Anyone else not enjoying the updated Walthers web site?

[fmilhaupt]

The new Walthers web site is definitely different from what they had before.

I'm not wild about how much less information they put on the screen at once, but I can live with that. I guess that they felt that it makes the site more "mobile-friendly".

The killer for me is performing a search, and having it come back with:

      28 Results, you could research 81 additional result(s) if you were a Yardmaster. Sign up today!

Kinda kills my desire to use the site as a research tool, which greatly reduces the chances I'd be ordering from them once I find the part or item I want. I'm not paying $38 per year to get a full list of what a supplier has available.

Give me full results with no strings attached, or I'll shop elsewhere.

[Christian]

I've seen worse converted to cell phone style. A lot of scrolling now. As for the search, I worked with it for a bit using "grab iron" and was able to drill down to what I expected using the tools to the left of the search page. "Grabiron" did not work so well. My guess at the moment is that those other 200+ results for "grab iron" have to with whether or not they are preinstalled on Walther's passenger cars, by road name. I don't think they are holding back "good" results.

I like the new version of my wish list. A lot more information it seems. Certainly better pictures.

[nw611]

Give us back the old Walthers website!!!!! The new one is a nightmare. Ciao. RG

[riogrande]

Hmm... that seems to be the result when people change their website; they re-arrange everything so we have to re-learn it. In this hobby, it can be more traumatic due to all the old "set in their ways" men who dominate it. I also struggle when companies change their websites and have to admit, I was used to Walthers and often used the advanced search function to check for items. Probably someone in the IT dept. or their website manager decided they had to abandon the old version and if I had to guess, due to the need to keep the site secure.

[Deleted]

The new site is much nicer to look at. But it's lacking a LOT in the search functionality. I'd like a simple way to filter my search results for lighted passenger cars, for example.

[edwardsutorik]

Suddenly I can't get into the Walthers website--as of a day or two ago.

I've tried Safari, Opera, Firefox, and even XP. I've cleared cookies and caches. I'm done spending MY time so that THEY can present things that I might buy. And, for that matter, I don't particularly want to buy ANOTHER computer for that same purpose.

I've called Walthers. They say they have a new site (perhaps it's also "improved"). Or whatever. And they don't seem all that concerned over whether I can come "visit".

Now, if I'm the only one with a problem, they can certainly blow me off and not suffer corporate disaster.



A person could wonder if I am indeed the only one.




Ed

[tdspeedracer]

No problems here.

[nw611]

Walthers has a new website. I got into it earlier this morning (I live in Europe) and I can assure that it's a nightmare. Ciao. RG

[mkulak]

Well Walthers did it again and made another over complicated new website I went to check new arrivals and announcements and could not find them anywhere. I hit the new item bar and got 15,000 items, I did manage to whittle it down to about 5000 but it still was not what I was looking for. Have these guys heard of leave well enough alone I guess I will waste a few hours trying to find all the parts of the sites that have the basic things that I look for. Thanks Walthers!

[edwardsutorik]

When I called Walthers about my problem, I was informed that the driver of the new site was to increase security for buyers. I'm guessing that what they really want is to make their website smart-phone friendly. Apparently at the expense of those who are not using one.

I am mystified that, as far as I can see, no websites actually ASK if you'd like one format or the other. I guess they think it would be such a confusing question that our brains would explode. Or something.

Of course, I am also mystified that so few sites are done in beta, before releasing to the commoners (see Sunday's "Silicon Valley").

Oh, yes. I was also informed that Walthers does actually have an IT person.



Ed

[Chet]

I gave up trying to use their old web site because I ended up looking like a dog chasing its tail. Thanks for the info. Guess I won't waste my time.

[edwardsutorik]

I see there's a guy over on the Kalmbach forum that's having the same trouble as I am.



Ed

[fredo]

I have been trying to track an order for 2 days. Finally after getting somewhere with it up pops "Can not track an item that has been shipped". The old web site was a snap to track your order. This one is a mess.

[fourteen]

OMG!!! it horrible. how do you do a search for a item? looks as if only by brand.

[oldmuley]

I had an entire shopping cart full of parts for an RS3 project I'm working on, and now it's gone. Searching for parts, which was my main use of the site, has now gotten overly complicated. Certainly it looks nice, but time will tell if it is actually an improvement. And as the OP said, what is the deal with signing up for a "yard master" account to get full search results?!

[stevewagner]

I don't like the new Walthers website, either. I check it several times a week looking for new items announcements and arrivals and checking on the status of particular products. I don't use a smart phone; I use my wife's Macintosh at home and an IBM PC clone at work. The new version would take much longer to give me the information I want.

[Amboy Secondary]

My impression, is that the new site is designed to encourage the user to purchase the featured products, rather than searching for the obscure.
Not exactly "User Friendly" either.

[scl1234]

My obscure guess is that they are conducting an experiment on how a poorly executed web site can affect sales.

Maybe they think it makes no difference... SMH

[Genetk44]

I just did a quick test run through the site. Seems pretty simple to search through, not overly complicated.

[grahamline]

Just checked modeltrainstuff.com

Works fine...

[grahamline]

Just got on to the new walthers.com site to order some stuff for the club. In this case I had the stock numbers and found what I wanted quickly. Didn't notice if it showed the amount in stock -- don't think so -- but got the order placed, shipping method nailed down, and paid with the usual credit card. I'm running Win10 and Firefox and had no problems.

[bncascadegreen]

Far from impressed.