Question about checking items at store.

May depend on the customer and the item.

 

I check pretty much everything these days, but my dealer has known me for my entire life and I've been buying O gauge from him since the late 90's.

 

He doesn't supervise me too closely as he knows how careful I am.

 

Translate that story into someone who walks into a store for the first time and asks to unwrap a Big Boy and then drops it and asks for another, obviously that's a different scenario.  (disregard the whole BTO thing, so substitute any other high dollar item with unknown customer)

 

-Dave

 

When I actually had a LHS, I'd always bring the box to the counter and ask the dealer to open it.  That way, if anything's wrong with it, it's plainly none of my doing.

 

If I were a dealer, I'd get pretty nervous watching customers open boxes of expensive equipment, even if I knew them well.

 

I never bothered to do this when my LHS was close for me to pick up items I had ordered. This procedure caused zero issues for me.

 

Now that my LHS is a 2 1/2 hour drive, everything is delivered by UPS. Still no issues, fortunately.

 

And in terms of packing, my LHS does an excellent job, and combined with UPS, the packages get here in mint condition.

 

We are hoping that at least one more gets here before Christmas. 

I go to my LHS often, usually at least weekly. I never bother to open or test anything there, just pick it up and bring it home. I have purchased quite a few items from them this way and not had any problems.

 

My LHS would let me open an item if I wanted to, but if I did it this way I would just let them open it as it is still their item until I pay for it. If I did break something myself, I would expect to be held responsible and I would definitely pay for it.

Pete,

I feel that this part of the game belongs to the retailer. After all it belongs to him. You earn the right to open the box only after you buy it.

"Pappy"

Gentlemen,

   Actually I like the owner or store employee to  remove and test my purchase before I take it home.  In fact Patrick did this very thing for me before the Legacy Shay was shipped to my home.  When the Iron Horse was still in business, Frank would do this for me everytime I purchased something.

PCRR/Dave

This post brings back memories of J&J crossing in Turtle Creek Pa.

Signs everywhere saying Do not remove or open boxes, NO KIDS...

Not a family friendly place and if you did find something you liked it came with a lifetime

of stale cigarette smoke smell from the box.

 

I agree take the item to the counter and let the dealer open it. 

 

I asked gryzboski trains to take a look at my purchase before shipping.  Their answer was " sure then it will get to you later.  I have to open it up, look at it and then put it back in the box".   Great customer service, yeah right.   Places like that will never see my business again   I suggest shopping somewhere else

Dave @ Mercer Junction takes my engines out, oils & lubes them, then test runs them. That's customer service.

My LHS, The Imperial Train Company, always checks a new purchase out, lubes, and checks for any issues before I walk out the door.  When the Berks came in with some reporting the bearing issue everyone was opened before the customer took delivery and when I picked it up opened again so I could test it before I left.

 

Obviously there are a lot of good shops that know what "Customer Service" means.  I'm happy I have one close by.

 

Now IMO if a customer is just opening things to look and damages an item I would think they are liable.  If the owner opens it so you can see or test it and damages it then I think the liability is with them.  At that point when asked, if they don't want the risk they should decline to open it.  Personally if it were me I would only let a staff member of the store open and re-package any locomotive that I may want to look at.

 

Another good thing about Imperial.  The walls are full of open product to check out.

Nassau Hobby and Trainworld will take care of you 100% if when you open it and operate it, should there be an issue.

I cannot say enough great things about Ken Jr and Charlie at Nassau.

Just make sure you read their policies as well as others for time frames.

It was my understanding Gyzrboski's does open up boxes before shipping and checks out the loco's?

However, when I had a bad issue with my Lionel SP Oil Can Tan Train set, despite myself being kind of angry, and some initial rough moments, all my fault...they took care of me.

I did pay for my shipping to them, and they paid for shipping to me, which is fair, especially since I had opened the set outside the normal policy period, and thus, I was not entitled to anything free from them.

Just remember, as with anyone, you get more by being nice, than being angry.

If you treat Joe and his son fairly, they will treat you fairly.

Also, Joe's son is the most level headed professional person you could ever deal with.

He was great to me, when I was not being so great to him.

And of course, Joe's wife is a "Saint" beyond golden!

 

Most places have been very good about opening and testing because I'm usually hundreds of miles from home. I would always have the LHS open the box. A couple of exceptions missed out on my business. It is all about customer service.

 

Bob

 

IMHO, I think only a store representative, someone that knows how to handle detailed models, should open boxes.  I recall a LHS that allowed customers to open shelved rolling stock, what a mess.  I had bought more than a few items that had broken detail pieces due to improper handling.

 

Stack

Have a relative or a friend make a video of the package being opened.

 

Then you can post it on a website is something interesting happens.

 

 

Andrew

This is one place where collecting and operating collide. As a collector, I want every piece and chip of styrofoam where the factory placed it in the packaging. I have opened a few brand new sets recently and have photographed the location of all the pieces in the carton. Also I want a fresh item that hasn't been looked at by another customer. Being a long time collector of postwar, a dealer opening the item and "servicing it" makes me suspicious original parts are going to be swapped for repros. This is all reverse for an operator that wants to get a working item to run on the track as soon as it arrives.

I think that you should ask the train store employee to open the package for you - preferably so you can watch and see what it looks like (or what falls out) as it is unpacked. That is usually what I do at my LHS where I am a regular customer.  If they know you and know that you are careful with merchandise (or they are busy with other customers) they might allow you to do that but, again, that should be done in full view of the store owner / employee. Packaging on some items is often real tight and there is a risk of damaging delicate parts as you open them.

Spence is right.  I have been in Mercer Junction when a customer and his young son walked in, and Dave pulled out some big diesel (I don't remember what), told him it was all checked out, and asked the customer if he wanted to see it run on the layout.  I got the privilege of seeing this dad and his son see and operate their purchase for the first time.  They both looked like it was Christmas.

 

I have a new MTH steamer on pre-order with Dave at this time.  This will be my first brand spanking new O gauge engine.  I expect Dave to do the same thing, and since I live only 45 minutes away, I will get to see it on Dave's layout too.

 

I agree with everything Marty said.  Having just met Marty this weekend at the Locomotion weekend, I just had the privilege of visiting Imperial Train Company for the first time last evening.  My daughter asked me to make the hour plus trek down to Ikea in Robinson to pick up a secret Christmas gift for her husband.  I decided I was so close I would go over to Imperial.  While I was there, a dad came in with a son about 8 to 10 years old.  They asked about several sets on the massive walls.  I could tell the son knew more about the trains than his dad.  The employee (Don't know if he was the owner) told them about the sets that were out of the box and on his walls.  That is the first time I can recall anyone displaying starter sets, but as Marty said, they have a lot of wall space filled with engines and sets.  They ran a Batman Subway set, and asked about the Scout and Pennsy Flyer, but did not ask for them to run.  They left with Dad saying to the son, 'we will see what Santa brings' and when the son was looking away, I saw the dad whisper something to the owner.

 

I purchased a boxcar decorated for a local dairy who I know some of the family and have been on their farm.  I couldn't pass that up.  No, I don't ask to open inexpensive freight cars, but I would want a locomotive opened by the LHS.

 

Two Great shops!!

I think these three short sentences get right to the core of the issue.  It goes along with a recent thread about picking items up to examine without asking when at a train show.  "Don't touch someone else's property."

Ditto! Can't ask for better service than that!

Harley House,

    I remember that place, bought an engine phone in there and it had to be fumigated

just to keep it in our living room.   Very child unfriendly place no doubt about it.

On the other hand you have Bill & Walts, where David the owner was in on this past Sunday, playing with the kids on the floor, with his old train stock, he did the same thing with my daughter 35 years ago.  When you step into that old store you step back

in time, to a different place.  Frank at the Iron Horse was the same way and people got to run their engine purchases even before they took them home, on one of his layouts.

His office layout was world famous, in Viet Nam around Christmas time, I was talking to a SGT in our SF Group about Frank and his train club at the Iron Horse, a Col from the 2nd Armor Division was stranding near by, he came over and opened his wallet, and showed us his old Iron Horse Train club card with Franks signature on it.  As he walked away I heard him tell his Lt, you see those SF boys over there, they are members of our train club in Pittsburgh, they need help, you respond no matter where they are, that's an order. 

Most Pittsburgh area train store owners were not anything like J&J, who came much later on.  Most of these old train store owners, helped form bonds that lasted a life time, even in a war zone.

PCRR/Dave

Great story Dave about the officers in Viet Nam.

 

Mark Boyce,

    What most people do not know about Frank the owner of the Iron Horse Hobby Shop, is that during WWII he was a US Army Criminal Investigator, his respect and

commitment to the US Military men and ladies was boundless, and he often shipped trains to the military people all over the world free of charge, I was one of those soldiers.  I still own the trains, he shipped to Munich Germany & Fort Hood, Texas free of Charge.

PCRR/Dave

Some of Franks Iron Horse Train Cub toward they very end.  I miss it badly no doubt about it.

Dave

 

i hang out with those guys on Fridays. 

It's a pleasure to watch a professional open the box, especially when he uses a small screwdriver or utility knife under the end where the flap could catch or tear.  I appreciate things like that. 

For my own protection I request that the LHS open the boxes. If I am pretty sure that I AM going to purchase it then they will put it on the test track for me.

 

If the customer breaks it - he/she makes it right...of course.

I see both sides. Like you, as a customer, I would want that. But if they did it for all of their thousands of orders it would sure slow them down...