read this on the bachmann N scale forum: Re: Returning locomotives? « Reply #1 on: March 24, 2010, 10:06:44 AM » Quote "Bachmann's Lifetime Limited Warranty covers motorized units only. Under the warranty, Bachmann can decide whether to repair or replace an item at their discretion. Items less than a year old are fully covered and will be serviced or replaced at no charge when accompanied with warranty card or proof of purchase. For items more than one year old, there is a nominal service charge for repair or replacement." Since you have had them for more than a year, there is a $25 fee per locomotive plus you must pay the shipping costs of the locomotives. If Bachmann currently makes the loco and there is not a significant difference between the current loco and your loco they will replace the loco with the same type loco with the same road name if available, if not they will ask which road name you prefer. If there is a significant difference in the locos in quality, original MSRP, or otherwise (I.e. the new lcoo is DCC and yours is not) you can have them replaced with the same loco for an additional "upgrade fee" as determined by the service department. Otherwise they will replace your loco with a GP-40, GP-35, GP-30 or something similar in original MSRP and quality in the road name of your choice. When returning your locos include a note stating what is wrong with them, so that they can be repaired or replaced at Bachmann's discretion. Here's a real life example, my friend sent in an old N scale DDA40X and received in return a GP-40 after paying the $25 service fee. You can likely arrange to get SD-45's at an additional fee for upgrading probably less than the fee for upgarding to the GE Dash 8-40C's. Quote Has anyone had this type of experiance with Bachmann?
Yeahh..That was me that started that thread,I'm "LV LOU"..I'll tell ya what they can do with their "warranty"...You can buy their SD45's on Ebay for 25 bucks,to get one with their "Lifetime warranty" I gotta give them my loco,pay for shipping BOTH WAYS,and give them 25 bucks..Used to be,you sent them something like ten bucks,and if you sent them one of their old 2-8-0's,they sent you back the new Spectrum 2-8-0...The bottom line? No more new Botchmanns for this little black duck...And I presently have 100+,they just lost a VERY good customer..
Before you go off half cocked, that reply you quote from the Bachmann forum was not from bachmann, or any offical represenative of the company, but by some one who posted on the thread. Bachmann has always been more than fair with their warrenty policy. their actual warrentee policy is on the site. http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/service.php Just recently my circa 1980's N scale J finally gave up the ghost, after years of great service the axles cracked and wheels would not hold quartering, I sent it in with the $15 fee, and a note asking if it were not repairable due to it's age, to just send it back and I would park it on the shop tracks. A few weeks later, I received a package from Bachmann with my old original loco, a note saying thay didn't have the parts to fix it, my uncashed check, and a brand new DCC ready Spectrum J.
It looks like everybody is just looking for a reason to ¤¤¤¤¤ about Bachmann. Do you really expect a manufacturer to replace your 10 year old loco with a new one, for free? What is the big deal? Nothing has really changed in their policy. Just some whiny posters on the Bachmann board that are PO'd over the DD40's. Be glad it is there at all. They could be just like everybody else (Kato, Atlas, etc.) and offer a 90 day warranty. After 90 days, deal with it yourself. Bachmann has already considered dropping the "limited lifetime warranty" on their product because of all the people buying junkers off of Ebay, sending them in with a check to get a new loco. The warranty is supposed to apply for the original owner only, yet that gets abused constantly. BTW - The warranty replacement price varries depending on the equipment. Standard line diesels are like $10, spectrum diesels are $15, Standard steam is $20 and Spectrum steam is $25 or something close to that. Guys, get a clue and quit trying to rape the company. All this was started because a bunch of people wanted to trade in 10 year old DD40's when the new ones arrived. Bachmann flat out said no unless you had your original reciept of purchase, and then it would be handled on a case by case instance. Read the warranty paperwork and statement on the Bachmann website before jumping to conclusions. They still have the best warranty in the business, it just sucks when you actually have to use it.
I've always had good luck with Bachmans warranty, examples: I bought a spectrum 2-8-0 from a hobby shop where I was living at the time that was advertised as "parts only" it had a cracked frame half, I wrote Bachman, with pictures of the damage and asked what my options were, the responce I got was that they couldn't repair the loco under the warranty because I dissasembled it, and I'm not a authroized service provider (This was quite a while ago) then they offered to send me the parts I needed to fix my loco at no charge! needless to say I jumped on the offer. they sent 2 frame halfs, I fixed the loco myself. another one I had was more recent, I have one of the newer light moutains, something slipped and the Mech Bound up. I mailed it back to them after some back and forth banter via e-mail. I got the loco back a few days ago, with a note saying that it got out of quater some how. they replaced all the drivers, and the entire valve gear on both sides of the loco. it runs great again. I agree that the above message is probally from someone who is just bitter about the DD40 situation, and I'd be willing to bet the guy was trying to pull the swap the old and crappy for new and shiny game.
Skipgear and others, First I have some input on this. I had a Spectrum Consolidation just stop on me right on the tracks and nothing could revive it, not even a test track contacts from my test power pack, etc. I didn't remove the shell, as I didn't want to disturb any possible warranty coverage on this unit. I go to Bachmann's website to see they charged $15, and since this was a very nice Western Maryland loco and well painted and quite good looking, I opted for the $15 and sent it off on February 2. Here it is April already, and no reply, no nothing.....I email customer service and get voice mail it will be two more weeks. That puts it at 2 1/2 months which I consider during the non-Christmas rush a little excessive. Did they have a run on a bad batch? To answer Skipgear, I do expect longevity from my locomotives. I have old Arnolds approaching 40 years old, and they still run like new. Of all of the Bachmanns I owned, I have one remaining running loco, a brass geared F9 tank I purchased in 1982. Every other Bachmann is now in spare parts or sitting on a shelf. I also have many of my 600+ locos logging in at 25-30 years old, some bought used (and abused?) but under the Kato and Atlas names and all are still good runners. Only my old Rivarossi's are starting to wear down. My dad always told me to keep it simple and that is my message to Bachmann. Take a Kato JNR Mikado apart and take a Bachmann Northern apart and you see the difference. The Kato runs incredibly and is simply built, mostly press fit, while the Bachmann has more parts than an old TV, all ready to dysfunction. Then put an overworked repair service on these poorly built trains and you have calamity. If Bachmann/Spectrum ever built a simple mechanism, they would certainly enjoy some relief at the repair/warranty department and reduce downtime for all of us Bachmann owners. I really have enjoyed the Consolidations, Mountains, and Priarie Mallets, now to discover that the most expensive of the lot has defective motors which run about 20 hours then kaput. Instead of going to Bachmann with a check when my Mallet burns out, I think the money will be better spent with Mr. Motorman. Meanwhile, I think as painful as it could be, my faith has been put on a long period of absence for Bachmann/Spectrum and now all of my hard earned dollars during this economy will go for Atlas, Kato, Intermountain, Walthers/LifeLike, and Athearn. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
I gave up on Bachmann a long time ago. There design looks good but there manufacturing is just plain junk. I can't believe they don't see the big picture, if they made good running locos they would sell tons! After buying several U36Bs in the 1980s that are all not running, I'm still waiting for a good running Bachmann.
Are you guys kidding me? While Bachmann may have some QC issues, they are the most willing company to stand behind their product. They are willing to repair or replace your down loco for a minimal price or for free ifs its still under warranty. Try to find somebody to fix a loco for the price they charge. I don't know what Atlas and Kato do for warranties but I think Bachmann's is more than fair. And for those that are try to do the switcheroo by sending in crap and expecting a new loco, you are trying to STEAL. Lou, lets apply your concept to an automoble. Do you think any dealer will let you bring in a 1983 Chevy Citation, pay $1000, and get a new car. That would be crazy. I'm surprised Bachmann hasn't radically changed their warranty due to the fact that there are alot of unethical people that abuse it. So they still take off like rockets, have poor pick-up, and blotchy details? Eric
Bachpersonn has always treated me more than right. I had a problem of my making with a SPECTRUM 2-8-0. I sent a letter asking for my options. They sent me a new one with a note to send the ruined one and the fifteen bananas at my convenience. I sent in a very used Standard Line 2-8-0, a cover letter requesting repair and the money and received back a new in box SPECTRUM 2-8-0. I sent an e-Mail about a problem with a doodlebug. I was inquiring about what parts I needed to correct the problem. I informed them that I had disassembled and modified it, thus, I understood that I had voided the warranty. They sent back an e-Mail asking to what address I wanted a new one sent and giving me the address to which I was to return the old one. When I sent back an e-Mail pointing out that they had forgotten to tell me how much money to send, they replied that it was not necessary to send money. Every time that I order parts, I get not just the parts that I ordered and in the quantity that I ordered them, I get other parts and extras of the parts that I ordered. Funny thing about B-mann, you tell them that you understand that it is not under warranty because the problem is your fault, and they still act as if the product were in the first year of the warranty. The extras that Bachmann has given me over the years far outwieghs the damages from any minor gripes that I might have with them. I have, still do and will continue to purchase their products. I recently purchased one of their logging flat cars, and will purchase more. Considering how hard those logging flats are to find, I suspect that many who have bought them are quite happy with them. Every place that I have tried is sold out of them. According to B-mann, they are based on a 1901 prototype, but since they have truss rods and come with archbar trucks, they are close enough for my nineteenth century pike. There must be some nineteenth century design that is close to them.
I did look at their "official policy",all these dogs I have[close to a DOZEN] are Spectrum's,and they're 25 bucks to replace,PLUS an extra charge because the new one is DCC,plus shipping BOTH ways.I can buy them new for less on Ebay.. AS for you guys that had "good experiences" returning stuff,just why should I ASSUME that will be the case with my transaction? I'm on the official B-mann website,the "B-MAN" regularly answers question on there ,NOTHING as far as my problem.If I send these P's of C back,and I want new Dash 8's,I'm expecting to pay 40 or more dollars each to get back what I send them.If I send them My Dash 8's and 25 bucks each,PLUS shipping both ways,I'm getting back GP40's or some other junk 4-axle non Spectrum.Yes,you've had good experiences,Well,good for you..When they tell me otherwise,I'll bite.I wouldn't mind spending the money if I was getting back what I'm sending them,SPECTRUM DASH EIGHTS,if I'm gonna end up spending 50 bucks each by the time I pay shipping and everything else to get back what I actually send them,I'll just leave this crap on the shelf..Their warranty is a joke.. And Eric B,a Chevy Citation depreciates because it's a car.I can take almost any model train I have,and sell it for nearly what I paid for it,or maybe more.If these things were running like they should,they'd still be worth nearly what I paid for them,or more,since they all have full MTL pilots.Right now ,THEY'RE WORTHLESS,because they used CRAP motors in them..I have locos that are 50 years old that have no problems,here I am with EVERY SINGLE ONE of these piles of crap not running right,yet I hafta pay a pile of money to get their "LIFETIME WARRANTY"....I'll just buy Atlas or Kato stuff,throw this junk in a drawer,and keep myself from getting ageta...
Lou, You don't have to pay shipping both ways for starters. The $25 covers return shipping. If you box them up all in one box, USPS Priority should cost between $5 and $8 to get at least 5 of them there in a small Priority box. They still stock the Dash 8's so getting dash 8's in return should not be a big deal. I doubt they are going to send you back GP-40's in their place. An easy way to address that, especially if you have installed MT couplers, is put a note in the box that you would like to retain you original shells because of the pilot conversion. I have had them do that for me before and ended up with a replacment loco and my original back because they didn't want to fool with removing the shell. I had a 4-4-0 that the traction tires dry rotted in storage. It also had issues with the tender pickup. I sent it back with a broken stack and mentioned that I was going to convert it to a B&O version before I found the problems. I recieved a B&O version when the return package arrived.
Me too! Without the details, I had almost the exact same experience of getting new. And, with me it was TWO items - an Alaska RR F9 and a PCC trolley. These were both old items that i sent in and I got back brand new, ready for the LHS packaging. Their stuff may not be the greatest, but I sure cannot fault their service. I found it fair and within the time frame of the estimate that I received by return mail after the first contact. This took place in the fall of last year.
Okay,maybe I'm not being very subjective here,but why should I be? I paid a lot of money for these stupid things,probably between 600-700 bucks for 12+ of them,plus pilots/couplers,plus some are custom painted/modified,and now I'm looking at the prospect of having to spend ANOTHER $300.00 to replace something that never really ran in the first place with what could be potentially the same thing,more junk..The POTENTIAL junk part is my problem.THe widecabs were designed with lousy railings,they don't even fit,half of these things are widecabs,Bachmann doesn't even list them on their website...I have a better idea..I'll buy better SD45 motors for 12 bucks,stick them in these things,and off to Ebay they go...To buy more Atlas/Kato/Life Like/whatever locos I know will run forever..I'm not looking for free locos,I'm looking for locos that actually run to replace the ones I DID pay for that never really did for a REASONABLE price,not the price of many of their new locos.I can buy SD45's on Ebay for the 25 dollar replacement price...
I too have dealt with then in the past and am pleased with their service AND warranty. I wrote them about a locomotive I purchased on ebay, a Spectrum, which had truscks falling out, mentioned it was purchased on ebay, wanted to purchase new power trucks for it, and I received a pair of new ones with the reply! Funny thing is Bachmann is the biggest seller, in terms of volume, of model railroad equipment in the world. Hmm I wonder why they are the largest seller? Perhaps because of the quality warranty? As far as I'm concerned a manufacturer that stands behind their product even though it was purchased used, yes you read right used, on ebay gets my vote hands down! Just my two cents worth!
Bachmann service has always done the right thing by me. Unfortunately, the right thing is costing them a ton of money. If they raised prices and shipping, just decide whether or not it is worth it for you to avail yourself of Bachmann service. It is commonplace for people to grouse about something when it negatively impacts upon them personally. Here, the price increase. Hence, the bashing. There are two choices for those on a restricted budget; 1. Buy the Bachmann and put up with the increased costs of repair which will more likely occur than with Kato or Atlas, or 2. Save up a little longer and buy the Kato or Atlas, which will require fewer repairs per 1000 units.
I wrote an e-mail to Bachmann, told them that in the last 15 years I had probably spent around $600 on their N scale trains only to find out that everyone of them turned out to be junk with the exception of the 8-40C & CW's. With that in mind, I asked what would they be willing to do to reconsile their reputation, and told them I'd love to have all that money back, they said in their reply " That they would forward my letter to Hong Kong and that they are always trying to improve their product". I do realize they are TRYING to improve, but it is not totally working out for them. Needlass to say, I felt totally side stepped. They obviously could care less about me as one customer, actually, I cannot put my finger on what it is that Bachmann cares about at all, oh yeah, just sales, not outstanding customer service. fatalxsunrider43
If they are such dogs and you have such a low opinion of Bachmann why did you buy 'close to a DOZEN'? If you really believe that you can 'take almost any model train I have,and sell it for nearly what I paid for it,or maybe more' I can only believe that you have never tried to sell anything or that you are hallucinating. Since you have chosen to take a very, very belligerent attitude with other posters on the forum - I can only imagine what attitude you approached Bachmann with. I know what kind of response you would have gotten from me if I were a Bachmann employee!!!!!!!!!!!!!
