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Be very careful what you order! They charge a 15% restocking fee AND you pay return postage on all orders, opened or not! Just happened to me. I ordered something by mistake and returned it and they charged me. Never again!
Hi Don, I ordered something from them that was damaged, they paid the shipping to return it and send me a perfect replacement.
Good on you Not my experience. Two coal cars, ordered wrong scale, un opened, etc. still charged me re-stocking fee. I can go to my LTS, Walmart, Costco, etc. and return ANY item unused and not get charged a fee. Ridiculous. Not a happy customer!
I have always had good experiences with Charles Ro supply co. Top notch dealer. Good honest people.
@Don Beck posted:Be very careful what you order! They charge a 15% restocking fee AND you pay return postage on all orders, opened or not! Just happened to me. I ordered something by mistake and returned it and they charged me. Never again!
Why should Ro pickup your return shipping when you ordered by mistake?
The 15% restocking charge is stated clearly on their website.
A restocking fee is not uncommon among vendors in this hobby.
Comparing policies of a large nationwide retailer to a small family owned hobbyshop is ludicrous.
I have read and understood Ro's return policy before ordering. I've had nothing but good experiences and they take preorders with no money down.
RIGHT. the return shipping I get Fine. A re stocking fee? Why? As stated I can return anything to any retailer local and not get charged a re stock fee. Period.
From Charles Ro Policies:
"All returns are subject to a 15% restocking charge and applicable freight charges if not exchanged for merchandise of equal value. No returns of books or video tapes. All warranty returns must be prepaid by the customer."
Again, a small family owned hobby shop is not comparable to a big box retailer.
Heres Trainworlds policy:
"Returned items must be in new and resalable condition with all original boxes and packing. Returned items may incur a restocking fee up to 15%. Shipping, handling, and insurance charges are non-refundable."
Grzyboski:
"Returned items must be in new and resalable condition with all original boxes and packing. Returned items may incur a restocking fee up to 15%. Shipping, handling, and insurance charges are non-refundable."
Nicholas Smith:
"All unopened & unused items can be returned within 30 day of purchase for a refund. A valid receipt must accompany ALL returns. Shipping both ways IS NOT refundable. ALL returns are subject to a 15% restocking fee, this fee will be waved if the item is exchanged."
Eastside Trains: ( even higher)
"No Returns after 30 days All sales are final without receipt All returns must be new in the box and unused All returns must be approved by the owner or manager 20% restocking fee on returns Shipping is non-refundable"
I can find more, but I think you get the picture.
I’m well aware of these policies Thanks for making my point. The “Largest Lionel Store in the World “ certainly has a easier time of not charging for returns then a mom and pop store. How much labor is needed to unbox and restock an item? I don’t care what the reason for returning is. My local retailer will take ANYTHING back for ANY REASON. No problem. No restocking fee!
I give up Don. You win the arguement. The next time your going to order the wrong trains.
You should order them at your" local retailer" so you can return them free of charge.
Thanks for the advice. And yes I have returned items to my local shop. No fees.
And one more thing. If CR would have offered me a store credit In lieu of a restock fee I would have gladly taken it as I have bought many items over the years from them. They did not.
I have had only superb experiences with Charles Ro. Their prices are amongst the lowest or are the lowest of the major retailers I've used. So great service and great prices equals a great store. The one damaged item was replaced promptly and at no cost to me. I think their policies are reasonable and fair. I do buy at a local store and their policies are also fair and reasonable. But to support their policies, they charge prices closer to MSRP than Ro, as one might expect.
I try to buy local whenever possible. To avoid Shipping etc. let’s face it the big stores have better selection.
@RickO posted:From Charles Ro Policies:
"All returns are subject to a 15% restocking charge and applicable freight charges if not exchanged for merchandise of equal value. No returns of books or video tapes. All warranty returns must be prepaid by the customer."
Again, a small family owned hobby shop is not comparable to a big box retailer.
Heres Trainworlds policy:
"Returned items must be in new and resalable condition with all original boxes and packing. Returned items may incur a restocking fee up to 15%. Shipping, handling, and insurance charges are non-refundable."
Grzyboski:
"Returned items must be in new and resalable condition with all original boxes and packing. Returned items may incur a restocking fee up to 15%. Shipping, handling, and insurance charges are non-refundable."
Nicholas Smith:
"All unopened & unused items can be returned within 30 day of purchase for a refund. A valid receipt must accompany ALL returns. Shipping both ways IS NOT refundable. ALL returns are subject to a 15% restocking fee, this fee will be waved if the item is exchanged."
Eastside Trains: ( even higher)
"No Returns after 30 days All sales are final without receipt All returns must be new in the box and unused All returns must be approved by the owner or manager 20% restocking fee on returns Shipping is non-refundable"
I can find more, but I think you get the picture.
If the wrong gauge was ordered why not do the exchange to save some of the charges?
I also have had nothing but good experiences with several of these sellers.
Ray
I have something in my Charles Ro cart right now, but can't buy it until my wife forgets about my other recent purchases. The restocking fee is annoying, but pretty common. I've had nothing but good experiences with Charles Ro.
I believe my local shop will take returns, but for store credit only. Which is fine - I would just keep that on account for future use. I order both ways - local shop and online retailers, but typically lean online for bigger $$$ pre-orders. In the end, shipping is cheap, and when you can find 15-20% off on a pre-order, it's hard to pass on the savings for larger purchases. My local shop would have been $800 more, for the same pre-orders, than my preferred online retailer. Just too large of a gap. So, I tend to place pre-orders online, and shop the sales at my local shop (Every week a new list of 25% off items, which yield prices well below pre-order levels where you can find some great deals if something you want comes up). Local shop will also negotiate on purchases, as well. In summary...plenty of ways to find good deals for your wallet, while keeping everyone in business. 
