Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Is the hobby shop doing the right thing? I want your opinion... (SOLVED)

6140 views
102 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Ohio
  • 1,615 posts
Posted by Virginian on Sunday, July 24, 2005 12:31 PM
I believe you're being too hard on Tony. He can do something wrong, he just can never be wrong.
What could have happened.... did.
  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Sullivan County, NY
  • 239 posts
Posted by jwr_1986 on Sunday, July 24, 2005 6:19 AM
A few thoughts here. I have shipped a lot of items overseas from my ebay sales. Usually the only service that lets you track internationally is UPS and similar. I have never found a way to track a package through the postal service if it's any thing other than domestic. Second our Postal service here has a bit of a problem accounting for anything. That package could be sitting between the seats of a delivery truck right now and they wouldn't know it. Just an aside, I bought an old postcard with a water color painting of my home town on it once. The Post office lost it for six months and it finally showed up wet and with tire tracks on it; luckily it was pack well and was undamaged. I'm just trying to figure out where you get this notion that they can just call their post office.

The other thought is that you could contact the Better Business Bureau(spelling). Tell Tony's you intend to and that may help. Businesses here tend to take the BBB seriously. Talking to the owner might help but my experience with Tony has been that he can never do anything wrong. This comes from seeing him at shows bullying customers. Good luck.

Jesse
  • Member since
    May 2004
  • From: Ohio
  • 1,615 posts
Posted by Virginian on Sunday, July 24, 2005 5:11 AM
If their policy is to wait until the item is back in their hands before issuing a refund, I think you are stuck with that. I don't disagree with them on that, although I am sure you don't care.
You should have gotten a return shipping number from your post office when they sent it back. I think that is what went wrong, and your track may have disappeared forever into the infinite. They got proof they shipped it to you. You don't have anything as near as I can tell except you told the post office to return it. No doubt your postal service is better than ours, but if it is even similar I see a big problem.
I have not found email to be the best way to resolve problems. Email is legal proof of nothing.
Always pay with a credit card, and then you are protected. If you call the credit card company, and then follow with a letter, be sure you do it within 30 days of your getting the bill on your credit card statement. If you did not get the item for ANY reason, or you can show you sent it back and it was received, you get ALL your money back, including any shipping and handling charges. That was done because sellers would charge $15 or $20 shipping, knowing someone was going to return their junk of whatever ilk, but not refund those charges.
From what I know of Tony's, if you had gone to the Post Office and had shipped it back, insured, you would be covered for every dime.
Good luck. I sent a guy a $300 money order for a loco off ebay, and didn't hear a word for three weeks. I figured I was screwed. Turned out he was in a wreck on the way to the P. O. Loco was damaged in the wreck, and he got another one from the manufacturer and I eventually got it. Hope you situation turns out okay in the end.
What could have happened.... did.
  • Member since
    May 2014
  • 3,727 posts
Posted by trolleyboy on Sunday, July 24, 2005 12:22 AM
Wow I work in retail. If you make this type of mistake you need to swallow your pride and fix it at your expence(stores). This is not the way to build a business,certainly opne with the reputation of good service that this store has. really a shocker. This is one example of why I won't order stuff online.Of coarse in your case you haven't much choice. Hopefully this will get resolved to your satisfaction. rob
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Sweden
  • 2,082 posts
Posted by electrolove on Saturday, July 23, 2005 11:39 PM
The reason I started to buy things from Tony's was that I have heard so many good things about them. My first contact with this company was with Tony himself and everything was fine. But then Ken took over and all kinds of problems started. If I for example ask 3 questions I get 1 answer. My last question was, what is the shipping number you used to send me the wrong track? I did not receive any answer at all to that question. I just tried to help find the package. I ordered Walthers/Shinohara flextrack, Ken shipped me Atlas. This is Ken's mistake, a mistake he must deal with. Why do Ken not just pick up the phone and call his post office and they will tell him that the wrong shipped package is returned from Sweden? It really doesn't matter if this is a respected company, they suck! Still no answer to my latest email, I will wait until monday.

One more thing, when this is sorted out. I will not buy anything from Tony's trains again. I wonder if they care at all...
Rio Grande Zephyr 5771 from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah "Thru the Rockies"
  • Member since
    July 2002
  • From: California
  • 3,722 posts
Posted by AggroJones on Saturday, July 23, 2005 8:02 PM
OHMYGAWD! Tony's!? Well.....

The only thing I've ever ordered from him was a BLI A class when they were being blown out. It arrived fine with minimum of fuss.

"Being misunderstood is the fate of all true geniuses"

EXPERIMENTATION TO BRING INNOVATION

http://community.webshots.com/album/288541251nntnEK?start=588

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: australia
  • 329 posts
Posted by peterjenkinson1956 on Saturday, July 23, 2005 6:26 PM
i have never ordered from tonys....perhaps i should ask about about their return policy...looking for a good dcc system
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: Saginaw River
  • 948 posts
Posted by jsoderq on Saturday, July 23, 2005 5:17 PM
I believe there is more to this than meets the eye. Knowing Tony's there is some problem here not of their making.
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: CANADA
  • 2,292 posts
Posted by ereimer on Saturday, July 23, 2005 4:19 PM
yikes i'm surprised it's tony's . everything i've read here and in the digitrax yahoo group about them has been very positive . i haven't ordered from them myself , and since i'm most likely going to buy my DCC gear from my LHS i probably won't anyway , but this does worry me as i'm not in the U.S. either , and i'll bet this would have been resolved sooner if you were a U.S. customer , if only because it would be easier for tony's to deal with the U.S. post office
  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Christchurch New Zealand
  • 1,525 posts
Posted by NZRMac on Saturday, July 23, 2005 3:40 PM
I had to return a loco to tony's, they asked that I wait till it arrived there so they could assess the problem before a replacement was sent. Took around two weeks but had no problems. I now have the J instead. I've had nothing but awesome service from Tony, Ken and Heidi.

EL hope your problem is sorted soon.
Atleast give them till Monday. I know its a pain, their Monday morning is my Tuesday over here is a long weekend sometimes!!!!!

Ken.

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: Eastern Massachusetts
  • 1,681 posts
Posted by railroadyoshi on Saturday, July 23, 2005 3:26 PM
gee whiz
tonytrains, i never would have thought of that

the best thing i can suggest is find that package
swaying the company might be a waste of time
sometimes, one has to do it themselves

that said, i do not approve of what tte has done, and i suggest you voice that not only with e-mails, but with your wallet.
Yoshi "Grammar? Whom Cares?" http://yfcorp.googlepages.com-Railfanning
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Sweden
  • 2,082 posts
Posted by electrolove on Saturday, July 23, 2005 2:53 PM
That idea has crossed my mind more then once, in the next email maybe...

QUOTE: Originally posted by selector

It may be their firm policy not to reship anything until the original has been returned. That said, I agree completely that this is unacceptable. You might want to mention in your NEXT e-mail to them, Electro, that most of us on this forum agree with YOU. That might help to shift them a bit. [;)]
Rio Grande Zephyr 5771 from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah "Thru the Rockies"
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Sweden
  • 2,082 posts
Posted by electrolove on Saturday, July 23, 2005 2:45 PM
As I promised you Aggro, here is the name of the shop.

http://www.tonystrains.com/

Yea, I know what some of you are thinking, can that be possible?
Rio Grande Zephyr 5771 from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah "Thru the Rockies"
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Vancouver Island, BC
  • 23,330 posts
Posted by selector on Saturday, July 23, 2005 2:02 PM
It may be their firm policy not to reship anything until the original has been returned. That said, I agree completely that this is unacceptable. You might want to mention in your NEXT e-mail to them, Electro, that most of us on this forum agree with YOU. That might help to shift them a bit. [;)]
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 23, 2005 10:54 AM
The hobby store admitted to shipping the incorrect items. A mistake was made, the hobby store needs to ship the correct items and regretfully take a loss if the wrong items shipped never return. They should not have allowed this to drag on so long.
  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Central Texas
  • 251 posts
Posted by novicerr on Saturday, July 23, 2005 10:40 AM
Post office will only accept a claim if it was insured. They will not reimburse for uninsured articles. Also, customs may have the item. It sometimes takes them awhile to check it, since they do randomly check parcels.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 23, 2005 10:23 AM
QUOTE: I don't know of any store that would issue a refund without getting the merchandise back. If that were true, anyone could walk into any store; claim a problem with something they "bought" there; not return it; and then walk out with a refund. H*ll! I think I'll walk empty-handed into Leon's (a major home furnishings store here) tomorrow and demand a refund for the big-screen tv, and the set of stainless steel kitchen appliances that aren't satisfactory. I could use the money for trains


I know of many companies that will refund or reship items based on a customer not recieving his product, Since this was not recieved by the customer it is a very easy process to trace and start a claim with the post office. The only requirment for the US post office is the package has to be 30 days late for them to start a claim which Electro is already approaching. The company I work for would in this instance have the customer send us a letter stating what happened and that they did not recieve the product we would start the claim and reship the product, sure we might lose a few buck on this now but we get more back from a happy cutomer later.


  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Sweden
  • 2,082 posts
Posted by electrolove on Saturday, July 23, 2005 9:30 AM
Maybe I was a little unclear. The person that is on vacation works at the post office here in Sweden.

The hobby shop can call their own post office in the US to check if I the package is sent back to them. So I can't understand why they don't pick up the phone.

Thanks for your opinion. Still no answer from them, waiting...

QUOTE: Originally posted by ereimer

if you don't get a satifactory answer to today's email it's time to escalate the problem . send another polite email saying that you aren't satisfied with the help you're getting and that you'd like the email address of the owner or manager of the store (assuming that isn't who you're dealing with right now) . if they won't give you that you might have to ask for the wners name and actually call and ask to speak to him directly .

this still might not help , even though it is the shop's fault for sending you the wrong item , and also their problem that there is only one person (on vacation) who can deal with it , it is unlikely that they will refund your money with no proof that you didn't go down to the post office and pick up the goods , or proof that the shipment got lost somewhere on the way back to the US . in these days of highly organized scams and rip-offs not too many companies can afford to trust customers .

good luck , i hope this gets resolved soon
Rio Grande Zephyr 5771 from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah "Thru the Rockies"
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: CANADA
  • 2,292 posts
Posted by ereimer on Saturday, July 23, 2005 9:20 AM
if you don't get a satifactory answer to today's email it's time to escalate the problem . send another polite email saying that you aren't satisfied with the help you're getting and that you'd like the email address of the owner or manager of the store (assuming that isn't who you're dealing with right now) . if they won't give you that you might have to ask for the wners name and actually call and ask to speak to him directly .

this still might not help , even though it is the shop's fault for sending you the wrong item , and also their problem that there is only one person (on vacation) who can deal with it , it is unlikely that they will refund your money with no proof that you didn't go down to the post office and pick up the goods , or proof that the shipment got lost somewhere on the way back to the US . in these days of highly organized scams and rip-offs not too many companies can afford to trust customers .

good luck , i hope this gets resolved soon
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Sweden
  • 2,082 posts
Posted by electrolove on Saturday, July 23, 2005 8:04 AM
I have saved every email, so it's very easy to follow everything that happened. I even have the email where they say that this is a mistake made by them. I have not received the answer from them about my latest email that I sent today so I will wait before I go any futher and give them a chance to sort this out. Thanks for your advice.

QUOTE: Originally posted by CraigN

The original purchase order will state what was ordered, it won't show the wrong item being ordered unless you give them the wrong info. The packing list and bill will show what was shipped. If it is different than the purchase order sheet, then it is the hobby shops fault and they need to make it right.

With one exception, you first need to verify if the hobby shop states a policy of substituting items if your item is out of stock on their order form? If so, then you need to be patient with them, they deserve that right.

Since it has been a long time since the item was refused, I would contact Visa ( if that is the way you paid) and let them know you never received the items and you want your account credited. They can research it. There should be a paper trail with the Post Office I would think. Also,sometimes a package gets damaged at the Post Office, it gets set to the side untill someone gets the time to fix up the package. That could also be why the Hobby shop hasn't received the package.

Save all your E-Mails too, you might need them to resolve the dispute.




Rio Grande Zephyr 5771 from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah "Thru the Rockies"
  • Member since
    April 2005
  • From: Central New York
  • 279 posts
Posted by CraigN on Saturday, July 23, 2005 7:53 AM
The original purchase order will state what was ordered, it won't show the wrong item being ordered unless you give them the wrong info. The packing list and bill will show what was shipped. If it is different than the purchase order sheet, then it is the hobby shops fault and they need to make it right.

With one exception, you first need to verify if the hobby shop states a policy of substituting items if your item is out of stock on their order form? If so, then you need to be patient with them, they deserve that right.

Since it has been a long time since the item was refused, I would contact Visa ( if that is the way you paid) and let them know you never received the items and you want your account credited. They can research it. There should be a paper trail with the Post Office I would think. Also,sometimes a package gets damaged at the Post Office, it gets set to the side untill someone gets the time to fix up the package. That could also be why the Hobby shop hasn't received the package.

Save all your E-Mails too, you might need them to resolve the dispute.



  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Sweden
  • 2,082 posts
Posted by electrolove on Saturday, July 23, 2005 5:09 AM
I you walked into that store and asked for a refund, and the people at the store knows that they have sent you the wrong big-screen-tv. But do not want to pay you back until the post office have found out where your big-screen-tv is. Does that makes any difference to you? Just curious... The point is, if I do something wrong, it's my fault and I must deal with it. If someone else do something wrong, is it still my fault? It feels that way because the hobby shop does not help me at all. I also think a good hobby shop must trust their costumers.

QUOTE: Originally posted by chateauricher

I don't know of any store that would issue a refund without getting the merchandise back. If that were true, anyone could walk into any store; claim a problem with something they "bought" there; not return it; and then walk out with a refund. H*ll! I think I'll walk empty-handed into Leon's (a major home furnishings store here) tomorrow and demand a refund for the big-screen tv, and the set of stainless steel kitchen appliances that aren't satisfactory. [:)] I could use the money for trains. [;)]

Can you imagine the financial losses stores would incur if that were true ???

So, yes, the store in question is doing the right thing — waiting for the merchandise to be returned before issuing a refund. The problem here seems to be the unusual amount of time it is taking for the merchandise to be delivered to the store by mail. It would seem to me that it has been lost, either by the Swedish post office, or by the American postal service. The package's tracking number should help locate it. Its probably stuck in a warehouse somewhere. Or, considering the paranoid US Customs these days, it might even be in a customs warehouse being held as part of an anti-terror investigation.

If you really want this track, I would do as locomotive3 suggests — re-order it and ask the store to refund you when the original package finally arrives.


Rio Grande Zephyr 5771 from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah "Thru the Rockies"
  • Member since
    November 2004
  • From: Chateau-Richer, QC (CANADA)
  • 833 posts
Posted by chateauricher on Saturday, July 23, 2005 4:55 AM
I don't know of any store that would issue a refund without getting the merchandise back. If that were true, anyone could walk into any store; claim a problem with something they "bought" there; not return it; and then walk out with a refund. H*ll! I think I'll walk empty-handed into Leon's (a major home furnishings store here) tomorrow and demand a refund for the big-screen tv, and the set of stainless steel kitchen appliances that aren't satisfactory. [:)] I could use the money for trains. [;)]

Can you imagine the financial losses stores would incur if that were true ???

So, yes, the store in question is doing the right thing — waiting for the merchandise to be returned before issuing a refund. The problem here seems to be the unusual amount of time it is taking for the merchandise to be delivered to the store by mail. It would seem to me that it has been lost, either by the Swedish post office, or by the American postal service. The package's tracking number should help locate it. Its probably stuck in a warehouse somewhere. Or, considering the paranoid US Customs these days, it might even be in a customs warehouse being held as part of an anti-terror investigation.

If you really want this track, I would do as locomotive3 suggests — re-order it and ask the store to refund you when the original package finally arrives.

Timothy The gods must love stupid people; they sure made a lot. The only insanity I suffer from is yours. Some people are so stupid, only surgery can get an idea in their heads.
IslandView Railroads On our trains, the service is surpassed only by the view !
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Sweden
  • 2,082 posts
Posted by electrolove on Saturday, July 23, 2005 4:18 AM
Can you please tell me what shop was so good that you recieved another loco for free? Shops like that really deserve a lot of costumers.

QUOTE: Originally posted by peterjenkinson1956

we should run a comp to see who can guess which shop he delt with..closest member gets a box of track................. only joking.. sorry mate ..i live overseas and have had a couple of minor problems with orders from the u s a .. they have all been delt with satisfactory..when i complained that one of the shops had sent the wrong roadname for a loco they sent me a new one and didnot ask for the other to be returned..i got a surprise when the new one arrived unannounced.... since then i have bought quite a lot from this store and all i can say is be patient.. inform visa if you paid by visa and put the item in dispute ... i would say write to them and say that you didnot collect the item from the post office.. i agree with the other fellas ,,stay calm ..the other person may be a 50 yo lady with no interest in model railways and sent you other track because the track you ordered was not in store...hpe this helps you...peter
Rio Grande Zephyr 5771 from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah "Thru the Rockies"
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Sweden
  • 2,082 posts
Posted by electrolove on Saturday, July 23, 2005 4:03 AM
I understand what you are trying to say. Water takes 6-8 weeks, Air only 6 days. The post office in Sweden always return packages by Air, never Water. So over a month is not normal, if the plane are still flying... [:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomotive3

Screw ups happen, it's one of the American ways. They too want a resolution and you want to move on. When you told your PO to return the package part of the question may be who is eating the
return expense if you expected expeditated shipment, Air or Water?
Rio Grande Zephyr 5771 from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah "Thru the Rockies"
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Sweden
  • 2,082 posts
Posted by electrolove on Saturday, July 23, 2005 3:57 AM
Yes please, this could be a lot of fun, please vote for the company that you think this is. Maybe we can all learn something good. I vote for...
Rio Grande Zephyr 5771 from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah "Thru the Rockies"
  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: australia
  • 329 posts
Posted by peterjenkinson1956 on Saturday, July 23, 2005 3:52 AM
we should run a comp to see who can guess which shop he delt with..closest member gets a box of track................. only joking.. sorry mate ..i live overseas and have had a couple of minor problems with orders from the u s a .. they have all been delt with satisfactory..when i complained that one of the shops had sent the wrong roadname for a loco they sent me a new one and didnot ask for the other to be returned..i got a surprise when the new one arrived unannounced.... since then i have bought quite a lot from this store and all i can say is be patient.. inform visa if you paid by visa and put the item in dispute ... i would say write to them and say that you didnot collect the item from the post office.. i agree with the other fellas ,,stay calm ..the other person may be a 50 yo lady with no interest in model railways and sent you other track because the track you ordered was not in store...hpe this helps you...peter
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 23, 2005 3:46 AM
Yeah, they're doing the right thing. For THEM. NOt too customer oriented, are they? When you do get your money back, I'd go somewhere else.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 23, 2005 3:39 AM
Screw ups happen, it's one of the American ways. They too want a resolution and you want to move on. When you told your PO to return the package part of the question may be who is eating the
return expense if you expected expeditated shipment, Air or Water?
  • Member since
    February 2005
  • From: Sweden
  • 2,082 posts
Posted by electrolove on Saturday, July 23, 2005 3:35 AM
I have just sent them an email, I will let you know what happens.

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomotive3

If you need it that bad, call them back and tell them you will re-order. This way no more wait.
Ask them, upon receipt to credit back cost & expense.
If they are respected , have a professional/creditable reputation they should be able to
accomodate this request.
Rio Grande Zephyr 5771 from Denver, Colorado to Salt Lake City, Utah "Thru the Rockies"

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!