MTH Premier Club Membership...what gives?

Other than getting one of the club cars, when you eventually do get it, it doesn't make much sense in joining the club in my opinion. The catalogs arrive well after everyone else has them already. And the website.......it's still a poor excuse for a website. Lionel knows how to make a website.

I joined the Premier and the S Gauge "clubs." I expect nothing more than the catalogs, and the cars. I got an email welcoming me and telling me to expect the cars in July. Weeks later, the catalogs, newsletters for the Premier club arrived. Along with a either a newsletter, or what must be the world's thinnest magazine. But it looks nice, and is on shiny paper. So I'm happy.

Joe,

 

Apparently one of the benefits of joining is that you receive the catalogs BEFORE everyone else.  Sounds like that is not the case.  Disappointing.

 

Agreed.  This issue exists for all levels of the membership, not just Premier.

 

One of the prime reasons I joined was for the Catalog delivery. And in several years it has turned out to be far easier and Much faster to get one from the LHS, despite the one hour+ drive to get there.

And lately the club cars have been non use for me. The cars do not fit in my somewhat restrictive Layout time frame. I am sure this affects most of us.

This year I went for the basic membership as I have no use for the car and saw what it would be before applying.

 

I now have 2 Catalogs from the LHS that MTH has not yet attempted to send me.

And the LHS gives them to me for free, Possibly due to the number of dollars I have flowed through him.

I joined the Premier Club about 11 months ago. Got my card and a catalog along with a pin and membership card (like my wallet needs another one of those, remember the Seinfeld episode about George and his wallet ). But there wasn't a track planning software disc enclosed. This was important to me because I plan to use Scatetrax on my new layout. I called them about it and was told it was being "updated" and that it should be done by September '12 and they would automatically send it out to me. Still waiting, but not holding my breath.  Seems like a lot of stuff falls through the cracks there. If anyone has more current info on the track planning software please let me know. Thanks.

I used to belong but no longer, I just don't see the value.

Cars are a good value. I really like the tinplate clubs.

Scott Smith

I joined the club for one reason.  I get the PS/2 upgrade kits for $150 vs. $180 street price.  I got the basic $25 membership, and so far I've purchased three of the kits and saved $90, net savings of $65.  I have no interest in them picking a car for me with some strange paint scheme, I'd rather select my own.

 

The club website has never worked for me, when I want something from them I call.

I have been a member for one year this month and I have not been able to get into the members section either.  Come on MTH does it take a year to rebuild that part of th website.  i most likely will not renew.

Sounds just like lionel's vision line club to me.  When vision line was released Jerry C. shot a video tauting all the benefits to vision line club.   I have enjoyed about as many benefits of membership as you.  Why do mfgr's offer this stuff and then not deliver?

I have been a RK member from almost day one an I think that it is worth it. I like my RK cars with MTH colors, but you can't go by me because I have no taste.

After I go I can see my wife trying to answer the inevitable general public question of, what in God's name is that?

The news letter is cool and I like the offers that MTH provides like the RK steam engine and the GW/AL engines.

As for the web site it dose need alot of work. For one thing, as stated above the members section is just not there and when it was would it of been so much trouble for it to say something like "Hello Mario E Welcome to the MTH club site". At lest a person would get the feeling as if they belong to something or a place that cares enough to know their name.

 

The member conversation thread was always cumbersome to use, at lest in my opinion anyway.

As for their parts section as compared to that of Lionel it is really second class, but then again there are not alot of Mike Regans out there.

 

In short I am a big fan of MTH and their products are second to none, even their sound systems have come a long way in the past few years. DCS is still the best control system in O-Gauge, again IMHO of course and there starter sets are top of the line.  Other then the starter track sytem offered MTH has all over the other manufactures in that market.

 

But, the web-site dose need alot of work and I wish they would get on the ball.

 

I would like to add that as reflected in other threads the economy is not generating very much confidence at this time and maybe MTH is just watching their pennies until things improve.

I have tried numerous times to renew my membership and each time I get a message that this is a dangerous website they have lost their certification enter at your own risk. 

Call Kristi Brown directly at 410-381-2580 extension #335.

I joined last June, got a letter with my number, and notice the software would come later.  I was able to log in, but soon after wasn't.  I e-mailed asking about my software and login, and Kristi promptly replied telling me about the delays.  I have e-mailed twice since, and she has told me the dates have been pushed back.  Like GunrunerJohn, I joined for the discount.  I don't care about the catalogs or special cars.  I finally purchased the PS2 upgrade at full price, never thinking I could call in.  Dumb, have I finnaly succumbed to the do it online only mentality.  Evidendtly so.  If the problems don't get resolved by June, I may not renew.

I have joined a couple of times because I liked the Premier club cars. The Premier club is the only one I would consider joining; the cars for the other clubs are tacky, tasteless advertising platforms. The one thing that was a good deal for the club, apart from the cars, is a substantial discount on upgrade kits. For that reason, I will probably join again in a couple of years when the PS/3 upgrade kits become available - I'm not doing any more PS/2 kit upgrades. 

 

The problems with the website, software, etc. are emblematic of the deterioration of MTH customer service. The parts situation is past critical. Midge works heroically, but she can't provide parts if they don't exist. Mike seems to be so focused on expanding the product line in new areas (S, HO, Euro) that customer service is bringing up the rear. Wooing new customers while kicking the old ones is a lousy business strategy. 

I've also had the same problems as the rest of you. Cannot get on the website, no pin, etc. & still no car after 6 months. I will not renew my membership.

I joined the Standard Gauge clubs for the cars. I collect them, have every 200 series club car and a member-exclusive 392 engine. I will continue to join to get the cars. Also, I'm still on the hunt for the members-exclusive Purple Comet and matching State cars. Have yet to see them for sale anywhere. The newsletter is interesting. I get the catalogs at York. Kind of a waste for me when I get them in the mail a month later. I've always thought that club members should receive them first as a perk.

Regarding the Software:

Unless they made a new deal with RR-Track, the only library is RealTrax, no Scaletrax.

If you want that one, e-mail me, I have several copies. And I liked it enough that I bought the real thing so I don't need them. Oh, it also has some buildings n such.

 

I wish I had been in the hobby when they offered the Steam engine in the club.

Some of the cars are no help for my layout, but I've picked up some that I missed as well. Paint is not that important for that consist.

I joined the MTH club 2 years after it started.  Since I did not like the purple Railking club cars I selected the Premier membership.  Three years ago, when the Premier car offering no longer appealed to me, I dropped down to the $25 basic level with no car.

 

The track planning software has been MIA for 3 years although it's still listed as a MTH provided benefit.  "The software is in the process of an update and will be shipped, including back years, when finished" line is getting old and IMO MTH should either: replace the software benefit with something else (track or accessory library for most recent track planner version) or lower the club price until the software IS available.  MTH should also remove the track planning software from the list of advertised paid club membership benefits.

 

Aside from some of the tinplate club cars, the recent premier or railking club cars have been unappealing.  I used to rationalize the club car by saying "'it's a good deal for only an extra $25 dollars" but the club car price levels increased.  After purchasing the 19 or 20 MTH York cars, I'm looking at the items, still in their shipping boxes, and think "I might have enough."  MTH also offered some old stock club merchandise at York at extremely discounted prices.  As others noted, the MTH website (slightly better than it used to be) and club members section is still problematic and seems to get a little company attention once in a blue moon.  IMO the benefits of membership are decreasing to the point that I'm considering dropping my membership and replacing it with an LCCA membership.

 

I too join but only at the basic level for the $25, unless I want one of the cars they are issuing then I will join either Premier or Railking.  A car for $25 is still worth it.  The other benefit is the cost of PS2 upgrade kits, another valuable feature but of course that won't exist in another year or so.  MTH definitely needs to improve the web sites.  Lionel has done a superior job in recent years.  I also like receiving the Crossing Gate but it does not seem to come very often anymore.  I believe MTH needs to hire a few more people to get all the work done, especially now that they have entered S scale too!   Hopefully they will be chugging along at full speed in another year or so, like they used to be.  

Why won't the PS/2 upgrades exist Dave?  That seems unlikely unless you know something we don't.  The reason I joined was for the special price on the upgrade kits.

That all depends on what you do with it.  I've purchased four PS/2 upgrade kits at a savings of $120 for my $25 membership, so it's certainly been worth it for me.  I don't see that Atlas would give me anything I need, what's so special about their club?

The 2 limited edition steamers they released, the George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are really nice, and I joined primarily to get them and at the reduced price for members. As for the rest of it, well, we will see how it goes. The steamers are super nice though. I'm really happy with them.

Atlas gives you the option to buy limited edition locos and rolling stock, as far as I am concerned all of atlas's items are limited edition. While they make nice stuff, most of it, especially the soon to be shipped F units are grossly overpriced for what they are. I like John, purchased my MTH club membership to buy PS2 upgrades and I saved several hundred dollars and received a random premier car about 7 months later. If I collected club cars I may consider joining but I would rather spend my money to join a club that does something for the hobby like TCA.

John,  No I have no inside information at all.  It just seems that MTH will stop producing the PS2 upgrade kits within a reasonable length of time, unless there will not be a PS3 upgrade kit.  Of course I have no idea what type of market exists out there for the PS2 kits but I would assume it is decreasing significantly by this time.  It is almost cheaper to buy a new PS3 engine than to buy and pay someone to install a PS2 kit. You could purchase one of the PS3 starter sets, strip the boards, lights and wiring and still have sellable parts after installing the PS3 stuff in a different engine.  (assuming you can make the drawbar connection work)  I am hoping to find out more about PS3 kits at the DCS meeting on Wed the 17th!!  Though MTH has not been as open as before, especially after they announced the quilling whistle a few years back.  

That's a bit different Dave.  I can only assume that they'd have a similar deal for PS/3 kits for club members.

 

I don't think it's going to be all that easy to make a PS/3 kit that has universal appeal, and truthfully, I haven't seen that much with the PS/3 locomotives I've seen that would make my PS/2 stuff obsolete.

 

Right now, and in the foreseeable future, I think that a PS/3 DIY upgrade is going to be a handful.