buy on the net and their parcels to me always arrive when they say they will. I guess that I probably pay a premium for this.

Cheers

Bruce.

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Posted by cacole on Thursday, November 20, 2008 8:26 PM

Internet Trains is one of the worst, if not the worst, on-line source there is.  If their web site says "available" that just means they can order it, not that it is in stock.

I ordered some trestle bents from them a couple of years ago and they charged my credit card right away even though they did not have them in stock and could not get them.

It took over six months of e-mails, phone calls, and a written complaint to the Better Business Bureau and California Attorney General's Consumer Protection Agency before I got my refund.

There were nothing but complaints about this company on these forums before the new software made it impossible to find anything.

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Posted by ChrisKSDF on Thursday, November 20, 2008 8:34 PM
Concur with all previous posts. I ordered from them once, and will never go through it again. Many great online retailers have been mentioned in the posts above; one that hasn't is MB Klein (www.modeltrainstuff.com) ... deeply discounted pricing on most items, ultra-quick shipping, and stellar customer service. I order from them virtually exclusively now.
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Posted by loathar on Thursday, November 20, 2008 8:34 PM

mikesmowers

 

  I  found some at Internet Trains for less than $2.00 per section.  I ordered 40 pieces for a total of around $75.00. I have heard of them before on these forums and was wondering how good they are to deal with,

  

Shouldn't the question in purple be asked BEFORE you make the mistake in red??
Hobby Lobby sells MP flex in 5 piece packs still.

 

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Posted by wholeman on Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:13 PM

I only ordered from them in the past because I was able to pre-order some thing that weren't released yet.  It took a long time for them to complete the orders because the products were not in stock at the time.  I have recently ordered some things that they said were in stock and it took them exactly a month to send the order to me.  I assumed when I ordered these items they would attempt to fulfill the order quickly.  That didn't happen.  I have found a few other online retailers that are faster.  Hiawatha Hobbies is one of the many online retailers I purchase from.

Will

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Posted by D&HRR on Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:54 PM

  I ordered a pack of Kadee couplers in June, got them in September. I no longer order from them, waste of time. Banged Head

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Posted by miniwyo on Friday, November 21, 2008 12:00 AM

I ordered from them 4 or 5 times and the last time I never got my order, I was refunded after about a month of calling them and either not being attended to on the phone or arguing with customer service. They were reported to the BBB. I still go to thier site to look at prices to compare with other sites, but would never order from them. I now begin at MB Klien when I am looking for something. Their Prices are usually some of the lowes around, and their shipping is amazingly fast! After that, I look to other places, (Which is a rare occurance).

RJ

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Posted by hobo9941 on Friday, November 21, 2008 1:11 AM

Internet Trains charges your credit card as soon as the number escapes your lips! I canceled a couple orders with them after waiting a couple months for my stuff. They always "forget" to credit your card back, hoping you will forget about it. When you call them a month later, when the credit doesn't show up on your statement, the "guy from accounting isn't in today". If you keep bugging them, they eventually credit your card, but it takes a while.

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Posted by pastorbob on Friday, November 21, 2008 8:50 AM

Internet, ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!  I have been very happy with First Place Hobbies, so they get the bulk of my mail order business.

Well, you asked!

Bob Miller http://www.atsfmodelrailroads.com/
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Posted by mikesmowers on Friday, November 21, 2008 9:53 AM

    Thanks for the replies, Sounds like I screwed up royally. I will wait and see what happens. I did notice they have already charged my credit card.        Thanks, not what I really wanted to hear.      Mike

Modeling Trains Is Not A Matter Of Life Or Death, It Is Much More Important Than That!!
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Posted by MisterBeasley on Friday, November 21, 2008 10:06 AM

I've had good experiences with M.B. Klein (www.modeltrainstuff.com) as well.  I've also ordered from www.trainworld.com, www.discounttrainsonline.com and www.modelrailwaypo.com with good results, and good prices.

I'd make a note on my calendar when Internet Trains's estimated ship date comes up.  If that date passes and they haven't shipped the order, contact your credit card company and "dispute" the charge.  They'll put the charge on hold immediately, and then investigate the non-shipment.  Merchants really don't like it when you do this, because it puts a black mark on them with the credit card companies.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by hobo9941 on Friday, November 21, 2008 10:22 AM

 

I thought there was some kind of Federal Trade Commission rule that prohibits merchants from charging your credit card, before the merchandise is shipped, but a lot of then do it. And a lot of them DON"T!
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Posted by rrebell on Friday, November 21, 2008 10:29 AM

MisterBeasley

I've had good experiences with M.B. Klein (www.modeltrainstuff.com) as well.  I've also ordered from www.trainworld.com, www.discounttrainsonline.com and www.modelrailwaypo.com with good results, and good prices.

I'd make a note on my calendar when Internet Trains's estimated ship date comes up.  If that date passes and they haven't shipped the order, contact your credit card company and "dispute" the charge.  They'll put the charge on hold immediately, and then investigate the non-shipment.  Merchants really don't like it when you do this, because it puts a black mark on them with the credit card companies.

My list also.
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Posted by cacole on Friday, November 21, 2008 10:38 AM

mikesmowers

    Thanks for the replies, Sounds like I screwed up royally. I will wait and see what happens. I did notice they have already charged my credit card.        Thanks, not what I really wanted to hear.      Mike

Yep, you definitely should have asked here before placing the order.  If your experience turns out the same as a lot of us, you're now in for at least 6 months of agony trying to get your money back.

This company has no doubt had so many complaints filed against it by the BBB and Consumer Protection Agency that I'm surprised they haven't been closed down.

 

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Posted by chatanuga on Friday, November 21, 2008 11:04 AM

Two years ago, I pre-ordered four autoracks from them (2 Walthers and 2 Atlas articulateds), all on the same order.

The Walthers cars were released, and I received them.  The date of the Atlas cars' release came, and for two days afterwards, my two cars were marked as pre-ordered.  One then got switched to "canceled".  The other went to "back ordered".  I sent e-mails asking why items I pre-ordered were being canceled.  No response.  They didn't bill my card for them, so I told them to cancel the two cars.  I ended up getting them from another site for 25% less.

For me, when I order from places, communication is a big factor on whether or not I continue doing business with them.  I can understand that things happen to affect orders, but changing the status of a customer's order with no communication is unacceptable.

Kevin

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Posted by Whisper on Friday, November 21, 2008 4:35 PM

Oh man, I wish I did my homework.  I ordered from Internet Trains about 5 weeks ago and I still don't have my order.  They haven't even shipped it yet and can't tell me when they will.  I've contacted them twice (by e-mail) and they just give excuses.  When I placed my order all the items said available.  Only last week did it now show items have been allocated to my order but it is still processing.  They last told me the person who does international orders is sick and to bear with them.  I'm new to this hobby, just started about 6 weeks ago.  This was my first order for track and roadbed.  I'm not going to get very far without it.  Not sure what I should do, just keep waiting?

 P.S.

They charged my credit card on the day I placed the order even though I still have nothing to show for it.

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Posted by New Haven I-5 on Friday, November 21, 2008 7:03 PM

 

 They give you credit when you buy something, to CON you.

- Luke

Modeling the Southern Pacific in the 1960's-1980's

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Posted by Whisper on Friday, December 5, 2008 12:15 PM

OK, thought I would follow up a previous post.  I just received my order from Internet Trains.  It took them 6 weeks to send my order then it sat in Canadian Customs for 1 week.  The order was missing 1 item, a pack of power rail joiners.  I will never order from them again, it just took too long for items that were listed as "available" on their website.

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