# Trainz, they know nothing



## ed&bingo (Sep 20, 2015)

Check out this item on ebay 331711012907. Rare Excellent pre-war switcher, & they take 3 pictures of it.


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## Jim M (Jun 21, 2015)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/33171101290...l?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=331711012907&_rdc=1


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## chipset35 (Sep 4, 2015)

Don't worry, they will shill bid it up.


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## rboatertoo (Aug 5, 2015)

They are the home of the ".99" opening bid. Not a bad idea, get people in cheap and they will hang around. It's at $227 as off 12:45pm central time.


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## Bill Webb (Sep 14, 2015)

Had a bad experience with them. Ordered and paid for item. Was told would be shipped. After six weeks tried to get elsewhere while still being told by Trainz that they would have it. By then all others sold out.

After three months I made it a point to see at York in person. "We will have it to you next week."

Next week received an e-mail, "Can't get. Your money will be returned."

Got the $$$ the next week.

I keep a list of suppliers that we buy/have bought from. Beside them are big bold letters STAY AWAY.


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## rboatertoo (Aug 5, 2015)

I haven't had a bad experience with them on ebay or their auction site. I was disappoined by their booth in York. But stay away from their auctions so I can get better prices!!!!


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## 86TA355SR (Feb 27, 2015)

I've had good experiences with them, though I don't use them unless it's an item I can't find anywhere else. 

I can get stuff much cheaper elsewhere. And, that's well before the 15% buyer's fee....


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## Marklx200 (Jun 14, 2015)

I've bought several things from them. Most transactions were good,some not. My problem is with shipping. They sent my first purchase to Colorado. I'm in KY,so I could see the obvious confusion. Had another purchase sent out west just a couple of months ago. The oddest thing was a package of 1 3/4" atlas track sections that I got in an auction in June with some other things. When they didn't arrive with the other things they told me they were out of stock. Why on earth would anyone list an item they don't have in an auction. I got them last week. And don't even get me started on extending auctions 10 minutes when someone bids close to the closing time. Why even list a closing time to start with. I'll shut up now, my rant is over.


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## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

once won a keystone sawmill kit from them on ebay. they had a second on auction at same time, 0 bids, and a third newly listed about 3 days later.

i receive email "no sawmill kit available, payment will be refunded" :stroke::stroke:


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## Prewar Pappy (Jul 26, 2015)

*Don't Blame Scott*

The man gave up control of his company. Some outside company does everything now. Years ago I purchased a lot from Trainz. It was the best place around for vintage Lionel Vintage Era for parts. You're wasting your time now days. One is better off shopping at Stout's Auction. Better trains at a better price. I used to chat with Scott at least twice a month. The last time we talked he asked me why I stopped buying from Trainz. Sadly, I had to tell him. He's under contract with the outside company at this time. Hopefully he can rescue a business that he worked so hard to start.


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## Norton (Nov 5, 2015)

So for someone else who knows nothing, namely me, what is the issue with the 701?

Pete


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

Prewar Pappy said:


> The man gave up control of his company. Some outside company does everything now. Years ago I purchased a lot from Trainz. It was the best place around for vintage Lionel Vintage Era for parts. You're wasting your time now days. One is better off shopping at Stout's Auction. Better trains at a better price. I used to chat with Scott at least twice a month. The last time we talked he asked me why I stopped buying from Trainz. Sadly, I had to tell him. He's under contract with the outside company at this time. Hopefully he can rescue a business that he worked so hard to start.


I agree. They used to be good, but now, no. I don't buy from them anymore.


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## CDNJ (Jun 20, 2015)

I bought something last month from them. Have had no problems.


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## 86TA355SR (Feb 27, 2015)

Prewar Pappy said:


> .... One is better off shopping at Stout's Auction. Better trains at a better price. ...


Absolutely correct. I like Stout's because they get hard to find items, usually in C8 or better condition, many times MIB. I've bought a lot of rare items I've never saw anyplace else.

They're an hour from me, so I pay a 10% buyer's fee, if I use a check (I still have some!). The down side is 7% sales tax. So, add 17% to the total, but no shipping cost.

I've gotten a few 'deals' there, but usually I pay market value on rare items, which is to be expected as others want them as bad as I do!.

I've enjoyed their auctions I've attended. Good folks and great trains.


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## Prewar Pappy (Jul 26, 2015)

*Stout's Auctions Are Usaully The Better Choice*



86TA355SR said:


> I like Stout's because they get hard to find items, usually in C8 or better condition, many times MIB. I've bought a lot of rare items I've never saw anyplace else. I've enjoyed their auctions I've attended. Good folks and great trains.


With good vintage prewar parts becoming harder to locate I often turn to Stout's. I have bid and won many boxed lots at reasonable prices. Many times I pay far less than I would on eBay even after all the fee's at Stout's. With Stout's I'm assured that I will receive original prewar parts and not reproduction in writing.


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## Ricky Tanner (Sep 19, 2015)

Prewar Pappy said:


> The man gave up control of his company. Some outside company does everything now. Years ago I purchased a lot from Trainz. It was the best place around for vintage Lionel Vintage Era for parts. You're wasting your time now days. One is better off shopping at Stout's Auction. Better trains at a better price. I used to chat with Scott at least twice a month. The last time we talked he asked me why I stopped buying from Trainz. Sadly, I had to tell him. He's under contract with the outside company at this time. Hopefully he can rescue a business that he worked so hard to start.


I didn't know this. I still buy a lot of stuff from Trainz's dash auction site. Even with the buyers fee,I have had many great deals. I've never had a problem with service and returns. Now Stout is another story.Some fantastic deals to be had there for sure!


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## L0stS0ul (Feb 6, 2015)

I've had a lot of good deals from Trainz. I would not have been able to build my layout if not for the deals. They do tend to over estimate the condition. I've had a lot of items they said were "like new" but were nowhere near that. Still I could not have accumulated what I have without the good prices. ebay would have been twice the cost or more for the stuff I have won. Only really been burned once and I knew that item was iffy because there were no pictures of the actual item. I won't do that again.


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## Sandjam (Nov 18, 2015)

I was searching for a z-stuff trolley control system. Z-stuff has had them on back order for some time and they may never get them again based on their supply issues. So I searched on eBay and found one. I bought it and it was from Trainz. 3 days later I inquire when it will be shipped. They reply they don't have any and are waiting to receive it from their supplier. How can they sell something they don't have! They now don't reply to any of my follow up emails. They basically took my money and now I have to fight to get a refund through eBay. I won't ever buy from them again and tell everyone to stay away. There are too many other great shops to buy from than these people. Wish I had seen this post 4 days ago. 

Sean


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## Todd Lopes (Nov 11, 2015)

I bought a few things from their auction service sometime ago before they started using the DASH interface and was satisfied. I've heard some stories lately that probably would lead me not to do business with them, unfortunately. 

I agree there are some good shops out there to do business with for your trains and accessories.


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## biglionelguy (Nov 11, 2015)

Ive bought several things from them, parts are always a good experience but trains are not. Of the 6 trains I bough from them all six had problems. DCC decoder somked on test run, drivers stripped out of steam engine on test run, broken doors, broken hand rails due to poor packagin. I just wont buy trains from them


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## Ricky Tanner (Sep 19, 2015)

I've been bidding/winning mostly older Premier,Lionel and Weaver scale steam. They prices have been excellent. All are duplicates of locomotives I have. My main reason is to have spare engines on hand. I've maybe won 30-40 the past year. I don't care if there are small cosmetic marks or if the electronics are bad as I'm a operator first and foremost.They'll be converted to TMCC or Wireless DCC eventually. I'm waiting to see how this bluetooth technology pans out.


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## bobyoung (Sep 21, 2015)

I have had so many miscues with Trainz that I just don't buy from them anymore. The right hand does not know what the left is doing. Most problems were in shipping the wrong item. Eventually they got it right, but were very condescending, implying that I was at fault.


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## chipset35 (Sep 4, 2015)

I bought some items from Trainz (Store) back in 2011 and had to get 1 MTH Turnout replaced because it was used and not new.
Also, a few times packaging was poor.
However, I have filed complaints against them on eBay several times and contacted Trainz directly as well regarding shill bidding.
You can actually see bidders with high Trainz % rates that either never win, they just bid up the price, then back off, and like I said have very high % of bid rates with Trainz, but never win.
Also, we see the same item re-listed after the person who shill bid it up won, sometimes as well.
Moreover, you can sometimes see items they sold at auction re-listed until someone besides their shill bidders buy it.
Also, many times you will see identical items where ANY bidder/buyer can get the same item at a lower price but the bidders keep bidding up the Trainz auction instead of doing a buy it now on a lower priced identical item.
So obvious its silly.
I gave up on them 2 years ago.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I've bought stuff from Trainz, sometimes you can get a pretty great deal. A more negative experience was trying to buy older 3rd Rail locomotives. I bought a total of four of them, and only one was not destroyed in shipping! I don't know who they had packing them, but they came fatally damaged in shipment. The last one finally came double-boxed, I guess they got tired of getting the bent and battered ones back!


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## laz57 (Sep 19, 2015)

I have also bought stuff from Trainz and had no problems. I was disappointed at there booth at YORK, seems like they brought what could fit into their trunk of the car? They use to test all their engines and give them a "bill of health" report? Don't know if they still do this?


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## Norton (Nov 5, 2015)

I am batting about .800 with trainz. About 1 in 5 has issues. Two were returned, one being the wrong item and other damaged in shipment. A few other items have been damaged due to poor packing but easily repaired. The great deals are what keeps me going back but my bids reflect the expectation of some damage. Sometimes I have received items better than described. Good to excellent have actually been mint, never run. You pays your money and takes your chances.

Pete


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

My most recent deal from Trainz a few months back was my Lionel 6-38402 TMCC Amtrak HHP-8, it was way below the going price anywhere else, and it was NIB and survived the shipping. This was the separate sale one with cruise control, full sized motors, and RailSounds 5. 










It's only issue was it was a bit light, so I added a pound of lead to bring it up to fighting weight.


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## Ricky Tanner (Sep 19, 2015)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I've bought stuff from Trainz, sometimes you can get a pretty great deal. A more negative experience was trying to buy older 3rd Rail locomotives. I bought a total of four of them, and only one was not destroyed in shipping! I don't know who they had packing them, but they came fatally damaged in shipment. The last one finally came double-boxed, I guess they got tired of getting the bent and battered ones back!


I had some close calls on Trainz's packing.Lucky for me I was living in Florida and I would get the trains within 24 hours of shipment. You can be sure I rattled some cages and nerves about the poor packing. The last several shipments have been very well packed.

I could care less about worrying about shill bidders,there are a whole bunch of regular sellers on eBay that have them bid up the auctions,I know who they are. I just enter the highest I'm willing to pay and go with that,there's plenty of trains and plenty of honest sellers.No need to worry about it.


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## L0stS0ul (Feb 6, 2015)

on every auction I have won from the DASH site I have had excellent packaging. Much better than even Amazon. Every item bubble wrapped individually and placed in a very well protected box. Shipping has not been an issue when I buy from DASH. Never purchased from ebay so can't say on that. They seem to sell very different items on ebay so maybe it's a different group.


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## bluecomet400 (Sep 13, 2015)

*So for someone else who knows nothing, namely me, what is the issue with the 701?*


The 701 is full-scale, which means you will need T-rail track if you're going to run it. T-rail track was made by Lionel for just a few years starting (I think) in 1937. Great track, just about everything runs on it, but it's relatively expensive. Lionel also made a semi-scale version of this switcher (#227), and it will run on tubular track. It still has 8976 on the cab, and probably the most noticeable differences are the couplers (box instead of scale knuckle-type) and the trucks on the tender are the tinplate style, not-to-scale. The center driver on the loco is also "blind," meaning it has no flange, enabling it to negotiate sharper curves. 

Hope this helps.


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## Norton (Nov 5, 2015)

The one in the link appears to be a 701, scale couplers and trucks and all drivers flanged. Maybe I am looking at the wrong link.



Pete


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## rboatertoo (Aug 5, 2015)

[. And don't even get me started on extending auctions 10 minutes when someone bids close to the closing time. Why even list a closing time to start with. I'll shut up now, my rant is over.[/QUOTE]

I am a last minute bidder and the first time it happened to me I thought I was going nuts. I checked my phone and the computer. I always set a alarm on my phone so I checked that too.


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## Marklx200 (Jun 14, 2015)

rboatertoo said:


> [. And don't even get me started on extending auctions 10 minutes when someone bids close to the closing time. Why even list a closing time to start with. I'll shut up now, my rant is over.


I am a last minute bidder and the first time it happened to me I thought I was going nuts. I checked my phone and the computer. I always set a alarm on my phone so I checked that too.[/QUOTE]

Me too. I thought I had misread the timer so I bid again and It happened again. I knew then I'd been had. I do still by things from them and have had mostly good service. But when I bid I just set my limit taking into account the 15% fee and then if I get it fine. If not, that's OK too.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

bluecomet400 said:


> The 701 is full-scale, which means you will need T-rail track if you're going to run it. T-rail track was made by Lionel for just a few years starting (I think) in 1937. Great track, just about everything runs on it, but it's relatively expensive.


I can't imagine this wouldn't run on Atlas or Gargraves track.


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## L0stS0ul (Feb 6, 2015)

> Me too. I thought I had misread the timer so I bid again and It happened again. I knew then I'd been had. I do still by things from them and have had mostly good service. But when I bid I just set my limit taking into account the 15% fee and then if I get it fine. If not, that's OK too.


It shocked me the first time it happened but now that I'm used to it I'm glad there is this no sniping policy. It's one of the things I've always disliked about ebay. If you like the item put your bid in and give people time to decide to bid against you or not. Seems more fair to me.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That's true, but if there is a snipe option, such as on eBay, you're going to lose out a lot if you don't take advantage of it.


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