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Post by richardthomasatal on Oct 27, 2023 9:07:37 GMT -8
It appears the only functional option left on Athearns website to show when things arrive is also now gone. You could go to a shipping schedule link and see what was 2 months out, 6 months, out and a year out. Even though vauge it was the only thing left that we could rely on but now even that is gone. Now when clicking the link it just brings up the most recent items that were announced and available for pre order. Dealers and modelers alike have been in the dark for months. There was also no communication there would even be announcements today. The past few months have been hit and miss on the regular last Friday of the month schedule. Its hard to believe it can go on much longer like this. I'd sure like to see sales stats under previous brand leadership versus now. I bet you it is now a fraction of what it once was. There are many things Horizon doesn't take seriously enough, Athearn is one of them. What a mess!
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Post by ChessieFan1978 on Oct 27, 2023 9:50:43 GMT -8
Their website is an absolute joke. You can't find anything anymore. It's useless.
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Post by gevohogger on Oct 27, 2023 9:54:03 GMT -8
In other news, the sun came up in the east again today.
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Post by Colin 't Hart on Oct 27, 2023 10:06:56 GMT -8
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Oct 27, 2023 10:20:58 GMT -8
Why post something that is as specious as production schedules for stuff made half a world away? THEN we’d have the same old blather from the same congenital malcontents about not meeting their schedule.  |
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Post by richardthomasatal on Oct 27, 2023 10:28:37 GMT -8
Why post something that is as specious as production schedules for stuff made half a world away? THEN we’d have the same old blather from the same congenital malcontents about not meeting their schedule. That's funny, every other manufacturer provides this information and most update them as the date approaches. A few are pretty accurate. So it is posted for planning purposes both for dealers and customers. If it was some sort of novel idea that zero or one company provided, that would be one thing but it has become fairly expected in the model railroad industry and if I go to order almost anything that is not in stock across all products I typically get an estimate of arrival. From things as insignificant as a book, a movie prop replica, a toy, even a car or house all come with ETA dates. |
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Post by gevohogger on Oct 27, 2023 10:35:38 GMT -8
Why post something that is as specious as production schedules for stuff made half a world away? THEN we’d have the same old blather from the same congenital malcontents about not meeting their schedule. ....it has become fairly expected in the model railroad industry ... almost anything that is not in stock across all products I typically get an estimate of arrival. LOL!!! Allow me to introduce you to the Intermountain GP16. |
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Post by richardthomasatal on Oct 27, 2023 12:12:02 GMT -8
....it has become fairly expected in the model railroad industry ... almost anything that is not in stock across all products I typically get an estimate of arrival. LOL!!! Allow me to introduce you to the Intermountain GP16. I get it, but that's not terribly common. Athearn will get away with whatever the majority of modelers allow so the further the general public bends the further Athearn will push. Oh well, I and some find it rather unacceptable. |
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Post by prr 4467 on Oct 27, 2023 14:04:08 GMT -8
I don't care for being left in the dark and neither does my local dealer. However, he clued me into something worthy of note:
MOST importer/manufacturers have reduced the profit margin for the end dealer. They have effectively maintained or even increased their profit margins by screwing the end sellers--the retail and discount dealers.
Excepting some more expensive Genesis models, Horizon/Athearn is one that hasn't really done that to their remaining dealers.
The bottom line is he sells a ton of Athearn ready-to-roll and Roundhouse rolling stock because it is affordable and he makes a greater profit margin on it than most other stuff. Also, the Walthers Trainman and Mainline stuff sells, and he gets a better discount on it, too, than the Walthers Proto line.
I do not know how it is where you live but most of the actual retail model train customers around here are very price sensitive and generally speaking do not buy the high-end stuff that many of us on these forums buy. We've tested it by putting some virtually brand-new and absolutely mint in box Tangent, Intermountain, Scale Trains, Moloco, etc. stuff out for sale at ridiculously low prices, and I can tell you, it does not sell. Not like the cheaper stuff. It's hard to sell the price sensitive shoppers on the extra details. Many will just complain they don't want to pay for details that will just break off anyway.
I've even helped by giving the sales pitch that the better stuff now has much more metal details and even metal stirrup steps on it than the cheap line stuff, but some just don't care.
Also, some of the largest volume internet dealers are still getting a special price below dealer net that others just can't get. So, at Timonium I made a lower offer to a seller for a new hi-end loco, and my offer matched some of the lowest online prices (I didn't tell him that). He was clear that that price I offered was below the price he can buy the loco for. Since it was a beautiful example, I bought it anyway for a slight discount (dealer made $25 on the loco). That was when my dealer buddy clued me in on some of the more mundane pricing issues that he faces.
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Post by bncascadegreen on Oct 27, 2023 23:14:20 GMT -8
Frustration growing….it’s nice to know and make’s budgeting easier. They’re definitely not heading the right direction as far as customer service goes.
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Post by middledivision on Oct 28, 2023 7:34:49 GMT -8
The latest SD80Macs just showed up out of the blue. The last ETA date I saw was Spring 2024. At least Athearn has some parts listed again.
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