Is (ebay dealer) "The Favorite Spot" a Reliable Dealer?

[Geared Steam]

Nothing has changed from my opinion given 3 years ago when this thread was originally started. 

Favorite Spot is great for me.

[BATMAN]

I got a Bachmann Spectrum 4-4-0 through them.

[joe323]

I purchased a Bachmann GP-40 from them and was satisfied.

[Burlington Northern #24]

purchased one thing from them can't remember what but it was an overall good experience no problems or anything.

[TrainCollectorNM]

NOT A FRIENDLY PLACE (Ebay Store)

4 STARS? Not so fast... Customer Service is crucial for return sales and satisfied customers.

Everything is fine until you try to return a defective item.  When returning my defective item to the Favorite Spot for a replacement, the person working in Customer Service became impatient and rude, would not return Ebay messages, and was dishonest with me how he was going to resolve the issue.  His actions give me the impression that the Favorite Spot does not want to deal with customers needing to return defective merchandise.  Unfortunately, and due to his unprofessional nature, I will no longer purchase trains from their on-line store.

Buyer Beware: Before purchasing from the Favorite Spot, read all neutral and negative Ebay feedback!

[jwhitten]

Texas Zepher

I have purchased many items from them G to N.   I only had one issue where they were packed too well.  The plastic bubble wrap around the car squeezed one of the trucks out of shape. 

I can highly recommend them.

As near as I can tell they purchase large lots of stuff including sets then break up the sets selling the items separately.

 

 

I forgot all about the G-scale stuff. A couple of years ago I was looking for some G-scale hoppers. He said he was out of stock and I wrote back saying something like I was disappointed but understood-- not a bad comment, just a lament. And he wrote me back and asked if I would like to buy some hoppers from his personal collection. I was surprised but agreed to buy them-- I forget how many offhand, 10-12 something like that. They came in a huge box, all well-packed, and he had even tossed in loads for each gratis.

I've got nothing bad to say about 'em. 

 

John

[Texas Zepher]

I have purchased many items from them G to N.   I only had one issue where they were packed too well.  The plastic bubble wrap around the car squeezed one of the trucks out of shape. 

I can highly recommend them.

As near as I can tell they purchase large lots of stuff including sets then break up the sets selling the items separately.

[rrebell]

Medina1128

Margaritaman

My one experience with them was my first and last.  I realize you can't please all of the people all of the time, but 27 negatives and 30 neutrals is a but much for me.  There has been threads posted before on them and opinions vary from one end of the spectrum to the other.  Caveat emptor.  I'll stick with my LHS and MB Klein.

 

Yes, but compared to 46,338 positives I think speaks highly of this seller.

Decided to see exactly what the negatives were for and the neutrals so I scanned back 5000 entries and found 2 negs for saying they had something and they didn't, instant refund, and a neutral for a refund taking too long (if the buyer did anything with the credit card on his end then that would more than explain the refund taking a couple of weeks).

[Medina1128]

Margaritaman

My one experience with them was my first and last.  I realize you can't please all of the people all of the time, but 27 negatives and 30 neutrals is a but much for me.  There has been threads posted before on them and opinions vary from one end of the spectrum to the other.  Caveat emptor.  I'll stick with my LHS and MB Klein.

 

Yes, but compared to 46,338 positives I think speaks highly of this seller.

[HarryHotspur]

 I've bought a lot of stuff from the Favorite Spot and they are terrific.  Once I received a loco that ran a little balky.  I called, and they asked if I wanted a refund or replacement.  I said replacement and they shipped it before I had returned the first one.

 Best dealer I've ever dealt with.

[St Francis Consolidated RR]

jwhitten

Are we doing this one again? This was just done a month or so ago.

 

 

You guys...ENOUGH ALREADY...........John, you're right, we just went through this this summer and a couple of other times I think, AS WELL AS questions about Al Kramer out in California!!!

The guys in Texas are GREAT, the fastest shippers on the internet, and the quality is always as promised! And, oh by the way, the prices can be real good sometimes.

 Okay then!!!

 

[rrebell]

jwhitten

Capt. Grimek

They get a good ebay rating so I presume they're fine, but has anyone ordered from them? They're located in Denton, TX. Thanks.

 

 

Are we doing this one again?

 

John

Same thread, just came back to life!

[jwhitten]

Capt. Grimek

They get a good ebay rating so I presume they're fine, but has anyone ordered from them? They're located in Denton, TX. Thanks.

 

 

Are we doing this one again? This was just done a month or so ago.

 

Anyway, yup, they're good. I buy from 'em all the time and have for a number of years now.No problems, and they've gone out of their way to help out several times. They have my business.

 

John

[HaroldA]

They are on summer break through the end of August and don't have anything listed on EBay right now.

Thank you for your interest in TheFavoriteSpot. We're on summer break until the end of August. Please sign up for our eBay newsletter through the link on the top right side of this page. When we start up again you will be certain to know. Thank you again for all of your business and for making TheFavoriteSpot a stop for your model railroad layout!

[rrebell]

mobilman44

Hi!

I'm a long term Ebay buyer and seller, and can attest that the feedback numbers AND comments are the best indicator of the seller's performance.  Click on the feedback number and it will get you to the recent comments.  Also, check to see what items were bought and sold.

As the vast majority of Ebay sales go thru their PayPal, you will have some protection from them as well. 

ENJOY,

Mobilman44 

 

Check out the negative as part of your feedback search, sometimes you will find 10 items all for the same person at the same time and they were all unwarranted, like shipping took too long or they did not do combined shipping (postings said they didn't).

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

Just want to add my support for The Favorite Spot.  I have purchased there over E-bay and was

very pleased and satisfied.

GO FOR IT...

Johnboy out.................................................

[mobilman44]

Hi!

I'm a long term Ebay buyer and seller, and can attest that the feedback numbers AND comments are the best indicator of the seller's performance.  Click on the feedback number and it will get you to the recent comments.  Also, check to see what items were bought and sold.

As the vast majority of Ebay sales go thru their PayPal, you will have some protection from them as well. 

ENJOY,

Mobilman44 

 

[rrebell]

steveb

 I have purchased over 100 On30 items from The Favorite Spot.  Never a problem.  On the other hand, when I have sold items, I sometimes get a bad deal from the buyer.  Case in point-I sold a MDC HO shay on Ebay.  It was packed well.  After a week after the buyer received the item, he sent an e-mail to me saying there was damage because of faulty packing.  I accepted the return of the item, refunded his payment as well as his return sshipping costs.  Upon receipt of the shay, I was shocked to see its condition.  It had obviously been dropped on a hard floor.  It was in such bad shape, I threw it in the garbage.  I had little recourse because I did not want an unfavorable rating to blemish my 100% favorable rating on over 600 transactions.  Not only should buyer beware, seller should also beware.

Steve B.

You did more than you had to and you should have taken the ding. Only time I had to fight for a refund is when a seller had the nerve to sell me an item as new that someone had doctored and they had to know because they refused return, even though I was paying return shipping.

[steveb]

 I have purchased over 100 On30 items from The Favorite Spot.  Never a problem.  On the other hand, when I have sold items, I sometimes get a bad deal from the buyer.  Case in point-I sold a MDC HO shay on Ebay.  It was packed well.  After a week after the buyer received the item, he sent an e-mail to me saying there was damage because of faulty packing.  I accepted the return of the item, refunded his payment as well as his return sshipping costs.  Upon receipt of the shay, I was shocked to see its condition.  It had obviously been dropped on a hard floor.  It was in such bad shape, I threw it in the garbage.  I had little recourse because I did not want an unfavorable rating to blemish my 100% favorable rating on over 600 transactions.  Not only should buyer beware, seller should also beware.

Steve B.

[St Francis Consolidated RR]

      My experience over a couple of years is Favorite Spot is very reliable and a great resource. I've had a couple of shays shipped to me so fast I didn't know it was possible.

    .....what I do is this: when I want something, I bid low on it (say $245 on a $325 item, which item retail price I check usually with Ridge Road Station) at the last second before the bidding ends, and if I win it, I win it, if I don't I don't...there will be others. If I miss the end bidding, well what can you say? Real life sometimes gets in the way of model railroading. Too bad, but I've gotten some darn good deals this way.

     A lot of times the low prices on ebay come on, like the previous writer said, like a mouse trap....but I think if you're disciplined, deal with reputable sellers, and sneak in and out before the trap snaps, you can have some fun with it and save some money.

     The comment about Favorite Spot sounding like a bar????? Well, now then, if you're not disciplined you can end up with eight or nine Shays, six or seven Climaxes, etc., etc., etc., and then Favorite Spot does beginning sounding like a bar where drinking can get a little out of hand. (Not me, of course, and nobody we know gets addicted to spending on model railroading!!)

 

[Aikidomaster]

I have found several Fine Scale Miniature kits on e-Bay. No problem with having bought 8 different kits from 8 different sellers. You can find some bargains or hard to find items. Some items are expensive. You should research the item you wish to purchase and know its "market value". Also, NEVER get too excited about an item. In other words, know what your maximum purchase price is and walk away when the bidding becomes to costly.

[Dave553]

I've ordered several Bachman Spectrum items from them and have had no problems at all.  Their flat rate shipping ($13.00 no matter where it's going) seems a bit on the high side, but maybe that's just me.  It wouldn't keep me from ordering again.

 

 

 

 

[citylimits]

[rrebell]

I bet they had to wait to get Bachmanns  permision to replace it!

[Allegheny2-6-6-6]

" I have had a number of DOA locomotives purchased at retail shops and never had one retailer offer to replace the item. These included BLI and Proto engines"

I have had unfortunately one or tow right out of the box bad locomotive be there is a very simple solution for this problem. At my LHS as with many others they have a test track and as a matter of store policy, they don't care if you buy a $20 used engine or a top dollar brass locomotive they test all of them right therein front of you so there is no question weather or not they work properly or not. I ordered an AB set of of BLI E7's when they came in I went to pick them up we ran them and they worked fine and then just died.We both scratched out heads and upon a little bit of investigating found the decoder was dead. So who's fault was that not the store's & not mine but as the owner put it that train is my responsibility until you leave the store with it. They offered me the choice of getting another one, a replacement of a different brand or installing a replacement decoder. Being it was a week day they called BLI and they gave them permission to swap out the bad decoder with a new one to "keep the customer happy"

Being fair did the guy at the favorite spot know there was an obviously used engine in that box possibility  not it most likely was the fault of someone at Bachmann. Did he replace it yes eventually but I don't want to say it was a hassle but lets just say it's not something that anyone wants to have to do. Don't get me wrong not all online stores are bad I personally love dealing with MB Klein. They are a very knowledgeable and very professional group of people and a real pleasure to deal with. For me and now this is strictly my opinion ebay has more then it's fair share of "questionable" sellers and what one has to do to get is money refunded just isn't worth it.

[don7]

Allegheny2-6-6-6

 I don't really give a hoot how good someone's ebay feedback is you don't get that when you click the buy it now button. eBay is a consumer mouse trap as far as I'm concerned the cheese is typically lower then brick & mortar store prices, but that usually comes with a price. 

 The words sleazy and snake oil come to mind. All that being said if you have never purchased form this guy before I would first contact him and ask simply what happens if I am not satisfied with what I buy or if something goes wrong etc.

. Think that would ever happen with any ebay store? Customer service and product knowledge have been replace with a mouse click. No thanks at least ask fist, Being proactive never hurt anyone.

Gee, quite the ramble.

 I myself, having dealt with this vendor did have a few problems and once I contacted the owner the problems were resolved. I would buy again without any hesitation. I have had at least two dozen transactions with this vendor and regret none.

I would not be so quick as to trash all e-bay sellers. I have had many transactions with this vendor, saved a ton of money over paying retail at a retail establishment. This is why I use e-bay, and I only shop for certain items with certain vendors. 

I have had a number of DOA locomotives purchased at retail shops and never had one retailer offer to replace the item. These included BLI and Proto engines. 

The story today, at least in my area appears to be"deal with the manufacturer yourself if you have any problems".

 

[rrebell]

First off you have to have a local hobby shop and second you have to have one you want to deal with! As far as selling a used item  unless they said so, I have my doubts and I looked at the last 5 negatives out of almost 6,000+ transactions and found one negative for a decoder that was wrong item but no response from the buyer when questioned and he the buyer dose not speak anything but french that the favorite spot even translated into their response (way above what they needed to do) and the other 4 or 5 were from one guy who was mad because they required a signature before delivery of a high dollar lot, now is that unreasonable? I have dealt with a few problems over the years on e-bay but only one time did it go all the way through the dispute process and e-bay got my money back. This one was out and out fraud! As I said before I love the favorite spot and if I need anything from Bachmann that is were I go and items stated as new are always shipped promptly.

[Allegheny2-6-6-6]

 I have a friend who had purchased from them several times but the last time was a total disaster. He not only git a bad locomotive but an obviously used or re-boxed one to boot. Was it intentional who knows? Was it an isolated incident who knows? I guess perhaps just by the virtue of the sheer number of items he sells he's bound to have a few bad apples and selling solely Bachmann items that increases his chances of getting and passing on junk to his consumers. That being said it's not about the occasional bad piece that may come your way but how he handles your complaint that matters to me. Most of us have all fallen into the trap of how easy and convenient it is to buy things over the internet that we have forgotten what separates a store form a really great store weather it be a model train store or a hardware store or what ever. It's the guy standing behind the counter that makes all the difference. I go into my LHS which is a 50 plus mile drive from my house and if I attempt to buy something that may not have the best reputation or my guy knows I will not like as he has gotten to know my tastes and my likes and dislikes etc. He'll simply say you don't want that or I don't think thats for you or even hey just to let you know you may experience this or that. My LHS is made up of all trains guys and they only sell trains so they know not only the product but the hobby as well.

I don't really give a hoot how good someone's ebay feedback is you don't get that when you click the buy it now button. eBay is a consumer mouse trap as far as I'm concerned the cheese is typically lower then brick & mortar store prices, but that usually comes with a price. On the several rare occasions I have gotten to meet a few of these eBay big sellers or top sellers or what ever they call themselves, I wouldn't trust any of them as far as I could throw a Mack truck. The words sleazy and snake oil come to mind. All that being said if you have never purchased form this guy before I would first contact him and ask simply what happens if I am not satisfied with what I buy or if something goes wrong etc. I received a Spectrum J class as a gift that has been nothing short of a nightmare a total piece of junk, the store in which it was purchased said "Sorry we don't accept returns send it back to Bachmann or re-gift it." (highway Hobby, Ramsey New Jersey) My wife knew how disappointed I was an all the problems I had with the Spectrum J that she wanted to get me a new or better one for Christmas. So she went to my LHS and told my train buddy there she wanted to purchase a "new" Spectrum J class for me. He said oh your husband is so and so nope you don't want a Spectrum you'll be much better off with an BLI or an MTH. of which she purchased the BLI and I couldn't be more happy with it. Think that would ever happen with any ebay store? Customer service and product knowledge have been replace with a mouse click. No thanks at least ask fist, Being proactive never hurt anyone.

[Railphotog]

Capt. Grimek

Wow!! I can't believe how many folks on this forum purchase from this business.

I wondered mostly about the name: "The Favorite Spot", which seemd most un-hobby like for a name. Sounded like a bar or something ;=) I think that's what made me question the ebay rating numbers for the first time. I could understand it if this was also a brick and mortar store, but unless i'm missing something it's not.

I'm interested in giving them a try now that I've see a majority of votes of confidence here . Thanks.

 

This store has been running auctions on eBay for a very long time, and it seems continually.  Just check on the "view other auctions" any time, I'm sure there will be dozens if not hundreds.   And I believe they do show their store front - made of brick - in some ads or someplace, because I've seen the image.

I know I've wondered how they do it, keep track of all of their auctions.  Must have several people dedicated to doing just that, and they seem to be succeeding.

 

[Capt. Grimek]

Wow!! I can't believe how many folks on this forum purchase from this business.

I wondered mostly about the name: "The Favorite Spot", which seemd most un-hobby like for a name. Sounded like a bar or something ;=) I think that's what made me question the ebay rating numbers for the first time. I could understand it if this was also a brick and mortar store, but unless i'm missing something it's not.

I'm interested in giving them a try now that I've see a majority of votes of confidence here . Thanks.