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Post by ambluco on Oct 30, 2024 9:18:03 GMT -8
My last Lombard order took almost a week before I heard anything.
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Post by lvrr325 on Oct 30, 2024 12:04:23 GMT -8
I got order complete emails on 10/21; by coincidence I am close enough to them that UPS or FedEx would be next day and postal second or third day.
Mailman and UPS guy have been by today already (happened to be outside when UPS was in the neighborhood). So I don't know. I wouldn't have thought they'd be ordering in things to dump for below cost.
We have observed in the past sometimes Walthers has the same items on sale on their website.
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Post by ambluco on Oct 30, 2024 12:28:11 GMT -8
TTH sends a shipping email from another address, I think, it will say something like "Train Department" is the shipper. Typically UPS.
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Post by bmoore765 on Oct 30, 2024 12:29:53 GMT -8
Glad other's are having the same issue. Ordered 10/23 and was a little concerned by the "Order Complete" e-mail, but no subsequent shipping notification. I'll give it a few more days before contacting them. Their website is really doing them a disservice. Had it not been for the recommendations on this post, there is no way I would have ordered from them.
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Post by lvrr325 on Oct 30, 2024 12:50:18 GMT -8
Well, I got an email while I was sitting here with a refund for an amount I couldn't make the math work on to figure out what, so I called just now.
First thing was they sent it in one box, so I got a refund on the shipping on the second order, which I really appreciate. Then they were unable to get two of the 10 pieces on the second order. He was able to tell me which ones. I still think I get an extra 50 cents or so in my pocket. So no big deal. He says it should have gone out today, too.
He said they got swamped on this one because of all those bargain items - and they came in from someone else (Walthers?) and had to be shipped back out, so I wonder where they got it from - they had to get it still cheaper than this.
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Post by redfish on Oct 30, 2024 12:51:50 GMT -8
I placed an order on 10/18 for 3 items. Email received on 10/21 saying my order is complete. Received an email 10 minutes ago for a transaction refund for 2 of the 3 items. Doesn't specify which 2 items they refunded, but doing thee math I'm getting a $17 hopper plus sales tax and $12.95 shipping.
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Post by wmcbride on Oct 30, 2024 16:37:37 GMT -8
I just received 3 refund emails for close to $400. Trying to sort it out but I guess I will just wait to see what appears. I think it was most of the Rapido items that just were no longer available.
Bill McBride
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Post by cpr4200 on Oct 30, 2024 16:58:35 GMT -8
TTH's website doesn't seem to reflect what's actually in stock. (No surprise, given how mediocre the site is in general.) Back when the Rapido 44 tonners came out, the site indicated that they had DCC Phase IV undecs in stock. Ordered it and got a refund, out of stock, even though the site still showed that they had them. (TTH was my last resort on that since their price was higher than anyone else.)
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Post by lvrr325 on Oct 30, 2024 17:07:28 GMT -8
He literally admitted on the phone they didn't have it in stock, they got it through someone else.
I don't think I could have gotten an undec 44 tonner without a pre-order. My place got them but if there were any extra they went poof almost immediately. The only advantage I have is I can order it in their computer and lock it down if it shows any in stock.
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Post by drolsen on Oct 30, 2024 17:45:53 GMT -8
TTH's website doesn't seem to reflect what's actually in stock. He literally admitted on the phone they didn't have it in stock, they got it through someone else. That’s nothing new, I figured that out 15 or years ago when I first started ordering from TTH. Their prices in many cases reflected 20% off list price for items that they ordered from Walthers and other distributors after you placed your order on their website. You could practically see it in the turnaround time for your order to ship. You would place your order, and it would take about a week for them to ship it to you, reflecting the time it took for them to turn around and order your items from Walthers, receive the items, and pack and ship them off to you. That obviously creates some risk in the lag time from their inventory, to your order being placed with the distributor, and them receiving it. I think they do stock some things themselves, or had ready access to certain items (like Bowser), but many of their products were coming from distributors once you placed your order. With the way things sell out now, that can be risky. Dave |
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Post by lvrr325 on Oct 30, 2024 18:43:01 GMT -8
I had not ordered from them in some time but in the distant past there were things I ordered that shipped quick enough it must have been on hand there. Seems like some had TTH price tags too.
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Post by wmcbride on Oct 30, 2024 19:33:59 GMT -8
I had not ordered from them in some time but in the distant past there were things I ordered that shipped quick enough it must have been on hand there. Seems like some had TTH price tags too. Yup. I used to get things shipped next day. Bill McBride |
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Post by DaYooper on Oct 31, 2024 20:20:14 GMT -8
I too just received a refund for a majority of my order which I placed soon after the sale went live. I'm calling BS on this because almost everything I ordered is still listed as in stock on their website. Same thing happened last January. How can it be in stock and out of stock at the same time?
Ryan
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Post by cpr4200 on Oct 31, 2024 22:01:30 GMT -8
Checked my TTH "order complete" emails and it looks like everything I ordered was in stock. Still haven't heard anything more. It's been 10 days.
On the subject of slow deliveries, I ordered a few kits and parts from 3DC a month ago and have heard nothing. Emailed them today and Matt said they've been having trouble getting one of the cars (BAR Plate C PS-1) to print correctly.
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Post by wmcbride on Nov 1, 2024 3:57:07 GMT -8
I too just received a refund for a majority of my order which I placed soon after the sale went live. I'm calling BS on this because almost everything I ordered is still listed as in stock on their website. Same thing happened last January. How can it be in stock and out of stock at the same time? Ryan I think they are pretty understaffed based on a phone call to them a few months ago. Shipping can take a bit so I would imagine updating the web site is lower on the priority list. Plus that website "upgrade" was pretty much a step backwards so I wonder what the link is to "real-time" inventory. Bill McBride |
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Post by hudsonyard on Nov 1, 2024 9:55:17 GMT -8
I attempted to buy some atlas cars, all were sold out, got my money back then went and found the boxcars I wanted locally for maybe 4 or 5 dollars more than they listed them at which would have been the cost of shipping, i guess i came out even?
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Post by grabirons on Nov 1, 2024 12:53:10 GMT -8
Make sure to check out the "fire sale" section too, some nice stuff hidden in there.
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Post by cpr4200 on Nov 1, 2024 14:45:23 GMT -8
This week's Cloud 9 sale only has 52 items listed. Guess they're still recovering from the last two weeks.
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Post by wmcbride on Nov 2, 2024 11:06:38 GMT -8
Well, I received my box from TTH today. I had guessed wrong (based on the credits they had issued) as to what I might be receiving.
I did better on my $109 Rapido diesels but missed out on my Rapido D10 which was an impulse, good-deal purchase. I did get an Athearn SW1500 so I guessed correctly there.
I wonder if we will ever see the likes of these last two TTH sales again. As noted above, this week's is pretty sparse in its offerings.
Bill McBride
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Post by lvrr325 on Nov 2, 2024 20:55:18 GMT -8
My D10 came today. I probably should have splurged for a sound one rather than put a decoder in this one. Oh well. Naturally the items came a day into the show I'd hoped to flip a few pieces at.
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Post by tony on Nov 4, 2024 9:58:52 GMT -8
IIRC, the new TTH site is using the woo-commerce wordpress software. If you saw SERVER 500 error messages I believe this was/is because of limited compute size. Perhaps they selected the small compute option and with a few dozen connected sessions, crashes because of resources - memory, swap, etc. Also, performance is slow as well.
Others are using this same platform. The strong feature of this platform appears to be the ability of product filters, however, the TTH went down the path to make it like the old site. Bad idea. They could create links to pre-make filters (i.e. Cloud 9 Sale) and then use filters for HO, N, O, etc... The site that is a good example of filter application is Factory Direct Hobbies. Maybe a spark of imagination and rethinking the design will happen in 2025.
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mdq
Full Member
Posts: 131
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Post by mdq on Nov 4, 2024 10:16:57 GMT -8
I placed an order on 10/18 for 3 items. Email received on 10/21 saying my order is complete. Received an email 10 minutes ago for a transaction refund for 2 of the 3 items. Doesn't specify which 2 items they refunded, but doing thee math I'm getting a $17 hopper plus sales tax and $12.95 shipping. Same here. "disappointed" would be an understatement. But it has been 10 days and no shipment noticed on whatever remains of my order. |
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Post by bmoore765 on Nov 5, 2024 5:46:03 GMT -8
Received my package from "Bowser Manufacturing" on Friday which would have been 9 days after receiving the "order complete" e-mail. Never received a shipping notification. Not bad and I'd order from them again now that I understand their antiquated website and shipping practices.
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Post by cpr4200 on Nov 5, 2024 9:12:30 GMT -8
Emailed TTH about my phantom order last Friday. Yesterday morning they replied that they were waiting for two items to come in. Later in the day I got the dreaded refund notice. Can't really figure out what's *not* there. Wish they'd TELL you what's not coming. Today I got the shipping notice.
IIRC, I jumped on this sale as soon as I got the email, so it's hard to understand how anything could have been sold out at that point in time. You'd think they'd fulfill orders chronologically. Maybe not?
~ Walt
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Post by cera2254 on Nov 5, 2024 9:19:30 GMT -8
I tried to participate in one of their sales a few years ago, and after the order was placed they sent me refund notice, so I haven’t participated again. It’s puzzling to me how their doesn’t appear to be any sort of electronic inventory tracking. I also am surprised that the shipping is such a mystery, I occasionally sell things and use the PayPal shipping service which saves me a little money and also sends an automatic email to the buyer with their tracking info.
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Post by cpr4200 on Nov 5, 2024 9:54:24 GMT -8
IIRC, the new TTH site is using the woo-commerce wordpress software. If you saw SERVER 500 error messages I believe this was/is because of limited compute size. Perhaps they selected the small compute option and with a few dozen connected sessions, crashes because of resources - memory, swap, etc. Also, performance is slow as well. Others are using this same platform. The strong feature of this platform appears to be the ability of product filters, however, the TTH went down the path to make it like the old site. Bad idea. They could create links to pre-make filters (i.e. Cloud 9 Sale) and then use filters for HO, N, O, etc... The site that is a good example of filter application is Factory Direct Hobbies. Maybe a spark of imagination and rethinking the design will happen in 2025. Yes, 500 error messages are very common. Usually clears up by hitting "reload". Yet, sometimes the site works OK. I've suspected it's some sort of computer capacity issue. Wish they'd clear it up. It's costing them lost sales and pissing ppl off who are led to believe that what's on the site is actually available.
IIRC, Lombard's site keeps track of how many units of each item is available and is pretty reliable.
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Post by prr 4467 on Nov 6, 2024 12:44:31 GMT -8
Going back many years ago, they (TTH/English's/Bowser) did have more or less automatic inventory updates in real time. That was something they tried to take care of back in the 1980's. Anything sold from the warehouse out in the retail store had to be physically written out of warehouse inventory and then they'd update the computer inventory daily or multiple times per day...plus they did a yearly reconciliation of the entire inventory. That meant their in-stock quantities were usually pretty good, even back then 35 years ago.
In the retail store, in recent years up to the end, as soon as they scanned an item at the register it was automatically updated in their computer inventory.
Scratching my head and have no idea what on earth happened since or how the links might have been broken.
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Post by tony on Nov 6, 2024 20:10:31 GMT -8
I always thought that TTH products for sale were in-stock products. However, I found that products which are announcements for sale from vendors might not be in stock. So what you select and add into a cart might not actually be in stock.
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Post by sauconyard on Nov 7, 2024 5:30:08 GMT -8
I learned the hard way from them a few years ago. Its unfortunate that it's still happening. As a previous poster mentioned, getting one item and paying to ship that single item is painful. It's also a way to lose a customer for a very long time, if not forever.
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Post by typhoon on Nov 7, 2024 6:51:13 GMT -8
I received my order yesterday. Of the 10 things I ordered, only 3 were shipped. While I did get a refund for the items, once I factored shipping in on the three, the deal was not so great. I doubt I will be doing much business with them in the future.
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