Dear Bachmann,
This time really hope someone from Bachmann will say something on their behalf. It's not looking good or should I say maybe I'm just being so unlucky twice in 2 weeks with 2 new locomotives?
First it was the new 4-8-4 that came in "special conditions" box.
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c154/judge-the/IMG_1705.jpg)
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c154/judge-the/IMG_1704.jpg)
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c154/judge-the/IMG_1707.jpg)
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c154/judge-the/IMG_1706.jpg)
By default it should be on address number 3 but it wasn't. Fixed it by reprogrammed it from an unknown address to a new address. Not only that we found something very disturbing on the wheels upon further observation.
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c154/judge-the/IMG_1709.jpg)
I only have my old Iphone so I can't zoom into the wheels.
Anyway it's working and running well on my layout at the moment so okay I can live with it.
Then, this morning received 2 new Bachmann Spectrum MOW train ballast vehicles. This time I did checked the box inches by inches and happy both boxes in pristine condition with factory sealed tapes. Took out the first MOW vehicle and all good test run and works well.
Unfortunately when I removed the second MOV vehicle from the box, 1 wheel cover immediately fell off!
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c154/judge-the/IMG_1725.jpg)
Gosh! Spectrum product with a broken wheel cover? Am I been cursed? Fine, told myself probably the box took some impact during shipping and it broke the cover. Test run it on my track, it doesn't really go. Power doesn't went smoothly into the MOV vehicle and I need to push it slightly on many occasions before it started to work. Whenever the power is turned on and it doesn't go, I need to push it gently before it works again... yeah something that I don't expect from Bachmann Spectrum! *** Little update here, it only don't go at 1 same spot so it means that spot need some cleaning ***
Re-looked at the broken wheel cover again, thought probably some super glue will fix it. If I contact the seller again, I pretty sure I'll get a similar response, send it back for refund or get in touch with Bachmann for warranty purposes. I don't mind fixing it by myself using super glue BUT the problem is 1 of the broken hinge doesn't match with the wheels frame! 1 hinge went in nicely and the other hinge doesn't so could it be broken during shipping? I'm absolutely sure this time both boxes doesn't have any "special conditions" and pretty absolutely sure they came in factory sealed conditions too. Well, I'll let you to decide as I'm just too annoyed and frustrated!
Interesting huh? Seriously Bachmann please someone... please say something!
*** i wouldn't pursue any further as i felt it's totally useless due to my location and our small number of customers over here that buying bachmann products online. so life goes on ***
judge-
Your diagnosis of dirty track is almost certainly correct. I was already thinking of that before you mentioned it.
The other deal with the defective truck is verry hard to figure. I don't have one of those items so I can't help much with that. I do hope that Bachmann gives you some help.
-- D
So your new 4-8-4 wasn't "new"
Quote from: Doneldon on May 25, 2011, 09:41:31 PM
judge-
Your diagnosis of dirty track is almost certainly correct. I was already thinking of that before you mentioned it.
The other deal with the defective truck is verry hard to figure. I don't have one of those items so I can't help much with that. I do hope that Bachmann gives you some help.
-- D
no worries at all, i'm just way too frustrated this morning. perhaps this weekend i should grab a lotto powerball ticket who knows i might have better luck with powerball :)
will try contact bachmann but i doubt they will be helpful enough as i too far away across the globe!
Quote from: ChrisS on May 25, 2011, 09:54:45 PM
So your new 4-8-4 wasn't "new"
i told that to seller previously about the box and tapes but they replied and assured me their locos all are new from bachmann factory. as for the wheels they didn't get back to me at all. same goes with bachmann customer service no reply from them too about the wheels conditions. sent them all the pics and need them to verify but no response.
i'm not in the position to say it wasn't new but i am still hoping bachmann personnel could provide some explanation in this topic. i only can provide pics and if none of them willing to response there's nothing much i can do.
You will have much better luck calling Bachmann, they always answer the phone or return your call. Call during regular business hours (Eastern Standard time) Monday through Friday.
^^ really? I called 4 times in February and left 3 messages with that nice lady in customer service about my cracked Shay gears. Never a return call.
Well except for early December through mid February, when you can't contact them online or on phone because everyone is trying to contact them, but any other time it is really easy to call them as long as it is during the appropriate hours and not during lunch time.
Dear Judge,
It looks as though they were damaged in transit, which is beyond our control.
As to whether they're new or not, you'll have to work that out with your dealer.
Thanks,
the Bach-man
Quote from: the Bach-man on May 26, 2011, 12:17:29 AM
Dear Judge,
It looks as though they were damaged in transit, which is beyond our control.
As to whether they're new or not, you'll have to work that out with your dealer.
Thanks,
the Bach-man
fine fair enough.
but at least do clarify the tapes inside the clear case, is that normal for a steam locomotive to have tapes around the case? all my new bachmann dcc locomotives doesn't have any tapes in it.
like i said seller/dealer assured me all their locomotives are new from bachmann factory. so it's not too much to ask for clarification from bachmann on the tapes then.
Can't really see what you mean about the wheels on your 4-8-4. A tip when taking photos. If you take them from a little further away and then use the photo program on your PC to zoom in and then crop the photo you should get better results.
Quote from: poliss on May 26, 2011, 01:42:56 PM
Can't really see what you mean about the wheels on your 4-8-4. A tip when taking photos. If you take them from a little further away and then use the photo program on your PC to zoom in and then crop the photo you should get better results.
i wouldn't go into the wheels anymore and i did moved on with the 4-8-4. it's running perfectly on my layout at the moment. it doesn't change a thing by now but i would hope bachmann could clarify the tapes usage inside the clear case. well that's the risk if you are located so far away and no official bachmann distributor available on this side of the world. when things like this happened seller will denied any wrongdoings and same goes with manufacturer so that was why i kept saying nothing much i can do. life goes on.
fixed the broken wheels cover last night using plastic cement with some adjustment on the plastic hinge. as i said earlier 1 of the hinge doesn't fit into the frame so it was impossible and got broken during transit. i wouldn't pursue any further as i felt it's totally useless due to my location and our small number of customers that buying bachmann products. lastly, one more time life goes on.
QuoteThis time really hope someone from Bachmann will say something on their behalf.
It really appears that your the victim of a less then perfect seller, to exspect Bachmann to have control over this their items after they are in the hands of others is like calling Dryers icecream to complain 7-11 sold you melted icecream.
Just my two cents
NM
It doesn't appear that way to me. It appears that he is a victim of terrible luck. Bachmann's packaging isn't as good as it used to be. This seller actually packs things very well in my experience, and a lot better than most sellers who just whatever is cheapest. I have reviewed there feedback on a few occasions and have bought a lot of things from them and have never seen a legitimate case of some receiving a non-new item. The seller can only package the item well and beyond that they cannot control if it gets damaged or is defective. If you lived in the U.S. for about $6-8 you could send your loco to Bachmann and get a replacement and everything would then be fine. The seller cannot control postal costs or where you live or the manufacturer's warranty and policies. If I lived somewhere where postage to/from the U.S. was high I would probably avoid buying things from there because of the risk if something goes wrong. I would pursue local options which has less risk involved. For example say you buy a loco from the U.S. for $100 including shipping, if something goes wrong it may cost you $30-$40 to send it back, whereas you can buy one locally for maybe $120, and can possibly even test it to ensure it works.
Quote from: NarrowMinded on May 27, 2011, 12:22:48 AM
QuoteThis time really hope someone from Bachmann will say something on their behalf.
It really appears that your the victim of a less then perfect seller, to exspect Bachmann to have control over this their items after they are in the hands of others is like calling Dryers icecream to complain 7-11 sold you melted icecream.
Just my two cents
NM
the only thing that i expect from bachmann at this moment is their verification on the tapes usage inside the clear case. is that common in their new release to have tapes? none of my previous bachmann locos have any tapes.
if the icecream does look something was wrong after i bought it from 7-11, don't you think the manufacturer should verify it?
Quote from: ACY on May 27, 2011, 12:38:47 AM
It doesn't appear that way to me. It appears that he is a victim of terrible luck. Bachmann's packaging isn't as good as it used to be. This seller actually packs things very well in my experience, and a lot better than most sellers who just whatever is cheapest. I have reviewed there feedback on a few occasions and have bought a lot of things from them and have never seen a legitimate case of some receiving a non-new item. The seller can only package the item well and beyond that they cannot control if it gets damaged or is defective. If you lived in the U.S. for about $6-8 you could send your loco to Bachmann and get a replacement and everything would then be fine. The seller cannot control postal costs or where you live or the manufacturer's warranty and policies. If I lived somewhere where postage to/from the U.S. was high I would probably avoid buying things from there because of the risk if something goes wrong. I would pursue local options which has less risk involved. For example say you buy a loco from the U.S. for $100 including shipping, if something goes wrong it may cost you $30-$40 to send it back, whereas you can buy one locally for maybe $120, and can possibly even test it to ensure it works.
so far i bought 5 new bachmann locomotives from the same seller and i would say only 4-8-4 have problem which seller should have done more after i complained to them. our observation on the wheels doesn't receive any reply at all from seller. it's not that i'm asking for compensation from them and as i said as long as it works i can live with that. but ignoring your customer complaint isn't a good sign.
meanwhile the new MOW ballast vehicle doesn't have anything to do with seller at all. fine, someone from bachmann looked at the pic and acknowledged it was broken during transit. i totally disagree because 1 of the peg/hinge doesn't fit with the other one, don't you think that's more like a defective item? if it was really broken during transit, i will just need to apply some superglue and both ends will stick nicely together but that wasn't the case.
still bachmann refused to verify the tapes in my pics above!
totally agree with you. in the end of the day it's still a risk and i'm no longer interested taking those risk.
It is all very well for people to say that you should not order from overseas but it can be very hard to find particular items in countries like New Zealand and Australia (where I live). Some Bachmann items, readily available from overseas sellers, do not seem to be available from any Australian retailer. I have had retailers order items for me, only to have the distributor tell the shop that they have none and aren't getting any more. In circumstances like that you have no choice.
Hamish
Quote from: judgethe on May 27, 2011, 12:58:42 AM
Quote from: ACY on May 27, 2011, 12:38:47 AM
It doesn't appear that way to me. It appears that he is a victim of terrible luck. Bachmann's packaging isn't as good as it used to be. This seller actually packs things very well in my experience, and a lot better than most sellers who just whatever is cheapest. I have reviewed there feedback on a few occasions and have bought a lot of things from them and have never seen a legitimate case of some receiving a non-new item. The seller can only package the item well and beyond that they cannot control if it gets damaged or is defective. If you lived in the U.S. for about $6-8 you could send your loco to Bachmann and get a replacement and everything would then be fine. The seller cannot control postal costs or where you live or the manufacturer's warranty and policies. If I lived somewhere where postage to/from the U.S. was high I would probably avoid buying things from there because of the risk if something goes wrong. I would pursue local options which has less risk involved. For example say you buy a loco from the U.S. for $100 including shipping, if something goes wrong it may cost you $30-$40 to send it back, whereas you can buy one locally for maybe $120, and can possibly even test it to ensure it works.
so far i bought 5 new bachmann locomotives from the same seller and i would say only 4-8-4 have problem which seller should have done more after i complained to them. our observation on the wheels doesn't receive any reply at all from seller. it's not that i'm asking for compensation from them and as i said as long as it works i can live with that. but ignoring your customer complaint isn't a good sign.
meanwhile the new MOW ballast vehicle doesn't have anything to do with seller at all. fine, someone from bachmann looked at the pic and acknowledged it was broken during transit. i totally disagree because 1 of the peg/hinge doesn't fit with the other one, don't you think that's more like a defective item? if it was really broken during transit, i will just need to apply some superglue and both ends will stick nicely together but that wasn't the case.
still bachmann refused to verify the tapes in my pics above!
totally agree with you. in the end of the day it's still a risk and i'm no longer interested taking those risk.
IF i remember correctly when i got my AFT GS4 it had tape on the ends. But its been so long since I bought it I can't be 100% sure. I also think my 2 C&O Kanawaha's had tape on them too.
Quote from: BaltoOhioRRfan on May 28, 2011, 01:31:48 PM
Quote from: judgethe on May 27, 2011, 12:58:42 AM
Quote from: ACY on May 27, 2011, 12:38:47 AM
It doesn't appear that way to me. It appears that he is a victim of terrible luck. Bachmann's packaging isn't as good as it used to be. This seller actually packs things very well in my experience, and a lot better than most sellers who just whatever is cheapest. I have reviewed there feedback on a few occasions and have bought a lot of things from them and have never seen a legitimate case of some receiving a non-new item. The seller can only package the item well and beyond that they cannot control if it gets damaged or is defective. If you lived in the U.S. for about $6-8 you could send your loco to Bachmann and get a replacement and everything would then be fine. The seller cannot control postal costs or where you live or the manufacturer's warranty and policies. If I lived somewhere where postage to/from the U.S. was high I would probably avoid buying things from there because of the risk if something goes wrong. I would pursue local options which has less risk involved. For example say you buy a loco from the U.S. for $100 including shipping, if something goes wrong it may cost you $30-$40 to send it back, whereas you can buy one locally for maybe $120, and can possibly even test it to ensure it works.
so far i bought 5 new bachmann locomotives from the same seller and i would say only 4-8-4 have problem which seller should have done more after i complained to them. our observation on the wheels doesn't receive any reply at all from seller. it's not that i'm asking for compensation from them and as i said as long as it works i can live with that. but ignoring your customer complaint isn't a good sign.
meanwhile the new MOW ballast vehicle doesn't have anything to do with seller at all. fine, someone from bachmann looked at the pic and acknowledged it was broken during transit. i totally disagree because 1 of the peg/hinge doesn't fit with the other one, don't you think that's more like a defective item? if it was really broken during transit, i will just need to apply some superglue and both ends will stick nicely together but that wasn't the case.
still bachmann refused to verify the tapes in my pics above!
totally agree with you. in the end of the day it's still a risk and i'm no longer interested taking those risk.
IF i remember correctly when i got my AFT GS4 it had tape on the ends. But its been so long since I bought it I can't be 100% sure. I also think my 2 C&O Kanawaha's had tape on them too.
thank you for the verification
I don't recall any tape on the inside packaging and I don't see any signs of adhesives left behind as often happens. With reguards to the photo of the well worn box and the condition of the wheels plus the address issue...new? I'd think not That kind of evidence would lead to a conviction in court!
NM
Quote from: NarrowMinded on May 28, 2011, 06:54:34 PM
I don't recall any tape on the inside packaging and I don't see any signs of adhesives left behind as often happens. With reguards to the photo of the well worn box and the condition of the wheels plus the address issue...new? I'd think not That kind of evidence would lead to a conviction in court!
Actually I got an opportunity to check some of my non spectrum steam locos, some of them had tape, some did not, all of them were originally new. The box appears like some boxes that I have seen that were damaged in shipping. I can't really see the wheels too well in the photo though, without a better picture I can't comment on them. The address issue might have somehow been caused by rough handling in transit, but it also might mean it was returned by the original buyer.
My guess would be that the dealer put the tape in the box.
no worries at all... i've move on. yes it was so frustrated but nothing much i can do and i would rather concentrate on my layout now. most importantly both locomotives are running well. just sharing my unlucky experiences and who knows they might be useful to someone one day.
You should name the seller and let the individual decide whether or not they would buy from that seller.In my rather short term of buying on ebay I have found 3 excellent sellers of Bachmann product.I have also discovered some very deceitful individuals.Buy from an authorized Bachmann dealer.Some resellers buy from reputable Bachmann dealers and then sell at a higher price to the unsuspecting buyer.Ebay has lots of sellers who fail to list faults with product as required.I am from Australia and sending the product back is not an option because of the high freight costs. I would gladly sell the Chinese firecrackers to some US and Australian individuals but in the instructions I would not tell them to 'retire' after lighting the fuse.Unfortunately ebay does nothing about correct listing of model railroad products.Each should have a proforma document to be completed in full before the listing can proceed.Some listings are pathetic and photographs are usually designed to hide the imperfections they are meant to list.My dealings with most used sellers have led me to buy only new.Even so called modellers have sold me their rubbish and a new BLI with Paragon II sound came in a pathetically damaged box.The photo only showed the good parts.I haven't used it yet but I am expecting problems as the seller could not even get the box right.Just a deceitful, conniving, untrustworthy individual who should be eliminated from the hobby.He has quite a lot of companions who have nothing of which to be proud.Hopefully some 'Newbies' read this and stick with reputable dealers only.Buying used has probably cost me $1000 worth to throw in the bin and a mistrust of many fellow human beings.Apologies for the rant.Bachmann responded to my email and replaced an item for me at no cost whatsoever.They accepted my word for the failed power supply and I had a replacement in Sydney in ten days.Looks like you have been deceived and sold used product for new.Send me a private message.
Keep on smiling!The vast majority of people are fantastic.
BURTO
Burto the seller he purchased from was the Favorite Spot who is an authorized Bachmann dealer. I have never had any issues with them and they are probably one of the "3 excellent sellers of Bachmann product" you mention. I am 99.9% certain that what he received was new product, and that he was just had terrible luck. Burto, is the Favorite Spot a dealer you have dealt with and what were your experiences?
Quote from: Burto on June 06, 2011, 12:57:58 AM
You should name the seller and let the individual decide whether or not they would buy from that seller.In my rather short term of buying on ebay I have found 3 excellent sellers of Bachmann product.I have also discovered some very deceitful individuals.Buy from an authorized Bachmann dealer.Some resellers buy from reputable Bachmann dealers and then sell at a higher price to the unsuspecting buyer.Ebay has lots of sellers who fail to list faults with product as required.I am from Australia and sending the product back is not an option because of the high freight costs. I would gladly sell the Chinese firecrackers to some US and Australian individuals but in the instructions I would not tell them to 'retire' after lighting the fuse.Unfortunately ebay does nothing about correct listing of model railroad products.Each should have a proforma document to be completed in full before the listing can proceed.Some listings are pathetic and photographs are usually designed to hide the imperfections they are meant to list.My dealings with most used sellers have led me to buy only new.Even so called modellers have sold me their rubbish and a new BLI with Paragon II sound came in a pathetically damaged box.The photo only showed the good parts.I haven't used it yet but I am expecting problems as the seller could not even get the box right.Just a deceitful, conniving, untrustworthy individual who should be eliminated from the hobby.He has quite a lot of companions who have nothing of which to be proud.Hopefully some 'Newbies' read this and stick with reputable dealers only.Buying used has probably cost me $1000 worth to throw in the bin and a mistrust of many fellow human beings.Apologies for the rant.Bachmann responded to my email and replaced an item for me at no cost whatsoever.They accepted my word for the failed power supply and I had a replacement in Sydney in ten days.Looks like you have been deceived and sold used product for new.Send me a private message.
Keep on smiling!The vast majority of people are fantastic.
BURTO
i bought new locomotives from the same seller previously and none have any problems. but not sure why my current 2 purchases have problems. anyway, not going further on it anymore. as for me, if the seller and bachmann doesn't appreciate a small tiny customer like me then so be it. the entire thing changed my perception completely, i shifted from hornby to bachmann and i was having high hope but sorry to say that not now, not anymore.
Quote from: ACY on June 06, 2011, 01:42:48 AM
Burto the seller he purchased from was the Favorite Spot who is an authorized Bachmann dealer. I have never had any issues with them and they are probably one of the "3 excellent sellers of Bachmann product" you mention. I am 99.9% certain that what he received was new product, and that he was just had terrible luck. Burto, is the Favorite Spot a dealer you have dealt with and what were your experiences?
yes i'm aware that favoritespot have good track records but like i said my previous purchases from them got no problems. but when things like these happened twice recently and both, the seller and bachmann customer service just treated me like an idiot. i learned important lesson from these 2 incidents so for me, i just look elsewhere after this.
just look at how bachmann refused to acknowledge the tapes issue... i've been asking that same question again and again in my post but still none of the officials say anything.
this thread/topic is no longer needed. if the manufacturer don't appreciate a small tiny customer from this part of the world so be it. i'll just move on.