Just tried the new website for MB Klein's/Modeltrainstuff.com. All I can say is that I hope it's a work in progress, because it doesn't look like it is quite ready for prime time. Biggest gripe is that it doesn't show as many items in one view as the old site, making it harder to browse new stuff. Filtering's also harder.
I dunno, I just put Peco Code 83 in the search box, got 24 items on the first page. At the top is an option to sort by newest items, best sellers, price, or reviews. I also dia All Trains, then picked HO for a filter, and Walthers Mainline, and then I saw the newest Walthers Mainline items. Switched it to Accurail and I saw the newest Accurail releases. Seems to work OK.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I just tried to visit the new site and got an error message saying it can't be reached
-Ken in Maryland (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)
I got that same error message early today, Ken. It's working now.
Still looks like a work-in-progress because I don't see any product pics under the individual scales. I do if I use the search engine though.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
In searching HO locos, you no longer can choose between steam vs diesel or specific engine type, like F-3 vs Gevo. They also no longer show the total number of items in stock. It is a lot faster than the old site.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddyThey also no longer show the total number of items in stock.
I do hope M.B. Klein will include the "live inventory" feature again on their revamped website. Along with the good pricing, I consider that a HUGE asset since you know exactly whether they have an item in stock or not.
It annoys me when you order something online and the website "implies" that there is one in stock. However, that can mean either the vendor actually does have it in stock...or they can order it for you. A major DCC vendor has done that to me a couple of times; one time it took a month.
I'm usually not in hurry to get something but it's a disappointment when your ready to install something and you have to keep things on hold until the part arrives. I just prefer to know that upfront - in the event that I do need something quickly.
I think if you know what you are looking for it is okay. I however like to look up steam locos by wheel arrangements to see if there is anything new - in this regard it basically sucks! Go back to the old search arrangement!
Again, it may be in the works but they haven't gotten to it yet. You can always email them directly and let them know what you think of the changes.
Sometimes in the throe of changes things get inadvertently forgotten by the change-makers. That's why there are usually patches and fixes not too much after a major software update.
If it wasn't broke, why did they fix it?
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
My guess is that someone in the advertising business brainwashed them into thinking that they needed to "update" the website to attract more customers and increase their "brand".
steemtrayn If it wasn't broke, why did they fix it?
I seem to recall a bit in their hype message that I got a few days ago saying that "improvements for smartphone users" were some of their goals.
That means the wide margins of blank space on either side of my 20" monitor will be even wider. A desktop PC is so... 90's.
The "Twitter Box" folks will be happy.
Cheers, Ed
There was complaints about it being slow. It was extremely slow when I was in their b&m store in early Feb.
So is it possible to sort only HO? Like before they broke things? *Sigh*
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
riogrande5761 There was complaints about it being slow. It was extremely slow when I was in their b&m store in early Feb. So is it possible to sort only HO? Like before they broke things? *Sigh*
I never complained, but it was slow. Painfully slow on my so-called smartphone.
I hope the new site keeps the number of items in stock feature. I don't like sites where you only find out an item is out of stock after you go to your cart for checkout. Even worse is when you aren't informed until after everything has been completed (including pinging the credit card) and you log out and your comfirmation e-mail says your item has been back ordered.
I also hope the filters and screens give us a chance to not show out-of-stock items. Some sites list way more sold-outs than in-stocks.
Anyway, I'll give them a few days for things to settle out. I hope the site is actually better . . . it would pretty much defeat the whole point if it wasn't.
Robert
LINK to SNSR Blog
So far on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being good I'd give it a 2. Realize that it is a work in progress, and the customer will be on a learning curve but so far, give me the old days
Guess I'll just have to wait...
MBKerror by Edmund, on Flickr
This is all I can see.
Cheers! Ed
tstage My guess is that someone in the advertising business brainwashed them into thinking that they needed to "update" the website to attract more customers and increase their "brand". Tom
The trains move now, like a video. Keeping up with all websites I guess.
But as others have mentioned, the old site was pretty slow.
- Douglas
Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING has changed since the trend to cater to smart phones, and other devices.
Even the regular places I go to to pay bills.
I wouldn't even want to try and count how many posters and thread contributors, on here, do so on a smart phone.
One reason why I deleted my signature links. Too many complaints about my post running off the page.
Mike.
My You Tube
I miss the way the old site broke down the items. If you wanted an EMD FT, you clicked on it and you were shown all the FTs. Then you could sort by manufacturers. Everything seems harder to find.
I hope they bring back the live inventory.
The site is running again this morning. It is faster. And at least they didn't convert the majority of text to the currently popular low contrast, harder to read, light gray font on light background style (although there is some of that, such as the list of category filters). However (and I hope someone from Klein's is reading this thread)
1. The search algorithms seem too wide ranging. If I search for, say, HO 2-8-2, the first locomotive appears on the fourth page of results, after various intermodal containers, military vehicles, freight car parts... essentially anything with a 2 and and 8 in the product description (like "Preiser HO 17217 2 tables and 8 chairs," for example). To get better results, I have to resort to selecting filters on the left. The search algorithm isn't giving any priority to an exact match with the search term 2-8-2 versus any listing with a 2 and an 8.
2. The live inventory, as noted by others, is gone. To me that was what set Klein's online presence apart from the competition. I do notice that the new site does show "out of stock" for some items (see, for example, BLI CNJ heavy mikado). But that's not a help if I only want to place an order if there are, say, 10 of something and they only have 5 available. (Will they tell me before shipping if there only are 5?) Won't it mean extra work for them if people want to cancel orders due to low stock, unavailability, etc.? There also is no longer an option to "notify me when back in stock". And it's not clear why one item might stay listed as "out of stock" when another similar item (e.g., BLI Erie heavy mikado, which was listed as "out of stock" last week) simply doesn't show at all.
3. As Southpenn noted (above), the old site's system of sub-categories was useful (breaking down the loco listing into specific types, for example). The new filters allow that by price and manufacturer. One would think it wouldn't be hard to add more subcategories to the filters in the future (click on locos, then click diesel, then click FT, etc.). Hopefully the new site is still a work in progress.
mbinsewi Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING has changed since the trend to cater to smart phones, and other devices. Even the regular places I go to to pay bills. I wouldn't even want to try and count how many posters and thread contributors, on here, do so on a smart phone. One reason why I deleted my signature links. Too many complaints about my post running off the page. Mike.
Hey Mike,
You are right, we are living in a thumb-typing, 140-character, limited-thought, short-attention-span, SmartPhone world.
I was one of those who mentioned that your links spread across my screen, but I hope you don't think I was complaining. But there is a way to bring back the links (which I clicked on before, by the way) using a short alias that won't spread out on the screen. Similar to my signature below. I think one poster tried to help, but apparently that didn't work so you removed them entirely. But there is a simple way to do it.
Now . . . back to M B Klein and their new and improved website.
Truly dreadful, now they are just like everybody else.
Took all the features that made them special, why bother now.
Harold
Looks like some things are still being added. First thing this morning, the manufacturer list was incomplete and not sorted. It looks much better now. There are still lots of images missing, however. And functionality - like pre-order.
What's interesting to me is why they didn't bring this site up completely in parallel with the old website, get everything fully operational and then just switch the modeltrainstuff domain over to the new site's IP address.
Greg
Greg Shindledecker Modeling the =WM= Thomas Sub in the mid-70s
gshin What's interesting to me is why they didn't bring this site up completely in parallel with the old website, get everything fully operational and then just switch the modeltrainstuff domain over to the new site's IP address.
Indeed. When my employer has updated its website, both sites run in parallel, and if any problem arises right after the transition they quickly switch back to the old site. Also puzzling is that Klein's was doing the switch during normal North American business hours on Tuesday, and not at 3AM, etc. The site was down much longer than the "2 or 3 hours" that was promised leading up to the switch. I'd guess they're not too happy with whatever company is providing and maintaining their online storefront.
It is faster but the lack of records in "My Account" is a little scary as I placed two large orders over the last couple of weeks. I hope they have a record somewhere in case something goes wrong or is defective.
SB
gshinWhat's interesting to me is why they didn't bring this site up completely in parallel with the old website, get everything fully operational and then just switch the modeltrainstuff domain over to the new site's IP address.
Mike
Some stuff that was "on sale" very recently (special prices listed in red) has lost the sale pricing too. Whether that's an actual price change, or a bug in the system.... who knows now?
ROBERT PETRICKinformed until after everything has been completed (including pinging the credit card) and you log out and your comfirmation e-mail says your item has been back ordered
Russell
Search is very picky. For example box car as 2 words 1441 hits, as one word finds 578 hits. Results don't over lap "box car" gets 66 Accurail and 12 Walthers. "boxcar gets 1 Accurail and 134 Walthers (all 3 Walthers combined). "box" gets 1616 hits with 67 Accurail, but only 12 Walthers cars (and 4 other Walthers).
So overall I would say this new look is a BIG step back so far. It's probably faster because they stripped out a lot of the details and links in their database.
I will continue to shop modeltrainstuff, but will probably buy less since I won't be able to easily browse their site. Instead of looking over a whole category like O already built structures or HO 36 ft boxcars, I'll just look for specific ones I found else where so I can do a price comparison.
Hopefully in the future they will be able to "upgrade" to where they used to be.
Paul
I have an email from MTS providing a lot of information. It is in response to feedback I gave them.
In short, the old site was bad and getting worse and they took the difficult decision to cut over to the new before it has all the features they (and we) want. MTS plans to add much of what is bemoaned in this discussion board, some in the next few days, some over a period of "weeks".
FYI