Large Scale Central

What the FRACK Has happened to Bachmann Service?!?!?!?!?!?

General Discussion
#1

Welp I guess its happened…Bmann has gotten too big to care about the people who have been loyal customers for over 10 years, and run no other Locomotives…

I recall…that I used to be able to call Irv…Gear Split on a Shay? Cracked motorblock? Ate Up driver centers? Not a problem…What Ya wanna do it yerself? Even better, we’ll get that right out to ya…Even years later…

Flash forward to 2007…

I discover my Connie has a split axle gear, well first time I call, they’re out to lunch…

Over the next THREE HOURS I attempt to call…let the phone ring in excess of THREE MINUTES each time with no one answering…FINALLY! Somone answers…

Welp…they really have no idea what I’m talking about…they put the phone down, and an animated discussion ensues in the backround over what part it is I need (I GUESS I could have found out what the part number was,but in the past They’d ask me whut the heck I needed when I referred to a part number) The person I was talking to didn’t even understand what Large Scale meant.

Finally the figure out the part …and I THINK they know what it is that I want. “Ok, that’ll be a $20 service fee…”

A WHAT??? Twenty bucks to mail me something I’m gonna put in myself? I spent $400 on a locomotive, and a critical part BREAKS…I’m offering to do the labor myself??? What happened to the days when they took car of their customers? I’ve got Three Shays, several Big Haulers, I’ve bought all sorts of spare parts, even whole Shay Trucks piece by Piece…I use exclusively Bachmann metal wheels…Its not like I just want a set of drivers to build my own locomotive on. I want to make the locomotive that I bought work like it should Lifetime LIMITED warantee I’m quoted…Emphasis on the limited…

#2

Obviously you were talking to the FNG. I’ll bet this is taken care of by the end of today, or at the latest, by Monday.

Still, it is irritating.

#3

Steve-

The FNG=? Not sure on this one.

My concern, and likely yours, per Bart’s report, he does not get the service then there is a problem here.
Hopefully, your estimation of remedy happening the next day WILL happen.

My concern is a big one. Bart is speaking from the experience of good service – better yet, personal service – and my guess is he DID ask for the parts department or the service dept., or?

Who else has had this problem calling Bachman and speaking to those who are unable to help?

No matter, what happened to his phone call is those who knew the least took it and apparently did not, or chose not to, transfer it.

My hopes are that our Dr. TOC of trains, Dave Goodson, will get a K-27 in time to offer his diagnosis and any needed remedy – ones we can perform ourselves is the preference – before they are on the retail shelves.

Wendell

#4

A couple of us are working n this problem.
I have one more yarded into the issue, too.
TOC

#5

Recently was the FIRST time that I had ever called them , to ask to purchase some replacement wheels for my streetcars , I had purchased 4 of their streetcars , all wobbling wonders , well I will not be bothering them again , thanks a lot for nothing .

Of course other mfrs that I have done business with were a hell of a lot better at after sales support , even the ones in the UK .

#6

Wendell,

Sorry, I thought FNG was almost a universal acronym, my bad.

FNG = F’n New Guy. The one you never want to get to know because he won’t last that long.

#7

Lot of FNGs around these days, in all sorts of places. Being Australian, we save a letter and call 'em CBs, where C = Clueless.

#8

Bachmann spares?

What are they?

Never heard of 'em…

tac

#9

Many moons ago I bought a Climax from a dealer, and when it arrived, it looked like it had been dropped on one end. The boiler weight had pushed out the backhead, and all the piping was in disarray. I tested the Climax, and it ran great, so I called Bachmann to see if I could get some replacement parts. I was sent, no charge (not even shipping) a backhead and a couple sets of piping. I was amazed!

#10

I guess its all in how you hold your jaw when you make the phone call.

#11
Steve Featherkile said:
I guess its all in how you hold your jaw when you make the phone call.
Or which direction the wind was blowing when they answered the tin can on a string.
#12

My son acquired several Bachmann N scale engines recently and found a couple of them to be in need of service. We called, worked out the repair details, got the address, packaged the engines up and sent them away with a check… What he got back was one new engine like the first one he sent in and a second new engine like the first one. The second engine he sent in was no longer made so they gave him a lesser valued engine under the lifetime warranty. I was so mad after that I told him he was done buying Bachmann products. He is now only allowed to buy Kato products or on occasion a few other higher quality items from other manufacturers.

I did consider calling them back to complain but the lady I talked to originally pretty much burned me out on calling them with her bad attitude.

Jon.