IMO as stated to lionel customer service not just here. I told the person on the phone that all the high end stuff especially those items with complicated mechanisms should be 100% tested at the factory before being boxed up and shipped out. This way at least they know it was working 100% before it got damaged in shipping. Another thing is the amount of product they try to put out in a given catolog. If there was less product and more attention on that product being made to spec and using quality parts. Not cheap ones to save a penny or two in production. Not to mention getting it right on the factory floor and on the assembly line. Maybe lionel could get a better handle on thier quality control over there. Lets not forget the people putting this stuff together are just average workers hired to do factory assembly work. Just like any factory worker if they come in and are having a crappy day,tired,hungover,or feel they are being paid to low for what they are doing. It is very possible they will get a who cares attitude and just slap the stuff together. I look at it this way. A legacy engine made on monday or friday is no different than a ford car or truck made on monday or friday. Look at rapido trains. The owner jason once said on line they wont accept half ***. He stated he wants to be known for quality. When you by rapido its like you are getting a fine swiss watch he said. He said he does not want anything with the rapido name on it to be junk. He even retooled or redesigned or in one case remade products based on this philosophy and yes he said he lost money,but to him quality was more important. Lets hope lionel gets this figured out so as not to damage their name any further. I mostly by second hand so I avoid all the out of the box problems. I only by like new items when possible also. Tested and made sure they operate as if they were new. If the issue is minor and can be fixed I may get that item and repair it,but mostly I dont by fixer uppers. I have had a dud or two,but that % is on the low end. I would like to buy some of the new lionel stuff,but it is priced to high for me. I would like a nw2 switcher,but will wait till lionel gets all the bugs worked out. Maybe the second run.
|
|
